The first work of the imperial prison

Pride wife...

Ye Baiting knew this word.

The so-called pawning of wives means buying and selling wives as commodities, which was not illegal in the ancient feudal patriarchal society.In this social system, a woman cannot exist independently and must be dependent on a man. Before she gets married, her father has jurisdiction over her, and her elder brother can control the sale and purchase. After she gets married, the husband owns the ownership. In the business, a large part of the branches are pawn wives.

The act of pawning a wife often occurs in poor families. They sell their wives to other men like items. The time limit can be permanent or several years. The time limit is different and the price is different. The children born during this period belong to the buyer. Only the wife is returned. Sometimes, this is a method used by rich families to 'borrow seeds' for different reasons.

In the whole transaction process, the husband pawns his wife and gets money, the buyer spends money, 'uses' other people's wives, and even saves seeds for himself, and there is a man in the family, everyone is happy, but no one considers the woman's mood, What kind of mood do they feel when they are bought and sold as items, pushed out by their husbands, forced to have sex with men they don’t know, and unable to resist, how sad they are, and after a few years, with the flesh and blood they gave birth to Separation, what kind of harm...

No one cares, and no one cares.

"But I'm luckier than others, at least I haven't given birth to a child, and I have to experience the pain of being separated."

Ma Xianglan lowered her eyes, and said in a sarcastic voice: "My natal family used to have a small family, and I was the only daughter. My parents loved me very much, but there was an unexpected situation. My father suddenly had an accident. He was seriously ill and was about to die. I didn't want to delay my marriage. , so he quickly married me, because I was a person who had been favored for a long time, and every time I came to the door, I performed very well, and my mother was relieved. Within two years, I left with my father. Since then, heaven and man have been separated, goodbye No face to face, only the cold tombstone to face during the holidays."

"People's hearts are so close to each other, how do they know that even if they know the basics, people who grow up watching them are not really good, and they will change. Once my parents died, my husband's attitude changed, and I was locked in the house. I can't even go, the dowry is forcibly taken over, and it doesn't belong to me anymore, even if I have a loyal dowry servant, but I'm already a member of someone else's family. What can others do? The dowry was eroded a little bit and became the property of the husband's family."

"Not only did my husband take away my things, but he was also afraid that I would hold grudges. He wanted to teach me a good lesson and tame me completely. He didn't hit me. Heh, he just planned a small thing, using the excuse of 'infidelity' , sold my pawn to other men, let people use it freely, there is no restriction, beating and scolding are fine. You see, some men have such vicious thoughts, but they seem to be very kind. At least he didn't beat me, didn't he? "

Ma Xianglan sneered: "In the family I used to have, the man had a main house, and the main house's natal family was rich and had a hard back. It's just that he suffered from a cold in the early years and couldn't have children, so he wanted his wife to have a son, but I don't know why. , obviously fine, but I couldn’t conceive, I was hated by this family, and that man beat me up and scolded me, saying that I wasted money to buy a chicken that couldn’t lay eggs..."

"My husband is also a good-for-nothing. He robbed me of my dowry. He was able to live comfortably and worry about everything, but he became addicted to gambling. He lost everything in the house. All my dowry shops were also destroyed. I was sold out by him. I was 'unable to lay eggs' and was sent back by a man. The man asked my husband for a fine, saying that he didn't make it clear that I couldn't bear children at all, and my husband couldn't bear his power. It was indeed wrong, so he accepted some compensation and brought me home. But after eating the sweetness, and owed money outside, how could he give up this way of making money? Turning around, he pawned me to Another man, but this time it will be agreed in advance, saying that I may not be able to have a child, and if I have a child, it will belong to the other party. If I can’t have a child, it means that the fate has not come, but it’s no problem to use it..."

"My husband is very shrewd. He is worried that if I have been with others for a long time, I will have a different heart. Each time the pawn period is not too long. It is only one or two years at most, no more than three years. After three or four times, I was sold. It was in the hands of Zheng Hongchun. Zheng Hongfang hadn't made a fortune at that time, he was just a gangster in the street, and Zheng Hongchun was also a gangster. When the two brothers reached their age, no girl was willing to marry."

"At that time, Zheng Hongfang met a big man. He was too busy to touch the ground every day and didn't care about other things. Zheng Hongchun was younger and loved to play, but he had no money and always went to brothels outside. So he pawned on me. He likes to beat people , I can bear it, anyway... I'm used to it. The Zheng family didn't have a decent hostess from old to young. There was a lot of trouble at home. The old man was sick, and the two brothers didn't care, so they just threw it to me. It’s probably a habit of dealing with it. The Zheng family thinks I can still use it, and when the time comes, the limit is renewed. Later, my husband was beaten to death by someone chasing gambling debts, and Zheng Hongchun took it for granted. Detained me, did not return me."

"The Zheng family was originally not in the capital, they came from other places. Zheng Hongchun didn't regard me as his wife, but later he felt that I was easy to marry and couldn't marry someone else. Later, because of Zheng Hongfang's relationship, he got confused. As a petty official, the officialdom comes and goes, the relationship with the family is very important, he can't do it, and I do it very well, so I declared to the outside world that I am his wife."

"For me, life hasn't changed much. From this man to that man, it's not like this, but finally, I can settle down. In the early years, I helped my mother manage the shop, learned to be the head of the house, and every time I talked with the wives of the officialdom You can learn something from socializing, and you can manage your business well, and this happens to be something that the two brothers are not good at, and they can't even detect it, so I tried to save my money with my left hand and my right hand..."

Ma Chunlan sneered: "To tell you the truth, my dowry shop was redeemed in this way, and all the business in my hands was accumulated slowly in this way. The brothers of the Zheng family have a bad temper, Zheng Hongchun is slippery and lustful, Love to drink and beat people, I know, I have met many men, many have this problem, but I submit to them, not because I am afraid, I just... have to live. Once I can live well one day, I'm going to give it all back!"

Ma Xianglan's eyes were burning, and a fire ignited: "I have nothing to hide now. I have passed through so many men, and there is no need to lose face. There is nothing I can't say. The one surnamed Zheng hit me, but he also left. If I don’t have money, why don’t you ask me for it? I can restrain him today, and kill him tomorrow! But this case really has nothing to do with me. As I said, I have other plans, and I have With money, there is no worry about the future, there is no need to lose yourself."

Shen Jiang stared: "Where's your daughter? You haven't said anything yet!"

"What's the hurry, Mr. Baihu?" Ma Xianglan laughed mockingly, "Didn't you want me to explain everything? This is just the beginning, hasn't it been said yet?"

Ye Baiting stretched out his hand slightly: "Madam, please continue."

Ma Xianglan closed her eyes and took a deep breath: "Xiaowei... is indeed not my daughter, and I can't give birth to my body. In those days when I was pawned, I hoped that I could have a child and have a child of myself. I can talk about it for a long time, but I am afraid that I will be separated one day after I have a child. I will not be able to bear it. I finally know that I can’t have a child. , especially my daughter, as long as I have one, I will definitely protect her and accompany her well, and let her live a very good life, never be bullied, and live a safe and smooth life."

"Xiaowei was raised by me. You guessed it right. She is the child of Zheng Hongfang. The two brothers of the Zheng family are scumbags. No way, my brother is not a good person, he hangs around the road all day, and has a lot of blood on his hands. But he was lucky, met a nobleman to support him, I don't know if he provoked it himself, or it was sent by the nobleman. With a woman."

"There is a person who knows the cold and the hot around you, but he refuses to marry him back seriously. For some reason, he has a child. Maybe the woman recognized the person's true colors and didn't want the child. I sent it to Zheng’s house, but Zheng Hongfang didn’t care about it. He didn’t think it was a boy, and it was useless to carry it, so he threw it to me. After Zheng Jingfang died, I have been taking care of the child, and it is recorded in my name. mother."

"Neither of them, I like it. Xiaowei has been very good since she was a child. She will not cry except when she is hungry and uncomfortable. She can soften your heart when you smile. She seems to understand everything you tell her. When you grow up She is also very considerate at all, when I was about four years old, I felt unwell one day and coughed twice, she knew to take away my account book and softly said mother to rest..."

Ma Xianglan couldn't hold back her tears this time.

"They all like their sons, but they don't like their daughters, but it is obvious that the son is the one who will become an asshole when he grows up. Only then will the daughter know how to care about you, understand your sacrifices, and know how to love you... Those dirty things outside, I love you." I don’t want her to touch me, I hope to give her the best, she can have what she wants, and she can refuse what she doesn’t want. I hope she can live tenaciously, like grass in the wind, like Butterflies in the strong wind can’t be pulled out or blown away, they can always have their own direction, their own ideas, never yield to anyone, and never be manipulated by anyone!”

Ma Xianglan's eyes were on fire, she raised her head, and looked straight at all the men in the hall with extraordinary bravery: "So don't any of you try to bully my daughter! I know you suspect her, but she can't be the murderer, don't say she can't do it, she Would never do such a thing!"

Qiu Yiqing tapped his fingertips on the table lightly: "So, you only know that Zheng Baiwei's biological father is Zheng Hongfang, but you don't know how Zheng Hongfang died, and you don't know who Zheng Baiwei's biological mother is, but that's it?"

Ma Xianglan: "That's right! What did Zheng Hongfang do outside, how do I know, as a housewife!"

"Not at all?"

Ye Baiting followed Qiu Yiqing's words, and twirled the brush with his fingertips: "Since you can manage Zhongfu, take care of the housework that the brothers are not good at, and you can also do business outside, and quietly save money to buy things, will you Be wary of the two brothers? Especially Zheng Hongfang, who looks more vicious and violent—if you provoke him, the consequences may not be as simple as a beating, and may directly kill you?"

Shen Jiang followed suit: "That's right! If you say you don't know everything about Zheng Hongfang, we can still believe it. If you say you don't know anything, who are you lying to? We Jinyiwei look like fools!"

Ma Xianglan didn't say a word, she looked like she was cheating, anyway, that's how it is, if you want to listen, I won't tell you if you ask me again.

It also fits her personality.

Ye Baiting smiled: "Okay, let's change the question, why does Madam hate Rong Ningyu?"

Ma Xianglan: "Didn't I say it before? Because she hates children, and she does that kind of business by herself, how can she have the right to hate children?"

"Your eyelids droop quickly, your shoulders tense, and you lick your lips subconsciously. You are not thirsty, but nervous." Ye Baiting looked at Ma Xianglan, "Madam is still the same as last time. Whenever we mention Rong Ningyu, you will be very nervous." ,Why?"

Ma Xianglan: ...

She subconsciously stood up straighter, but this behavior made her shoulders more tense, making her even more popular.

Ye Baiting: "The last time you came to Fusi of Beizhen, you mentioned Zheng Hongfang inadvertently. After you found out that we had to ask about him because of your husband's death, you felt that it was not good to conceal it, and it was even more suspicious, so you said a lot on purpose. Ominous, lucky..."

"As for Rong Ningyu, you could have said that you were not familiar with her. You didn't have any impressions or emotions towards her, and you just mentioned it directly, but you were worried that she would be suspicious, and you said a lot on purpose...Maybe this is your wisdom in dealing with things. You have been doing this for many years, half-truths and half-false words will look more credible, but your ability, business level, sensitivity to business opportunities, and internal affairs are loopholes."

"I..." Not only was Ma Xianglan's mouth dry, but her fingertips were trembling.

Ye Baiting's eyes were so bright that it made people panic: "Zheng Baiwei, is Rong Ningyu's daughter, right? You may not know it is her at first, but you are in the Zheng family, and you have already managed well. Your position is no longer as insignificant as before. You have experienced a lot, and you have already developed the habit of warning about everything. If you want to raise your daughter well, you need to have all relevant information and eliminate all potential crises that may arise. You will definitely find a way to find out who this woman is You may not be clear about Zheng Hongfang's business affairs outside, but you will definitely pay attention to his whereabouts, especially when he goes out every day and when he comes back. After a long time of observation, you will definitely know who the woman he is outside is. Where do you live, what skills do you have, you may even have tested her because of your daughter and met her, right?"

Ma Xianglan: "You said it all yourself! You saw what I did back then, so you can be so nonsense—"

Ye Baiting: "Whether I made up any nonsense, you know best. You said that you hate Rong Ningyu, that she doesn't like girls of two or three years old, but Jin Yiwei checked and found that Rong Ningyu didn't dislike children, it's just that the children are too young If it is said, there are many possibilities in the future, there is no need to waste time in the theater troupe, and if she is too young, she is usually sent to the Salesian Hall first, and girls who are over seven or eight years old will show up in the Salesian Hall. She is old, looks young on the outside, and can't do much, so she will accept it carefully and take it back to the theater troupe to learn art. You hate her and don't want to mention her, because she is Zheng Baiwei's biological mother, and you think she abandoned her biological mother. Daughter, you don't deserve respect, do you!"

Ma Xianglan didn't deny it anymore, with angry eyes: "If you have evidence, you can be sure of everything, you know everything, and you can't check it yourself, so why ask me!"

Qiu Suiqing tapped his knuckles on the table: "Are you sure that Zheng Hongfang is dead, but others don't know, why? You killed him?"

After all, Ma Xianglan was afraid of the commander's aura, so she didn't dare to say loudly: "No."

Qiu Yiqing stared intently: "That's why you saw it. You saw someone kill him, who was it? Rong Ningyu?"

"No, I didn't see it!"

Ma Xianglan gritted her teeth: "I just... just saw that Zheng Hongfang died! That day, a nobleman held a church meeting at Xishan Hot Spring Village, and Zheng Hongfang, as the dog's leg who climbed up to the nobleman, took Zheng Hongchun and me to serve him, and finished the work at hand. The thing is, I couldn’t go to the lively main hall at the front, so I just walked outside, because it was the first time I went to that kind of place, I didn’t know the surroundings well, I lost my way, and when I saw a swamp in front of me, I knew it was time to return , But at this moment, I saw Zheng Hongfang...he was already dead, his face and chest were covered in blood, he was motionless, stuck in the swamp, his legs could no longer be seen, and his whole body would be swallowed soon..."

"What can I do! He is so tall and strong, how can I, a woman, pull him out! If you dare to do it, I can sink in with him and die in that swamp! What should I do if I am a murderer? I managed to live a better life. Even if others look down on me, I worked very hard to achieve it. How can I be ruined by a bad person! Zheng Hongfang is not a good person at all, he is a gangster He dared to kill people when he was young, and it was because he dared to do any dirty things that he fell in love with a nobleman. He deserved to die! Someone killed him, and I clapped his hands and applauded him. Why should he collect his body! He thought beautifully!"

Ma Xianglan finished speaking in one breath, closed her eyes, and looked at Ye Baiting: "You are right, Zheng Hongfang has been threatening that woman, and has been threatening me. The daughter was not sent by that woman on her own initiative, but Zheng Hongfang snatched it. He’s not a male, he can’t pass on incense, he doesn’t like it, but as long as others like it, he can use it for his own benefit, why not?”

"He forced me to do things for him, help him finish some dirty things, and force the woman outside to help him please the nobles so that he can support him... He is not a thing at all, if he is not dead, sooner or later I will think about killing him He! He is dead, no one will force me to do things, and no one will force that woman to do things anymore, and that woman will be free again... I did wonder if she killed the man, but I didn't see it, I didn't Evidence, I will never criticize casually like you!"

Ye Baiting nodded: "Is there anything unusual about the day your husband died?"

Ma Xianglan lowered her eyes: "No."

"Looking back later, I didn't notice anything abnormal?"

"Yes."

"The news of his death, did anyone send you news before Jin Yiwei?"

"No."

"What about the crime scene, have you ever been there?"

"No," Ma Xianglan said with a flat expression and a flat voice, "My business is only for the convenience of customers, and any behavior that will disturb is not called convenience. It is true that I bought and rented the yard to operate, but never When I go to the people below, I will not contact the guests directly. The cashier receipts of the connection list are all in a special box. The guest pays, writes a note, takes the key, and lives in the room. We only need to follow the time or other requirements. , take back or provide various services, and do nothing else. Since the courtyard has been booked by a customer, of course I won’t go there, let alone after the incident, isn’t it surrounded by your royal guards? I can’t go there either.”

Ye Baiting asked again: "Prince Lu, how many days did you live in the courtyard where he died? Are all the things inside, food, silver frost and charcoal sent by your people?"

Ma Xianglan thought for a while, and then said: "The son seems to have paid for five days, but it should not be enough. We sent food and food according to the note he wrote, but only sent to the gate. , do not enter the house, I have not seen what the room looked like when he died, and I am not sure whether the things in the house were sent by us, and whether he himself has gone out."

Ye Baiting nodded, looked at Qiu Yiqing, and Qiu Yiqing also nodded, there was no other problem, then looked at Shen Jiang, Shen Jiang was even more okay, and shook his head slightly.

"So, Jin Yiwei has no more questions for the time being, please go and sit behind the screen, madam." He pointed to the long screen on the west side of the room.

Ma Xianglan looked at it, seemingly puzzled.

Ye Baiting said softly: "This case is special, and I may have questions that I need to answer later. If you don't want to save time, please stay here for a while. What needs to be reminded is that the people we will interview later should all know Madam." , then please Madam keep silent and don’t make any noise, if there are any of the above two behaviors, we will regard it as Madam is warning the murderer.”

Ma Xianglan: ...

Jin Yiwei handles cases so shamelessly!In order to solve the case, any trick can be used!

Shen Jiang also followed up with a thoughtful reminder: "In order not to wrong others, Madam please control yourself and don't make any noise."

Ma Xianglan bit her lip, turned to the screen, and found that there was still a little soldier in Jinyiwei clothes standing here, pretending to be holding a fan in his hand. pier.

Even the guardian guards are ready!

Ma Xianglan faked a smile, sat on the embroidered pier, closed her eyes, and did not relax in the slightest.

Today's match, I'm afraid it will be difficult.

The next person to call up was none other than Rong Ningyu who had been mentioned repeatedly before.

Rong Ningyu wore a light concubine-colored dress, her hair was pulled up and combed into a high bun, only a strand of hair hung down from the right temple, with slender eyebrows and almond eyes, she had a special kind of gentle beauty, compared to her outstanding appearance , the most memorable thing about her is her temperament, as if seeing her, you can forget all your worries.

The hall was very quiet, and Qiu Yiqing was still the first to speak.

"How is Mr. Rong's business doing recently?"

"Thank you Commander for asking." Rong Ningyu's voice was also very gentle, with a special sense of rhythm, which made it very comfortable to listen to, "I can barely get by."