Chapter 431: Reaping What One Sows

The medicine Gu Xixi used and the methods Mu Nan Zhao employed were both intended to keep Gu Tiezhu alive.

Only Lv Jing, doing this for the first time, might have struck without controlling her strength, and actually smashed Gu Tiezhu to death.

Gu Xixi was about to bend down to check whether he was alive or dead, but Mu Nan Zhao stopped her.

He saw him lift his foot and kick twice, kicking Gu Tiezhu over so he lay face up.

After just one glance, Mu Nan Zhao said, "He's not dead."

At that moment, Gu Tiezhu opened his eyes, still furrowing his brows from the pain.

But when he saw Mu Nan Zhao's face, his eyes widened suddenly, showing fear.

Although Gu Tiezhu was vile and wicked, he was also cowardly at the same time.

He thought that Gu Xixi, Lv Jing, and other women were weaker than himself, so he dared to wave his butcher's knife at them.

But when facing a man like Mu Nan Zhao, fear naturally arose in his heart.

Especially since he had truly suffered a big loss at Mu Nan Zhao's hands before, that panic was etched into his bones.

Mu Nan Zhao quickly sensed something was off and asked, "What did you just feed him?"

"He is clearly awake, so why is there no movement?"

Gu Xixi gave an embarrassed laugh, "Just a little medicine to keep him quiet."

Mu Nan Zhao gazed deeply at Gu Xixi, as if smiling, "Your talents as host are impressive."

"It seems that even I would not dare to wrong the host lightly from now on."

Gu Xixi boldly stepped forward, lifting her face to meet his eyes.

"I actually want to hear how you plan to wrong me."

Mu Nan Zhao lowered his head and kissed Gu Xixi's forehead, "Like this."

His lips continued downward, pecking her nose and lips one by one.

"And like this."

Moonlight fell, illuminating this patch of grass.

As their lips touched, Gu Xixi burst out laughing.

"You really know how to pick a place, without regard for the surroundings."

Mu Nan Zhao looked at Gu Tiezhu and said disdainfully, "Indeed, it's a mood killer."

"Come here."

Several hidden guards accompanying them emerged from the darkness.

They silently took Gu Tiezhu away and, overnight, sent him to the Qing Tian County Office.

He will be punished according to the serious crime of highway robbery and attempted murder.

Mu Nan Zhao said, "Originally I could have just disposed of this thing casually—throwing it to feed wolves or dumping it back in his courtyard—without anyone saying anything."

"But now that these kids have gotten involved, keeping it secret is no longer possible."

"We have to consider public opinion, especially our family's reputation in the village."

"We must go to the government office for a public hearing."

Gu Xixi gazed at him, her eyes full of smiles, "Our family?"

"Then I must thank you for considering our family so thoroughly."

Gu Xixi originally had murderous intent toward Gu Tiezhu.

But with such a young child present, she could only temporarily switch to the Plan B she had previously told Lao Langzhong about.

This medicine damages the peripheral nerves throughout the body; the effect is irreversible for life, and naturally there is no antidote.

Those who take the medicine will become both deaf and mute, completely paralyzed, yet remain fully conscious.

In other words, Gu Tiezhu will never again be able to scold or harm anyone in his lifetime.

Just as he had pretended to be mad before, from now on he can peacefully stay in that bed.

Like a living corpse, he will wait for others to feed him food and drink, to hold his chamber pot, awaiting death while conscious.

Returning home, Mu Nan Zhao naturally appeared before the children.

These children were attending the village school, and upon seeing Mr. Chen again they were naturally overjoyed.

The next day, the whole village knew that Gu Xixi's husband and the former Mr. Chen of the village school had returned.

Mr. Chen was the first teacher who established the village school, and the villagers still remember his kindness.

Even during the busiest wheat harvest, people still came to the house one after another to check on him.

At the same time, Gu Lao San and Liu Shi were searching the whole village for their son.

Gu Tiezhu had not returned home since last night.

They asked many people, but all said they hadn't seen him.

Actually, aside from Gu Xixi's family, none of the village adults knew where Gu Tiezhu had gone.

Because Shitou, Gou Wa, and the other little partners had already secretly agreed to keep it all confidential.

The seriousness of their pledge was no less than that of outlaws swearing blood oaths.

However, the anguish of Gu Lao San and Liu Shi did not last long.

That afternoon, several government officials came to the office.

Gu Lao San, as the head of the household, upon receiving his son's arrest notice and then hearing the officials read the confession, involuntarily collapsed to the ground.

Liu Shi, almost mad, questioned, "My son has long been insane; how could he possibly do such things!"

"You say he committed highway robbery and attempted murder—who did he kill?"

The officials coldly replied, "Tell you the victim's name—wouldn't that give you a chance for revenge?"

"There are eyewitnesses who saw Gu Tiezhu crouching with a knife, premeditated, with a weapon—absolutely not a mad fool!"

Had it not been said that the Jiang County Magistrate handles affairs reliably, in just half a day he actually managed to find witnesses besides the victim,

And there was more than one.

They saw Gu Tiezhu wandering on the official road, from Huachi Du Cun all the way to the Qing Tian County area.

Moreover, they explicitly said they saw Gu Tiezhu holding a firewood knife and a short dagger, hidden in the roadside bushes.

Gu Lao San thought that his son hadn't been beheaded, and the family line wasn't cut off; his mood eased a little.

"May I ask, constable, when can we go to the prison to visit?"

The constable glanced at him and said, "No need to go."

"They'll send the person back to you tomorrow."

Gu Lao San and Liu Shi both thought they had misheard.

The constable said, "Because the victim fought back in self-defense, Gu Tiezhu knocked his head and is now a paralytic."

"He's only been locked up for one night, and feces and urine are all over the floor—what a stench..."

"The Government Office didn't even give him a single cell, and no one looks after his food, drink, or bodily functions."

"So, you'd better keep raising your fine child yourselves."

After saying that, the constable turned and left.

Liu Shi rolled her eyes and fainted on the spot.

That day, Huachi Du Cun had two major events: one good, one bad.

The good news: Mr. Chen finally returned, breaking the rumor that Gu Xixi intended to marry off to her cousin, the Jiang County Magistrate.

The bad news: Huachi Du Cun produced yet another person who ended up in shackles and jail.

But this one seems not to have been sent in by Gu Xixi.

Furthermore, it's said that Gu Tiezhu has been pretending to be mad and foolish, but actually he's harboring ill intent, planning a big score.

Who would have thought his robbery attempt failed, and instead he became a paralytic.

The villagers, hearing this, were frightened, but fortunately Gu Tiezhu's target wasn't any household in the village.

Otherwise, he might really have succeeded.

Everyone felt that such a menace being paralyzed was for the best; thereafter they needn't fear him coming out to harm people.

The wheat harvest is finished. It still needs threshing, spreading out to dry.

Each household in Huachi Du Cun has already begun celebrating early, rolling noodles and pan-frying flatbreads.

Because after the grain was weighed, each household's income increased significantly compared to previous years, even exceeding the amount Gu Xixi had previously mentioned.

Only those few households that didn't apply the final foliar fertilizer still had slightly lower yields per mu than others.

They were both happy about the rare increase in yield and harvest, yet when everyone discussed the yield per mu, some felt embarrassed and dared not speak.

Gu Xixi, however, left the village at this time, heading to the border together with Mu Nan Zhao.

Though said to be together, they actually just happened to be on the same road.

Mu Nan Zhao was going to the military camp to discuss defense plans, while Gu Xixi was to inspect this season's grain harvest.