“But, Second Uncle…”
“Enough, Mo’er. Hurry up now. I treat you like my own children—how could I let you suffer losses?”
Though Su Changdong spoke these words, his eyes shot a warning glare, clearly implying that if Su Mo dared expose him, he’d make him regret it!
Su Mo pursed his lips and stayed silent, merely complying as Su Changdong led him toward the new courtyard under the envious gazes of the crowd.
The onlookers whispered among themselves. They’d all heard about the incident that morning and agreed the Su family members were no good. Yet, surprisingly, one of them seemed reasonable. They could only hope Su Changdong genuinely meant well toward the three siblings.
Hearing the shift in public opinion about him, Su Changdong felt immensely pleased, his earlier gloom completely vanishing.
Just as everyone watched the two depart, a stranger suddenly appeared before them, carrying a bow in his left hand and a tiger cub in his right.
“Hey, kid! How’d you get down here? I only took a moment to find this cub, and you already carried the game down? I was just searching for you everywhere!”
Though he’d never met the man, Su Mo was sure he was sent by the hero. Heart leaping with joy, he deliberately put on a sorrowful tone:
“I’m truly sorry. You helped me so much, so I wanted to assist Second Uncle in bringing the game down to save you trouble. But Second Uncle thought I hunted it all and is now moving everything home!”
“Second Uncle, I tried to tell you earlier, but your glare was downright terrifying!”
As soon as Su Mo finished speaking, the crowd’s perception of Su Changdong shifted instantly.
“So all this game was hunted by someone else? How dare someone claim credit for it?”
“Exactly! We almost thought he had a conscience, but it turns out he does—just the wrong kind!”
Amid the sarcastic remarks, Su Changdong felt like devouring Su Mo whole. His face darkened, eyes burning crimson, as he fought the urge to punch Su Mo dead.
But Su Mo wasn’t afraid now. If Su Changdong dared lay a hand on him, he’d report it to the county magistrate and make him pay dearly!
With so many witnesses, Su Changdong didn’t dare act out. Even if his rage threatened to explode his chest, he forced himself to swallow it.
“Mo’er, you’ve grown bold, slandering me like this? This game was clearly caught in the Snare I set. If you wanted a share, you only had to ask—I’d have given it to you. Why collude with outsiders to frame me? I’m your second uncle!”
Su Changdong’s teeth gritted audibly. Seeing his ferocious expression, Su Mo “fearfully” retreated several steps.
“Second Uncle… how can you say that? How could one person hunt so much game? The Snare is only so big—if one animal fell in, others wouldn’t be foolish enough to jump in after it…”
Before Su Mo finished, the stranger chuckled coldly, raising his bow. “These were all taken down with arrows. Check the wounds if you don’t believe me. Claiming they fell into a Snare is utterly ridiculous!”
After the stranger spoke, the crowd hurried to inspect the game—sure enough, the injuries were from arrows.
“Tsk, tsk. The Su family really has no decent ones—all liars! Who knows how the three siblings from the main branch have endured all these years?”
“Exactly! He claimed he paid someone to teach his nephew hunting, but judging by this situation, he doesn’t even know the instructor. How could there be any payment involved? Thankfully, heaven has eyes, allowing us to see the true nature of the Su family!”
The crowd’s comments, one after another, infuriated Su Changdong. Unable to refute them, he fixed his gaze on the man who had appeared out of nowhere.
“Who are you? I’ve never seen you before. This is Xiaohe Village—what are you sneaking around our village’s back mountain for? What did you say to Su Mo to make him slander me so relentlessly?”
Strangers in the village were strictly monitored, as unfamiliar faces were often fugitives wanted by the authorities. Su Changdong was certain this man was no good. If he fled in panic, Su Changdong’s reputation might still be salvageable.
To his surprise, the man directly produced a constable’s token and declared, “I’m a constable from Longtou County. The magistrate, out of consideration, granted me a few days off. I came up the mountain to hunt in my free time—what’s wrong with that?”
Well, as soon as he spoke, the crowd erupted. A county constable hunting in their Xiaohe Village was a tremendous honor.
Some seized the opportunity to approach and offer greetings, while others inquired whether he had siblings or was married, hoping to make other plans.
Su Changdong knew he had no chance of turning the situation around now. With the constable’s token presented, the truth of their statements was clear to everyone.
He just couldn’t accept that he had been outsmarted by Su Mo, that kid!
Seeing all this, Su Mo knew his goal was achieved. Without delay, he bid farewell to Su Changdong, pushed the small flatbed cart, and hauled the game back to the old courtyard.
Once home and after unloading the prey, Su Mo didn’t return the small flatbed cart—it was his family’s property anyway, so why return it?
The stranger had followed Su Mo all the way, only slipping away after ensuring he safely entered the old courtyard.
Hearing the commotion in the yard, Su Juan and Su Ying rushed out to look. Their expressions turned to shock at the sight of the ground covered with wild game.
Su Mo closed the main gate and excitedly recounted his encounter with Qi Mohan on the back mountain, explaining how he had set up Su Changdong to reap what he sowed, leaving him unable to voice his grievances.
Upon hearing of their younger brother’s glorious feat, the two sisters couldn’t help but give him a thumbs-up!
“I never thought our little brother would stop being reckless and finally show some smarts!” Su Juan patted Su Mo’s head affectionately.
“Of course! I’m a man now. You should believe I can protect you both!” Su Mo thumped his chest, tilting his chin up and winking at his sisters.
“We believe you! Xiao Mo is always the best!” Su Ying praised him sincerely.
“By the way, Second Sister, the constable asked me what you’re doing with his waistband. If you don’t have much use for it, I can bring it back to him next time!”
As soon as Su Ying spoke, Su Mo remembered Qi Mohan’s request and quickly inquired.
Upon hearing this, Su Ying’s eyes darted away. “…Ah, the waistband? Well, I heard someone say that if a household lacks yang energy, it might attract snakes. A man’s waistband carries yang energy, so I took it to ward off evil. Hey, Sister, now that I think of it, we haven’t seen any snakes for quite a few days, right?”
Su Juan thought carefully and nodded. “It’s true, we haven’t seen many snakes lately. This method does seem to work a bit!”
“Well, that’s true. But since he’s hunted so much game for us, I can’t just keep his waistband without returning it. It’s just that I can’t remember where I put it after buying it last time. I’ll look for it when I have a moment!”
Su Ying fabricated an excuse to brush it off—she had no choice, since she’d already traded the waistband for the Appearance Restoration Balm, and the balm was nearly used up. She couldn’t possibly trade it back now!
Oh, what a mess. Maybe she could make him a new one just like the original? Ah, but she’d long forgotten what pattern the waistband had. Never mind, she’d just tell him the truth next time he asked for it!
Hearing this, Su Mo didn’t say much, only thinking that he’d mention it to the warrior next time they met and see if they could exchange something else for that waistband.