Chapter 74: Don’t learn from him

“This was your doing, wasn’t it?”

The next day, Kanghe returned from the city and stopped by Xu Yang’s place.

Xu Yang was inside, looking visibly energetic and spirited.

“How did you figure out it was me? It was the villagers chasing the thief who caught him.”

“The Cheng village over there doesn’t have any backing, and it’s not a direction people leave the village from. The thief couldn’t hide in the mountains behind us, nor could he have fled outside the village. Yet he disappeared near Cheng village—that’s a bit too coincidental.”

In fact, this wasn’t too surprising. It just meant the thief wasn’t clever enough to fully understand the village’s situation before stealing. Once discovered, he was chased by many households, running around like a headless fly—there was no way he could have escaped.

What was even more peculiar was that usually, whenever trouble arose, Xu Yang would rush over quickly. But this time, when the theft occurred, he came slowly and even sent a message through Second Master Qian.

Before the incident, around June, just a few days after seeing the doctor with Fan Jing, Xu Yang had come looking for Kanghe once.

That day, after drinking some wine at Fan’s place, Xu Yang met You Shanxi, who had just picked up medicine from Dr. Zhu’s clinic. You Shanxi, seeing Xu Yang young and handsome and noticing he was a bit drunk, began to tease him.

Xu Yang wasn’t the type to entertain such flirtations and immediately changed his expression, scolding You Shanxi for being unchaste and warning her not to blame him for being rude.

You Shanxi probably didn’t expect Xu Yang to be so tough and got scared, saying she had someone backing her up.

In just a few words, she revealed Chen Yushun’s involvement.

The next morning, Xu Yang sobered up and grew suspicious, so he told Kanghe about it.

Kanghe also shared the story about the chase.

At that time, no definite conclusion was made. Kanghe got busy with business and learning candle-making from Mr. Zou, so he didn’t investigate further.

Until last night, when the thief struck again, Kanghe initially thought it was truly another robbery. But as events unfolded, he sensed something was off.

Xu Yang laughed. “Nothing can be hidden from you.”

He trusted Kanghe and explained the full story.

After hearing about it, Xu Yang intentionally approached You Shanxi. This led to uncovering her complicated ties with Chen Yushun.

You Shanxi’s late husband wasn’t a proper farmer. She spent her days doing flirtatious things.

At first, after a few flirtatious exchanges, the rough men in the village gave her food and drink. But she knew that wouldn’t last, so she aimed for a more powerful patron.

There were only a few notable families in the countryside, and after considering her options, she set her sights on Chen Yushun.

She first pretended to be pitiful, claiming her mother-in-law mistreated her after her husband died, and complained to Chen Yushun.

The man couldn’t stand seeing a pitiful young widow, especially one so beautiful. Before long, after several half-hearted pushes and pulls, the two became involved.

You Shanxi thought she had a patron and lived quietly for a while.

Later, when she became pregnant, she happily told Chen Yushun, only for him to deny it, claiming she behaved badly in the village and doubting who the father was.

This caused animosity, and You Shanxi went to Dr. Zhu for medicine.

“They’re both no good. You Shanxi got mad at Chen Yushun, so I made a deal with her,” Xu Yang said. “I told her to meet Chen Yushun last night, hold him, and when it was done, pay her off to leave Hepingzi.”

Kanghe had already suspected the full story and wasn’t surprised. But he admired Xu Yang’s skill in ruining Chen Yushun’s reputation in the village.

He smiled at Xu Yang. “Now you’ve got five more points of confidence.”

Both men relaxed and drank a cup of tea.

Chen Yushun, utterly disgraced, hadn’t slept all night in Xu Yang’s house. His face was ashen, and he felt like a mute swallowing bitter herbs—he had no way to explain his misery.

Last night, when Xu Yang went after You Shanxi, nothing happened. Their initial involvement was after getting drunk together.

When accused of You Shanxi’s pregnancy, Chen Yushun wanted to break things off.

He went to Cheng village at night intending to settle matters but never expected all this trouble to erupt.

“I must have been set up!”

“That widow came to seduce me from the start. Maybe someone told her to do it—to set me up tonight!”

Chen Yushun’s wife, Xiao, looked at him coldly. This whole scandal had made her a laughingstock in the village.

She snapped at him, “What kind of setup is that? They could’ve stripped your pants off, and it still might not be her doing it!”

“When you were doing those shameful things, why didn’t you think it was a setup? Now that everyone in the village knows, do you think it’s a setup?”

“Even if it was a setup, it’s your own fault!”

Chen Yushun was at a loss.

He was deeply troubled and kept wondering who else was scheming against him. He vaguely thought of Fan Yang but reasoned Fan Yang was too busy to be involved.

Then suddenly it dawned on him.

He begged Second Master Qian, crying that Xu Yang had secretly framed him. That young man had just returned from outside, surely eyeing the village chief position. This was a trap to make him fall.

Second Master Qian was so furious at the news that he lay on his bed, unable to get up. Everyone at Qian’s place avoided seeing him, but Chen Yushun cried right by his bedside.

Unfortunately, Qian wasn’t comforted, and the trouble grew.

Chen Yushun’s mistress, Ren, wife of Sun Dasheng, nearly fainted upon hearing about Chen’s affair with the widow You Shanxi.

She stormed over to Cheng village to beat You Shanxi but found no trace of her.

The next day, after getting money from Xu Yang, You Shanxi had packed and fled.

Only Mrs. Qu remained in Cheng village, still seething with anger. You Shanxi’s theft of the property deed and escape infuriated her. She regretted not selling her son after his death for money; now both her wealth and people were lost.

Ren came to stir up trouble and ran into Mrs. Qu, who was also venting her anger.

The two fiery women quickly clashed in the courtyard.

Hair was pulled out everywhere; one ended up with a swollen eye, the other with a split lip.

Ren limped out of Cheng village without catching You Shanxi. Furious, she sought out Chen Yushun to cause a scene.

Chen Yushun was already overwhelmed with legal troubles. Facing Ren’s tantrums, he had no patience to calm her, only wishing to drive her away.

“You really loved that widow, didn’t you? I just went back to my mother’s home for a few days, and you couldn’t keep yourself in line.”

Ren glared at Chen Yushun’s indifferent attitude and felt even colder inside.

“Nonsense! Go back to your mother’s place! I have no time to argue about this nonsense now!”

“You know it’s nonsense! Now you despise me, call me a troublemaker, but what were you like when you were fooling people before? How can someone be as heartless as you!”

Chen Yushun’s wife was furious hearing Ren’s outburst. She hadn’t said much yet, but here her cousin was stirring up trouble and making accusations.

After all this, the legitimate wife had become a total joke.

She had endured Ren for a long time but could no longer hold back. Everyone in the house finally released their bottled-up anger.

“Guess what happened next?”

Kanghe and Fan Jing drove back with Chen Sanfang from the city. The three had been inspecting the shop and missed the village’s recent turmoil.

Qiao enthusiastically recounted the scandal involving Chen Yushun in vivid detail.

“That damn Ren, Sun Dasheng’s wife, and the village chief’s wife Xiao fought. We didn’t want to take sides—neither supporting the wife nor the cousin.”

“They got into a scuffle. Ren was fierce and pinned Xiao to the ground. Just then, the village head came to pull them apart, and Ren went berserk, cursing the village head a coward.”

“She sat at Chen village’s gate, crying and shouting, revealing many dirty secrets.”

“Ren said when Sun Dasheng was alive, he risked his life running illegal loans in the city, getting beaten and chased. Most of his big profits went to Chen Yushun, whom he treated like a father.”

“The rowdy troublemakers in the village who wouldn’t obey Chen Yushun were secretly brought under control by Sun Dasheng.”

Sun Dasheng’s death and Chen Yushun’s affair with the widow You Shanxi left Ren feeling betrayed. No wonder she went mad.

“Now the whole village knows. Behind closed doors, they all say Chen Yushun’s character is corrupt and bring up his past.”

Hearing this, Chen Sanfang regretted being busy handling business in the city and missing these local scandals.

“I always said Chen Yushun, even with Ren, wouldn’t treat Sun Dasheng like that. That scoundrel caused trouble in the county and had to hide in the mountains. Chen Yushun looked down on us village folk but even sent things to ask us to look after him.”

“Because someone favored him and had dirty dealings in secret, he was treated like a son. Probably they were afraid he’d spill the beans.”

Chen Sanfang spat disdainfully. People used to think their village chief was upright, but Fan Yang saw his true nature early on.

Before, being unknown, no one doubted or talked badly. Now his face was known throughout the village—that was the real satisfaction.

“He should’ve gotten into big trouble long ago. Thinking being village chief made him important, but now all his misdeeds are out. If he falls, the village will finally breathe easy!”

Chen Sanfang cursed loudly under the eaves. After suppressing Chen Yushun for so long, he felt happy to see him fall.

But Fan Dad, hearing the village chief’s troubles, broke into a sweat—both relieved and fearful.

Earlier, You Shanxi had tried to entice him, but luckily he had no intention. If he’d gotten involved, the consequences would be unimaginable.

If it were him, he would have jumped into the river.

Fan Dad told Kanghe, “A man must keep himself in check. Never entertain such dirty thoughts.”

“Look at Chen Yushun. With his position and good life, why did he get involved in these things? I see him falling for sure.”

He looked at Kanghe. “Third Young Master, don’t follow his example.”

Chen Sanfang pushed Fan Dad aside. “Are you crazy? Third Young Master is a good person. Chen Yushun is not. How could Third Young Master do such things?”

Kanghe smiled to himself. Fan Dad’s advice wasn’t for him but just venting. Seeing Chen Yushun in legal trouble seemed to serve as a lesson.

He said, “Father, don’t worry. I would never do such things.”

“That’s right. Third Young Master is close with Da Jing—how could he stoop to that? But you, poor thing, if you don’t tighten your belt, you’ll suffer.”

With that, she called Kanghe to rest indoors with Fan Jing after a long day. She happily said she’d prepare some meat for dinner.

Kanghe agreed, leading Fan Jing inside. Neither had expected You Shanxi’s involvement to bring such chaos.

Chen Yushun’s secret affairs were bad enough, but taking illicit money made his character truly rotten. Even Second Master Qian wouldn’t want to defend him.

Fan Jing heard You Shanxi had fled and asked, “Where did she go?”

Kanghe shook his head. “I don’t know. Xu Yang gave her a good sum but didn’t ask where she’d go. She’s not simple-minded. When Cheng Minsheng brought her back for her looks, no one expected such a mess.”

“For her, it’s good to leave. If she stayed, village men and women would have resented her, and trouble would come. For the village, having such a restless person around invites trouble.”

“If she lived an honest life, the money Xu Yang gave her would last a while.”

Fan Jing said nothing. She hoped she was gone for good. Who knew if Chen Yushun would cause her more trouble later?

But none of that mattered now. They were all waiting to see if Chen Yushun would lose his position in the autumn election.

Fan Dad was restless for several days over Chen Yushun’s matter. Today, a hired laborer came to the village to see him, and Fan Dad finally felt better.

“My name is Dou Yicang. I’m over thirty-eight this year. I can do all sorts of farm work—driving donkeys and oxen.”

The young man was fairly tall, though shorter compared to Kanghe and Fan Jing.

His round, dark face looked sturdy and strong.

He looked honest and a bit embarrassed, scratching the back of his head after speaking a few words.

Kanghe thought it was good to hire a dependable, hardworking man for the fields, unlike city shop work requiring social skills and intelligence.

Dou Yicang was recommended by Wang the carpenter’s wife, a relative’s neighbor. She heard Fan Dad wanted to hire a long-term laborer to help with the farm.

Dou Yicang’s family was poor—he had many sisters and brothers, and barely managed less than ten acres. There wasn’t enough work at home, so he looked for odd jobs outside.

He had done carrying work in the city, carried stones, and hauled logs in the village.

Hearing Wang’s wife say the Fan family was kind and honest, and currently busy with pork business, with only Fan Dad to manage the fields, needing a diligent long-term laborer, Dou Yicang was happy to come.

Odd jobs earned six or seven cash a day but weren’t steady. Getting a long-term position was more secure.

If hired for a year, he’d have steady money to save and even marry.

All arrangements were made; he came to Fan’s place by noon.

Inside the house, the two daughters were in the main room listening to Fan Xin’s lesson. Only Fan Dad was home.

He was a straightforward country man, unfamiliar with hiring labor. He served tea to Dou Yicang and told him to wait for Kanghe’s return to decide.

Luckily, Kanghe came early and met the laborer.

Seeing the man healthy and the type of village folk, Kanghe was polite and invited him to sit in the main room. His tone was gentle but his questions serious.

“Can you read and write?”

Dou Yicang shook his head.

“Can you speak standard Mandarin?”

“I understand it but don’t speak fluently.”

Kanghe spoke a few sentences to test him; Dou Yicang answered honestly.

Then Kanghe asked, “Besides farming, do you have any other skills?”

Dou Yicang thought carefully and shook his head again.

He felt tense. Fan Yang’s brother was strict—much stricter than Fan Dad.

But Kanghe didn’t mind his lack of other skills and said, “Working for Fan Yang, you get four days off a month. You can go home or do whatever. You live and eat with us. Five guan a year—does that work?”

Kanghe wasn’t trying to show off, just matter-of-fact. For farm laborers, there wasn’t much choice.

Having skills or not affected the wage.

Since Dou Yicang was only physically capable, Kanghe offered five guan. If he could read or do other work—cooking or carpentry—the pay would be higher.

Outsiders might say the Fan family was poor yet still trying to hire help, but Kanghe brushed it off.

Dou Yicang thought the questioning meant the job might fall through, but Kanghe didn’t mind his lack of skills.

When Dou Yicang said he wanted to stay, Kanghe happily agreed.

They settled the contract, pressed fingerprints, and Kanghe paid half the yearly wage in advance.

After six months, the remaining money would be settled. Dou Yicang would go home first to inform his family, then come back to work.

People at home praised Kanghe’s professionalism and said he had the bearing of a proper landlord, intimidating the villagers.

Kanghe smiled, handed Fan Dad a piece of pork, and told him to thank Wang the carpenter’s wife for introducing the laborer.

In a few days, Kanghe brought back bricks and tiles from the city. Fan Yang hired workers to repair the house.

Chen’s relative, Baba’er, came over, asking why Chen didn’t call on him—the younger brother—to do the work.

Baba’er specialized in building houses. Chen asked Kanghe whether to hire him, but Kanghe refused.

For repairs, it was better not to involve relatives. Counting carefully prevented disputes. Hiring outsiders ensured transparent payment for work done.

Chen’s second son came over asking for work. Chen said the repair money came from Kanghe and Fan Jing; she didn’t handle money and had no say.

Chen’s second son pleaded with Kanghe.

Kanghe, not close to Chen’s sons like Chen’s wife, demanded clear accounting. If the work could be done properly, Kanghe would hire him.

Chen’s son hesitated. After calculating, he found no profit. Though unhappy with Kanghe, he was helpless. The matter ended there.

Autumn harvest season arrived, and the village was busy.

In past years, the village head would direct the harvest and handle grain tax collection.

After Chen Yushun’s scandal, no one would obey him.

When he tried collecting taxes from households, villagers refused. Arguments broke out quickly.

Some even mocked him, “What kind of village chief are you? No time for thieves but plenty to climb the widow’s bed!”

Chen Yushun was both angry and ashamed but could only lie in bed for days.

In past years, village chiefs were impressive; now he was pitiful.

Harvest and tax collection were the most important matters.

Second Master Qian saw Chen Yushun’s incompetence and failure to report to county officials. Chen’s reputation was ruined, and he might be arrested.

Since the village chief was an important post, Second Master Qian had to step in and organize the harvest and tax matters.

Then Xu Yang stepped up to help. Thanks to him, the autumn harvest tax was finally settled.

This earned Xu Yang extra respect from Second Master Qian, who invited him to the village for a meal, asking if he wanted to become village chief.

If Xu Yang agreed, Second Master Qian would recommend him to the county office.

At this point, Xu Yang didn’t hide his ambitions and readily volunteered.

It went without saying—with Second Master Qian’s support, Xu Yang’s good deeds for the village, and his own reputation, before the election, villagers already called him “Xu Village Head.”

Chen Yushun was finished, his reputation ruined. Even Second Master Qian, who helped him rise, was deeply disappointed.

Knowing there was no hope, Chen Yushun felt a thousand feelings but nowhere to vent.