Pampered Consort of the Fragrant Orchard Chapter 27

Village Chief's Judgement

When Han Ming Yi and the others arrived at the house at the waist of the mountain, the village chief still hadn't arrived yet. While Niu Jing was applying medicine for Du Xiao Tian, Du Xiao Li was holding Silver in a corner sporadically sobbing. Some villagers were standing around in the courtyard endlessly chattering about the intense battle just a moment ago. 

"How did the courtyard end up like this?" Leng Er said. 

Han Ming Yi looked to the mess on the ground and frowned. 

"Xiao Li, your hand got hit earlier, are you okay?" Shi Er recalled Du Xiao Li having firmly suffered a blow. 

"Girl, you got hurt?" Leng Er crouched next to Du Xiao Li and asked.

"Big brother Leng Er, they want to steal Silver, you have to help me, don't let eldest aunt steal my Silver." Du Xiao Li grabbed onto Leng Er's clothes and said. 

"What, actually came to steal her silver? Such lack of common decency!" The villagers didn't know Silver was a wolf. Hearing that they came to steal silver, the villagers thought that they came to steal her money.

Han Ming Yi came to Du Xiao Li's side and said to Leng Er, "Pull up her sleeve." 

"Yes." Leng Er replied, and had Du Xiao Li's right sleeve pulled up. Her swollen arm was immediately exposed in front of outsiders. 

"Hss, be gentler!" Du Xiao Li hiccuped. 

Du Xiao Tian's arm had two little holes from the bite. Although there was blood, compared to Du Xiao Li's entire swollen arm, it was still the latter that looked scarier. 

Du Xiao Li also didn't think that Cui-shi's strength would be that big. When the stick came down, her arm nearly broke. Right now, she was glad that stick didn't land on Silver. Else, with its current little body, even if it didn't die, it would still be gravely injured. 

(T/N: Btw Silver is referred to using the neutral pronoun specifically for animals, so its gender is currently unclear.)

"To actually be this malicious, and injure you like this!" Leng Er's face darkened, no longer carrying his usual cheerful look.

Han Ming Yi saw Du Xiao Li's swollen little hand, and her face full of tears and snot. A faint trace of cold light flashed over his eyes.

"What's going on here?" The village chief finally arrived half way up the mountain. Seeing the villagers standing around inside, and the courtyard in complete disorder, he said, "What are you all up to again?"

"Village chief, that girl's dog bit someone. You need to have that dog put to death. Else, in the future, it might bite someone else!" Cui-shi saw the village chief, Li Ming Fu, and immediately complained first, "Wuuwuu, look at our family's Xiao Tian, look at what he got bitten into, wuuwuu, he's our family's only child. If anything happens to him, what will I do?"

"Wuuwuu, it's not like that, village chief, wuuwuu....." Du Xiao Li had the tears that she didn't even have when her parents died in her previous lifetime brought out. She sat on the ground holding Silver, openly crying loudly. 

After Niu Jing treated Du Xiao Tian's wound, he came to Du Xiao Li's side and crouched down, saying: "The injury on your arm is very serious, let me treat it." 

Du Xiao Li stretched out her right hand. Those villagers all saw how her entire arm was swollen. They all sucked in a breath, gasping at how a relative could do such a thing. 

Du Xiao Tian's wound was bitten by Silver. In the villagers eyes, animals have no awareness, that's why it doesn't understand the severity of biting. But Cui-shi was Du Xiao Li's aunt, to actually also injure her like this was just too malicious. 

The village chief also saw the injury on Du Xiao Li's hand, and said with a frown, "Shi Er, come and explain what happened just now?" 

When Shi Er had arrived, he didn't know what had happened beforehand. He only recounted the scene where Cui-shi had hit Du Xiao Li. 

After the village chief listened to Shi Er's words, he casted a glance at Cui-shi, and then said to Du Xiao Li, "Xiao Li, you explain, just what is going on." 

Du Xiao Li sobbed twice, then while holding Silver, said, "This is what I found in the mountains yesterday, called Silver. Yesterday at night fall, I was returning from grandpa Niu's house, when I ran into older cousin below the mountain. He demanded I give Silver to him. I didn't want to give, so he just tried to forcibly steal. He accidentally fell on the ground on his own. This morning, eldest aunt came to my house, saying I hit older cousin, making me give her two taels of silver as medical expense, and even making me give Silver to them as compensation. I didn't agree, so eldest aunt kicked over the medical ingredients I dug up, and even kicked over our stove too. At this time, Silver came out from the house and started barking at eldest aunt. Older cousin saw Silver and went to catch it, that's why he got bit by Silver. Afterwards, uncle Shi Er came. Wuuwuu, mother, where are you, Li'er misses you so much, wuuwuu......"

Du Xiao Li started crying again. That heartbroken and sorrowful look made all the women in the village want to tear up too. They all successively began to criticize Cui-shi. 

The village chief looked to Cui-shi and asked, "Is it really like that?"

"Yesterday, it was clearly her that tripped Xiao Tian." Cui-shi attempted to defend herself.

"Then is there an injury on your son? Did you see him get pushed over by the girl?" Leng Er said, "If you can't say, then you're just slandering, bullying her for not having parents."

"I...." How was Cui-shi able to bring out proof at this time. She opened her mouth, but didn't know what to say.

"When I was returning home yesterday, I saw Xiao Tian chasing Xiao Li, letting her give him the dog in her hand, even saying that if she doesn't give, he'll let his father and mother deal with her." A villager suddenly spoke out.

"When I was returning, I also saw. However, I only saw from far away Xiao Tian chasing Xiao Li, and didn't hear what they were saying. Afterwards, I went home." Another villager also spoke.

"Du family's wife, what else do you have to say?" The village chief asked.

At the moment, what could Cui-shi say? The courtyard was a complete mess, and the villagers' words made her unable to say anything. 

"Sigh, go get Du Fu and have him take his wife back. In the future, if you all come bother Xiao Li again, I'll take back the mining rights for the forest behind the mountain." The village chief said.

Du Fu very quickly rushed over from their home. After hearing the surrounding people explain everything that'd happened, and also the village chief's decision, he took Cui-shi and Du Xiao Tian, and left.

After expressing their concerns towards Du Xiao Li, those villagers also left in succession, only leaving behind Han Ming Yi and the others. 

Du Xiao Li even lowered her head, using her left hand to wipe her own tears. Han Ming Yi came to her side and said, "Stop pretending, everyone already left."

Du Xiao Li finally lifted her head, and used her sleeve to wipe away the tears and snot on her face.

"Li girl, this injury on your arm isn't light, need to properly take care of it." Niu Jing looked to Du Xiao Li's arm and said.

Du Xiao Li sighed and said, "Originally, I even said that since big brother is coming back today, I'll go pick some grapes for him to try. But now, when he comes back, won't even be able to make food." 

"Is that really your aunt? Why is she that malicious!" Leng Er grumbled.

"How they are like, it's not like you've never heard before. Just because there were rumors saying that our family's land was extremely good, and will give the later generations good fortune, as soon as my mother was buried, they had us chased out. How could I still hope for her to be good now?" Du Xiao Li said, "However, despite getting hit, I should be able to get a period of peace in exchange. Unless eldest uncle doesn't want that mining rights anymore." 

"Not just that right?" Han Ming Yi looked to Du Xiao Li and said out of nowhere.

Du Xiao Li laughed out two 'hehe', and didn't say anything. But everyone present all understood, she definitely left an insurance. 

And sure enough, the next day, word spread that Cui-shi's kneecap began to hurt. No matter how much medicine she drank, it was all useless. That pain made her unable to leave the bed for three full months. Of course, this was later talk. 

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