Time slipped by swiftly amidst the busy bustle.
It was not until the latter half of the night that those who went into the mountain to rescue the county magistrate returned.
The quiet village instantly turned lively upon their return.
Many of those present were in no rush to go home; after all, the person saved this time was the Lord County Magistrate. If they could win even a single favor from the magistrate, it would be a monumental stroke of luck for them.
Thus, even though the village chief advised those without business to go home and rest first, they still used the excuse of staying behind to see if they could lend a hand, packing Dr. Chen’s courtyard so tightly that not a drop of water could trickle through.
Wang Chengye, taking his two sons along, did not try to claim this advantage, even though the three of them were the main force behind the rescue this time.
Seeing that they were not needed here, he spoke a word to Song Xingjian and led his two sons home.
When leaving, he did not miss the complex look in Song Xingjian’s eyes.
Wang Chengye did not care.
He knew little about this county magistrate and had no wish to waste time here.
If this magistrate was a good official, once he woke up, he would certainly learn about the circumstances of his rescue from his subordinates. In that case, there was no need to worry that his own credit would be stolen by others.
If the magistrate was petty and held grudges, he certainly would not want to be seen by others in such a miserable and wretched state. Then, the moment he opened his eyes and saw the people around him, he would instinctively remember their faces.
They might not even live to see the magistrate’s gratitude.
By leaving early, he could avoid the risks of such a scenario.
His two sons, however, did not quite understand.
With such a prime opportunity to win the magistrate’s favor, why did their own father give it up so easily?
However, knowing that their own brains were not as sharp as their father’s and fearing that asking would earn them the evaluation of “fools” from him, they refrained from asking why and obediently followed Wang Chengye back.
The moment they reached home and pushed open the door, seeing the few people bustling about in full swing in the courtyard, the three men froze for a second.
Even Wang Zhaoming had been drafted into labor, standing to the side holding an oil lamp to illuminate the space while Wen Caimei and the other two women handled the items brought by the Song family.
Hearing the door open, all four looked over at the same time.
Somehow, watching this scene, the three grown men felt the fatigue on their bodies from their return melt away instantly.
“Did you find him?” Wen Caimei asked.
Her hands did not stop moving as she spoke.
“Mm, found him. That magistrate said he was looking for some clue and went out all by himself, falling into a hunter’s trap.”
“He was wounded pretty badly; a bamboo spike went straight through his leg.”
Wen Caimei curled her lips, unable to fathom how a county magistrate could wander into such a dangerous place in the mountain without taking a single subordinate along.
If he didn’t run into trouble, who would?
Zheng Duowei said, “Father, we saved some food for you in the kitchen. Go ahead and eat first.”
Thinking that they had gone up the mountain searching for someone for half the night and were bound to be hungry and thirsty upon returning, she had prepared some dishes before handling these items, placing them in the pot to stay warm with the residual heat of the stove so they could eat the moment they returned.
The three, who hadn’t felt hungry initially, felt their stomachs go empty the moment they heard Zheng Duowei say this.
While they were talking, Zhao Guizhi had already brought out the dishes, setting them on the table in the courtyard.
She lit another oil lamp and set it on the table to make it convenient for them to eat.
Once the three sat down, Zheng Duowei spotted bloodstains on her husband’s clothing.
“Where are you hurt?” Her tone carried anxiety as she pulled at her husband’s back to check.
“It’s nothing, this isn’t my blood—it belongs to the magistrate.”
“The three of us were the first to find the magistrate. Second Brother and I went down to carry him up on our backs, so we just got a bit of blood on us.”
“Once we delivered him to Dr. Chen’s place, Father had us come back early, though the others are still over there keeping watch over the magistrate.”
“Your father really thought things through.”
After hearing the general outline of the matter, Wen Caimei instantly understood Wang Chengye’s intentions.
“Mother, what do you mean?”
“How would you feel if I told your wife that you were still wetting the bed at six years old?” Wen Caimei said teasingly.
“Mother!” Wang Yuanchuan raised his voice.
Everyone was amused, bursting into laughter.
At first, Wang Yuanchuan felt embarrassed and annoyed, but seeing the amused expressions on everyone’s faces as they laughed at him, he instantly understood Wang Chengye’s intention in not letting them stay over there to keep watch.
“Father, old ginger is indeed spicier than young ginger! You really are crafty and wily.”
The smile on Wang Chengye’s face froze, and he kicked Wang Yuanchuan in annoyance. “Is that how you use ‘crafty and wily’?!”
“I told you to study, but you insisted on playing with pigs, refusing to learn no matter what. Now you can’t even use an idiom properly.”
Wang Chizheng immediately pulled his head back, hoping the gunfire wouldn’t spread to him.
Wang Chengye had originally wanted to drag his second son into a scolding as well, but seeing his timid, spineless look, the words stopped right at his lips and went back down.
He found it strange—he himself was quite good at studying, so how come neither of his two sons inherited this trait?
His wife was intelligent as well. Ever since she married into the family, she had him teach her how to read and write; over the years, she knew more than these two sons combined.
Even the daughters-in-law who married in later had learned quite a lot alongside her.
Wang Chengye had a face full of gloom.
Before bed, he even asked Wen Caimei, “Whose roots do you think these two children took after?”
“Your Wang family ancestors’ roots, of course! Could it be that everyone in your generation of the Wang family of your age was good at studying?”
“Although no one in my Wen family studied, every single one of us is sharp.”
Wen Caimei cleared herself of responsibility at the first opportunity.
Wang Chengye recalled the past and did not refute her.
“How could everything in this world go according to your wishes? Although they aren’t good at studying, they are very filial, and they are wonderful to their wives, their children, and Zhao’zhao.”
“If you make them do dirty or heavy labor, they won’t whine about it either.”
“Be content. Look at the chaos in the households around us; the children in our family are already very exceptional. It’s not as if one has to study and take the civil service exams to be a good child.”
“Besides, even if the sons aren’t sharp, the daughters-in-law are. As long as they want to live a good life, they’ll keep a good eye on their husbands.”
“Our grandsons and granddaughters are sharp and obedient too.”
“In the past, we worried about Zhao’zhao, but now that Zhao’zhao is well, what you should worry about is how to make our family’s life better.”
“So that our Zhao’zhao can stay at home with peace of mind without having to suffer the hardships of getting married.”
Wen Caimei’s words brought a sudden surge of pressure upon Wang Chengye.
He said nothing, merely moving closer to Wen Caimei quietly and resting his head on her shoulder.
Drowsiness gradually washed over them, and before long, rhythmic snoring echoed across the small room.
Having slept for less than two shichen, Wang Chengye was awakened by the rooster crowing outside.
Hearing the sound, Wen Caimei opened her eyes as well.
Despite staying up for most of the night, Wang Chengye still had to go to town for work during the day. The livestock at home and the work in the fields all required someone’s care.
The moment the two stepped out of the door, they saw Wang Zhaoming, who usually slept until she woke up naturally, already awake.
Dressed neatly, she was preparing to step outside.
“Zhao’zhao, why are you up so early? Where are you going?”
Wang Zhaoming said helplessly, “To save a life.”
The couple’s expressions changed drastically at once.
At this moment, the person in need of saving could be none other than the county magistrate lying at Dr. Chen’s place.
“Must you go?”
Wang Zhaoming did not want to either, but the extra karmic line that appeared in the middle of the night forced her hand.
Wen Caimei fell silent for a moment. “Wait a moment. I’ll tidy up and go with you.”
Wang Chengye wanted to follow along as well, but Wen Caimei refused.
“The shopkeeper is kindhearted; after learning about our family’s situation, he advanced us several months’ worth of silver. We can’t make things difficult for him. It’s fine, Eldest Son and the others are at home, and they are all at an age where they can take on responsibility. Go to work with peace of mind, and don’t worry.”