Country Maiden: Fields and Fortune-Chapter 588 - : Severe Punishment (3 more)
Chapter 588 -588: Severe Punishment (3 more)
She thought that in this lifetime, she might just perish in this bandit lair, yet unexpectedly, through the dark willows and bright flowers, someone came to rescue her.
In their own homes, wasn’t each of these women a diligent girl? But in this den of bandits, they were tormented to the point of laziness and indifference to the children. Some even went as far as to abort their own pregnancies.
The number of young women kidnapped to the mountains was many, and so was the number of those who died. Apart from a few old people filled with intense hatred, no one knew how many women had come through these mountains, how many had died. The dozen or so who were still alive, both young and old, were all filled with hope for the outside world.
“I want to go home!”
“I, I am willing to follow the young lady!”
Those who chose to return understood the situation better and naturally knew that by going back now, with the neighbors and villagers aware of their abduction by the bandits, their reputation was no longer intact.
With just a few words, those who wanted to go home couldn’t help but weep quietly.
They didn’t dare to go home.
“I, I…”
Xie Zhinuan let out a gentle breath, “Then follow me for now, and once things are settled, I will have someone escort you back home to see your relatives!”
Before that, they still needed to make a record at the Governor’s Office.
Declare clearly where they came from. When were they kidnapped to the mountains.
“On what grounds are you taking them away, you…” An old woman lunged over.
Xie Zhinuan had yet to make a move when a guard by her side kicked the old woman away.
“Magistrate Meng, these old wretches are accomplices, arrest them all, and wait for their punishment!”
Town Chief Meng hurriedly nodded in agreement.
Then he asked Xie Zhinuan, “What about these children…”
“…”
Xie Zhinuan also didn’t know what to do with these children.
Children are innocent.
They couldn’t choose their birth, nor could they choose their parents, or perhaps they didn’t even know who their fathers were, a mess of relationships that made them the sacrifice of this sordid affair.
“I want to follow the young lady!”
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“Me too!”
“And I…”
The children actually understood hatred and resentment early on.
Especially since their mothers were either dead or still alive but had not given them a backward glance. The road down the mountain was rugged and arduous, yet no one looked back. On this mountain, there were still her children.
Xie Zhinuan looked at the children in front of her, the oldest barely in their teens, made a very bold and dangerous decision, “Then come with me!”
If you don’t root out the weeds, they’ll grow back with the spring breeze.
These children, because of her, had lost their fathers, and now their mothers…
But to truly abandon these children in the mountains would only result in another band of bandits in a few years.
The place was closer to Gaocheng County. On her way here, Xie Zhinuan had already arranged for a mule cart, and now, squeezing all with effort, they could pull everyone back to the county town.
As for the old people, she left them for Town Chief Meng to deal with. There was no reason to avoid punishment on account of old age.
If one’s children turn to bandits and are not taught or admonished, but instead condoned.
Such people deserved heavier punishment.
“Burn down this place. Cut some wood from the surrounding trees and set it on fire,” Xie Zhinuan instructed quietly.
“Burn everything?” Town Chief Meng asked.
“Yes, burn it, but be careful not to let sparks fly into the woods. It would be troublesome if the fire spread to the mountain!” Xie Zhinuan instructed.
Town Chief Meng hurriedly agreed, leaving behind a few men to start burning the buildings.
At the foot of the mountain, Xie Zhinuan watched the smoke curling around the mountaintop.
She squinted gently, “Let’s go, back to Gaocheng County!”
“Young Lady, aren’t we going to the manor?” Chunyu asked.
“No, when I get back, I plan to hire some managers. There are many things I can instruct them to do, so I don’t need to do everything myself,” Xie Zhinuan said softly, boarding the carriage.
The carriage started moving with a clop-clop sound.
