Chapter 206: Morning Chaos

When Lin Yong returned, Lin Fang had already been standing in the yard for a while. She had overheard words like “bleeding” and “rush to the hospital,” and her heart was filled with anxiety. Could something have happened to Lan Xiang? But in such a chaotic scene, her parents would never allow her to get close. All she could do was wait.

So, the moment Lin Yong stepped into the yard, Lin Fang urgently asked, “Big brother, what happened?”

Lin Yong shook his head. “Too many people. I couldn’t get close. I only heard that Lan Xiang was beaten—apparently, her leg was broken. Ba Jin was on his way to haul coal briquettes this morning when he found her on the road. Her hands and feet were tied, and she had a sock stuffed in her mouth, rolling around on the ground.”

Lin Yuanmin called from inside the house, “Da Linzi, come in and talk.”

“Alright.”

Answering, Lin Yong took Yuanyuan, who was reaching out for him to hold, and entered the house. Yan Ping and Lin Fang followed closely behind. This was the Lin family’s way—never gossiping about others outside.

Once inside, little Yuanyuan spotted the sugar cakes on the table and reached for them. Dong Huixin quickly snatched them away and placed them on the stove to warm up. She was afraid her grandson would get a stomachache from eating cold food, and besides, the sugar filling didn’t taste good when cold.

With the sugar cakes now in Grandma’s hands, Yuanyuan immediately wanted her to hold him, his eyes fixed on the delicious treat.

Lin Fang was the last to enter the inner room. As soon as she stepped in, she asked, “Do we know who did it?”

Lin Yong replied, “No one saw anything. Lan Xiang was too busy crying to say anything coherent. She’s already been taken to the hospital.”

No witnesses meant the attacker had fled. Lin Fang felt a wave of relief. If it really was Chen Dong, she hoped she had run far away.

Yan Ping, curious, asked, “Where did Ba Jin find her? What was she doing out so early?”

“They said it was on the road near the woods. Lan Xiang’s mother mentioned that Lan Xiang goes out for a run every morning to keep in shape.”

“Pfft, keep in shape? Running in the snow? Well, now she’s ‘kept’ her leg broken,” Yan Ping sneered, her tone dripping with disdain and a hint of jealousy. Her own figure could best be described as a squat, round water jug—short, plump, and big-bellied.

When Yan Ping pressed for more details, Lin Yong refused to say anything else, insisting that was all he knew. Lin Yuanmin hurried the couple back to their room to eat, reminding them they still had to tend to the mushrooms later. Spraying water across five rooms’ worth of mushroom beds would take half the day. There was no time for idle chatter.

Besides, ever since Lan Xiang’s mother had caused trouble last time, the two families had been at odds. It wasn’t that the Lins would refuse to help in an emergency—it was that the other family wouldn’t let them get involved. The Lins were busy enough as it was, with no time to invite unnecessary drama.

Yuanyuan, his eyes glued to the sugar cakes in Grandma’s hands, drooled and refused to follow his parents back to their room. Dong Huixin had no intention of letting her grandson leave either. Yan Ping glanced at Lin Fang, then at her son, wanting to say something but holding back.

Yan Ping didn’t want her son getting too close to her sister-in-law, afraid Lin Fang might have some illness that could infect him. She always suspected Lin Fang had more than just a heart condition—something else, because while people with congenital heart disease usually just had a bluish complexion, Lin Fang’s was tinged with yellow.

Seeing Yan Ping’s hesitant expression, Lin Fang knew exactly what she was thinking. She turned her face away, deciding it was better not to engage.

Though unsatisfied with the gossip and still worried about her son, Yan Ping didn’t press further. Lin Yong had never hit her, but she was still afraid of her husband. She obediently followed him back to their room, silently plotting to go out later and gather more information herself.

After the meal, everyone went about their tasks. Yan Ping stayed home with the child, while Lin Yuanmin and Dong Huixin loaded the vegetables needed for the restaurant onto a flat cart. Lin Yong had Dong Huixin sit on the cart while he pushed it. He still had to spray water on the mushroom beds, with Lin Yuanmin following behind.

Lin Fang, with nothing to do, wanted to go to the restaurant too, but her parents insisted she rest a little longer, worried that lack of sleep might trigger her condition. Lin Yuanmin added that the restaurant probably wouldn’t be too busy, and once things were settled, he’d come back to keep Lin Fang company, swapping with Dong Huixin in the evening.

Since the restaurant catered to passing vehicles, it had to stay open 24/7. Lin Yuanmin and Dong Huixin had agreed to take shifts.

“Sleeping right after eating isn’t good. I’ll take a short walk—not far, just around where there are people,” Lin Fang said. She had no desire to sleep. She was desperate to find out what had happened to Lan Xiang and whether it was connected to Chen Dong.

“Fine, but remember to come home early. Don’t overexert yourself. It’s still snowing, and the roads are slippery. Be careful not to fall,” Lin Yuanmin said, still uneasy but acknowledging his daughter’s point. Dr. Ouyang had also advised that moderate activity was good for her health. He could only offer careful reminders.

“Don’t worry, Dad.” Lin Fang hugged his arm affectionately and followed him out the door.

As soon as the group left the yard, Yan Ping quickly shut the door, picked up her son, and tiptoed out. She carefully locked the gate from the outside, making sure the metal door didn’t make a sound—her husband wouldn’t notice her absence. Satisfied, she set off to find her gossip-loving friends and ask about Lan Xiang’s family.

Compared to last night, the snow was falling a little heavier now. Each step produced a crisp crunch underfoot.

The roofs, walls, and other untouched surfaces were already covered in a blinding white.

The fields were almost entirely blanketed in snow, with only the most uneven patches revealing a mottled mix of yellow and white.

Snow clung to the bare branches like fluffy cotton padding.

At the village entrance, Lin Fang parted ways with her parents and brother, heading toward the woods where she had last seen Chen Dong the night before. The route from the village to the shop was winding and long, but taking the shortcut meant leaving the village, walking straight for a stretch, then turning a corner to arrive.

She hadn’t gone far when she ran into a lively group of neighbors, along with a few children playing tag. Most of them recognized Lin Fang.

“Lin Fang, why are you heading this way? Go back! Lan Xiang was just attacked this morning, and we don’t know who did it. A young girl like you shouldn’t be wandering around—who knows if the attacker targets girls specifically?”

The speaker was Ba Jin’s mother, and the others chimed in agreement. Lin Fang stopped and smiled. “Auntie, I just wanted to see what happened. If I understand, I can be more careful, right? I heard Ba Jin was the one who found Lan Xiang. What did he say?”

“Ba Jin took Lan Xiang to the hospital in his four-wheeler. He didn’t have time to explain much. A few of us went to check the woods earlier, but there was nothing unusual—no signs of anything. The woods were planted just a few years ago, so the trees are sparse and don’t provide much cover. They’re not thick enough to hide anyone. You can see right through to the other side without even stepping in.”

“Did you go into the woods?” If Chen Dong had stayed in the woods, she would have left traces. With branches blocking some of the snow, the coverage inside would be thinner and uneven, making footprints easy to spot.

“Of course we did,” said another woman around Yan Ping’s age. “But we didn’t see anything. Before we got there, these kids were already playing in the woods. Even if there had been clues, they’d have trampled them away.”

Lin Fang was speechless. This was a classic case of contaminating a crime scene—thoroughly, at that. Even the police would have nothing to work with now.

“Auntie, what was Lan Xiang tied up with?”

This was another burning question for Lin Fang. Ba Jin had said Lan Xiang was found bound—but with what? Chen Dong always carried a thin hemp rope to bundle up scrap or other sellable items for survival. If she had used that rope, which many villagers had seen before, it could spell trouble.

“I know! It was this! I found it in the ditch by the road!”

A snot-nosed little boy waved a rope with small pom-poms at both ends, swinging it in the air before flicking it around. Before he could flick it twice, the other kids rushed him, clamoring to grab it.

Lin Fang’s sharp eyes recognized it as a decorative cord from one of Lan Xiang’s coats. She laughed dismissively. “That couldn’t have tied anyone up. It’s too short—you couldn’t even make a knot with it.”

“I’ve got more! Stop fighting!” A woman pulled a few more cords from her pocket and tossed them to the noisy children. Ba Jin’s mother chuckled. “It wasn’t that. When Ba Jin carried Lan Xiang back, I happened to be on my way to your shop to buy vinegar and passed their alley. Lan Xiang still had a cloth strip tied around one foot—the belt from her coat, probably. My Ba Jin must’ve been in too much of a hurry to untie it completely.”

“Ah? Really?” Lin Fang feigned surprise.

At this point, Lin Fang didn’t dare ask more. Prying too much might arouse suspicion. Her questions had mostly been answered, and she’d have to investigate further herself—but not now.

The woods were located at the crossroads between the highway and the rural road. Whether Chen Dong had left via the highway or the rural path, her footprints would have been obscured by passing vehicles and the jumble of other tracks by now.

Besides, she wouldn’t be foolish enough to flee through the fields. The loose soil made for difficult walking and would leave obvious traces.

No girl was indifferent to beauty, and Lan Xiang was among the most striking. Not only did she dress to keep up with city trends, but her daily skincare routine also mirrored urban habits. She woke early every morning to jog—for fresh air and to maintain her figure. She avoided going out in strong sunlight or wind to preserve her delicate complexion. Her hairstyle was always the latest fashion, and paired with her pretty face, even girls couldn’t help but stare.

Though Lan Xiang’s father was also a farmer, he was sharp-witted and traveled often for business, earning a tidy sum. Their home was decorated like a city dweller’s, complete with all sorts of appliances—unlike most rural households, where owning a TV was considered wealthy.

Lan Xiang’s mother handled the farming alone, leaving Lan Xiang free to focus on her appearance.

Lan Xiang’s father hadn’t had much schooling, just elementary education. He’d hoped Lan Xiang would study hard, maybe even get into college, so he could bask in the glory of her success while she enjoyed an urban lifestyle. Lan Xiang had been a top student since childhood. But in her second year of middle school, she suddenly refused to continue, as if possessed. Her mother backed her up, leaving her father no choice but to relent. He didn’t make her work the fields, pinning his hopes on her marrying a city man thanks to her looks.

At this point, Lan Xiang’s father still didn’t know about her infatuation with Lin Tuo—let alone that she was throwing herself at him. The revelation would have killed him.