Chapter 61: Chapter 61: I Just Wanted Revenge
If he was here to steal, there’s nothing in the Dragon King Temple worth taking!
When Miao Dahai heard them, his heart dropped. He was secretly alarmed. ’Could Li Siming be up to no good? But is he targeting Zhao Nuanyue and Hua Yusen, the people from the city, or is he targeting the old folks?’
"Li Siming, let’s not beat around the bush. You were sneaking around in the middle of the night, up to no good. It’s only right that they hit you," Miao Dahai said. "If everyone acted like you, wouldn’t the village fall into chaos?"
Hearing Miao Dahai, Li Siming rubbed his aching back as his mind raced. ’I can’t just make up any old excuse to fool them this time. They’re not idiots; they won’t believe it.’ So he said, "I... I was actually just trying to get back at them for wrongfully accusing my wife last time... Just wanted to scare them a little..."
Li Siming didn’t dare reveal his true goal, so he had to find another excuse. They clearly wouldn’t believe he was just out for a midnight stroll, so this reason seemed plausible enough. He hoped it wouldn’t arouse their suspicion.
Just as he’d hoped, Hua Yusen was taken aback when he heard this. He was skeptical, but since the man insisted, the story was at least plausible. Annoyed, he said, "You and your wife know exactly what happened last time. Mr. Zhao and I definitely heard your wife’s voice and saw Liu Lanhua that night; we were just telling the truth. You want to get back at us now? Fine. I’ll take you to the public security office and let Captain Wu investigate. As the saying goes, even a mighty dragon can’t crush a local snake. It’s impossible for us outsiders to live here anymore. I’m genuinely worried we won’t survive. We might not even see tomorrow’s sun."
Hua Yusen had become quite eloquent, too—clearly an influence from Zhao Nuanyue.
’In this life, it’s all about the performance.’
’Since Li Siming was putting on a show, Hua Yusen would naturally play along and see who was the better actor.’
Hearing Hua Yusen’s relentless words, Li Siming cursed inwardly, ’This son of a bitch isn’t going to let me off the hook!’
Miao Dahai was also a little angry when he heard this. ’That era is over, after all. Can’t everyone just live in peace?’
"Li Siming, you have two choices. First, we lock you up for three days as a punishment. Second, we send you to the public security office. Which will it be?" Miao Cunzheng said coldly. "Since you’re holding a grudge and trying to get revenge, if we don’t teach you a lesson, won’t others in the village start following your example?"
Big Pillar nodded. "Yes, he must be punished. Otherwise, it’ll be hard to maintain order in the village. From now on, no one should be running around after dark. Stay in your own yards, and don’t go climbing over other people’s walls for no reason. Anyone we catch will be treated as a thief."
Hearing this, the villagers all murmured in agreement.
If you have business with someone, use the front door. Why sneak around and climb walls?
’I came here to gather information, but not only did I fail, I got caught red-handed. If I get sent to the public security office, that person will probably think I’m useless and won’t save me.’
’After thinking it over, it’s better to just accept the village’s punishment.’
"I truly repent. Just lock me up for three days," Li Siming said. "I’ll never do it again."
Miao Cunzheng nodded, then looked at Hua Yusen. "Mr. Hua, what do you think of this arrangement?"
Hua Yusen knew Miao Dahai didn’t want to escalate this minor issue to the public security office, so he nodded and said, "Mm, this is a village matter. The village has the right to decide the punishment. I respect the community’s decision."
"Good!" Miao Cunzheng nodded, very pleased. He appreciated people who followed the rules. He then looked at Big Pillar. "Lock him in that old shack. That should teach him a lesson."
Big Pillar was Miao Dahai’s follower, but he knew this job had been arranged by Miao Cunzheng. Feeling grateful, he was naturally eager to prove himself. He said, "Yes, Village Chief. Li Siming, are you going to walk yourself, or do I have to tie you up and take you?"
"Of course I’ll walk myself." Li Siming had once been a respectable accountant, and he was indignant at being treated this way. But when you’re under someone else’s roof, you have to bow your head. He didn’t dare make a scene with Big Pillar.
A fallen phoenix is no better than a chicken. Li Siming could only accept his misfortune.
Seeing Li Siming being led away, Miao Dahai turned to the crowd of villagers and said, "Alright, it’s the middle of the night and pitch-black out. Everyone go home and get some rest."
The villagers then dispersed and went home, and the commotion came to an end.
On his way back, Hua Yusen retrieved his basket from the side of the ditch and knocked on the gate of the Dragon King Temple. "Nuanyue, open up!"
Zhao Nuanyue and the old folks were all inside. Hearing Hua Yusen’s voice, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
Zhao Nuanyue hurried out to open the gate for him. "Hua, what on earth happened out there?"
"Let me go wash up first. I’ll tell you in a minute," Hua Yusen said. He was a little dirty.
Zhao Nuanyue had already boiled plenty of hot water in the pot for him to wash with.
A few minutes later, Hua Yusen came into the main hall and saw that all the old folks were awake.
"When I was coming back just now, I saw a figure on the back wall. I threw a rock to knock him down, then climbed over the wall, opened the gate, and chased after him. I followed him into the village, and that’s when I found out it was Li Siming. The villagers were awake by then, and I asked him why he was climbing our wall. He said he wanted to get revenge on you and me for reporting Liu Lanhua," Hua Yusen recounted, explaining the gist of what had happened in one breath.
Zhao Nuanyue thought for a moment, then countered, "If he wanted revenge on us, he should have climbed the front wall, since we live in the front courtyard, not the back one. Almost everyone in the village knows that. It makes no sense that Li Siming wouldn’t know if we live in the front or the back!"
"Right, I don’t believe him either," Hua Yusen agreed with a nod. "I think his target might have been the old folks. Leaving aside the fact that one person escaped during the kidnapping incident with Wang Yuan and Li Qiong, Liu Lanhua managed to get away even after both Zhao Nuanyue and I identified her. A mere accountant like Li Siming doesn’t have the power to pull that off. That’s why we think there’s something more going on here."
Hearing this, the group looked at each other in dismay.
"We’ll have to be more careful from now on," He Qiang said with concern. "But I haven’t offended any powerful people. It shouldn’t be me."
After speaking, He Qiang looked at the other three.
Old Sir Qian heard this, thought for a moment, and said, "We studied abroad before coming back. We really have no idea who would be targeting our family."
