Chapter 10

Chapter 10

"Talking about Jinpeng!" Tian Guifen was about to dig wild vegetables with Yu Hui when she heard Gu Lan's cry. She hurried over to inquire.

Seeing that she was from the Lin family, Doggy quickly said, "Yes, Aunt, I'm calling for my parents' help. It's urgent, so please don't delay."

Tian Guifen noticed his anxiety, even though he didn't specify what had happened. Sensing the severity of the situation, she rushed towards Li Xiangju's house, saying, "Go save him, I'll call his parents."

Gu Tieshan and Miao Qiulian were at home that day, and coincidentally, Gu Lan's elder brother, Gu Lansheng, had dropped by. Hearing the commotion, he hurried out to ask, "What's going on?"

Doggy, too preoccupied to explain, exclaimed, "Hurry! Head up the mountain."

Confused, the three followed him, passing by Liu Guihua, a neighbor who had come out to see what was happening. Miao Qiulian called out, "Aunt Liu, keep an eye on the house for us."

Liu Guihua promptly responded, "Got it, got it. Go quickly."

They ran up the mountain in a frenzy. Lin Jinpeng had chosen a remote spot, and Miao Qiulian assumed he might have fallen or been injured. She couldn't run as fast, so she instructed the other three to rush ahead without waiting for her.

Doggy led his father and elder brother along the path they had taken before. Fortunately, Gu Lanshi's wailing served as a guide. Before Gu Tieshan could see his son, the cries reached his ears, causing his heart to race. Though their children weren't overly pampered, they had never cried like this before.

"Lan Shi! Lan Shi!" Gu Tieshan shouted urgently, and upon hearing Zhu Ge'er's sobs, he promptly called out, "Zhu Ge'er!"

"Dad!" Hearing this voice, Gu Lan Shi felt even more wronged, his sobs intensifying.

Zhu Ge'er, running and crying all the way, was genuinely exhausted. He could no longer shed tears or run; upon seeing his family, he stopped, pouting with teary eyes, saying that he couldn't run anymore.

Gu Lan Sheng instructed, "Mom is right behind us. Wait here, and don't wander off."

Gu Tieshan, having hastily rushed up the mountain in a state of confusion, anxiously asked, "Lan Shi, tell Dad, what exactly happened?"

Gu Lan Shi angrily stomped his foot and wiped away his tears. "Dad, Lin Jinpeng was stealing someone in the mountains, and I saw everything! It was an unfamiliar twin boy. When I stumbled upon their secret, they started chasing me."

At this point, he hastily added, "Dad, hurry, catch them before they escape."

"What?!" Gu Tieshan's voice rose in pitch, disbelief evident. However, seeing his son so distraught, he had to investigate further.

Gu Lan Shi led his family towards the mountain stream. Suddenly realizing that they had already lost precious time, he feared that if the two escaped without being caught in the act, Lin Jinpeng, who usually had a good reputation in the village, might twist the truth. Who would believe him then? Frustration and anger mounting, he forgot about his own tears.

"Right ahead!" Without considering other paths, he dashed through the bushes, heedless of the dirt and grass seeds that clung to his body.

The mountain stream gurgled, and the pool was crystal clear, but the tranquility was disrupted by the arrival of four individuals. Gu Lan indeed couldn't find Lin Jinpeng and the other person, causing him to grind his teeth in frustration.

"Brother Lan? Where would anyone be here?" Gu Tieshan was full of doubts. He found it hard to believe what had happened, but his son rarely lied. Moreover, Gu Lan was already grown; he wouldn't fabricate stories to tarnish someone's reputation.

"Dad! I really did see them, on that big rock over there! They were... they were... Ah!" Gu Lan was both angry and ashamed.

Gu Lansheng surveyed their surroundings. The forest was serene, with trees and bushes everywhere. If someone was hiding, it wouldn't be easy to locate them, especially since the path they took, though a downhill route, could be bypassed if one intended to hide.

"What should we do then? Doggy and I saw him chasing Brother Lan Shi with our own eyes," Doggy asked, unable to respond to Gu Lan's last remark, so he pretended not to hear it.

Gu Lansheng knew his younger brother wasn't one to speak nonsense. If they brushed this matter aside, how could he live with himself? "Shall we search first? Perhaps they're just hiding."

"That's all we can do. Doggy, follow Lan Shi," Gu Tieshan nodded, and the group split up, each heading in a different direction.

Gu Lan sniffled, his eyes reddened as he picked up a long branch from the ground to clear the way through the grass. A few steps away, Doggy muttered, "Who would have thought that such a human-like creature turns out to be such a despicable scoundrel?"

"Laoshi! Laoshi!"

Miao Qiulian's voice echoed, and Gu Lan promptly replied, "Mother, I'm here."

"Lan Shi, what happened to my Jinpeng?" Lin Cheng's voice boomed, followed by Li Xiangju's anxious inquiry, her own voice strained.

Through the cluster of trees, Gu Lan could only see a group hurriedly approaching. Before they could speak, he heard his elder brother Gu Lansheng shouting from the other side, "Over here!"

The crowd, unsure of the situation, gathered around. Li Xiangju, worried about her son, had been informed by Tian Guifen that an incident occurred on the mountain. Panicked, she now rushed forward upon hearing this.

Gu Lan Shi, fueled by indignation, sprinted forward. Upon seeing the half-naked couple, his thoughts were solely on divine intervention; these two were not even dressed properly.

"Lin Jinpeng, you're committing adultery!" he shouted before reaching them, adding, "Seducer!"

The Lin family never expected to witness such a scene.

Lin Jinpeng was clad only in undergarments and trousers, his upper body bare, while the girl hiding behind him, Shuang'er, wore only an inner robe. Her face drained of color at being discovered, she attempted to grasp Lin Jinpeng's arm, but he evaded her touch.

Their state spoke volumes to anyone with eyes.

Miao Qiulian froze for a moment before erupting in fury, scolding, "You immoral wretch! To commit adultery even after betrothal, shameless scum! Spawn of a dog! A creature raised without proper upbringing, you deserve the heavens' wrath and for your entire family to meet a terrible end!"

Her anger knew no bounds, and she spared no one, not even Lin Jinpeng's parents, in her verbal assault.

Lin Cheng's and Li Xiangju's faces flushed alternately with embarrassment, their ears filled only with Miao Qiulian's scolding. They dared not even lift their heads, let alone retort.

When Doggy started crying out in the village, many people assumed something had happened to Lin Jinpeng. Tian Guifen rushed to the Lin household to give the news, creating such a commotion that a few villagers followed her, intending to help carry Lin Jinpeng down the mountain. Little did they expect this kind of situation.

"Adulterous scoundrels, a pair of shameless dogs with black, rotten hearts! Doing such things that even your parents would be ashamed of…" Miao Qiulian's tirade was relentless.

Though Gu Tieshan didn't join in the shouting, his face was ashen as he glared at Lin Jinpeng and the Lin family. His fists were clenched tightly, ready to fight anyone who dared to insult his wife.

"Woo... woo... woo..." Gu Shi wept quietly by the side. Seeing the scene, the villagers couldn't even offer the usual comforting words.

Lin Jinpeng's expression was one of extreme discomfort. The harsh insults pierced his pride, but he knew he was in the wrong and couldn't argue with a rural shrew. He glanced back at the person hiding behind him, his brows knitted. He had told them to split up and run, but their cowardice prevented them from being alone in the mountains. Now, they were caught, and his frustration grew.

The gentle and timid Shuang'er could sense his anger and sobbed softly, "You always tell me to run away whenever something happens. Dressed like this, what if I encountered someone with ill intentions? In the end, it's all because of the Gu family. Why should I be blamed?"

Indeed, it was all the Gu family's fault. If not for Gu Lanshi suddenly appearing, today wouldn't have been so humiliating.

Lin Jinpeng's mind was a jumbled mess, unable to think of a way out. His resentment naturally shifted to Gu Lanshi and the Gu family. It was common for men to have multiple wives and concubines, yet Gu Lanshi was overly sensitive, gathering such a crowd.

"I'll beat you to a pulp, you despicable thing!" Li Xiangju regained her composure, after all, it was her son. She cried out while scolding, "Hurry up and get back home! What kind of spell have you fallen under, hanging around with a seductive vixen? Damn it, when you return today, I'll make sure you're bruised and broken."

"Scram over here now!" Lin Cheng bellowed. It was no longer safe to remain; if he did, not only would his own reputation be tarnished, but the entire Lin family's ancestors would be disgraced.

As Lin Jinpeng moved, he saw the Gu family members with furious expressions, particularly Gu Tieshan and Gu Lan, whose sleeves were rolled up, revealing tense muscles and bulging veins in their fists. A chill ran down his spine; he knew that a beating was inevitable today.

Sure enough, as he reluctantly approached, Gu Tieshan and Gu Lan lunged at him. Dog followed closely, and even Miao Qiulian and Gu Shi joined in the fray, fueled by anger.

"Uncle! Auntie!" Li Xiangju wailed in horror, fearing for her son's life. She frantically tried to stop one while Lin Cheng and two other family members attempted to intercept the others, creating a chaotic scene.

Bamboo Boy, terrified, cried on the side. Seeing Lin Jinpeng retaliate and strike his elder brother, he sobbingly picked up a stick nearby and handed it to Dog, urging him to use it in the fight.

"Wicked soul!" Li Xiangju cried out in distress as she saw Doggie land the stick solidly on her son's body.

"You have the audacity to scold others? Take a good look at the fine son you've raised. Your entire family should be ashamed, and your short-lived shamelessness knows no bounds!" Unable to intervene, Miao Qiulian pulled Gu Lan aside but didn't forget to lash out at Li Xiangju.

In a flash, she caught sight of the unfamiliar Shuang'er hiding behind a tree. Her eyes widened, and she was about to rush over to scold her. The man, sensing the tension, darted into the adjacent woods as swiftly as a hare. On Lin Jinpeng's side, the villagers gathered around, ready to intervene. She panicked, not wanting them to interfere, and thus couldn't spare the attention to pursue the fleeing figure.

Fearful of causing a fatality, and considering the interwoven relationships within the village, the brawling individuals were eventually pulled apart by onlookers.

Lin Jinpeng was in a terrible state, his face bruised and swollen, with blood trickling from his nose. He wasn't wearing a shirt, exposing the clear wounds on his flesh. Li Xiangju was both anxious and furious, but she held back her anger, refraining from scolding the Gu family, gritting her teeth in tolerance.

Lin Cheng tossed his outer robe to his son, cursing fiercely, "Shameless dog, put it on!"

The issue couldn't be resolved on the mountain. With Miao Qiulian's disapproving glare, she didn't stop them. Once they descended, she would surely gather the entire village to settle the score, ensuring the Lin family's reputation was utterly ruined.

As for the twins, she glanced back. There was only one way down the mountain. Assuming the person dared not wander off-trail and was secretly following behind, planning to escape once they reached the front of the mountain where there were paths, she called out calmly, "If you dare run today, I'll be waiting for you here. We'll see where you can escape. Later, I'll inquire about your origins, and I'll personally visit your family to give them a piece of my mind."

Knowing there was no escape, the person's face paled as they reluctantly followed, eyes wide with fear. Every time someone turned around, he would shrink back in trepidation.

Amidst the villagers' grumbling and chatter, they returned to the village. After they had left, a tall and lanky man emerged from the woods by the mountain stream.

Pei Yan had arrived earlier than the trio, wandering in the forest to collect bird eggs. Perched on a high tree, he noticed someone approaching – a twin he had never seen in the village before. Despite his excellent memory and recognition skills, he had no interest in socializing and preferred to avoid contact. Thus, he remained seated on the tree branch after collecting the eggs, planning to descend once the stranger left.

He made no noise, not wanting to witness an intimate scene between the couple. He looked away, regretting not leaving sooner. That's when he spotted Gu Lan hiding in the bushes, following them. He didn't bother to delve into the complicated dynamics among the three. Leaning against the tree trunk with lowered eyes, he drifted into a meditative state.

When Lin Jinpeng and the other individual hastily chased after the fleeing person without properly dressing, Pei Yan turned to see the discarded robe by the stream. It seemed clean and might fetch a few coins if sold.