Chapter 197

Based on their memories, both Xu Ran and Liu Tong walked back to the village head’s house and found that the village head had returned.

Seeing the mud on Xu Ran’s clothes, the village head looked disgusted, “Do you have a lot of clothes with you? Do you like to keep changing clothes?”

Hearing this, Xu Ran felt embarrassed. He replied, “I am so sorry, village head. I’ll have to trouble you again. I’ll explain this to you later. But can you allow us to take a bath first?”

The village head took another glance at them and then turned around in disgust after saying, “Wait there.” Then he went straight to the kitchen.

Xu Ran smiled and whispered to Liu Tong, “The village head has a sharp tongue but a tender heart. If he is really not a bad person, I will be at ease.”

Liu Tong gave no response. This was the first time he had gone so far away from home. However, he encountered such an incident. He grabbed Xu Ran’s clothes tightly, afraid that he would disappear in the blink of an eye.

Xu Ran felt his nervousness and tried to comfort him, “Tongtong, this kind of thing is not something that happens every time. I myself haven’t met this before though I have been out for so many times. You know it was fine when I sent Mr. Hu home alone last time. I can only say that we’re not lucky enough this time. You have to believe that there are still many kind people in this world.”

At hearing Xu Ran say that he had never got any troubles when coming out before, Liu Tong could not help thinking of something about himself. This was the first time he followed Xu Ran out, but he encountered such an incident. First, Mr. Hu died, and then Ran was treated as a suspect, and then he was even pushed into the river to be almost killed. Was it all because of Liu Tong himself?

The more Liu Tong thought about it, the more possible he felt it would be, and he even began to split hairs on this issue.

Xu Ran noticed that something was wrong with Liu Tong. He gently patted his face, “Tongtong, what are you thinking? How can you blame yourself for this? Think about it. Wouldn’t Mr. Hu die just because you came here? The fact is that he was already dead in January. Obviously, this has nothing to do with you, so don’t take unnecessary pains to study such an insignificant problem anymore. You see I’ve been in such a situation.  Do you still want my heart ache for you?”

Hearing this, Liu Tong came back to himself. He then looked at Xu Ran with guilt, “Ran, I don’t…”

Xu Ran interrupted him, “Of course I know you don’t hope so. I know you too well. Don’t you think so?”

Xu Ran supposed that no one was around, so he gave Liu Tong a kiss, “Tongtong, you have to cheer up from now on. I decide not to buy fruit trees now. Once we leave the village three days later, we will both be safe! We’ll have to go back safe and sound, understand?”

Xu Ran said solemnly. He appeared very serious. Liu Tong took a look at him and then nodded, “Ran, I know. I will. We will go back safe and sound.”

“Mm,” Xu Ran nodded with satisfaction.

“The water is ready. Go and take a bath! By the way, if you did fall into the village river today, then you don’t need to keep the clothes on you any more. If you keep on wearing them, you probably won’t be able to survive tonight,”

The village head suddenly appeared at the door and said to them both. Both Xu Ran and Liu Tong were stunned. They didn’t expect the village head to have known that they had fallen into the river. However, they could not understand why they couldn’t keep their clothes on them. Could there really be water ghosts in the river? Or did the village head actually know something?

The village head seemed unwilling to say anything further but just went inside directly.

Liu Tong was afraid that Xu Ran would be uncomfortable because of his muddy and wet clothes, so he went to the kitchen to fetch hot water for him.

Actually, Liu Tong’s clothes were wet too, though only from the waist down. Xu Ran felt that it would be troublesome for him running back and forth, so he suggested to have a bath together.

Although he felt embarrassed and was aware that they were still in other people’s house, Liu Tong agreed because he knew he couldn’t let the village head prepare hot water for him again.

As for the silver notes they had brought with them this time, Liu Tong had put them on the innermost layer of his clothes and wrapped them tightly with a handkerchief.

At the moment, Liu Tong took the package out and breathed a sigh of relief when he found that it was not wet. Fortunately, the water in the river was not too deep and their clothes were not completely wet.

Both of them enjoyed themselves in the bath. As Xu Ran’s hands and feet were still hurting, Liu Tong let him sit there and planned to wash their clothes himself.

The village head suddenly came out of nowhere and said to Liu Tong, “If you don’t hope something to happen to you again, you must throw the clothes away!”

What the village head said sounded so certain as if something really would happen if they refused to throw the clothes away.

Liu Tong glanced at Xu Ran and made up his mind. He took the clothes and walked out. Xu Ran knew what he meant. He was going to throw the clothes.

Actually, Liu Tong did not believe what the village head had said. However, since it was related to Ran, he would rather believe what he said was trustworthy.

Xu Ran took a stool and sat in the yard, ready to tell the village head about his falling into the river. He didn’t expect, however, the village head to speak first, “If you want to say that you fell into the river, don’t say it. I don’t want to know it, and I don’t want to deal with it. Since you are all right now, you can go back where you are in three days! Remember not to come here again.”

Xu Ran didn’t expect the village head to say to him in such a manner. He swallowed what he had wanted to say. From the village head’s appearance, Xu Ran knew that he couldn’t get any further information from him.

Still, Xu Ran was a little unwilling to let it be, especially something about Hu Jin, who was trying to kill him.

At the same time, he could not help guessing that maybe the cases Hu Jin told him about the dead in the village were true, but only that the causes of death were different.

Xu Ran thought about it carefully. He decided to change the topic since the village head was unwilling to answer his question in this respect. He believed it was always good to know more information. After all, there were still three days left. If he didn’t know anything here, he guessed he would probably be murdered.

Xu Ran then asked the village head, “Village head, are there always people from other villages coming here?”

“Did Hu Jin tell you about it?” The village head sounded extremely dangerous. He acted like believing Xu Ran had known a secret that he shouldn’t have known and he would even kill him once he admitted it.

This reaction was too great and Xu Ran became even more alert.

Xu Ran replied, “No, he didn’t. I just guess so. You know I used to come to buy strawberry seedlings in the village before. I know that your village has fruits. I thus think there will definitely be many people here to buy fruits, so I asked about it.”

The village head still did not seem to believe it. However, he found Xu Ran was looking at him innocently and did not show the slightest sense of guilt.

After a short pause, the village head turned his back to Xu Ran and said, “No, there are very few people coming to our village. Only some familiar merchants often come to buy fruits, but they don’t usually stay for long.”

Xu Ran felt that the village where he was staying now was completely different from what he saw last year when he came with Qin Shuwu. Xu Ran decided that after returning home, he would talk to Qin Shuwu and ask him how he had found the village.

Before Xu Ran could get any further information from the village head, Liu Tong came back. The village head turned around and left after seeing Liu Tong, saying that he would go to prepare supper in the kitchen.

Liu Tong looked at the leaving back of the village head, and then he turned to Xu Ran, “Ran, what happened just now?”

Xu Ran shook his head looking a little irritated, “The village head seems to have known that we fell into the river in the village. He even knows that it has something to do with Hu Jin. However, he didn’t say anything further and didn’t let me inquire about it. Although I think all these are strange, I can’t figure them out. Both of us are new in this place and have to be careful of other people harming us. I’m a little annoyed.”

Liu Tong squatted down and consoled him, “Ran, don’t think too much. You know the most important thing for us right now is to wait here for three days and then leave this place. It doesn’t matter if we can find the reason why Hu Jin harmed us. We can come back again in the future after we’re fully prepared.”

Would they come again? Xu Ran felt that he didn’t want to step into this very village anymore, but he really felt reluctant to do so in his heart.

After all, what they only knew now was  that Hu Jin wanted to kill them, but they still had no idea what his real purpose was in doing so.

Xu Ran frowned and could not help wondering how he had offended this person?

If it was the time during the Spring Test, then it would be impossible for him to have offended Hu JIn. Everyone knew the test result was based on the individual’s ability.  Also, didn’t Hu Jin also say that he was a Xiucai already? Now that both of them were Xiucai, Hu Jin shouldn’t mind something in this respect.

It really puzzled Xu Ran why Hu Jin was so hostile to him.

Without waiting for Xu Ran to think it over, the village head came to call them for supper.

Thankfully, the food was better this time. It was brown rice plus rice, so they could be full this time.

During lunch, they had only had some porridge. As for Xu Ran, he had just used up so much strength fighting in the river. If he hadn’t been occupied in thinking just now, he might have felt hungry long ago.

When eating, Xu Ran still hoped to ask the village head some questions, but the village head obviously focused himself on the food and was reluctant to speak. This stopped Xu Ran from opening his mouth.

Hence he planned to ask him after supper! However, after supper, he was dismissed by the village head with a piece of advice that he mind his own business.

Well! Xu Ran made up his mind that since the village head advised him not to mind other people’s business, then he wouldn’t mind it.

However, he really wanted to know why Hu Jin wanted to do harm to him! If he didn’t know the reason, he wouldn’t even be able to take his own revenge!

Xu Ran felt very anxious.

Liu Tong held him by the hand, “Ran, don’t think too much. Didn’t you agree to help them find the murderer? Perhaps after we find the murderer, we will find out why Hu Jin attacked us. We have been busy all day today and have experienced so much. We should sleep early tonight!”

Xu Ran nodded. He knew what Liu Tong said was right, so he suggested, “Then you go to bed first!” I’ll go to feed Big Black some grass.

Thinking that the shed was not far away behind the house, Liu Tong felt easy and agreed to let him go alone.

The village head’s family raised cows, so Xu Ran just got some grass from the cowshed and threw it to Big Black.

When Xu Ran walked back after feeding the Big Black, he saw a flashing figure outside the cowshed.

Xu Ran suddenly had an idea.

He quickly walked into the house to find Liu Tong.