Chapter 13: Search Turns Up Empty, Resolving the Grudge

The county magistrate’s assistant, a man with some authority, quickly had all those involved in the argument earlier brought under control for questioning. 

Wang Shi hurriedly jumped forward to voice her suspicions. 

He Mingjie also claimed that his family was on good terms with everyone, with no grudges against anyone. 

After briefly understanding the situation, the assistant magistrate had Wen Yunqing and Wen Yunwei brought in for questioning. 

He kept his guard up and decided to question them separately. He asked when they had returned home the previous night, when they went to bed, when they woke up this morning, and when they left the house—everything matched up perfectly. 

However, this did not completely rule them out as suspects. The magistrate decided to search their home just to be thorough. 

So, they made their way to the Wen family’s house. 

Wang Shi strutted in like a victorious rooster, leading the group and using her power to intimidate everyone. She even shoved the blind Wen mother, causing her to stumble and fall to the ground, struggling to get back up. 

Wen Yunqing and Wen Yunwei were held back by the officials, and when they saw this scene, their faces turned red with anxiety. 

Wen Yunhe remained calm, lying in her bed in the inner room. 

She knew their methods; at the end of the day, without evidence, they could do nothing to them. Any wrongful action would result in unjust punishment. 

Besides, unless the county magistrate himself came, these minor officials couldn’t make a decision on their own. Without concrete evidence, no one could be convicted. 

The Wen family house wasn’t large and could be seen at a glance. 

Aside from the several hundred pounds of rice drying in the yard, there was nothing else of interest. 

Wen Yunqing explained that the rice was harvested yesterday, which matched up with what they had said earlier. 

Wang Shi, however, was frantic, running around inspecting every corner, as if she were determined to dig through the earth. She would have even found the wild chicken Wen Yunhe had hidden if she hadn’t managed to stash it away. 

The assistant magistrate didn’t ask Wen Yunhe to get up, partly because of gender differences—since they were all men, it was inconvenient for them to question her in her room. 

Also, everyone knew that Wen Yunhe had only recently attempted suicide and was physically unwell. 

Once the search seemed almost complete, Wen Yunqing stepped forward to defend them: “Your Excellency, please look at this with clarity. The He family is my sister’s in-laws. My Wen family’s sons would never sever ties with them. 

Indeed, there was a disagreement between my mother and aunt regarding my sister’s health yesterday, but we never did anything like this.” 

The assistant magistrate was surprised to learn that the Wen family had such a relationship with the He family. 

Now it seemed clear that Wang Shi’s accusations were unfounded. 

The assistant magistrate nodded and spoke decisively: “In my opinion, the Wen family is not responsible for this. 

Only two members of your family are capable of working, and it’s impossible for them to harvest three and a half acres of rice in one night. 

And there’s no stolen property to be found. 

Wang Shi, considering you’ve lost something and just suffered the pain of losing your son, it’s understandable you would be distraught and speaking irrationally. We won’t pursue this further.” 

“Your Excellency, I’m not speaking nonsense. Could it be that they hid the rice somewhere else? Or perhaps they worked with others to steal it? My rice didn’t just grow legs and run off!” Wang Shi persisted, shouting and even sitting down on the ground, as though ready to throw a tantrum. 

The assistant magistrate’s face darkened visibly, and his voice rose several degrees: “Do you believe my judgment is wrong?” 

“Your Excellency, please calm down. My mother didn’t mean that. She’s just in pain after hearing about my brother’s death and now this incident at home. 

The rice is vital for our food supply for the year, so she’s just desperate.” He Mingjie quickly intervened, bowing respectfully. 

The assistant magistrate’s expression softened, understanding that the situation was indeed strange. If they didn’t investigate this properly now, it could become an unsolved case. Maybe the evidence was hidden in someone’s house right now. 

Regardless, he didn’t believe in supernatural explanations—this was a human error, not some divine intervention. 

Although Wang Shi was difficult, she had raised two good sons. The older one was already a scholar, and his future was uncertain. It was best not to make enemies unnecessarily. 

Thinking this over, the assistant magistrate spoke, “In that case, He Mingjie, I will personally escort you and ensure a thorough investigation of everyone involved today. If there are no traces, this matter will be closed. Do you agree?” 

Upon hearing this, Wang Shi quickly scrambled to her feet. 

“I will listen to the magistrate, of course,” He Mingjie, the cultured but deceitful man, said with a polite smile, his demeanor always misleading. 

The group proceeded to search the other households. 

Before leaving, Wang Shi cast a vicious glare at the Wen siblings. 

“Little pests, they didn’t catch them today, but I’ll bet this has something to do with the Wen family.” Her mind was filled with suspicion. 

So many of the fields had no issue, yet hers had, and after yesterday’s argument where she had forced them to help with the rice harvest, now this happened. 

She didn’t believe it wasn’t connected to them. Who knew what kind of tricks they had used to escape suspicion? 

Wen Yunwei glared back at her, while Wen Yunqing signaled for her not to engage any further. Once they closed the door, Wen Yunhe hurried to comfort her mother, who was likely still shaken from the earlier encounter. 

Wen Yunqing and Wen Yunwei began tidying up the items that had been disturbed during the search. 

“Heaven has eyes, it serves them right! I hope they never find their rice!” Wen Yunwei couldn’t help but gloat. 

But Wen Yunqing was deep in thought. “Who exactly harvested that rice? To harvest three and a half acres in one night, and do it so neatly—it must have been someone extraordinary…” 

“I don’t care about that, just think of it as someone carrying out heaven’s justice,” Wen Yunwei responded, indifferent. 

“True,” Wen Yunqing agreed. 

After they finished tidying up, they returned to the fields to continue harvesting their own rice. 

Wen Yunhe poured a small cup of spiritual spring water for Wen mother, and after she drank it, her nerves began to calm. 

As the saying goes, one can’t fight against the government, and as a woman, Wen mother had been greatly frightened. With no strong pillar in the family, only young children, she was terrified. 

After a moment, she clutched Wen Yunhe’s hand and began to cry. 

“It’s my fault, all my fault. How could I have been so foolish to marry you off to the He family? 

Now your husband is gone, and you have no children to support you. Wang Shi is so cruel to you. What will you do for the rest of your life, my dear He’er?” 

Wen Yunhe suddenly felt an overwhelming sadness, embracing her mother. Her tears flowed freely, feeling as if the original owner’s emotions were influencing her. 

A mother’s love is unwavering, and despite her own tears, Wen mother held onto her daughter’s hand with a firm resolve. 

“He’er, I didn’t see things clearly before. I thought that sacrificing your own happiness for peace would lead to a smooth life. 

But now I know the He family is a trap; one we can never return to. 

I’ve thought about it. Your brothers are good, and in the future, you’ll always have them to rely on. 

You’re so talented, my dear He’er. You’re excellent at needlework, your pottery is both strong and beautiful. You’ll always be able to support yourself. 

Come back home. Even if life is difficult, it won’t be worse than it is now.” 

Having gone through this ordeal, Wen mother had finally come to terms with things. Her children’s well-being was all that mattered. The He family was a prison, one that would only consume them. 

She could no longer pressure He’er, pushing her toward the edge. She had already made that mistake once and couldn’t afford to make it again. 

A sense of relief filled Wen Yunhe’s heart. 

She realized that perhaps the lingering presence of the original owner’s consciousness was here waiting for these words from her mother. 

Her mother finally understood her, and with that understanding, she could let go of her past grievances. 

She hoped that in her next life, she would find someone to love, and that they would grow old together. But most importantly, she prayed that she would never meet another scoundrel again.