The Butcher's Little Husband - Chapter 114

The next day, Wei Wu went around gathering information. 

He knew that Li Yiran had become a Jinshi this year and that Li Wenxuan was a formidable martial artist, so he was less inclined to force his way in.

But that didn’t mean he would back down. Wei Wu had been a bully in the village before the drought and locust plague, but he was a bit different from the other bullies. While he would never exploit the people in his own village, he wasn’t above bullying those from other villages. So, when the villagers fled, many had chosen to follow him.

Today’s incident was about face. He had been scared off before even a fight began. Who could tolerate that?

In the past few days, refugees from surrounding villages had been spreading rumors. They said the people in Willow Tree Slope still ate three meals a day and looked well-fed, which was astonishing. Others claimed that Willow Tree Slope had stored a large amount of grain last year, so it didn’t matter if they had no harvest this year. There were also whispers that they had connections in the court and had known about the drought for a long time, but chose to hide it from others. Some even mentioned that so-and-so had stopped raising pigs.

The last rumor specifically targeted Li Wenxuan’s family. Everyone knew that they had raised more than twenty pigs last year, but only kept a few this year, even slaughtering some recently for food.

When Tian Xiaoman heard this, he was so angry he almost exploded. When the drought first started, anyone could see it coming, alright? Why would they have raised so many pigs then? And his eldest brother-in-law was in the capital—how could he possibly know about the drought here? They were the ones who wrote to him!

What was this person thinking? Were they expecting Li Wenxuan’s family to announce the drought everywhere as soon as it began? What would that accomplish? Would the court be happy to receive that kind of news? Every village had experienced farmers who could tell when a drought was coming!

Li Wenxuan’s reaction wasn’t as angry as Tian Xiaoman’s. He felt that someone was orchestrating this, but fortunately, he had been prepared. His older brother in the capital couldn’t be of any help, but there was one person who could.

The rumor had been circulating for several days, and the surrounding villagers were beginning to grow restless. Their family’s stored grain was nearly gone, and if it were any other year, the new grain would be ready soon. But with the drought and locust plague, all that was left to eat were the roots buried deep in the ground. Even these were in short supply, and everyone scrambled to dig.

In a time when everyone was struggling so much, there were still people who could have three meals a day and have extra food at home. How enviable that seemed. For a while, the villagers began to yearn for Willow Tree Slope.

Some people, quick to act, packed their things and headed to their relatives in Willow Tree Slope, thinking, “We’re all from the same family—surely they wouldn’t let us starve!”

When others found out that the first people to go to Willow Tree Slope not only had plenty of water but also received food from their relatives, they began to pack up too. After all, who didn’t have two relatives somewhere?

Relatives soon led to more relatives, and before long, a large group of people had gathered in Willow Tree Slope. 

The well was running low, and food was becoming an even greater concern. Even relatives couldn’t be counted on when their own families were starving. Who would have the strength to help others?

With Wei Wu’s group of refugees stirring things up, the people who had arrived later began to feel more dissatisfied, thinking that the people in Willow Tree Slope were deliberately withholding help, unwilling to share their resources.

Wei Wu stood by, watching the situation unfold. As the anger among the villagers grew, he whispered suggestions to fuel their discontent, encouraging them to raid the homes of their relatives. “We’re all family, so what’s yours is mine, right?”

Some people hesitated, unsure. “Isn’t it wrong to do this? After all, we’re relatives. How can we cause trouble like that?”

But more and more voices began to rise in agreement. “That’s right. We came here to seek refuge, not to be treated like outsiders.”

Seeing this, Wei Wu realized the tension was dying down, so he intensified the situation, signaling for others to speak out.

“Ah, Uncle Cao, you have no idea how pitiful little Douzi was that day. Your nephew-in-law cooked an egg and secretly stuffed it in his pocket. Little Douzi saw it and wanted some, but your nephew ate it all in front of him, without sharing a bite. Little Douzi was drooling all over the floor.”

Uncle Cao, who had been the first to oppose, stiffened. Little Douzi was his adorable grandson, once chubby and loved by everyone. But since the drought and locust plague, he had become thin and weak. Hearing this story made Uncle Cao uncomfortable. Couldn’t they have shared the egg? But he remained silent.

The man saw that Uncle Cao wasn’t reacting, so he pressed on. “I also heard from people in Willow Tree Slope that the water in the well is getting lower and lower. They said they wanted to send you all back.”

Everyone’s anger flared at the mention of being sent away. The wells in their own village weren’t deep, and unlike Willow Tree Slope, which was near a lake, they didn’t have a reliable water source. If they were sent away now, they’d be left to die. After all, they had helped Willow Tree Slope in the past. If they hadn’t, would Willow Tree Slope be thriving now?

No one bothered to verify the truth of what was said. The idea that they had helped their relatives before, and now they were being treated this way, seemed reasonable to them. They’d just borrowed some food to get through this time. They weren’t planning to keep it or ignore their relatives.

That night, people went home and discussed it with their families. Some were scolded by their elders and abandoned the idea, but others quickly got the approval they needed.

The next morning, the group planned to raid Willow Tree Slope when most of the men were out gathering food. 

What they didn’t know was that a group of soldiers had already arrived early that morning. They were soldiers from the Southeast Camp.

Li Wenxuan welcomed Tan Shan and the other soldiers into his home. Although there were only a few dozen soldiers in the group, their presence immediately quelled the villagers’ discontent. In times like these, the threat of prison was enough to deter anyone from foolishness.

“Brother Tan, thank you so much,” Li Wenxuan said. “I’ve prepared some wine. Please, come and drink with us.”

“Haha, Brother Li, you’re too polite! If it weren’t for your generous donation, I wouldn’t be where I am today!” Tan Shan, having spent so long in the military, had developed a tough exterior. He waved his hand, signaling the other soldiers to sit, before drinking from his bowl in one go.

Li Wenxuan poured more wine for him. “How could it be my credit? If it weren’t for your own strength, even my help wouldn’t have mattered.”

Li Wenxuan was truly grateful to Tan Shan. He had been keeping a close eye on the refugees and noticed that they often made contact with the villagers, sometimes lingering near his house. He had no choice but to remain cautious and keep his suspicions to himself. He couldn’t risk alerting the village to the fact that their relatives might turn on them. He couldn’t exactly tell people that their own kin might betray them, after all.

So, he contacted Tan Shan through the county to see if he could help deter these troublesome individuals. 

Tan Shan, true to his word, left the camp and arrived on the very day the villagers had planned to act.

Thanks to Tan Shan’s timely arrival, a potential disaster was averted.

Wei Wu stood nearby, his face darkening. “Why didn’t anyone say he had connections with the Southeast Camp?”

This was far more threatening than Li Yiran’s distant influence. The Southeast Camp was close by and could lend support at any time. 

After considering his options, Wei Wu decided to hold back for now.