The fiery clouds on the horizon were distinct, their colors gradually darkening from west to east. As night fell, countless stars dotted the deep blue sky.

Magistrate Duan glanced out the window with some concern and asked Jiang Ling, "Has the person still not been found?"

Jiang Ling nodded. She was also worried. Although the back mountain was large, the village chief had already sent nearly a hundred people to patrol it. According to normal time calculations, the entire mountain should have been searched before dark. Now, almost two and a half hours had passed and they still hadn't found anything.

Looking at the ink-black night sky, Jiang Ling and Magistrate Duan became increasingly uneasy. Just then, a commotion arose from all directions.

Before Jiang Ling could figure out what was going on, Lu Youren angrily kicked open the door to Jiang Ling's house.

At this moment, his eyes were bloodshot, and he looked like he wanted to kill someone as he stormed into Jiang Ling's house, followed closely by the village chief.

The village chief tried to stop Lu Youren, but Lu Youren pushed him away.

It turned out that more than ten minutes earlier, Lightning Dad had found Old Lady Lu, whose face was covered in blood and who was unconscious, at the bottom of the valley.

Upon hearing the news, Lu Youren rushed towards where Lightning's father was. Seeing his disheveled state, he became furious and immediately decided to go to Jiang Ling's house to demand an explanation.

Why does Jiang Ling keep bullying their family like this?

"Jiang, how dare you bully my mother like this?" Lu Youren stormed up to Jiang Ling and roared, his eyes flashing with daggers.

Magistrate Duan wanted to step forward, but due to his status as magistrate, he could only sit there anxiously. Fortunately, Jiang Ling did not show any sign of panic.

She gently placed the teacup on the coffee table, glanced coldly at Lu Youren, and said, "I bullied your mother? Lu Youren, you need to have some self-respect. You can't just spout nonsense like that!"

"How come the dog that was bitten by the big black dog on the mountain a while ago has now contracted rabies?"

Although Jiang Ling was not the original owner, those scenes were still vivid in her mind. Jiang Ling also hated Lu Youren, that bastard, so she didn't hold back when she spoke.

"You...you bitch, are you looking for death?!" Lu Youren swung his fist, about to punch Jiang Ling.

Unexpectedly, Jiang Ling chuckled and looked at Lu Youren with disdain, saying, "Lu Youren, this is my home. You've trespassed on my property. Are you going to lay a hand on me? Everyone here, including the magistrate, is here. Try touching me and see what happens."

Even though Lu Youren was angry, he gradually calmed down after hearing Jiang Ling's words, and reluctantly withdrew his fist that was originally swinging in mid-air.

"I bullied your mother? Lu Youren, you have no shame. Do you think I'm so blind as to cause trouble for you at the end of the year?" Jiang Ling rolled her eyes and launched into another sarcastic remark.

Hearing Jiang Ling's words, Lu Youren calmed down completely. He frowned and stammered, "Then... then why did my mother run up the mountain? Do you know she almost fell to her death! An old woman like her can't withstand such a commotion!"

Hearing this blatant distortion of the truth, Jiang Ling almost burst out laughing. She suppressed her laughter and said to Lu Youren, "When it comes to twisting the truth, you two really know how to win! Why did she go up the mountain? You can ask the village chief, or even the county magistrate!"

These words completely shut Lu Youren up. He stood inside the house, somewhat embarrassed, and began to rub the hem of his clothes. After a long while, he looked at the village chief and asked, "Village...Village chief, what...what exactly happened?"

The village chief glared at Lu Youren with exasperation and said irritably, "What? What do you mean? Did you and your mother steal the snow-melting agent and then sell it to someone else?"

As soon as he spoke, a cacophony of voices immediately surged from all directions, seemingly capable of engulfing Lu Youren in an instant.

"My God, those two are incredibly bold!"

"Yes, yes, Madam Ming has said many times that we can't bring it back, but why won't she allow it!"

"Oh, you guys don't know, do you? I heard that Madam An and Lu Youren used to be from the same family. Later, it's said that they abused her every day because she couldn't have a son..."

"Yes, yes, I've heard about it too. That Lu Youren is a real bastard!"

The whispers of the crowd filled Lu Youren with shame and anger; he wished he could disappear into a crack in the ground.

He gritted his teeth and said to the village chief, "I take responsibility for my own actions! It has nothing to do with my mother!"

The village chief was furious. He looked up and slapped Lu Youren hard across the face.

“Lu Youren! Why does your family always bring shame to Lu Family Village! How many times has the Snow Sweeping Lady said this stuff is poisonous! Why don’t you listen? Putting aside whether it’s poisonous or not, selling smuggled salt is a serious crime! Even if you’re uneducated and illiterate, don’t you know the law?” By the end, the village chief was almost hysterical.

This time he was really angry. His repeated favoritism had only resulted in bigger and bigger problems, and now he was powerless to solve this mess for them.

The village chief was so angry that he trembled all over and his face turned red. He knelt down on the ground with a thud and said to Magistrate Duan, "Your Excellency, although Lu Lishi and Lu Youren have committed heinous crimes, they are still people from Lu Family Village. It is my dereliction of duty as the village chief that has caused this. Today, I am willing to step down and give way to a more worthy person as punishment for myself!"

The village chief's words drew gasps from the crowd. Magistrate Duan frowned as he looked at the somewhat out-of-control scene for a long time before calmly saying, "The New Year is just around the corner, and I don't want to be known as ruthless. Since this is your first offense, I will confiscate all the snow-melting agent from your house. Lu Youren, you will receive fifty strokes of the cane, and your mother, Lu Li, will receive twenty strokes. The punishment will be carried out after the New Year!"

Upon hearing this, Lu Youren felt a great sense of relief and collapsed to the ground. He didn't know what to say at that moment, only feeling as if he had escaped a disaster.

Magistrate Duan's gaze fell on the village chief again. Looking at the village chief's stubborn appearance, Magistrate Duan sighed and said, "Forget it, Lu Family Village still needs you to take charge. If a new person is brought in, they might not do as well as you! Don't be angry, it's almost the New Year! Cheer up!"

Upon hearing Magistrate Duan's words, the village chief's eyes reddened, and he broke down in tears, losing control of his emotions.

The farce was pretty much over, and everyone left Jiang Ling's house without saying a word, seeing that the matter was resolved.

Jiang Yaojie then led the carriage out from the backyard and said to Magistrate Duan, "Sir, it's getting late. Let me escort you back!"

Magistrate Duan was somewhat helpless. He had originally wanted to find a reason to stay overnight at Jiang Ling's place, but Jiang Yaojie had taken the initiative.

He frowned, glanced at Jiang Yaojie, and nodded, saying, "Thank you for your trouble, Yaojie!"

Jiang Yaojie chuckled sheepishly, scratched his head, and said, "You're too kind, sir!"

Just as Magistrate Duan sat down in the carriage, Jiang Ling's voice made him lift the curtain once again.

"Your Excellency, there's something I'd like to ask of you!"