Reborn as the Blissful Wife in the countryside-Chapter 1073: There’s Still a Little Sister

Because Mrs. Niu’s family is reckless, if he dares to face them and try to discipline them, Mrs. Niu and her husband, Niu Laoda, would dare to take a knife to his door, making his family restless.

His household includes the elderly, the young, a young wife, and an unmarried daughter. How could they dare to go against such desperate ruffians? If Niu Laoda and his wife were to secretly kidnap their granddaughter and sell her to Mrs. Hua, where would they cry for help?

Now seeing Niu Laoda and his wife being arrested, Village Chief Niu is so happy he almost sheds tears.

Niu Qiao’er knows that as long as Niu Laoda and his wife are around, she and Qiao’er can never live a good life, so she kneels before Village Chief Niu, crying, "Village Chief, you are an elder of the Niu family and the village chief of Niu Fu Village; only you can save us. Please help us, Qiao’er and I."

Village Chief Niu is stunned, looking at Niu Qiao’er, feeling a bit baffled, but Chief Niu is not stupid. After thinking for a while, he understands Niu Qiao’er’s intention.

Niu Qiao’er wants to take the opportunity to rid herself of Niu Laoda and his wife altogether.

Although it’s a bit ruthless, if Niu Qiao’er wants to live a human’s life, she cannot let Niu Laoda and his wife remain alive.

"Child, stand up. Our Niu family has rules. If anyone breaks the law, the village will not tolerate it," Village Chief Niu says, agreeing to help Niu Qiao’er.

Niu Qiao’er cries tears of joy, and after getting up, the group sits in the county government’s mule cart and heads to the county town.

By the time they reach the county government, it’s nearly midnight, and they can only throw He Jinwa and the others into the jail to await trial the next day.

County Magistrate Zheng, annoyed over the recent matters about He Daqian and Zeng Biao, hears of the Niu family case first thing in the morning and promptly holds a court session. After only one hearing, he sentences He Jinwa’s family, Niu Laoda and his wife, and Mrs. Niu to exile in Central State, to work in the iron mines there.

Mrs. He Niu cries, "My lord, my family is wronged. How can you sentence us to exile? And to those iron mines—we’ll die there!"

Heh, if you don’t die, you won’t be sent there.

Fourth Son He, severely beaten and struggling to speak, has no choice but to say to save his own life, "My lord, it was He Jinwa who assaulted Niu Qiao’er... We were unaware. We are innocent."

He Jinwa, upon hearing this, glares at Fourth Son He and shouts, "Fourth Son He, you bastard, we clearly discussed this, and now you’re pinning it on me. You’re too cruel, not even helping your own son."

Fourth Son He spat, "You little beast, stop talking nonsense. We had no knowledge of it. Bear your evil deeds yourself and don’t drag us into it!"

Then he cried and appealed to the Lord County Magistrate, "My lord, I am innocent. I truly was unaware of He Jinwa assaulting Qiao’er. Had I known, I would have stopped him. Punish this little beast, but release us!"

"Silence!" County Magistrate Zheng sneered coldly, "Fourth Son He, do you take me for a fool? The adjacent room is made of mud walls; speaking loudly would be audible. You would have known about He Jinwa assaulting Niu Qiao’er. If you continue to argue, the punishment will be increased!"

Mrs. Niu is utterly bewildered in the courtroom, never expecting that in just a few days away at the county government, such disaster would befall her family.

But being one who has faced storms, she knows the county magistrate is siding with Niu Qiao’er, so she immediately cries out to Niu Qiao’er, "Qiao’er, my sweet granddaughter, you’ve suffered. Rest assured, from now on, grandma will treat you well and won’t let anyone bully you again."

"Hahaha!" Niu Qiao’er laughs with tears, pointing at Mrs. Niu, "Don’t pretend. You’re the most vicious one. Living with you, we sisters wouldn’t even have bone ash left!"

Niu Qiao’er turns to County Magistrate Zheng, knocking her head on the ground repeatedly, pleading, "Lord County Magistrate, I know you are a just magistrate, please help us sisters... The Niu family is unfit for humans. If they aren’t punished, our lives as sisters are over."

She then recounts her experiences from childhood to adulthood, crying uncontrollably by the end, almost fainting.

Hunter Bai, upon hearing, sheds tears, never imagining the Niu family was so inhumane, subjecting Qiao’er to such suffering with so many sordid affairs.

County Magistrate Zheng was already angered by the matters concerning Zeng Biao. Hearing Niu Qiao’er’s recount, and observing the words and deeds of Mrs. Niu’s family and Fourth Son He’s family, he immediately pronounced the verdict: "He Jinwa, Fourth Son He, and Mrs. He Niu, for conspiring to ruin the reputation of an innocent girl, by law, ought to be publicly executed. However, because the mines need workers, your death sentences are commuted, and you’ll be sent to the mines to atone for your crimes."

Then pointing to Niu Laoda and his wife, he said, "You two conspired in murder. Once the officials uncover the child’s remains, and if indeed dropped to death, there’ll be another court session for sentencing."

Niu Qiao’er had previously narrated not only her lifelong abuse by Niu Laoda and his wife but also mentioned when their argument led to the death of her little sister out of spite.

More than three years ago, Niu Laoda and his wife gave birth to a baby girl. Because the child cried and disturbed Niu Laoda’s sleep, an argument ensued with Mrs. Lai, and out of a fit of anger, they made remarks about throwing the baby if it wasn’t wanted.

Niu Laoda, being hot-tempered, really did drop the baby, causing her death.

That incident occurred just after the Water Bandit Case was concluded, a time when Tianfu County’s governance was most transparent, with officials often coming to the village to announce the criminal laws. If the government knew about such infant death, arrest would be inevitable.

Niu Laoda and his wife took the opportunity under the cover of darkness to bury the baby on a mountain, crying the next day that their little daughter had died of illness.

At that time, Niu Qiao’er, tasked with caring for her little sister, saw with her own eyes her sister being dropped to death. Despite being frightened, having cared for her sister for several months, she mustered the courage to accompany Niu Laoda and his wife in burying her little sister.

The couple believed she wouldn’t dare reveal the truth, so they allowed her to accompany them.

"My little sister had her head facing down, the thin skull was bashed in with a big hole," Niu Qiao’er trembled and cried, recalling the incident that night, still somewhat unable to bear it: "Our two brothers knew too, but those beasts, instead of feeling sorrow, were glad, saying now they could finally sleep peacefully."

This statement was to inform County Magistrate Zheng that besides the two sisters, there are no good people in Niu Laoda’s household, and even the brothers should be detained, or else the sisters’ lives would not improve.

County Magistrate Zheng took heed, instructing Constable Xiao Yang, "Go to Mrs. Lai’s family and arrest those two little beasts too and detain them together."

"Yes," Constable Xiao Yang immediately led two constables to Mrs. Lai’s family to arrest people.

Mrs. Lai, seeing this, was so furious her eyes turned blood red, glaring at Niu Qiao’er with a wish to devour her raw: "You heartless wench, knowing you’re a thankless wolf, I should have abandoned you back then!"

She then turned to County Magistrate Zheng, "My lord, don’t believe this bitch’s words, she is..."