“He threw me to the ground. Upon seeing the fire ignite, he scolded me and slapped me twice. He even ordered the two guards to carry me, and my legs were also burned. They stood by and watched,” Liao Qiuniang described with clenched teeth, tears streaming down her face.
Yin Yong instructed Uncle De, “Go and restrain those two individuals in the courtyard.”
“Father, you can’t simply listen to her one-sided account. She’s making everything up, deliberately framing Ah Wen!” Mrs. Zhao protested again.
Yin Yong, however, directed his gaze solely at Yin Wen. “If you truly committed the act, regardless of how careful your planning was, there would always be loose ends. I can summon the young boy from the Wang family or question Aji and your two guards. Even in my old age, I’m capable of interrogating a few individuals.”
Yin Wen clenched his fists. He had banked on the assumption that Liao Qiuniang would remain silent. However, when Liao Shisan entered this morning, he realized that he could no longer deceive the old man. Yin Yong’s lifetime of experience allowed him to uncover the evidence.
“Grandfather, I admit my mistake. I am fond of Qiuniang, and I even considered proposing marriage, but she consistently rejected me. I became angry and committed a wrongful act,” Yin Wen confessed as he knelt on the ground, filled with remorse.
Yin Yong closed his eyes and, after a considerable pause, instructed the others to leave the room, leaving only Liao Shisan and Liao Qiuniang inside.
“Liao Shisan, Qiuniang has suffered injustice. I wonder if you’d be willing to give Ah Wen a chance for redemption. If you agree, I will oversee the marriage between Ah Wen and Qiuniang. From then on, Qiuniang will be the head of the Yin family, and no one can surpass her,” Yin Yong said to Liao Shisan with a sense of remorse.
Yin Wen was his own grandson, and he couldn’t bring himself to be ruthless enough to send him to the authorities for a sentence of exile. If he could resolve the matter privately, he could not only save his grandson but also provide compensation to Qiuniang.
Before Liao Shisan could respond, Liao Qiuniang cried out, “Master, I have no feelings for the young master. I despise him. I would rather die than marry him!”
She came to seek justice, not compensation. She didn’t care about money!
Liao Shisan hugged his crying daughter and said to Yin Yong with red eyes, “Master, I have always respected you, and I still owe you a life. If you want to keep this matter from the authorities, I am willing to repay the favor. The grievances will be wiped out, and I will take Qiuniang away.”
Yin Yong sat down on the chair dejectedly.
Liao Shisan supported his daughter and was about to leave. Just as the father and daughter reached the door, Yin Yong, looking at the little girl’s tears falling on the ground, said bitterly, “San Shisan, if you don’t report this to the authorities, I can use family law against him.”
Liao Shisan stopped, stepped down, turned his back to him, and asked, “What is the family law?”
Yin Yong’s lips trembled as he responded, “Twenty lashes and one year of restraint.”
Listening to his daughter’s crying, Liao Shisan said, “Yes, but I have to administer it personally.”
Yin Yong broke into tears and agreed, “Okay.”
A quarter of an hour later, a bench was brought over by one of the attendants, and Uncle De, trembling, handed the leather whip, which the Yin family hadn’t used for decades, to Liao Shisan.
Yin Wen lay down on the bench, his face pale. Mrs. Zhao knelt beside him, crying and begging the old man for mercy.
Yin Yong stood in the hall with his hands behind his back, facing north, and said, “Let’s begin.”
Liao Shisan, feeling the desire to kill Yin Wen, showed no mercy at this time. He swung the whip at Yin Wen’s body, and with just one stroke, blood was visible on Yin Wen’s snow-white trousers. While Mrs. Zhao wailed, Liao Shisan lashed four more times in succession.
Mrs. Zhao was about to go crazy, so she rushed over to shield Yin Wen with her own body.
Liao Shisan also gave her five lashes. The pain was excruciating, and Mrs. Zhao passed out and fell to the ground. Liao Shisan continued to whip Yin Wen on his back, the back of his hands, and his legs in succession.
Yin Hui turned her head away.
Liao Qiuniang leaned into Lihua’s arms, weeping softly.
Liao Shisan lashed quickly, and the twenty blows were completed in a short time, causing Yin Wen to pass out.
Throwing off the whip, Liao Shisan walked to the door of the hall, knelt down on his knees, gasped, and kowtowed three times to Yin Yong’s back, saying, “Master, I whipped him for Qiuniang. I will leave the Yin family and live with my wife and daughter, but I still owe you a great debt of kindness and virtue. I will be at your disposal anytime, even if you want my life, I will never complain. I will continue to serve you in the next life to repay you.”
He had been merciless to Yin Wen and to himself. When he raised his head, his forehead was blood-red.
Yin Yong was almost out of strength and waved his hand slightly, saying, “Go, the Yin family has wronged Qiuniang.”
Liao Shisan stopped speaking, walked over to his daughter, nodded at Yin Hui, and then left.
Lihua looked at Yin Hui.
Yin Hui gestured with her eyes for Lihua to follow Liao Qiuniang.
“Master!” Uncle De’s terrified voice suddenly came from behind. Yin Hui turned her head and saw her grandfather had fallen to the ground.
“Grandfather!” Yin Hui rushed to him anxiously.
Yin Yong had just exhausted himself.
Dejectedly leaning on Uncle De, Yin Yong looked at his granddaughter, then at his eldest grandson covered in blood outside, and suddenly let out a wry smile.