Joyful Motherhood in a Rural Family - Chapter 108
Chapter 108: Chapter 106: Brothers at Odds – Zuo Xingyu comes to the door
This scene was all seen in the eyes of the constable behind them.
He ordered directly: “Have two people take them in for questioning separately and have them recount everything they know. The more clues we gather, the sooner we can find the real culprit.”
Liu Sisi glanced back at the chaotic crowd, but Di Yelei dragged her away quickly.
“Ye Lei, what’s wrong with you?”
Barely keeping up with his pace, Liu Sisi couldn’t help but ask.
“Nothing’s wrong, I just remembered that the well at home hasn’t been built yet, so we need to hurry back and work on it.” Di Yelei said without turning his head.
Liu Sisi instinctively retorted: “But…”
Di Yelei pushed open the main gate of the courtyard, looked back at her with a piercing gaze, and then smiled: “What else is there to say, silly girl, don’t overthink it.”
As he spoke, he couldn’t help but stretch out his arms and gently hug her.
In a place where she couldn’t see, he frowned worriedly, but his gaze was firm: “Don’t be afraid, Sisi! I’ll be by your side to protect you and won’t let anyone hurt you. Even if the sky falls, I, Di Yelei, will hold it up for you!”
Burying her head in his chest and listening to his strong heartbeat, a sense of happiness spread from the bottom of her heart, making Liu Sisi comfortably close her eyes.
She sighed softly: “I understand…”
So, this is the happiness she has been longing for!
The feeling of being loved and pampered is far better than the countless times the two of them had argued and felt heartbroken! Liu Sisi couldn’t help but lift the corners of her mouth.
Her hand unconsciously drew circles on his chest, teasing him.
She knew he was hiding something from her.
But who doesn’t have a little secret they can’t share with outsiders? She was no exception! Naturally, she wouldn’t blame him.
“Sisi, what are you doing?”
Di Yelei gasped and grabbed her mischievous little hand, gritting his teeth.
Could any real man withstand such a tease?
He was no eunuch!
“Ah? No, nothing…”
Liu Sisi hurriedly pulled back her hand, covering her mouth and laughing softly, deliberately teasing him to ease his tense mood.
Di Yelei, half doting, half scolding, gently pinched her little nose: “You, Sisi, you little troublemaker, my little demon!”
He wanted to hold her tightly, love her, and pamper her to the bone; yet he feared alarming her or scaring her away! He could only gently embrace her in his arms, inhaling the fragrance of her hair.
They shared an intimate moment for a while before reluctantly separating from each other.
Liu Sisi returned to her room to continue copying books, while Di Yelei continued to work on the opening of the well.
He seemed to be preoccupied, and the frolicking dogs and the chirping YingEr by his side couldn’t make him relax.
Not long after, Zhang Peng pulled up with several stone slabs on a handcart, making Liu Sisi jump!
She hurried back to the kitchen and boiled an egg to bring out.
The two in the courtyard seemed to have an argument, both glaring at each other with angry faces, unwilling to admit defeat.
Although Liu Sisi didn’t know what the two had said, their postures suggested that the conversation hadn’t been pleasant.
Liu Sisi stopped in her tracks, not knowing whether to move forward or go back.
“Is Sister busy? You don’t need to greet me, I’m not an outsider anyway.”
Seeing Liu Sisi coming out, Zhang Peng softened his face first and turned his head to look: “Just came over to lend a hand, and it’s easier for two people to do this work together. Don’t need the eggs, you can still give them to the two children to nourish their bodies.”
“Sisi is naturally grateful if Brother Zhang is willing to help.” Liu Sisi quickly took two steps forward and handed over the poached eggs.
“Ye Lei is straightforward and honest, and if he says anything wrong, I hope you won’t be angry, Brother Zhang. Our family has benefited a lot from your help in the past. Even the grain we eat now was brought by you, so please don’t refuse this trivial bowl of poached eggs.”
“Sisi is right! Zhang Peng, you hurry up and eat, so we can work together and finish early.” Di Yelei also eased his face and wiped off a handful of sweat.
With no choice, Zhang Peng could only take the bowl and eat.
At this moment, barking sounds from two puppies were heard in the courtyard. Liu Sisi hurried out to answer the door and saw several constables standing in front of the yard door. The one leading them was none other than Constable Zuo.
Constable Zuo looked at the perimeter of the Di family home, his eyebrows furrowed into a Chuan shape without relaxing, so this is the Di family she married into!
Hearing the door open, his sharp gaze swept across the people, causing Liu Sisi to shudder involuntarily.
“Mrs. Di, I am Zuo Xingyu, a constable from the county government. I am here today to inquire about the victim Big Mouth Li. I wonder if you could let us in?” Constable Zuo Xingyu said, eyes narrowed.
So that’s his name, Zuo Xingyu!
“This…”
Liu Sisi was somewhat embarrassed, for the courtyard was in chaos at the moment and unfit for hosting. She had no choice but to lead them in.
The center of the Di family’s yard was the courtyard, neatly arranged with piles of gravel and stones. Vegetables grew around the edges, and two big trees stood beside the house and the wall, half-shielding the adobe rooms in a straight row.
Only one corner was muddy.
“I’m sorry, since we didn’t know that the constables would come, we’re currently digging a well, so…” Di Yelei was a bit constrained.
“No matter! We are here to investigate a murder, just need you to tell us the last time you saw the victim.” The accountant hurriedly said.
“Let me start.”
Liu Sisi, standing up straight, didn’t fear the crooked shadows, especially under that Constable Zuo’s piercing gaze, she didn’t want to stay there any longer: “I just married into this family, and I don’t know Big Mouth Li and have never seen this person. So I can’t talk about any last meeting.”
She calmly faced everyone’s gaze without avoiding it.
Zuo Xingyu nodded and turned to Di Yelei: “This Di…”
“Just call me Di Yelei.”
Di Yelei said calmly: “I have seen Big Mouth Li. He and his father came to eat at our wedding banquet. That day, he came without a cash gift and made a fuss, but he also snuck into Sisi’s room by pretending to be drunk. Aunt Zhang, who was guarding the room, drove him out – oh, many people saw it! You can ask anyone. After that, I haven’t seen him since, as our house is quite far from the village.”
Zuo Xingyu didn’t interrupt. They had questioned everyone in the village, and the Di family was the last. Many people had mentioned this earlier, and now that Di Yelei’s words were confirmed, he naturally didn’t say anything.
“Do you have anything else to add? Or any useful clues, or anyone who was close to the victim?” The accountant asked in a matter-of-fact manner.
“No.” The couple shook their heads together.
“Good! If you find any clues, be sure to notify us as soon as possible. Gentlemen, we will take our leave.”
Finally, the constables left, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
“What on earth happened? Judging from what the constables said, could it be that the killer is from our village?” Liu Sisi asked curiously.
Zhang Peng straightened his back: “Ah, Big Mouth Li was not a good guy at all. He deserved to die for his thievery and harms. Even though the villagers don’t talk about it, I’m sure they are secretly very happy about it.”
“Puff! Brother Zhang, you should have said: ‘Big Mouth Li deserved to die! He died a good and perfect death! He died a noisier death! His death actually eliminated a scourge for the villagers.’ Isn’t that right?” Liu Sisi teased humorously.
Unexpectedly, Zhang Peng actually nodded seriously and said meaningfully: “I think we shouldn’t look for the killer, but rather reward the hero who eliminated the scourge!”
