The voice was so grating and unpleasant that Shen Xingmian, who was very sensitive to voices, absolutely didn't want to acknowledge it. But this person was clearly after their house, so ignoring it wasn't an option; it was incredibly annoying.
Luo Qi'an stepped forward, blocking the donkey cart and his wife and daughter, and said with a smile:
"If you like the little gifts your children give to their elders, you can ask them to help you make another one. But... the children are slow, so you might have to wait a little while."
"Tch! Who would like this piece of junk? I bet you're hiding something. To prevent you from hoarding weapons and trying to escape, I'm going to inspect it now."
After speaking arrogantly, the man drew his sword and slashed open the leaf curtain that everyone had worked so hard to string together.
It was nearly dusk, and the sunlight was not as glaring as at noon. The two people lying in the donkey cart continued to sleep soundly, seemingly unaware of everything happening around them.
That's quite clever.
The officer continued to slash the curtain until it was torn to shreds. He then glanced disdainfully at the two unconscious people before reaching into the carriage to search for them.
No matter how carefully he searched, he couldn't find anything amiss.
In the end, listening to the whispers around him, he was already somewhat embarrassed and angry, but he couldn't find a reason to vent his anger on the Shen family.
The instructions from above say that there is definitely something strange about the Shen family, and he is to come and take a look, but everything looks normal. How can he go back and explain himself?
It doesn't matter. Their family members are prisoners now, and he's an official. Even if he beats them without reason, they can't resist.
Thinking of this, he slowly sheathed his sword, untied the whip from his waist, and prepared to vent his anger in an unreasonable manner.
"Tell me, where did you hide the things?"
Grandpa's whip isn't just for show; you bunch of delicate little brats, if you don't speak up, you'll be whipped to a pulp!
Having said that, before anyone from the Shen family could answer, he had already raised his hand to crack the whip.
Before he could even flick the whip, he felt a burning sensation on his buttocks. Strange, the sun was about to set, so why did he feel a burning sensation?
Until a murmur of discussion arose from the surrounding area—
"Hiss, I told you, doing too many bad things will bring retribution. We just burned one this morning, and here comes another one. Tsk tsk tsk."
One person didn't lower their voice, but sighed to the person next to them.
His words reminded those around him, and also the official. Thinking of his colleagues from that morning, he immediately lay down on the spot and rolled around trying to put out the fire on his body.
This is fucking weird!
He was too terrified to think straight; otherwise, he would have realized that both fires occurred when someone came to the Shen family to cause trouble.
"Oh my god, we should be careful too. There are too many people getting their comeuppance lately. We'd better hide well so we don't get caught up in it."
Upon hearing this, the people around immediately scattered, fearing that the fire would burn them.
However, they didn't go far; they just stood at a distance that wasn't too far or too close, watching the commotion in front of them.
Everyone who saw that man's behavior just now found it repulsive, but now that they see him getting his just desserts, they're all watching with great interest.
Someone else was hiding in the back, whispering, "This guy reacted pretty quickly, otherwise he would have ended up like that guy this morning, being seen off with his bare butt exposed the whole way. He was so embarrassed!"
"Absolutely! It's an insult to civility."
"Hey, do you think even God thinks we're innocent? Otherwise, why are all the fires that inexplicably start involving government officials?"
"To the average person, the bad ones are the criminals, and the good ones are the officials. But how come it's the other way around here?" one person asked in surprise.
"Perhaps it's divine intervention. Since we have nowhere to seek redress for our grievances, it's good to see the wicked get their comeuppance."
Another person chimed in.
After saying that, some people even sat down on the spot without any hesitation.
Since the procession had already stopped and there were officials carrying baskets to distribute coarse flour cakes, we decided to rest on the spot.
Shen Xingmian, who caused all of this, was hiding behind her father in a cowardly manner, peeking out at the man who was screaming in pain.
Serves him right, of all people to mess with, he had to provoke her.
That curtain was something she, her cousin, and her aunt had worked very hard to make. With just a few quick flicks from him, they would have to work on it all day again.
Absolutely despicable!
Although these leaves become very brittle after being exposed to the sun, they wouldn't last more than a few days before needing to be redone.
Natural wear and tear is one thing, but human-caused damage is another.
Unforgivable.
The officer finally managed to extinguish the fire on his body. Thinking of his colleagues from that morning, his eyes gradually filled with fear as he looked at the Shen family.
Something's not right!
The same thing, happening to the same people, twice in one day—it's impossible to call it an accident; it's definitely deliberate!
But those people were several steps away, out of their reach. Besides, the fire was burning their backsides...it couldn't possibly have been their doing...
It's also possible... that it really is God punishing him?
The thought of this possibility terrified him even more. Thinking of all the things he had done, he quickly covered his backside and stumbled back, afraid that if he was too slow, the fire would reignite.
Amidst the chaos, Xiao Yanyue secretly opened her eyes and saw the little girl with a smug smile on her face.
She didn't look much older than me, but in this environment, there wasn't a trace of melancholy in her expression. Instead, she was lively and vibrant, without any fear or worry.
What kind of mindset allows one to remain so calm in such adversity?
He doesn't quite understand.
However, he seemed to have truly accepted the old general's words—if there was anything, go to his granddaughter.
Yes, he will remember it well.
Shen Xingmian hid behind her father, watching the man's disheveled figure run away, and couldn't help but laugh silently. Then, out of the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of the little boy who was secretly looking over.
Ah, this...
She immediately composed herself and looked around nervously. There were many people, but it seemed that no one was paying attention to the child; everyone's attention was drawn to the guy with his butt on fire.
That's not right. The child wasn't poisoned by "March Poison," so it wouldn't be surprising if he woke up. What's there to hide?
My uncle and cousin were the same; there was absolutely no need for them to stay in bed all the time. However, given the severity of their injuries, it was quite alarming that they were up and about again after only two days.
For Shen Xingmian, the past two days had felt like an eternity. She was actually quite a homebody, especially after the apocalypse, when she felt that the outside world was so polluted that home was much safer.
At first, without superpowers, there was nothing they could do; if they didn't go out, they would go hungry. Later, after they were able to grow things in their own space, they became even more reluctant to leave their homes.
If it weren't for that octopus monster coming to her door, she might still be living in her old house from her past life.
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