Translator: Dj2203
Editor: Dj2203
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When Zhuang Li returned to Luoxia Village with his family, it was nearly dusk. The green mountains, clear waters, and blue sky had lost their original colors, dyed a golden-red by the sunset. The whole world was immersed in a warm and cozy atmosphere, and the flow of time seemed to slow down.
Zhuang Lao Er and Liu Chunhua leaned against the carriage shaft, gazing contentedly at the magnificent scenery on the horizon, their faces serene and happy.
Liu Chunhua held her husband’s hand and looked at it carefully, then sighed with satisfaction, “Honey, I won’t have to poke your blisters on the way home today.”
Zhuang Lao Er quickly looked at the two children sitting in the car and gave his wife a look that said, “Don’t talk nonsense.”
Every day after work, Liu Chunhua would take out her sewing kit and prick the blisters that Zhuang Lao Er had gotten from carrying goods on the way home, just to create the illusion that Zhuang Lao Er’s work was not hard.
When Zhuang Lao Er first went to the docks to unload cargo, he came back with his hands and feet covered in blisters, looking quite gruesome. The two children were terrified and refused to go to school the next day, causing the couple a great deal of distress. From then on, the couple developed the habit of always hiding their hardships before returning home.
They were willing to give everything for their two sons.
Liu Chunhua immediately changed the subject, pretending that nothing had happened, but their conversation had already been overheard by the two brothers sitting in the carriage.
Zhuang Li was unaware of what had happened, so he wasn’t deeply moved, but Zhuang Jiuge turned his head away and quietly wiped the corner of his eye.
Over the years, their parents had worked so hard to support their education. If the two brothers didn’t succeed, all their hopes and sacrifices would be in vain, and the family would lose all hope.
In that case, life would become endless torment for them.
Zhuang Jiuge dared not even imagine what would have happened to the second branch of the Zhuang family if his elder brother hadn’t come. So he silently accepted all the changes and didn’t hate his new elder brother.
Amid his grief, he was even grateful, grateful that his elder brother had brought hope to the family.
Before they knew it, the carriage arrived at the village entrance. Zhuang Li jumped off the carriage and said, “Father, Mother, Little Brother, you go back first. I’ll take a walk around the village.”
“You must be back before dark,” Zhuang Lao Er urged worriedly.
“Big brother, I’ll go with you.” Zhuang Jiuge followed closely behind.
So the four of them split into two groups: one went home, and the other wandered aimlessly around the village.
Zhuang Li carried an oil paper bag and walked towards the big banyan tree where the children were gathered. When he got close, he poured the candy from the bag into his palm and tempted them, “Want some candy?”
The children, who were initially a little afraid of him, were immediately drawn over, staring longingly at his palm and nodding timidly.
“Come and eat, one for each of you.” Zhuang Li held out his hand, a gentle smile spreading across his face.
If he deliberately displayed his good side, others would immediately fall into his trap. In a sense, he had mastered the skills of a demon walking among humans.
Sure enough, the children were no longer afraid of him. They rushed over, took the candy from his palm, and eagerly stuffed it into their mouths.
Zhuang Li crouched down to be at eye level with the children and asked softly, “Have any strangers come to the village today?”
“Yes, two older boys came today. They looked unfamiliar. They said they were from the next village and came here to catch fish.” Without needing to ask for details, the children told them everything they knew.
“Did they inquire about my family’s situation?” Zhuang Li continued to ask.
“Yes, they asked if your family had really become rich, and we said yes. They were very envious and even asked what treasures your family had.” The children were completely unaware of the sinister intentions hidden in this exchange. In their eyes, becoming rich was an incredibly wonderful thing.
Zhuang Li curled his lips into a satisfied smile.
He then stood up and waved to his pale-faced younger brother: “Let’s go home.”
Zhuang Jiuge quickly followed him, and when they reached a secluded corner, he lowered his voice and said, “Brother, those two people are very likely sent by bandits or robbers to scout the place. Our family is being watched!”
Zhuang Li was very pleased with his younger brother’s keen observation. He rubbed his head and said, “Don’t worry, they’ll come up with a detailed plan tonight and won’t make a move immediately. Danger will only arise after tomorrow. Tomorrow, I’ll take our whole family to stay in Bazhou City. What do you think of the house opposite Governor Qin’s? If we rent there, will the bandits still dare to come?”
The street where Governor Qin lived was the most prosperous street in Bazhou City. Every day, yamen runners patrolled back and forth, and the public security was excellent.
The houses there must be expensive, but for Zhuang Li now, ten taels of rent a month was really not expensive. Moreover, he hac done Master Zhou a great favor. Master Zhou used to be a confidant of Governor Qin, and the Zhou residence was located near the Governor’s residence. It couldn’t be easier to get Master Zhou to help find a courtyard to rent.
Once everyone in the family had moved out, who would the robbers rob? Would they dare to commit crimes in Bazhou City?
Thinking it over, Zhuang Jiuge finally smiled easily, then scratched his head sheepishly. His older brother was so capable; how could he not have considered these things? He had been worrying unnecessarily.
Zhuang Li glanced at him sideways and asked in a low voice, “They say thieves never leave empty-handed. Guess who those thieves will target if we leave?”
Zhuang Jiuge was taken aback at first, then his eyes widened and he showed a look of sudden realization.
On the day the family divided their property, several elders did some calculations for the two branches of the Zhuang family. The news that Zhuang Tian’er had found ginseng and sold it for one hundred taels of silver had already spread throughout the village. Therefore, if the second branch of the Zhuang family left the village, the first branch of the Zhuang family, which held a huge sum of one hundred taels of silver, would naturally be targeted by thieves.
Was the eldest brother planning to have the first wife take the blame for the second wife? Was this something he had planned in advance?
Zhuang Jiuge felt even more awe for this new elder brother, but he couldn’t bear to see the eldest branch of the family suffer. So he whispered, “Brother, will Uncle and his family be in danger? Why don’t we send them a message and ask them to go out and take shelter as well?”
Zhuang Li turned around and walked towards the Zhuang family’s courtyard, saying in an icy tone, “Why do you think the news of our family’s great fortune spread so quickly? The villages are separated by mountains, and it’s very inconvenient to travel without carriages. The villagers have lived here for generations, and very few people go out.”
“In such a secluded environment, it would take at least ten days to half a month for a message to spread, but now, in just one night, the thieves have received the news and come to investigate. Don’t you think their actions are too swift?”
Zhuang Jiuge’s scalp began to tingle, and he said in a trembling voice, “Big brother, do you mean that this news was deliberately leaked by someone?”
“What do you think?” Zhuang Li asked without turning his head but secretly smiling to himself.
He was the one who wanted to spread the news first, but he didn’t expect Zhuang Tian’er to act so quickly, spreading the word in just one day. This saved him from having to wait any longer.
Zhuang Jiuge watched his brother’s retreating figure and murmured, “Who leaked the news? What deep-seated hatred does he have against our family? Father and Mother work honestly and have never offended anyone. We study every day and haven’t caused any trouble. Who could possibly hate us so much?”
Zhuang Li pointed out, “Breaking my brain and your hands, preventing us from studying, all this is to ruin our family’s future; hanging Lu Dan on the front door was a curse wishing our family ruin and a terrible end. Who is the person who has done all these things?”
Zhuang Jiuge’s eyes widened in shock: “It’s Zhuang Tian’er!”
Zhuang Li continued to probe: “Who would do something like spreading the news to attract bandits, resulting in our house being ransacked and even our lives being lost? Don’t you find this method very familiar?”
“It’s still Zhuang Tian’er!”
Zhuang Jiuge stood there stunned for a long while before whispering in disbelief, “Brother, why do you think this is? What deep-seated hatred does she have for our family? Father and Mother have never mistreated her. Other girls have to work in the fields every day, but she can stay at home leisurely embroidering. If it weren’t for the fact that Father and Mother bring home enough money every month, could she enjoy such a life?”
“Perhaps in her eyes, making her embroider is exploiting her labor; making her do laundry and cook is being a slave to us brothers. If we can go to school, our parents should also support her education; if we can live in a spacious east room, she should also have the same side room; if we can have half a tael of silver for pocket money every month, she should have it too. In short, she must have everything we have, and even better.”
Zhuang Li slowly described Zhuang Tian’er’s state of mind.
Zhuang Jiuge was stunned and said angrily, “What right does she have? Our parents work so hard and sweat it out to earn this money. Even we feel a pang of guilt every time we spend it. What right does she have to think she can have it for free? Doesn’t she have parents? Why should our parents support her? And she seems to have forgotten that she, her parents, her brother, her grandparents— all of them are supported by our parents! Everything they eat, wear, and use is earned by our parents with their blood and sweat. How can she still be so ungrateful?”
“She will be content.” Zhuang Li said in a calm tone, “When our family is drained of blood and turned into bones, she will be satisfied.”
He turned to look at his brother, his eyes gleaming coldly: “After we die, she will suck our marrow dry, smash our bones, and use them as stepping stones on the ground. She will squeeze every last bit of value out of us.”
Zhuang Jiuge was so frightened that his whole body stiffened and a chill ran down his spine. The wickedness of people’s hearts kept refreshing his understanding. Just when he thought there was no one more hateful than Daoist Ling Xi, Xuan Zhenzi appeared. Just when he thought Xuan Zhenzi was the epitome of evil, Zhuang Tian’er appeared.
He hugged himself tightly, stumbling and wading as he chased after his brother, only letting out a sigh of relief when his body disappeared into his brother’s elongated shadow. It seemed that only by this person’s side could he find enough security.
Zhuang Li continued walking forward, his hands behind his back twitching slightly, his tone full of doting: “If you’re scared, hold your brother’s hand tightly. This world is indeed a world overrun by ghosts and monsters, but with your brother here, our family will definitely be safe.”
Zhuang Jiuge quickly grasped his brother’s slender fingertips, feeling the warmth emanating from them, and his panicked heart instantly calmed down.
At this moment, he was sincerely grateful for this person’s appearance. Because he had glimpsed his family’s future from the conversation they had just had.
The scene of Zhuang Tian’er draining his blood, crushing his bones, and turning him into dust was countless times more terrifying than he had imagined.
“So, are you still planning to inform Zhuang Tian’er’s family?” Zhuang Li asked in response.
Zhuang Jiuge shook his head vigorously: “No, no, whoever spread the news should bear the consequences. I can’t control that!”
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