Chapter 42 The Murderer

What?
Shao Fatty has killed Wang the Scoundrel?
Upon hearing this news, everyone was utterly shocked.
Though the Shao family had always acted tyrannically, they had never gone so far as to take a human life. How could this—
Shao Kang stepped out of the house. "You surnamed Wan! Stop spitting venom! When did my daughter ever kill your son?"
Madame Wan pointed at Shao Diandian inside the house. "I'm not talking nonsense! Your daughter is the one who killed him!"
Shao Diandian walked out leisurely. "You claim I killed him, but where is your proof?"
Madame Wan was in an exceptionally high state of agitation. "My son had no enmity with anyone, except for you! If you didn't kill him, then who did?"
Shao Kang impatiently retorted, "When was my daughter ever at enmity with your son?"
Madame Wan pointed a trembling finger at Shao Diandian and said with grief and indignation, "A few days ago, she kicked my son off the ox-cart!"
Shao Diandian nodded. "Ah, there was indeed such a matter. So what? To conclude that I am the murderer based merely on that—isn't that a bit far-fetched?"
Madame Wan gasped heavily, breathless with anger. "You said with your own mouth... that you found my son an eyesore!"
Shao Diandian replied, "I did say those words."
Madame Wan cried out to the gathered crowd, "Fellow villagers, listen to this! She admitted it! She found my son an eyesore, so much so that she wouldn't even let him ride the ox-cart!"
"The reason I didn't let your son ride the ox-cart was because—" Shao Diandian stopped midway through her sentence.
"Because of what? Go on, speak! Can't find an excuse now, can you? You found my son an eyesore, so you killed him! How vicious your heart is!"
Madame Wan wept in a voice hoarse with despair.
The looks the villagers cast at Shao Fatty changed. Just because she hadn't taken a life before didn't mean she wouldn't do so now, right?
Besides, their family was the most tyrannical in the entire village. If Shao Diandian didn't kill him, could it possibly be anyone else?
"To be capable of something like murder—she really is a scumbag!"
"How did a scourge like this ever end up in our village?"
"Poor Wang the Scoundrel."
Wang the Scoundrel lacked good character and had a few nasty habits, but he was still a living human being. If he had died by his own accord, that would be one thing, but to be murdered by someone else was going a bit too far.
No one was willing to share a village with a murderer.

At that moment, another villager spoke up, "This Shao family isn't even from our village to begin with! They're from Willow Village right next door! With a disaster like this happening, if you ask me, not only should we report this to the authorities, but we must also drive their entire family back to Willow Village!"
If they could rid themselves of these tyrants, that would truly be for the best!
The village head and Old man Li arrived together.
Having overheard a good deal of the commotion, the two of them roughly understood what was going on.
Old man Li tried to persuade the crowd, "Everyone, please calm down. Big Diya is not that kind of person! She would never commit murder!"
"Old man Li! Why are you taking Shao Big Diya's side? Did she bribe you or something?"
"If she didn't give him any benefits, why would he let his wife teach the Shao family how to farm?"
"That's right, the Li family and the Shao family have been getting awfully close these past few days!"
"Old man Li, what did she give you? Wang the Scoundrel's life was taken! You mustn't cover up for a murderer!"
Hearing these piercing accusations, Old man Li flew into a rage. He pointed at those few villagers and shouted, "I don't know anything about murderers or non-murderers! I only know that... if it weren't for Big Diya that day, your New Year goods would have been snatched away long ago by the thugs from town!"
Old man Li recounted the entire story of how Shao Diandian fiercely fought off Zhang Dao.
Shao Kang chimed in, "That's right! The Shao family offended Zhang Dao because of this matter. We even went to the medical clinic and had a brawl with Zhang Dao! My hand was injured in the process!"
Everyone looked at one another in dismay.
The New Year goods on that day had been quite substantial. If this was truly the case, they owed Shao Fatty a massive favor.
Madame Wan gritted her teeth and said, "You're all in cahoots with her! Naturally, you'll help speak on her behalf! Apart from the few of you, who else ever saw that gang of men from town? It's all just coming out of your mouths!"
The villagers thought: That actually makes some sense.
Madame Wan continued, "What kind of character does Shao Fatty have? It's a miracle if she doesn't extort money from her fellow villagers; would she ever help them? Old man Li, you got benefits for yourself, so you're dragging the whole village down with you!"
Old man Li was frantic with anxiety. "Everything I've said is true! If there is even half a lie, let me... let me be struck by lightning and die a horrible death!"
With such a solemn vow uttered, everyone fell silent.
In truth, they knew Old man Li's character well; otherwise, they would never have trusted him to purchase their New Year goods on their behalf.
It was only because the matter happened so suddenly and involved Shao Fatty that they had harbored a trace of suspicion.
But since Old man Li had sworn such a dreadful oath—
Could they have truly wronged Shao Fatty?
Madame Wan said furiously, "E-even if she really did help you get your things back, so what? It is a fact that she held a grudge against my son! Old man Li, you were there that day! It was your ox-cart! Tell everyone with your own mouth, didn't she kick my son down?"

"This..." Old man Li could not deny it.
"Auntie Wan."
Junior Madame Wu squeezed her way through the crowd of villagers. Clutching her sleeves tightly, she said with a pale face, "I was there that day too. Big Diya kicked your son off the ox-cart because—"
Shao Diandian coldly cut her off. "You surnamed Wu! Since when is it your turn to run your mouth about my, Shao Big Diya's, affairs?"
"Big Diya!" Junior Madame Wu looked at Shao Diandian with reddened eyes. She understood that Shao Diandian was doing this on purpose. Shao Diandian was stopping her from revealing the truth because she worried that Junior Madame Wu's reputation would be tarnished and she would face gossip and pointing fingers in the future.
Yet she could not stand by and watch Shao Big Diya be slandered as a murderer.
She did not believe that Shao Big Diya was that kind of person.
Shao Diandian walked straight up to Madame Wan. Facing the biting wind and snow, she looked down at Madame Wan from her height. "You know what your son's character is like better than anyone. Countless people would love nothing more than to beat him to death, and don't you often curse him out yourself, saying that if you had known you'd give birth to such a good-for-nothing son, you would have drowned him in the river back then—"
Madame Wan scolded, "I am his mother! How could I possibly kill my own son?"
Shao Diandian spread her hands. "Well, who knows?"
"You—" Madame Wan was so angry she nearly passed out!
Shao Diandian stared at Madame Wan and said, "You keep accusing me of being the murderer, so let me ask you: when did your son die? Who discovered him? What was the murder weapon? And who saw me kill him with their own eyes?"
Madame Wan replied, "He... he was found just when it started snowing, by Seventh Mother... meaning Chunya... right at my back door... and his body was still warm!"
Shao Diandian had been closely observing Madame Wan's expression. Madame Wan was not lying.
The village head spoke up, "Shao Big Diya, where were you when it started snowing?"
Shao Diandian answered, "I was on my way to the back mountain to gather firewood."
The village head asked, "Is there anyone to vouch for you?"
Shao Diandian's gaze swept past the crowd of people and landed on Shao Jinniang at the very edge.
"Mother, let's go back. There's nothing to see here," Shao Jinniang said, holding onto Madam Fang's arm.
"Hold on!" Shao Diandian spoke, her gaze fixed unwaveringly on Shao Jinniang. "Village head, I think I know who the murderer is."