RMCF: Chapter 14

 

Chapter 14

Hearing the commotion and sensing something was wrong, Zhang Fangyuan quickly threw on his clothes, left the inner room, crossed the central hall, and opened the main door. A gust of cold wind rushed into the house, bringing with it fine droplets of rain.

Ignoring the cold, without even wearing the bamboo hat, he rushed straight out into the rain.

“You sinner! I see you! Stop right there!”

The copper gongs clanged loudly in the heavy rain. By now, Zhang Fangyuan wasn't the only one who heard the noise. Many households in the village gradually lit their lamps in the pouring rain, and the sound of doors opening echoed continuously.

Zhang Fangyuan found the voice of the person shouting somewhat familiar, but with the heavy rain, torches were useless; everything was pitch black, and he couldn't see clearly.

However, the gong sounds kept getting closer to him, accompanied by frantic cries. “Fangyuan, go after them for your uncle! Thieves have broken into the house!”

Zhang Fangyuan's brow tightened, “Uncle?”

“Hurry, go quickly!”

Zhang Shixin came running up to the entrance of Zhang Fangyuan's courtyard, carrying a copper gong and cursing nonstop. Probably having chased the thief all the way, he didn't know how many times he had fallen; he was covered in mud and filth.

Hearing this, Zhang Fangyuan found the situation truly ironic. He crossed his arms. “Uncle, not sleeping in the middle of the night, catching what thief? You must be mistaken.”

Zhang Shixin was hopping mad. “A thousand, ten thousand mistakes, but how could this be wrong!”

“You're fast on your feet, hurry and chase them for your uncle! They stole a big piece of meat. If I hadn't gotten up at night and interrupted, the meat from today's slaughter would all have been stolen. There's still some scattered outside the door.”

Zhang Fangyuan asked, “Did you see who it was?”

“In the pitch darkness, how could I see clearly? The damned thief grabbed a piece of meat and bolted as soon as he heard the noise. It was a man.”

Although today's events had left Zhang Fangyuan deeply displeased, a thief in the village wasn't just one family's problem. If he was lucky today and his house wasn't targeted, his own home might be hit tomorrow. When it came to thieves, the villagers were united in their hatred, and Zhang Fangyuan was no exception.

For the greater good, he frowned and asked, “Which direction did he go?”

Zhang Shixin quickly pointed ahead. Without another word, Zhang Fangyuan sprinted in that direction.

A rainy night was hardly ideal for chasing someone. But Zhang Fangyuan was native to this land. Every path, every slope—he could navigate them with his eyes closed.

Now, hearing the word ‘thief’, he instinctively thought of that family on the border. In the pouring rain and the night dark, any footprints were impossible to find. He could only rely on instinct and run towards the path leading to the border. Unexpectedly, he actually caught sight of the thief's tracks.

Zhang Fangyuan stepped onto footprints deeply sunken in the mud. Following them, he quickly spotted  a dark figure frantically scurrying ahead in the rain. Without a word, he leaped forward, tackled the person, and pinned them to the ground.

With a splash, the man, terrified as if a large black bear had pounced on him, fell straight into a puddle. Even the large piece of meat he was clutching flew out.

“Bold enough, aren't you? Daring to steal meat in the village!”

The man choked on water. The meat was lost, but his hands were now free. In his panic, he acted recklessly, directly pulling a sickle from his waist and twisting to slash at the person behind him.

In the darkness, Zhang Fangyuan hadn't seen the man had a knife. He only sensed the man was attacking him. A cold glint flashed by his face, and the sickle sliced his palm.

Zhang Fangyuan frowned, dodging backward to avoid the wild, unskilled swings of the sickle from the half-lying man. With a powerful stomp, he crushed the man's ankle. There came a cracking sound, followed by the man's piercing scream. His hand went limp. Seizing the opportunity, Zhang Fangyuan wrested the sickle away and pinned both the man's hands firmly behind his back.

“Caught! Zhang Fangyuan caught the thief!”

The villagers, who had rushed over wearing raincoats and bamboo hats, cheered with joy. Zhang Shixin, hearing this, was so delighted he beat the copper gong a few more times right there on the ridge. “Caught!”

Villagers who had managed to bring torches drenched in lamp oil and shielded by umbrella, quickly shone the light on the thief's face. “It's been years since we had a thief in Jijiu Village! Let's see which scoundrel is so devoid of virtue!”

When the torchlight illuminated the man lying on the ground, all the surrounding villagers were stunned. For a moment, no one spoke, all uncomfortably averting their gazes.

The rain fell relentlessly on everyone while Zhang Shixin hurried over. “Who is it? Who! We must take them to the authorities!”

Zhang Shixin pushed through the crowd and saw who it was. His fierce words suddenly cut off, like a kite snapping its string, caught in his throat.

Seeing everyone's expressions, Zhang Fangyuan sneered coldly. He took a hemp rope as thick as a finger from Chen Si, who had run over, and tied the man up securely.

He kicked the man. “I warned you on the mountain before, and I warned you again at the Guang house. It seems your family is incorrigible, born for this trade.”

Zhang Shixin wiped his face. “Guang Er! After I invited your mother to help at my house today, you dare come steal at night! Truly ungrateful and treacherous! Take him to the village hall. Let the village chief decide how to handle this. This matter absolutely cannot be dropped just like that.”

Guang Er was already dazed from Zhang Fangyuan's beating, still confused, only repeatedly begging for mercy.

Zhang Shixin ran to pick up his family's meat. The villagers surrounded Guang Er and dragged him towards the village hall used for meetings. A few others went to the Guang house to call the Guang couple to hear the judgment.

The entire village was awake for the latter half of the night, all bustling towards the village hall. The matter was significant; a thief had been caught in the village, and everyone wanted to see.

Torches were lit in the village hall, illuminating the space. Guang Er, tied up, was thrown inside. The hall was packed with villagers. On the path to the hal, more kept arriving with umbrellas and straw hats. Women pointed and discussed, the noise overwhelming.

At noon, the villagers had happily enjoyed the ‘Pork Feast Soup’ at Old Zhang's house and returned home afterwards. By midnight, Old Zhang's house had been robbed, and the thief was from the Guang family. Everyone couldn't help but click their tongues.

Recalling how, back then, He Shi had said with an awkward expression that the Guang family had sticky fingers, and how no one had believed her, all insisting she was shielding Zhang Fangyuan—only Xu He had spoken up—everyone's faces felt hot with shame. No one had the face to bring up the earlier matter.

“That Guang family is truly bold. The Guang woman came to scout, identified the goods, figured out the layout of the house. They took advantage of the Zhang family being exhausted from a day's work and the men sleeping soundly after drinking, and sneaked into their house to steal meat during the rainy night. So cunning.”

“I say the village chief shouldn't have agreed to let the Guang family move into our village back then. They've brought nothing but trouble.”

“The chickens and ducks I lost before were probably stolen by the Guang family, too.”

“Exactly! Thinking back, since the Guang family entered our village, things have been going missing one after another. Everyone here is either family or connected somehow; who would suspect theft? We were too careless.”

Zhang Fangyuan leaned against the side door frame, drenched from the rain. He lifted his eyelids, watching the constant stream of people entering, abuzz in discussion, feeling somewhat entranced. Suddenly, his waist was lightly poked. He turned around and saw Xu He had also come, though he didn't know when.

Before he could speak, the ger turned and went elsewhere. Zhang Fangyuan looked around; no one was paying attention, so he followed.

Xu He stood under the eaves at the back of the village hall. A moment later, he saw Zhang Fangyuan approach and ask, “You came to watch the spectacle too?”

He made no reply, but first drew a handkerchief from his own sleeve and handed it to Zhang Fangyuan, his eyes glancing at the man’s large hand hanging at his side.

Only then did Zhang Fangyuan notice that when he had subdued Guang Er earlier, his hand had been slashed by the sickle. The palm of his left hand was cut, the blood already congealed on the wound. He wrapped the handkerchief Xu He gave him around the wound, winding it twice. But his hands were large and clumsy; he couldn't tie it. So, he could only cast a pleading look at the person beside him.

Xu He seemed to let out an almost imperceptible sigh. He stepped forward, held Zhang Fangyuan's hand, and his slender fingers—capable of weaving intricate handicrafts—deftly tied a knot, neither too loose nor too tight.

Looking down, Zhang Fangyuan could see the person intently bandaging his hand. Although Xu He's face was darkened by the sun, up close, his eyes were large and bright, his eyelashes thick, his nose bridge straight—his features were unusually well-proportioned.

With the item delivered and things done, Xu He didn’t linger. “There are people everywhere. I'm going inside.”

Zhang Fangyuan nodded woodenly, watching Xu He's back disappear under the eaves.

Master Xu's skill was superb. Not only did he bandage the wound well, but the warm handkerchief also seemed to tie a knot in one's heart. Zhang Fangyuan ran his finger over the handkerchief, then carefully tucked both his hand and the handkerchief into his pocket.

“You... how could you be so brutal! Lao Er, are you alright? My child!”

By the time Zhang Fangyuan returned to the hall, the Guang couple had arrived. One hung his head, face crestfallen; the other rushed in, shamelessly threw herself onto the ground, and wailed, clutching Guang Er, who was trussed up like a zongzi.

The village chief had also arrived, wrapped in a thick cloak, to preside over the matter.

“When you two came to our Jijiu Village with your children, you begged me, saying you would live honestly and work hard, planning to cultivate the wasteland on the border. This old man saw your sincerity, registered you in the village, and even made a trip to the city to report to the authorities.”

“Now, several years have passed. Not only have your family failed to cultivate the wasteland on the border, but you also engage in this shameful trade, stealing from fellow villagers. This old man allowed you to stay not to bring disaster upon the village! Now, with both witnesses and material evidence present, there's nothing more to say. At first light tomorrow, we go to the authorities.”

The crowd listened carefully to the village chief's judgment. Since the decision was to send the man to the authorities, everyone was quite satisfied with this outcome.

But Madam Guang stretched her neck and yelled defiantly, “Why send my son to the authorities! The goods are still intact, aren't they!”

“Caught red-handed and you still quibble! Have you no shame!”

A woman couldn't hold back anymore and cursed. Today at Old Zhang's house, this woman had pretended to be pitiful, but in private, she showed a different face, even making Zhang Fangyuan swallow his anger. Those who had spoken up for Madam Guang at Old Zhang's house today felt utterly disgusted, especially Old Zhang and his wife, deeply regretting their loose tongues that had invited the wolf in.

Seeing that Madam Guang remained unrepentant, the village chief added, “After Guang Er is sent to the authorities, our village cannot keep people like you who show no remorse. You must decide then whether to stay or leave on your own.”

“Your village has no conscience!”

“You've always treated our family as outsiders from the very beginning!”

Madam Guang cursed incessantly, but no one paid any attention to her ravings. The commotion lasted for an hour or two in the latter half of the night, and it was almost dawn. A few people stayed behind to guard Guang Er.

At daybreak, Zhang Shixin, along with the villagers, escorted Guang Er and the Guang couple to the city to report to the authorities.

After returning home, Zhang Fangyuan changed his clothes and collapsed onto the bed. He stared at his injured left hand for a while, couldn't help but chuckle foolishly for a moment, then pulled the covers over his head and fell into a deep sleep.

 

***

 

T/N

(˶˃ ᵕ ˂˶)⸝♡

 

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