Chapter 60: The Dark Figure on the Wall

Chapter 60: Chapter 60: The Dark Figure on the Wall

At Zhao Nuanyue’s words, everyone looked over.

According to the regulations, Zhao Nuan Yang didn’t meet the requirements at all. His presence here was problematic in itself, but no one had expected it was to escape his stepfather’s abuse.

"How did your father pass away?" He Qiang asked. "Is your mother still alive?"

"My father died in the line of duty when my brother and I were five." Zhao Nuanyue’s nose tingled, and she spoke through a choked sob. "I don’t remember much from when I was little. My mother was frail and sickly, unable to raise us, so she remarried. My stepfather was decent to my mother, and he had his own daughter. My mom couldn’t protect us. In that house, we were just extra baggage, so I left with my brother."

"Sigh, every family has its own troubles," Sun Haoran said with a sigh. "It’s rare for a child like you to still have such a pure heart, to never abandon your brother."

"Besides my father who sacrificed his life and my weak mother, my brother is the only family I have left in this world." Tears streamed down Zhao Nuanyue’s face, but she wore a happy smile. Having family was better than being all alone.

In her past life, after her brother died, she had tasted the pain of having no family. ’As for that mother of hers, it would have been better not to have one at all!’

Hua Yusen saw the glistening tears on Zhao Nuanyue’s face and started to reach out to wipe them away. But with so many people around, he had to pull his hand back. Instead, he offered her his handkerchief and said softly, "Don’t cry. Everything will be all right. I’ll protect you two from now on."

"Thank you!" Zhao Nuanyue said gratefully. Telling these people her story wasn’t just to explain her situation; it was also a way to vent her pent-up frustrations.

Now that she had said it and cried it out, she felt much better.

That evening, everyone shared their own sorrows. They comforted and encouraged one another, and their spirits improved greatly.

That night, Zhao Nuanyue boiled a lot of hot water for everyone to wash their faces and feet and gave them newly made undergarments. The thoughtful Zhao Nuanyue even gave each person a saline bottle filled with hot water, which she and Hua Yusen had asked a doctor for when they visited Yang Guanghui in the hospital.

Tucking one into your bedding on a cold winter day made it especially warm.

That night, the residents of the Dragon King Temple finally got a peaceful night’s sleep.

Zhao Nuanyue found all sorts of ways to make delicious food, ensuring the elderly ate their fill. They were all very happy.

When Miao Dahai, Li Guihua, and other village officials came over for an inspection, Zhao Nuanyue was reading aloud to the elderly from a book.

Seeing this scene, Miao Dahai was overjoyed.

’This is great! It’s perfectly in line with the spirit of the leadership’s directives. And it’s something I can report back to my son who works out of town.’

"Good, not bad at all. The year-end evaluations for excellence are coming up soon. I’ll make sure you get a certificate and a reward," Miao Cunzheng said with a smile, feeling their work was exceptionally well done and giving it his approval.

"It’s all thanks to the village’s wise decisions. We’re just following instructions," Hua Yusen said with a smile, flattering Miao Dahai. Since they weren’t enemies, there was no need to make things difficult for him.

’You do well, I do well, and everyone wins.’

Miao Dahai left with the other villagers, completely satisfied. He still had to go back and write a report for his superiors.

Zhao Nuanyue and Zhao Nuan Yang continued to care for the elderly at the temple. After a few days of recuperation, their bodies slowly recovered, so they also picked up brooms and began to clear the snow, doing whatever chores they could manage.

He Qiang even started helping the villagers clear snow from the roads. When the villagers saw this, they just smiled and didn’t say anything.

’He’s working and serving the villagers. It’s a good thing.’

As for Hua Yusen, he always took the opportunity to go out and catch fish at night.

One day, when he returned at night, he spotted a dark figure on top of the wall. Hua Yusen set his back basket aside, picked up a few stones from the ground, and crept closer. He forcefully threw them at the dark figure, then quickly vaulted over the wall into the Dragon King Temple.

He heard the dark figure fall to the ground with a THUD, letting out a cry of "Ah!"

It was a person, and from the sound of it, a man.

Hua Yusen grabbed a carrying pole, opened the gate, and rushed out, shouting, "Thief! Catch the thief!"

The dark figure had just scrambled to his feet when Hua Yusen’s carrying pole struck him. He covered his head and fled like a rat, with no chance to fight back, and could only bolt toward the village.

"Lock the gate!" Hua Yusen shouted at Zhao Nuanyue, who was about to follow him. "Don’t come out! I’ll go after him!"

Zhao Nuanyue stopped in her tracks. Not daring to give chase, she had no choice but to stay behind and lock the gate.

However, her consciousness followed them along the ditch. Hua Yusen kept up the pursuit, but he deliberately slowed down. He waited until the man was almost in the village before speeding up and continuing to shout, "Thief! Catch the thief!"

Villagers despise petty thieves. Hearing someone shout "Catch the thief," they all got up to help.

As a newly appointed village worker, Wu Dazhu was especially proactive. He threw on a padded jacket, grabbed a carrying pole from by the door, and rushed out. Taking the lead, he saw the person fleeing in panic, met him head-on, and struck him with the pole.

"AH!" the man screamed and fell to the ground.

It was dark, so no one could see who it was. Besides, with all the noise just now, they couldn’t recognize his voice either.

"D-Don’t tell me I killed him?" Big Pillar jumped in fright. He hadn’t dared to hit the man on the head, only on the body. ’In this freezing weather, a few whacks with a carrying pole shouldn’t be lethal.’

Hua Yusen came over, squatted down, and checked for the man’s breath.

But the man suddenly rolled over, scrambled up, and started running again.

Hua Yusen kicked out, knocking the man flat on the ground. He followed up immediately, twisting the man’s arms behind his back.

Just as they caught the thief, Miao Cunzheng and the others arrived with torches. When the light fell on the man’s face, everyone was stunned.

"Why is it you?" Miao Cunzheng asked in shock. "Li Siming, what are you doing sneaking around in the middle of the night instead of sleeping?"

It turned out the man was Liu Lanhua’s husband, Li Siming, the former accountant of Nianqiao Village.

"I was feeling restless, so I came out for a walk. Then this guy with the surname Hua started hitting me with a carrying pole," Li Siming said huffily. "Who’s a thief? What did I steal?"

Li Siming had only gone to check on the situation with those people. He hadn’t expected that as soon as he climbed onto the wall, he’d feel a sting of pain, fall off, and then have this Hua fellow chase and beat him with a carrying pole.

At that moment, Li Siming was scared, so he just ran. But then he suddenly realized he hadn’t stolen anything. At worst, he was just out for a walk. ’What’s there to be afraid of!’

When Wu Dazhu saw it was Accountant Li, he chuckled. "Well now, Accountant Li, what are you doing being so sneaky in the middle of the night? If you’re not a thief, why were you running!"

"Exactly. Besides, what normal person perches on top of someone else’s wall?" Hua Yusen stepped forward and said, "You... if I hadn’t been quick on my feet, I wouldn’t have known you have this nasty habit of climbing walls. So, tell us, what were you really up to?