The Zhu couple came to the Tian family's house to borrow an oxcart and returned with the Tian family from Shen Yuan's house.
Upon hearing that the village head was dying, the Zhu women exchanged a glance, rushed forward, and seized Zhao Dayong. "What are you doing here? Tell me! Did you kill the village head?"
"It wasn't me! It wasn't me! It really wasn't me!" Zhao Dayong tried to break free from the Zhu women's grasp, twisting his body desperately in an attempt to escape their control.
"Clang—!"
As Zhao Dayong struggled, something suddenly fell off him.
Zhao Dayong hurriedly went to look, only to see that the wooden box that had fallen to the ground had sprung up many pebbles, with a few pieces of silver scattered among them.
I'd estimate it's around ten taels.
He actually got himself into this murder case over just ten taels of silver; he's so wronged!
Upon seeing the silver coins on the ground, the Zhu woman paused for a moment, then became even more furious, pinning Zhao Dayong down, twisting his arm behind his back, and slapping him twice across the face.
"You beast! Are you even human? Their husband just died, and the widow and her children are counting on this money to survive. You actually stole their money while they were out and even killed their husband! You're worse than an animal! Your crimes are heinous!"
Madam Tian sat by the bed, silently shedding tears as she looked at the already cold village head, without saying a word.
Little Tiger didn't understand what was happening, so he ran to Madam Tian and cried out, "Mother, don't cry! Tiger will wipe your tears!"
Upon hearing this, Ms. Tian embraced her son tightly and burst into tears.
"Mother, don't cry, Little Tiger is here with you!"
Little Tiger stood on tiptoe and used his sleeve to wipe away Tian's tears. While wiping, he pouted and blew on Tian's face as if trying to dry the wetness.
In his heart, it didn't matter whether his father was by his side or not, because the only person who took care of him as he grew up was his mother.
When he was a child, he was sick, and his mother carried him to town to find a doctor by herself. She stayed by his bedside day and night without sleep. Although his childhood memories are not deep, he remembers that every time he was delirious from illness, he would open his eyes and see only his mother.
His father would only come and hug him a couple of times when he recovered from his illness, and would blame his mother for not being able to take good care of even one child, and for making him sick, saying she was useless.
So when he heard that his father wouldn't wake up, Xiaohuzi's first reaction wasn't sadness, but rather that he didn't want his mother to be sad.
He only cares about his mother.
Seeing Xiaohuzi so understandingly comforting his mother, Shen Yuan's guilt subsided. She called out to the Zhu couple, "Sister-in-law Zhu, I'll go call for help!"
“Alright! Call more people over, and we’ll take this murderer to the yamen!” Mr. and Mrs. Zhu replied.
Shen Yuan turned and ran out. Before long, she had summoned most of the villagers. Even the nearly eighty-year-old Chu family patriarch, upon hearing Shen Yuan's voice, shakily rushed to the Tian family home, leaning on his cane.
His cousin is dead!
Why are people dying one after another in the village?
"Clan chief, it's this beast! He took advantage of the Tian family's absence and climbed over their courtyard wall in the dead of night to steal their silver! When the village head saw him, he actually killed him while the village head was paralyzed, trying to silence him! Clan chief, you must seek justice for the Tian family and send this murderer to the yamen!"
When the Zhu couple saw the head of the Chu family enter, they immediately forced Zhao Dayong in front of him.
The head of the Chu family glanced at Zhao Dayong, then was helped into the house.
He had visited the wooden bed inside the house just a few days ago. The person who had been lying on the bed that night was now completely dead. His face was ashen and his body was stiff. Only his unfocused eyes were still staring, as if he had died unwillingly.
The old clan chief stepped forward and said to Tian, "The person is gone, close his eyes."
“The person who killed him has not been punished yet. He died with his eyes wide open in disbelief. How can he close his eyes in peace?” Tian said, looking at Zhao Dayong, word by word.
Seeing that the Chu family patriarch was also looking at him, Zhao Dayong anxiously shouted, "I really didn't kill him! Yes, I admit I stole something! But I never intended to kill him! He died on his own, I don't know how he died! I swear to God, I didn't even touch him, I'm truly innocent!"
No matter how much Zhao Dayong swore, no one was willing to believe him.
After all, Zhao Dayong was the only person present at the time. If he didn't kill the village head, then who else could have killed him?
Seeing that no one believed him, Zhao Dayong was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan, desperately trying to defend himself.
He really only came to steal money; he didn't kill anyone. At most, the village head was just... at most, he was so angry that he died.
Zhao Dayong was both anxious and afraid. In his panic, he suddenly saw Shen Yuan standing behind the crowd, and a flash of inspiration struck him.
"Clan leader! It was Yuan'er! It was Yuan'er who told me that the Tian family had a lot of silver, so I came to steal the money! I was instructed by her, and the village head's death is also related to her! Release me! Arrest her! Arrest her!"
Hearing Zhao Dayong say this, the villagers all turned to look at Shen Yuan.
Why is it Shen Yuan again?
The series of events that have happened in the village are all related to Shen Yuan, which makes them think a lot.
Shen Yuan had long anticipated that Zhao Dayong would implicate her, so she remained calm and composed when faced with the villagers' gazes.
She looked up at Zhao Dayong, her beautiful pupils filled with tears, making her look like a pitiful little rabbit.
"I brought some chicken soup that my grandma made for Uncle Village Head, hoping he could drink more to help him recover, but Uncle Village Head will never be able to drink it again..."
As Shen Yuan spoke, her voice choked with emotion.
She did not directly answer Zhao Dayong's accusation, but her words easily dispelled the villagers' doubts.
Shen Yuan is such a kind child! She often provides free medical care and medicine to them, and she shares her delicious food with the children in the village. How could such a kind girl harm anyone?
Even if she really knew that the Tian family was rich and accidentally let it out, it would just be a child's loose tongue, and she wouldn't have committed any serious crime.
But Zhao Dayong was different. He was a scoundrel who coveted other people's money, which was wrong in itself, and then he caused their deaths! He deserved to die!
Zhao Dayong didn't expect that these villagers didn't believe him at all. He wanted to defend himself again, but the old clan chief didn't give him the chance.
"Zhu Er, you are witnesses. Take a few more men and take Zhao Dayong to the yamen to be dealt with by the magistrate! Such a cunning and deceitful person cannot be allowed to live in our village!"
The head of the Chu family was an elder in the village, and his words carried great weight.
So as soon as he spoke, the villagers immediately ran to the Zhu couple to help tie up Zhao Dayong. Zhao Dayong was so angry that he cursed, but the villagers, annoyed by his noise, gagged him and sent him to Ping'an Town that very night.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
