Transmigration: Flirted with My Childhood Sweetheart
Chapter 390 - 389: Unaware of the Past, Clueless about the Future

Chapter 390: Chapter 389: Unaware of the Past, Clueless about the Future

The most prone to fail the test isn’t the poor grades of the underachievers, but human nature itself.

When the granary is full one knows what courtesy means. When people are starving, the darkest seeds buried deep in their heart rapidly sprout and grow into towering trees.

Cao Manfu lay at the window, sitting, waiting. He pricked up his ears to listen, wanting to wait till the noise outside died down before going out "to uphold justice."

He waited and waited, but instead of the clamor diminishing, it headed straight toward his own house.

Feeling puzzled, he thought for a moment, then stood up, supporting himself against the wall, limping outward, shouting, "What are you all doing? Trying to revolt? Why are fellow villagers raising such a fuss? Counting back seven or eight generations, we’re all..."

Before he could finish the word "relatives," a big foot stretched out from the pitch-dark door and kicked him square in the chest.

"You old useless cow! Stuffed full day after day, just skimming food from us!"

"Damn it, if you won’t let me live, you bastard can forget about having it easy!"

Cao Manfu hadn’t even gotten up from the snow before one heavy foot after another landed on him.

This time he didn’t have to fake his limp - he could hear the crackling sound of his bones breaking, making him shiver uncontrollably.

These people had gone mad with greed, kicking wherever they could reach, not even considering if it might take a life.

Aunt Cao had just wiped the blood from Cao Dayue’s face in the room when she saw what was happening outside. Her face went instantly pale.

She pushed her daughter into the wardrobe, muttering, "Don’t come out, you stay in there... no matter what happens, don’t come out!"

As she spoke, she took a big padlock and secured the wardrobe doors.

Cao Dayue pounded at the door from inside, desperate, "Mom! Mom! Let me out..."

"Shut up!"

Aunt Cao shouted and, grabbing the large scissors from her needlework basket, charged out.

"Get lost, all of you! I’ll see who dares to try and take it!"

In the moonlight, she brandished the scissors and fiercely jabbed them into the people gathered around and kicking Cao Manfu.

Soon, several red stains dotted the snow around the Cao Family’s home.

...

Mr. Qian had drunk a bit of alcohol tonight, his body warm and toasty, the tattered cotton-padded jacket unable to cool him. In his palm, he still clutched the box of matches. Who knew who made those matches, perhaps in a hurry, or maybe too stingy with the glue which wasn’t applied properly. He squeezed it a bit and the matchbox fell apart.

Mr. Qian didn’t even notice as he clutched the deformed matchbox and kept walking.

He was even less aware of Su Yuncheng in white following not far behind him.

He pondered and imagined, thinking of finding a wind sheltered spot later to light the firewood and... Oh right, he still had to find firewood. Just a few matches were not enough to burn down the warehouse. Where was there firewood? Every house had some, but he couldn’t go in and take it, better not to touch the ones outside either, making noise and alerting people would be trouble if they caught him as a thief...

Mr. Qian felt the need to prepare his firewood in advance.

Fortunately, there were woods on both sides; he casually snapped a couple of dead branches, checked them, and feeling they were adequate, continued on his way while twirling the branches.

He walked fast, and soon saw dimly two figures with large bundles ahead.

Thieves are the ones who get paranoid, Mr. Qian immediately dove into the woods, jogging to bypass those two people by a large distance before daring to rejoin the main road.

Because he deliberately avoided people and ran far, of course, he also didn’t hear clearly what those two figures were muttering.

"I’m starving, I should’ve eaten some meat before leaving!"

"What’s there to eat? It’s just been put in the pot and isn’t ready yet! Hurry up, Teacher Lin must have saved us some food..."

Wu Genmao and Cao Shijian walked on, unaware that someone ahead intended to set fire and oblivious to the chaos that had erupted in the village behind them.

Tonight, they were the most carefree of all.

By the time Mr. Qian arrived at Ten Miles Team, it was already after nine o’clock. Almost everyone in the village was asleep, and those who weren’t asleep were pasting matchboxes at their own kang tables. Outside, except for Feng Wei patrolling around the village, there was not a soul in sight.

It just so happened that Feng Wei was patrolling near Wang Hong’s house and missed Mr. Qian.

Mr. Qian barely managed to light some slightly damp twigs and was about to set fire to the wooden door of the warehouse when he suddenly felt a chilling coldness on the back of his neck.

It was metal, colder than ice and snow, giving him the shivers.

"Who’s that?"

"Don’t move, put your hands up."

There was a crisp click—the sound of a bullet being chambered.

Mr. Qian had heard this noise when watching open-air movies and also when he went to the town to see executions; his legs instantly went weak, and his trousers became warm and damp as they slowly wetted down.

"Who, who are you... what, what are you doing, I haven’t done anything yet..."

The people inside the warehouse, hearing footsteps, immediately held their breaths in concentration and moved silently over, then kicked the door open with a foot.

Mr. Qian was struck squarely by the door, felt a stinging in his nose, and blood started to pour from his nostrils.

"You... Hey? Xiao Su?" Li Dahe, wielding a sickle, was about to charge forward when he suddenly saw Su Yuncheng behind Mr. Qian. He turned the sickle and pointed it at Mr. Qian, scolding, "You crafty old fool, don’t get cocky; we have Public Security here!"

Mr. Qian was already scared and then hit; hearing that Public Security was behind him, he was completely dumbfounded.

Behind Li Dahe, Li Xiaoshan led several strong youths carrying hemp ropes for tying pigs and rushed out, binding Mr. Qian tightly.

"Father, he wet himself!" Li Xiaoshan curled his lips, showing his disgust.

Li Dahe kicked Mr. Qian’s shin, saying scornfully, "With this little backbone you have, you still dare come out and cause trouble?"

He wiped the sweat from his forehead and turned to Li Xiaoshan, "Take him near the brazier, don’t let his legs freeze and become useless."

In this weather, if Mr. Qian were left outside, his trousers would freeze to his skin, and after just a little while, it would inevitably lead to severe frostbite, and he might not even survive.

After Li Dahe made the arrangements, he turned to ask Su Yuncheng, "Xiao Su, is it really... really them?"

Li Dahe was extremely troubled and anxious at this point.

He truly didn’t want to see Cao Manfu end up like this.

Su Yuncheng told Li Dahe what he had heard at Cao Family’s place and concluded, "I’ll interrogate this guy first, aiming to get a confession tonight that’s enough to charge Cao Manfu with, and then make the arrest as quickly as possible."

Li Dahe heaved a long sigh.

He nodded, "Alright then, these matters are ultimately up to Public Security to decide; if it weren’t for you guys, our village today would probably..."

He took a deep drag on his cigarette, finding the smoke harsh in his throat.

"Xiao Feng is patrolling the village; I’ll go call him back... You should have some hot water first to warm up. Oh and, Miss Lin went to accompany Old Feng and the others today, she should be at your place... I’ll go let Hongzi and the rest know so they don’t worry..."

Li Dahe spoke disjointedly, walking outside while talking, his back slightly hunched.