Linxia

Chapter 5, Secret

As the sun set, the glow of the sunset glow receded from the sky and earth like a tide. Xiaohe Village also stopped by a water source, and every household began to set up pots and cook.

Fang Lin went to fetch water and came back with two skinned frogs.

"My son is really capable!"

Fang Sun was proud of it and said happily, "Linzi, go and roast them. One for you and one for your father."

"If you don't like roasted food, just chop it up and add it to the pot!" Fang Lin said.

"What's there to dislike about meat? As long as it's meat, I like it no matter how it's cooked!"

Fang Sun muttered, then suddenly paused, her eyes filled with joy: "My son is so filial."

For dinner, we cooked a mixture of mushrooms, wild vegetables, and coarse rice, and also chopped frog meat.

With the fresh taste of mushrooms, the coarse rice soup mixed with rice husks no longer seems difficult to swallow. If you occasionally eat a piece of diced meat and feel them blooming on your taste buds, this unexpected little surprise seems to be able to dispel the sourness that has seeped into the joints and bone marrow during a day's journey.

After dinner, a young man came over and said, "Uncle Fang, my father said he has something to do. Please come over."

This is Qiao Xu, the youngest son of the Muramasa family.

"Go here."

Fang Shuyou stood up and suddenly remembered the matter of asking for food last night. He turned around and asked, "Linzi, are you going?"

This is to help him gain some experience.

"Yes, Dad!" Fang Lin agreed and followed.

……

The Qiao family had already finished their meal. In addition to the Qiao family members, there was another person who surprised Fang Lin - Old Lady Chen.

"Dad, Uncle Fang is here, you guys chat." After saying this, Qiao Xu stepped aside and made room for him.

Fang Lin immediately realized that this was not an ordinary situation, just like the usual meetings in the village to discuss things, so he consciously decided to take shelter for a while.

When Old Lady Chen saw this, she said, "I trust Lin Wa, so stay here and be a witness!"

Because of the food delivery last night, she believed that Fang Lin was a good person. Plus, the Fang family had a good reputation in the village, so she invited people from the third branch of the Fang family to come.

Seeing Fang's father nodded, Fang Lin did not leave, but he had already made up his mind. Tonight, in front of these elders, he would only have eyes and ears, not a mouth, and he would not say a word unless they asked.

"Is your uncle here? Old Lady Chen said there's something important and asked you to come over as a witness."

Qiao Cunzheng nodded to Uncle Fang, then turned to Old Lady Chen and said, "There's no one else here. You should call someone from the third branch of the Fang family to be a witness. I have also invited them. Can we talk now?"

Old Mrs. Chen nodded slightly. Her usually sarcastic triangular face suddenly showed a hint of fear: "My son Daqiang was killed by that vicious, rotten-hearted Guihua!"

These words were earth-shattering, and Qiao Cunzheng, Fang Shuyou, and Fang Lin were all shocked.

No matter what he felt in his heart, Fang Lin always remained a small and transparent character.

"That's not something you can say." Fang Shuyou was silent for a moment and then spoke.

Qiao Cun took a deep look at Old Lady Chen and suddenly realized: No wonder she was unwilling to invite more people and only invited people from Fang Laosan's family to be witnesses.

If the Bai family heard this, no matter it was true or false, they would definitely make a scene and demand compensation. However, he had no objection to this for the time being. After all, it was just hearsay. If it was made public and known to everyone, it would not be a big deal.

"Old lady Chen, why do you say that?" he asked.

"I saw it. That bitch still kept the tablet of her eldest daughter!" Old Lady Chen said hatefully.

The eldest daughter she mentioned was not Chen Ye, but Chen Ye’s deceased sister, Chen Zhizhi.

Qiao Cunzheng and Fang Shuyou thought it was a big news, but they were speechless after hearing this.

Could it be that this old lady Chen has gone mad? As a mother, she still keeps the tablet of her dead daughter. What kind of evidence is this?
Fang Lin seemed to be thinking about something and also looked at Old Lady Chen.

"Muramasa, nephew of the Fang family, believe me, that bitch is here to collect debts. I suspect that it's not just Daqiang, but also my grandson Wanglong, our head of the family, and Daqiang's paralysis. I suspect that it was all done by that bitch! It was her, she is collecting debts for that money-loser who died early!" Old Mrs. Chen said excitedly.

Debt collection?
Qiao Cunzheng tasted some of the smell and suddenly asked, "You mean, Guihua is taking revenge for her eldest daughter? But why is she taking revenge against your family? Is there something strange about the death of your eldest granddaughter?"

At that time, the Chen family didn't say much about Chen Zhizhi's death, and the villagers didn't ask much about it. After all, it was normal for children to die in that era.

After hearing this, Old Lady Chen hesitated and refused to say anything at first. However, this question was the key point and had to be answered. After further questioning, she vaguely said that Chen Zhizhi's death was related to her grandson Chen Wanglong.

A flash of light flashed through Fang Lin's mind, as if he had grasped something.

Qiao Cunzheng and Fang Shuyou also fell silent at the same time, unable to speak for a moment.

If what Old Lady Chen guessed was true, and Sister Guihua was really seeking revenge for her eldest daughter, not to mention Old Man Chen, Chen Wanglong and the others, and only talking about Chen Daqiang's death today, then it was reasonable for her to be called away by the Bai family's daughter-in-law, which might mean that Sister Guihua had been planning for today's murder for at least several years.

But is it possible for someone to endure humiliation for so many years with such deep scheming?
Thinking of this, Qiao Cunzheng and Uncle Fang inexplicably felt that the moonlight tonight was a little pale and chilly.

"Old lady Chen, this is just speculation and cannot be used as evidence." Qiao Cunzheng was silent for a while, and finally said.

"I have evidence, I have evidence!"

Old Mrs. Chen was very emotional: "Today is the anniversary of her eldest daughter's death. Daqiang also died today. Before I came out, I secretly saw that bitch took out her daughter's tablet. She couldn't help it. She will definitely reveal her true colors tonight. If we eavesdrop, we can expose her true colors!"

Obviously, she had thought about it before she came.

"Okay!" Qiao Cunzheng and Fang Shuyou looked at each other, nodded slightly, and followed Old Lady Chen quietly away.

Fang Lin followed in silence.

……

Qiao Cunzheng, Fang Shuyou, and Fang Lin followed Old Lady Chen and headed towards Old Chen's house with light steps without disturbing anyone.

At this moment, the moonlight was bright, the flames were jumping, and slight shadows were looming in the grass. If it were any other time, it would be nothing out of the ordinary. But today, for some reason, there was an indescribable eerie feeling in the hearts of several people.

As I got closer, I heard Sister Guihua's low voice.

Old Lady Chen, Qiao Cunzheng, Fang Shuyou and Fang Lin stopped, hid in the bushes and listened attentively.

"Zhizhi is gone; Wanglong is gone; Dad is gone; and now, Daqiang, you are gone too... I couldn't eat the whole day today. I was in a daze and kept looking at the place where you usually sat, thinking you were still there..."

Sister Guihua used the only clean cloth to wipe the tablets, which included not only her eldest daughter Chen Zhizhi's, but also her father-in-law's, Chen Wanglong's, and Chen Daqiang's: "I still remember when we met, you were so young..."

She didn't notice the person coming, and she sank into the ground, muttering something, but only she knew what she was thinking.

Scenes of memories flashed through my mind.

……

Twelve years ago.

He Guihua and Chen Daqiang met, and she was physically ill due to the scheme of old lady Chen, and wanted to commit suicide. Old lady Chen held her back and advised her kindly: "Don't look at Daqiang, he is married for the second time and is old, but only when you are old will you know how to love others. What do we women want in our lives? Isn't it to be loved by men? Once you marry me, I will treat you well, and we will have a wonderful life together..."

Hearing these words, He Guihua choked up and struggled in her heart. Finally, as if all the strength in her body was drained away at once, she nodded while crying.

Half a month later, she married into Lao Chen's family without asking for a dowry and became known as "Sister Osmanthus" in the Xiaohe villagers' language.

……

Ten years ago.

Sister Guihua has been married to Old Chen's family for two years. The first half of the month was fine, but then Old Chen began to show her true colors, bullying her daughter-in-law and treating her like an ox or a horse. However, since she had her daughter, Chen Zhizhi, it was like putting a yoke on a donkey. She worked diligently, worked hard, and was a good daughter-in-law.

Until this day.

When Sister Guihua came back from working in the fields, she saw Chen Zhizhi's body. Her daughter was dead from suffocation.

One day half a month later, she calmly extracted information from Chen Wanglong and learned that it was he who covered Chen Zhizhi's face with the dustpan because... it was fun.

She couldn't imagine how desperate her daughter must have been when she died. Such a tiny baby just struggled, cried... and died.

After knowing the truth, Guihua pierced her palm with her nails but said nothing.

……

Nine years ago. "Mom is doing this for your own good. Don't go play in rivers or lakes, especially the Yangtze River. When it rains, there will be a flood. You won't know what's going on down there... Two years ago, that person..." Sister Guihua kept talking.

"I won't listen to you, you stepmother!" Chen Wanglong flicked his sleeves and ran out.

In the river, Chen Wanglong saw the water rushing down from upstream and was about to swim back when he suddenly felt a stomach cramp. A wave came and he disappeared.

……

seven years ago.

Old man Chen went up the mountain to chop firewood. At a steep slope, he suddenly felt dizzy, fell on his back, rolled down the slope more than ten meters high, and hit his head on a rock.

Under the scorching sun, a blood flower bloomed on the stone, bright and dazzling.

……

six years ago.

Chen Daqiang went to perform labor service. When he was moving stones to build a levee, his hand lost strength and a stone hit his knee, causing him to scream.

……

five years ago.

Sister Guihua was coming down the mountain picking mushrooms. She passed by the main road and greeted every villager she met. After she passed by, everyone was talking about it.

"Guihua has gone to the mountains to pick mushrooms again. She is so filial!"

"Mrs. Chen is so lucky to have such a daughter-in-law. Even so, she often has a nose that is not a nose and eyes that are not eyes."

"Isn't it? It's so bitter to be with the Chen family!"

……

At the door of the house, the daughter-in-law of the neighboring Bai family poked her head out and said, "Sister Guihua, come over and help!"

"Hey, here we come!"

In the sunshine, Sister Osmanthus was as delicate and weak as a little white flower.

……

These memories flashed through her mind one by one, causing Sister Guihua to burst into tears at this moment: "Daqiang, you are so cruel. You left mother, me and Ye Zi behind. How can we live?"

The voice was choked, tears flowed, and every word was heartbreaking.

The emotions contained in it moved two outsiders, Qiao Cunzheng and Fang Shu.

Fang Lin lowered his eyelids and remained silent.

Old Lady Chen seemed to find this scene unbelievable, with suspicion and emotion flashing alternately on her face. Her reason made it impossible for her to tell the difference, and her mouth only opened a little wider like a toad.

After a while, the four of them retreated quietly, and behind them they could still hear Sister Guihua's sobbing voice expressing her longing for her husband.

Sister Guihua had no idea that Qiao Cunzheng and his three companions had come from the beginning to the end, but what she knew was that there were some things she would never say out loud in her entire life, not even when she was alone, not even to her own daughter Chen Ye.

Because - the so-called secret is something that a person must keep in his stomach when he is alive and must take with him into the coffin when he dies - if it is known by a second person, it is no longer a secret but a hidden secret.

……

Old Mrs. Chen was in a daze and didn't say anything else. Qiao Cunzheng, Fang Shuyou and Fang Lin left.

"Uncle, I do. Let's just pretend that tonight never happened." Qiao Cunzheng said.

"I know." Uncle Fang nodded.

After parting with the Fang family father and son, Qiao Cunzheng returned home and immediately called all his family members: "In the future, we must not be friends, but also must not offend the Guihua of the old Chen family."

"The Chen family has no men left, so why should we be afraid of her?"

"Yeah, Dad, why?"

"I'm not afraid, and there's no other reason. I just feel... pity for you. Anyway, just listen to me."

It’s true that he was moved by Sister Guihua’s behavior; it’s true that he felt pity for her; but it’s also true that he was subconsciously cautious and wary of her.

At this moment, Qiao Cunzheng suddenly recalled his childhood. That spring, there was a spring snow, but there was not much water after the snow melted. His father said it was a sign of drought, so he took out all the family savings and began to buy food secretly. Later, there was a severe drought, and seven out of ten people in the village died. Every family was in mourning, except his family.

The dim moonlight shone on his chiseled face, and every wrinkle on it was a ring left by time.

……

On the way back, Uncle Fang suddenly said something out of nowhere: "Xiaoxuan is doing fine."

Fang Lin was stunned for a moment before he realized that his father was worried that after seeing Sister Guihua's performance tonight, he would develop a good impression of her and have some other thoughts - in fact, this was not wrong. The mind of a young man is like floating clouds, gathering and dispersing unpredictably. Who can predict whether he will suddenly fall in love with someone?
But he had already gained the fortitude to distinguish between appreciation, liking, and love after the fusion of his two lives. Naturally, he would not have any extra thoughts. He nodded slightly and assured, "Dad, I understand."

"Yeah." Uncle Fang agreed and said nothing more.

He has always been like this in his concern for Fang Lin, and he is reluctant to express his concern with words. Fang Lin has long been accustomed to it.

After returning, Uncle Fang didn't say anything more about what happened tonight, and the family went to bed.

For some reason, it's particularly cold tonight, and the sound of the wind is like a baby crying.

Fang Lin held Tian Xuan in his arms just like he did last night. The two little people snuggled together and whispered in each other's ears, telling each other what they had seen and heard tonight.

"Brother Lin!"

"Sister Xuan!"

After finishing speaking, the two spoke almost at the same time.

"Brother Lin, you speak first!"

"Well, stay away from Sister Osmanthus from now on."

"Brother Lin, do you think so too?"

Obviously, Tian Xuan is extremely rational and smart. Even though Fang Lin talked about Sister Guihua's reaction to the tablet tonight, he still doubted, or thought that there was something wrong with Sister Guihua - as for why she usually looked stupid, was ordered around by Fang's mother, and did the hardest and most tiring work in the Fang family except for Fang's father, it was only because she was willing to do so.

'really. ’

Fang Lin looked deeply at this girl who was so smart that it made him feel sorry for her.

According to his observation, Qiao Cunzheng only had a hint of suspicion, Fang Shuyou didn't even suspect anything, but Tian Xuan was almost certain, just like him.

It's not that Sister Guihua revealed any flaws, and there is no need for any evidence. A truly smart person never believes in coincidences, especially coincidences that happen one after another.

"Yeah." Fang Lin nodded.

"Then why did you..." Tian Xuan didn't say anything else.

Smart people speak only when they are necessary. Fang Lin naturally understood that Tian Xuan wanted to ask why she didn't say it in front of Qiao Cunzheng.

Whatever you have done, there will be traces!
Although Sister Guihua is very scheming and has been able to plan things out for years, as long as Fang Lin insists on making a big deal out of it, they may be able to work together to find clues and unravel the truth.

Fang Lin was silent for a long time before he asked, "What does this have to do with our family?"

At this moment, his indifference and even cruelty towards everyone except his family was fully exposed!

"OK!"

Tian Xuan did not ask any more questions. She raised her head slightly and looked at Fang Lin. This young man who she had raised since childhood had grown to be a little taller than her. His thin profile, thin lips and the fine hairs at the corners of his lips were the most handsome in her eyes.

At this moment, she didn't think about or care about other people's affairs. She shrank forward and pressed herself against that slightly thin chest, as if someone was holding up the sky for her.

The night wind howled, and the dark clouds obscured the moonlight at some point, and the world fell into darkness. At this moment, good and evil, beauty and ugliness were still growing in the corners of the world under the sky, but would eventually be buried and passed away with time, leaving no trace in the world.

……

(End of this chapter)