Wang Tongqian: I didn’t run into him.
“Don’t fight, don’t fight! We’re all from the same village…”
“Someone, come and break them up!”
“Harmony brings prosperity!”
The women’s director put away her megaphone and stepped forward to pull Sister Shun’s arm, while several other women grabbed the other side of Qin Houying.
In rural women fights, they typically scratch with their nails and pull each other’s hair. At this moment, both women’s hair was in disarray. Sister Shun spat, and her hair was forcefully pulled by the other woman, causing her immense pain.
Qin Houying also didn’t fare well, with several bloodstains on her face from scratches. While two women pulled her arms back, she struggled and shouted, “You damned woman, I’ll fight you to the end!”
“Let go of my mom!”
“Jin Baobao, what are you doing?!”
“Qin Houying, can’t you control your son?!”
At this moment, the previously ignored eight-year-old boy, Jin Baobao, somehow found a hoe and held it up. The sharp tip of the hoe was aimed at the person next to Qin Houying, and he swung it randomly in that direction.
The two women who were restraining Qin Houying’s arms were frightened and let go, taking a step back.
The faces of the others nearby turned ugly. Fighting with knives or hoes was no joke; it could easily lead to fatalities.
“Jin family, make your kid drop it—”
“Ah— Jin Bao, well done!” Qin Houying’s shrewish demeanour was fully revealed at this moment. Seeing people frightened by her son, she felt incredibly proud, thinking that their Jin family was becoming powerful. Their child dared to wield a hoe; who would dare to provoke them next time?!
“If you think our Jin family is afraid of you— if you provoke us— we’ll fight to the death!”
Encouraged by his mother, Jin Baobao found wielding the hoe both fun and imposing. He raised the hoe again and swung it towards the direction of their enemies, including Sister Shun and others.
Sister Shun and the others quickly retreated.
The women’s director shouted, “Stop the chaos! How can we let the children act recklessly? There must be consequences!”
Jin Baobao was small in size but strong. When he swung the hoe heavily onto the ground, the metal piece embedded into the soil, making a dull sound. He chuckled, feeling proud to see the adults frightened by him.
The next moment, he tried to pull up the hoe but found it stuck in the ground. Using all his strength, he struggled to lift it up, with a loud “clang.”
As Jin Baobao was pulled back, he couldn’t maintain his balance, causing him and the hoe in his hand to fall backward. Unfortunately, he stumbled over a stone, and the hoe rotated in the air. He landed on the ground, and the sharp iron tip of the hoe struck him squarely on the forehead with a sharp “clang,” causing blood to gush out instantly.
This unexpected turn of events frightened everyone around.
Qin Houying cried out in despair, “Baobao, my treasure!!!!”
“Something happened!! Something bad happened!!”
“This might turn fatal!!!”
“Quick, quick, pick him up and take him to the commune hospital!!”
In panic, a man lifted Jin Baobao and rushed towards the hospital. The boy who had been proudly standing moments ago, now had his bleeding head stop his mother’s quarrel with others.
Those who arrived later to see what was happening were confused at first, but then they noticed the blood on the ground.
“What’s going on? What happened?”
“The two women from the Zeng and Jin families were fighting?”
“Who got hurt?”
“The Jin family’s little treasure, Jin Baobao.”
“What?! This is too cruel, they even harmed a child!?”
“Jin Baobao hit himself with the hoe. They should educate their children properly and not allow them to wield sickles and hoes recklessly, lest they hurt themselves.”
“What?!”
At the commune hospital, Jin Baobao’s wound was stitched and bandaged, and the doctors and nurses said he needed to be observed for a day or two.
Qin Houying cried bitterly, tears streaming down her face as she continuously wailed, “My treasure… my only treasure…”
Thinking of the blood her son had shed along the way, Qin Houying felt as if her own flesh and blood were being torn apart, causing her unbearable pain.
Her husband, 3rd Jin, stood nearby, his face solemn as he smoked a cigarette.
The nurse frowned and said, “Stop shouting; the patient needs rest.”
“My treasure… my treasure…” Qin Houying continued to murmur.
3rd Jin exhaled a puff of smoke. “Why did you have to quarrel with the Zeng family?”
Just mentioning them made Qin Houying’s eyes turn red. Through gritted teeth, she resented, “That despicable woman! It’s all because of that despicable woman. She harmed my treasure, my Baobao, my precious son. I want her to pay with her life. I want her to pay…”
“I’ll report it to the secretary! I’ll report it to the secretary!”
3rd Jin replied, “The wound on Baobao’s head wasn’t caused by her. You can’t blame her even if you report it to the secretary.”
Tears streamed down Qin Houying’s face. “This is so unfair! Baobao is even more wronged than Dou E! My poor Baobao. Are we just going to let our Baobao suffer with his head cracked open like this?”
**Nomad: Dou E is a character from a famous Chinese play who suffers from severe injustice, being falsely accused and wrongfully sentenced to death despite her innocence. Her story symbolizes wrongful persecution and has become a reference point for extreme unfairness in Chinese culture. **
“We must make that wretched Shun’er pay.”
“3rd Jin, if you’re Baobao’s father, go find a scoundrel and burn Shun’s silkworm house, burn all the silkworms she’s raising.” Qin Houying’s tone became more sinister.
3rd Jin hesitated. “Arson is a crime. If caught…”
“She harmed our Baobao; isn’t that a crime? If we can’t deal with her legally, then let’s take matters into our own hands. Go find a scoundrel to start a fire. Who would know it’s us?”
“If not a scoundrel, then a beggar. Who can trace it back to us if they flee afterward?”
“Do you want our Jin family to become the laughingstock of the village?”
“Oh, my poor treasure…”
3rd Jin looked at his son lying on the hospital bed, the bandage on his head stained with blood, his lips pale. This was their Jin family’s only hope. If they lost Baobao, what would be the point of him being alive? Baobao was their family’s future.
A hint of malice flashed in his eyes. Qin Houying was right. If they found a scoundrel to start a fire, even if it was known to be them, without evidence, they wouldn’t be blamed.
If they didn’t do something, their Baobao would continue to be mocked. Where would the face of their Jin family go?
**Nomad: I thought this guy had common sense. **
The next day, 3rd Jin didn’t return to the village. He quietly went to the neighbouring Waguan Village and found a lazy scoundrel named Wang Tongqian. Wang Tongqian was so lazy that he spent his days stealing chickens and dogs, living in poverty. He had a son and a daughter, both supported by his wife’s family.
3rd Jin found him and asked if he was interested in a big deal.
Wang Tongqian didn’t like to work diligently; he preferred to dabble in shady dealings. When he heard about the big deal, his eyes widened like copper coins. “What big deal?”
“A fire, one hundred yuan, and thirty kilograms of grain coupons,” 3rd Jin told Wang Tongqian his requirements.
Upon hearing this, Wang Tongqian was overjoyed. One hundred yuan was a windfall for him. “I’m in.”
“Come, let’s plan it out.”
Xie Mingtu drove towards the village in his transport truck. Today, he had gone to Yunjin Commune and bought what he needed. A grey package beside him was faintly revealing a bit of vibrant red.
He was in an especially good mood, driving leisurely while listening to the sounds of insects and birds in the countryside, occasionally hearing greetings between villagers.
As he passed through a narrow section of road near Waguan Village, he faintly heard the voices of two people, seemingly plotting something.
Ordinary conversations wouldn’t catch his attention, but Xie Mingtu was sensitive to such conversations, especially when the tone carried malice, indicating they were planning something sinister.
Having heard plenty of such things from a young age, he lowered his gaze. Generally, he wouldn’t interfere in such matters; whatever wrongdoing others did didn’t concern him.
He preferred to act as if he hadn’t heard anything.
Xie Mingtu stepped on the accelerator, intending to quickly pass through this area. However, in an inadvertent glance at the package beside him, he couldn’t help but hit the brakes.
The transport truck stopped on the road.
He listened intently to the voices carried by the wind.
Upon hearing them, he realized the two people were plotting arson. And the target wasn’t elsewhere but the silkworm house where Su Xiaoman worked.
Xie Mingtu calmly listened to their discussion of the plan, then drove back to the Zhou family. Su Xiaoman was making final adjustments to Zhou Xiaofeng’s wedding dress. As soon as she looked up, she noticed the suspicious Xie Mingtu.
Xie Mingtu quietly hid the package he had brought back.
Su Xiaoman always felt like this guy was hiding something from her. “What’s wrong?”
“Xiaoman… I heard something when I came back.”
Xie Mingtu told Su Xiaoman what he had heard.
Su Xiaoman was extremely shocked. She didn’t expect the Jin family to be capable of such madness for revenge. “I need to go tell Sister Shun.”
She didn’t doubt Xie Mingtu’s words for a moment and immediately chose to believe him. Su Xiaoman quickly folded the wedding dress in her hands and, with Xie Mingtu, went out to find Sister Shun.
Upon hearing this news, Sister Shun expressed an incredulous expression. “Burn? They want to set it on fire? But have I provoked their family?”
From the beginning, it was Qin Houying causing trouble for her. Now, with Jin Baobao’s head injured, it was blamed on her again. Sister Shun felt like she was suffering from a bizarre injustice.
However, matters of human emotions, love, hate, and vengeance, weren’t always rational. The Jin family had singled her out to vent their anger, considering her the instigator of everything.
“This is the village’s silkworm house, how dare they!”
“There are newly harvested silkworm cocoons inside. Can they just burn it down like that? This isn’t just my hard work, but also the collective effort of everyone… How could they do this?!”
“Xiaoman, did your husband really hear it?”
“How could he overhear 3rd Jin arranging to set the silkworm house on fire? Would they discuss such matters openly by the roadside? Can anyone just happen to overhear it?” Sister Shun doubted 3rd Jin’s plan to set the silkworm house on fire. Even if 3rd Jin did arrange for someone to commit a crime, it couldn’t be coincidentally overheard by Xie Mingtu…
Could such a coincidence exist in this world?
“I did hear it.” Xie Mingtu patiently recounted their plan.
Su Xiaoman nodded, pulling Xie Mingtu’s sleeve, giving him a trusting look.
No matter how Xie Mingtu heard it, Su Xiaoman chose to believe him.
After finishing, Xie Mingtu smiled. He had warned some people before, but no one ever believed him.
“Sister Shun, it’s better to believe there’s something than to believe there’s nothing. Tonight, a few of us will keep watch at the silkworm house. It would be best if no one comes to set it on fire, but if they do, we’ll catch them red-handed.”
Sister Shun pursed her lips and solemnly said, “Xiaoman, you’re right. It’s better to believe there’s something than to believe there’s nothing. We can’t blame the innocent, nor can we let any bad person go unpunished.”
That night, Su Xiaoman, Xie Mingtu, Sister Shun, and a young man from the village, Lin Zhidong, squatted near the silkworm house. Lin Zhidong was the husband of another member of the silkworm breeding group, Zhou Yezhi. Su Xiaoman and Xie Mingtu guarded the east side, while Sister Shun and Lin Zhidong guarded the west.
As the autumn wind grew chillier than expected at night, Su Xiaoman huddled in a corner, wrapping her coat tightly around herself to ward off the cold. She hadn’t anticipated the temperature outside to be this cold.
By now, it was late at night, and darkness enveloped everything. There were no stars or moon in sight, and the silence was almost eerie, broken only by the rustling of leaves as the wind swept through the bushes.
Su Xiaoman felt a wave of drowsiness wash over her. Since coming to this era, she had become accustomed to going to bed early and waking up early. Especially in cold weather, the chill tended to make her sleepy earlier than usual.
She longed to wrap herself in a warm blanket and drift off to sleep.
A strong arm pulled her into a warm embrace, where the person’s body heat felt like a small stove in winter, providing her with comforting warmth. Nestled in the embrace, she no longer felt the cold autumn breeze.
Perhaps it was the warmth of this embrace that made Su Xiaoman reluctant to pull away. She didn’t speak or fuss; she simply snuggled into Xie Mingtu’s arms, thinking that they were just keeping warm together.
Like two little chicks huddling together in a corner.
No, she was the chick, and he was the puppy. Snuggled together for warmth, she felt like she was taking advantage of him.
Xie Mingtu’s eyes were exceptionally bright in the darkness of the night. Though there were no stars in the sky, his eyes sparkled like stars. Gathering his courage to pull her into his arms, he dared not look in her direction for some time. Only after a while did he muster the courage to glance sideways and quietly observe the person nestled in his arms.
Su Xiaoman didn’t push him away.
Realizing this, Xie Mingtu felt as if fireworks were going off in his heart. He didn’t feel like he was in a corner of a rural house; instead, he felt like he was watching the moon and stars and fireworks with the person beside him.
Even though there was no moon, no stars, and no fireworks at the moment.
Drowsy, Su Xiaoman failed to perceive his joy and happiness. Tired from the cold wind earlier, she couldn’t resist yawning. She had never felt this sleepy before; it seemed that staying in a gentle embrace had lulled her into a state of tranquillity.
Xie Mingtu softly urged her, “Xiaoman, sleep. I’ll keep watch.”
His voice was like a devil’s temptation…
Unable to resist this temptation, Su Xiaoman fell asleep in Xie Mingtu’s arms.
Once Su Xiaoman had drifted off to sleep, Sister Shun and Lin Zhidong, who were guarding the opposite corner, also found it increasingly difficult to resist the cold and drowsiness. It was too tough to stay motionless in the corner all night. If they could walk around, they might have been able to resist this overwhelming drowsiness.
Lin Zhidong cursed 3rd Jin inwardly.
Late at night, making it impossible to sleep, why hasn’t that arsonist come yet? Is he really coming tonight?
He hugged his arms against the wall, squinting his eyes. Drowsy but unable to let himself drift off to sleep. Sister Shun, beside him, was burdened with too much on her mind, unable to sleep as well. Her mind was unusually clear, and her expression was cold.
Only Xie Mingtu was the most alert among the four.
He remained stiff, unmoving, occasionally glancing down at the person sleeping in his arms. After she fell asleep, she instinctively sought warmth, snuggling closer to him.
Her pretty face was tranquil in sleep, her breathing calm and gentle, blending with the surrounding night.
Holding onto her shoulder… there was nothing more joyful than this!!!
Xie Mingtu leaned against the wall, a blade of grass in his mouth, the triumphant blade of grass swaying in the night breeze.
In the dead of night, the rural darkness was eerie, the faint night shadows of the trees forming sinister shapes. If one’s mind was troubled, walking the night road would be enough to send shivers down one’s spine.
Wang Tongqian was bold and reckless, born without a care in the world. As long as he was paid, he could laze around. He dared to do anything. They say money makes the world go round, and with money, he wasn’t afraid of ghosts.
Tripping over stones twice along the way, Wang Tongqian didn’t dare to curse. He gently patted his legs and continued walking forward.
He knew the way, having come to the village for drinks last year.
The chilly wind in his ears made him shiver, his tattered jacket inadequate against the autumn chill. Add to that the clandestine nature of his mission, Wang Tongqian trembled, stopping by the roadside to relieve himself.
After relieving himself, he thought of something else and smeared mud all over his face, paying no mind to it at all.
Besides matches, he also brought two bottles of wine given to him by 3rd Jin. He would pour the wine into the house and light it up for good luck.
Wang Tongqian squinted, unscrewing the bottle cap and taking a sip, tilting his head back to warm himself.
Although the wine bought by 3rd Jin was inferior, it was enough to quench his thirst.
Wang Tongqian hesitated on the way, whether to drink one bottle and leave one for setting fire, or to drink both bottles himself and then set fire with some dry grass and matches…
In the end, Wang Tongqian believed that even as a scoundrel, he should have some professional ethics. He kept one bottle for himself and used the other for business.
He drank the wine sip by sip, not daring to drink too much, staggering forward.
They say alcohol emboldens the heart, after all.
As Wang Tongqian approached the village, Xie Mingtu had already heard his movements. He spat out the grass from his mouth, feeling inexplicably disappointed, still reluctant to wake the person in his arms.
Standing in front of the silkworm room, Wang Tongqian squinted his eyes, thinking that this was the place. With a hundred bucks in hand, he was determined to go to the city to eat and drink extravagantly for a few days, living comfortably for half a month.
He struck a match and threw it on the ground. The flame instantly ignited the dry grass at the door. Wang Tongqian unscrewed the bottle cap, about to pour the wine and set fire to it, when suddenly a figure jumped out of nowhere.
Semi-awake Lin Zhidong was awakened by the sound of the fire, immediately rushing out to catch Wang Tongqian regardless of everything else.
Wang Tongqian was startled at first, then shivered all over, turning around and running into the woods.
The bottle of wine in his hand fell to the ground and shattered with a “crash”, the liquid splashing out, some flowing into the flames he had ignited earlier, instantly bursting into a raging fire.
“Chase him! Catch him!!”
Running Wang Tongqian smirked, thinking to himself, How could you possibly catch me?
3rd Jin had chosen him for this task for a reason. Because Wang Tongqian didn’t have any other virtues, he ran like the wind.
Can’t catch up! Can’t catch up!
He had barely run less than a hundred meters, just a few seconds, when suddenly a huge force struck his back. Wang Tongqian felt his body floating in the air, then fell violently to the ground.
“Ouch!!”
Sister Shun was still shocked, too many variables happened in these few seconds. She didn’t have time to stop Lin Zhidong, who was too impulsive and startled the snake. She watched anxiously as Wang Tongqian ran away, with Lin Zhidong chasing after him. But in the next second, a black shadow flashed across the roof, like an arrow shooting out, and in the darkness, she couldn’t see his running posture clearly. The black shadow had already leaped and kicked Wang Tongqian over.
“Caught him!!” Lin Zhidong gleefully caught Wang Tongqian, turning him around to see who he was, but was hit by a strong odour of urine, “Damn, gross——”
Xie Mingtu frowned and took a step back, quietly distancing himself from the two.
He didn’t want to infected with the inexplicable smell.
Awakened from her sleep by the commotion, Su Xiaoman didn’t know what had happened yet. Anxiously, she joined Sister Shun in extinguishing the fire in front of the door. The smell of the fire and alcohol made her eyes red, and the autumn wind blew away the ashes, almost blinding her.
“Did you catch the person?”
After extinguishing the fire, Sister Shun and Su Xiaoman hurried to see the arsonist. They hadn’t been close enough before, and Su Xiaoman hadn’t seen what had happened here. Walking over with Sister Shun, she saw Lin Zhidong holding a wailing man, while Xie Mingtu stood nearby, indifferent.
Su Xiaoman couldn’t help but exclaim, “Brother Lin, you’re amazing! You caught him in one go!”
Sister Shun and Lin Zhidong both glanced at her with complicated expressions.
Su Xiaoman: “???!!!”
Xie Mingtu immediately shook his head, “I didn’t touch him.”
Su Xiaoman: “Then why do I smell…?”
Lin Zhidong felt nauseous, “He smeared urine on his face.”
Su Xiaoman: “!!!!”
Wang Tongqian was lying on the ground and couldn’t get up. Lin Zhidong found a rope and tied him up, washed his face clean. Now that the evidence was clear—matches, alcohol, and the traces of fire extinguished at the door of the silkworm room—all proved that Wang Tongqian deliberately set the fire. He couldn’t escape blame.
Early the next morning, everyone in the village was alarmed.
“What, someone set a fire in our village last night?!!!”
“Someone came to set a fire, what did they burn?!”
“That’s too vicious!! It’s endangering lives!”
“What kind of deep-seated hatred must it be to set fire to someone’s entire family.”
Upon hearing this news, everyone in the village felt a chill down their spines. Just imagine, someone coming to set fire to your house in the middle of the night. No one would not be afraid of such a thing.
It’s too malicious!
Wang Tongqian was a rascal, but he was also shameless. After being caught on the spot, he immediately betrayed his employer, “It wasn’t me, it wasn’t me. I was just doing it for a hundred bucks. The one who really wanted to set fire was 3rd Jin.”
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