Chapter 16: Demanding Justice
Jiang Zhu’s sharp eyes immediately spotted a few children following his sister-in-law, along with some of their parents.
He hadn’t seen who Shen Qingyue had fought yesterday, but upon recognizing Jiang Hongliang leading the group, he silently thought, “This isn’t good.”
He called out, “Sister-in-law,” and quickly retreated indoors to warn Shen Qingyue. “It’s bad—those children’s parents have arrived. You, you, hide here and don’t come out!”
Shen Qingyue: “???”
They actually dared to come?!
Jiang Zheng and Lv Xiangmei, watching from afar, relaxed when they saw Jiang Zhu was fine, but were puzzled when Jiang Zhu suddenly dashed back inside.
They were just about to figure things out when they vaguely heard Jiang Zhu talking to someone. It sounded like...
“Don’t go out.” “Quick, hide.”
There really were people coming!
Those ahead heard this and started rushing faster up the narrow mountain path, where the grass on both sides had been trampled bare.
They hurried to Jiang Zhu’s fence, and Shen Qingyue, leaning on his cane, came out as well.
Just as the parents were about to angrily shout, especially the mothers, not a single word escaped their lips—they swallowed it back.
Such a handsome, fair-skinned young man—he looked like he came from a wealthy family!
Could this be a thief?
Could this be a vagrant?
Could this be... a monster?
No respectable young man from a good family would dress or look like this!
“Ah!”
The young man immediately covered his face in embarrassment. For some reason, seeing the men at home shirtless didn’t bother her, but this man showing a bit of his collarbone made her inexplicably shy.
Lv Xiangmei wondered why he was dressed like that, then noticed—hey, isn’t that the patched clothing she had sewn for Jiang Zhu?
She was a bit confused. Seeing how he seemed familiar with Jiang Zhu, how could he be a thief?
The village head asked, “Is it him?”
The children: “It’s him!”
Before they could say more, Shen Qingyue spoke, leaning on his cane with a kind smile: “Everyone here came for these children caught stealing vegetables, right? Are you here to apologize?”
The children ready to complain froze.
The parents and onlookers looked puzzled.
“Stealing vegetables?”
“What stealing?”
Shen Qingyue smiled gently, “Oh, it’s nothing serious. These children took advantage of Master Xiao Jiang going down the mountain and deliberately ran into his vegetable garden to steal. Are you all their relatives? Are you here to apologize?”
Everyone exchanged glances.
Shen Qingyue continued, “Hmm, not here to apologize? Then you must be here to pay, right?”
Someone asked, “Pay for what?”
Shen Qingyue was surprised, “For the vegetables! If it’s not stealing, then it must be buying. Surely you’re here to pay off your vegetable debts?”
The crowd was speechless.
Playing dumb on purpose, Shen Qingyue said, “Or maybe you’re not here to settle accounts? Then what are you here for? Surely not all to steal vegetables, right?”
Expressions varied—some embarrassed, some shocked, some confused, some amused as if hearing juicy gossip, and some stubbornly denying.
The most defiant was Jiang Shunzi’s mother. “What stealing vegetables? We don’t even have vegetables! Our kids might have pulled a few bamboo shoots or picked some mushrooms on the mountain. Don’t slander us!”
“Exactly! You expect us to pay for picking a handful of wild greens?”
Shen Qingyue: “Wild greens? Then why don’t you check the vegetable patch in the backyard? We all farm to eat. I believe most people can tell the difference between vegetables and wild greens... right?”
His gaze swept the crowd, settling on Jiang Shunzi’s mother, who was arguing.
“Nonsense! Who doesn’t have a vegetable garden? Our garden is so big, why would we need to steal from you?” Suddenly, she realized something.
Indeed, their vegetables were meant for sale in town and the county, especially now when the crops were growing. To sell more, she guarded her precious garden fiercely, forbidding the kids from messing about; they even ate wild greens.
But a few days ago, their table had small cabbages and spinach, which she thought the kids had stolen from their own garden out of craving!
She even slapped her children for it.
She thought of this, and Jiang Shunzi did too.
They exchanged a glance, and Jiang Shunzi tried to hide, but his mother grabbed him from behind his father, pulling his ear and angrily whispering, “Did you go up the mountain and steal someone’s vegetables?”
Jiang Shunzi instinctively wanted to shake his head.
His mother slapped him on the rear and sternly said, “Tell the truth!”
Jiang Shunzi bit his lip, tears welling, and nodded slightly.
His mother’s temper flared, “You little brat! Are we so short of vegetables at home that you have to steal? Who told you to steal?”
Just as she was about to hit him hard, a nearby adult hurriedly intervened, “Second sister-in-law, what are you doing? Don’t hurt the child!”
Someone nudged Jiang Shunzi, urging him to run away, but his father held him down.
Another child’s parent, seeing Jiang Shunzi’s family won’t admit fault, tried to smooth things over: “Stealing or not, we’re all from the same village. Kids being naughty isn’t stealing.”
“Exactly.”
Shen Qingyue, enjoying the spectacle, nodded, “Makes sense. Sister-in-law, where’s your vegetable garden? Tomorrow, let the kids play in your garden.”
The peacemakers felt awkward.
“That’s not how you talk.”
“We’re neighbors; that’s not right.”
“Yeah, they didn’t pull your vegetables. Who are you anyway, outsider?”
Shen Qingyue: “Who I am doesn’t matter.”
“Why doesn’t it matter? Village affairs aren’t for outsiders to meddle in.”
“Well, it really is my business,” Shen Qingyue pointed to his right leg, “My leg was hurt by them like this, and I was just about to see the doctor.”
Jiang Zhu: “???”
Several children: “???”
Everyone was stunned: “Didn’t you hit them?”
The children were furious: “He hit us!”
Shen Qingyue: “Why would I hit you for no reason?”
The children were speechless.
Shen Qingyue: “What, are you too ashamed to admit you were stealing?”
“We’re not thieves!”
Shen Qingyue: “There are your footprints by the fence of the backyard vegetable garden.”
Jiang Hongliang: “Your leg wasn’t hurt by us! It was already like that!”
Shen Qingyue: “Listen! My leg is already injured so badly I can barely walk. How could I possibly beat you all?”
The children felt helpless, angry: “He hit us! My butt is still swollen!”
Shen Qingyue said innocently: “Everyone, be reasonable. How could I beat you? There’s just me, and you’re several. Two pull my legs, two pull my arms, and one grabs my head—you could tear me apart!”
The crowd was confused. Tear what?
The children were baffled.
Shen Qingyue: “Are you younger combined or shorter stacked up? If I hit you, wouldn’t you run? Can I outrun you? No, right?”
Everyone nodded subconsciously.
His leg did look pretty bad.
Shen Qingyue: “So, my leg must be uninjured to beat you all! You choose: was my leg fine and you injured it when you were chased off, or was my leg already injured and you not only stole vegetables but also beat a disabled man?”
“...”
Jiang Shunzi stopped crying. How come this was so complicated?
Shen Qingyue: “Shouldn’t you pay for my medical bills?”
“It’s not like that!” another anxious child blurted, “It’s not like that!”
Shen Qingyue: “Then how is it?”
Child: “Clearly...”
Shen Qingyue: “Clearly what? Why don’t you explain it to everyone from the beginning?”
There wasn’t much to say. Everyone saw these children stealing vegetables, encountering Shen Qingyue, who chased them away.
They just weren’t sure how Shen Qingyue did it.
Seeing the children lively and unharmed, they clearly weren’t severely beaten.
If Jiang Zhu had been home, maybe they would’ve been beaten. But with just this one leg-injured young man...
The bystanders began to doubt who really hit whom.
The children protested, “You’re a monster!”
Shen Qingyue: “If I said I’m a monster, you’d believe me? I even told you to stop cursing and be good kids, but you didn’t listen. Everyone knows how they usually curse, right? I’m curious—who taught you? Who did you learn from? You keep saying we’re neighbors, but do you really treat Jiang Zhu as one?”
He glanced at the crowd and noticed Jiang Jiajun, who resembled the Jiang family somewhat. He asked puzzled, “I’m puzzled. Jiang Zhu’s parents are gone. Doesn’t he have other relatives? Didn’t his parents have friends? You all just watch an orphan get bullied?”
Jiang Zheng’s family and a few others looked extremely embarrassed.
Most others’ expressions grew complicated. Shen Qingyue couldn’t quite understand the reaction.
Jiang Zhu tugged at Shen Qingyue’s sleeve, signaling him to stop. “Forget it, it’s not much anyway...”
Shen Qingyue: “Yeah, our Master Xiao Jiang is kind and generous. Even though he’s been stolen from daily, he never went to you all to make a fuss.”
He whispered to Jiang Zhu, “But if you keep being so humble and no one appreciates it, your kindness will only be mistaken for weakness, and they’ll bully you even more.”
Everyone who heard this was silent.
Someone in the crowd said, “You don’t know? His family owns a whole mountain...”
Shen Qingyue smiled, “I know. I also know there’s plenty of gold and silver in the treasury, but I don’t dare take it.”
The crowd was speechless.
Lv Xiangmei chimed in, “That’s right! Isn’t it just because Jiang Zhu lives alone up the mountain? The county magistrate’s vegetable garden grows better, so why don’t you steal from there? The mountain belongs to Jiang Zhu. The deed says so clearly. It has nothing to do with the clan or village. Even a blade of grass, a stick, or a stone there requires payment. Taking without permission is stealing!”
When someone tried to speak, she cut them off, “Who said we don’t want money? I’m going to his house to move his things!”
Jiang Jiajun supported his mother: “We can’t let this go. They have to pay my young uncle for the vegetables!”
Some parents from the Ma family objected, “This is grown-ups’ business, none of your kids’ business.”
Jiang Jiajun: “They steal my uncle’s vegetables and bamboo shoots from the bamboo forest all the time. How is that not our business?”
Someone muttered, “It’s just a handful of vegetables. What’s the big deal? Such a big mountain and a few kids picking some bamboo shoots?”
“Exactly. Everyone thought there was a thief on the mountain, so they came up to save you...”
“No wonder his grandmother calls him an ungrateful wretch.”
Jiang Jiajun angrily: “What did you say, Jiang family?”
The other retorted, “I said what? Just trying to extort money. Go pick vegetables at my place! I don’t want money!”
Several nearby chimed in, “We’re all from the same village. A few kids picking a handful of vegetables—what’s wrong with that? Like their father, all ungrateful wretches.”
Jiang Zhu suddenly got furious, “What did you say!”
The other shouted: “Didn’t your father learn hunting from us Jiang family? You want money for a handful of vegetables your kids picked?”
Jiang Jiajun: “My great-uncle even saved your lives! You’re just jealous he caught a tiger and you didn’t. Others hire him for autumn hunts, not you. No skills, just shouting!”
“Who’s got no skills?”
“I’m talking about you!”
Just as the young men from both sides were about to fight, the crowd rushed to pull them apart.
Jiang Jiajun threw two punches, “If you had any skill, you wouldn’t lose a pig! The wild boar escaped into my uncle’s trap, and you still dare to curse us!”
The other threw two punches back, “Did I want it? That was our prey!”
Jiang Jiajun, more aggressive, lunged forward. His father couldn’t hold him back: “Did my uncle pay you or not? Jiang Hongming refused! How shameless, refusing the money but telling your brother to steal vegetables!”
“It was my brother who caught it. It’s our prey!” Jiang Hongliang took advantage to kick Jiang Jiajun, but before he could land the kick, Jiang Zhu pulled him back by the collar and shoved him toward Jiang Hongming, who was trying to intervene.
“Enough! Enough! What kind of behavior is this!” the village head shouted. Several stout men came and drove the groups apart with sticks. “We’re all from the same village. What’s this nonsense?”
The two groups of young men stood apart, glaring stubbornly at each other.
Someone from the Jiang side muttered, “It’s those ungrateful JIang family again.”
Jiang Hongming scowled, “Stop it!”
Seeing the village head’s sour expression, he changed the topic. “By the rules, the prey belongs to whoever ends up with it. That wild boar fell into Jiang Zhu’s trap, so it’s his. He worked hard to carry it to town to sell, and we don’t want the money.”
Several young men from the Jiang family were dissatisfied but said nothing.
This was a rule set by their Jiang family. The Jiang and Jiang families in the village didn’t get along, especially resenting Jiang Zhu.
Jiang Hongming calmed down and said to Jiang Zhu, “I honestly didn’t know Hongliang kept stealing vegetables. How much do we owe? We’ll pay.”
Jiang Zhu: “No need.”
After witnessing the multi-generational drama, Shen Qingyue interjected at the right moment, “We’re all neighbors. Whether to compensate or not, harmony is what matters most.”
Everyone: “...”
If he didn’t speak, everyone would have forgotten he was there.
They thought, “Why do you keep getting involved? Without you, they wouldn’t have even fought.”
Everyone glared at Shen Qingyue. Even Jiang Zhu’s face darkened, but Shen Qingyue seemed not to notice, smiling warmly.
“Today’s trouble all started because a few kids stole vegetables.”
As for previous conflicts, that was none of his concern.
“I see you’re all reasonable people. Why don’t you go back and come up with a practical solution? No need for compensation. A handful or two or three of vegetables—if you have to pay every time, it just means you didn’t manage your kids well, but it looks like Master Xiao Jiang is unreasonable, ignoring neighborhood ties and trying to extort money. Actually, he’s the one suffering here, right, everyone?”