Liu Demao didn't understand how things had escalated to this point. He was a local villager of Bozi Village, a prominent figure of the Liu family, and Xiao Shan was an outsider. Were they all foolish? Why were they all speaking up for him?
Was it just because his fists were strong?
"Shut up! You cowards, you've all been scared silly by Xiao Shan! I'm going to report this! I'm going to report this to the authorities. Xiao Shan deliberately injured me. I'll make sure he spends the rest of his life in jail, never to come out again!"
"You know Captain Du, right? He's my brother! I'll go get him right now! He'll arrest all of you! Aren't you all friends with Xiao Shan? You can all go in together!"
"Liu Demao, you still haven't learned your lesson. Think about your son!" The village chief was truly powerless. Xiao Shan had the moral high ground today, and he couldn't afford to offend him either. If Liu Demao were to be thrown into the county yamen, his status as a concubine would be confirmed. Not only would he be thrown into jail, but the entire Bozi Village would be implicated.
This Liu Demao, who used to be respectful to him, had truly grown arrogant outside and no longer put him in his eyes.
Liu Cheng had been the village chief of Bozi Village diligently for over 20 years, from a strong young man to an old man with white hair. Other village chiefs might seek personal benefits for themselves; it would be good enough if he didn't cause trouble outside. More than ten years ago, his only son drowned while saving a child from the same village.
The village chief held great prestige in Bozi Village, but this was for most people. There were always a few who refused to be disciplined.
Like Liu Demao, who had been out and about for several years.
Liu Demao sneered, "My son, my son is doing very well. Next year he'll be taking the imperial examinations and come back as a scholar. None of you will benefit from it."
Benefit from what nonsense!
The village chief said with great distress, "Your son is going to be implicated by you idiot! Can he even take the examinations without the village's recommendation?"
"Liu Cheng, you think too highly of yourself. If not for the village, there's still the county yamen! I have my brother in the county yamen!" Liu Demao said proudly.
Just then, Xiao Shan scoffed, "Your brother is here!"
On the village road, two or three yamen constables were walking quickly towards them. Leading them was Du Ling, with Laicai following behind in a bullock cart.
Yutou jumped off the bullock cart and ran towards Xiao Shan.
"Brother Xiao, I met some yamen officers on the way who were heading this way, saying that Scholar Ge had an accident," Yutou whispered to Xiao Shan.
When Liu Demao saw Du Ling, he was startled at first, then plastered a fawning smile and stepped forward, "Brother Du, you're here. Just over here—"
Du Ling raised his hand to stop him, glanced at Xiao Shan, then looked at the moaning Taoist priest on the ground and the surrounding villagers. He said to Liu Demao in a businesslike manner, "Liu Demao, your son Liu Donghuai had an accident in the city. He was beaten by some ruffians while saving someone. He was severely injured and is now being treated at the clinic. Your family should hurry over!"
"What? My son?" Liu Demao seemed flustered.
Wang Cuilan, who had been lying motionlessly on the ground, moved her head and looked up.
Xiao Shan was in a hurry to go home. He said in a deep voice, "Constable Du, he has a case on him, so he probably can't go. Have the village chief arrange for some people to go!"
Although Xiao Shan's words were not inappropriate, perhaps due to his long-held position of authority, they carried an undeniable tone.
Du Ling was valued by Yuan Bufei. On that day, he sensed something unusual between the master and Xiao Shan. Later, when he returned to the county yamen, the master asked him for his opinion of Xiao Shan, and he answered cautiously. The master was very satisfied and said a sentence he didn't understand.
"Oh, we should just follow behind. The gloomy sky will eventually be split open by light."
Later, he thought for a long time, could the master have meant to follow behind Xiao Shan?
Regardless of whether it was true or not, he harbored a sense of awe towards Xiao Shan, simply because his aura was too powerful. He had heard that killing a fierce tiger was as easy for him as stamping on an ant.
"Xiao Shan, could you..." The village chief's eyes held a plea.
Xiao Shan shook his head, "One matter is separate from another. Rules are rules."
Du Ling said, "Brother Xiao, what offense did Liu Demao commit?"
He had already seen the chaos here and realized it was related to Xiao Shan.
Liu Demao quickly said, "It's like this, Brother Du, Xiao Shan he—"
"Shut up! I'm not asking you!" Du Ling frowned and reprimanded.
Liu Demao was stunned. The village chief shook his head, and the villagers dared not speak. They only heard Xiao Shan recount the entire incident, truthfully, as everyone had witnessed it.
Du Ling's expression became solemn, "Not to mention framing others by buying off the Taoist priest, the matter of Qiang people being in Donglin County is of great importance and must be reported to the magistrate immediately. Dalong, Zhao Si, arrest Liu Demao and this Taoist priest and take them back for processing!"
"Yes, boss!"
Liu Demao panicked, "No, it's not, it's wrong, Brother Du, Brother Du, Xiao Shan is talking nonsense. My concubine is from our Great Jing Dynasty. Xiao Shan is talking nonsense... Brother, brother, you've got the wrong person."
"Who the hell is your brother!" Dalong slapped him across the face, "The pole has lost its star, and you don't know your own weight!"
Zhao Si dragged the Taoist priest, who was feigning death, off the ground. Disregarding his cries, he dragged him forward.
"Farewell!" Du Ling nodded to Xiao Shan and left with his men.
Xiao Shan picked up a fist-sized stone from the ground, the same one Wang Cuilan had used to hit his head.
The village chief and the villagers didn't know what he intended to do and held their breath. Wang Cuilan, having regained some consciousness, followed Xiao Shan's hand with terrified eyes. Now, her mind was entirely on her son, and she was afraid Xiao Shan would smash the stone on her head, preventing her from ever seeing her son again.
Xiao Shan clenched the stone and slowly applied force. In the wide-eyed gaze of the villagers, the stone shattered into gravel and fell to the ground with a rustle.
"If anyone dares to bully my woman again, they should first test if their skull is as hard as stone!"
Wang Cuilan flinched.
"Shall we go?" He took Xue Niang's hand.
Xue Niang looked up pitiably. She had truly been scorched by the midday sun. "I'm dizzy."
Xiao Shan squatted down. "Get on."
Xue Niang climbed onto his broad back. Because he had just finished working and hadn't washed, he smelled of sweat. If it were in the past, she would have found it unpleasant, but now, she felt that anything from him, whether fragrant or foul, was a comforting scent.
She tightly wrapped her arms around the man's neck, and the two walked step by step towards the foot of the mountain.
Granny Hua squinted, "This young man, he's a bit like the divine lord in legends who loved his wife dearly."
Wang Xiulan sighed, "Brother Xiao, what a man!"
Which man was as fierce as him, and which man doted on his wife like this?
Xu Daniu and other young women and wives: If you're going to get married, marry a man like this. He's so majestic outside, yet he bends for his wife.
If it were another man, he would have divorced his wife as soon as the Taoist priest started spouting nonsense!
But Xiao Shan had kept his woman in his arms the whole time, never believing a word.
Who wouldn't want to marry such a man!