At the public hall, from the Tu family father and son to the old doctor Hu from the medical clinic, and finally to the shopkeeper Zhao Ling of Zhao's shop and the young man who sold pastries to Tu Da Niu, all signed and stamped their confessions.
The coroner had not yet examined the body, but according to Magistrate Zhu's questioning, the death of Old Madam Tu was largely due to her depleted body, and the indigestion from the morning's pastries led to vomiting and diarrhea, which was the last straw that broke the camel's back.
Master Zhao and Zhao Ling had extremely grim expressions. With Young Master Jiao's interference, the rumors spreading through the streets would surely be that Zhao's pastry shop's pastries had caused a death.
One person tells ten, ten tell a hundred. The people of Liu County might still know the truth, but in other counties and prefectures, once this rumor spread, the pastry shop would have no choice but to close down.
Young Master Jiao was currently sitting and listening, completely disregarding the Zhao uncle and nephew. In his eyes, they were mere ants that he could crush with a flick of his wrist.
Young Master Jiao's arrogant gaze fell upon Zhan Feiyu. Even though she was just a ten-year-old girl, the thought of her eloquent speech in the courtroom and her diligent studies ignited the hatred ingrained in Young Master Jiao's bones. He couldn't lay a hand on his second brother, but could he not teach a lesson to an unknown lowly girl!
Magistrate Wei subtly observed Zhan Feiyu. The young girl had too little experience. Not to mention offending Magistrate Zhu earlier, which would lead to the magistrate showing favoritism, just look at this Young Master Jiao from the prefectural city; once he made a move, Zhan Feiyu would undoubtedly be defeated.
Zhan Feiyu calmly spoke, "Your Honor, may I ask the Tu family father and son a question?"
Logically speaking, Zhan Feiyu was neither the defendant nor the victim, nor even a witness. She had no right to speak in the public hall, let alone question the victim.
Magistrate Zhu pondered for a moment. Seeing Young Master Jiao's relaxed posture below, he knew that this young master wanted Zhan Feiyu to be convinced of her defeat. "Ask if you wish."
Magistrate Zhu glanced at the scribe below, signaling him not to record the subsequent questioning.
Master Zhao and Zhao Ling looked at Zhan Feiyu with gratitude. They both knew that Young Master Jiao was targeting their shop, and Zhan Feiyu was caught in this misfortune. Her speaking up now was to help the Zhao family. Regardless of success or failure, the Zhao family would remember this favor.
"Tu Da Niu, is the deceased your biological mother?" Zhan Feiyu's opening words stunned everyone in the public hall.
With a snort, Young Master Jiao's face was filled with disdain. Zhan Feiyu was clearly refusing to see the truth until the coffin was before her, still thinking of finding evidence to prove that the Tu family father and son were extorting Zhao's pastry shop.
"Of course, she is my mother. If you don't believe me, you can go to Huangshu Village and ask." His hoarse voice was laced with anger. Tu Da Niu's temper flared up again, but as soon as he looked at the constables in the hall, the anger instantly extinguished.
During Magistrate Zhu's previous interrogation, the Tu family father and son had already declared their identities. They were not from Liu County, but from Huangshu Village in the neighboring Sanchuan County. Huangshu Village was named after the perennial yellow-leaved trees in the mountains.
Huangshu Village was located in a remote area. Although not a dense forest, it took a day to travel from the village to the main road, crossing four or five mountains in the process. This also led to the villagers rarely going out, with only peddlers visiting a few times a year to buy necessities like needles and thread.
Tu Da Niu also knew that Zhan Feiyu's status was noble. After all, besides Young Master Jiao sitting down, only Zhan Feiyu stood without bowing to the officials. Even though he was angry at this moment, he dared not refuse to answer, "My mother was frail, and the barefoot doctor in the village could not cure her, so she asked me to go to Sanchuan County to find a doctor..."
However, Sanchuan County was not as prosperous as Liu County, and there were only a few medical clinics, with doctors of average skill. The Tu family father and son thought that since they were already out, they might as well go to Liu County to find a doctor. Thus, they came to Liu County from Sanchuan County. Unfortunately, the illness had been delayed for too long, coupled with the old lady's chronic illness, which led to the subsequent events.
Zhan Feiyu nodded and looked at Tu Laodie, who was kneeling beside her, again. "Tu Da Niu is your and your wife's biological son, not adopted?"
"Da Niu is indeed our child. My wife injured her body when she was young and only had Da Niu in her thirties. Because she injured her body during childbirth, that's why..." Tu Laodie choked back tears, but he had said what needed to be said.
Magistrate Zhu, seated behind the official desk, struck the gavel and said coldly, "Zhan Feiyu, if you suspect the Tu family father and son are swindlers, then present concrete evidence."
Even if the three members of the Tu family were swindlers, it would take three to five days to go to Huangshu Village in Sanchuan County to verify the evidence. Moreover, the Tu family father and son spoke so confidently, making it clear they were not afraid of Zhan Feiyu investigating.
"Reporting to Your Honor." Zhan Feiyu looked at Magistrate Zhu, whose expression was displeased, and calmly stated, "According to what the Tu family father and son said, Huangshu Village is in a remote location, and Old Madam Tu gave birth at home, and it was due to a fall that caused premature birth. The incident was sudden, so there was no possibility of the child being switched."
After all, they were all from the same village. When a family was about to have a child, the whole village knew. It was impossible for children in the village to be switched.
It was also impossible to bring a baby back from outside. It would take a day to return from outside the village, and babies would cry. The village was so small that it would definitely not be kept secret.
"Zhan Feiyu, what exactly are you trying to say? There's no need to be mysterious." Young Master Jiao impatiently urged, narrowing his eyes and staring gloomily at Zhan Feiyu. This lowly girl was indeed like his second brother, liking to be mysterious and show off that she was smarter than others.
"Your Honor, what I want to say is that Tu Da Niu is not the Tu family's child, but I cannot be sure whether Tu Da Niu was adopted by the Tu family from childhood, or if they are not father and son at all." Zhan Feiyu's voice was calm, but her words were decisive.
This presented two possibilities. One was that the Tu family of three were swindlers who had set up a trap to frame Zhao's pastry shop, in which case they would certainly have no blood relation.
The second was that Tu Da Niu had always believed he was the Tu family's son, but in reality, he was not. In that case, he was either adopted or stolen or bought by the Tu family. If so, if the Tu family father and son had a conflict, perhaps Tu Da Niu would retract his confession.
Based on the father and son's previous confessions, Zhan Feiyu leaned towards the latter.
Tu Da Niu finally couldn't suppress his temper and roared at Zhan Feiyu, "You're talking nonsense! I grew up in Huangshu Village!"
"Words are not proof, Zhan Feiyu, do you have evidence?" Young Master Jiao coldly watched the confident Zhan Feiyu, his expression showing no sign of panic.
Although this matter had been handed over to subordinates, the identities of the three members of the Tu family were not problematic. The Tu family was too poor, and Old Madam Tu had been ill for years. The money saved by the Tu family had all been spent on medicine, which also led to Tu Da Niu, in his thirties, still being an old bachelor.
The girls from Huangshu Village were unwilling to marry into the Tu family to eat coarse food and take care of a sick mother-in-law.
As for girls from other villages, there was no hope. Which family would marry off their daughter without receiving a betrothal gift from the groom's side? Especially marrying into Huangshu Village was like selling their daughter. They wouldn't see each other for a year, let alone expect the married daughter to help her maiden family.
The Tu family was penniless. Old Madam Tu and Tu Laodie also doted on their son, Tu Da Niu, and wanted him to marry and have children soon. Therefore, Old Madam Tu agreed to use her life to frame Zhao's pastry shop. Fifty taels of silver would be enough for Tu Da Niu to marry and renovate the house, and to buy back the sold farmland. Old Madam Tu's frail body could only last for three to five months even with medicine, so it was better to exchange her life for fifty taels of silver.
Magistrate Zhu, Magistrate Wei, and Captain Cheng all believed that Zhan Feiyu was speaking without basis. Perhaps the Tu family of three were indeed swindlers, and Young Master Jiao was using them as a means to deal with the Zhao family, but where was the evidence?
"Reporting to Your Honor, Tu Da Niu has earlobes, and his earlobes are large." Zhan Feiyu spoke unhurriedly, and as she spoke, everyone's attention fell on Tu Da Niu's ears.
It was commonly said in the folk that people with large ears have good fortune, and Tu Da Niu had heard this often in Huangshu Village.
Zhan Feiyu spoke again, "Old Madam Tu and Tu Laodie do not have earlobes. Parents without earlobes cannot have a child with earlobes."
Old Madam Tu's body was still covered by a straw mat, so it could not be seen, but Tu Laodie indeed did not have earlobes. However, judging Tu Da Niu as not being the Tu family's child based solely on this was too arbitrary.