Chapter 63 Mountain Home Hearth 63

Chapter 63: Mountain Homestead 63

Liu Guyu went back and told Cui Lanfang and Qin Banban about the sugarcane situation, saying he wouldn’t be buying sugarcane anymore and that once this stalk of sugarcane was used up, he wouldn’t make the drink again.

After all, the stall had other snacks to sell and didn’t rely solely on sugarcane drink for income.

Liu Guyu’s anger came quickly but faded just as fast. Soon, he was hustling, rallying the family to prepare the ingredients needed for the next day’s stall.

They had a simple dinner that evening. Since Liu Guyu and Qin Banban had to run the stall early the next morning, and Qin Rongshi had to return to the academy for classes, the family went to bed early.

Just as Liu Guyu was deep in sleep, he even had a wonderful dream—he dreamed of opening a grand restaurant chain that expanded all the way to the prefectural city and the capital, with money pouring in daily, counting money hand over fist.

Right in the middle of counting money in his dream, he suddenly heard a series of knocks, waking everyone in the compound.

At first, it was just knocking in his dream, but the sound grew louder and louder, turning into banging, accompanied by shouts, yanking Liu Guyu straight out of his sweet dream.

“Auntie Cui! Liu Geer!”

Liu Guyu finally opened his eyes. He sat up groggily, hearing the banging continuing outside the courtyard.

What was going on?

Had someone climbed over the wall again?

Liu Guyu rubbed his face vigorously, hastily tied his headband, put on his outer robe, slipped into his cloth shoes, and walked out.

Just as he stepped out of his room, the doors of the other two rooms opened as well—the rest of the family also came out. Qin Rongshi was the first to emerge. His first glance was toward Liu Guyu, his gaze lingering on his face. It was unclear what he saw, but he seemed to breathe a sigh of relief before looking away.

“I’ll go open the door.”

As he spoke, Qin Rongshi walked toward the main gate.

The door opened, and outside stood Fang Wu, the Village Head’s live-in son-in-law.

His hair was disheveled, his clothes thrown on haphazardly—it seemed he, too, had been dragged out of bed.

Cui Lanfang, fully dressed, held the hand of a yawning Banban. Liu Guyu also walked over.

Qin Rongshi was the first to ask, “Brother Fang, what’s happened?”

His expression was serious, his gaze turning cold.

Coming to find someone in the middle of the night—it had to be something major.

Fang Wu held an oil lamp, having thrown on his clothes in a hurry. He looked anxiously at the group and said urgently, “Qin Erlang, something’s happened over at your paddy field!”

Liu Guyu’s eyes sharpened immediately, his thoughts turning to Chen Guicai and Yu Chunhong, the couple.

He asked at once, “What happened?”

Fang Wu opened his mouth to answer, but he hadn’t fully heard what exactly had happened before his father-in-law sent him out to fetch people, so he couldn’t explain clearly.

He said, “It’s hard to explain in just a few words. You’d better come see for yourselves. My father-in-law is already there!”

It seemed they had no choice but to go!

Cui Lanfang thought for a moment, then turned to Liu Guyu and Qin Rongshi and said, “I’ll go take a look. The two of you have to leave early tomorrow—don’t let this disrupt your rest.”

Though he said this, Liu Guyu couldn’t let Cui Lanfang go out alone. He quickly said, “That won’t do. If we’re going, we’ll all go together!”

Qin Rongshi also nodded and said, “Brother-in-law is right.”

Cui Lanfang couldn’t argue with the two youngsters and had to agree. Since they were all going out, they certainly couldn’t leave Banban, a young girl, alone at home to sleep, so the whole family went out together.

As soon as they stepped out, they saw Lin Xingniang from across the way also coming out, holding a lamp, with Luo Qingzhu standing to her right and two large dogs following behind.

Lin Xingniang had also been awakened by Fang Wu’s banging and shouting. She hurried over to ask, “What’s going on? What happened? Why such urgency in the middle of the night?!”

And it was Fang Wu who had come to find them!

Fang Wu was from the Village Head’s family—he must have been sent by the Village Head. For the Village Head to seek out the Qin family in the middle of the night, it couldn’t be a small matter.

Cui Lanfang also frowned, worry etched on her face, and said to Lin Xingniang, “I’m not too sure either. They said something happened at our paddy field.”

Lin Xingniang frowned, turned around, and patted Luo Qingzhu’s hand, saying softly, “Qing Zhu, you should go back inside and rest. Mother will go with your aunt to take a look.”

Luo Qingzhu knitted his brows, wanting to go along, but his younger sister was still sleeping inside.

The little girl was sleeping soundly, like a piglet, undisturbed by all the commotion.

In the end, he said, “Then be careful, Mother. Aunt, all of you, be careful too!”

Everyone nodded, and Lin Xingniang added, “Don’t worry, the Village Head is there too. Nothing will happen!”

With that, the group continued toward the paddy field.

The closer they got, the clearer the noisy sounds became—like arguing, quarreling, and crying.

When they got closer, they saw quite a crowd gathered outside their paddy field. In the middle of the night, these people didn’t mind the trouble and had come out to watch the commotion.

But Liu Guyu was mistaken.

These people hadn’t originally come out to watch the commotion—their homes were close to the paddy field, so they had heard the commotion clearly.

Earlier, they had heard a cry of pain, followed by dogs barking from nearby yards and roosters crowing from nearby houses, causing a ruckus. Soon after, Fang Wu had come beating a gong, and then the Village Head’s scolding voice had joined in.

In the middle of the night, with the Village Head involved, they thought thieves might have sneaked into the village, so they had to come out and see. Some had even come armed with tools.

Fang Wu walked ahead and called out loudly, “Make way, make way! The Qin family is here!”

At his words, the crowd blocking the front parted, and Liu Guyu saw the person lying on the ground—Chen Guicai?

Was that Chen Guicai?

There wasn't enough light at night, so Liu Guyu borrowed Fang Wu’s oil lamp and took two steps forward for a closer look. It was indeed Chen Guicai.

Looking at the people nearby, he saw Village Head Chen Qiaosheng and Chen Sanxi.

Liu Guyu first glanced coldly at Chen Guicai, who was moaning and wailing in pain on the ground, then gave an equally cold look to Chen Erya, who was sitting on the ground crying, and Yu Chunhong, who was sobbing and throwing a fit with tears streaming down her face… He looked each of them over before finally turning his gaze to the Village Head.

Liu Guyu asked, “Village Head, what exactly happened?”

Chen Qiaosheng’s expression was grim. Having his sleep disturbed had already put him in a bad mood, and coming out to see such a disgraceful matter only made him angrier.

The Village Head didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he glared at the wailing Chen Guicai and said furiously, “You did this shameful thing—you explain it yourself!”

Liu Guyu followed his gaze and looked again. This time, he could see clearly that an animal trap was clamped around Chen Guicai’s ankle, blood pooling on the ground and soaking his pants leg.

Beside his feet were several large bundles wrapped in mulberry leaves, though it was unclear what was inside.

Chen Guicai’s face was as white as a sheet from the pain, unable to utter a word.

Instead, a man watching from the side spoke up to explain, "Liu Geer, let me tell you!"

"This family is truly vicious! His wife came to cause trouble during the day, and now he shows up at night, bringing several packets of insect eggs to bury in your field! Just look at this—don't they have anything better to do? He’s been busy for days scrounging for insect eggs instead of doing anything useful!"

"But kid Sanxi was prepared! He was worried this family would stir up trouble! Before dark, he set two animal traps by the paddy field and caught this thief red-handed!"

The man speaking was the same one who had been weeding the rapeseed field earlier that day.

His vegetable plot was close to the Qin family’s paddy field—who knew if the hatched insects would crawl over to his land!

What a heart of pure malice!

Insect eggs usually take about half a month to hatch. Chen Sanxi had already tilled the paddy field and was about to transplant the rice seedlings. By the time the eggs hatched, wouldn’t it be just after the young shoots were planted?

Those tender seedlings wouldn’t stand a chance against the pests! The Qin family only had these two acres of land—they’d be completely ruined!

Lin Xingniang had a fiery temper to begin with. Hearing this, she flew into a rage, rushed forward, and slapped Chen Guicai across the face, shouting, "You damned bastard! How dare you try to destroy our fields!"

The slap sent Chen Erya, who was nearby, into a burst of loud sobs. Yu Chunhong also threw herself over her husband, crying and screaming.

She knew her family was in the wrong this time and didn’t try to argue, only sobbing, "Why are you hitting him!"

Liu Guyu’s expression darkened even further. He turned to the Village Head and asked directly, "Village Head, how do you plan to handle this?"

The Village Head was truly annoyed. One look at Chen Guicai irritated him, another glance at the wailing Yu Chunhong frustrated him, and seeing poor little Chen Erya crying her eyes out, red-faced and pitiful, made him even more upset.

His own daughter was cherished and well cared for, and seeing another family’s girl crying like this tugged at his heartstrings.

What misfortune to be born to such parents—it must be karma from a past life!

The Village Head sighed, looked at Liu Guyu, then at Qin Rongshi, and asked, "You’re the victims here. I should ask for your opinion—what do you think should be done?"

Liu Guyu honestly didn’t know how such matters were usually resolved in ancient times. The Village Head’s question had stumped him.

Compensation? Where would the Chen Guicai family get the money? They’ve got nothing to lose!

Liu Guyu was also feeling frustrated.

It was Qin Rongshi who spoke up. His voice was calm and cold, but his tone was steady.

"Destroying fields is a serious crime. For each acre destroyed, the punishment is twenty lashes, three years in prison, plus compensation for the losses."

The prospect of being beaten, imprisoned, and having to pay compensation terrified Yu Chunhong, who immediately cried out.

"But my husband didn’t even manage it! He didn’t even make it into the paddy field before the animal trap caught him!"

"Village Head, Village Head... please have mercy! He’s learned his lesson! He’s already lame, and now his one good leg is badly injured—he’s been taught a lesson! We’ll behave from now on, we won’t cause any more trouble!"

Chen Guicai was also terrified. He had thought he could sneak over unnoticed in the dead of night, never expecting things to turn out like this.

Not only was he caught, but his foot was injured, and now he faced beating and imprisonment!

Pale-faced, he also begged, "Yes, Village Head, I know I was wrong... I—I lost my head for a moment. Please, since it’s my first offense, forgive me!"

The Village Head stood up angrily and scolded, "Just this once? How many times did you plan on doing this?"

"Don’t beg me! I already said the victims are the Qin family—go plead with them! See if they’re willing to forgive you!"

Yu Chunhong quickly turned to Liu Guyu. She had figured out that this young man was the one calling the shots in the Qin family. If he relented, this matter could be settled.

As she spoke, she secretly pinched Chen Erya, making the girl cry even more pitifully.

Seizing the opportunity, Yu Chunhong dragged Chen Erya to her knees and pressed her head down, shouting, "Erya, kowtow and apologize for your father! Beg them to forgive him!"

The little girl, already terrified and now pinched and forced to kowtow, cried even harder, her voice growing hoarse.

Liu Guyu couldn’t bear to watch any longer. He pushed Yu Chunhong aside and lifted Chen Erya up from the ground.

"Cut it out! If you really want to kowtow, why don’t you do it yourself? I can take it—my fate is tough! All you know is tormenting a little girl? What, was it her idea to come here in the middle of the night and cause trouble?"

"The father doesn’t act like a father, the mother doesn’t act like a mother. Chen Erya must have had the worst luck to be born as your daughter!"

"This isn’t how it’s going to work! You think a few kowtows will make it all go away? You think your knees are worth gold? Dream on!"

Yu Chunhong fell back on her behind, and Chen Erya’s cries became even more heart-wrenching. It was truly pitiful, but Liu Guyu only glanced at her before looking away.

Qin Rongshi spoke up at that moment, "This is attempted field destruction. Even if reported to the authorities, it might be hard to pass judgment…"

Hearing this, Yu Chunhong and Chen Guicai finally showed a glimmer of hope, nodding eagerly and looking at Qin Rongshi with anticipation.

He continued, "But we can’t just let it slide."

"Otherwise, what’s to stop others in the village from copying them? If someone gets upset today, will they go burn someone’s crops tomorrow? How will we ever live in peace? Besides, nothing like this has ever happened in our village before."

Qin Rongshi’s words made sense to everyone listening, and they chimed in:

"He’s right! They can’t be let off!"

"They must be punished severely!"

"Absolutely!"

Though Qin Rongshi was young, the Village Head didn’t dare underestimate him. He asked solemnly, "So what do you suggest?"

Qin Rongshi replied, "They were originally refugees settled in Shanghe Village. We can’t let them corrupt the village’s morals. I’m afraid we’ll have to trouble you, Village Head, to report this matter to the higher authorities and have their household registration revoked. They can settle wherever they want after this, as long as it’s not in Shanghe Village."

Hearing this, the Village Head actually began to consider it.

He had always found this family troublesome, but they had been assigned by the County Magistrate. As a mere Village Head, he couldn’t oppose the County Magistrate’s orders.

But now he had a legitimate reason. Even if he drove them out, the County Magistrate wouldn’t be able to fault him!

His eyes lit up, and he quickly said, "Good! Let’s do it that way!"

The other villagers watching also exclaimed, "Drive them out! Out of our village!"

Yu Chunhong and Chen Guicai never expected things to end like this. They were stunned, sitting dumbfounded on the ground, unable to speak.

The Village Head finally smiled. He patted his son-in-law’s shoulder and said, "Get a couple of men to tie up Chen Guicai and take him to the ancestral hall. Post guards tonight! Madam Yu, take your child and go pack your things. Once I’ve finished the paperwork to change your registration, you’ll leave immediately!"

Yu Chunhong let out a wail and tried to rush forward, but Chen Guicai was already pinned down by two men summoned by Fang Wu. Chen Sanxi, who had remained silent until now, stepped forward and removed the animal trap.

She continued to wail, alternating between crying and cursing.

"We can’t go on living! We really can’t! What will become of our family, young and old!"

"Chen Guicai, you’ve lost your mind! How could you do something like this without even discussing it with me first!"

"What are we supposed to do now!"

...

She kept wailing, but no one paid her any attention. Chen Guicai was dragged away, leaving only Chen Erya standing there in a daze, sniffling and wiping her tears, her eyes swollen from crying.

Meanwhile, the man who had been weeding during the day looked at Chen Sanxi and chuckled, saying, "Sanxi, next time you set up animal traps, at least let us know! Our fields are right next to yours—what if someone accidentally steps on one?"

Chen Sanxi replied expressionlessly, "I set them before nightfall and retrieved them before dawn. As long as no one goes out at night, then they won’t step on them."

The man stammered, "Th-that’s still dangerous."

Chen Sanxi nodded, "Fine."

The village head sighed and waved his hand, saying, "Enough, everyone, go back to sleep!"

With that, the people gathered around began to disperse. Liu Guyu was also pretty pleased with how things turned out, and the family finally went home.

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Author's note: How come there are so many Chens? I didn't notice before...

(Sorry... copied the wrong chapter [cheek resting on hand])