CHAPTER 36: CHAPTER 36: A LITTLE SECRET FROM TWELVE YEARS AGO (PART 2)

Song Wei looked at her and said, "You didn’t have dinner last night. If you don’t eat something to fill your stomach now, your spleen and stomach won’t be able to take it."

Wen Wan still shook her head. He wasn’t eating, how could she swallow anything?

Song Wei didn’t persuade her further. When passing by a breakfast stall, he bought a bowl of steaming hot soy milk and a basket of steamed buns and handed them to her.

Under his "coercion," Wen Wan drank the bowl of soy milk, and her cold body quickly felt comforted and warmed up.

She didn’t eat all the steamed buns herself but shared half with Song Wei.

Song Wei wasn’t in the mood to eat, but seeing her insist, with her stance that if he didn’t eat, she wouldn’t either, he had no choice but to take them, and the two ate together.

——

When they arrived at the county government, the couple unexpectedly found a crowd already gathered at the entrance, all dressed in mourning clothes. From their conversations, it wasn’t hard to tell that they were also the relatives of the workers who perished in the mine disaster yesterday.

Some were crying in sorrow, others were filled with fury, but no one dared to strike the Injustice Bell.

Song Wei, fearless, parked the ox cart under a crooked tree, instructed Wen Wan to sit there and not wander around, then walked straight to the Injustice Bell, picked up the drumstick, and struck it with great force.

Very soon, government officials came out from inside. Seeing this, they impatiently asked, "Are you also here for the mine issue?"

Song Wei nodded, said he was, and asked when the County Magistrate would hold court.

"You’ve come too early; the County Magistrate hasn’t even woken up yet!" the official’s voice was extremely dismissive, eager to shoo Song Wei away with a few words, not wanting to be bothered anymore.

Song Wei frowned, "Such a big case, and the County Magistrate can still sleep?"

The official suddenly shouted angrily, "Insolence! What kind of place do you think the government office is, to allow a troublemaker like you to criticize the good and honest official?"

After saying that, he called for other officials to arrest Song Wei and interrogate him.

"Stop~"

A leisurely voice came from inside; it was County Magistrate Lu of Pingjiang County, with a fat head, big ears, and small eyes, his official robes bulging out with a potbelly.

When he came out with hands behind his back, he glanced at Song Wei, "Early in the morning, what are you causing trouble for outside the county government?"

The miner relatives outside, upon seeing the high official, were already trembling and kowtowing in fear.

Song Wei didn’t kneel. He looked directly at County Magistrate Lu and said expressionlessly, "More than two months ago, the government posted a notice saying the court would open a coal mine at Da Huan Mountain, recruiting miners on a large scale at fifty coins a day. But now I’ve heard the Da Huan Mountain Coal Mine isn’t an officially approved state mine, and so many people died yesterday. I dare to ask the County Magistrate for justice."

The other relatives kneeling on the ground also echoed, "We implore the good and honest official to uphold justice!"

County Magistrate Lu looked at so many people, a flash of disgust in his eyes, but put on a benevolent facade of a local official and loudly said, "Your relatives perished, the county understands your grief, but the dead cannot be brought back to life. Even if you break your heads from kneeling outside the government today, they won’t come back, right?"

Someone, gathering courage, said, "But there must be an explanation for this, right? Our family depends on that little bit of wages to eat; now that people are gone, isn’t this cutting off our family’s livelihood?"

Others chimed in as well.

County Magistrate Lu nodded, "The county understands the feelings of the relatives and has already consulted the higher-ups overnight. Just at dawn, we received a reply saying that for all registered miners who perished, each family will be given ten Silver Taels in compensation. Does anyone have any objections? If so, speak up in court inside."

Lu Yanqing originally didn’t want to take responsibility for this, but the mine issue had become too big. To silence the voices of the miners’ families, he had no choice but to change his mind temporarily and instructed County Magistrate Lu to pay each family twenty taels in compensation.

The Silver was allocated by late yesterday, and Lu Yanqing, to avoid complications, had already slipped away overnight.

Seeing those officials gone, County Magistrate Lu calmly pocketed the other half of the compensation and changed it to ten taels per family.

The relatives were all silent.

Ten Silver Taels, for poor households who rely on farming and depend on the weather, could last them for years.

If they accepted the Silver, their days might be better for the next several years, but if they continued to make a fuss, not only would they not get any compensation, but they would likely face legal troubles, a lose-lose scenario.

They were just ordinary folks; they couldn’t fight the official lords.

Therefore, except for Song Wei, the others lined up to collect the compensation.

County Magistrate Lu glanced at Song Wei standing to the side, raising an eyebrow, "This young man, do you not want the Silver, or are you unrelated to this case?"

Song Wei smiled lightly, "Since ten Silver Taels can buy a life, then I give these ten Silver Taels to the County Magistrate. I hope you’ll kindly accept them. I just want the truth about the mine."

The officials all gripped the handles of their waist swords, glaring at Song Wei with menacing eyes as if wanting to devour him.

County Magistrate Lu patted the shoulder of a particularly agitated official, walked leisurely toward Song Wei, and sneered, "Young man, the county advises you not to refuse a toast only to drink a forfeit. That coal mine was opened by court order, and anyone who dares say it’s illegal is slandering the court—a serious crime! The county will forgive your first offense and accidental slip of the tongue, but if you dare to make trouble today, no one here will get a cent!"

As soon as County Magistrate Lu finished speaking, the relatives’ glare of blame and resentment fell on Song Wei.

"What’s your problem, can’t stand seeing others doing well?"

"Our family survives meal to meal, relying on this compensation to save our lives. If you’re going to ruin it, you’re in for it!"

"Young man, just leave. Take it that your Bodhisattva heart is saving this sickly old woman."

...

Song Wei watched as the relatives in mourning attire went to collect their ten taels of Silver and suddenly couldn’t speak.

He couldn’t blame them for any wrongdoing; standing in a poor farmer’s position, the best choice at such times was to accept the Silver and not make trouble.

It wasn’t that they didn’t want justice for their relatives, but rather their power was too weak and insignificant against authority.

Cause a fuss? How? Their loved ones couldn’t come back to life, and they’d end up in jail themselves. For them, going against the officials was unwise and the most foolish act.

Song Wei could understand their choice, but his chest was still blocked with anger.

In the eyes of those in power, the lives of the people were as worthless as weeds, enticements when needed, oppressed when not.

Ten taels of Silver for a life—it’s a real joke!

——

Song Wei returned to the ox cart.

Wen Wan saw his dejected look, took the initiative to hold his hand, and wrote a few words in his palm, adding sign language, meaning: Husband, don’t be discouraged. Starting next year, you should take the examinations, and in the future, once you have power, you can protect anyone you want.

Song Wei gazed into her pure, water-like eyes, "Wanwan trusts me?"

Of course, she would always support him.

Wen Wan’s lips curled into a smile.

"Alright."

He firmly and simply answered, gripping her small hand back in reply.

This was the first time Song Wei formally agreed to take the examination after Wen Wan had persuaded him many times.

Wen Wan thought that probably the death of the father-in-law and today’s scene had chilled his heart and also sparked a man’s ambition and aspiration.

——

Old Song’s body wasn’t recovered, so they could only make a clothing tomb. Song Wei hired people to transport a coffin back from the county town.

A memorial hall was set up in the main room, with the flickering light of white candles in front of the black coffin.

Wen Wan knelt on one side with reddened eyes, while opposite her, Second Lang’s wife was crying with feigned sorrow.

Song Wei wore mourning clothes outside, greeting those who came to help. Suddenly, he heard a voice in shock from outside the door, "Third Son, what happened to our family? Who’s in trouble?"

Song Wei turned his head abruptly, "Father?"