Be a small county magistrate in ancient times

Chapter 453 Complaint
Meng Changqing asked Cheng Guang, "Have you ever looked into the situation he described?"

Cheng Guang said honestly: "Qian Laoliu didn't tell me, but the head of Anxi Village told me about it."

"What did he say?" Meng Changqing asked.

"The village chief said it's not considered as occupying land, it's just that the corner of the wall is on the boundary of two houses..."

Before Cheng Guang finished speaking, Qian Laoliu beside him became excited, "It's just occupation! Her wall has reached my house, you are just hooking up with her..."

"Don't get excited." Meng Changqing heard him speak faster and faster, and advised: "Since you came to me, you believe that I will give you justice, right?"

Qian Laoliu nodded.

"Then the government doesn't investigate a case by just listening to one side of the story. There are several people involved in this matter, and I will question each of them. For now, don't worry about what they say, whether it's true or false. I only look at the facts and evidence." Meng Changqing asked the passing yamen runner to bring him a stool. "Sit here first. I'll give you a result after I finish my investigation."

"Okay." Old Man Qian nodded much faster than before. "I believe you. I don't believe any of them, but you."

Meng Changqing took Cheng Guang a few steps away and said, "Go on."

Cheng Guang looked at the person sitting on the stool and shook his head helplessly, "It's really just a small matter. I really don't understand why he has to make such a fuss."

“Don’t judge, tell the story.”

"What Li Erfang told me was that the newly built house next door rubbed against the fence of his vegetable garden. It might have damaged it a little bit, but Qian Laoliu just wouldn't let it go."

Meng Changqing stared at Cheng Guang for a moment before continuing, "So, have you verified what Li Erfang said?"

Cheng Guang was panicked for a moment, "No." He still chose to tell the truth, but he couldn't help but make excuses for his negligence, "I have been tidying up the warehouse during this period, I don't have time."

Meng Changqing didn't say anything to him, only said: "Send someone to Anxi Village and call Li Erfang."

"Yes."

Cheng Guang quickly ran to the door, found a reliable yamen runner to give him instructions, and then stood next to Meng Changqing.

The yamen runners rode horses to look for Li Erfang, and soon brought him back. It was not the first time for Li Erfang to enter the gate of the county yamen, but usually several village heads came together. He was called alone, so he was still a little worried.

Walking around the screen wall, Li Erfang saw Qian Laoliu sitting in the yard, and the expression on his face froze for a moment.

He knelt down in front of Meng Changqing and said, "Greetings, Master Meng."

"Stand up and talk." Meng Changqing asked him, "Do you know why I called you here?"

Li Erfang did not choose to play dumb, "Is it about Qian Laoliu's family?"

After he finished speaking, he turned to look at Qian Laoliu and saw that Qian Laoliu was also staring at him with fire in his eyes.

"Tell me about it." Meng Changqing took the breakfast handed to him by Cai, "What exactly is going on?"

Li Erfang explained, "It's like this. The fence of Qian Laoliu's house was damaged by his neighbor. I have already told that family about it and asked them to repair it as it was after their house is built."

Meng Changqing finished the porridge in his bowl before saying, "Why didn't I hear about this?"

"Oh, Qian Laoliu's family must be saying that they are occupying their land. That's not true. When his neighbor built a new house, I went to see it. It was nothing. The two families live far away from each other."

Meng Changqing looked at Qian Laoliu who was sitting next to her. Her expression looked as if she wanted to eat Li Erfang alive. Fortunately, she had the confidence given by her previous words and Qian Laoliu was willing to believe her.

"Since it was so far away, how could it damage his fence?" Meng Changqing said, "When the residential land was divided, I required that each adjacent plot of land be separated by a foot. Didn't you in Anxi Village do that?"

“No, no, no.” Li Erfang wiped the sweat from his forehead, “We separated them when we marked the land.”

"Then explain to me, if there is a distance of one foot, why did it damage Qian Laoliu's fence?"

Cheng Guang's expression turned unpleasant when he looked at Li Erfang.

Li Erfang thought for a moment, his eyes rolling left and right several times before he said, "You know, sir, although we left some space when we divided the land, some people in the village don't like to see the land wasted, so it's normal to plant some vegetables on the vacant land. Maybe Qian Laoliu's vegetable field has been expanded."