After fleeing the famine, my older sister and I married the brother next door.

First

Er Laizi shook his head frantically, panicking, "No, it wasn't me! Even though I'm a scoundrel, I still have some sense. If I get caught stealing, at most I'll get a beating and have to pay compensation. But if I hurt someone, I'll face legal trouble! I have elderly parents and young children to support, what am I doing this for?"

Old Li was silent for a while, then asked, "Do you have any other clues? Chen Dashan was pushed down the mountain from behind, not by himself."

Erlaizi thought for a moment, then suddenly raised his head, a glint of light flashing in his eyes: "Uncle Village Head, I... I went to the back hill a couple of days ago to set traps for rabbits, and I found that it seemed like someone lived in the ravine there. There's a dilapidated earth god temple there, and I heard noises coming from inside, but I didn't dare go near it. Could it have been done by those people?"

The old village head's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly asked, "Did you see that person?"

Erlaizi shook his head: "I didn't see it. But I heard him talking, like he was talking to himself, saying something about 'making a mistake'. I didn't pay attention at the time, but now that I think about it, maybe he was going to push someone else, but he mistook Brother Dashan for that person."

The mill fell silent. The old village headman frowned, tapping his fingers on the table. Several young men exchanged glances, their faces grave.

"Lock him up first," the old village chief stood up. "Let me discuss it and then decide what to do. Er Laizi, you stay put and don't even think about running away. If this matter is verified, you can't escape the fact that you stole the things, but if you really didn't push the person, you won't be wrongly accused."

Erlaizi nodded repeatedly, squatting in the corner, not daring to utter a sound.

Old Li returned home and called over several of his old friends from the village, as well as his eldest son, De Ge. The group sat around in the main room and recounted the clues that Er Lai Zi had provided.

"We all know about the dilapidated earth god temple in the back hill valley. It's a remote place, and no one has been there for many years," an old man said.

De Ge thought for a moment and then spoke up: "Dad, I think there's something fishy about this. Although Er Laizi is a scoundrel, he wouldn't lie about something like this. Pushing someone down the mountain is a serious crime that could land him in jail. He already admitted to stealing, which is enough to get him into serious trouble. There's no need to add this charge on top of that."

Old Li nodded, then pondered, "Then we need to go check the back mountain. If someone is hiding there, it's not just a matter for the Chen family; the whole village is in danger."

Dege stood up and said, "Dad, I'll take a few men. We'll make our move before dawn and catch them off guard."

Old Li waved his hand: "No rush. Let's discuss this first, and not alert them. That person can hide in the back mountain for so long, they must be someone special. We need to come up with a foolproof plan."

The elderly men discussed the matter for over half an hour before finally deciding on a plan. Brother De led a few young men to scout the back mountain to see if the person was still there. If he was, they would surround the local temple and report to the authorities at dawn. If he wasn't, they would devise another plan.

The village head sent someone to the county town to inform Chen Xiaohe not to rush back to the village, but to wait for news there. Chen Xiaohe left Chen Dashan's place and was about to buy meat when he was stopped by the people sent by the village. He handed the meat and bones he had bought to Su Xiaoqing to take back, and hurried back to the village.

By the time he got home, it was almost dark. Chen's father was waiting for him in the yard and explained the old village head's plan to him.

After hearing this, Chen Xiaohe clenched his fists: "Dad, I have to go. That person harmed my older brother, I can't just let it go."

Chen's father patted him on the shoulder and said, "Don't be impulsive. The village head said to scout ahead first and not rush into action. Go and follow orders; don't act recklessly on your own."

Chen Xiaohe nodded and followed his father toward the old village head's house.

The moon peeked out from behind the clouds, casting its gentle light across the ground. Under the old locust tree at the village entrance, several young people had already gathered, with Gui Ge standing at the front, holding a lantern to block out the light.

"Let's go." He waved his hand, and the group headed towards the back of the mountain.

Chen Xiaohe walked lightly in the group, but his heart was filled with rage. He thought of his older brother lying in the hospital bed, of his sister-in-law feeding him medicine with red eyes, and of the days his family had spent in fear and anxiety.

Whoever that person is, he will make him pay the price.

----

Gui Ge led a few men up the back mountain in the dark. The moonlight was obscured by clouds, and the mountain path was pitch black; they could only discern directions by the faint starlight. The men crouched low, their steps extremely light, even their breathing was very shallow. Chen Xiaohe walked in the middle, clutching a wooden stick in his hand, his knuckles white.

The dilapidated earth god temple was nestled in a ravine behind the mountain, surrounded by waist-high weeds, and rarely visited. Gui Ge gestured, and the group dispersed, quietly surrounding the temple. The temple was dark and silent, as still as a grave.

Gui Ge squatted down by the window, listened intently, and heard faint snoring coming from inside. He winked at Chen Xiaohe, who nodded, went around to the door, took a deep breath, and kicked open the broken wooden door.

"Don't move! Don't move!" Several people rushed in, and a tinderbox lit up the fire. On the ground, there was a thin man curled up in a corner, just woken up from his sleep, his eyes wide with fear. Before he could react, he was pressed to the ground.

The man struggled a few times, shouting, "Who are you? What right do you have to arrest me?"

Gui Ge squatted down, turned his face towards him, and examined him closely by the firelight. He was in his thirties, thin, with high cheekbones and a pointed, monkey-like face. He wore fine cotton clothes, and judging by his attire, his family seemed well-off. He squinted, his voice weak: "You...you're from the village?"

Instead of answering, Gui Ge asked, "What's your name? Where are you from? Why are you hiding in the local temple?"

The man's eyes darted around, his lips trembled, and he remained silent for a long time. Brother De waved his hand: "Take him back and let the village head interrogate him."

Several men escorted the man down the mountain, their steps uneven. Chen Xiaohe brought up the rear, suppressing his anger the whole way, wishing he could punch the man a few times.

Upon arriving in the village, the main room of the village head's house was brightly lit. Several elderly villagers had arrived, sitting in chairs with solemn expressions. Brother De had also returned and stood to the side, his face ashen. The village head sat in a grand chair, an oil lamp in front of him, a pipe in his hand, and his face looked exceptionally aged through the swirling smoke.

The man was brought in and forced to kneel on the ground. He looked up at the people in the room, his face pale and his legs trembling.

The old village chief tapped his pipe, his voice soft, but every word carried weight: "Speak! Who are you? Where did you come from? Why are you hiding in the local temple? And did you push Chen Dashan off the mountain?"

The man opened his mouth, then closed it again. Brother De shouted from the side, "Not talking? Then we'll send you straight to the authorities. Attempted murder, that'll get you a few years in jail!"