Chapter 24: with translation of chapter title

Chihua, go back and sort things out, then remember to take your child to Jinju's house to apologize to her child.

Wang Lin watched Chihua walk away, snorted, turned to look at Zeng Hui beside him, his face darkened, and he said in an unfriendly tone:

Zeng Hui, Jinju is your sister-in-law; her husband passed away early. As the elder brother, you ought to help care for your brother's widow, but what are you doing instead?

I won't say more; you know it yourself. Since you're not looking after your sister-in-law, I have nothing to say about you—after all, this is your family's internal matter—but you let your children bully little Cao, a four- or five-year-old girl.

Jinju and her mother are already pitiful enough as widows and orphans; why would you do something like this? Are you trying to drive them to their deaths just to make yourself happy?

Uncle Wang, I don't understand what you mean!

Zeng Hui's face darkened; a flash of anger flickered in his eyes and then vanished. If it weren't for Wang Lin's family having produced a top scholar, Wang Lin would be merely older than him—even if Wang Lin were actually his relative.

He would have exploded in anger the moment someone dared to act senior and lord it over him in his presence.

Too bad.

Out of respect for Wang Ruhai, Zeng Hui didn't dare offend Wang Lin too much; he swallowed his anger and said, 'Uncle Wang, I have something to attend to at home, so I'll leave first!'

Wang Lin watched Zeng Hui storm off, couldn't help shaking his head, knowing he hadn't taken his words to heart.

As he just said, this is entirely the Zeng family's internal affair; as an outsider, he shouldn't meddle too much.

Wang Lin turned to the other villagers around him, all parents whose children had been injured by the Black Cat Constable, and said: 'Go home, get the facts straight; if you want compensation, you can come to me, but you must go to Jinju's house to apologize to her child.'

Uncle Wang, I will!

The other villagers gave an embarrassed chuckle, had no mind to linger, and got up to leave.

Yuan Liang asked curiously, 'Master Wang, what exactly is going on with Jinju? Why would her husband's older brother let his own children bully her daughter?'

Wang Lin opened his mouth as if to say something, but the words got stuck in his throat and he could only let out a sigh.

Yuan Liang said, 'I spoke out of turn!'

Little Daoist, since you want to know, I can tell you!

Wang Lin took a deep breath, exhaled a mouthful of turbid air, his face full of sympathy, and said:

Jinju, originally Zhou Jinju, from another village; orphaned from a young age, she grew up in her uncle's household, never having a few good days; as soon as she came of age, her uncle married her off in exchange for a high bride price.

She married the very Zeng Hui's brother, Zeng Lian, just mentioned; they hadn't enjoyed even a few good days when, while working in the mountains, Zeng Lian was attacked by a ferocious beast, lost his life, and even his remains were not found.

Yuan Liang grew more doubtful and asked, 'Master Wang, what connection do these things have with the Zeng family deliberately bullying them, widows and orphans?'

The Zeng family believes Zhou Jinju is a 'heaven-sent lone star' who has killed her parents since childhood, and as soon as she married, she killed her husband; therefore, as soon as her husband died—before he was even buried—the Zeng family drove her out!

Wang Lin explained, 'Fortunately our village head is kind; he had a dilapidated thatched hut repaired for them to live in, and, thanks to his insistence, they also received a few mu of poor farmland from the Zeng family, allowing the mother and daughter to barely make a living.'

Yuan Liang asked, bewildered, 'If that's the case, why doesn't she return to her own family's home?'

'If she went back to her natal home, it would be no better than staying here; her uncle isn't any good either.'

Wang Lin said in an unfriendly tone, 'Who knows? As soon as she steps back into her natal home, her uncle might turn around and marry her off again for another high bride price.'

So that's how it is!

Yuan Liang suddenly understood.

'I never imagined our Tiger Head Gully still had such pitiful people!'

Wang Ping'an couldn't help but let out a slight sigh. Just now he had arranged for the Black Cat Constable to steal a piece of cured meat from his own home and send it to Zhou Jinju's household, intending to send the Constable to the granary to hunt rats; unfortunately, the rat nests in his own granary had already been wiped out.

In the short term, it's impossible for rats to appear again.

So we must find a new granary!

He drove the Black Cat Constable to circle around Tiger Head Gully, looking for a suitable target, when he faintly heard his grandfather's words; he quickly commanded the Constable to halt, thus hearing his grandfather and Yuan Liang's conversation crystal clear.

This also made it clear why a four- or five-year-old child was being bullied by a group of eight- or nine-year-olds.

At the Wang Ping'an household.

Wang Lin and Yuan Liang had just entered the main hall when Zhang Guiflower couldn't wait to say: 'Old man, what exactly is going on? Did our Ping'an's spirit cat steal—no, take—our cured meat? Is it because she has offspring, bringing the meat back to feed her young?'

Wang Lin shook his head, saw Zhang Guiflower opening her mouth, knew she wanted to say something, and preemptively began to explain.

He laid out everything he had seen and all his conjectures in full detail.

'You mean our Ping'an's spirit cat acted bravely, saw that little Cao's wild vegetables had been trampled by other children, and therefore specifically took a piece of cured meat from our home and delivered it to her family?'

Zhang Guiflower's face showed pure astonishment; she stared oddly at Wang Lin, suspecting he was either teasing her or speaking nonsense due to old-age confusion.

In this novel you have arrived.

Otherwise, how could one possibly utter such fantastical nonsense!

'Our Ping'an's cat is a spirit cat, not an ordinary cat……'

Wang Lin knew she didn't believe him—not just Zhang Guiflower, but even he himself wouldn't believe such an outrageous thing unless he had seen it with his own eyes and heard it with his own ears.

Just as Wang Lin was about to speak and explain, a woman's voice came from outside the door!

'Uncle Wang, are you home?'

'I am!'

Wang Lin answered, and immediately a woman pulled a little girl inside.

It was Zhou Jinju and her daughter!

Wang Lin exclaimed in surprise, 'Jinju, what do you need from me?'

Zhang Guiflower stood up, brought over two chairs from the side, and gestured, 'Jinju, little Cao, please have a seat!'

'Uncle Wang, I'm sorry, my little Cao misbehaved and stole your cured meat……'

Zhou Jinju's face was full of apology; before she could finish speaking, little Cao's angry voice rang out: 'Mom, I didn't steal, I didn't steal Grandpa Wang's cured meat—why don't you believe me?'

As they spoke, tears welled up in little Cao's eyes, as if she had suffered a great injustice.

'You still dare to make excuses?'

Zhou Jinju looked angrily at little Cao, reaching out to give her a slap.

She didn't expect little Cao to amount to anything; as long as she grew up safe and sound, that would be enough. But she absolutely could not allow her to become a petty thief, for that would ruin her reputation and likely lead to her being caught and beaten to death.

She refused to hear it no matter what—the dreadful news that little grass had been caught stealing and beaten to death!

Wang Lin hurriedly acted, stopping Zhou Jinju from hitting Xiao Cao, and explained on behalf of Xiao Cao: "Jinju, you've misunderstood; this piece of cured meat wasn't stolen by Xiao Cao!"

(End of chapter)