Fu Xin Ci and Qi He also noticed that something was wrong here. Even with Qi Yuan Shan leading a small team of soldiers, Fu Xin Ci wouldn't be at ease without seeing it with her own eyes.
Qi He felt the same way; he had long considered Grandpa Meng's family as his own.
By the time they both arrived, panting, they saw several young women crying their eyes out.
Fu Xin Ci was bewildered by their tears, but she could roughly guess that they had encountered some kind of harassment.
In ancient times, reputation and chastity were highly valued, especially for young women. However, they hadn't expected that what they encountered was far more serious and terrifying than mere harassment; it was outright kidnapping, and done brazenly.
In broad daylight, had it not been for the young women's fierce resistance, and the desperate protection by Madam Li and Madam Liu, and the timely presence of Meng Yu Tang, these girls might have been taken by those scoundrels.
Fu Xin Ci: Is there any law in this world?
Qi He: If he had been there, he would have beaten those villains soundly.
As they stood there unsure of what to say, they saw Madam Li and the others running towards them, stumbling.
Seeing the torn clothes of Madam Li and the others, and Meng Yu Tang with what appeared to be the most injuries, his face a mess.
After their initial shock, the young women rushed to them and cried uncontrollably. Today, they truly understood what it meant to survive a disaster.
It was also at this moment that they realized the insignificance of their remaining lives. Here, anyone could insult and trample them at will. Their lives were like blades of grass, and a woman's reputation was worthless.
"Mother, what do we do? Mother, I'm not afraid of hardship, but I can't bear this..." Meng Yu Lian couldn't finish her sentence. She would rather die than be trampled into the mud by such people.
"My unfortunate children," Madam Liu wept while holding her two daughters, crying out against the injustice of heaven. Her children had done nothing wrong, so why must they suffer such torment? "Oh, heavens!"
If Fu Xin Ci knew what she was thinking, she would surely have said to her: Then aren't we even more wronged?
You at least enjoyed those years under the canopy of the Duke's mansion, while your grandfather was suppressed by that old scoundrel for so many years. Who could they reason with?
Fortunately, Madam Liu was still rational. After comforting her daughters, she let go of them and knelt before Meng Qing Ping, kowtowing, "Second Uncle, only you can save our family."
Fearing that Meng Qing Ping might not understand her intentions, Madam Liu cried and said, "Second Uncle, just build a small hut next to your house for us. Your niece-in-law won't trouble you further; as long as it can house our family, it's enough."
After Madam Liu finished speaking, Little Madam Li also looked pleadingly at Madam Li, "Auntie."
Facing Meng Qing Ping, Madam Li felt hesitant to speak, but glancing at the pitiful children, she took a few hesitant steps forward, "Second Uncle, it's the Old Madam and he who have wronged you all these years. As for the children... especially these children, please imagine they are strangers and help them."
Meng Qing Ping hadn't intended to get involved, but his conscience wouldn't allow him to watch several children fall into a tiger's jaws. Especially these young girls, he couldn't stand idly by.
"Alright, all of you, get up."
Madam Li was surprised that Meng Qing Ping agreed so readily. While astonished, she still bowed her head in thanks, "Thank you, Second Uncle."
"Thank you, Second Uncle," Madam Liu said with genuine gratitude. She felt that all the Meng family members combined were not as compassionate as Second Uncle alone.
"Thank you, Second Granduncle," the young girls cried with joy. With Second Granduncle's protection, they could live with dignity.
After everyone got up, Meng Qing Ping said to Madam Liu, "We are building temporary shelters here. If you wish to stay long-term, you should ask Captain Qi for advice."
"Thank you, Second Uncle, for your guidance." After thanking Meng Qing Ping, Madam Liu carefully considered for a moment before saying to him, "Second Uncle, as a woman, how can I appear before Captain Qi?"
Having said this, Madam Liu seemed to make up her mind. She took a small paper scroll from her sleeve and handed it to her younger son, asking him to give it to Meng Qing Ping.
Meng Qing Ping opened it and saw a ten-tael silver note, which surprised him greatly.
"Second Niece-in-law?"
"Everything is up to you, Second Uncle." Madam Liu's words entrusted her entire household to her second uncle.
Madam Liu was wise and adaptable. She was a woman of the inner chambers and understood nothing here.
Now that she had Second Uncle to rely on, it was as if heaven had provided a way for them, women and children, to survive. Otherwise, as it had just happened, their branch of the family would have been finished.
Meng Qing Ping, holding the ten-tael silver note passed to him by Meng Yu Lin, was momentarily at a loss. He then saw Madam Li also fumbling in her clothes and pulling out a small paper twist, which she handed to Meng Yu Tang to give to Meng Qing Ping.
This time, having some experience, Meng Qing Ping opened it and saw another ten-tael silver note.
"Second Uncle, your old sister-in-law can only rely on your magnanimity now, and ask you to disregard past grievances."
"Heh heh." Meng Qing Ping looked at the two silver notes in his hands and thought to himself: These two are indeed mother and daughter-in-law; their ways are identical. Finally, he couldn't help but murmur, "Birds of a feather flock together."
Madam Li and Madam Liu, the mother and daughter-in-law, exchanged glances without saying anything.
Mei Shi, who arrived later, had witnessed the actions of Madam Li and Madam Liu while crossing the river. Seeing that they had both produced silver notes, she became envious.
"Old Madam."
Madam Li didn't even look at her and turned to ask Little Madam Li to help her sit on the grass nearby.
Madam Liu treated her as if she were a piece of cow dung, fearing it would stain her and her children's eyes. She pulled her children towards the river to wash, as her three daughters were of marriageable age.
After what had just happened, she was even more desperate to marry off her three daughters as soon as possible.
She knew that using the phrase "desperate" was somewhat unfair to her three daughters, but she had no choice. For the sake of her three daughters having a clean path in life, she could only try to marry them off quickly.
However, how to find three single, unmarried men in the shortest possible time was also a challenge.
As Madam Liu was frowning with worry, the sound of beating planks echoed from the dirt road at the village entrance.
Immediately followed by cries of pleading that grew louder and louder: "Ah~, Ah~~, Ah, Ah, Captain Qi, I, ah, will never dare again, ah~."
Hearing these rhythmic screams and pleas, everyone turned their heads to look. They saw the scoundrels who had tried to abduct the four Meng daughters being held down by a group of soldiers.
Qi Yuan Shan intended to make an example of them and carried out the punishment on the dirt road in front of the village. They hadn't brought any planks when they came out to work today, so they had to borrow a carrying pole from a family at the village entrance.