CHAPTER 45: 45: THREE STRIKES ON THE DRUM OF PUBLIC NOTICE (3)_1

As she stepped onto the stone stairs, she remembered the very beginning, when she first opened her eyes to see Liang Yixuan before her, and the echoes in her ears were the resentful revelations of Liang Yuening from that day.

She came into this world, she became Dong Dabao, and with that, the wrongs also became her responsibility. Even if those things were not done by her hand, she inherited this body and was bound to continue living here under the identity of ’Dong Dabao’.

Upon ascending the stone steps, she faced the government official, already prepared to carry out the execution for her, with an unconstrained poise.

"Just ninety severe beatings."

She was hearty and carefree, facing the punishment with a fearless smile, then suddenly remembering these past few days... Yixuan’s tenderness, Yixuan’s consideration, and Yixuan’s care for her.

That was what she deeply longed for, what she had yearned for in her past life and never obtained, like a traveler in the desert who has been thirsty for a long time, and then joyfully finds a sweet spring, instantly nourishing her parched soul, she wanted to grasp even an illusion of it.

In the end, she was just a pitiful person, that’s all.

Watching her like this, the Female Yamen Officer was also touched, but rules are rules, and these ninety beatings must be administered to serve as a warning to others.

The Drum of Public Notice could not be struck carelessly, otherwise, would not the officer be overwhelmed with trouble? But in this moment, Dong Huiying’s fearless appearance also inspired admiration in people.

......

Dong Huiying’s reaction was truly beyond the expectations of the Liang family. The most impacted were Third Brother Shujun and Little Wu, Yuening, and as for Fourth Brother Haoming, he always had an ice-cold expression on his face; even if he felt compassion, he hid it all behind his impassive façade.

Earlier, when Dong Huiying came out of the prison, the three brothers had followed suit.

Yuening was rough and prone to anger, a rash character, and because the former Dong Dabao had committed many unforgettable atrocities, he held Dong Huiying in contempt. Along the way, he also had his doubts, but when Dong Huiying struck the Drum of Public Notice, he was suddenly stunned on the spot.

Could it be that all his doubts were just him projecting a petty mind onto a noble heart? And it was in that moment Yuening slowly realized... she had truly changed.

She once told them she had reformed, that she would never repeat the mistakes of the past, but he did not believe her. He thought that it is easier for a leopard to change its spots than for a person to change their nature, and this person had long bankrupted her trust among the brothers. But in truth, she had changed, indeed reformed herself.

The execution was public, and the Female Yamen Officer, while admiring Dong Huiying, handled the proceedings without any hesitation.

A long bench was brought out, and Dong Huiying quickly pressed several acupoints on her body. It was inevitable that the skin would split and flesh would burst, but she could try to minimize the damage from these ninety beatings to herself.

The bench was a good one-and-a-half meters in length, very wide and long. Dong Huiying, being small in stature, laid herself upon it, making her already petite body seem even more pitiable.

One should know that this bench was custom-made for the women of Dayuan, whose populace tended to be stout, and thus the usual tables and chairs used were also special, large sizes.

Fang Lanshan glanced at Dong Huiying and saw her composed and unperturbed, feeling a deep sigh within his heart.

This young lady, despite her delicate appearance, acted with great dignity.

"Carry out the punishment!"

At Fang Lanshan’s command, the executioner immediately brought down a plank.

Dong Huiying’s complexion turned pale in an instant, and clutching her small fists, she let out a muffled groan on the spot.

......

Zhi Chen, protecting Jade, squeezed through the crowd of onlookers, "Excuse me, please let us through."

By this time, Dong Huiying had already taken more than a dozen blows.

With her head buried, her hair hanging down, it was impossible to see the expression on her face. But her little hands, blackened from clenching too hard, had fingertips turning white from the pressure.

Seeing this, Zhi Chen widened his eyes in shock, and Jade also wore a stunned expression.

Both of them, one known for their shrewdness and the other for their forbearance, usually maintained composure no matter the situation, but today they were inwardly shaken, to the point where their expressions of astonishment were clearly written on their faces.

The one ringing the grievance drum was actually Dong Dabao?

Truly the woman who had lorded over their Liang family with impunity?