Divorced by her husband's family and rejected by her own! She defiantly turned her life around

"Old Wu, there's no need to go see them. Their situation is the same as ours. The three of us went to report to the authorities together, but the county magistrate didn't take it seriously at all and just sent a few yamen runners over."

What can these few yamen runners do? Not even a coroner came.

"Old Wu, let's call the other two families and go to the county government office together. We'll make sure the magistrate helps us get revenge. This guy is too arrogant."

"Okay, let's call Old Gu and Old Zou when we go."

The four gentry members stormed into the county government office, demanding an explanation from Magistrate Fang: "Magistrate Fang, our four families have lost sons and our storerooms have been emptied, and you only send a few bailiffs? Do you think you don't respect us, or that you don't value human life?"

"My lords, I understand your grief over the loss of your beloved son. I have already ordered the city gates to be sealed off, so the thieves will not be able to escape."

I'm very busy with official duties, so I'll have to do them one by one.

"I will now take the clerk and the coroner to investigate the scene and examine the body."

Fang Zhihua already knew that the mysterious master was behind the crime. He was very fortunate that the master did not cause him any trouble. As long as he worked normally and did not cause any trouble, he would be fine.

With the city gates sealed off, the people knew that something big had happened in the county town. Word spread, and many people rushed to see what was going on.

"Good riddance! They really vented our anger."

"Yes, from now on, the girls in the family can go out in public openly."

"Thank God, please don't let that hero get caught! He's a benefactor to us ordinary people!"

"I wonder what that benefactor looks like. We should set up a memorial tablet for him when we get back and worship him."

……

The county magistrate, accompanied by the coroner and the clerk, examined the bodies at each house. The conclusions were consistent: "The four men died in the same way; their necks were first snapped, and then their limbs were broken."

The crime scene was identical to that of former county magistrate Guo Changfeng and county magistrate Su Yiming, with the same manner of death and method of murder.

It is clear that the six people who died were killed by the same person.

The same applies to theft.

"My lords, please allow the young men to rest in peace. I will report this matter to the Prefect. This case is thorny, and the thief is cunning. I will do my utmost to apprehend the murderer and let the dead rest in peace."

"Lord Fang, you must bring the murderer to justice as soon as possible and avenge my son. He is my only legitimate son."

"Rest assured, gentlemen, I will do my utmost to apprehend the murderer."

"Tang Dianshi, this matter is entrusted to you."

"Yes, sir, I obey."

"Old Wu, look, Fang Zhihua is just giving us the runaround. You have to tell the prefect about this!"

Our child cannot die without any explanation.

"Don't worry, everyone. I will write a letter and send it to the prefect right away."

"Sir, how should we investigate this case? The first two murders are still unsolved, and now there are four more."

"I know this case is difficult to investigate, but we must investigate it anyway. Be polite to the people during the investigation and never do anything like petty theft, lest you get into trouble."

"Tang, I know you're diligent in handling cases, but don't take it too seriously. Just go through the motions; your life is more important. Who knows when that mysterious person might strike you again?"

"Your subordinate thanks you for your guidance, sir."

After Tang Dianshi left, Fang Zhihua sat alone in the armchair, his eyes tightly closed. He couldn't understand why the mysterious man hadn't killed him. He had been even more troublesome than Su Yimin before. Was it because he had become obedient?

That shouldn't be happening!

It seems these four cases are another unsolved mystery. Now he just wants to live a good life. He will do whatever the prefect tells him to do and will never do anything immoral.

Those four people deserved to die. In the past, when they committed crimes, Guo Changfeng covered for them, so the matter was never brought to light.

This time, they actually dared to harass respectable women on the street, which was extremely outrageous and showed no regard for the laws of the imperial court.

Perhaps that mysterious person was on the street at the time and saw everything clearly. That guy named Xiao Liu might have been killed by the mysterious person.

They say if you don't act recklessly, you won't die. They brought this upon themselves, thinking that because they had some money and the prefect was backing them, they could act lawlessly. They didn't even respect the county magistrate, even though he was only a temporary official. As long as he was in office, he had the power for that day.

Sigh! When will these days of anxiety and fear end? He wonders when the court will send down a new magistrate and replace him, this temporary one. He really doesn't want to stay here anymore; he'd rather go anywhere.

Since Su Yimin's death, Fang Zhihua has never had a good night's sleep, fearing that once he closes his eyes, he will never wake up again.

Just a few days after things calmed down, another murder occurred. I'm afraid I'll torment myself to death before the mysterious person even kills me. I'm severely sleep-deprived, and my mental state is poor every day.

When Madam Wu woke up, she cried her heart out. Her son, whom she had raised with such care, was gone. He was her only son. How could she live now?

"Sir, you must avenge our son! I think the people in the county government are no match for us; we have to do it ourselves."

"What do you mean by that, Madam?"

"Those people in the government offices are all good-for-nothings. They probably won't find anything even if they investigate for a lifetime. Why don't we spend a lot of money to hire those people from the underworld to help us investigate? I don't believe we won't find any clues."

If I ever find out who killed my son, I will wipe out their entire family.

"Madam, please don't worry. I have already written to my sister-in-law, asking her to ask the prefect to intervene. They can wait a little longer."

"Alright, if the prefect can't handle this, we'll ask someone else."

"Madam, you haven't eaten all day. Please drink this bowl of bird's nest porridge to nourish your body."

"Take it away, I have no appetite."

"Madam, your health is of utmost importance. If you ruin your health, how will you avenge the young master?"

"Just listen to this old servant's advice and drink this bowl of porridge."

"Yes, madam, please eat something. Our family depends on you."

Madam Wu closed her eyes and leaned against the bed. Master Wu took the porridge from the nanny's hand and said, "You can go now."

"Madam, the dead cannot be brought back to life. Please accept my condolences."

"Lie still, I'll feed you porridge."

Mr. Wu scooped up a spoonful of porridge and gently brought it to Mrs. Wu's lips. Mrs. Wu opened her mouth and swallowed the porridge.

She slowly opened her eyes. "Master, Lu'er is gone, without even leaving a child. Huan'er is getting married next year. We have no hope left."

After I die, there will be no one to break the pots and wave the banners, and the grave will be overgrown with weeds, with no one to clean it. It's truly desolate!"

"Madam, don't think so much. After Lu'er's 100-day mourning period, I will take you to the capital to see a doctor. We are not that old. If we try harder, we might be able to have a son."

"Yes, I'll do whatever you say, Master."

"Then hurry up and drink this bowl of porridge to get better."

Three days later, the four young masters of Lingshui held a collective funeral. The funeral was extremely grand, with coffins being carried out of the county town and cries of grief echoing in the air.

Raising a child is not easy. How much effort do parents have to put in to raise a child?

Some people fainted from crying on the way to the funeral, watching the coffin being buried in the ground and a grave mound being erected. They had money, and afterwards they would build a grave and erect a monument.

To their surprise, the grave was robbed on the second day after the burial, and all the burial items inside disappeared.

Inside Young Master Wu's coffin lay Lu Fangcao. This was all arranged by Madam Wu. Since her son liked her so much, she would let her stay with him forever.

Magistrate Fang was in a real bind. The murderer hadn't been caught yet, and now another tomb-robbing case had emerged.