Handing Over the Shop

The county magistrate patted the table to silence the noisy hall. "Someone."

The head constable cupped his fists. "My lord."

The county magistrate ordered, "Go and summon the wife of the village chief of the He Village."

A woman in the crowd raised her hand and replied, "My lord, I'm here."

The crowd made way for the woman to enter the hall.

The woman knelt down. "Greetings, Your Lordship."

The county magistrate asked, "Where's the dress you bought for your daughter."

Zhang Juan said, "My lord, the dress I bought was for my daughter's birthday. A few days ago, it rained heavily and the dress was damp. My daughter took it out to dry. In the end, it disappeared when I was collecting the clothes in the afternoon. My daughter cried for a long time."

She looked at the peasant woman with anger in her eyes. "I didn't expect her to steal it."

The peasant woman was regretting telling the truth. She lowered her head and trembled.