The Country Maiden: Fields and Leisure-Chapter 110: Silence

Old Granny Zhang’s words had barely faded when the crowd that followed to watch the commotion burst into an uproar.

Everyone knew the Wang Family’s Eldest Child was hit by a rock on his waist yesterday, and they said he was done for, dragged off to town, now to become a cripple! Such a pity!

And it was actually done by the Li Family’s youngest son? Impossible, right?

Someone then remembered, "Now that you mention it, yesterday around midday, I saw that Li Family kid who hardly ever leaves his home, like a young lady, coming down from the mountain, covering his face with his sleeve, and with a big tear in the hem of his clothes. I was surprised at the time, thinking the child must have tumbled down the mountain. Turns out he was off harming someone!"

"You better not talk nonsense, this is a matter of life and death!"

"Now that you say it, I also remember that yesterday morning, I saw the Li Family’s third boy, sneaking up the mountain with a shovel. I even thought to myself back then that, after the disgraceful incident involving his sister, he has grown up and knows to head up the mountain..."

...

The crowd was babbling nonstop, especially at this time in the village when everyone was idle, there were plenty of bored people, and with so many eyes, there were those who had seen Li Jinlong.

With all these observations compared, everyone began to form conclusions.

Li Dagui’s face changed, and he turned to look at his youngest son’s room, where the doors and windows were tightly closed, without a sound coming from inside.

Li Dagui knew his son best, and with such behavior, it was definitely him, no doubt about it.

But this couldn’t be admitted, it was a matter of life and death!

On the other hand, Wang Daxiu was scared stupid, repeating only, "You’re talking rubbish! Uttering nonsense! Scoundrels with maggots in their mouths causing ulcers! My Jinlong didn’t go anywhere yesterday! He was just staying at home! You’ve got it wrong, all wrong!"

"Got it wrong? One person might be mistaken, but how could so many people be wrong? The scum with black hearts and rotten intestines! Do you think the Wang Family is undefended? If you don’t provide an explanation to our Wang Family today, we will fight until we both perish. You turned my son into a cripple, and my Wang Family isn’t unreasonable; however my Eldest Child is injured, your youngest must end up the same way! To keep my Eldest Child company!" Old Granny Zhang spat in Wang Daxiu’s face.

"Nonsense! You’re storming into our house in the middle of the night, and without a shred of evidence, you accuse my son of harming your son. My Jinlong is studying well, with no grudge against your Eldest, why would he harm him? You’re clearly trying to extort our family!" Wang Daxiu was no pushover either.

Hearing Old Granny Zhang threaten to cripple her most beloved son, whom she was proud of and pinned her hopes on for the second half of her life, her protective instincts surged.

"Good question! I’d also like to ask Li Jinlong, with everything having reached this point, aren’t you always priding yourself as a scholar, as being filial above all? Why then are you hiding in your room in silence now? Feeling guilty, aren’t you? Frightened, aren’t you? You didn’t expect us to find you so quickly, did you?" Wang Yongzhu finally arrived after hurrying over, and upon hearing Wang Daxiu’s confrontation, she stepped forward to prevent Old Granny Zhang from uttering the painful scolding she was about to unleash.

Now was the time to achieve their goal, and it was precisely the time not to curse. Everyone tends to sympathize with the underdog, and if they came across too aggressive, the crowd might involuntarily start to feel sorry for the Li Family who were being constantly berated.

Old Granny Zhang’s earlier cursing could be justified as an act of a mother distressed over her son, sorrowful words from a mother could be understood.

But now it was time to be calm, to present evidence, and to compete over the degree of grief and appearing as the more pitiable victim.

When Wang Yongzhu spoke these words, the buzzing noise from outside paused for a moment, leaving the surroundings in silence, as everyone waited for Li Jinlong’s response from inside the house.

Inside, there was a prolonged silence. No one made a sound.

With a buzzing sound, the onlookers exploded with speculation. Didn’t this indicate that the young man from the Li Family was feeling guilty? Otherwise, why wouldn’t he dare to come out and confront the accusation?

Wang Yongzhu let out a cold laugh. "What? Don’t dare to come out? It’s obvious; a coward like you who only knows how to harm others behind their backs wouldn’t have the courage to admit it. And you call yourself a scholar? Seems like all that reading went to a dog’s belly, didn’t it? Isn’t reading supposed to teach you propriety, righteousness, integrity, and shame? How come you didn’t learn any of that and instead became so cruel and calculating, with a heart as venomous as a rat in the sewer, thinking you could hide in the house and escape? I’ll count to three, and if you don’t come out, Fourth Brother, Jindou, Jinhoo, you’ll smash the door and drag him out!"

"Okay!" The uncles and nephews agreed in unison.

"One... Two..." Before she could count to three, there was finally movement in the previously silent room. Li Jinlong opened the door and walked out, head held high, "Confucius wasn’t wrong when he said ’Only the small-minded and women are difficult to handle—’"

"Haha, how were you born without a woman then? It must be really difficult to raise someone like you and your sister; ordinary people can’t manage that, right! You, capable of such vicious deeds—are you not the ’small-minded’? Confucius was indeed correct; the two most difficult sorts of people are both in your family!" Wang Yongzhu, knowing that spouting off scholarly references didn’t fit her persona, bluntly spewed nonsense, and Li Jinlong was taken aback.

The crowd around them burst into laughter. They always felt that this lad from the Li Family looked down on people, and now seeing him stumped by the Wang Family Girl’s few words and rolling his eyes, everyone felt a sense of satisfaction.

Li Jinlong’s face turned very unsightly. "Nonsense! Complete drivel, a disgrace to scholars!"

"Don’t give me that gibberish, just tell me, why did you want to harm my eldest brother?" Wang Yongzhu didn’t want to waste more words with this blockhead, full of nothing but water in his brain, and she got straight to the point.

Li Jinlong clenched his hand, his eyes darting around, unable to look at the Wang Family people, trying to maintain his composure. "Don’t falsely accuse me! I’ve been at home studying the whole time; I never left the house!"

He was adamantly denying everything.

"Never left the house, what is this then?" Wang Yongzhu gestured, and Jindou dropped the shovel in front of Li Jinlong with a clatter.

Wang Daxiu was startled by the noise, looked down, and said, "Isn’t this our shovel? How did it end up in your hands? I was saying just yesterday that I couldn’t find it; turns out it was stolen by your family!"

Li Dagui felt as if he was stumbling in the dark, wishing he could strangle this foolish woman who couldn’t read the situation.

Was she so eager to see her own Jinlong dead?

Li Jinlong’s voice waivered, the fear on his face impossible to hide, still as obstinate as a dead duck, "I don’t recognize it! I don’t know what this is!"

"Really? This shovel was found not far from where my eldest brother was injured, with ink stains on it and a handprint made of ink. If you want to prove your innocence, stretch out your hand and compare—" Wang Yongzhu pointed at the shovel on the ground, challenging Li Jinlong with a jut of her chin.

Li Jinlong’s face turned a deathly white as he took a step back, clenching one hand tightly within his sleeve, afraid to take it out.

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