Chapter 39 Playing Double Standards

In the chaos, Wang Jiaojiao’s body was carried into the Wang family’s courtyard under the village headman’s orders.

On the other side, the villager was stammering, recounting the events to the villagers who had gathered around.

This morning, after he had eaten, he took his hoe and went to the foot of Humpback Mountain to dig up some wild vegetables. At the foot of the mountain, he met the Wang family father and son who were going into the mountains.

He watched as the Wang family father and son reached the foot of the mountain but didn’t stop, looking like they were going to climb Humpback Mountain.

Because the officials had come two days ago to warn the villagers not to go into the mountains recently, he kindly advised them, but he was instead scolded by Wang Laoer and his son, who accused him of meddling.

The villager had tried to persuade them, but since they wouldn’t listen, he could only give up.

However, less than an hour after Wang Laoer and his son entered Humpback Mountain, there were howls of wolves.

There were also cries for help from Wang Laoer and his son, shouting that there were many, many wolves on the mountain.

The weather today was even colder than yesterday, so there were very few people going into the mountains.

Hearing the wolf pack on the mountain, he was so scared that his legs went weak, and he quickly ran back to report the news, notifying the villagers he met along the way.

“Wang Laoer and Wang Fugui are probably in a bad way. If the wolf pack comes down the mountain, our village will be in trouble. Headman, let’s report to the officials…”

After the middle-aged villager finished speaking, he added with lingering fear.

The village headman’s face was ashen. At this point, whether or not he reported to the officials was no longer up to him.

He sent someone to Old Yang’s house to ask him to report to the county government in Taihe County. After giving the order, he was about to arrange for the villagers to go into the mountains.

Wang Pozi, who had been wailing, heard that her most precious grandson and son were in trouble, their lives hanging in the balance.

She immediately burst into tears, rushing to the village headman, “Eldest brother! Eldest brother! Quickly send people up the mountain to search. If Laoer and Fugui are gone, I won’t live either…”

Then, she loudly scolded the villagers present, “What are you all standing there for? My Laoer and Fugui are still on the mountain. You have to go and save them!”

Wang Laoer and his son had eaten breakfast and then argued with Wang Pozi about going into the mountains.

Firstly, they wanted to continue to pick up any leftovers from the traps, and secondly, they didn’t believe that Qin Ruo really knew how to catch wolves.

Both father and son felt that Qin Ruo was just a lucky cat who had stumbled upon a dead rat.

Last night, they learned that a donkey cart loaded with goods had entered the Qin family’s courtyard, and they were quite dissatisfied.

The Qin family girl could catch wolves, it must be because the wolves had fallen into the traps themselves, injured, and then captured.

Even if she boasted to the heavens, Wang Laoer and his son wouldn’t believe a word.

They were really envious of those two taels of silver.

Although being fined five taels of silver by the officials sounded like a lot, as if the Wang family didn’t need money, the family’s finances were firmly in the hands of the village headman and Wang Pozi.

Although they didn’t lack food and clothing on a daily basis, they didn’t have much cash on hand.

Occasionally, they would coax some money from Wang Pozi, and they would spend it all in a flash.

The father and son were eager to go catch wolves and get some money to spend.

When Wang Laoer and his son wanted to go into the mountains, Wang Pozi didn’t even try to persuade them, she just let them go.

Wang Pozi’s thoughts were similar to those of Wang Laoer and his son. She didn’t believe Qin Ruo’s account of how she caught the wolves.

She firmly believed that she had just gotten lucky.

Now, Wang Pozi’s heart was filled with regret. If she had known, she would have stopped them from going into the mountains.

But now, it was too late.

Everyone looked at each other, and no one spoke.

The village headman saw everyone’s reaction, turned to Qin Ruo, and said viciously,

“You’re good at catching wolves, aren’t you? Go! And anyone else in the family who is strong and healthy, follow her. You must bring Wang Laoer and Wang Fugui back.”

The village headman looked as if it was a matter of course. Qin Ruo wanted to laugh.

“My father disappeared in the mountains three years ago. Our Qin family went to you to ask you to organize the villagers to help search the mountains. What did you say then?”

“If I remember correctly, you said that our Qin family makes a living by our own skills, and that if something happens, it’s fate. You told us to accept our fate, saying that the villagers don’t have the skills to catch wolves? Isn’t that sending people to their deaths?”

“Later, it was my grandmother who went door to door, begging the villagers to go up the mountain. Helping is a favor, not helping is a right, I understand that. I remember everyone who helped our Qin family. I don’t remember anyone from the Wang family stepping forward, including you, the village headman.”

Qin Ruo’s words made most of the villagers present lower their heads in shame.

“Just now, your Wang Jiaojiao accused my girl of murder and yelled to have her arrested. Thankfully, heaven has eyes and she got what she deserved. Now, your Wang Laoer and Wang Fugui are in trouble, and you want my girl to go to her death? You really dare to think! Bah!”

“When my Huaizheng was in trouble, you pretended to be deaf and dumb. Now you’re so quick to arrange things. How big is your face?”

Qin Laotai pointed at the village headman’s nose, her facial muscles twitching with anger.

The village headman was flushed with shame by the words of Qin Ruo and Qin Laotai.

He wanted to put on his usual air of authority, but he found that no one was paying attention to him.

A villager, emboldened, said, “Headman, that’s a wolf pack. Maybe… we should wait for the county constables to arrive before we do anything.”

Although they didn’t want to offend the village headman in the past, it was nothing compared to their own lives.

Once one person spoke up, the other villagers followed suit.

“Headman, the county officials told us the other day, don’t go to the back mountain unless it’s necessary.”

“That’s right! Why do your Wang Laoer and his son like to go against the officials?”

“Did you all hear that? It’s a wolf pack! You’re not sending us to our deaths, are you?”

Everyone chimed in, expressing their dissatisfaction.

“If you don’t go, who will? Those are two lives! Aren’t you afraid of divine retribution? Even if my Jiaojiao really did something wrong to you, she’s gone now. Aren’t you satisfied?”

Wang Pozi pointed at Qin Ruo and cried hysterically.

“That’s a wolf pack, not a flock of chickens or rabbits! I make a living hunting, but I’m a human, not a god. If you don’t want to die in vain, it’s best to wait for the officials to arrive.”

Qin Ruo’s words were addressed to the villagers of Changhe Village who were present. After speaking, she stood aside impassively, unmoved.

With her current abilities, she could certainly go into the mountains.

But why should she go into the mountains to save two people who deserved to die?

Even if she could save them, she wouldn’t.

People like Wang Pozi’s family, when it doesn’t concern them, they choose to stay out of it, but when it comes to their own interests, they immediately try to morally blackmail others.

You can’t be so hypocritical.

When Qin Huaizheng was in trouble, the original Qin Qiuxi  was taken to the Wang family by Qin Laotai.

When she knelt down and begged the village headman to intervene, Wang Pozi wasn’t like this.

She gloated and directly chased Qin Laotai and her siblings out.

She told them to go home and mourn if they wanted to, don’t dirty her Wang family’s land.

If there was divine retribution, it would be the Wang family who would suffer it first.

The villagers of the village gradually gathered at the village headman’s house. Hearing that the wolf pack on the back mountain might come down, they were all terrified.

They also heard that Old Yang had already gone to the Taihe County government, so they simply brought their families and belongings to wait for the county officials to arrive.