Chapter 232: The trial begins, the appraiser comes on stage
Chapter 232: The trial begins, the appraiser comes on stage
The sound of "weiwu" became louder, revealing a solemn majesty, and the noisy yard soon calmed down.
"Plaintiff, what do you have to say?" The county magistrate looked at the Ling family.
Shi Laoer wanted to speak, but the county magistrate gave him a warning look.
Ling Lao San bowed to his superiors and said, "County Master, I am a carpenter. On the thirteenth day of the sixth lunar month, the shrine at Shi Lao Er's house was broken, so he asked me to repair it. The shrine was not originally occupied by this porcelain. While I was concentrating on repairing the shrine and unaware of it, Shi Lao Er placed the porcelain where I could easily touch it. I accidentally bumped into it, and it fell and broke into pieces."
"The second son of the Shi family said that this porcelain is an antique, that it has been blessed, and is worth fifty taels of silver. He asked our family to pay fifty taels as compensation. If we can't pay it back within six months, we will have to marry our daughter Yin to Shi Zhenxiang as his wife."
"I suspect this porcelain is fake and not worth fifty taels of silver at all. The Shi family is setting a trap for our Ling family and deliberately defrauding our daughter."
The county magistrate looked at Shi Lao Er and asked, "Shi Lao Er, is what Ling Lao San said true?"
Shi Lao Er snorted, "Some are true, some are false. Ling Lao San is deliberately confusing the adults."
"It's true that Third Brother Ling broke the porcelain, and it's true that it was blessed. Our Shi family did ask that if we couldn't afford the compensation, we marry Ling Yin to be our daughter-in-law. As for setting a trap on purpose, that's unfair to me. It's just that Third Brother Ling was blind and broke my fine porcelain, which is my family's treasure. I thought my family might not be able to afford the fifty taels of silver, so I proposed to marry my daughter to the Shi family. Speaking of marrying a daughter-in-law in the village, which girl is worth fifty taels? I'm already being kind and righteous."
"It's not certain whether this porcelain is worth fifty taels. You guys just say how much it's worth." Ling Lao San said, "Sir, if we allow this kind of thing to happen, won't anyone be able to use something worthless to cheat others? Wouldn't that bring chaos to the world?"
The county magistrate looked at Shi Lao Er and asked, "This porcelain in your house is really an antique. Is it really worth fifty taels?"
Shi Lao Er felt a little guilty, but then he thought that it could not be identified. As long as he insisted on how much it was, the county magistrate would have no choice.
"Fifty taels is still too little. It's worth at least eighty taels. We, the Shi family, are asking for half less because we are fellow villagers."
"But the Ling family is so ungrateful that they're accusing us of harming their family. My Lord, please give the Shi family justice."
The county magistrate ordered the legal advisor beside him, "Go and invite Master Liang to come and examine it carefully."
There were always disputes over damaged property in court. In order to determine the value, the government hired a special appraiser.
Shi Laoer was stunned for a moment. There is an appraiser?
He thought that whether it was worth the price depended entirely on the judgment of the county magistrate, and if he insisted, the county magistrate would have to admit it.
His heart was in his throat and a hint of panic appeared on his face, but he pretended to be calm.
During this gap, the county magistrate looked at Shi Zhenxiang again: "What's going on with this guy?"
"Why did you, the Ling family, go to court and request that this patient be summoned as well?"
"Sir, it's like this. This Shi Zhenxiang is the son of Shi Laoer. He is the man the Shi family wants my girl to marry. Just a few days ago, Shi Zhenxiang was crippled and will be unable to have children in this life. My girl cannot marry him at all." Qiu said.
The county magistrate asked the yamen runners to check the situation.
Shi Zhenxiang was sent to the clinic by Shi Laoer, where he suffered various injuries. Now his condition is inflamed and pus-filled, and he emits a foul odor.
The yamen runner took a look and then took a few steps back, covering his mouth and nose. His stomach was churning and it took him a long time to speak.
"My Lord, I am completely disabled. Wow, ugh—"
The yamen runners rushed out.
The people outside the court were in an uproar, thinking that this was a false news. How could a man's body, which is so important, be thrown away just like that?
Since it is real, then I can't marry her. No matter whether the porcelain is real or fake, I can't marry her.
Feng looked at Shi Zhenxiang with disdain and couldn't help pinching her nose. It was obvious at a glance that he was mentally abnormal, ugly, and could not be a man. He was not even as tall as a finger of her son.
Still want to get involved with Yin Yatou? It's simply blasphemy.
Seeing Shi Zhenxiang staring at Yin Yatou in a lewd manner, not knowing what he was thinking and almost drooling at the corner of his mouth, Feng's eyes turned cold and she touched the rope whip wrapped around her waist.
"Aunt, please wait a little longer." Qiao Lian'er held Feng's hand and said with a smile.
"Hmph, I'm just holding back on my anger and I have to let it out."
Seeing that his son's past was exposed, Shi Laoer's face turned purple and he said angrily.
"Who says a disabled man can't marry? What law stipulates this? Marrying a wife isn't just for carrying on the family line, it's also for taking care of the parents-in-law and sharing the hardships of a family. Even if she can't have children, as long as she fulfills her other duties, she's still a good wife."
"Besides, I'm from the real hometown. Who knows, maybe I can get cured someday." When Shi Lao Er said this, his eyes rolled cunningly, revealing some obscene meaning.
Seeing him so shameless, everyone was shocked again and started to criticize him.
Someone shouted "shameless", and the others followed suit.
“Shame on you, shame on you!”
The county magistrate looked at everything in front of him coldly, without saying a word to stop it. Not only the onlookers, but he himself couldn't stand it.
I have tried so many cases, but this is the first time I have seen someone so shameless and without bottom line.
It's not that he makes a judgment before the case is decided. He has met too many people and can tell at a glance who are honest and who are ulterior motives.
Master Liang arrived soon and everyone's voices gradually quieted down.
"Master Liang, Shi Jiacheng said these fragments are antiques. Why don't you take a look and see how valuable they are?" said the county magistrate.
As soon as he saw the fragments, the appraiser, who was in his sixties, had a basic idea in his mind.
However, Master Liang still picked it up and looked at it carefully.
Shi Lao Er quickly said, "Master Liang, take a good look. This is an antique that's over three hundred years old. It was consecrated in a temple and was even collected by some dignitaries."
"You must not make the mistake, or it will ruin your reputation."
A hint of sneer appeared on the corner of Master Liang's mouth. Is there anyone who wants to threaten him in front of the county magistrate?
"Don't worry, my reputation won't be wasted."
He was too lazy to pretend anymore and announced the verdict to everyone: "Everyone, this is a fourth-grade product fired in an ordinary kiln, probably from last year."
"It's fake, it's really a trap set by the Ling family. I've heard of thousand-year-old antiques, and I've heard of three to five hundred years old, but I've never heard of one that's only one year old."
"Hahahaha, this is hilarious! Your own son can't find a wife, so you resort to such despicable tactics."
"Master, how much is this porcelain worth?" someone else asked.
Master Liang said, "It's worth fifty coins."
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