The daily life of a space tycoon raising children, doting on his husband, and farming.

Chapter 5 Conspiracy Theory

"Waaaaah, young mistress, I'm so scared!"

Xiao Huan hugged Shang Wan, and all the grievances and fears she had been suppressing welled up inside her. She cried with tears and snot streaming down her face, sobbing, "Can I castrate them?"

"Of course."

Shang Wan darted back to the kitchen, retrieved a gleaming cleaver, and handed it over, saying, "As long as you don't suffer any psychological trauma, you can chop these three scumbags into mincemeat if you want."

Chop, chop into minced meat?
As soon as Xiao Huan stopped crying, she raised her red, tear-filled eyes and stared blankly at Shang Wan.

Shang Wan raised an eyebrow. "Want me to help you? Sure."

She picked up the kitchen knife and started to leave. Xiao Huan was so frightened that she quickly grabbed her arm, not even bothering to wipe away her tears, and cried out urgently, "Young Madam, wait! Murder is against the law!"

Murderers deserve to pay with their lives, but these three scumbags don't!

Shang Wan turned to look at her, her eyes narrowed slightly. "I have plenty of ways to keep the authorities from finding out. Just tell me, do you want these three scumbags dead?"

Of course I thought so.

Xiao Huan clenched her fists, the lingering fear of being nearly humiliated still chilling her to the bone. If the young mistress hadn't returned in time, she probably would have…

But the thought of implicating Shang Wan and causing her death made her hesitate again.

For a moment, I was torn between my conscience and my own thoughts, unable to make a decision.

Shang Wan didn't rush her, but stretched out her fingers for Yuan Yuan's chubby little hands to hold.

The baby's long eyelashes were wet with tears, and the tear stains on her red face were still wet. Her rosy little mouth was pouting as she called out for her mother. Her delicate little voice had just become hoarse from crying, and it sounded incredibly aggrieved.

Shang Wan could only gently rock the swaddled baby to comfort him.

Xiao Huan took a deep breath and finally made a decision, "Young Madam, let's wait for Shi Tou to come back and then send them all to the authorities."

She couldn't let the young mistress be implicated in someone's death.

"Okay." Shang Wan respected her decision. Anyway, she had already kicked that guy with the long beard to the point of being crippled. Even if he were alive, he would only be a useless person who could only breathe and stay in bed for the rest of his life.

She handed the swaddled baby to Xiao Huan, took out a bundle of hemp rope from the cellar, tied the short man and the bamboo-pole man to the stone mill in the yard, then dragged the bearded man into the yard and casually threw him in a corner.

The short man fainted from the excruciating pain in his legs, while the skinny man remained conscious.

Shang Wan strode up to the man with the bamboo pole and asked coldly, "Who sent you here?"

They just moved in last night, and today three thugs showed up at their door. What a coincidence!

"Nobody here," the skinny man said, shrugging his shoulders. "We just heard that someone was living in this dilapidated thatched house, so we came out of curiosity to check it out."

"just looking?"

"I...we..." the man with the bamboo pole stammered.

Shang Wan didn't have the patience and slapped him across the face. The bamboo-pole man felt like his head was about to be blown off, and tears and snot flowed uncontrollably from the pain.

How come this woman's grip is stronger than a man's?
Seeing that Shang Wan's slap was about to land, he shrank back in fear, begging for mercy with his swollen cheek, "Don't, don't hit me! I'll talk, okay?"

Shang Wan flicked her wrist and gave him a cold look.

The man with the bamboo pole honestly recounted the whole story.

It turns out that the short man and the stick-thin man were both scoundrels from the village; one was the fourth son of the Luo family, and the other was the second son of the Liu family.

The bearded man was the third son of the Chen family, from the neighboring Willow Tree Village. He was a notorious bully in the area, known for his strength and martial arts skills, and had a history of harassing people. The three of them spent their days loitering together, idle and prone to petty theft.

This time, the reason they came to our door was related to Shang Wan. To be precise, it was related to the silver hairpin that Shang Wan gave to Shi Tou to exchange for grain.

Last night, Shi Tou visited several households, but none of them were willing to exchange his items. Finally, he knocked on the village chief's door and explained the situation before they agreed to exchange some items for him.

Coincidentally, Chen San's second sister, Chen Guifang, is the wife of Lin Lao Er, the village chief's son. Today, when Chen San visited the village chief's house, he immediately noticed the silver hairpin in Chen Guifang's hair.

Lu Chengjing is, after all, the third young master of the Lu family. Even if he is not valued by his family, the Lu family has a certain foundation, so how could the token of love he gives be of poor quality?

Although it is just a silver hairpin, its workmanship and carving are exquisite, unlike the hairpins that Chen Guifang usually wears.

When Chen San asked Chen Guifang, she told him that he immediately had an idea and called Luo Si and Liu Er over, intending to collect protection money.

The three of them squatted at a distance for a while and saw that there was only a woman and a baby in the courtyard, not even a man. They also saw that Xiao Huan was pretty and delicate, and they immediately had wicked thoughts.

While Xiao Huan was washing diapers with her back turned, they approached her, grabbed her, and threatened her with the child to force her to comply.

They've done this kind of thing many times before, so they're quite experienced. They never expected things to go wrong today.

After hearing the whole story, Shang Wan raised her hand and slapped Liu Er again.

Liu Er felt a little wronged. They had agreed that if he confessed honestly, he wouldn't be beaten.

Shang Wan asked, "Are Chen San and Chen Guifang on good terms?"

Liu Er dared not refuse to answer, and nodded honestly, "Third Brother Chen is the only son of the Chen family. The Chen family always gives him the best things. Before Sister Guifang got married, she spoiled this youngest brother the most."

Upon hearing this, a dark glint flashed in Shang Wan's eyes.

She didn't want to think too badly of people, but with her mother-in-law still alive and Chen Guifang having an older sister-in-law, the silver hairpin was unlikely to end up in her hands as the second daughter-in-law.

Besides, who in the village would wear gold and silver jewelry on their head unless they were visiting relatives and friends?

It's spring planting season now, and everyone is working in the fields, so it's impossible for them to wear them. What if they get lost?

But the silver hairpin just happened to appear on Chen Guifang's head, right when Chen San came to visit.

Chen Guifang knew Chen San's bad character all along, yet she still let him know. Wasn't that intentionally letting Chen San come to her door and cause trouble?
If Chen San and his gang succeed this time, there will definitely be a next time, and the time after that.

The thatched house is located against the mountain. Although it is far from other houses in the village, it is still within the jurisdiction of Yushu Village and is under the jurisdiction of the village chief.

If they were truly a vulnerable family with children, repeatedly bullied, their only recourse would be to seek the village chief's protection, abide by the village rules, and inevitably have to offer some tribute.

So, was this a deliberate attempt to intimidate them, or perhaps a test?
Shang Wan pondered carefully. Perhaps she was being conspiratorial, but being in an unfamiliar place, she preferred to think more carefully, otherwise she wouldn't even know who was plotting against her.

She thought for a moment and changed her mind. She looked up at Xiao Huan and said, "Pack up the things in the basket. Keep the two wild ducks to incubate the eggs. I'm going to the village chief's house."

After giving her instructions, she picked up Chen San and walked out.

Whatever it is, you'll know once you go there.

The village chief's house was the only one in Yushu Village built with blue bricks, standing out among the many houses with rammed earth walls. Shang Wan found it with almost no effort.

The courtyard is enclosed by a red brick wall, with several large, shady trees on the east and west sides, their branches and leaves lush and perfect for hiding people.

Hearing someone in the courtyard, Shang Wan tossed Chen San into the yard, then lightly leaped up a tree, her slender figure completely hidden by layers of branches and leaves.

(End of this chapter)