Joyful Motherhood in a Rural Family

Chapter 131 - 131: 129: Ye Lei Gets Caught: Sisi Rushes to Pursue

“No! Ye Lei, what on earth is happening? Tell me, I will find clues, find the real killer of Big Mouth Li, and help clear your name! Ye Lei, speak up, speak up!” Liu Sisi pleaded, shaking his arm energetically.

Looking up at the several government office’s runners, Di Yelei shook his head: “It’s all right. There’s a man in the town nicknamed Diao Shanbiao who accused me of being the killer of Big Mouth Li, he…”

“That’s enough! How much more sweet talk do you have to say? Get going, don’t delay the hour of departure.” The older governmental office’s runner urged impatiently.

Seeing that time was running out, Liu Sisi couldn’t care less about anything else, hurriedly took something out of her arms and stuffed it into Di Yelei’s clothes.

On tiptoe, she leaned into his ear: “This is ten taels of silver. When you get to the prison, remember to bribe, suffer a little less physical pain.”

She didn’t know what the government jail was like in this era, but she still remembered the bureaucratic offices in the TV series of her previous life. There, injustices often favored those with money. Whether right or wrong, bringing some taels of silver with you on the road was never a mistake.

“Sisi, take good care of yourself and the two children. A clear conscience laughs at false accusations, I will come back as soon as possible.”

Di Yelei wanted to say something more, but he choked on his words and couldn’t say anything.

“I understand, I also believe you! What exactly happened that day, Ye Lei? You still haven’t told me yet!”

Di Yelei: “That day I…”

“Go! Go now!”

The older governmental office’s runner gave Di Yelei a hard push, almost knocking him over. The sturdy iron chain stirred up a rattling noise, nearly tripping Di Yelei. Luckily, he steadied his footsteps in time.

Just when people hadn’t had a chance to react, the runner moved forward, pulled the chain that was wound around Di Yelei’s neck, and held it firmly in his hand, dragging him out of the room.

“Let’s go! Back to the government office!”

“Ye Lei -”

Liu Sisi cried out and quickly ran after him.

She was, however, blocked by two governmental office’s runners, who pushed her down to the ground. Helplessly, she could only watch as the runners escorted Di Yelei away, heading in the direction of the main road.

Outside, countless of the fellow villagers pointed and whispered: “Look, it’s this Di Yelei, I heard he killed Big Mouth Li, what a sin. Ye Lei is a good person everyday, it’s hard to imagine, he actually killed someone!”

“It just goes to show you can’t judge a book by its cover! Besides, this third son of the Di family hunts for a living, which involves killing, isn’t it just a small thing for him to kill a person?”

“Exactly, isn’t he a person who brings misfortune to his mother, wife, and son? What can’t he do? What do you guys think?”

“Now Old Li, lame as he is, has to depend on the Di family to survive. Poor little new wife, from now on she has to support an extra old man…”

“Our Di family is our Di family, and he is him! I do not have a brother like that! My parents divorced him from the family long ago! From now on, his life or death has nothing to do with our Di family! Don’t you dare drag the Di family into this!”

The discussion continued, with Ms. Zhang’s triumphant and crazy voice topping them all.

“Sisi, Sisi, what is going on?”

Guihua vigorously shook Liu Sisi’s body.

“Ye Lei!”

Her eyes brimming with tears, Liu Sisi managed to regain her senses from chaos. Suddenly, she bit her teeth and climbed up from the ground.

“Sister Guihua, please take care of Ying’er and Xuan’er for me! I want to catch up and see. I’ll be bothering you to take care of the two children while I’m away!”

After Liu Sisi finished speaking, she took off running in the direction of the crowd.

People in the crowd automatically separate to form a small path for her, dodging her as though carrying a contagion.

“But…Sisi!”

The cries of Sister Guihua are left far behind her.

Running all the way, the constables ahead are tall, muscular men with swift strides. By the time Liu Sisi chased them to the riverside, the group had already mounted their horses and galloped away.

With a clenched jaw refusing to give up, Liu Sisi followed them along the main road.

These constables were undoubtedly escorting Ye Lei from Liuping Town to the governmental office of Macheng County. What she’s betting on now is whether or not these people would stay overnight in the small town, and if she could get more inside information.

Night has fallen, and the early autumn mountain area is pitch black without a speck of light. Apart from the occasional fluttering of unknown birds, the area is filled with a symphony of croaking frogs. The chirping of crickets by the roadside and the slight creaking sounds of human footsteps on the main road resonates through the desolate mountain valley, adding to the eerie atmosphere.

She somehow makes it to the town despite stumbling in the dark. The entire town too is shrouded in silence.

Only an inn with two red lanterns hanging appears from a distance, like a pair of blood-red eyes of a predatory beast.

Walking around the town, she finds it empty and utterly devoid of movement.

Lost and desolate, she heads back and bumps into a waiter coming out of the inn while yawning. She quickly steps forward.

“Little brother, have you seen any constables escorting criminals?”

“Isn’t it normal for constables to escort criminals? We don’t have to ask!” The waiter’s attitude was extremely bad, and he turned to walk back in.

Liu Sisi quickly steps up to grab his collar, “Please, tell me, did you see any constables tonight?”

Maybe it’s because she’s so relentless; the waiter impatiently replies, “About an hour ago, a dozen constables rode fast horses out from the north of town. As for escorting criminals? I don’t know.” With that, he shakes off Liu Sisi’s hand and turns back into the inn.

They left an hour ago?

Suddenly, all her strength seemed to drain from Liu Sisi’s body. She was prepared for this answer, yet accepting the reality was still difficult.

With her legs feeling as heavy as lead, she couldn’t take another step by the time she passed the bookstore and sat down at the door, leaning against the pillar in a daze.

Every moment she shared with Ye Lei came flooding back – his care, his gentleness, his domineering attitude, his wicked charm, his responsibility… they all flash before her eyes like a carousel, flickering on and off.

“Sisi? Sisi, why are you here?”

She didn’t know how long it had been before a gentle voice woke her from her foggy stupor.

Liu Sisi mustered the strength to look up and met a worried gaze.

“…Shopkeeper?”

“Who else could it be? Look at this state you’re in, come inside at once. The air outside is cold and harsh, you’ll easily catch a cold.”

Speaking, Nan Tianzong opened the door to the bookstore.

Standing up from the doorstep, Liu Sisi only then realized her whole body was stiff.

——

There were mistakes in the names in yesterday’s chapter. The constable’s name is Zuo Xingyu. I mistakenly wrote it as Nan Tianzong. Di Yelei’s stepmother is Ms. Zhao, but I wrongly wrote it as Mrs. Wang. Mrs. Wang is his second sister-in-law.

Thank you to the good-hearted friends who pointed out the errors. Kisses to all of you! How adorable, oh…