Chapter 12

"Back then, a few of us went up the mountain together. Our families barely had anything to put in the pot, so we figured digging up some wild greens or catching a rabbit or pheasant would help. But everywhere nearby had already been picked clean, so Baoquan wanted to go farther in. That was where things went wrong. None of us knew when Lu Lin had fallen behind."

Even after more than a decade, the man remembered that day as clearly as ever. "We waited ages before Lu Lin came rushing back. He was frantic and kept urging us to leave. Baoquan noticed something bulging under his clothes, and Lu Lin didn't look right, so he asked what had happened. Who would've thought..."

"He had a wolf cub tucked inside his clothes, and it had only just died!"

The man's face still went pale at the memory. He continued, "Lu Lin said he'd fallen down a slope and found the cub in a den. But that little wolf was plump. How could it have been a motherless cub? Baoquan knew something was wrong and made him tell us the truth right then. Lu Lin finally admitted it. His wife was still recovering from childbirth, and with nothing to eat, she couldn't even produce milk. He'd wandered around the mountain for ages, and the wolf cub was the only living thing he'd come across. It was small, but it was still a few ounces of meat. Keeping his wife and daughter alive came first."

"None of us expected the mother wolf to come so quickly. The moment we found out, we hurried to get down the mountain, but it was too late. Lu Lin was bitten to death by that wolf, and Baoquan got caught up in it and fell down the slope..."

No one had imagined that this was the truth of what had happened back then. A murmur of sorrow passed through the crowd. But who was to blame? The man who had done anything for a mouthful of food, or the mother wolf who had lost her cub? They were all pitiful...

Lu Tinglan felt little about the story. She listened coldly to the end, then offered her opinion just as coldly in her mind.

So this is a story about one selfish man dragging everyone else down.

What I didn't expect was...

Lu Tinglan looked toward Father Lu, who had quietly disappeared into the crowd. At that moment, the old man wished he could turn invisible. He tried desperately to make himself inconspicuous, afraid his wife and daughter would come looking for trouble.

Naturally, Lu Tinglan wasn't going to let him off. She immediately delivered a scathing judgment in her mind.

I always knew my dad was a bit of a saint, but I didn't realize he was this saintly. If the bodhisattva in the temple saw him, it would have to give up its altar. Anyone would say you, Lu Baoquan, deserve the incense offerings more than it does! You're such a saint you're in a league of your own!

"You reap what you sow!" an aged voice rang out, and an old man with white hair squeezed through the crowd.

Someone immediately went to support him. The people nearby called out, "Fifth Uncle! Fifth Great-Uncle!" Lu Tinglan called him Great-Grandpa too.

This elder was the most senior member of Lu Family Village. In a village bound together by blood, a word from Fifth Great-Uncle sometimes carried more weight than one from Father Lu, the village chief.

Thinking her savior had arrived, Liu Cuilan hurriedly appealed to him. "Fifth Great-Uncle, you were the one who settled Lu Lin's matter back then. These people are rotten to the core. They won't even let him rest in peace. You have to stand up for me!"

The old man ignored Liu Cuilan, whose voice had risen to a sob. Instead, he hobbled over to Father Lu.

He sighed deeply and laid a thin, bony hand on Father Lu's shoulder. "You've done well all these years. The way you've served as village chief has earned my wholehearted respect."

Praise from an elder flushed Father Lu's weathered face red with embarrassment. He quickly waved it off. "I'm still a long way from measuring up to you. There's plenty I need to learn."

Leaning on his cane, the old man slowly turned around. This time, his gaze finally fell on Liu Cuilan.

Thinking back on everything that had happened over the years, the old man let out a long sigh. He raised his voice so everyone could hear. "I was a witness back then. Baoquan has a clear conscience about how he treated both Lu Lin and you, Liu Cuilan. Now that it's all out in the open, if I hear anyone using this matter to stir up trouble again, they'll have me to answer to!"

Fifth Great-Uncle's words were another piece of evidence in Father Lu's favor. It seemed Father Lu truly had nothing to do with Lu Lin's death, which meant he owed Liu Cuilan nothing.

Liu Cuilan climbed to her feet in a daze. She had never imagined that coming here to make a scene today would cost her so dearly.

Lu Tinglan curled her lip. She was deeply dissatisfied with how things had been handled.

That's it? That's it? That's it? They're just brushing it aside? All the wrongs my mother suffered over the years, and all the hardship our family went through scrimping and saving to help them—that's all being swept under the rug?

Easy for them to say when they weren't the ones who suffered!

"Stop right there!"

The flood of long-buried revelations had left Mother Lu struggling to think straight. At her daughter's reminder, her eyes sharpened at once.

Mother Lu strode forward, seized Liu Cuilan by the collar, and slapped her hard.

Smack! The sound rang out crisp and clear. The blow sent Liu Cuilan's head spinning and left one side of her face burning.

"You said we were even! What right do you have to hit me?"

"Who said you and I were even? Lu Baoquan is Lu Baoquan, and I, Wang Xiuhong, am Wang Xiuhong. His account and mine are separate!"

Beautifully done!

Lu Tinglan silently cheered for her mother. Then she slipped in front of Father Lu and watched him warily.

Just try playing peacemaker and breaking up the fight! Lu Tinglan bared her teeth fiercely.

No, wait. Lu Tinglan took a step back, clearing the way in front of Father Lu.

Father Lu was utterly baffled when he heard his daughter's next thought.

Forget it. Dad should go over there. Mom can give him a couple of slaps while she's at it and let out all those years of pent-up anger!

Father Lu: ...

Thanks. His daughter had shown him just how devoted she was today, too.

One slap wasn't enough to satisfy Mother Lu. She struck Liu Cuilan's other cheek. After those two solid blows, the woman's face rapidly swelled red, turning her into a big pig-headed mess.

"What right do you have to hit me?" Liu Cuilan had already made a complete fool of herself today and was on the verge of breaking down. Now she shrieked wildly.

"Why did I hit you?"

Mother Lu turned to look at Father Lu, who avoided her eyes. Truthfully, those two slaps had felt wonderful, and her hand was still itching for more. Couldn't Lu Baoquan come over and act like a fool for no reason, so she could really enjoy herself?

Father Lu shuddered. He had the inexplicable feeling that he, too, was lying on the ground awaiting judgment, and he didn't dare move a step. A few people nearby wanted to make peace, but Mother Lu's bearing intimidated them. They only dared offer advice from a distance.

Mother Lu stared coldly at Liu Cuilan, hatred steeping her voice. "I hit you because some of the grain Lu Baoquan gave you was earned by me. You lived off my blood and sweat, you disgusting creature. Two slaps were letting you off lightly! If you dare upset me again, I'll hit you every time I see you!"

"Get lost!"

Mother Lu let go with a commanding flourish, and Liu Cuilan crumpled to the ground. Angry as Mother Lu was, she hadn't completely lost her head. She knew exactly how hard she had struck with those two slaps.

If she kept hitting her, she might get to vent her anger, but Liu Cuilan could turn around and claim she'd been injured, then try to extort money from her. That wouldn't be worth it.

"All right, all right. You've seen enough excitement. Go on home, everyone. We still have work this afternoon." Fifth Great-Uncle sent the spectators on their way.

The villagers headed home with plenty of juicy gossip to savor. Liu Cuilan also scrambled up from the ground in disgrace, quietly nursing a grudge against the whole family.

After the crowd dispersed, Father Lu sidled over awkwardly. "Dear, what would you like for lunch? I'll make it."

Mother Lu didn't even glance at him. She went into the room on her own, and a click sounded as she locked the door. Father Lu had never imagined his wife would refuse to let him inside. He stood outside in a daze, staring at his daughter as she stared back.

Lu Jiancheng had no classes that afternoon, so he had come home at noon. Seeing his father and younger sister staring at each other in the courtyard, he asked in confusion, "Don't you have to go back to work soon, Dad? Why aren't you inside getting some rest?"

Before Father Lu could answer, Lu Tinglan beat him to it in her mind.

Why isn't he going in? Because Mom won't let him, of course! Second Brother, you'd better get ready too. Mom and Dad are getting divorced. Which one are you going with?

What on earth was she talking about?

Divorced? Who, his own parents? She had to be joking.

Besides, the gloating tone in his sister's voice sounded an awful lot like the one he used when teasing the neighbors' children.

"Which do you like more, your mom or your dad?"

Damn it. Heartless adults had forced him to answer that question when he was little. Why did he still have to answer it now that he was grown?

Lu Jiancheng was speechless. He went back to his own room, planning to ask his sister what had happened once both their parents had left.