After being jilted, the entire neighboring village was filled with deep regret.

Chapter 319 Someone Died in the River

Ma Xingteng felt distressed seeing his wife's predicament. "Even if the other party really leaves, my wife will still feel resentful and guilty."

"This is inevitable." Liu Tiechui had just finished speaking when he saw another person at the entrance of the Ma residence.

Aunt Qin came out wearing a plain-colored jacket and said to Bai Rong, "I'll go. I was your father's concubine after all, and I gave birth to children for the Bai family. It's only natural for me to go and collect the body of the madam."

"Mother!" Bai Rong nervously grabbed Aunt Qin's hand.

Aunt Qin laughed nonchalantly, "I am already very content that you call me Mother. I know that in the eyes of wealthy families, an aunt is just an aunt, not a mother. Even if I go to collect the body of the madam today, the Zhu family will not hold a grudge against you, much less against the Ma family."

Only her intervention can resolve the issue peacefully.

The steward realized what was happening and kowtowed repeatedly to Aunt Qin.

If it weren't for the government insisting that the prisoner's relatives claim the body, he wouldn't be in such despair. Although Aunt Qin's indenture was no longer with the Bai family, it was an indisputable fact that she was a concubine of the Bai family and had that right.

After Aunt Qin and the steward left, Ma Xingteng immediately came out of the teahouse and limped over to Bai Rong, saying, "Madam, I'm sorry to have wronged you."

Bai Rong sobbed and shook her head, "I'm not wronged, I'm just worried about my aunt. She's been suppressed by her stepmother all her life. She's supposed to be favored by my father, but she hasn't really benefited from it. The biggest benefit she's received is for me, which allowed me to marry my husband. Now she's finally had a few days of peace, and she has to go back to that ruthless place!"

She knew that once Aunt Qin left, she would never return unless her father died.

Bai Rong felt bitter and Ma Xingteng felt guilty, so he took her to Shenjiazhuang to relax.

After learning the whole story from Ma Xingteng and his wife, Shen Yi and his wife couldn't help but sigh.

"Brother Shen, you've been on the battlefield with Zhu Yixuan. Is he really that powerful?" Ma Xingteng still held onto a sliver of hope.

Shen Yi nodded solemnly, “He is a person who puts interests first. If it doesn’t involve interests, he is a good friend, loyal and sentimental. But once his interests are affected, he can ruthlessly abandon everything.”

“What kind of friend is this!” Ma Xingteng frowned, his face full of disgust.

Shen Yi let out a long sigh, feeling quite emotional. "So when he took the initiative to befriend me, I was a little wary. People with different values ​​cannot work together. Also, it's possible that Madam Bai's accusation that Zhu Yixuan killed Bai Feng is true."

I don't know about other things, but one thing I am clear about.

As he spoke, he glanced at Bai Rong and apologized, "Sister-in-law, I was a bit blunt with some of my words, please don't take them to heart."

"No, no." Bai Rong quickly shook her head, eager to know everything she didn't know.

Shen Yi continued, "Bai Feng was a burden on the battlefield. If it weren't for Zhu Yixuan protecting him, he would have been in trouble long ago. If Zhu Yixuan wanted to, he had the ability to protect Bai Feng, but Bai Feng still died. What's more, before going to the battlefield, Zhu Yixuan suddenly became very close to Xiong Kai."

With Bai Feng dead, Xiong Kai immediately took Bai Feng's place and became Zhu Yixuan's confidant. If he dared to use a despicable person like Xiong Kai, what wouldn't he dare to do?

Ma Xingteng and his wife exchanged a glance, both too frightened to utter a sound.

Shen Yi comforted him, "However, Zhu Yixuan is a man who clearly distinguishes between gratitude and resentment. You did not infringe on his interests. It was the Bai family that offended him, so he should not take his anger out on the Bai family's married-out daughters."

Ma Xingteng chuckled wryly twice, stood up, and bowed, "Brother Shen, thank you for your comfort!"

After Ma Xingteng and his wife left, Shen Yi closed the door, and the couple tacitly refrained from mentioning the upsetting matters outside.

Spring is here and the snow is melting, and the annual spring plowing season is about to begin.

As a result, the villagers encountered an accident on their very first day working in the fields.

"Bang, bang, bang," the wooden stake in Su Tai's house kept being pulled. Shen Yi went to open the door and saw Huang Xinghua rush in, her face pale, stammering, "Someone's dead!"

"Who died?" Su Tai ran out of the kitchen carrying a basin and shooed the children to play in the backyard.

Huang Xinghua gasped for breath and said, "Is it from our village? It's from the Daxun River. The Daxun River is melting, and there's a dead body floating on it. Nobody dares to move, so I had to come and ask Shen Yi for help."

People who die in the river are different from those who die on land; in the words of the villagers, they are considered fierce! Not just anyone can go down to retrieve them. Shen Yi used to be a ferryman across the river and had done this kind of thing before, so everyone subconsciously thought of him.

Shen Yi quickly asked Huang Xinghua to help him pack the things, then turned to Su Tai and told her, "You stay home with the children, I'll be right back."

"Be careful! Don't be reckless," Su Tai said with a worried expression.

Shen Yi nodded and quickly left the house.

"Are you sure he's dead?"

He walked quickly, asking questions as he went.

Huang Xinghua chased after him desperately, "He's definitely dead. Half of his body is still frozen. We have no idea when he fell. If the snow hadn't melted, he probably wouldn't have been found."

When the two arrived at the riverbank, a group of villagers had already gathered there. They were pointing and whispering on the bank, and when they saw Shen Yi, they all made way for him.

Shen Ying frowned and came over. "Shen Yi, you have experience. Can you tell if that person can still be saved?"

Shen Yi shook his head regretfully, "His hands look rotten from being soaked in water; he must have been dead for a while. Let's report it to the authorities!"

"Sigh!" Shen Ying sighed repeatedly. "I've already sent one of the faster young men to find the town official. He won't be here for a while. Should we retrieve the body first?"

Just as Shen Yi was about to speak, Shen Dagou immediately interrupted, "No rush. When the government officials arrive, they might have to do some inspections. If we pull the body out and don't handle it properly, Brother Shen will be blamed."

Shen Ying nodded, not thinking much of it.

Shen Dagou pulled Shen Yi aside and whispered, "Look at that corpse, doesn't it only have one arm? Could it be..."

Shen Yi's expression changed slightly. "Don't talk nonsense."

Shen Dagou nodded repeatedly, "I was just guessing, I didn't tell anyone."

Liu Tiechui arrived quickly. As soon as he appeared, Shen Yi didn't even have to lift a finger, and someone retrieved the body.

The body was soaked so badly that it was unrecognizable, and it reeked of a foul stench.

The villagers quickly retreated to a safe distance.

Liu Tiechui covered his mouth and nose and looked at Shen Ying, "Has anyone gone missing from your village?"

Shen Ying shook her head frantically, her face pale. "Governor, I've already had people inquire, and no one is missing."

"What about the other villages nearby? What about the township head? Where did he go?" Liu Tiechui roared.

Liu Guangyao quickly raised his hand and squeezed into the crowd, saying, "I've also asked around, and no one in the village has gone missing. It's not from our village."

The villagers muttered to themselves, "Could it be from the other side of the river?"

Shen Zhuang quickly looked at Shen Yi, "Isn't that the estate your family bought on the other side of the river? There must be tenant farmers on the estate!"