Seeing this, Chen Yansheng quickly pulled her aside: “I’m not so bad that I have to let a woman like you shoulder all the burdens.”
Yu Bingjie was taken aback when she heard Chen Yansheng’s words.
In my memory, my best friend’s younger brother was a gentle person. How come he has become so tough now?
“But they’re coming soon, and we can’t escape. What should we do?”
Without wasting words, Chen Yansheng led her to the platform behind the clay statue of the mountain god, pulled open a stone slab, and revealed the inner layer.
“Why is there a hidden space here?” Yu Bingjie asked in surprise.
“It’s a long story. You go inside first, and I’ll go out and lure the villagers away,” Chen Yansheng said.
Yu Bingjie knew that time was of the essence, so she didn’t ask any more questions, nodded, and went inside.
After Bingjie hid in the partition under the clay statue’s pedestal, Chen Yansheng also covered the stone slab, leaving only a small gap for breathing.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a uniquely shaped plaque next to the clay statue, resembling both wood and stone, and casually picked it up.
As soon as Chen Yansheng stepped out of the temple gate, he ran into the villagers who had come up the mountain to look for him and Yu Bingjie.
In addition, there are Wang Mazi, Wang Tao, and his wife.
“Chen Yansheng, why are you alone? Where did Yu Bingjie go?”
Seeing Chen Yansheng emerge from the dilapidated temple, Wang Mazi said coldly with a sullen face.
Just now, the village chief’s son, Wang Tao, and his wife came to me and said they saw Yu Bingjie taking Chen Yansheng up the mountain. They wondered if they would be having an affair in the dilapidated temple.
It was the middle of the night, and with thunder and rain, Wang Mazi immediately became anxious.
He’s already announced it in the village: he’ll be going to the Yu family tomorrow to get engaged, and Yu Bingjie will soon be his fiancée in name only.
If I get cheated on at this critical juncture, where will I put my pride?
He immediately led the villagers up the mountain to look for the person.
Upon hearing Wang Mazi’s words, Chen Yansheng glanced at the Wang Tao couple, who were sneering to the side.
In order to take away Yu Bingjie’s university spot, Wang Tao not only wanted to ruin Yu Bingjie’s reputation, but also wanted to cause him to suffer 7 years in prison.
This hatred is greater than the heavens!
“What Yu Bingjie? I don’t know what you’re talking about?”
Chen Yansheng feigned confusion as he spoke, his eyes coldly fixed on Wang Tao out of the corner of his eye.
Once this crisis is over, he will make Wang Tao wish he were dead!
“Chen Yansheng, stop pretending now!” Wang Tao’s wife sneered at Chen Yansheng, saying:
“I saw you and Yu Bingjie go up the mountain with my own eyes. It’s so late at night, we don’t even need to guess what you two were doing in this dilapidated temple…”
Upon hearing what Wang Tao’s wife said, the surrounding villagers all turned their gazes toward Chen Yansheng.
Yu Bingjie had just gotten engaged to Wang Mazi.
If this scandal gets out, the entire Stone Village will lose face.
Chen Yansheng has committed hooliganism and will be taken to the police station for imprisonment.
“Nonsense, I’ve never seen Yu Bingjie before. I’m the only person in this mountain temple.”
Chen Yansheng had already prepared his explanation.
“What are you doing at the mountain god temple alone so late at night?” Wang Mazi questioned.
The villagers also looked puzzled.
“I’ve been craving pheasants lately, and I was thinking of going up the mountain to hunt a couple to satisfy my craving, but then it suddenly started thundering and raining, so I had to take shelter in the mountain temple.”
Chen Yansheng said.
“The rain has lessened now, and I was just about to head back. Let’s go.”
Wang Tao, who was standing to the side, didn’t believe a word of Chen Yansheng’s reasons.
He was certain that Yu Bingjie was hiding in the dilapidated temple, and that her clothes had probably been torn to shreds by Chen Yansheng.
If the villagers are allowed to enter and find Yu Bingjie, then Chen Yansheng’s charge of hooliganism will be a done deal.
At that time, Chen Yansheng’s university spot will be his with just a little manipulation.
Thinking of this, Wang Tao sneered:
“Chen Yansheng, are you in such a hurry to pull us away because you’re afraid we’ll stumble upon your shameful deeds?”
“Could it be that you and Yu Bingjie just finished your tryst in the mountain temple and didn’t have time to hide?”
Upon hearing this, all the villagers turned their gazes toward Chen Yansheng.
Wang Mazi’s face immediately turned ugly, and he stared coldly at Chen Yansheng.
“Wang Tao, watch your mouth.”
Chen Yansheng, with a stern face, said to Wang Tao:
“First of all, Yu Bingjie is not engaged to anyone, so she can’t be considered anyone’s fiancée!”
“Secondly, Yu Bingjie is my sister’s friend. You’re making lewd jokes about my sister’s friend. Believe me, I’ll tear your mouth apart!”
When he said the last sentence, Chen Yansheng’s gaze turned sinister.
Wang Tao was so frightened that he took a few steps back.
Normally, Chen Yansheng looks very polite and refined, but I never expected him to be so fierce, his eyes were so terrifying.
“Wang Mazi, stop wasting time talking to him, just send men in to search!” Wang Tao turned to Wang Mazi and urged him.
Upon hearing Wang Tao’s words, Wang Mazi tensed up and, with a stern face, addressed the surrounding villagers:
“Search!”
“Wait!”
Chen Yansheng waved his hand to stop the villagers and said in a deep voice:
“Wang Mazi, you can’t search this mountain god temple!”
“What? Chen Yansheng, are you feeling guilty?” Wang Tao said coldly.
“Bullshit, Wang Tao, don’t think I don’t know what you’re thinking!”
Chen Yansheng cursed loudly:
“You brought so many villagers here today, saying that Yu Bingjie and I secretly went up the mountain, and you also slandered Yu Bingjie for having an affair with me in the mountain god temple.”
“Isn’t it all just to ruin my reputation and then take my place in college?”
“If you really search this mountain god temple today, at the very least, where will I put my face?”
“To put it more bluntly, does that mean if you dislike a villager, you’ll falsely accuse him of having an affair with a widow?”
Chen Yansheng raised this matter to the level of the entire village.
Upon hearing this, the villagers around him changed their expressions and looked at Wang Tao with hostility.
After all, many of the older villagers came from that era and had witnessed the severity of being denounced, paraded through the streets, and subjected to public criticism.
In this day and age, there’s no such thing as who has to testify and who has to provide evidence. If someone really smears you, you’ll be left speechless and unable to defend yourself.
“Chen Yansheng, stop talking nonsense to me. They say a clear conscience fears no accusation. If you really have nothing to hide, why are you afraid of Wang Mazi having his men search the mountain temple?”
Wang Tao said in a cold voice.
The more Chen Yansheng delayed, the more convinced he became that Chen Yansheng had a problem.
At this point, Wang Tao turned to the villagers and said.
“Fellow villagers, no matter what, Yu Bingjie is about to become engaged to Wang Mazi!”
“If a scandal really breaks out about her having an affair with Chen Yansheng before the engagement, it won’t just be a disgrace for them, but for the entire village!”
“Even if Chen Yansheng is a good student and got into university, he can’t just take advantage of his education to bully honest people, can he?”
The villagers nodded in agreement upon hearing this.
Seeing that the villagers all agreed with him, Wang Tao’s face showed a smug look.
“Chen Yansheng, did you hear everyone’s opinions? If you don’t search the mountain temple for Wang Mazi today, you’re going against everyone’s wishes!”
Chen Yansheng knew that it was impossible not to search the mountain temple for Wang Mazi today.
But if Wang Tao wants to cause trouble for him, he can’t let him get away with it.
“I’ll say it again: if word gets out that you had Wang Mazi lead a search party to the mountain god temple today, my reputation will be ruined. How am I supposed to go to university then?”
Chen Yansheng said coldly: “You want to lead people to search the mountain temple… fine!”
“But if we can’t find anyone later, I’ll also take some men to search your wife’s room and see if there are any other men’s penises there!”
He knew very well that Wang Tao’s wife was not a docile woman.
really.
Upon hearing Chen Yansheng’s words, Wang Tao’s face darkened.
“Chen Yansheng, this is a discussion about your issues. Why are you dragging my wife into it?”
“What? You can suspect me of having affairs?” Chen Yansheng sneered. “But I can’t suspect your wife of cheating on you?”