Transmigrated into a minor official in a county government, with children at home waiting for rice t

When Fang Zhong'an barged into the room, it was already past 1:00 PM.

He was drenched in sweat, his official uniform open at the front and his belt askew as he entered the room, panting and leaning against the doorframe. His voice rose uncontrollably: "Zhang the Clerk! We've caught them! Zhang Dalang's son and that servant A-Qiang, they've all been caught!"

Zhang Sanlang put down his pen and looked up at him. Although he had a feeling about what was going on, he didn't expect that they could catch the person so quickly.

Fang Zhong'an caught his breath, took three steps at a time, walked to the desk, flicked his sleeve, and said with barely suppressed smugness, "I've been guarding the city gate for almost half an hour, and the more I think about it, the more something seems off."

"If those two wanted to escape, they probably would have left the city by morning. I then questioned the archers at the city gate carefully..."

He leaned forward and said, "The archer said that before dawn, a man and a woman did leave the city. The woman was carrying a small bundle, and the man was following behind. They were in a hurry, as if they were on an early morning journey."

Zhang Sanlang nodded, signaling him to continue.

Encouraged, Fang Zhong'an straightened his back a bit: "After thinking about it, I realized that since the two of them don't have official travel documents, it's fine for them to move around between the four villages in the county, but whenever they want to leave the county, the road patrol and township officials will check them."

"Since they have no official credentials, they certainly wouldn't dare go far. I remember that Zhang Dalang's family is from Wangjiazhuang, so I guessed that they had most likely gone back to their mother's home."

He paused, wiping the sweat from his brow with his sleeve: "I know the village head of Wangjiazhuang, so I took two archers with me. When we arrived at the village, the village head said he hadn't seen anyone there."

"The lower official was not giving up and asked him if there were any vacant field huts in the village. Wang, the village head, thought for a moment and said that there were indeed a few at the east end of the village, which were used to check the autumn harvest. Because they were simple, no one lived there at other times."

Fang Zhong'an chuckled as he finished speaking: "My men and I sneaked over there, and sure enough, there were people in the shack. Zhang Dalang's son was huddled in a pile of straw, with that small bundle beside him. We apprehended him on the spot."

Zhang Sanlang looked at him, a slight smile playing on his lips: "Where's Qiang, the guy?"

Fang Zhong'an chuckled: "I questioned Zhang Dalang's wife, and she said that Aqiang went to the river to fetch water. I'm thinking that if we make a big show of arresting him at the river, that kid will most likely jump into the river and run away when he sees the archers."

"The clerk then ordered the archers to disperse and guard the area around the shack. Sure enough, before a cup of tea could be brewed, Ah Qiang returned unsteadily carrying a water jug. As soon as he stepped into the shack, he was pinned to the ground."

After he finished speaking, he patted his chest and said, "He's alive and well, unharmed and uncrippled. He's tied up tightly with rope and is currently being held in the torture chamber awaiting trial."

Zhang Sanlang stood up, walked over to Fang Zhong'an, and patted him heavily on the shoulder: "Old Fang, well done! You've done a great job this time. If they turn out to be the murderers, I'll put in a good word for you with the county magistrate!"

Fang Zhong'an's eyes lit up, his mouth stretched to his ears, and he waved his hands repeatedly: "What are you saying, Clerk? It's my duty to run errands and deliver messages. Whether there's a reward or not doesn't matter. I'm just happy to do my part for you."

He said it was no big deal, but his hands were already rubbing together inside his sleeves several times.

Zhang Sanlang didn't say anything more, turned around and walked out: "Let's go to the torture chamber."

Xu Zheng sat behind his desk, a blank confession paper laid out in front of him, his pen resting on the edge of the inkstone. When he saw Zhang Sanlang enter, he quickly stood up, gave up the main seat, and sat at the side desk.

Since Zhang Sanlang was only in charge of the criminal investigation department, he usually handled the paperwork, making him a nominal but effective administrator of the department.

Fang Zhong'an followed in and consciously retreated to the wall, pulled up a stool and sat down, crossed his legs, glanced at Xu Zheng, and his smugness had not yet faded.

The room was a bit dark. Zhang Sanlang walked to the table and sat down, glancing at the two people in the corner.

Before the severing of ties, he would still have to call Wang Shi "sister-in-law".

Wang squatted in the corner, her hair disheveled. Her pomegranate-red jacket was covered in dust, and there were mud stains on the hem. She kept her head down, her hands twisting together.

Liu Daqiang stood against the wall, his gray short-sleeved blouse half-wet, his trouser legs splattered with mud, and a red mark on his face, as if he had been strangled with a rope. He tilted his head, staring at the cracks in the bricks on the ground, not looking at anyone.

Zhang Sanlang didn't rush to speak.

He glanced at the statement Xu Zheng had prepared, then looked at Fang Zhong'an: "When interrogating a female prisoner, a jailer should be present, according to procedure. Have you sent someone to fetch her?"

Fang Zhong'an slapped his forehead: "I called her! I called her! The clerk sent someone to fetch Granny Wang; she should be here soon."

No sooner had the words left his mouth than footsteps sounded outside the door.

Granny Wang walked in, curtsied, and stood by the door with her hands at her sides. She was wearing the prison uniform of a jailer from the county jail, and looked much more energetic and even a bit plumper than when we last met.

Zhang Sanlang nodded to Granny Wang, then turned to Wang Shi, who was squatting in the corner: "Wang Meizhu, kneel down and listen to the trial."

Wang Meizhu didn't move.

Granny Wang walked over, bent down and gave her a push. "When the clerk asks questions, the female prisoner kneels to answer. This is the rule of the prison."

Wang Meizhu glanced at Zhang Sanlang absentmindedly, and had no choice but to kneel down on the ground.

Zhang Sanlang opened the case file, his face expressionless. He lightly touched the page with his fingertip, then looked up at Wang Meizhu: "You and I are acquaintances, so we should skip these formalities."

"However, the interrogation process in the criminal investigation department has its own procedures, and we must follow them. Please bear with us. You must answer the pre-trial questions truthfully and not conceal anything, otherwise you will be severely punished. State your name and place of origin!"

Wang Meizhu's lips moved: "My surname is Wang, my given name is Meizhu, and I am from Wangjiazhuang Village, Linhe Township, this county."

"To whom will she marry?"

She married into the Zhang family on Dongzheng Street in Juancheng, and became Zhang Shouren's wife.

How old are you this year?

Thirty-two.

Zhang Sanlang asked questions very slowly, pausing after each question.

Xu Zheng was taking notes, one stroke at a time, the rustling sound of the pen tip gliding across the paper particularly clear in the torture chamber.

Do you know why you have been detained today?

Wang Meizhu bit her lip: "This humble woman does not know."

Zhang Sanlang glanced at her. "You don't know? Then why aren't you at home? Why are you living in that shack in the fields of Wangjiazhuang?"

Wang Meizhu twisted her fingers, but her voice was more steady than before: "This humble woman just wanted to go back to her parents' home. It's been too long since I've been back, and I miss it dearly. There wasn't enough room at home, so I borrowed a shack to stay in temporarily."

Zhang Sanlang pulled a piece of paper from the corner of the table and placed it beside him: "Fang Tie Si".

Fang Zhong'an quickly stepped forward and said, "Yes."

"Tell me, when you caught Wang Meizhu in the shack in Wangjiazhuang, what was in her bundle?"

Fang Zhong'an cleared his throat: "Reporting to Zhang Yashi, there are two sets of clothes to change into, a pair of new cloth shoes, and a string of copper coins, about three or four hundred coins, in the bundle."

"There is also a small wooden box containing several pieces of silver jewelry. There are also several land deeds and documents, which have been temporarily sealed in accordance with the procedures of the criminal investigation department."

Zhang Sanlang looked at Wang Meizhu: "Your relationship with her is quite remarkable."

Wang Meizhu pursed her lips and didn't reply.

"Fang Tiesi just said that A-Qiang was arrested near the shack. Why did you bring a servant with you when you went back to your parents' home to visit them? And why did you leave before dawn?"