Chapter 96: Chapter 96: It Really Is You
The three brothers walked along, with Lin Chunju following behind.
The cold wind howled on the chilly autumn night, and they were so hurried when they left that they even forgot to put on an extra layer of clothing.
Yue Jiannan shivered uncontrollably, “Mother, it would be the same if we came to look tomorrow. Why did you insist on calling us at this late hour?”
They were exhausted from a day of fishing, sustained only by the thrill of it.
Just when they finally took baths and felt they could sleep soundly, they were roused by Mother in the middle of the night.
Now they felt sore all over their bodies.
Lin Chunju glared at him, “What if someone had ill intentions and tampered with the fish pond? If we come tomorrow, the fish might all be dead.”
Yue Jiannan sneezed, then rubbed his nose and muttered softly, “You speak as if it’s true, but that’s all your speculation.”
Lin Chunju rolled her eyes in the dark, though it was hardly noticeable, “Quit your blabbering and walk faster.”
Yue Jiandong, however, thought Mother’s suspicions made sense, “The Yue family has been poor for too long, and the people in the village have looked down on us, but today we made a good sum of money, and so many eyes in the village are watching. It’s hard to ensure no one will be jealous of our family.”
Upon hearing this, Yue Jiannan felt a bit scared, “Really? We worked hard for a year, and what was once a garbage dump is now prospering. Why would they be jealous?”
Yue Jiandong had followed Mother and seen the warmth and coldness of human relationships.
“You don’t understand, if we were always wealthy, others wouldn’t have such thoughts. But we were the poorest in the village, and now that our lives have improved suddenly, people feel discontent and might even wish for our family to suffer and fail again.”
Yue Jiannan thought of something and frowned without saying a word.
He remembered that today, after the fishing was done, there were a few who were originally in good relations standing at a distance, watching coldly, their gazes sharp as thorns.
Yue Jianxi held a metal flashlight, shining the beam far ahead on the road.
The night in Daye Village was very quiet, and the autumn brought few insect sounds, only the occasional bark of a dog now and then.
As they neared the fish pond, it was still silent.
Yue Jiannan, catching sight of the pond from afar, couldn’t help but yawn.
“Mother, I told you that you were overthinking it. Look, there’s obviously nothing …”
Before he finished talking, a sound of footsteps echoed from far away.
The Yue family was startled, especially Yue Jiannan.
When they saw the person heading straight for the fish pond, their gazes towards Lin Chunju changed.
At that moment, Yue Jianxi, surprisingly alert, swiftly turned off the flashlight to avoid revealing their presence to the other party.
Lin Chunju decisively looked at Yue Jiannan.
“Youngest, go find Chief Zhang and ask him to come over.”
Although it was embarrassing to disturb Chief Zhang so late, the person showing up at the Yue family’s fish pond in the middle of the night clearly harbored no good intentions.
Lin Chunju wasn’t planning to handle this privately; the village chief had to witness it.
Yue Jiannan, worried, glanced at the fish pond and quietly lowered his body to head in the direction of the village chief’s home.
“Eldest, second brother, go and restrain that person so he doesn’t succeed,” she instructed.
The two agreed and quietly circled around to approach from behind.
Wang Jinshun held a white plastic bottle in his hand as he approached the edge of the fish pond.
The water of the pond at night shimmered, and the fish inside seemed to sense something, leaping frantically out of the water before plunging back in with a splash.
The moonlight, heavy and serene, reflected on the water, outlining the man’s shadow.
Wang Jinshun scoffed, ready to unscrew the cap and pour out the contents of the bottle.
However, in that instant, a sudden force from behind brought him crashing to the ground.
There was more than one assailant, one of whom twisted his arm, securing his hands behind his back.
The other picked up the plastic bottle that rolled on the ground.
Yue Jiandong twisted the face of the man pinned on the ground towards him and couldn’t help but snort.
“Wang Jinshun, it’s you after all.”