Chapter 29 The house was burned down, and he still wanted to get involved with Ye Wuyou

“Village Chief, you have to stand up for me! I’m telling you, someone definitely set that fire at our house. Otherwise, how could a blaze that big just start out of nowhere?”
As soon as Old Lady Wang saw the village chief, she insisted it had to be arson. After all, only then might she get some compensation.

The chief had already heard about the fire on his way over. He also thought it was strange, but after listening to her, he asked:
“You’re saying someone set your house on fire? Do you have any proof? Or at least someone you suspect? You know these kinds of things need evidence.”

Though he found it odd, he also thought it unlikely. Their village was simple and honest—if there were disputes, people usually confronted each other directly. Secret sabotage like this just wasn’t common.

At his words, Old Lady Wang froze. Could she admit she had no proof? If she had evidence or even a suspect, would she still be here crying? She would’ve already led her family to confront them.

Seeing her silence, the chief understood she had nothing. He thought for a moment, then said:
“Enough. What’s done is done. Wailing won’t help now. The most important thing is to get yourselves settled. It’s autumn, the busy farming season. There are still lots of potatoes waiting to be planted—we can’t let everyone’s work be delayed.”

The village chief was a practical man who handled things quickly; he didn’t want this dragging on and keeping people from earning work points, which meant food.

But when Old Lady Wang realized he wasn’t going to pursue the matter, she panicked. Her family had lost so much—how could she not pin the blame on someone? Then suddenly, inspiration struck, and she cried out loudly:
“Village Chief, it was Ye Wuyou! It must’ve been that wretched girl. She resents me for selling her before, so she came back and set my house on fire!”

At those words, whatever sympathy the villagers had just felt evaporated. Typical of Old Lady Wang—blaming others for everything. Everyone knew what kind of person Ye Wuyou was. She used to be timid to a fault; there was no way she’d have the courage to commit arson. And just days ago, Old Lady Wang herself had beaten her half to death. If not for that man who happened to save her, she might already be a corpse. Word was, Ye Wuyou was still bedridden. Who would believe she could set a fire?

But when people thought of Ling Yu, the man who had rescued her, they understood why Old Lady Wang was pointing fingers. If she could pin it on Ye Wuyou, then they could demand compensation from her new husband. Her scheming was obvious.

The village chief frowned at her shamelessness.
“You’re sure it was Ye Wuyou? Then bring evidence. And everyone here knows what kind of girl she is. Do you know why she hasn’t come to work these past two days? Because you beat her so badly she’s still stuck in bed.”

“That’s right, Old Lady Wang,” someone added. “If you want to frame someone, at least pick a believable target. That girl was so timid she wouldn’t even dare kill a chicken, let alone sneak over to set your house on fire. What’s next—you saying she prayed for lightning to strike your roof?”

“Exactly! Ye Wuyou was always such a kind girl. She even saved my boy from drowning in the river. Without her, he’d be dead. How could such a good person suddenly become so vicious, like you’re saying?”

Because Ye Wuyou had always been bullied by the Wang family, but was kindhearted and had even saved children before, her reputation in the village was good. So now many people spoke up on her behalf.

Faced with everyone siding with Ye Wuyou, Old Lady Wang stammered, “I—I—I—!”

“Enough!” the chief cut her off sharply. “This ends here. Until you bring evidence, don’t you dare slander others. Don’t forget—her parents gave their lives saving your eldest grandson. And this is how you treat their daughter? Wang Cuihua, a person must have some conscience.”

Calling her by full name showed how angry he was. After that, he no longer wanted to argue with her. Yes, it was pitiful that her family had suffered such a disaster, but her reckless words were infuriating.

“I’ve said already: the fire happened, no matter the cause. What you need to do now is figure out how your family will live from here on. The village has no spare houses for you. The only place available is an old thatched hut near the trees halfway up the mountain. It’s rundown, but livable. Clean it up and move in.”

“What? Village Chief, you mean to make us live in a thatched hut? But our house was burned down—shouldn’t someone compensate us?”

“Anyway, I don’t care, I still think it was Ye Wuyou who did it. After all, I sold her off before—of course she’s been holding a grudge in her heart.”
Even now, Old Lady Wang was convinced her house had been deliberately burned down. How else could a fire just start on its own?

“You say that girl Ye set the fire, but do you have any evidence?” The village chief frowned at her stubbornness. He really didn’t understand what kind of debt the Ye family must have owed the Wangs in a past life. This life, the parents had already given their lives for them, and now their daughter had been sold off by that same family. And still, they wanted to pin this house fire on the poor girl.

At his words, Old Lady Wang fell silent again. But the chief had no interest in continuing the argument—he still had to lead everyone to work soon.
“I’ve already given you a solution. If you don’t want to live in that thatched hut up the mountain, then figure something else out yourselves.”

Then he turned to the onlookers and barked:
“What are you all standing around for? Don’t you have work to do? Or do you already have enough grain put away for winter?”

At that, the crowd quickly scattered. The chief was right—they didn’t have food stored for the winter yet. Even though this was the south, grain shortages were everywhere. If they didn’t hurry to earn work points to exchange for food, they’d be going hungry once the cold months came.

Watching everyone leave for work, Old Lady Wang felt a wave of bitterness. No one stayed behind to comfort her. Why wouldn’t the chief believe her? She was sure it had to be Ye Wuyou who burned her house down. And if not her, then maybe that man of hers, taking revenge on her behalf. But she didn’t dare say that out loud. She had no proof—and besides, Ling Yu was a former soldier. If they accused him without evidence, it would be slander against a veteran. In this country, soldiers were heavily protected. One wrong move, and she might end up behind bars.