The Ruthless Female Forensic Doctor's Husband-Destroying Story - Chapter 12
Yan Kai initially denied it, but both men confessed. Granny Sang kept pointing fingers at him, and Shi An had irrefutable evidence. After enduring dozens of blows, he couldn't bear the pain and had no choice but to confess and sign the confession. Qin was released on the spot and regained her family property that had been seized. A neighbor who was away brought A Niu over, and mother and son embraced and wept, finally reunited.
Upon hearing this verdict, the crowd gathered at the yamen gate was overjoyed, and Qin was in tears, pulling Ah Niu along to kowtow repeatedly.
Seeing that the situation was settled, Xu Shirong quietly walked back through the side door of the main hall, leaving Yang Huan alone there, smugly receiving praise from everyone.
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It turned out that Yang Huan got up early in the morning and learned from Xiao Que that Jiao Niang had gone to the morgue. Remembering her instructions last night, he paced around in circles for a while before slowly walking to the entrance of the courtyard. He heard from the guards that Shi An had followed him in. He felt like he was being scratched by cat claws. He couldn't stand it any longer, so he asked a guard to bring a ladder, put it on the wall, and quietly climbed up to peek.
He had considered every possible scenario, even imagining Jiao Niang and Shi An gazing at each other tenderly over the bone, and he was certain he would remain unmoved. But when he peeked out, he saw Shi An tending the fire, while Jiao Niang sat far away on a small stool, her eyes fixed on the flames, seemingly lost in thought. Just as he felt a sense of relief, he suddenly noticed something boiling in the large pot, steaming so thickly it looked like the lid was about to burst open, and the smell of rotting flesh filled his nostrils. He abruptly realized what was happening.
The shock was quite severe; his legs buckled, and Yang Huan lost his balance, tumbling down the ladder and knocking it over along with him. As he grimaced in pain, he saw the courtyard gate open and Jiao Niang lean out. He initially wanted to cry out in pain, but seeing Jiao Niang's slightly furrowed brow, he suddenly felt guilty, touching his head and stammering, "I...I just slipped and fell..."
When Xu Shirong saw that he ignored her advice and insisted on sneaking over, she was already somewhat displeased. She knew he must have been frightened and fallen. But when she saw that his face was pale and his voice was stuttering, yet he was putting on a brave act, which looked quite ridiculous, she couldn't hold back her laughter any longer and burst out laughing.
Yang Huan had expected to be scolded by her, but seeing that she was not angry but smiling instead, he immediately relaxed. He seemed to smell that stench again, so he got up from the ground and said with a bitter face, "You...you used that big pot to cook..." but he couldn't finish the sentence.
Xu Shirong hummed in agreement before saying, "It is indeed as you see it. The pot is filled with bones." Seeing his gaze suddenly become fixed again, she continued, "Boiling the bones is just to clean off the remaining tissue more quickly. We don't have time to wait for them to slowly decompose on their own, and of course, we can't scrape them with a knife. Boiling them and then brushing off the impurities is the simplest method."
After she finished speaking, she suddenly realized that she had just been explaining her behavior to Yang Huan in a gentle and pleasant manner. Given her personality, she would have definitely ignored it in the past, but she didn't know why she was so patient now. She suddenly felt a little strange and turned to go inside.
Yang Huan was quite frightened, and his legs were still a little weak when he stood up. But after hearing Jiao Niang's explanation and seeing her kind face and the hint of a smile in her eyes, his fear subsided. He glanced into the courtyard and saw Shi An's back. He gritted his teeth and followed her in.
Xu Shirong thought he was about to leave, but when she heard footsteps behind her and turned around to see him coming in, she didn't chase him away. She just pouted and gestured for him to stand further away. When she figured it was about time, she told Shi An to turn off the fire. She then used pliers to take the remains out of the water and soaked them in another vat of water next to her. After they cooled down, she took them out and, together with Shi An, carefully brushed off the remaining tissue with a bristle brush.
Yang Huan had been watching from a distance, but seeing the two of them intently brushing the surface of the bones, he slowly moved closer. Seeing that Jiao Niang had finished brushing one bone and her delicate hand was reaching for another, he suddenly mustered the courage to blurt out, "I'll do it!"
Xu Shirong looked up and was surprised to see that he didn't seem to be joking. For a moment, she forgot to speak.
Yang Huan scratched his head again and chuckled, "Actually, there's nothing to be afraid of. It's just a few bones. You've been squatting for so long, you must be tired. Sit down and rest, I'll brush it for you."
Seeing his bright smile revealing a set of gleaming white teeth, Xu Shirong thought for a moment and then said with a smile, "If you don't mind the dirt, there's a brush over there. Take it and brush yourself. Be gentle and careful not to splash dirty water on your face, or you might vomit."
Seeing that even Magistrate Yang was about to roll up his sleeves and start brushing, Shi An quickly gave up his stool. Yang Huan grunted in agreement, then casually sat down next to Xu Shirong, closed his eyes, pulled out some kind of bone, and began brushing it, imitating the young lady. At first, he was a little uneasy, but gradually he got used to it. As he brushed, he would glance at the young lady's face beside him. Sometimes his eyes would meet hers, and seeing a hint of a smile, he would be overjoyed, wishing he would never finish brushing the bone.
After the skeleton was cleaned up, Xu Shirong arranged the bones on the mat next to him according to their positions, forming a complete human skeleton. He carefully examined it from head to toe before looking at Shi An and asking, "Did you notice anything unusual?"
Shi An hesitated for a moment before pointing to the left scapula of the skeleton and saying, "When I was washing this bone just now, I felt something was wrong; it looked like it was cracked."
Xu Shirong nodded approvingly, reached out and picked up the bone, examined it against the sunlight, and then said, "This is a scapula. This bone is quite large and strong in the human body, and it is protected by muscle groups, like a blanket. However, this bone has large fracture marks at the lower end. Judging from the fracture edges, the cracks are clear and show no signs of healing. It must have been caused by the deceased being struck from behind by a heavy object just before death."
Yang Huan was stunned for a moment, then leaned closer to look at the bone in her hand, clicked his tongue and shook his head, saying, "You can even tell from this... Damn it, that old bastard Yan Kai is ruthless! Is this how this old woman was beaten to death?"
Xu Shirong shook her head and said, "Not just here." She then looked at Shi An and pointed to the cervical spine of the skeleton on the ground, asking, "Is there anything unusual here?"
Shi An squatted down and examined the bones carefully. He exclaimed "Eh?" and then said, "These columnar bones look somewhat broken and incomplete, unlike the intact joints below. Could it be... that they were also caused by being struck by a heavy object?"
Xu Shirong nodded and said, "The bones in her neck are shattered. I deduce that the assailant was a very strong man who struck the victim's shoulder from behind with a solid club or similar heavy weapon, causing her to fall to the ground. But this wasn't fatal. The victim was still able to move at the time, so he struck her on the back of the neck again, causing a comminuted fracture of her cervical vertebrae. The victim was an elderly woman, and these two heavy blows were fatal. Because they were all internal fractures, and you didn't remove her clothing to examine the skin when you examined her, it gave the illusion that there were no external injuries."
Shi An looked ashamed, but Yang Huan cursed, "They really have audacity! Let's give those guys a good talking to this time, and see if they can still deny it!" With that, he hurriedly left. Shi An glanced at Xu Shirong, who had wrapped up the bones in those two places, and hurriedly followed. As a coroner, he was obligated to appear in court to clarify the situation.
Granny Sang and Liu San, who had been imprisoned overnight, were brought in for questioning. The two were already somewhat guilty yesterday because their testimonies didn't match up. Now, seeing Shi An handling the bare white bones in his hand and revealing the cause of Li's death, and hearing Magistrate Yang indiscriminately accuse them of conspiring to beat Li to death and then faking the suicide by hanging, and then throwing down a handful of red-tipped sticks and ordering them to be beaten to death in court, they were terrified. Before the stick even touched their flesh, they had already confessed everything in a rush, like beans pouring out of a bamboo tube.
It turned out that Yan Kai had long coveted A Niu's property. Seeing that Qin Shi was reluctant to remarry and now seemed determined to spend her life in the Yan family, he was both anxious and resentful. He used to often sow discord between Li Shi and Qin Shi, and Li Shi would sometimes urge Qin Shi to remarry after hearing his words. However, now she was gradually becoming less receptive to his advice and would even give him a cold shoulder, which naturally fueled her resentment. That day, seeing Qin Shi take A Niu out, he called the matchmaker Sang to go with him to Li Shi to propose marriage to Qin Shi. Li Shi now knew her nephew's intentions and wouldn't listen to him anymore. Instead, she cursed him as a heartless scoundrel, chased him into the courtyard, and when he still refused to leave, she grabbed a carrying pole leaning against the wall and hit him on the arm, causing him to fall to the ground. She cursed him as she turned and went back into the house.
Yan Kai was a scoundrel who harbored deep hatred for her. Now, being beaten, he was seized by a sudden surge of malice. Seeing a stone lock on the millstone against the wall, he grabbed it and smashed it against the back of her head. Li heard the whoosh of the stone lock behind her and dodged. Although her head wasn't hit, her shoulder was struck hard, and she couldn't stand up. She collapsed to the ground, and after struggling to her feet, she groaned and said she would go to the authorities. Seeing that the old woman was barely alive but still so stubborn, Yan Kai feared that her shouting would attract attention. Without hesitation, he picked up the stone lock and smashed it against her head again, but in his panic, he only managed to hit the back of her neck.
The woman, surnamed Li, was already old and frail. The previous blow had already nearly killed her. Although this one didn't hit the back of her head, it was still enough to be fatal. She couldn't withstand it and died on the spot, bleeding from her mouth and nose.
Granny Sang, who had been summoned to earn money as a matchmaker, was terrified upon seeing that someone had died. She turned and fled the Yan family home. Yan Kai, seeing that Li was dead, realized Granny Sang had run away. Fearing she would spread rumors, he disregarded the body and immediately chased after her, finding her at the home of her old flame, Liu San. Granny Sang, fearing she would be silenced, quickly devised a plan to frame Qin, claiming it would kill two birds with one stone: clearing her name and kicking Qin out, leaving only the foolish A Niu, who would be completely under his control. She swore she would never reveal a word. Yan Kai thought it made sense, so he dragged Granny Sang and Liu San back to the Yan family home. They wiped the blood from Li's mouth and nose, and the three of them hung Li from the rafters. This led to Qin entering the house to find her mother-in-law hanged, only to be falsely accused of driving her to her death. After receiving some benefits, Granny Sang and Liu San kept quiet, waiting for Qin to be beheaded so that there would be no more trouble.
After they finished giving their statements and each put their fingerprints on the document, Yan Kai was brought over.
Yan Kai initially denied it, but both men confessed. Granny Sang kept pointing fingers at him, and Shi An had irrefutable evidence. After enduring dozens of blows, he couldn't bear the pain and had no choice but to confess and sign the confession. Qin was released on the spot and regained her family property that had been seized. A neighbor who was away brought A Niu over, and mother and son embraced and wept, finally reunited.
Upon hearing this verdict, the crowd gathered at the yamen gate was overjoyed, and Qin was in tears, pulling Ah Niu along to kowtow repeatedly.
Seeing that the situation was settled, Xu Shirong quietly walked back through the side door of the main hall, leaving Yang Huan alone there, smugly receiving praise from everyone.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Qin received Li's remains, carried them out of the county government office in a new coffin, and returned home for burial. Yan Kai was thrown into death row, awaiting execution by the prefectural government. Granny Sang and Liu San, knowing the truth but failing to report it, instead aided and abetted Qin in framing her; they were each given thirty strokes of the cane as a warning to others. The matter was finally settled.
The next day, Xu Shirong got up and had just finished getting ready when she suddenly heard a loud commotion of gongs and drums, mixed with the crackling of firecrackers. Judging from the direction of the sound, it seemed to be coming from in front of the yamen (government office). She initially thought it was just an ordinary wedding procession passing by and didn't pay much attention. However, after a while, the sound lingered and she became a little curious. Just as she was about to send someone to investigate, Xiang'er suddenly rushed over, beaming with joy, and said, "Madam, many villagers have come to the gate of the county yamen, beating gongs and drums to deliver a plaque to Your Excellency."
Xu Shirong was somewhat surprised. After thinking for a moment, he ordered someone to open the gate of the county government office and then went to Yang Huan's room. He didn't lock the door when he slept at night. Xu Shirong pushed the door open and saw that the man was wearing his inner shirt, lying there with his hands and feet spread out, fast asleep and still not awake. He went over and nudged him a few times before the man suddenly opened his eyes.
Yang Huan was dreaming of his beloved concubine, with whom he was intimately entwined in his bedchamber. The concubine, her face flushed with desire, called him "My lord," and he was utterly captivated. Suddenly, she appeared in his hand, waving a piece of white, gleaming human bone at him. It looked exactly like the bone he had washed the day before. Startled, he jolted awake, realizing it was all just a dream, and that it was already broad daylight outside. Feeling an unbearable urge in his lower body, he hurriedly turned to relieve himself, only to find his concubine standing beside him, dressed in a misty green silk robe and a crescent-shaped skirt. Her elegant face and beautiful eyes were fixed on him. He suddenly remembered the dream he had just had. Although the last moment was a bit of a letdown, the beginning was full of tender feelings and endless spring scenery. He suddenly felt tight and uncomfortable, afraid that she would see through him. Without saying a word, he hurriedly bent down and went to relieve himself in the grain recycling bucket behind the screen.
Xu Shirong had no idea about the complicated thoughts in his heart. When she saw him hurriedly go behind the screen, and then heard the splashing sound of water, she realized what was going on and felt a little uncomfortable. She said, "Hurry up and wash up before going to the government office in front," and then hurriedly left.
After Yang Huan was helped to wash and dress by Xiao Que, he arrived at the yamen gate. He saw a great commotion at the gate, with gongs and drums beating loudly. The street was packed with people. A few people in front carried a plaque, and beside them were the family members of the former cripple, Qin Shi, and several elderly men with white hair. He was momentarily stunned. When the people in front of him saw the magistrate emerge, they all knelt down. One of the old men pointed to the plaque behind him and said, “Magistrate Yang has come to our Qingmen County to rid the people of a scourge. He truly deserves the name of a just and upright official. It is our great fortune. We worked through the night to make this plaque and delivered it this morning. It is truly a token of the heart of the people of Qingmen County.” He then kowtowed repeatedly.
Yang Huan looked up and saw the four large characters on the plaque: "Qin Mirror Hangs High." Although he had never been good at reading books before, he had heard this story from the storyteller in the entertainment district. It was about how the First Emperor had a mirror that could reflect a person's internal organs and know whether a person was good or evil. It praised the officials for their fairness and integrity. He felt like he was floating on air. He suppressed his grin, coughed, and wanted to say a few polite words, but he couldn't think of anything suitable. So he solemnly stepped forward and helped the old man who was leading the group to his feet.
The old man was deeply moved when he saw the magistrate's kindness and how he personally helped him up. With tears in his eyes, he said, "Your Excellency is indeed a benevolent official who cares deeply for the people. Today, I dare to plead with Your Excellency on behalf of the tens of thousands of people in Qingmen County, begging you to have compassion on the people's livelihood and to uphold justice for them!"
Yang Huan felt a surge of heroic spirit and waved his hand, saying, "Whatever it is, just say the word."
Upon hearing this, the old man's face lit up with joy, and he hurriedly knelt down again, saying, "Sir, Qingmen County is located by the sea, and every year hurricanes strike, flooding the entire city. After the rain recedes, the crops can still yield some harvest, but the seawall has been in disrepair for many years. If the tide comes in, it becomes a vast expanse of water, and the people are left devastated. We have petitioned the magistrate many times before, but he has always ignored us. The people of Qingmen County are truly suffering. As long as the seawall is not strong, even if we have planted crops, we will be uneasy, fearing that another sea flood will come and wipe out the entire crop..."
As the old man spoke, a look of sorrow appeared on his face. The crowd behind him also knelt down, saying all at once, "Please, Your Excellency, do justice for the people. If the government comes forward to build the seawall, we are all willing to be laborers, just asking for a bite to eat."
Without a second thought, Yang Huan replied, "That's easy. I'll agree right away. You can all go back and wait for news."