Chapter 35: This Rule Was Set by You in the First Place

The team members who had just finished dividing the pork were about to leave, but when they spotted the commotion ahead, they stopped in their tracks.

Everyone saw He Yu walking in front, followed by He Gao and the others, and behind them were Liu Damazi and two unfamiliar little kids.

People exchanged glances, all picking up the scent of juicy gossip.

Tong Lingxian and her group hadn’t left yet. The moment they saw Fang Mingxi and Tang Yao standing at the very end of the crowd, their hearts skipped a beat.

Especially when they noticed the two looked as though they had been beaten. They hurried over to shield the younger girls.

“Xixi, Yaoyao, what happened to you two?”

“Xixi, why is your head bleeding? Who hit you? Tell Grandpa quickly.”

Wu Meixia gently touched Tang Yao’s reddened hand, her heart aching. “Yaoyao, didn’t you two go up the mountain? How did you end up here?”

Liu Xiuhua and her two daughters-in-law stood off to the side, waving to He Gao and his siblings.

“What’s going on?”

The siblings rushed to recount the entire incident, talking over one another. They made sure to emphasize that Liu Damazi and the others insisted they were the ones who caught the wild pheasant. Since no one believed them, they came to find the Brigade Leader Grandpa for a ruling.

An Shuzhen held He Xi in her arms, smoothing a loose strand of hair behind her ear. She examined her carefully. “Xixi, was it tiring going up the mountain? Did you fall?”

He Xi shook her head as she hugged her mother’s neck. “Mama, Big Older Brother carried me the whole time. I didn’t fall.”

“Next time it rains, you’re not allowed to go up the mountain. Didn’t you see how everyone else slipped and fell?” An Shuzhen’s tone remained gentle, though her words carried a hidden warning.

He Xi nodded. Her gaze drifted toward the group now standing in front of the Brigade Leader. “Mama, was the wild pheasant really caught by Uncle Damazi and the others?”

An Shuzhen wasn’t sure, but she did know one thing: Liu Damazi and his crew were notorious leeches in the brigade, worse than Wang Dazhu. If they latched onto you, you’d lose a layer of skin before they let go. Today’s matter certainly wouldn’t end quietly.

On the other side, after hearing the entire story, He Daixing’s brows knotted tightly.

He looked at the teary Fang Mingxi in Tong Lingxian’s arms, then at Tang Yao’s bright-red hand, still trembling with sobs and finally at Liu Damazi and his excited group clutching the pheasant like a treasure.

He Daixing took a deep breath. “Liu Damazi, you claim this wild pheasant was caught by you, and the mushrooms were also spotted by your group on the mountain. Is that correct?”

Liu Damazi answered confidently, “Of course. We were planning to grab the pheasant first, then go gather mushrooms, but these two kids beat us to it.”

He Jianjun and He Jianguo nodded quickly.

“Brigade Leader, look how big this pheasant is. How could two half-grown kids catch something like that?”

“We brothers spent a long time catching ours. You can’t just believe whatever they say.”

The onlookers murmured among themselves.

“These He brothers have a point. Picking mushrooms might be luck, but a pheasant? It would run the moment it heard anything. How could it be conveniently knocked out?”

Clicking their tongues, some added, “Tsk, who would’ve thought? These two little girls already know how to lie at their age. Figures, they’re from the cattle shed.”

Niu Dacao curled her lip in the crowd. Ever since she and Wang Dazhu were scolded by the Brigade Leader after making fools of themselves at the cattle shed, she’d held a grudge against everyone from there.

Now that someone from the cattle shed was taking losses, she immediately jumped out to make herself known, hoping the Brigade Leader would drag them off for “reform,” just so she could settle old scores.

Fang Bosong was furious and snapped, “Impossible! My granddaughter is only a little over one year old. You’re saying she lied? Does she even know what lying is?”

Niu Dacao froze for a moment, then retorted, “Who knows what you teach her in private? And who says kids can’t lie? They learn from what they see.”

“Enough. Stop arguing.” He Daixing cut them off, then turned to the frightened Tang Yao, forcing his voice to sound less intimidating.

“Little one, tell Grandpa Brigade Leader, did you lie? Did you really knock out the pheasant?”

Tang Yao sniffled, hiccupping through her tears as she stammered, “G-Grandpa Brigade Leader, I didn’t lie. Look, I still have mud on me, it’s from falling down the mountain.”

Because of the rain, the mountain soil was loose and wet. After her fall, a large patch of mud smeared across her clothes. When everyone saw it, their expressions shifted again.

This… actually made sense.

He Daixing nodded, then looked kindly at Fang Mingxi.

“Little one, tell Grandpa Brigade Leader, did you pick the mushrooms?”

Fang Mingxi burrowed deeper into Tong Lingxian’s arms, imitating the behavior of a real toddler.

“I picked them. They’re bad people.”

Her voice was tiny, barely louder than a mosquito, but still clear enough for everyone to hear.

Many people stared at Fang Mingxi in astonishment. Her speech was unbelievably clear.

She looked only a little over one year old. How could a child that young already speak in full sentences? The kids in their families at that age could barely say “Mama” and “Papa.”

Could upbringing make that much difference?

Everyone’s eyes drifted subtly toward the composed and imposing Fang Bosong and Tong Lingxian. Their refinement hadn’t faded despite working here for so long and even their child was unusual.

By now, He Daixing had more or less pieced the situation together.

His expression darkened as he stood and walked toward Liu Damazi, holding out a hand.

“Liu Damazi, I’ve tolerated you loafing around the brigade long enough but now you’re even bullying little kids? Have you no shame?”

Liu Damazi and his crew bristled. He Daixing’s words clearly implied he believed they were lying.

Liu Damazi stiffened his neck. “What’s that supposed to mean, Brigade Leader? You’re taking the word of two kids to say I’m lying?”

“And aren’t you?” He Daixing asked sharply.

“I—” Liu Damazi choked. He had lied, but admitting it was impossible.

His mind spun rapidly, searching for a way out.

He Daixing’s gaze sharpened.

“You say you caught the fleeing pheasant. So why is there no pheasant feather or pheasant droppings on your clothes? Don’t tell me the pheasant politely waited for you to grab it.”

“This…” Liu Damazi’s eyes darted around, cold sweat spreading down his back.

He had been too focused on snatching the pheasant. He never considered the details.

“Speak. Was it you who stole the pheasant?” He Daixing suddenly barked.

Startled, Liu Damazi flinched. His mouth moved faster than his brain.

“Yes!”

The moment he answered, he realized what he’d done. His face drained of color.

He Daniu cursed under his breath and, clutching the pheasant egg, stepped forward to defend him.

“Brigade Leader, so what if they saw the pheasant first? The brigade rule is that whoever catches it first gets it!”

“Liu Damazi grabbed the pheasant first, and the grass rope on it was tied by him too. Naturally, it belongs to him. This was the rule you set yourself, Brigade Leader.”

He nudged He Jianjun and He Jianguo subtly. The brothers immediately chimed in.

“Exactly! You can’t deny the rule you made yourself! We already gave up the mushrooms. Why can’t we at least keep the pheasant?”

He Jianguo reluctantly tore his gaze away from the basket of mushrooms.

“Some people shouldn’t push too far. We’re not even reporting you for embezzling state property that’s us being generous. Don’t go looking for trouble.”

He Daixing’s face darkened.

Because he realized, he couldn’t refute those words.