The villagers relayed Wan Hai’s words verbatim to He Zifeng. He Zifeng chuckled coldly, saying, “What does the He family’s money have to do with me?” Back when he lived there, he had nothing to eat and wore tattered clothes.
Now, He Zifeng only cared about earning enough for his wife and son to live comfortably. The He family could amass mountains of gold, and it wouldn’t matter to him.
Wan Hai, on the other hand, couldn’t let things go. After years of being praised by the villagers, he couldn’t bear the humiliation of being outshone by He Zifeng and often sought ways to provoke him.
Hearing He Zifeng’s response, the villagers found his reasoning sound and dropped the subject.
The next day, before dawn, He Zifeng and Qiu Yu headed to town. A group of regular customers was already waiting for them. He Zifeng purchased a scale to weigh the braised meat for the customers. Half a jin of meat yielded a generous plate, perfect as a side dish for drinks. The braised meat was delicious on its own and even better stir-fried with chili.
Soon, Qiu Yu was surrounded by eager customers.
The day before, they had bought 100 jin of pork offal, which reduced to around 60 jin after cooking. The aroma of the braised meat was so enticing that passersby stopped to buy some. Some even asked Qiu Yu for the leftover broth, which he generously shared. The fatty intestines sold out first.
For those who couldn’t afford the braised meat, the pancakes were a great alternative. Just one was filling and offered a taste of meat.
By the end of the day, only five or six jin of meat remained, which Brother Liu from the escort service quickly bought, along with 40 pancakes. The day before, he had only bought meat-filled pancakes for himself and regular ones for his brothers, earning him a good-natured beating. Now, his brothers demanded the meat-filled pancakes too.
The savory pancakes sold out completely.
Neither He Zifeng nor Qiu Yu knew exactly how much they had earned, only that their cash box was nearly overflowing. Qiu Yu, his heart racing with excitement, couldn’t wait to go home and count their earnings.
They bought another 100 jin of pork offal and, in addition, ten pig trotters for 30 wen. The more they sold, the more motivated they became.
As they approached the village, they saw a crowd gathered near their rented house. Wan Hai was among them.
He Zifeng frowned slightly—this didn’t bode well.
Sure enough, as soon as they appeared, someone called out, “They’re back!”
The crowd turned to look at them. Their home was in a remote area, and villagers rarely visited. For so many to gather here, it was clear they had come deliberately.
He Zifeng told Qiu Yu to push the cart home and asked, “What’s going on?”
Village head Liuzi stepped forward and said, “When was the last time you saw Liangzi?”
“I haven’t seen him,” He Zifeng replied.
Liuzi continued, “There are two pieces of news. First, it seems Liangzi might have been the one who set your house on fire.” After the fire, Liuzi had collected evidence from the scene—tong oil and a fire starter. Today, Liangzi’s mother recognized them as his belongings.
She reported that Liangzi hadn’t returned home for a long time, prompting a search.
“The second piece of news,” Liuzi said grimly, “is that Liangzi is dead.” His body was found in the mountains, apparently beaten to death with stones.
Judging by the condition of the corpse, he had been dead for several days. Wild animals had gnawed on his remains, leaving the body gruesome and bloodied. Liangzi’s mother was inconsolable, demanding justice for her son.
The village head had summoned everyone to a meeting in the village square, except for He Zifeng and Qiu Yu, prompting the villagers to come here.
Hearing the village head’s words, the couple hurried to the meeting.
Even Liuzi was beginning to doubt his capability as village head. When Old Xu held the position, nothing like this ever happened. But since Liuzi took over, the village had seen both arson and murder, leaving everyone on edge.
Given the gravity of the situation, the meeting drew not only adults but also children.
Upon hearing about Liangzi’s death, Xiao Wan Shi felt a hint of joy. For someone like Liangzi, a scoundrel and troublemaker, death seemed like his just deserts.
He Zifeng’s father, He Donglai, however, glanced at Wan Hai with suspicion.
He Zifeng had been keeping an eye on the He family’s old residence, aware that Liangzi had been ordered to set the fire. He had even played along, letting Liangzi take the blame. Liangzi’s sudden, unexplained death had to be connected to something deeper. He Donglai’s glance at Wan Hai shifted He Zifeng’s attention to him.
Wan Hai, sensing He Zifeng’s gaze, pressed his lips together. Despite frequently clashing with He Zifeng recently, he now avoided making eye contact—a clear sign of guilt.
He Zifeng frowned. Wan Hai, once considered the natural successor to the village head, was showing an increasingly questionable lack of moral boundaries.
The village head, Liuzi, questioned everyone, but no one admitted to seeing Liangzi. After all, Liangzi was a petty thief and swindler, with few friends in the village. He often hung out with small-time troublemakers from neighboring villages to gamble. Now that he had died so gruesomely, no one wanted to be associated with him.
Frustrated by the lack of answers, Liuzi declared, “Go fetch the town chief.”
He added, “Anyone who steps forward to reveal the truth will be shown leniency.”
Though Liuzi promised leniency, no one was foolish enough to admit to murder, knowing the consequences.
The villagers exchanged uneasy glances, while Liangzi’s mother wailed bitterly.
Some murmured anxiously:
“What’s going on? Could our village have bad luck? Maybe we should move the burial ground.”
“Could it just be an accident?”
“Oh, dear heavens!”
Wan Hai, seizing the moment, whispered something to Liangzi’s mother. Her expression hardened as she directed her fury at He Zifeng.
Before long, the town chief arrived, accompanied by the village heads of Fangjia and Baijia. The commotion had already spread to the neighboring villages.
The elderly town chief brought along four stern-looking men who exuded an intimidating air.
Liuzi greeted the town chief with a guilty expression. “I’ve failed you. I haven’t managed the village well.”
The town chief replied gravely, “Allowing murder and arson in the village is unacceptable. Once the culprit is caught, they will be sent straight to the county jail.” His authoritative demeanor sent a chill through the villagers, even those who had no involvement.
Just then, Liangzi’s mother rushed forward and knelt before the town chief. “Respected sir, you must seek justice for my Liangzi! It was He Zifeng who killed him!”
Her accusation sparked outrage in Qiu Yu, who shouted, “Nonsense! You’re slandering him!”
Liangzi’s mother, like a ferocious old leopard, growled, “Liangzi set their house on fire, and they held a grudge. That’s why they killed my son! He died such a horrible death!”
He Zifeng responded calmly, “The town chief is here. If you have evidence, present it. How dare you make baseless accusations?”
Liangzi’s mother snapped back, “Everyone else in the village has a good reputation. You’re the only one living alone, with nothing to lose. If it’s not you, then who? And where did you get all that money for grinding flour and selling braised meat?!”
Encouraged by Wan Hai, Liangzi’s mother clung to the accusation. Wan Hai had told her about the new 20-tael brick house He Zifeng was building. If He Zifeng were arrested, the house would fall into her hands.
Having raised a troublemaker like Liangzi, his mother was no better—a petty thief herself. Wan Hai’s suggestion filled her with determination. With no evidence to prove otherwise, she pinned the murder on He Zifeng, who, as a newcomer to prosperity, seemed an easy target.
He Zifeng retorted, “I earned my money honestly. Unlike you, who lazes around and envies those who work hard.”
The town chief raised a hand to silence the argument. “Enough,” he said firmly. “I will determine the truth. Let me introduce you to Old Xing, a coroner, and his apprentice.” He gestured toward a young man standing nearby, whose sharp eyes suggested he was no ordinary villager.
The town chief then gestured toward a well-dressed young man but didn’t introduce him. This was Dian Gongzi, the son of a high-ranking official, who was on a study tour. Though young, his status was far above the town chief’s, yet he carried himself with a playful curiosity.
Dian Gongzi had been staying with the town chief, who had shown him great hospitality. In return, the young man had given him 20 taels of silver—a testament to the wealth of his family. Originally planning to leave, Dian Gongzi changed his mind upon hearing about the murder, insisting on joining the investigation.
When Liangzi’s mother heard that a coroner was going to examine the body, she protested vehemently. “No! My poor Liangzi already died horribly. You want to desecrate his body further? Have you no conscience? Oh, my son! If you’re watching from above, strike down the one who killed you!”
Liuzi, embarrassed in front of the other village heads, scolded her. “What are you doing? The town chief is here to bring justice! Don’t you want to find the murderer?”
“I don’t need an investigation! I already know it was He Zifeng!” she retorted.
The town chief, experienced in handling such situations, changed his approach. “If it is him, what do you want?”
Liangzi’s mother, sensing an opportunity, replied, “My son died a terrible death. He must compensate me with his house.”
The town chief asked, “Wasn’t his house burned down?”
Liuzi then explained how the He family had compensated He Zifeng with 20 taels after the fire.
The town chief, who had overseen He Zifeng’s separation from the family, remembered well how reluctant the He family had been to part with even 10 taels back then. Their sudden generosity now was suspicious.
Turning abruptly, the town chief asked, “Wan Hai, what do you think about the fire?”
Wan Hai froze, his body trembling. “I… I don’t know,” he stammered, his heart racing.
The town chief had merely posed a casual question, yet Wan Hai’s flustered response caught everyone’s attention.
Town chief = the mayor
R : This novel will only have one update this week — sorry, guys! o(╥﹏╥)o
Thank you for translating!