When Song Chenxi was struggling to make a living with six other kids, he already showed great chivalry and a strong sense of responsibility.
After being adopted, he became the eldest son of Song Wanchu and Liang Yuzhou.
Liang Yuzhou taught him martial arts.
With a life of plenty, instead of indulging in a life of luxury and dissipation, he gradually developed the ambition to care about the world.
After his fifteenth birthday, Liang Yuzhou gave him some silver and told him to travel around Yunzhou to gain more experience.
It had only been two months since he left.
And he had already caused trouble.
Liang Yuzhou and Song Wanchu rushed all the way and finally arrived at Tianshui County Yamen in the afternoon of the next day.
The county magistrate was holding a trial.
He slapped the gavel loudly and shouted, "Bold criminal! Kneel down at once!"
Song Chenxi stood in the courtroom, his hands and feet in shackles, but he held his head high, his eyes full of disdain.
"I'm innocent. Why should I kneel?"
The fifteen - year - old boy still had a hint of youthfulness on his face, but his features were gradually becoming sharp. That unruly air of his was just like that of Liang Yuzhou in his youth.
Song Wanchu and Liang Yuzhou glanced at each other but didn't reveal their identities immediately.
Instead, they stood with the on - looking villagers, quietly watching how things would develop.
The county magistrate was furious. Being challenged by a fifteen - year - old boy, he felt his authority as the county magistrate was undermined.
"You broke into Lai Youde's house and committed violence, breaking one of his legs and two front teeth. In broad daylight, all the servants of the Lai family witnessed it. How dare you claim you're innocent? Guards, beat him! I'd like to see if his knees are harder than the boards in this Tianshui County courtroom!"
Two yamen runners stepped forward menacingly, raising their clubs and aiming at Song Chenxi's knees.
Song Wanchu's heart tightened. Liang Yuzhou held her hand, looking calm.
If the boy couldn't even handle two small fries, he didn't deserve to be his son.
There were heavy iron chains on Song Chenxi's feet, but when the two clubs came swinging, he easily lifted his feet and stepped on the clubs.
The two yamen runners exerted all their strength but couldn't pull the clubs out.
The on - looking villagers were amazed.
How profound his internal strength must be to be able to neutralize the attack so easily!
The county magistrate's face turned red with anger. "A bunch of useless fools! Get out of the way!"
Song Chenxi kicked the clubs aside and stared at the county magistrate with sharp and cold eyes.
The county magistrate suddenly felt a chill down his spine.
Was he actually intimidated by a kid?
Just as he was about to slap the gavel to regain his dignity, Song Chenxi asked, "Your Honor, why do you only emphasize that I beat someone but don't ask why I did it?"
A villager outside chimed in, "That's right! Young Hero Song is not a violent person who beats others for no reason. A few days ago, Big Qiang and his gang smashed my stall and demanded protection money. It was Young Hero Song who drove them away and took down the whole gang of hooligans in just one day!"
The county magistrate's face turned as red as a pig's liver. He stuck out his neck and roared, "Beating someone is beating someone. No matter the reason, it's against the law!"
Everyone could tell that he was avoiding the main issue.
Amid the dissatisfied murmurs of the crowd, Song Chenxi raised his voice and said, "It's because your brother - in - law, driven by lust, assaulted a thirteen - year - old girl!"
The villagers were filled with indignation. Lai Youde, relying on his brother - in - law being the county magistrate, bullied the locals. The villagers had long suffered from his tyranny.
Suddenly, the crowd became extremely agitated.
There was also a burning anger in the eyes of Song Wanchu and Liang Yuzhou.
And Song Wanchu was more worried about the little girl.
Was she okay?
Was she injured? Was she terribly scared?
"Your Honor, you're covering up for the criminal! Young Hero Song is doing justice for the heavens. What's wrong with that?"
"Attacking a thirteen - year - old girl. Isn't that just like a beast?"
"The one who should be punished is Lai Youde!"
The county magistrate panicked and slapped the gavel desperately until his arm went numb.
"Silence! Silence! This is the courtroom. It's not up to you to decide!"
"Since this is a courtroom, why can't the villagers have a say? Is this Tianshui County just your dictatorship, Your Honor?"
Song Chenxi shouted loudly, his words resounding.
Seeing that he couldn't control the situation, the county magistrate was sweating profusely.
"You say Lai Youde assaulted the little girl. What evidence do you have? Who among you saw it?"
He could only hold on stubbornly.
"Your Honor, we were wronged! We voluntarily sold our daughter to the Lai family. Young Master Lai is innocent!"
A couple pushed their way through the crowd and shouted at the county magistrate.
The county magistrate was like a drowning man grasping at a straw. He quickly told the yamen runners to let them in.
The couple was holding a twelve - or thirteen - year - old girl. Although she was thin and frail, her face was extremely beautiful. One could already tell that she would grow up to be a great beauty.
The woman pushed the girl forward. "Er Ya, hurry up and say that you voluntarily slept with Young Master Lai. He didn't force you!"
Song Wanchu felt a burning anger spreading through her whole body.
How could a mother force her own daughter like this?
Didn't she know that these few words could push her daughter to the edge?
She couldn't bear to watch any longer. She strode onto the courtroom.
The yamen runner tried to stop her, but before he could swing his club, he was kicked to the ground by Liang Yuzhou.
The two of them looked noble and elegant, like members of the royal family. The villagers in this small place had never seen such people before and were completely stunned.
The county magistrate was extremely annoyed by this new wave of chaos.
But when he met Liang Yuzhou's cold gaze, it was as if his throat was being choked, and he couldn't say a word.
The two of them stepped onto the courtroom, their faces cold and angry, like two mountains pressing down on him.
Although he was not very knowledgeable, he knew that these two people were definitely not someone he could afford to offend.
"May I ask how much benefit you've received from the Lai family to force your daughter to give false testimony?"
Song Wanchu got straight to the point and questioned the couple.
The woman said defiantly, "I can sell my daughter if I want to. It's a free transaction. It's none of your business!"
The little girl lowered her head, desperately holding back her tears of humiliation and fear.
Song Wanchu pushed the woman aside and walked up to the little girl. She took out a handkerchief and gently wiped the tears from the girl's face.
"Don't be afraid. Tell me, what's your name?"
"Er Ya."
"Don't you have a proper name?"
"My parents said that daughters are of low status and don't deserve a proper name."
Hearing this, everyone in the courtroom could clearly see what kind of people this couple were.
Song Wanchu's gaze swept across the couple's shrewd and mean faces.
For some reason, the couple felt a chill down their spines and swallowed nervously.
"Get down." She said to the county magistrate on the dais.
"How dare you order me?"
Before his words faded, Liang Yuzhou leaped onto the dais, stepped on the desk, and made a gesture to draw his sword.
The county magistrate was so scared that he covered his head and screamed. He rolled and crawled off the dais.
Song Wanchu led the little girl in front of him and gently rolled up her sleeve.
On the little girl's wrist were purple and blue bruises, and on her arm, there were new and old whip marks overlapping.
"Do you see? And look at her neck. There are bruises caused by someone squeezing hard with their hands. Can this evidence prove that Lai Youde assaulted her?"
The county magistrate trembled and couldn't say a word.
"Answer my wife's question!" Liang Yuzhou roared.
"Yes... it can..."
Song Chenxi made a big face at him.
"May I ask, Your Honor, am I guilty or not?"
"No... not guilty."
"Then hurry up and unlock these shackles for me!"
The county magistrate quickly told the yamen runners to unlock the shackles for Song Chenxi.
Song Chenxi stretched his hands and feet and showed Song Wanchu a bright smile.
"Mom, this time I didn't cause trouble, right?"
Liang Yuzhou gave him a stern look.
Song Chenxi understood. He would have to face the music when they got home.
The couple gritted their teeth in anger and reached out to grab the little girl back.
Song Wanchu protected the little girl behind her. "You don't deserve to be her parents!"