"The matter here is settled. Everyone in the imperial city believes I disappeared in that great fire. If I don't return soon, the Emperor might even hold a funeral for me."
If it weren't for the need to stay and treat patients and rescue those abducted by Zhang Chu, he wouldn't have lingered here any longer. Now that the patients were treated and the people from the mine were rescued, it was indeed time to leave.
As for the house in Yunshui Village, it was originally built by his subordinates for temporary residence and information gathering. It was good that it was burned down.
"Then you mustn't go back on your word."
Looking at the prospect of returning to Yaowang Valley soon, Rong Zhi's mood was good, though she was still a little reluctant to part with Gu Xinlan.
The house arranged by Xia Yunting was in the county town, not far from the mass grave, and was relatively secluded and quiet. The next day, Rong Zhi specifically went to Yunshui Village to see if there was anything usable left in the house. To her surprise, she discovered that the arsonist had likely ransacked the house before setting it ablaze. Apart from blackened walls and charred roof beams, she found nothing else.
Rong Zhi stood at the main entrance and watched as the smoke-billowing door frame swayed precariously in the wind and then collapsed. She gaped in astonishment; it had been burned down so completely.
Never mind. She had arrived with nothing and left with nothing; it was less of a burden.
Rong Zhi was good at self-regulation. After leaving the haunted house, she planned to go to Liu Hong's house to bid farewell to Gu Xinlan, but she met the village chief halfway.
The village chief's eyes lit up upon seeing Rong Zhi. "I was just looking for you." He then quickened his pace and approached.
"Village chief, is there something?"
Yu Rong looked somewhat embarrassed and cast a regretful glance in the direction of the haunted house. "It's my fault for not keeping a closer watch. Someone set your house on fire, and it burned down completely. Fortunately, you're unharmed. Where are you going? I was about to go to your house to see if I could find any clues and perhaps identify the arsonist."
"I want to go see Xinlan."
Rong Zhi remembered something and smiled, reminding him, "Village chief, thank you for helping us investigate the culprit. If you find them, please educate them properly. I know everyone is angry, but taking revenge and destroying property is against the law. The former county magistrate Zhang Chu's house was invaded by the people, and his wife died of fright. The prefect is already talking about holding these people accountable. Surely, you don't want to come out of a wolf's den only to land in prison, right?"
"Is there such a thing?"
The village chief's expression changed when he heard this. It was clear he hadn't considered this angle before, only thinking that those rascals were ungrateful and despicable.
"I'll go investigate right away. Where will you be staying during this time?"
Rong Zhi replied, "My husband and I have found another place to stay and won't be returning here for now. Thank you for your and everyone's care. I need to visit Xinlan. You should get busy."
Rong Zhi bid farewell with a smile and headed towards Gu Xinlan's home.
Yu Rong rubbed his head, feeling utterly bewildered. Her house had burned down, and she didn't seem concerned at all?
Never mind. He would find the arsonist first!
Meanwhile, Rong Zhi arrived at Liu Hong's house and almost thought she had the wrong address. The surrounding wall had been doubled in height, and the wooden gate had been replaced with an iron one, which hung with a large padlock. It creaked and swayed in the wind, making clanging noises.
Even in broad daylight, the gate was tightly shut, giving the impression that no one was home.
She had only been gone for a few days, and yet so much had changed.
Rong Zhi stepped forward and knocked on the door. She soon heard footsteps, but the door didn't open immediately. The person inside seemed to observe her for a moment before the footsteps quickened. The door soon opened, revealing Liu Hong's smile.
"Miss Lin, you're here? Come in quickly."
He said this as he ushered Rong Zhi inside and quickly closed the door, as if afraid of being seen.
"Why are you acting like a thief?"
Rong Zhi was a little surprised, but seeing Liu Hong's slightly tense expression, she quickly understood.
"Did people from the village give you trouble?"
Liu Hong smiled faintly, a trace of bitterness in his smile. "Didn't they? Children have been coming around these past couple of days. I was afraid of frightening Xinlan, so I had the walls and the gate reinforced."
Rong Zhi looked around. Although the walls and gate had been replaced, the interior furnishings were the same as before. It was clear the renovation had been done in haste.
If it were just children causing trouble, they wouldn't have been in such a hurry to build such high walls, would they?
She suddenly felt that this trouble wouldn't be resolved in a day or two.
"Don't stand in the yard, Miss Lin. Come in and sit down."
Liu Hong enthusiastically invited her into the house. Before she could enter, someone inside heard the commotion and came out. Gu Xinlan's worried expression softened into a smile upon seeing Rong Zhi.
"You're here."
"I came to see you."
Rong Zhi looked her up and down, checking for any injuries, as Liu Hong's caution suggested something might have happened.
Indeed, she noticed something amiss.
Gu Xinlan had a small abrasion on the back of her right hand. Although she had tried to cover it with her sleeve, Rong Zhi still spotted it.
"Xinlan, what happened to your hand?"
She gently took Gu Xinlan's hand and examined it closely.
Gu Xinlan shook her head. "It's nothing, just a minor scrape."
"Are you sure it's nothing?" Rong Zhi asked again, noticing Gu Xinlan's averted gaze, a sure sign she was lying.
"What are you hiding from me? If you have any difficulties, just tell me."
Gu Xinlan glanced at Liu Hong. Their eyes met with a hint of complexity. Finally, Liu Hong sighed. "The village chief said that because everyone disliked Zhang Chu, and we spoke up for Zhang Yajing, we incurred the villagers' wrath. The villagers haven't caused any major trouble, just a few children and young people making a nuisance of themselves at our doorstep every few days. It's not enough to warrant legal action, so he can't really speak up for us. If it comes to it, they've suggested we move."
"Move?"
Rong Zhi found it absurd. "Why should you move? Xinlan is also a victim. Since they've suffered, they shouldn't be making things difficult for Xinlan."
Liu Hong and Gu Xinlan looked resigned.
Rong Zhi's expression turned serious. "If only one person thought this way, it would be one thing. But do all of you have such a lack of conscience? There must be a ringleader! No, this can't just be left as it is!"
Rong Zhi had only intended to visit and say goodbye. The village matters were for the village chief to handle. But she hadn't expected the situation to be so serious.
"You two wait here. I'm going to see the village chief now."
Rong Zhi left without entering the house, turning and exiting swiftly.
Gu Xinlan and Liu Hong exchanged a look, concern evident in their eyes.
"I'll go too."
If anything serious happened, at least there would be someone to help.
"Xinlan, you stay home and keep your mother company!"
"Mm."
Leaving Liu Hong's house, Rong Zhi headed straight for the haunted house. As expected, Yu Rong was there, along with several elderly men, holding a young man who looked familiar – it was Ji Dong.
Yu Rong stood in front of Ji Dong, his face stern, clearly reprimanding him.
Ji Dong looked defiant. Suddenly, he saw Rong Zhi approaching, and a flicker of guilt and fear crossed his face.
"Village chief." Rong Zhi greeted Yu Rong and, observing the scene, had already figured out most of what was happening.
"Oh, you've come at the perfect time! The arsonist has been caught. What do you think we should do about this?"
Yu Rong was still thinking about Rong Zhi's earlier words regarding the law. He was eager for Rong Zhi to handle the matter, hoping to resolve it amicably and avoid escalating it.
Rong Zhi's gaze sharpened as she looked at Ji Dong. "Did you set the fire?"
Ji Dong snorted. "So what if I did?"
"And were you the one who kept harassing Gu Xinlan's family?"
"Huh?"
Ji Dong was taken aback. He hadn't expected Rong Zhi to change the subject so abruptly.
"What harassment? What happened to Sister Xinlan's family? I don't know..."
"Miss Lin, we're talking about arson. Why are you asking about Xinlan's family?" Yu Rong also chimed in.
Rong Zhi said, "Village chief, my husband and I don't intend to make a big fuss about the arson. However, Xinlan will continue to live in this village. I just came from Xinlan's house and saw that her courtyard walls and gate have been completely redone. She said they've been frequently harassed lately. I've come to ask you about this matter, as a fellow villager, why are you making things so difficult for Xinlan's family?"
"This..."
This surprised Yu Rong. Her own house had been burned down, yet she was concerned about others.
He explained, "Xinlan's family's situation is just some children messing around. I can talk reason with adults, but what do children understand? I can't really manage this."
"Village chief, this is not a trivial matter. Will Xinlan's family have to keep their doors shut all day and act like thieves every time they go out from now on?"
"This..." Yu Rong hesitated. With so many people in the village, he couldn't possibly scold every single one of them!
"Village chief, if you find it difficult to speak up, please discreetly investigate who is harassing Xinlan's family, and I will handle it."
"You will handle it?" Yu Rong hesitated, seemingly weighing whether to speak.
"Village chief, do you have any concerns?" Rong Zhi found the village chief's behavior a bit unusual today.
"No, no..." Yu Rong waved his hand. "Um, I just wanted to ask, how do you plan to resolve it? Are you planning to report it to the authorities?"
Rong Zhi replied, "This is a small matter, not worth reporting to the authorities. Liu Hong said it's just a group of children, and they just need a lesson to understand right from wrong. Village chief, don't worry, I won't hurt anyone indiscriminately."
Seeing her confident demeanor, Yu Rong's expression finally relaxed. "Then... then I'll tell you the truth. It's Iron Egg's mother who's been spreading rumors in the village. A few adults are probably jealous that Xinlan's family has money and had such a grand wedding. Coupled with Xinlan and Liu Hong speaking up for Zhang Yajing at the wedding, they used it as an excuse. They didn't want to act themselves, so they let the children cause trouble. If I scold them, they say the children are young and don't know any better. If I don't say anything, it feels unfair to Liu Hong's family. That's why I told Liu Hong a few days ago that if it's really necessary, they should move out for a while to lie low."
"On what grounds?" Rong Zhi was immediately displeased. "It's clearly the villagers' fault, so why should Liu Hong's family move out? The bullies have the right of way? Iron Egg's mother, is it? I'll go find her!"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" The village chief stopped her, looking concerned. "You're really not going to report it to the authorities, are you?"
"Report to whom?" Rong Zhi asked, surprised by his repeated confirmation. "Village chief, haven't the people in our village done anything wrong? Why are you so afraid of reporting to the authorities?"
Yu Rong's lips twitched. He recalled yesterday when the authorities sent people to inquire about the background of the couple from the haunted house, hinting that they seemed to have extraordinary identities. He felt a sense of unease.
These two individuals were capable of dealing with the human traffickers from Swallow Mountain, could bring down the county magistrate, and had the ability to cure ailments that even Doctor Chu, the divine physician, couldn't cure. They might have some powerful connections. If he accidentally offended them, it would be a serious matter!