Crossing the farm gate, the whole family reunites in the disaster year

Yu hurried out of the house.

It should still be in time to clean up and wash up if I go there now.

Erlang, Silang and the girl Lidong from the second family went to her house and rolled around to ask for food. The two girls Lichun and Liqiu were scared and cried. It was not a big deal, but the three children refused to leave.

As soon as he got away, he hurried to the big locust tree and saw a large group of people gathered under the tree from afar.

"Uncle Lizheng, what's going on?"

The village head asked in a deep voice, "The work here is not finished yet, where have you been?"

Yu was thin-skinned and blushed immediately: "Something happened at home, so I left for a while, but Lidong mother is here to take my place."

"You are all from the same family. I noticed something was wrong when you were getting your meal." Someone shouted.

Yu quickly walked to Lin's side, not understanding what was going on.

Widow Qin hesitated to speak: "After making dinner, Lidong's mother avoided us. She was acting suspiciously and I don't know what she was doing. And..." After saying that, she glanced at Lin cautiously.

Someone else shouted, "Tell the truth, we can't just let this go. If they dare to bully you, an orphan and a widow, we will be the first to object."

Widow Qin turned her face away and tucked her hair behind her ears: "I saw Lin also helping. When Lidong Niang left, her arms were bulging, and she even winked at Lin."

Lin was dumbfounded. She and Feng hadn't even spoken a word to each other just now, so how could she become a helper?

After saying this, Widow Qin lowered her head, looking as if she dared not breathe.

Everyone was furious. Widow Qin glanced at them secretly. Cui Chengliang pursed his lips tightly, probably because he had already started to suspect Lin.

For the first time, Widow Qin felt that Feng was not completely useless. At the very least, Lin was now speechless.

"Uncle Village Chief, now we have witnesses. We in Xiahe Village will not tolerate people with dishonest behavior."

"You never know when your house might be robbed while you're asleep."

"Drive them out, they must be driven out!"

Yu's situation was shaky. She had been married to Xiahe Village for more than ten years and had given birth to three children. She had never suffered such an injustice. If she could die to express her determination, she would die without hesitation.

Cui Chengliang stared at Lin's reaction intently.

Lin's face was full of pride and unyielding spirit.

The head of the village sighed softly. He didn't want to believe it, but the evidence was right in front of him. Although Lin didn't say anything about her character, Lidong's mother was actually capable of stealing grain.

"Then..."

"Uncle Village Chief," Lin said calmly, "Anyone who makes a scene like this will inevitably be suspected. I've been running the breakfast shop for so many years, relying on integrity. I understand the principle that trying to make a small profit will lead to a big loss."

"Besides, I just arrived in Xiahe Village and have only met Lidong Niang once. We are not familiar with each other at all. Even if I wanted to steal, I would have done it myself, and I would not have partnered with her."

After hearing what Lin said, the head of the village felt uneasy.

The leftovers every day were given to the kitchen helper. He saw Lin coming home empty-handed several times, which was why he didn't believe that Lin would steal food at first.

If he doesn't even want the leftovers, how could he blatantly steal half a bucket of rice?

Yu leaned limply against Lin.

The head of the village had no idea what to do. He saw Master Pei standing beside him out of the corner of his eye and slapped his forehead, thinking that he was really busy and confused. There was already a ready-made person.

Village affairs were under the jurisdiction of the headman, and Master Pei didn't want to get involved, but the headman was sweating profusely with anxiety, so he straightened his clothes and stroked his goatee.

At this moment, he already had an opinion in his mind.

"Laurie thinks highly of me, so I'll be so bold as to say a few words." Master Pei smiled.

"Investigations in the yamen rely heavily on witnesses and physical evidence. Even if there are witnesses pointing fingers, as long as there is no physical evidence, it doesn't count."

The villagers were not convinced, but the village head glanced at them and then kept his words back.

"After all, human hearts can lie." Master Pei's eyes vaguely swept over Widow Qin.

Widow Qin's heart suddenly trembled, and a trace of panic flashed across her drooping face.

The village head was a little confused. What did Master Pei mean by this?

Lin said calmly, "This matter also involves Lidong's mother. Everyone suspects that we are in collusion to steal grain. Whether it is true or not will be clear after we talk to each other face to face."

Seeing that Master Pei nodded in agreement, the village head took the lead and a group of people went to Cui Laoer's house.

Cui Zhaozhao stood at the door waiting, but saw a group of people passing by in a hurry, with his mother supporting his aunt and walking at the back.

"Mom, what happened?"

Lin gave her a reassuring smile and whispered a few words into Cui Zhaozhao's ear.

Cui Zhaozhao frowned: "Is this okay?"

"Do as I say, and remember to be quick."

After saying that, Cui Zhaozhao caught up with the main force and returned to the house with gritted teeth.

Five children gathered around the stove, madly sniffing the fragrance of rice. The youngest, Xiaoqi, was not even as tall as the stove, and he was clinging to the stove, happy like a little pug.

"Mom, can I eat it now?" Xiao Qi was very greedy.

Water was added to the pot, and half a bowl of rice was filled with half a pot of water. Before the water boiled, Feng threw the spoon away and said, "You are all pointing at me. I haven't eaten yet. I really owe you."

After saying that, he threw a bowl to them. Erlang was the oldest and was so happy that he stuck to the bottom of the pot and served a bowl to Xiaoqi.

Xiao Qi held a mouthful of rice porridge in his mouth for a long time before he was reluctant to swallow it.

"It smells so good! I haven't had such delicious porridge since Chinese New Year."

Mother never cared about their meals. It was always the second brother who took them up the mountain and ate whatever they found. He liked to eat bird eggs the most.

But porridge is countless times more delicious than bird eggs, and it is porridge cooked by my mother.

Xiaoqi held the bowl in anticipation, his mother still liked them.

Before I finished the porridge in my bowl, the gate of the courtyard was suddenly kicked open and a group of people came in aggressively.

"Look, head of the village! She was the one who stole the grain."

The sharp-eyed villagers noticed the bowl in Xiaoqi's hand and snatched it away. The yellow and white porridge inside was exactly the same as the meal they had eaten at noon.

"My rice, wuwu." Xiaoqi cried out, there were still many grains of rice in the bowl.

The yard was packed with people. Feng thought to herself, "What are you doing? You're relying on your numbers to frame me. When did I ever steal food?"

The village head's face turned pale: "How do you explain this meal?"

"This is leftovers. They can take the leftovers home when they help in the kitchen. Why can't I take them when I help in the kitchen?" Feng stiffened her neck.

Yu also wiped away tears, partly out of anger and partly to clear herself of suspicion.

Feng didn't care about her and Lin's reputation at all.

The village head was so angry that his hands were shaking: "Everyone hasn't eaten enough, what kind of leftovers are these!"

"No need to say anything more to her, drive her out of Xiahe Village."

"There's no place for people like this in the village!"

The burly man rolled up his sleeves and was about to throw Feng out in the next second.

Xiao Qi's face was covered with tears, and he opened his hands desperately: "Don't chase my mother away."

Feng turned around and took out the remaining rice, muttering, "It's just a few mouthfuls of rice, why are you chasing me away? I'll give it all back to you."

The aroma of rice floated in the air. Several children looked at the rice, their young faces instantly filled with loss.

"Why does mother only give us porridge when there is so much rice..." Xiaoqi murmured.

"Alright, let's get the food back. Since there's no loss, let's just call it a day."

Next to Feng stood a row of children, each of them looked like a mud monkey. The oldest one, Erlang, was wearing clothes that no one knew where he had picked up. The collar was dangling and the arms were a little short.

The remaining few, the younger they were, the more shabbily they were dressed. Xiaoqi had so many patches on his clothes that you could hardly tell the original color of his clothes.

Winter is approaching. If Feng is driven out of the village, the child can be sold for money as soon as she leaves.

The village head led the villagers away half persuading and half angrily.