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

The man trembled and finally spoke, his voice low and hoarse: "I...I'll talk. My name is Wang Dehou, and I'm from the next town. I...my wife ran away with someone, and I found out that the adulterer is from this village, named Chen Dashan. I...I was so angry that I wanted to teach him a lesson."

Upon hearing this, Chen Xiaohe's face flushed red. He stepped forward, grabbed the man's collar, and his voice trembled as he shouted, "You're talking nonsense! My brother isn't a lover! My brother and I have hardly ever been to town. We're either working at home or setting up a stall in the county town. Don't wrong an innocent person!"

Old Li raised his hand to stop Chen Xiaohe, pulled him aside, and asked the man in a deep voice, "Continue."

The man shrank his neck, swallowed, and continued, "I found out that this guy surnamed Chen often goes to town to meet his wife, so I... I wanted to teach him a lesson. That day I saw someone on the mountain, his back looked like... so I took advantage of his inattention and pushed him from behind."

He paused, his voice even softer: "After I pushed him down, I realized that the person didn't look right, not the one I was looking for. But... but he was bleeding a lot, I was terrified, so I ran away. I hid in the local temple, too scared to come out, thinking I'd run away after things calmed down."

The main room was silent. The old men looked at each other, and Brother De's brows were furrowed.

The old man took a puff of his pipe, slowly exhaling smoke, and asked, "Who exactly is this adulterer you're talking about? Who are you looking for in our village?"

The man raised his head, a hint of hatred in his eyes: "It was his wife who said it, his name is Chen Dashan, from Nanshan Village. My wife said it herself, how could it be false?"

Chen Xiaohe trembled with rage: "Your wife is lying to you! There's only one man in our village named Chen Dashan, and my older brother is not your wife's lover at all! You've been deceived!"

The old man raised his hand to signal Chen Xiaohe to calm down, then asked the man, "If that person were standing in front of you, would you recognize them?"

The man replied without hesitation, "Yes! I'd recognize it even if it were burned to ashes!"

Old Li nodded, tapped his pipe, and stood up: "Alright. Tomorrow morning, I'll call the whole village over so you can identify it in person. If you recognize it, we'll stand up for you. If you're wrong, we'll settle all the old and new scores together."

The man shrank to the ground, too afraid to speak again.

As soon as it was light, Brother De rang the gong under the big locust tree at the village entrance. This time, the gong rang urgently and frequently, as if something big was about to happen. Villagers hurried to the village entrance in twos and threes, their faces filled with doubt and unease.

All the able-bodied men in the village were gathered in the open space at the village entrance and stood in several rows. Old Li was standing on the stone mill, next to a man named Wang Dehou. He kept his head down, his shoulders hunched, and dared not look at anyone.

The old village head cleared his throat and briefly explained the whole story. The crowd erupted in a cacophony of voices, like a pot of boiling water. Some cursed the man for his cruelty, some felt indignant for Chen Dashan, and others whispered amongst themselves, speculating about the identity of the adulterer.

"Quiet down!" The old village head raised his hand to quiet everyone down, then turned to the man and said, "Now, you take turns identifying them. Once you recognize who it is, point it out."

The man raised his head, his eyes scanning the crowd. He looked very carefully, examining each person individually, his gaze lingering on each face for a moment before moving away. Some people in the crowd felt uncomfortable under his gaze and shrank back; others curled their lip in disdain, their faces full of contempt.

Suddenly, the man's gaze froze. His eyes widened abruptly, and his expression shifted from astonishment to anger, then to a gnashing of hatred. He raised his hand and pointed directly at someone in the crowd.

"That's him!"

The crowd followed his finger and scattered in a flurry. The person he pointed to stood there alone, his face pale, his lips trembling, wanting to say something but unable to utter a word.

It's Wild Bro.

Some people in the crowd gasped, some shook their heads, and some sighed. Everyone in the village knew about Ye Ge's situation. A few years ago, he had been punished by the village for going to the home of those three women who had fled famine. Unexpectedly, he had done it again.

Ye Ge's legs were trembling. He opened his mouth, but before he could utter a word of explanation, some people in the crowd around him couldn't help but start cursing.

Ye Ge's wife stood in the crowd, her face deathly pale, her eyes red-rimmed, her lips trembling, unable to utter a single word. Those around her supported her arms, whispering words of comfort; she seemed utterly drained, swaying precariously.

Old Li was so angry his face turned black. He pointed at Ye Ge and after a long while, he finally managed to say, "You... what am I supposed to say about you!"

Brother De stood to the side, his face ashen, fists clenched, suppressing his rage. He turned to the man, his voice low but each word clear: "You saw clearly? It's him?"

The man glared at Ye Ge with hatred, insisting, "It's him! I'd recognize him even if he were ashes!"

Ye Ge's legs went weak, and he knelt on the ground, head down, trembling all over, muttering something under his breath.

The truth finally came to light.

Mr. Chen stepped out from the crowd and stood in front of the old man. His back was slightly hunched, but his gaze was firm. He hadn't been eating or sleeping well these past few days; his hair had turned quite a bit white, and his eye sockets had sunken, but he still maintained a composed demeanor, refusing to show his fatigue in front of others.

"Uncle Village Head, now that the matter has been investigated, I don't want to pursue it any further." Chen's father's voice was a little hoarse, but very steady. "However, my son's injuries cannot be in vain. This person," he pointed to Wang Dehou, "pushed my son down the mountain, almost killing him. He must compensate us."

Old Li nodded: "Of course."

Wang Dehou lowered his head, his voice hoarse: "I...I admit it. I'm willing to compensate."

Mr. Chen added, "The Ye family also needs to give an explanation. After all, this matter was caused by their family, and they even stole my son's reputation. Our family has been in the village for so many years with a clean record, and we can't let others smear our reputation."

Old Li hesitated for a moment, then turned to Ye Ge and said in a deep voice, "Ye Ge, we'll talk about your matter later. Now, in front of the whole village, apologize to the Chen family first."

Ye Ge knelt on the ground, turned to face Chen's father, his lips trembling for a long time before he finally managed to squeeze out a few words: "Uncle Chen... I'm... I'm sorry..."

Chen's father looked at him without saying a word. After a long silence, he finally said, "You've wronged not only me, but your own family, your wife, and your children."

Ye Ge lowered his head even further.

The village head cleared his throat and said to the whole village, "Everyone knows what's going on in this matter. I won't say much more. Wang Dehou injured someone and will have to compensate the Chen family for medical expenses and lost wages. A total amount will be determined by the village head, Brother De, and a few other elders. As for Brother Ye, he has corrupted the village's reputation and misappropriated someone else's name, so he will be severely punished. The specific punishment will be decided by the village later."

He then turned to Chen's father, his tone softening: "Brother Chen, your son is still recovering from his injuries. You should go back and take care of him first. Brother De will discuss the compensation with you."