Chu Qing could tell that apart from being a little gossipy, she didn't have any other flaws.
"Auntie, I'm afraid I need to go to the yamen. Could you please take a look at Xiaxia for me?"
The auntie was enjoying watching the commotion when, unexpectedly, everyone's attention turned to her the next second, and she nodded blankly.
"OK."
Xiaxia is a child she often sees in the village. She is a well-behaved child and doesn't cause much trouble. All she really needs is a little food.
Chu Qing was the kind of person who habitually arranged everything meticulously. She turned around, went inside, took out some silver, and stuffed it into the aunt's arms despite her refusal.
On his way to the yamen, Chu Qing thought carefully about his current situation and realized it shouldn't be too difficult to handle.
If it weren't for the fact that he was unfamiliar with the place, he would even think that... it wouldn't matter if he didn't go.
When he went inside to get the silver, he also found the contract severing ties that the original owner's parents had signed when the original owner first got together with Wei Yutang, which was from the original owner's memories.
Whenever this happened, Chu Qing couldn't help but admire Wei Yutang's foresight.
The Chu family signed the contract to sever ties at the beginning, put their fingerprints on it, and even had the village chief witness it. Even if the matter went to His Majesty's door, they would still be in the right.
Xiaxia wasn't really willing to listen. He wanted to go find his father, but his aunt was keeping a close eye on him because of the money.
This auntie is a rather honest person. It just so happens that she's busy with housework and other things this season and doesn't earn much money. When a job finally comes her way, of course she's reluctant to give it up.
Xiaxia initially thought she might be able to sneak a peek, but she later suppressed that thought.
Even if he was just sitting in one position for too long and felt a little tired and wanted to switch to another position, this aunt would stare at him intently, her gaze never leaving him.
Xiaxia sighed helplessly, resting her chin on her hand, wondering when her father would return.
These people probably only tried to bully his father because he was away.
...
On the other side, Chu Qing followed him to the yamen. The county magistrate, who was sitting on the high platform with a serious expression, paused slightly when he saw Chu Qing's face.
He glanced at the clerk standing to the side, who happened to be looking over as well. The clerk nodded slightly, confirming his guess.
The magistrate's hand, holding the gavel, was trembling slightly. He had no idea when he had suddenly acquired such an ability to judge the man in the courtroom!
On his way here, Chu Qing had already thought through the whole story clearly. He knelt down in the hall and presented the contract severing ties that the original owner's father had signed with both hands.
"It's not that I don't support my parents, but rather that my parents signed this contract a long time ago."
"It is clearly written in black and white on the document that from the moment this contract is signed, I, a commoner, will have no further relationship with them and will not be required to fulfill my duty to support my parents."
In this dynasty, governing the country with filial piety is good, but this contract is witnessed by the village chief, so its validity is still there.
Chu Qing spoke very logically, which the county magistrate appreciated. In addition, with the general's instructions before his departure, he had already made a judgment in his mind.
Even if this person had really made a mistake, I wouldn't dare to actually put him in jail, let alone the fact that he hasn't made the slightest mistake.
When Old Man Chu saw Chu Qing take out the contract, he had a vague feeling that something was wrong. He barely managed to keep his composure and looked at the old woman kneeling beside him.
"Are you really going to abandon your own parents for that hunter?"
Chu Qing felt somewhat bewildered upon hearing his unfounded accusation.
If he remembered correctly, it should be this person who, for such a small amount of money, decisively packed up his son and sent him to Wei Yutang's house.
But judging from his tone now, it's as if he's willing to abandon his parents in order to be with Wei Yutang.
"This humble subject had no such intention; please investigate thoroughly, Your Excellency."
Before Old Man Chu could say anything, the county magistrate sitting above slammed his gavel down hard.
"I will investigate this matter. If I find anyone who dares to deceive me, I will punish them severely."
Chu Qing had a clear conscience and simply lowered her head slightly after hearing these words. However, Old Man Chu was not like that. Whether it was because his wound was hurting or because he was flustered, a fine layer of cold sweat appeared on his forehead.
"Sir, we will not file a complaint."
Having handled so many cases, the magistrate could naturally see his guilty conscience, and a hint of disgust flashed in his eyes as he said:
“In the courtroom, you can’t just say you won’t sue. The laws of this dynasty state that if someone makes a false accusation, they will be punished as a crime.”
Parents suing their children for filial impiety should have been a sure thing, but in all the cases handled by the county magistrate, this was the only time the parents were defeated.
According to the rules, if their accusations against Chu Qing are true, Chu Qing will be punished with twenty strokes of the cane and then exiled for three years.
The magistrate looked at the two men below him, who were clearly not young, shook his head slightly and sighed. He felt it was a pity that they wouldn't live to see their return after exile, but he felt no pity whatsoever.
It can only be said that good and evil will eventually be rewarded.
Chu Qing was allowed to return that afternoon. Although the Chu family was also allowed to return, the thought of what the magistrate had said earlier still made them feel as if a knife was hanging over their necks.
On the way back, Old Man Chu was carried on his eldest son's back, and his eyes were filled with resentment and dissatisfaction as he looked at Chu Qing.
He felt that if it weren't for Chu Qing, they wouldn't have ended up in this situation no matter what.
"You're so heartless."
Chu Qing remained noncommittal after hearing his father's evaluation of him, unsure of his father's true intentions. To him, it was nothing short of a compliment.
"You're not bad either."
"Are you just going to stand by and watch us be exiled?"
"Oh, then I won't watch it."
After Chu Qing finished speaking, she saw a steaming bun vendor on the roadside. The aroma wafted far and wide. Remembering how Xia Xia had looked so eager when she ate meat buns before, she went over and bought a few.
Just as I was about to leave, I remembered that the aunt also had children, so I bought two more.
It just so happened that the clothes that had been made for Xiaxia last time were supposed to be picked up soon. Chu Qing wandered around the county town for a while before finally getting what she needed.
The Chu family, for reasons unknown, simply watched from the sidelines.
"You clearly have money on you, enough to do all this, so why won't you treat your father's leg injury?"
"I've almost run out of money. What, you want to give me some?"
To avoid walking with this group of people, Chu Qing specially called a carriage to take her back. Sitting in the carriage, watching their disheveled appearance, she turned her gaze away and stared blankly at the things in her hands.
Actually, he never quite understood why the more well-behaved a child was, the less their parents liked them. Like the original owner's younger sister, who was a little spoiled and didn't know how to be considerate.
They have a penchant for making demands that their families cannot meet, disregarding their family circumstances.
But the family seemed to be bewitched, only wanting to spoil her.
They even went so far as to cling to the original owner like a leech, yet refused to give the original owner any respect or care, practically wearing the word "exploitation" on their faces.
"Host, the protagonist's halo in this world has been broken."
"Um?"
The system's reminder suddenly popped into Chu Qing's mind, quickly bringing her back to her senses.
It seems like he hadn't even had time to do anything yet, so how did his halo shatter?
"Host, the protagonist needs the support of his family in the early stages."
However, there is no room for growth in the early stages. According to the system's detection, after Old Man Chu and his wife are exiled, the female protagonist will most likely end up in her brother and sister-in-law's home.
In the Chu family, only her parents were willing to unconditionally spoil her. Her older brother and sister-in-law might also value this younger sister, but their appreciation was tempered with reason, and no matter what, it could never surpass that of their own biological child.
It's easy to imagine how harsh the environment must have been for the female protagonist, who had lost the protection of her parents.
"Okay, I understand."
Chu Qing didn't think too deeply about it and accepted the fact.
After reporting this matter to the host, the system contacted the master again. Bai Yuan had just completed a mission and arrived very quickly.
Not only Chu Qing, but even the system felt that the protagonist's halo had been broken inexplicably this time.
Things that are too easy always arouse suspicion. As an observer, the system also felt that the host had completed the task far too easily.
After listening to the system's concerns, Bai Yuan checked the program herself and, after confirming that there were no errors, opened another encrypted file.
This encrypted file contains everything related to the Zerg Queen.
Bai Yuan had always had a strange intuition, and her intuition had always been very accurate since she was a child. She always felt that the Zerg Queen was trying to do something for another purpose, besides the one that they already knew.
There is another one, who is in place of the Commander.
"After so many failures, her control over these things has weakened."
"Master, why is it that no matter how good the Marshal is to his child at the beginning, he still prefers the Commander?"
The system felt that if it were itself, it would be very upset in this situation.
"You're asking me such a simple question?"
Bai Yuan refused to believe that the system she had created herself wouldn't know the answer to such a simple question.
After being questioned by its owner, the system obediently admitted its mistake.
"I know, but I'm not sure, so I'm just curious."
"Xiaxia was created by the Marshal to compensate for the fact that he and the Commander could not have children. In the initial design, the Marshal made Xiaxia have a 90% affection for the Commander."
A 90% favorability rating means that no matter what Chu Qing does, he can easily win Xia Xia's favor. Even if he goes too far or doesn't care about Xia Xia, he can still become the most important person in Xia Xia's heart.
"this……"
The truth was similar to what the system had previously thought. Before Bai Yuan could say anything more to the system, her personal computer sent out a call.
"I have other tasks to complete. Please contact me anytime if there are any emergencies."
Although Bai Yuan felt that with the Zerg Queen's current abilities, she had completely lost the ability to control everything, and no matter what, she couldn't cause any more big commotion.
However, there's always a chance of something going wrong. Given the Marshal's concern for the Commander, this matter deserves the utmost care.
"Yes, Master."
After returning home, Chu Qing first gave the things to the aunt. Sitting on a small stool, not wanting to do anything, the little guy who was only thinking about why his father hadn't returned yet ran out as soon as he heard a noise.
Xiaxia was quite well-behaved at her aunt's house before, she didn't make a fuss or cry, but now that she saw her father come back, she couldn't hold back anymore, and tears streamed down her face uncontrollably, and she burst into tears.
"Father, you...you're making me so scared."
Xiaxia cried while hugging her father, telling him how sad she was at the time. She cried until she couldn't breathe, and just then Chu Qing held her in his arms, so she rested on her father's shoulder for a while.
"It's my fault. I promise this won't happen again. I'll take you with me wherever we go next time, okay?"
Xiaxia nodded gently and hugged her father tightly.