After transmigrating,The Female Supporting Character Became Darling of The Five

Chapter 137: Forced to Take a Young Woman

At dinner, Aunt took the initiative to introduce the little boy she was holding.

"Sister, this is Yang Qin, whom Yang Ming and I adopted from a relative on my side two years ago. We chose the name Qin, meaning 'diligence.' We live quite far away, so we hadn’t had a chance to tell you, please don’t be upset!"

Su's mother knew that her younger brother's wife, Wu Juan, had suggested adopting her youngest son some time back.

After Su's mother refused, Wu Juan had likely been upset about it and probably hadn’t completely let it go even now. Wu Juan felt that since the Su family was struggling financially, having so many sons was a burden. Given the closeness between the families, adopting the youngest to her would help lighten Su's load, and she would surely treat the child well. Why wouldn’t she agree?

But how could a mother bear to give away her own child?

Su's mother didn’t want to dwell on it. After all, it had been two years, and they hadn’t even mentioned it. Even if they did adopt, Yang Ming had no other close relatives, and they hadn’t informed her about it. Didn’t they think that she would be upset?

But now that they were sitting face-to-face, there was no point in holding grudges. It was better to keep things harmonious.

"Sister, I’m not upset with you. Since you’re here, stay for a few days, enjoy yourself. If you need any help, let me know. Life has gotten better for us here, so if I can help, I will."

Su's mother still wanted to support her family, as this was her only younger brother. While she couldn’t offer a lot, she was willing to help within reason.

Hearing this, Wu Juan exchanged a look with her husband and decided to bring up the real reason for their visit.

"Sister, we do have something we need help with. It’s a bit tricky!"

Hearing this, Su’s mother and father exchanged a glance, and the Su siblings all listened closely.

"Wu Juan, what’s the matter? Go ahead, tell us."

Wu Juan looked at her daughter, hesitant, but eventually said:

"It’s like this. Qingqing has come of age, and we were looking for a marriage match for her. But recently, while she was selling vegetables in the county, the county magistrate’s son took a liking to her and insisted on making her his concubine. How can we let a decent girl like her become a concubine?

His men have been pressuring us, and they’re growing impatient. We don’t want her to be his concubine, so we thought we’d have her stay with you temporarily to hide. Even if my husband hadn’t come, we would have sent her here for help. With the distance between us, the magistrate’s son can’t reach this far. We hoped you could also help find her a good match here in Qinghe County and settle things quickly.

In short, she can’t go back to Qingyuan County for now. He’s an official, and we’re powerless. It’s a different world in Qingyuan; you have good officials here, but for us, we have no way out."

In different places, having a different county official can mean a different life for the people. In Qingyuan County, it's common for officials to forcefully take young women.

Hearing this, tears streamed down Yang Qingqing’s face, full of grievance.

“The county magistrate’s son is so brazen. Can’t you report him to the provincial government? Forcibly taking a young woman is a serious crime; his father would lose his position,” said Su Wan, angered by the injustice. “How can such things still happen?”

“You don’t understand, Wanwan. The county magistrate has powerful connections. I heard his wife’s sister is married to a high-ranking official in Xiangzhou. With such ties, his position is secure. This son already has seven concubines. One of them was even married before he forced her to become his concubine, and there are others, just like our Qingqing, all from respectable families.

He doesn’t act openly but uses underhanded methods, bullying people until they’re forced to give in. Last autumn, one family refused to send their daughter to him, so he had thugs ruin their crops overnight. With no food, how could they survive? He forces you to hand over your daughter, and only then does he leave you alone. Such a devious person with power—we can't stand up to him.”

"Yes, they say the magistrate’s son is violent. If his concubines don’t please him, he beats them black and blue. If Qingqing were to marry him, life would be unbearable."

Yang Ming's face was filled with sorrow, at a loss for what to do. They couldn’t let his daughter suffer. He’d rather marry her off to a poorer man who could at least provide a peaceful life.

"Has the magistrate's son done anything to you or caused any harm?" Su Wan asked, concerned for their safety.

“Not yet, since he just took an interest in Qingqing. But I worry. It’s planting season, and if he ruins our fields, how would we survive?”

Farmers rely on those few acres of land; this kind of threat takes away their livelihood.

“It’s lawless! How can people like him hold power?” Su Yun angrily slapped the table.

“You didn’t hear? He has backing,” Su Mu remarked coolly.

“Yes, fourth brother. They say officials protect each other, and as the saying goes, 'People don’t fight officials,' not because they don’t dare, but because they can’t win."

Su Chen, who often heard his teacher discuss such matters, saw the situation clearly.

“Sister-in-law, don’t worry. Qingqing can stay here with us for now to lay low. It’s a long distance between Qingyuan and Qinghe; they can’t reach this far.

But you mentioned finding her a good husband, which isn’t something we can rush. It’s a lifelong matter, and we should make sure the person has good character. Why don’t you all stay with us for now? Maybe after some time, the magistrate’s son will forget about this.”

Su’s mother was determined to help and felt this was the best solution. For now, hiding was the only option.

"Mother, it’s not that simple. The more you deny someone, the more they desire it. People are like that. If he’s fixated on Qingqing, this won’t be resolved just by marrying her off.

Two families getting married need to have their birth details registered with the local government for it to be official. Since Qingqing’s household is in Qingyuan, she would still need to file with the Qingyuan county office even if she marries here. If he’s fixated on her, these formalities won’t go unnoticed.

The magistrate has connections, and we can’t appeal any higher. For now, hiding is our only option. But even if he is corrupt, he won’t blatantly snatch her up without risk of public outrage. If his reputation is stained, he’ll never advance, no matter his connections. I doubt he’d be that foolish. So, uncle and aunt, if you go back without Qingqing, they’ll only cause trouble, which would be pointless. It’s best to stay here for now, as mother suggested."