The Country Maiden: Fields and Leisure
Chapter 111 Concluding the Game

Chapter 111: Chapter 111 Concluding the Game

"What! Don’t have the guts to compare? Because this is your murder weapon, it was you who used this spade to lever the stone onto my big brother’s head, smashing his spine! How could you bear to watch as the stone hit my big brother, and he spat out blood with each breath, unable to even make a sound? Don’t you have nightmares at night? Don’t you dream about my brother coming for his revenge? My brother’s spine was broken, two of his ribs were fractured, and his internal organs were injured. There’s still blood on the mountain that hasn’t dried! Does your dream not have that blood circling around you? Can’t you smell the blood, that fishy smell mixed with sweetness, so thick and sticky, clinging to your body, and you always feel like you can’t wash it off? Don’t you always feel the scent of blood lingering on your hands, never dissipating..." Wang Yongzhu took a step forward, looking into Li Jinlong’s eyes, pressing him with each question, forcing Li Jinlong to retreat all the way to the corner.

His gaze turned scattered, his hands waving incessantly: "Don’t come any closer! I don’t have nightmares! I never dreamed of your big brother, he got what he deserved! He was the unlucky one, I was aiming to teach Wang Yongping a lesson. They look too alike from behind, it’s his own damn fault for bad luck!"

The air around them seemed to explode like water droplets in a hot pan.

Wang Daxiu and Li Dagui collapsed to the ground, their legs giving out.

The eldest and second sons of the Li family looked at each other, the fear in their eyes terrifying each other. They never knew their seemingly frail younger brother could be like this, they always looked down on their two brothers a bit, but they never thought he could be so cruel!

The two daughters-in-law exchanged glances as well, both thinking the same thing: "We must split the family! We need to clear our names from the second elder and Laosan, otherwise, we won’t be able to stay in Qilidun."

Wang Yongzhu wasn’t surprised by Li Jinlong’s response, she had guessed that it was likely her elder brother was mistakenly injured from the moment she determined who the killer was.

"Why did you want to harm Wang Yongping when he had done nothing to you? Is it because of your sister Li Jinzhi?" Wang Yongzhu coaxed Li Jinlong into revealing the truth.

Li Jinlong, with a distracted mind, carelessly answered her.

It took everyone a while to understand his response.

It turned out that Li Jinlong was very unhappy with the decision to betroth Li Jinzhi to Wang Yongping. He wanted his sister to marry Wang Yongan, a scholar. Wouldn’t having a scholar as a brother-in-law be better than a simpleton? He himself wanted to study for the scholar examinations, and Wang Yongping wouldn’t be of any help, but Wang Yongan could give guidance, and with Li Jinlong’s abilities, wouldn’t it be nearly certain?

He hinted in every possible way to Li Jinzhi that she should speak favorably of him to Wang Yongping, so that he might speak well of him to Wang Yongan. But with Wang Yongping’s blockhead, he couldn’t understand such subtleties.

Eventually, Li Jinlong himself approached the situation, saying he admired Wang Yongan’s literary talents, and asked Wang Yongping to borrow some of Wang Yongan’s old homework and manuscripts for him to take reference from.

Wang Yongping was smitten with Li Jinzhi and was all too willing to please his future brother-in-law. He really did sneak out a few books from Wang Yongan’s room, though he couldn’t read and grabbed at random - some were useful, others completely useless.

Having had a taste of success, Li Jinlong went to Wang Yongping again to ask for more materials. Wang Yongping, carelessly, said there was no more. Indeed, there wasn’t any left, after all, Wang Yongan wasn’t at home and had taken most of his stuff, leaving behind only some of the basic readers from when he was younger.

Those basic readers were mostly locked up by Old Granny Zhang, and he had only found them by fluke the first time; where could there be more?

Li Jinlong didn’t believe it. He felt that Wang Yongping just didn’t want to give them to him, and resentment festered in his heart.

Especially since the Wang family had been stingy over the years, skimping on every festival and holiday wherever possible.

The Li family wasn’t very wealthy, and the silver needed for scholarly studies in the future was substantial. Li Dagui often regretted it in private, letting slip that he regretted betrothing his daughter to Wang Yongping. He was no help at all; it would have been better if she had married into a wealthier family that could provide more silver to help him out.

He etched these words into his heart.

Having studied in town, Li Jinlong saw He Dawei, the precious only son of the He family, being generous in the town and noticed the family background of the He family. It all caught his eye.

It was he who orchestrated the meeting between He Dawei and Li Jinzhi and deliberately spoke about He Dawei’s family background into Li Jinzhi’s ears, causing her heart to stir.

Later, when the two of them hooked up, it was all within his expectations.

He had planned to discuss the matter with Li Dagui upon returning home from vacation, find an excuse to call off the engagement with the Wang Family, and then have Li Jinzhi marry into the He Family.

However, he hadn’t expected the couple to produce a child, which disrupted his plans.

Knowing everything was spoiled, Li Jinlong felt like he was almost going to spit blood! Yet, he had to suppress his rage and persuade Li Dagui to agree to the He Family’s demands first and plan the next steps later.

He hated both Li Jinzhi and He Dawei, as well as Wang Yongping for not straightforwardly breaking off the engagement and causing the Li Family’s reputation to be dragged through the mud, which could also impact his future career.

Since Li Jinzhi and He Dawei were still of use to him, he could not vent his resentment towards them, so he turned his thoughts to teaching Wang Yongping a lesson.

With the notion that if Wang Yongping dared to break off the engagement, he should never think of finding a bride again, he observed the Wang Family every day without leaving a trace.

Until early one morning, while he was up early practicing his calligraphy, he came out to stretch his arms, only to see a figure that resembled Wang Yongping slipping into the mountains in the dark, knowing that recently Wang Yongping would often go up the mountains together with the neighbors, the Li Family Brothers, and the Song Family bastard.

Following with a shovel in hand, Li Jinlong trailed behind them.

By the time he came to his senses, he was already on his way down the mountain, shovel still in hand, his heart in turmoil. He slipped and fell, and he didn’t know where the shovel had gone. He didn’t dare look for it, hastily descending the mountain.

He ran into Lady Lin and, already feeling guilty, panicked after a few questions from her. Realizing he had mistaken the person, he didn’t dare stay, hurriedly covering his face and scrambling home.

In the end, Li Jinlong spoke with a deranged expression, "These people who have wronged me, every single one of them must die! They never should have stood in my path—"

As the dust settled, everything was cast in stone.

Li Dagui never imagined that his son, after being chased and questioned by that chubby maid from the Wang Family, would blurt out everything. He tried to interrupt several times, but Wang Yongping firmly covered his mouth, not letting him make a sound.

On the other side, Wang Daxiu faced the same situation, Old Granny Zhang’s knife pressing against her neck, as if daring her to make a noise and she would slice her throat.

Where would Wang Daxiu dare to speak?

Li Jinhu and his brother wished nobody could see them, let alone offer a reminder.

Everyone was shocked; they couldn’t believe that the seemingly scholarly Li Jinlong could harbor such venomous intentions.

Especially Li Zhuye, hiding by the door and sneaking glances, she felt a chill down her spine. If Li Jinlong knew it was her who had leaked information about him, what would he do?

Li Zhuye didn’t dare to contemplate it further, only resolutely deciding that no matter who asked, she must deny everything, and let the secret die with her.