Chapter 140: It Went Too Far

That day, she was gathering firewood on the mountain with Niuniu and Tiedan when suddenly a piercing scream shattered the quiet. It frightened the two children greatly.

“Don’t be afraid, it’s nothing,” Lin Jingyue said, gently patting the heads of the two children’s little dogs, her brow furrowing.

“Sister Lin, is there something unclean in the mountain?” Tiedan swallowed nervously.

Niuniu’s face turned pale with fear.

“There isn’t. Even if there is, I can take them down with one punch each. Don’t worry,” Lin Jingyue assured them kindly.

“Ah, help! Someone, please come! Help!” The cry rang out again. Lin Jingyue raised an eyebrow. “Let’s go see what’s going on.”

“Sister Lin…” the children hesitated.

“It’s okay. I’ll protect you.” She took their hands and headed toward the direction of the cries.

Near the slope at the foot of the mountain, three people lay sprawled—one man and one woman entwined in each other, both unconscious.

Lin Jingyue was speechless. What a dramatic scene!

She quickly covered the children’s eyes. “Don’t look, don’t look…”

The only conscious person’s eyes brightened in hope upon seeing someone approach, but stiffened when they recognized Lin Jingyue.

“Du Zhiqing, what a coincidence,” she greeted him with a smile.

Du Jianguo’s pale face flickered with a hint of change. He tried to struggle but found himself completely immobilized, panic creeping into his heart.

“Sister Lin, I’ll go get help,” Tiedan tugged at Lin Jingyue’s hand and looked up.

“No need. Someone’s already coming,” Lin Jingyue said, pointing down the mountain.

It was the team leader, followed by a group of onlookers. Everyone had heard the chilling screams.

“Lin Zhiqing, what happened?” Aunt Liu asked energetically, eager to catch the latest gossip.

Lin Jingyue pointed toward the ravine. “I don’t know. I just arrived and saw the three of them lying there.”

Everyone looked in the direction she indicated and gasped.

“Quick, save them!” The team leader’s face hardened. He didn’t hesitate.

Several young men hurried down the slope.

“Look at the flattened grass—it looks like they fell from above,” an elderly woman pointed out.

“Falling from above? That’s serious…”

“Aunt Hua, it’s your second daughter!” one young man exclaimed, flipping over one of the unconscious figures to reveal Li Erya.

Everyone turned to look.

“Oh my, how could it be Erya? And why is she here? And why is she being held by a man?”

“Aunt Hua…”

Her face darkened instantly. She instinctively wanted to go down, but someone held her back. If she went down, it would be difficult to climb back up.

“Oh my, the man holding Erya… it’s Lin Zhiqing’s brother—no, wait, it’s male Lin Zhiqing!” Someone quickly corrected themselves, thinking of Lin Jingyue’s formidable reputation.

Male Lin Zhiqing?

Lin Jingyue’s lips twitched as she looked at Lin Xinjian, who had been turned over. What a lively affair this was. What was going on today?

The crowd struggled together to lift the people up, exerting great effort and breaking into sweat.

Just as the team leader was about to order them down the mountain, Lin Xinjian and Li Erya, shaken by the rough ride, regained consciousness one after the other.

They were stunned to see so many people.

Aunt Hua slapped Li Erya sharply upon seeing her awake. “You brat, how did you fall? Did he try to take advantage of you and then push you down?”

The atmosphere turned awkward.

Everyone selectively avoided mentioning the fact that they were found entwined. What was Aunt Hua thinking? Was she afraid her daughter would be married off?

Li Erya felt a burning pain on her back and tears began to fall.

Lin Xinjian, unfairly accused, could not tolerate it. “Auntie, don’t slander. Your daughter grabbed me and we both fell.”

“I haven’t even asked your family for compensation yet,” he added helplessly. He was just walking along—who had he offended?

Li Erya slipped and instinctively pulled him; he fell.

As for Du Jianguo, he had tried to save them but lost his footing as well.

After hearing the story, everyone’s lips twitched.

Neither Li Erya nor Du Jianguo denied the explanation, proving it to be true.

“I don’t care. My Erya was held by you; you must take responsibility,” Aunt Hua bit her lip fiercely.

Her family had a son, and the bride price was important. Marrying Erya to Zhiqing would be beneficial—after all, city folk usually had some savings tucked away.

Lin Xinjian was incredulous. “What did you say?”

He had been falsely accused and now was being forced to take responsibility. It made no sense.

“If you don’t, I’ll accuse you of molestation!”

“You…” Lin Xinjian was furious, especially seeing Li Erya shrinking beside him. His anger blazed like wildfire.

“Enough. They’re injured. Let’s get them to the hospital first,” the team leader waved impatiently.

The group hurried down the mountain.

Watching this dramatic scene, Lin Jingyue couldn’t help but smile.

By the time she descended, the village had already learned about the incident. The gossip was lively.

The next day, the people who went into town returned with news of the three.

Lin Xinjian and Li Erya were relatively lucky—only sprains and bruises, and they returned early the following morning.

But Du Jianguo was terribly injured; both legs were broken, having struck some stones.

The doctor said that even with surgery, he would likely be crippled for life.

Walking with crutches would be the best outcome.

“Tsk, what rotten luck,” Chen Chunlan sneered, thinking of Sun Liangdong, who had also been discharged due to a crippled leg.

“Maybe this is exactly what he wanted,” Xie Wenjuan said puzzledly.

Others seemed to ponder this.

Lin Jingyue suddenly had an epiphany. Something felt off—Du Jianguo wouldn’t have tried to save anyone.

The sun must have risen in the west.

It was a ploy to injure himself and be discharged back to the city.

But he hadn’t expected to mess it up so badly. Truly, he was doomed by his own schemes.

Now, crippled, he had no choice but to return to the city.

The notice for Du Jianguo’s medical discharge came within three days, stating he was to go home to recuperate.

When he came to pack, his parents arrived.

They were disgusted the moment they stepped into the village, packed his belongings, and left without looking back.

Just when it seemed this matter would end, news spread that Lin Xinjian and Li Erya were to be married.

To be honest, it was the first time Lin Jingyue saw Lin Xinjian so furious, his eyes filled with rage.

She even felt a twinge of schadenfreude.

Aunt Hua was quite the character, pressing them and demanding an eighty-yuan bride price.

But that eighty yuan became the last straw for Lin Xinjian.

He glared fiercely at Aunt Hua’s family. “If you push me too far, I’ll fight to the death. Fine, I’ll marry Li Erya, but not a single cent of bride price. Otherwise, go ahead and sue me. I’ve got nothing to lose. I’ll take you all down with me!”

His cruel, menacing expression truly frightened Aunt Hua’s family.

Yet, no one in their right mind would give their daughter away for free.