Chapter 20 Retribution Awaits Those Who Commit Too Many Wrongs

When Lin Xiaodou arrived, a crowd had already gathered around Widow Liu’s house. All the good spots were taken, so she had to find another vantage point. Scanning the area, her gaze landed on a large tree. The tree belonged to the neighboring yard, its trunk pressed right up against the walls dividing the two courtyards. There was a sturdy branch, perfect for sitting and watching the commotion.

Agile as ever, Lin Xiaodou scaled the corner of the wall in a few swift moves and settled herself on the branch.

Inside the courtyard, chaos reigned. The simpleton’s face was deathly pale, a knife stuck in his head as he lay sprawled on the ground. Blood pooled beneath him, though it wasn’t clear if he was dead or alive. Widow Liu, the simpleton’s mother, was yanking at Lin Dawei’s hair, screaming for him to pay with his life. Lin Dawei stood stark naked, clutching a tattered pillow to cover himself, head bowed and enduring her assault.

The onlookers below began to speculate loudly.

“Oh my, what happened here? How did the simpleton get a knife in his head?”

“What else could it be? The simpleton must’ve had one of his fits, mistook that man for a woman and tried something, so the man slashed him.”

“Heavens… two men? Is that even possible? I’ve never heard of such a thing!”

“What’s so strange? It’s like an eel burrowing into a hole—so long as there’s a hole…”

At that, Lin Dawei shuddered from head to toe. If talk like this spread, his reputation would be utterly ruined. He quickly broke free from Widow Liu’s grip and shouted at the top of his lungs, “I didn’t let that simpleton have his way with me, don’t you dare spread lies!”

Widow Liu, seeing him try to escape, clung to his clothes for dear life. “Don’t you even think of running! You stabbed my son—if anything happens to him, I’ll never let you off!”

As the quarrel escalated, Lin Dawei’s parents finally arrived. Upon hearing what had happened to her precious son, Lin Dawei’s mother flew into a rage.

“The damned Liu family! Even a simpleton dares to bully my son? Do you think the Lin family is full of cowards?”

She stormed forward and seized Widow Liu by the hair, spitting in her face. “Pah! You wretched widow! Jinx!”

But Widow Liu was not to be outdone; she grabbed Lin Dawei’s mother’s hair and started to pull. The crowd below erupted into shouts, some trying to break up the fight, others egging them on.

Perched on the tree branch, Lin Xiaodou cracked open sunflower seeds, munching as she loudly called out instructions.

“That’s not how you fight! Pulling hair doesn’t even hurt—go for her nose, bite it!”

Hearing this, Lin Dawei’s mother’s eyes flashed. She lunged and bit Widow Liu hard on the nose.

Widow Liu howled in pain.

“Hey, she’s biting your nose—fight back! Bite her ear!” Lin Xiaodou called out.

Widow Liu didn’t hesitate; she opened her mouth and bit Lin Dawei’s mother on the ear, yanking so hard she drew blood.

Tears welled in Lin Dawei’s mother’s eyes, and she screamed, “Ahhh! I’ll fight you to the death!”

The two women, clawing and biting, soon became a tangled mess.

…

In the neighboring courtyard, a tall figure appeared. He paused, drawn by a clear, spirited voice.

“Yes! Bite her! That’s it—bite her hard!”

A girl in a blue short-sleeved shirt sat astride the tree branch by the wall, her back to him. One arm waved enthusiastically in the air, while the other held a handful of sunflower seeds, which she munched on incessantly.

Zhou Qinglang had just walked beneath the tree when a mischievous sunflower seed husk fluttered down and landed in his hair. He paused, plucked the husk from his head, and broke into a smile.

The dappled sunlight shone through the golden rims of his glasses, casting a shimmering glow in his gentle, dark eyes.

He looked up and asked, “Is it a good show? What’s happening next door?”

“It’s great! They’re really going at it!” Lin Xiaodou was so engrossed in the spectacle she barely spared a thought for the person below. Assuming it was just another curious onlooker, she didn’t even turn her head, replying boisterously, “Widow Liu’s simpleton son nearly did something unspeakable to the Lin family’s son last night. Now the families are at each other’s throats.”

Zhou Qinglang raised an eyebrow. “The simpleton? He managed to drag someone home?”

“Who knows? The Lin family was supposed to sell their daughter to the simpleton for a bride price, probably got the wrong person in the confusion.”

“You seem to know quite a bit.”

“Of course! If you’re going to watch a drama, you need all the details!” There was a trace of pride in the girl’s voice.

Zhou Qinglang chuckled softly, refrained from disturbing her further, and turned to leave. As he exited the courtyard, he brushed past two gossiping matrons.

“Did you see? That girl sitting in the tree is the Lin family’s daughter—the one who was supposed to marry the simpleton. Must be her.”

Zhou Qinglang’s steps faltered.

“No wonder she’s up there laughing so loudly—she must be thrilled to have escaped disaster.”

“Of course! Widow Liu’s simpleton son is a brute. He already beat one wife to death before…”

The two women’s voices faded as they walked away.

Zhou Qinglang glanced back at the figure atop the wall. In his ink-dark eyes, a glimmer of amusement sparkled like stardust.

Who would have thought that a simple social call would lead him to such an intriguing person? That girl was ruthless, clever, and courageous. He found himself quite admiring her.

He watched for a few seconds more, then left without a trace of regret.

In this world, there are countless things worth admiring—a brief pause is enough. He had more important matters to attend to...

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With the arrival of the police, the farce finally came to an end. After their investigation, it was confirmed that the simpleton was dead—stabbed in the back of the head and bled to death. If Widow Liu hadn’t been so busy fighting the Lin family and had taken him to the hospital sooner, he might have been saved. But now, it was too late for regrets.

Hearing the news, Widow Liu collapsed, wailing in utter despair. When she’d seen her son lying on the ground, she’d been so overwhelmed with rage that all she could think of was revenge; she never considered anything else. Had she known her son would die, she would never have lost control.

“Oh, what a sinner I am! The Liu family’s doomed! My son is gone—how am I to go on living?”

She fell to her knees, beating her head in a frenzy, nearly mad with grief.

But the neighbors watching did nothing to comfort her. Widow Liu had long made herself unpopular—she always indulged her violent, simpleton son, making everyone keep their distance. Now that trouble had struck, no one wanted to get involved.

At last, one of the police officers couldn’t bear it and stepped forward to restrain her. As a witness to the murder, Widow Liu had to go to the station to give her statement.

The police handcuffed Lin Dawei, preparing to take him away. Lin Dawei’s mother chased after them, wailing, forgetting even to push her husband’s wheelchair. When the crowd finally dispersed, only Lin Dawei’s father remained in his chair amidst the empty courtyard, which now felt unbearably desolate.

Lin Xiaodou hopped down from the tree, her eyes crinkling with mirth as she approached him. “Well, how was today’s show? Was it exciting enough?”

Lin Dawei’s father trembled with rage, his face flushed purple. “You heartless beast! After what you’ve done to your brother, you’ll get what you deserve!”

Lin Xiaodou smiled.

“Was it really me? Aren’t you the true culprit here? Those who harm others are ultimately destroyed by their own hands. The wicked will perish by their own deeds. Lin Jianqiang, you must always remember—it was you who turned your own son into a murderer.”

At her words, Lin Dawei’s father seemed struck by lightning. He slumped in his wheelchair, silent for a long time, looking as if he had suddenly aged ten years…