Chapter 22: Cross-examination

Zhang Zhaohua thought of this possibility, so he decided to deceive and said: "You didn't steal, but seeing that the person who stole the meat went in, and you haven't told the truth yet, I will definitely invite your parents to come and cure you of the sin of covering up and hiding!"

The cook jumped up in surprise and said, "It has nothing to do with me, it has nothing to do with me!"

"It's clearly related to you, and you're still denying it here!" Zhang Zhaohua said sharply: "What does the person who stole meat have to do with you, you have to cover it up for him here! Do you know that the law of the country is ruthless, and if you cover it for him, you will suffer his sin!"

The cook woman was sweating profusely, and she couldn't speak completely when she sat on the ground, but Zhang Zhaohua could hear it clearly when she buzzed like a mosquito in her mouth. Pen & Fun & Pavilion www.biquge.info

What she said was: "Riding a horse, having a horse......

Zhang Zhaohua didn't understand at first, but when he reacted, he couldn't help but let out an "ah" - what this cook meant, it was a man on horseback who stole the meat.

Why is Zhang Zhaohua so surprised, because in the Hongwu era where she lived, in terms of the car driving system, it was different from the previous dynasty, and it was not the "civil officials sitting in sedan chairs and military attaches riding horses" played in later TV dramas, and the regulations at this time were: civil officials above the third rank are allowed to ride in a sedan chair, and officials below the third rank are only allowed to ride horses; honorable relatives and military attachés are not allowed to ride in a sedan chair regardless of their age; those who violate the rules and use the eight sedan chairs without permission will be severely punished.

How severe was the punishment? There was once a fourth-grade official who left the capital to handle a case and secretly sat in a sedan chair. This matter was reported by Jinyi Weicha, and Zhu Yuanzhang unequivocally executed the official who used the car beyond the standard. Although after the middle of the Ming Dynasty, the law was relaxed, and hundreds of officials, regardless of size, sat in a sedan chair, and even raised people to show their talents or eunuchs to sit in a sedan chair when they went out of Kyoto, but in the Hongwu period when the law was strict, no one dared to violate the car driving system set by Taizu.

The man on horseback, the man on horseback that the cook woman saw may be an official, may be a servant, but it can never be a commoner. Because at this time, the people were not allowed to raise horses without authorization, but they were also allowed to have the existence of chariots and horses, and the people could rent chariots and horses from this chariot and horse shop, most of which were military backgrounds, and most of the horses in the row were eliminated military horses. People rent cars and horses are rented "cars and horses", and there are few people who rent horses alone, and they are also subject to interrogation.

This cook woman is not from the countryside, she is from the city, and it is impossible for a city man not to have seen a chariot or a horse, and the only reason that can explain her jealous look could only be that this person is an official, or someone close to the person who is an official, so they can ride a horse openly and brightly--if this person is dressed in clothes or something other than ordinary people, then it is all the more obvious why this kitchen woman does not dare to speak out.

Thinking of this, Zhang Zhaohua is even more strange, if it is the state and county officials or the meat that Hu Cong took away, why not take it all, shouldn't it all be taken to the feast, but this person only took a pig's leg and ran away-

If it is explained that this person does not take it to the feast, but wants to eat the meat himself, in fact, it is even more unnecessary, because after the sacrificial rite is completed, the meat is meant to be eaten by everyone. A person who is likely to have an official position or status should sneak into the stove and steal meat to eat - this is even more unreasonable.

Seeing that Zhang Zhaohua's suspicious look was not dispelled in the slightest, the cook finally said in a trembling voice: "It's a doll......

Zhang Zhaohua was surprised: "It's a doll?"

She finally understood this time, so that everything would be explained!

The cook woman saw a little child who had come down from a horse, and the little boy had gone into the backyard without knowing what was going on, and had gone into the east room and swaggered and took the pig's trotters -- she did not dare to stop it, because the doll was born with a noble appearance, so she selfishly speculated that it was not the child of the state and county officials, and had come to play in this rural place with the adults. Can she stop it?

Today, there is a lot of traffic, in addition to Zhang Zhaohua and Duan Ge'er, there are also three or four children from the village Chief's family, but they are all driven away by Wang's mother. This cook is not as busy as everyone else, but secretly slacking off, knowing that the child who came later is different from the one who was driven away in front, so she guessed that it was the little son of the state and county officials, there is nothing wrong with this idea, if it is Zhang Zhaohua, I am afraid I have to think so.

Seeing that the cook woman had finally told the truth, the grain chief's wife hurriedly ordered: "Go to the banquet and inquire, is there really a distinguished guest who has brought the little boy here?"

Zhang Zhaohua believed that the grain chief and anyone with brains at the banquet could solve the matter satisfactorily - and even take this "ignorant" child as an example to complete an exhortation and encouragement.

Since it was not stolen by the kitchen woman and the servant, Yue's face, who had just spoken sharply and interrogated, was very unbearable. Zhang Zhaohua saw that she had lost a circle of love, and he was even more disdainful in his heart.

As the master, it is natural for you to interrogate about the theft, even if you interrogate the wrong person or wronged someone, you will not bend your waist and make amends, you just need to redouble your appeasement in other matters afterwards. Although it is likely that the Yue family and these kitchen women will not have the next chance to work together, instead of apologizing with a few words or two words, Zhang Zhaohua thinks that it is the right thing to do for everyone to reward more wages.

Sure enough, Zhang Zhaohua saw the contempt in the eyes of several kitchen women.

But these kitchen women all came to her side, looked up and down with their eyes, and praised their mouths, saying how smart Zhang Zhaohua was, they all heard Widow Ma say before, knowing that Zhang Zhaohua was raised by the grain chief and taught literacy, and he didn't think so, but now he couldn't help but praise that reading and literacy is different from others, even female dolls are so smart.

Zhang Zhaohua was not used to such praise, but when he saw Yue's indescribable expression, his heart became more and more comfortable. In fact, she knows that she has to leave three points of leeway to be a person, but the Yue family doesn't know, so there is no need for them to keep any good feelings for each other in the future.

She didn't rely on the Yue family in the first place, can she control her own marriage or can she control her own life and death? Since she is not, then why is there any need to give her any good face to look at -- Zhang Zhaohua can't pretend to be calm and light after tearing his face with someone, not to mention that it is not his own side that is wrong.

As for Brother Duan'er, although he is not wrong, and he also helps himself speak, but I'm sorry, who told you to put such an old man on the stall -

Seeing Brother Duan'er squinting his eyes as if he wanted to pull his sleeves, Zhang Zhaohua immediately looked at him and said in a loud voice: "What are you doing, what are you doing pulling my clothes! Let me tell you, I am six years old this year, and I will be seven years old after the New Year, do you know the reason why men and women do not eat at the same table and do not eat together at the age of seven? Don't come to play with me in the future, lest you be seen and make fun of your and my reputation, and it will be very ugly to hear when it spreads!"

Brother Duan was stunned, and he didn't react for a long time, Zhang Zhaohua squinted, and sure enough, he saw that Yue's face was blue and white, and it couldn't be described as difficult.

Dare to provoke me, if you don't peel off your face and step on your feet, I won't be Zhang Zhaohua!

After she said this, her heart was really happy, so she ran out happily regardless of whether anyone else was unhappy.