The Ruthless Female Forensic Doctor's Husband-Destroying Story

Chapter 13

Upon hearing his words, the people in front of him were overjoyed, and some of the elderly were so moved that they wept tears of joy. For a moment, the voices of Yang Qingtian could be heard everywhere.

Although Xu Shirong didn't go over, he only went to the entrance of the inner yamen and listened carefully to the commotion ahead. Hearing the deafening gongs and drums, and faintly hearing the cries of "Justice!" from the crowd, he knew Yang Huan's expression without even looking. He shook his head and went back inside. Yang Huan was nowhere to be seen all day; no one knew where he had gone. It wasn't until evening that Xiao Que came and relayed his words, saying that her master had gone to the seaside to inspect the dikes and repair them.

Xu Shirong listened, then fell silent in thought. She had only been there a short time, but had already read the local gazetteer of Qingmen County in the county government office. The seawall had fallen into disrepair over the years and was in dire need of repair. Not only were the saltworks and salt pans unprotected, but farmland and houses were also frequently threatened by the sea. One year, during a hurricane coinciding with a high tide, floods reached the outskirts of Tongzhou City, displacing tens of thousands of people and causing losses to the government's salt production and taxes. Yang Huan's determination to rebuild the seawall was naturally a good thing. However, this was a large and crucial project, requiring not only financial support from the prefecture but also the cooperation of other counties along the coast. Otherwise, if only Qingmen County built the seawall, it would be insufficient to protect against hurricanes and high tides. Yang Huan, in a moment of impulsiveness, had readily agreed without considering these factors.

After taking a bath in the evening, Xu Shirong went to bed early to rest. In the middle of the night, she was half asleep when she suddenly heard a knocking sound at the door and the voice calling "Jiaoniang". She was startled awake and realized that it was Yang Huan.

Xu Shirong hesitated for a moment, then heard him calling her repeatedly. Finally, she lifted the curtain, got off the bed, and went to open the door. As soon as the door opened, a faint smell of alcohol wafted out. Yang Huan, who had been leaning against the door, lost his balance and fell onto her, almost tumbling to the ground.

Xu Shirong helped Yang Huan up, finally regaining her footing. She was annoyed and about to scold him when she suddenly felt her hand being grabbed by him. It was warm and uncomfortable, and she was about to pull away when Yang Huan leaned closer, whispering, "Jiaoniang, you're so cool, it's very comfortable..."

Xu Shirong was taken aback, and hurriedly pushed him away, lowering her voice to scold, "You went out and got drunk again, and now you're causing trouble here?"

“I didn’t…go out drinking…I went to the beach today, and I was just drinking by myself in the courtyard, facing the moon…” Yang Huan said, swaying as he entered the room. Reaching the bed, without even taking off his shoes, he pounced on her bed, burying his face in her pillow, and continued, his words slurred, “I can’t sleep…”

Xu Shirong looked at his somewhat blurry figure lying there in the darkness, thought for a moment, and was about to leave to let him have the room when she heard Yang Huan call out, "Jiaoniang... don't go... come and talk to me for a bit..."

Xu Shirong hesitated for a moment, then sighed. She went to the bedside, took off his boots, fetched a basin of water, wrung out a towel, and slowly wiped his face, hands, and feet. Seeing that he was not moving, she thought he had fallen asleep. She lowered the bed curtains and was about to leave when Yang Huan suddenly grabbed her hand and pulled her onto the bed.

Xu Shirong was startled and was about to get up when he grabbed her hand tightly. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't break free. A hint of annoyance rose in her heart when she suddenly heard Yang Huan, who was lying inside, chuckle softly, then sigh deeply. He then murmured, "I'm so happy, I can't sleep. Jiaoniang... talk to me for a bit..."

Xu Shirong paused for a moment, then stopped struggling and let him hold her hand. The two lay there quietly, one inside and one outside.

"Jiaoniang, I'm so hot..."

Xu Shirong hummed in agreement, then used her free hand to touch the palm-leaf fan beside the pillow, fanning him to cool him down.

"Jiaoniang, I am so happy..."

In the darkness, Xu Shirong heard Yang Huan repeating the same words over and over again, so she could only hum in agreement and whisper, "I know..."

"Jiaoniang, do you know? Heh, do you know what I'm thinking right now?"

What are you thinking about?

Yang Huan rolled over, but his hand still gripped hers tightly. He mumbled, "I wish my father were here too, so he could see what happened today. How wonderful that would be..."

Xu Shirong paused for a moment while fanning himself with a palm-leaf fan, then resumed fanning, and said softly, "He will know."

“I’ve never liked studying since I was little, and he would scold me with a stern face. Over the years, all he does when he sees me is yell at me. I can’t remember ever smiling at me once… He even said I’m not as good as that Dong Ge… But the people outside are different. They’re all terrified of me, and the young women all try to smile at me… If he knew what happened today, he probably wouldn’t yell at me anymore…”

Xu Shirong heard him muttering incoherently, the voice growing softer and softer until it finally stopped, followed by a soft, even snore. He had fallen asleep. Feeling her hand sticky with sweat from his grip, she tried to pull it away, but he mumbled something more and leaned closer. Xu Shirong didn't dare move, letting him hold her hand. She shifted slightly away from him, fanning herself with a palm leaf fan, and finally yawned before slowly drifting off to sleep.

The author has something to say: 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, 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."

Upon hearing his words, the people in front of him were overjoyed, and some of the elderly were so moved that they wept tears of joy. For a moment, the voices of Yang Qingtian could be heard everywhere.

Although Xu Shirong didn't go over, he only went to the entrance of the inner yamen and listened carefully to the commotion ahead. Hearing the deafening gongs and drums, and faintly hearing the cries of "Justice!" from the crowd, he knew Yang Huan's expression without even looking. He shook his head and went back inside. Yang Huan was nowhere to be seen all day; no one knew where he had gone. It wasn't until evening that Xiao Que came and relayed his words, saying that her master had gone to the seaside to inspect the dikes and repair them.

Xu Shirong listened, then fell silent in thought. She had only been there a short time, but had already read the local gazetteer of Qingmen County in the county government office. The seawall had fallen into disrepair over the years and was in dire need of repair. Not only were the saltworks and salt pans unprotected, but farmland and houses were also frequently threatened by the sea. One year, during a hurricane coinciding with a high tide, floods reached the outskirts of Tongzhou City, displacing tens of thousands of people and causing losses to the government's salt production and taxes. Yang Huan's determination to rebuild the seawall was naturally a good thing. However, this was a large and crucial project, requiring not only financial support from the prefecture but also the cooperation of other counties along the coast. Otherwise, if only Qingmen County built the seawall, it would be insufficient to protect against hurricanes and high tides. Yang Huan, in a moment of impulsiveness, had readily agreed without considering these factors.

After taking a bath in the evening, Xu Shirong went to bed early to rest. In the middle of the night, she was half asleep when she suddenly heard a knocking sound at the door and the voice calling "Jiaoniang". She was startled awake and realized that it was Yang Huan.

Xu Shirong hesitated for a moment, then heard him calling her repeatedly. Finally, she lifted the curtain, got off the bed, and went to open the door. As soon as the door opened, a faint smell of alcohol wafted out. Yang Huan, who had been leaning against the door, lost his balance and fell onto her, almost tumbling to the ground.

Xu Shirong helped Yang Huan up, finally regaining her footing. She was annoyed and about to scold him when she suddenly felt her hand being grabbed by him. It was warm and uncomfortable, and she was about to pull away when Yang Huan leaned closer, whispering, "Jiaoniang, you're so cool, it's very comfortable..."

Xu Shirong was taken aback, and hurriedly pushed him away, lowering her voice to scold, "You went out and got drunk again, and now you're causing trouble here?"

“I didn’t…go out drinking…I went to the beach today, and I was just drinking by myself in the courtyard, facing the moon…” Yang Huan said, swaying as he entered the room. Reaching the bed, without even taking off his shoes, he pounced on her bed, burying his face in her pillow, and continued, his words slurred, “I can’t sleep…”

Xu Shirong looked at his somewhat blurry figure lying there in the darkness, thought for a moment, and was about to leave to let him have the room when she heard Yang Huan call out, "Jiaoniang... don't go... come and talk to me for a bit..."

Xu Shirong hesitated for a moment, then sighed. She went to the bedside, took off his boots, fetched a basin of water, wrung out a towel, and slowly wiped his face, hands, and feet. Seeing that he was not moving, she thought he had fallen asleep. She lowered the bed curtains and was about to leave when Yang Huan suddenly grabbed her hand and pulled her onto the bed.

Xu Shirong was startled and was about to get up when he grabbed her hand tightly. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't break free. A hint of annoyance rose in her heart when she suddenly heard Yang Huan, who was lying inside, chuckle softly, then sigh deeply. He then murmured, "I'm so happy, I can't sleep. Jiaoniang... talk to me for a bit..."

Xu Shirong paused for a moment, then stopped struggling and let him hold her hand. The two lay there quietly, one inside and one outside.

"Jiaoniang, I'm so hot..."

Xu Shirong hummed in agreement, then used her free hand to touch the palm-leaf fan beside the pillow, fanning him to cool him down.

"Jiaoniang, I am so happy..."