The Country Maiden: Fields and Leisure
Chapter 314: Murder

Chapter 314: Chapter 314: Murder

In these past few days, he had thought a lot and had indeed seen the changes in Lady Lin, but he just couldn’t get past the hurdle in his heart.

Lady Lin had diminished his trust in women to the lowest point and completely quashed any thoughts he might have had of finding another woman.

For the sake of the children, he couldn’t stand idly by and watch Lady Lin starve to death or, in desperation, return to the Lin Family and be driven to her death.

After much thought, this was the only solution, consider it giving Lady Lin a way out!

Lady Lin pondered for a long while before she was able to make sense of the implicit meaning in Wang Yongfu’s words.

The head of the household meant to say, although he didn’t accept her, he was somewhat loosening up, agreeing to set up a shelter outside for her so she’d have a place to stay, and he would save some food for her and the children to nourish her body.

He had even planned out her future, hoping that once she regained her strength, she would either find a decent man to remarry or, after Jindou married and separated from the family, take her in to care for her in her old age, ensuring she had someone to depend on for the rest of her life.

Logically, she should have been happy with this guarantee from the Wang Family. As the eldest grandson, with Wang Yongzhu’s business thriving, the Wang Family was bound to live in comfort; surely Jindou’s share at the separation wouldn’t be meager.

If Jindou were to take care of her in her old age, she’d just need to move out with Jindou, and then she’d be the mother-in-law. Without a mother-in-law or a man to dominate her, Jindou’s household would likely kowtow to her being the most authoritative, similar to Old Granny Zhang with her children. A household that listens to her commands – that would be the life!

But, she didn’t feel the slightest bit happy, only a chilling sensation cloaking her body. She had never before realized so clearly that Wang Yongfu truly, truly didn’t want her anymore.

Wang Yongfu took a few steps away, wobbled, and quickly used the torch to prop himself up. His body steadied, but the torch went out.

He had memorized the path, slowly making his way back step by step. Having not walked far, it seemed like he heard something. A rustling?

The sound of flowing water?

The noise grew louder and louder. Wang Yongfu immediately sensed something was amiss and staggered toward the simple dam built up with stones and mud at Qilidun.

Arriving at the riverbank, he indeed saw it—the dam had been breached, a large gap torn open. In the darkness, several figures were absorbed in digging.

Around them, others were at work. Not only had the dam been broken but also the ditches and some water fields, with the river water gushing out...

"Stop!" Wang Yongfu bellowed, "What are you doing? Stop immediately!"

The figures paused, ceased their actions, and looked up. Seeing just Wang Yongfu, they resumed digging.

"Stop, I said!" Wang Yongfu threw the torch head toward them.

It hit one of the men right in the head. The man groaned, touching his head before swearing under his breath, "Fuck—just one guy, and he dares to lash out at us? Hit him! Knock him out so we can work!"

At that command, the water thieves wielding hoes and shovels surrounded him. Wang Yongfu tried to retreat, but his legs suddenly cramped up, and a pain as sharp as needles surged through, causing him to stumble and fall to the ground.

"Thought you were some tough guy, but you’re just a weakling, pah—" The leader spat on the ground and lifting his shovel, swung it down toward Wang Yongfu’s head.

Wang Yongfu could only watch in horror as the shovel inched closer...

Suddenly, a shriek tore through the air: "Help, someone is stealing water—" Accompanying the scream, a shadow darted forward, shielding Wang Yongfu, and then came a dull thud, warmth splattering onto his body and hands.

It’s blood!

The figure struggled to move and lifted its head; it was Lady Lin.

Wang Yongfu instantly became stupefied, his lips quivering as he didn’t know what to say, and with trembling hands, he tried to reach for the back of Lady Lin’s head.

The person stealing water had his hand shake due to Lady Lin’s shout, causing his hand to slap the back of her head.

Her yell resonated unusually loud in the quiet night sky.

It immediately awakened the men guarding the night nearby, and at once, hurried footsteps rushed in this direction.

"Run—" Seeing trouble, the water thief turned to flee.

Lady Lin, mustering strength from who knows where, lunged forward, gripping the leg of the man who had injured her with a deathly hold, while still shouting, "Someone, come quick! Water theft! Murder! Someone, come quick—"

Her voice was piercing, slicing through the night sky.

Not only the night guards were startled awake, but the whole of Qilidun as well, coming here with torches lit.

The water thief, in a panic, fiercely kicked at Lady Lin over and over again to get her to let go; with this woman clinging to his leg, he was unable to run.

Clamping her teeth, regardless of how the man struck her and kicked her, her head spinning, blood gushing from her nose, she would not release her grip.

Soon, the villagers arrived and, seeing the tragic state of Lady Lin, were all momentarily stunned before stepping forth and taking down the man who had beaten Lady Lin with a few punches and kicks.

Only then did Wang Yongfu come back to his senses. His leg was in so much pain he couldn’t stand, so he knelt and crawled towards Lady Lin. After much difficulty, he reached her side, his hands trembling, not daring to touch her: "Xinghua, Xinghua, how are you now?"

Lady Lin lay on the ground, blood bubbling from her nose and still bleeding from the back of her head, her entire being dazed, darkness washing over her vision in waves.

Hearing Wang Yongfu’s voice, which sometimes sounded nearby and sometimes distant, she felt she was at her end, perhaps this was her retribution, but she felt happiness; she had saved Brother Yongfu, and maybe, even if she died, Yongfu wouldn’t blame her, would he?

Hazily, she felt herself growing colder and then being held in a warm embrace; it was a familiar hold, a familiar scent.

Something wet dripped down onto her face; she struggled to open her eyes wide, trying to see Wang Yongfu’s face clearly, but everything remained blurry. She reached out, wanting to touch him, but was unable to move.

Wang Yongfu watched as Lady Lin’s face grew paler and paler, her eyes open, yet seeming not to see him; then he felt her fingers move, as if she wanted to say something.

He hurriedly grasped Lady Lin’s hand, choking up, "Xinghua, what do you want to say?"

Lady Lin looked at Wang Yongfu with a smile, "Brother Yongfu, I have to... I have to go! Please take good care... take care of Jindou and Jinhu. I have nowhere else to go now; after I die, could you bury me in the Wang Family’s graveyard? I, I am a person of the Wang Family in life, in death, a spirit of the Wang Family. In the next life, in the next life I will marry you again, to repay you..."

At that moment, Wang Yongfu would agree to anything for Lady Lin to survive, "Xinghua, I promise you, I promise you everything! Please don’t die. As long as you’re alive, I still want you! I still want you to be my wife! I still want you..."

By the end, he wept torrentially.

Jindou and Jinhu stumbled over, and upon seeing Lady Lin covered in blood, pale as paper, and barely breathing, they immediately knelt down: "Mother—"