My Lady Always Lacks Ambition
Chapter 281 - 280: Resolution

Chapter 281: Chapter 280: Resolution

"As there is a plaintiff here, and this is a matter of human relationships, Qin Liuxi wouldn’t presume to make decisions on her own. How to proceed is not for her to manage; her only concern is to pacify Village Chief Wang, dispel this resentful energy, let his family send the deceased on their way peacefully, and her work here would be done.

Wang Dayong asked her opinion directly, and she in turn looked to the plaintiff, "What do you think?"

Village Chief Wang was at a loss for a moment.

He looked at his eldest son kneeling on the ground and then at Wang Sanquan, knowing that this man would not be able to withstand the pressure, and that in the future, the Wang family would still have to rely on the eldest son.

"He is the eldest son; let him decide on this matter," Village Chief Wang intentionally wanted to gauge his eldest son’s capabilities.

Having relayed this message through Qin Liuxi, Wang Dayong suddenly became hesitant.

Wang Sanquan crawled on his knees to him, clasped his hands, and said, "Big brother, it truly wasn’t intentional. It was just a mistake in the moment. He was our own father, no matter how foolish I am, I wouldn’t dare really kill him. It was just a moment of panic, fearing the scandal would ruin our family’s reputation, that made my strike too forceful."

Wang Dayong angrily retorted, "You’re not just ruined now; you’ve turned into complete shit."

Such incidents spread like wildfire throughout the farming villages, reaching every nook and cranny within miles. Their Wang family was now without face.

"Big brother, I really will change."

"That was my father, as well as yours. Are we just going to let him go carrying this resentful energy?"

Wang Sanquan said through tears, "I was seduced by that vile woman."

Wang Dayong glared at Mrs. Hu, who had nearly shrunk into herself, gnashing his teeth in hatred. The troublemaker – he had known from the moment she entered the door that she was no good, and sure enough, she proved him right.

Looking again at Wang Sanquan, he felt wavering. Their father was dead, and this was his own flesh and blood brother. If he were to report to the authorities and get him arrested, what would the outcome be?

Not reporting it, he couldn’t get over his father’s death.

Wang Dayong was caught between a rock and a hard place.

Village Chief Wang watched and sighed, drifting over to Qin Liuxi’s side, "My eldest son lacks decisiveness and ruthlessness; seems like he won’t make a Village Chief of the Wang Family Village in the future."

Qin Liuxi noncommittally said, "He is luckier than you were."

Village Chief Wang curiously asked, "May I know from which prestigious background does the young master hail?"

"A master is a master, why add a ’young’ in front? I am the Daoist of Qingping Temple."

"Oh, a grand master from Qingping Temple." Village Chief Wang clasped his hands together and gave a bow, "We are indebted to you today."

"Yes, for just ten taels of incense oil, those charlatans would dare to ask for a hundred taels. So, go on your way peacefully, don’t cause any trouble for me, and don’t make things difficult for the juniors. Your daughter-in-law still carries your golden grandchild." Qin Liuxi glanced at Ms. Liao’s belly and spoke indifferently, "Raise this child well after they are born, and the Wang family will have a successor."

There was an implication in her words.

Village Chief Wang gritted his teeth, "I have to go, I did harbor resentment indeed. I couldn’t get over it, but now with the truth revealed, I find myself in a dilemma. Alas, in my old age, misfortune has struck me! Well, let it be."

Only then did Qin Liuxi look at Wang Dayong and said, "If you cover up this matter and do not report it, within ten days, he will die a wrongful death."

Wang Dayong was startled, "What?"

"His." Qin Liuxi pointed at Wang Sanquan, "I mean, he will meet an untimely end."

Wang Sanquan’s face turned pale.

"However, there is still a glimmer of hope. You can report him to the county government, or he can surrender himself. According to the laws of Da Feng, those who surrender for accidental homicide may be spared death and be exiled instead. Even if banished for three thousand miles, he may still escape death; the decision is yours." Qin Liuxi glanced at Mrs. Hu again and pointed at her, "As for her, she doesn’t have the sin of murder, but as an adulterer and an accessory, she cannot escape a beating and being disowned by her in-laws, ending up in the brothels; her life won’t be easy from then on."

Mrs. Hu screamed, "You’re talking nonsense."

Are you saying she will end up a prostitute frequented by countless men?

"Whether it is nonsense or not, we shall see in the coming days." Qin Liuxi was not angry, and then said to Wang Sanquan, "As for you, it all depends on whether you dare to gamble, as you only have one life after all."

Wang Sanquan was truly frightened to tears.

Wasn’t this a situation where a step forward meant death, and a step backward, a vicious beast awaits?

"You should turn yourself in." Wang Dayong gritted his teeth and knelt down towards Qin Liuxi: "Father, I have let you down. If you must blame someone, blame me. When we meet in the underworld, you can beat me if you like."

Village Chief Wang wiped the corner of his eye and said, "Let it be so."

Since it was decided, there was no time to delay.

Wang Dayong first tied up Mrs. Hu and locked her in the firewood shed, then had the elders of his clan help with the funeral preparations, before personally taking Wang Sanquan to the county government to surrender.

Surrendering expedites the process. In less than two hours, they had returned, bringing with them government guards and the forensic doctor from the County Governor’s office. However, Wang Sanquan now had handcuffs on his wrists—a post-mortem would be required to determine if it was accidental killing.

Village Chief Wang had been dead for five days now. Even though it was cold today, once the coffin was opened, there was a smell that made people uncomfortable.

Qin Liuxi temporarily stripped himself of his sense of smell, but still covered his nose and glanced at the coffin once before turning to Village Chief Wang, asking, "When your mouth and nose were covered, your chest must have been in severe pain, right?"

Village Chief Wang was startled for a moment, then remembered with a groan, "How did you know that? Can you really deduce it?"

"Deduce what? Your face is already purplish-black; it was death due to myocardial infarction, which means your heart suddenly lacked blood supply. Plus, your breathing was not smooth, you couldn’t get enough air, and that hastened your death."

"So it wasn’t that ungrateful son who killed me?"

"No, it was him, he accidentally killed you. If help came in time, you could have lived, but he suffocated you, causing you to die even faster," Qin Liuxi said indifferently.

Village Chief Wang listened and suddenly sat down on the ground and started crying, "My death was so unjust."

The forensic doctor’s autopsy had the same result as Qin Liuxi’s deduction, but Qin Liuxi had identified the cause of death without an examination, which greatly impressed everyone.

Since it was an accidental killing, and both had turned themselves in, now that the investigation was clear, the two were taken away to await trial on another day, and the funeral continued.

Qin Liuxi asked Wang Dayong and the others to prepare a table of good food and drinks for the offering, allowing Village Chief Wang to enjoy a meal, and then sealed the burnt coffin lid with talisman paper, muttering complaints as he did so, "You really are daring, not afraid that the fire would spread to this wooden coffin of yours and directly burn your body too. What, you want to be roasted like a pig?"

In ancient times, the dead were always concerned about being intact, and fire burning was a dreadful prospect for many elders.

Village Chief Wang took a drink and said, "How much could a little candle burn, they wouldn’t just stand by and watch it burn."

Qin Liuxi scoffed lightly, "Better safe than sorry."

"I had a bit of luck; there was no ’just in case.’" Village Chief Wang said with an unabashed smile.

Qin Liuxi gave him a look, finished sealing the coffin, and drew a talisman to stick on it. He then said to Wang Dayong, who was helping by his side, "This should do. The funeral procession will leave tomorrow at the last quarter of the hour of Mao."

Wang Dayong promptly bowed in respect and thanked him, "And my father?"

Qin Liuxi looked at Village Chief Wang, who, after having eaten his fill and belching, said, "Have him follow you to the thatched hut behind here."

Qin Liuxi led the people away, and as if through a speaking tube, had Wang Dayong dig out the box where his father had hidden money and valuables. The box was pressed under the stepping stone of the latrine.

"This really is filthy lucre!" Qin Liuxi said, covering his nose and giving Village Chief Wang a disdainful look.

Village Chief Wang laughed and said, "They would never have thought of this." Then he looked at his eldest son and heaved a long sigh, "From now on, the future of the Wang family depends on you."