The revised village rules, which address the punishment for theft, are much stricter than before, with increased penalties.

For example, once theft is confirmed, the person will be tied up and whipped by the clan elders as a form of discipline. They will then be paraded around the village under the old tree so everyone knows what they did. The stolen goods must be returned; if they were sold, they will be repaid with something of equal value. If there is no equivalent, they will have to work for the owner to settle the debt. Those who knowingly commit theft three or more times, and who repeatedly refuse to mend their ways, will face expulsion from the village!

Another point is that if someone in a family steals, the entire family will be educated and criticized, of course, in the same old place where everyone usually gathers for meetings.

If one person doesn't do a good job, others also bear responsibility—that's the idea!

As the saying goes, "If a son is not taught, it is the father's fault." This applies to other matters as well!

We're all family, with shared interests. If we're stealing, isn't it all for money? And in the end, won't all that money be spent on our family?

We're all in the same boat, our relationships are all connected, no one can escape responsibility, and everyone bears some degree of liability. So, if someone in a household steals, that household will also have to accept some form of punishment!

Although the villagers are poor, they don't want to lose face. For their own benefit, they will persuade their family members not to do bad things, which serves as a check and balance!

The village chief felt that the village rules had been adjusted before, but some people just listened and moved on, or didn't listen carefully and didn't take it seriously at all. So this time he asked those who agreed to put their fingerprints on the rules. If they didn't agree to the new village rules, they had to give a strong reason to convince everyone!

Pressing a fingerprint is a very formal matter, equivalent to being witnessed by heaven and earth, representing the formal validity of the contract, indicating that the parties agree to the contents written therein, and it is not something that can be easily evaded!

It concerned their own interests as well as the development of the village, so no one had any objections. In any case, none of them had ever thought of stealing other people's things. Deep down, stealing was a shameful thing. They had witnessed thieves being hung up, tied up, and beaten with a board before, and they didn't want to be like that!

Besides, this is also a sign that their village is becoming more and more developed and its village rules are becoming more and more complete. Isn't that a good thing?

So, they all pressed their fingerprints without hesitation!

Heads held high, they have done nothing wrong and have nothing to fear; heaven and earth see it!

However, not everyone is so fearless. There are a few people who are very panicked inside, but on the surface they seem fine, as if they have done nothing wrong and are not afraid of ghosts knocking on their door in the middle of the night!

These few people followed at the back of the crowd, lingering at the very end, their hands trembling uncontrollably.

Liu Dashui was one of them, how could he not panic?

The main character we're talking about today is him!

He didn't want to come to the gathering in the first place, but if he didn't come, he might attract more attention, and the first person people would think of would be the one who didn't attend!

So even though I was in a lot of pain, I gritted my teeth and came, but I kept a certain distance from others and stood at the very back.

He really wanted to find a place to sit down, but he was afraid that the villagers would ask him all sorts of questions, and if he said too much, he would definitely be exposed!

I have to endure the discomfort, I just hope this meeting will end soon.

Liu Dashui thought that there probably wouldn't be anything to say; it was probably just a reminder about the harvest and a few things to be careful about, as was the usual routine. He figured he could leave after that. As for last night's incident, as long as he stubbornly denied it, no one could stop him—after all, the corn he stole was gone!

Everything needs evidence! If you accuse someone of stealing without any reason, they won't be so easily refuted!

He has to thank those two big shots who appeared out of nowhere last night. If they hadn't taken all the corn, he might not have gotten through today. Since he didn't grow any corn, it would have been obvious where the corn came from!

But to my surprise, the village chief brought up this matter today and even readjusted the village rules with the villagers. These rules are much stricter and more humiliating than before. It's obvious that he wants to impose collective punishment!

It's almost over, why do we need to press our handprints? Can we just press our handprints anywhere?

Pressing this button is no joke!

The elders used to say that pressing your handprint is equivalent to making a promise between heaven and earth. All the gods will receive such a promise and will supervise whether these people are really fulfilling their contract. If they break it, they will be punished, such as divine retribution or bad luck will come knocking on their door!

How can I not be afraid?

People and such that you can see them are not the most frightening thing. What you fear most are those things that you can't see or touch, but that still exist!

Once you press the button, everything you do afterward will be under the watchful eye of the gods!

Should I press it or not?

I'm so conflicted!

Village Chief Liu had been secretly observing everyone's reactions, and when he saw the last few people, his face darkened.

Hmph! These few definitely have problems!

Besides Liu Dashui, I didn't expect there to be a few more. We wouldn't have known if it hadn't exploded!

He did it on purpose. If a person doesn't have any sense of awe, they'll get into big trouble sooner or later!

"Da Shui, what's wrong? You don't look well. Are you feeling unwell?" As the village head, he still had to care about the villagers!

These were originally just a few ordinary words of concern, but they took on a different meaning for Liu Dashui. He felt caught and about to be punished. His face turned pale, and he stammered, unable to speak coherently, "It's nothing. I, oh, the weather's bad, too hot. I didn't sleep well last night, I'm a little unwell. It's nothing!"

Liu Dashui repeatedly emphasized that he was fine and told the village chief not to worry, saying he would be fine after resting for a while.

The village chief nodded, saying that it was good that everything was alright, but in his heart he thought, "You'll be alright, but your troubles are yet to come!"

Everyone in the village pressed their fingerprints. In order not to let anyone notice anything amiss or attract everyone's attention, Liu Dashui gritted his teeth, steeled his resolve, and pressed his fingerprint as well.

After pressing the button, his hands trembled violently. To cover it up and avoid being discovered by others, he deliberately swung his arms and walked to the back.

Liu Dashui thought that was the end of it, but he didn't expect there was more to come.

The village chief then shared some methods to prevent theft, urging everyone to be vigilant, protect their belongings, and not confront thieves head-on if they are not strong enough. Instead, they should use their wits to seek help and avoid being harmed, ensuring their personal safety.

Liu Dashui was speechless; all he was talking about were measures to guard against him!

The village chief hummed in agreement.

"Village chief, who is the person who stole our things? Can you tell us now?"

The villagers haven't forgotten this; they must find this person and give him a good beating!

"You really want to know?"