USWHC -Chapter 356 Jumping Into One’s Own Trap (Part 6)

“Spare me, my lord! Spare me, my lord!” The moment Old Madam Ji heard this, she dropped to her knees with a thud, crawling forward until she reached Magistrate Hao’s feet. With tearful eyes, she looked up, clutching his pant leg as she pleaded, “My lord, please don’t arrest us! I beg you!”

“What is going on here?”
At that moment, a deep voice sounded. A man strode in through the doorway, only to freeze in shock at the sight before him.

The yamen runner beside Hao hurriedly bowed. “Reporting to my lord, this subordinate doesn’t know either!”

By now, Magistrate Hao was already breaking out in a cold sweat. He never expected the hospitality of Xiangshui Village to be this… enthusiastic—people dropping to their knees and crying injustice at the mere sight of someone! But couldn’t she at least not do it in front of the county magistrate? What would his superior think?

As he spoke, he secretly shook his leg, trying to free his thick thigh from Old Madam Ji’s grip.

But that only made things worse. The moment he moved, Old Madam Ji clung on even tighter, like she’d been bitten by something. She even started climbing up along his leg!

“N-no, my lord, listen to me! Our whole family are good people—very good people! Please let us go!” Old Madam Ji wailed.

Seeing the county magistrate’s expression darken, Hao grew anxious. His whole body started trembling as he tried to shake her off like one would shake off fleas.

“Auntie, I’m not the lord—that is our lord!”

Yes, at such a crucial moment, the real boss was standing right there, yet the masses had bowed to the wrong person. How could that possibly go over well? Hao was on the verge of tears.

But the more he struggled, the tighter Old Madam Ji clung. Then came a loud rip—

Oh no. Hao nearly burst into tears on the spot. His trousers—had been pulled right off!

A soft snicker sounded. At last, the county magistrate’s expression improved. Covering his mouth, his shoulders shook—not in anger, but in laughter.

This was truly absurd. Staring at those thick, hairy legs like elephant trunks, Old Madam Ji froze for a moment. Weren’t those trousers pretty sturdy? How did they tear so easily?

Startled, she immediately burst into tears again. “My lord, my lord, I really didn’t mean it!”

At this point, Hao felt like killing someone. His dignity, his reputation—ruined just like that by an old village woman? No!

Just then, the county magistrate spoke gently, “Auntie, if you have something to say, please stand up first.” His tone was mild—more than mild, it even carried a hint of laughter. Clearly, he found the whole situation rather amusing.

But the moment he spoke, Old Madam Ji suddenly lifted her head. Her watery, upturned eyes lit up like high-powered X-rays, as if she had finally found her true savior. Without hesitation, she scrambled toward him—

Yes, straight for his leg!

“What?!” The magistrate panicked instantly. Was she trying to strip his trousers too? A dignified official like him, suddenly frightened pale by an old woman—“Aiyo! Auntie, let’s talk this out, let’s talk this out!” he exclaimed, hastily backing away. There was no way he was letting his pants get pulled down!

But Old Madam Ji wailed again, “My lord, we’ve been wronged!” With that, she lunged forward and grabbed onto the magistrate’s thigh.

The magistrate’s hair stood on end. He froze completely, not daring to move an inch—afraid that if he did, his trousers would be next.

“Auntie, whatever grievance you have, just tell me. I will—definitely—see justice done for you, alright?” His voice trembled as he spoke. Clearly, he had been thoroughly traumatized by her.

Several yamen runners hurried forward, working together to pull Old Madam Ji to her feet. Each grabbed an arm, smiling warmly as they said, “Auntie, our magistrate is the fairest of men. He would never wrong a good person!”

Old Madam Ji looked at their smiling faces—they seemed friendly enough.
But… why were their hands gripping her so tightly?

Were they ready to arrest her at any moment?