Reborn in 78, I made my fortune by working in the mountains, supporting three families on my own.

"Zhao Chenghu, what excuses do you have now? These animal traps, and the prey that stepped on them, were all found in your home. What else do you have to say?"

Zhao Chenghu initially vehemently denied this, saying that these were all found by members of the militia team who searched and cleared dangers in the nearby mountains, and were just piled up in his home.

However, the wounded prey exposed his lie.

Some experienced hunters immediately pointed out the key point.

"Zhao Chenghu, are you still trying to argue? These two wild boars didn't show much struggle on their leg wounds before they were killed by a finishing shot and a knife. This means that you appeared shortly after the prey stepped on the trap."

"Yes, only you, who set these traps, know where they are. Otherwise, logically, these wild boars should have escaped with the traps for a distance, causing the wounds to tear and widen. But look, there are no signs of struggle on the boar's leg. What are you trying to argue about?"

Ultimately, faced with overwhelming evidence, Zhao Chenghu chose to remain silent.

Many of the militia members under his command had already slipped out of the compound, fearing they would get into trouble.

When Zhao Bangguo, the brigade leader of Qingshuigou, saw Zhao Chenghu, he couldn't help but shake his head repeatedly.

Damn it, that brat is a real troublemaker all day long!

One problem after another arises, how am I supposed to handle this?

Zhao Bangguo looked worried. Suddenly, he heard Zhao Shuisheng's voice.

"Brother, I'll need you to keep things under control first. I've already sent someone to find Jackie Chan; once he gets here, this matter can be resolved."

While Zhao Bangguo and Zhao Shuisheng were secretly plotting their scheme, Zhao Lei, along with Qin Bowen, Wang Zongbao, and several others, was loudly denouncing them in the arena.

"Fellow villagers! The culprit is right in front of you. Those injured in the animal trap, you have a grievance to settle with, and you must demand compensation from Zhao Chenghu!"

Qin Bowen chimed in, "Exactly, and he's spreading rumors everywhere, saying it was us who did it. Only he could do something so despicable."

They say your face reflects your heart, and my brother-in-law is handsome and dashing, how could he possibly do such a thing? On the contrary, look at Zhao Chenghu, with his crooked neck and small eyes, he eats other people's food and slaughters their own feces, does nothing human, and even tries to frame us, he's utterly shameless!

Qin Bowen, as expected of a scholar, was witty and sarcastic when he cursed, leaving Zhao Chenghu with a livid expression.

The villagers also repeatedly criticized Zhao Chenghu.

"Zhao Chenghu, you're supposed to be the militia captain of our village. They say a good dog protects three villages, and a good hero protects three neighbors. You just hold the title, but you're doing things that harm people. You're not even as good as a dog!"

"That's right! Your aunt watched you grow up. This time, your uncle lost three toes because of you, and now he's permanently disabled, Tiger..."

No matter how harsh the words were, Zhao Chenghu remained silent.

Because he had already received a message from his father telling him to take the blame, he couldn't admit it now and had to wait for his older brother to arrive.

Inside the courtyard of Qingshuigou Commune, the crowd argued for a good forty or fifty minutes.

Zhao Bangguo neither stepped forward nor stopped them. He waited until everyone was tired of arguing before coming out and making a suggestion.

"Fellow villagers, those of you who have nothing to do with this should go home now. It's getting late, so those of you should go home and cook dinner."

Regarding Zhao Chenghu's issue, I just consulted with several injured patients and decided to have a private discussion about compensation.

After all, arguing here won't get us to a conclusion, won't it?

Zhao Lei witnessed all of this and had to admit that Zhao Bangguo's skill in avoiding the main issue and focusing on the trivial was truly masterful.

As expected, the villagers had no choice but to give up after hearing this.

The onlookers dispersed and left.

Gradually, the commune compound quieted down.

After waiting for several tens of minutes, Zhao Chenghu's elder brother, Zhao Chenglong, hurriedly arrived on a bicycle.

Zhao Lei was also noticing Zhao Chenglong for the first time. With his slicked-back hair parted in the middle, wearing glasses, a white shirt, suit pants, and leather shoes, he really had the air of a leader.

As soon as he arrived, he calmed the situation down and soothed the injured with a set of official words.

"Fellow villagers, you all recognize me, right? Since Cheng Hu caused this mess, I have to give you all an explanation. Tell me what you need. I'll compensate you if you need compensation, and apologize if you need an apology."

Zhao Chenglong handled matters reasonably, decisively, and swiftly. If someone offered to pay compensation, he would immediately pull out cash from his pocket to provide it.

They borrowed some money from the captain to cover the shortfall and made immediate compensation. Many of the injured left satisfied.

Wang Xiaohu's injury was not serious, and at Zhao Lei's instruction, he also went to collect a compensation of thirty yuan.

After expressing his deepest gratitude to Zhao Lei and Qin Dashan, Wang Xiaohu limped away.

Finally, Zhao Chenglong instructed Zhao Chenghu to formally apologize to Zhao Lei and the other three.

Zhao Chenglong said, "Brother Zhao Lei, right? Hello, I'm his older brother, Zhao Chenglong. My ignorant younger brother has caused you trouble. The damage to your reputation is hard to assess. Why don't you name a price? As long as our family can afford it, we won't hesitate."

Before Zhao Lei could speak, Qin Bowen interjected, "Hmph, that sounds nice, but once your reputation is tarnished, do you think it can become fragrant again? If you want to pay compensation, then give me a thousand yuan!"

When this price was announced, everyone present gasped in surprise.

A thousand dollars is no small sum!

Zhao Lei and his team sold over a thousand catties of pork and only made a little over a thousand yuan. Now Qin Bowen is asking them to pay him a thousand yuan in compensation. Most families can't afford that much.

As expected, Zhao Chenglong looked troubled.

He handed out cigarettes to Zhao Lei, Qin Dashan, Qin Bowen, and Wang Zongbao before saying, "Brother Zhao Lei, it's not that we're unwilling to take it, it's just that we don't have that much money at home. Could you perhaps reduce the price a bit?"

Everyone looked at Zhao Lei, waiting for him to speak.

Zhao Chenglong also realized that Zhao Lei was the backbone of this group, so he paid special attention to Zhao Lei.

After a long silence, Zhao Lei said something surprising: "Brother Jackie Chan, I don't want money!"

"What?"

Qin Bowen immediately exploded upon hearing this, "Brother-in-law, why don't you want money?"

Wang Zongbao chimed in, "Brother Lei, we can't just let this go. Think about how many people in the village have cursed us today; it's all been an undeserved disaster."

As soon as Zhao Lei raised his hand, the two of them immediately shut up.

He continued, "Brother Jackie Chan, it seems you have some influence in the village, right? I don't need you to pay me back, but I only have one request."

Zhao Chenglong pressed further, "Brother Zhao Lei, tell me, as long as I can do it..."

"It's like this, Brother Jackie Chan, as you should know, I make a living by hunting. Although the game that is naturally produced here is meant to be won by the capable, there are inevitably places that belong to other people and are difficult to enter or leave. Since Brother Jackie Chan is willing to compensate me, I only need one word from you..."