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墨書 Inktalez
The wheat in Xiaqiao Village was maliciously set on fire, and it wasn't just one household targeted. This made the Government take notice, and they quickly sent people to investigate.
The rural folks were most afraid of officials. Although the constables were merely government workers, they still ate from the government’s table. Now they had come to investigate a case, each one of them looking fierce, making everyone in Xiaqiao Village—men, women, and children—quite frightened. They were all worried about being suspected as arsonists, so they cooperated fully, answering whatever the constables asked. Naturally, they all tried their best to distance themselves from any suspicion of being involved in the fire.
However, before the fire broke out, the sky had darkened ominously. Everyone had already tidied up their outdoor affairs and retreated indoors. Aside from the arsonist, there really wasn’t anyone else outside, so there were no witnesses.
The village chief recognized Captain Wang, who was leading the constables. He said to him, "Brother Wang, you must put in some effort on this matter. We need to find this arsonist; otherwise, everyone in our village will live in fear. This thief is clearly out to get us! To dare to set fire to our crops is tantamount to taking our lives! Their heart is too dark!"
Captain Wang nodded and replied, "Of course. I come from a farming background myself and understand how important the harvest is. However, without even a single witness and no physical evidence at all, this is indeed difficult."
Xie Youshun had been accompanying them and said at this moment, "I think this person is very familiar with our village's terrain. Even if they aren't from our village, they are likely from a nearby one."
Li Xing also nodded in agreement. "That's right."
Captain Wang continued, "The most likely suspects are indeed people from Xiaqiao Village. That person must have seen that it was getting dark and that everyone had gone home; that's when they made their move. They probably took advantage of the brief moment before it started to rain, suggesting it was a spur-of-the-moment decision."
Upon hearing this, the village chief sighed inwardly. He knew that the most probable culprits were indeed people from his village or nearby villages. He was reluctant to believe it but still asked Captain Wang to interrogate people from Shangqiao Village. The residents of Shangqiao Village lived not far from them and had grievances against them; it was possible they could have done this.
Captain Wang nodded but still suspected that someone from Xiaqiao Village was behind the incident; many shared this suspicion.
Xie Youshun said, "If someone did this, their family would know about it. Captain Wang, have you noticed any families acting strangely?"
Captain Wang shook his head with a smile. "There are too many people acting strangely; everyone is afraid of being accused."
The village chief sighed again and said, "A group of farmers—who isn't afraid of being blamed? As long as this matter remains unresolved, everyone will feel like there's a sword hanging over their heads, fearing it might fall on their own necks. In the future, everyone might suspect each other of being arsonists; this village will not be peaceful! Just when we finally started having some good days, this disaster strikes! Who can come up with an idea to help investigate this case?"
The village chief looked at Xie Youshun and then at Li Xing. He no longer relied on Li Long and thought that if Li Xing could step up now, it would be good. Over these past few days, Li Xing had impressed him greatly; he thought if Li Xing could contribute more this time, it would earn him even more respect from the villagers.
Li Xing understood what his father meant when he saw him looking at him. After thinking for a moment, he said, "Right now there are no witnesses or physical evidence; we can only look for suspicious individuals. The person who set so many fires likely has grudges against several people in the village. As for those on the Drying Yard—that's another matter—but those whose crops were burned right in front of their homes surely have some enmity with this person."
Wang Dashan clapped his hands and said, "Exactly! If we look into it like that, it becomes easier to find leads! If it really was someone from the village who set the fire, then those whose crops were burned might be cleared of suspicion. Conversely, those whose crops weren't burned might actually be hiding an arsonist!"
Captain Wang nodded and said, "That's true, but what if the arsonist burned their own grain to get rid of suspicion? Wouldn't that wrongfully accuse innocent people?"
Xie Youshun replied, "That is a possibility, but farmers treat their grain as their lifeline; they wouldn't easily destroy it."
After much discussion, everyone ultimately agreed that they should start looking for suspects among those families that had not suffered any losses.
Captain Wang said, "We can't do this alone; you all need to pitch in. The villagers tremble at the sight of us, and those who haven't set fires look guilty. If we wrongfully accuse an innocent person, it will be troublesome. You should also try to gather information from them. It would be best if we had witnesses; if someone reports it, it would be much easier."
Upon hearing this, the village chief frowned. The idea of getting someone to report was tricky; if a family's grain had been burned, they would certainly seek out the arsonist with all their might. However, if a family was unharmed, they would likely hesitate to speak up. In the countryside, there are both honest and cunning people; some are enthusiastic while others are timid. Most would fear offending someone more than they would fear the arsonist. However, people are driven by profit; if there is a benefit, everyone will act.
Wang Dashan immediately said upon hearing the village chief's words, "Isn't it all about benefits? Whoever can provide clues to catch this arsonist will receive Silver! My family will contribute five taels!"
Wang Dashan's grain had also been burned in this incident. His family had originally harvested a good amount of grain this year, but now they had lost half of it. He was furious and wished he could catch the arsonist and beat them up.
Xie Youshun then said, "I will also contribute five taels." Xie Youshun thought that this arsonist was too ruthless; having dared to burn so much grain this time, who knows if they would dare to burn down houses next time? He didn't want his wife and children to be in any danger; this person must be caught. He would pay not just five taels but even fifty if necessary.
Xie Qingfeng naturally followed suit and pledged money as well. His family hadn't suffered any losses this time, but families close to him had incurred damages. Since he had some spare cash on hand, he naturally wanted to help.
Li Xing quickly offered money as well upon hearing this. The village chief looked at his son with satisfaction; he thought his son was doing well now and was generous enough to offer five taels of Silver. Moreover, Xie Youshun, Wang Dashan, and Xie Qingfeng, who were among the most capable and popular young men in the village, were on good terms with him. This further strengthened his position; he believed no one would oppose him passing the village chief position to his family in the future. Feeling pleased, he also pledged five taels.
Seeing this, Captain Wang and several constables realized that Xiaqiao Village was indeed prosperous now; everyone was quite generous with their contributions. Remembering the Silver they had received earlier, they decided to work even harder. They treated those who contributed money with even more courtesy and enthusiasm than before.
The villagers looked at those who were chatting closely with Captain Wang with envy. Some remarked that if they had established ties with Xie Youshun's family when they were still struggling, perhaps they too could have prospered like Wang Dashan and Xie Qingfeng. Unfortunately, there is no medicine for regret in this world; now they could only avoid offending them and try to win their favor. Although some felt a twinge of jealousy and muttered sour remarks initially, once the village chief announced the reward of Silver for providing clues, those remarks ceased as everyone became captivated by the prospect of reward.
Then Xie Youtai and some other villagers also contributed money, raising the bounty to thirty-two taels!
Anyone who provided clues leading to the capture of the arsonist would not only gain the gratitude of the villagers but also receive thirty-two taels of silver—a tremendous incentive that made everyone in Xiaqiao Village feel like they were about to explode with excitement. Everyone hoped that the reward would come to their own families; thus, their eyes widened more than usual as they tried to spot anyone suspicious while racking their brains for potential suspects.
The people of Xiaqiao Village suddenly seemed like constables themselves; apart from their own families, everyone else looked like potential arsonists.
While Xiaqiao Village was bustling with activity, Shangqiao Village was restless as well because their village had never gotten along well with Xiaqiao Village. Being nearby meant that when Xiaqiao Village's wheat was burned, they too became targets for questioning by the constables. The people of Shangqiao Village felt both angry and fearful; however, many secretly reveled in schadenfreude since Xiaqiao Village was doing better than ever—better than their own village—which made them resentful after having always looked down on them before. So seeing misfortune befall Xiaqiao Village, they couldn't help but feel pleased. However, since they still hoped to rely on Xiaqiao Village for selling pork and learning about fish farming in rice paddies in the future, they couldn't show their glee too openly.
The village chief of Shangqiao Village brought people to the Li Gao Family to express his concern, stating that he would keep a close eye on the people from his village. He assured them that if there were indeed arsonists, he would have them tied up and sent over, fully expressing his goodwill, although he also indicated that it was unlikely his villagers would do such a thing.
Li Gao actually knew that the likelihood of his villagers being responsible for the fire was high, but he preferred to believe it was outsiders who had set the fire. Therefore, he merely responded with vague affirmations to the Shangqiao Village chief's words, thinking to himself about how in the past, when his villagers had been bullied by them, it was now their turn to experience this kind of treatment.
As he left the village chief's house, he happened to run into Xie Youshun and Xie Youtai. While others might have been more cordial, the Xie Family did not even give them a pleasant look. They had almost become in-laws at one point, but Ruyi had been rejected as a bride, causing both the Xie Family and Ruyi to lose face. In the end, Ruyi became a concubine for someone else, which led to unrest in her household. Now, it was already considered good if the Xie Family could refrain from fighting or cursing when they saw each other.
"Look at those brothers from the Xie Family; they're dressed in fine cloth. I heard it's not much cheaper than silk. Many wealthy families love to wear it; they must be living well," someone among those who came with the village chief remarked.
Another person chimed in, "Yes, and those around them are dressed well too. They seem to have good relationships. I heard they made quite a bit of money alongside Xie Si. If we had managed to establish a good relationship with Xie Si back then, we wouldn't just be selling pork now; we could have also been raising fish in the Paddy Field together and surely would have made a fortune. The villagers wouldn't be living worse than those in Xiaqiao Village now. Just think about how our village used to be compared to how it is now; sigh!"
Several people looked at the village chief with some resentment; if it weren't for him breaking off the engagement with the Xie Family, Ruyi's favored status there could have brought benefits to Shangqiao Village as well. What a pity.
These people didn't consider that when the village chief broke off the engagement, they all thought it was for the best because his current daughter-in-law is the daughter of the Wheat Village chief. When their bridge collapsed, they were determined to cross over using Wheat Village's bridge, believing that this marriage would be more advantageous.
Listening to these pointed remarks made the village chief feel frustrated; he thought similarly but knew there was no remedy for regrets. Now his son and daughter-in-law were living in chaos, and her family often came to support her. His authority as village chief diminished day by day, even less than that of their old rival from Xiaqiao Village!
Upon returning home, the village chief found his son's door closed and asked his daughter-in-law if the young couple was home.
"The daughter-in-law went out to chat with someone; I don't know where our son has gone!" Gao Family's wife said somewhat angrily. Ever since their daughter-in-law learned that her husband still had feelings for Ruyi from Xiaqiao Village, she had not been like before—always sulking and easily getting into arguments. Their son seemed lost and lacked energy for anything; if not for pushing him along, he would have become a complete idle person!
The village chief sighed upon hearing this.
"Father, Mother, I'm back!" Just then, Gao Dalang returned, one hand carrying a piece of pork belly and the other holding a rabbit, smiling broadly as he walked in. "Mother, I bought a pound of pork back! On my way home, I happened to find an injured rabbit! You can cook it! Father, let's have a drink today! We still have a jar of wine at home; let's not save it!"
The Gao Family was both surprised and delighted; they wondered why their son was so happy today and how he had such good luck catching a rabbit? But this was indeed good news; she immediately pulled her husband aside so he wouldn't scowl at their son and happily accepted the meat and rabbit.
"Oh! This rabbit is quite fat; Dalang is really lucky! Mother will cook meat for you all; just wait!"
"Where have you been wandering? What good fortune has you so happy?" The village chief asked. Knowing his son well, he felt something was off about his unusual cheerfulness today—especially after being gloomy for several days.
Gao Dalang replied with a smile: "I'm happy because I caught a rabbit!"
"No way! You bought the pork after you caught the rabbit, right? If you had caught the rabbit first, you wouldn't have bought the pork. Why would you buy pork for no reason? Do you think I don't know you? If you were unhappy, you wouldn't have brought back pork; you'd probably have gone to drink at the tavern!" the Village Chief said. He understood his son well, which is why he had been giving him less money lately.
Gao Dalang mumbled, "Dad, look at how you're talking to me. I bought some pork for you to eat and you're overthinking it. I should have known better than to buy it. I'm going to get some water and help my mom clean the rabbit; it's so hot on this road!" After saying that, he turned and walked away.
The Village Chief frowned but thought about how rare it was for his son to be happy, so he didn't dwell on it. Now he just hoped his son wouldn't neglect Ruyi and could get along well with his Daughter-in-law so that their family could live a good life.
When Dalang's Wife returned and saw the meat, her previously stern face finally showed a smile as she helped her mother-in-law bring the meat to the table. Seeing her husband smiling made her pause for a moment, then she felt happy inside. After all the fuss these days, she was tired too. Her family had advised her, and she wanted to live well; it was just that Gao Dalang kept arguing with her daily. She didn't want to show weakness first, which is why she had been keeping a straight face. Now that he wasn't sulking anymore, she wanted to take the opportunity to ease their relationship.
The Village Chief and Gao Family were pleased to see their son and daughter-in-law finally looking happy. They urged them to eat quickly, and the Gao Family kept serving meat to their Daughter-in-law. Dalang's Wife ate happily.
Gao Dalang watched his wife eating messily with grease all over her mouth, looking quite uncouth. He couldn't help but frown, thinking she really couldn't compare to Ruyi. The moment he thought of Ruyi, his frown relaxed, and a smile appeared on his lips. He avoided looking at his wife and lowered his head to eat meat in large bites while constantly pondering in his mind.
There were suspicions about Shangqiao Village, but they were few. The people from Xiaqiao Village focused their attention on their own villagers; they could hear arguments every day. Those who already had conflicts now had even worse relations and often brought up the topic of arsonists. Someone would always be wrongfully accused only to clear their name later, causing unrest among the people.
As more than ten days passed, everyone felt somewhat disheartened.
Xiao Lihua looked at her two sons sleeping soundly during their nap and said to Xie Youshun, "If this continues without catching the arsonist, our village will end up with more enemies."
Xie Youshun also felt helpless and replied, "As long as the arsonist is in this village, they will eventually reveal their true colors. I don't believe we can't catch them! For the peace of our village and our safety, we must catch this person!"
Xiao Lihua nodded. They lived on the edge of the village far from the Drying Yard; if an arsonist could come over without sparing them, their grudge ran deep too. She wouldn't feel at ease until that person was caught. Looking at her two sons, she thought that even if she had to offer more rewards, she needed to catch that person.
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