Chapter 113: The Return of the Black-Clad Figure

Xiao Ding lingered for a while at the county office, chatting idly with Magistrate Hu. He even personally recounted the process of wiping out Feiyun Village. Magistrate Hu listened with great enthusiasm, repeatedly applauding, as if he had been the one to lead the assault himself.

As for the matter of Li Gui and Lou Qing, Xiao Ding tactfully refrained from bringing it up again. Since Magistrate Hu did not wish to let personal feelings interfere with the case, Xiao Ding chose not to mention it further.

Noticing that evening was drawing near, Xiao Ding rose to take his leave. He hoped to return to Luoxia Village before nightfall.

Magistrate Hu did not try to detain him any longer. Capturing so many bandits at once meant there would be plenty of interrogations to keep him busy for days.

After leaving the county office, Xiao Ding led Fan Sanpang, Zhao Hu, and the others, quickly making their way back to Luoxia Village.

As dusk approached, the group arrived home. Before entering, little Zhu’er came running over excitedly. “Brother Fool, Brother Fool, that black-clad man came again this afternoon.”

“Ah, what happened? Was Mu Lin caught again?” Xiao Ding knew something must have transpired as soon as Zhu’er appeared. He hadn’t expected the black-clad figure to show up once more today.

“Mu Lin wasn’t taken away. She wounded the black-clad man with a crossbow,” Zhu’er replied.

Hearing that Mu Lin was safe, Xiao Ding finally relaxed. This time was different from before. Last time, Fan Sanpang, Zhao Hu, and the others were home and could fend off the intruder. Today, there was no one at home to resist.

“Tell me everything slowly. What exactly happened?” Xiao Ding crouched down, taking Zhu’er’s small hand in his own.

It turned out that Zhu’er and Ou Mu Lin had been playing near the house once again. The black-clad man returned to the vicinity, but was first spotted by the little wolf, Huihui.

The wolf dashed forward, fiercely biting, alarming the nearby workers.

The black-clad man intended to approach Mu Lin as he had before to snatch her away. But when he was still a few steps away, Mu Lin suddenly drew a small crossbow and fired several bolts.

One bolt struck his chest, another hit his shoulder, and a third grazed his neck—though this last shot was slightly off, only piercing the skin on the right side of his neck without hitting any vital areas. Otherwise, he might have died on the spot.

Injured, the man saw a large group of workers running toward him, carrying tools. Frightened, he turned and fled.

At that moment, Mu Lin, Ou Muyun, and Xiao Fu also arrived.

Seeing that his family was unharmed, Xiao Ding felt reassured. He thought to himself that a chest wound at such close range must be serious. The man was unlikely to return anytime soon.

He reiterated the importance of staying vigilant, especially advising the Ou siblings not to wander too far when playing.

Then, they went inside to share dinner with the family.

Now that the household had grown, Zhao Laixi and several carpenters had crafted a long dining table for the family. The rectangular table easily seated a dozen people.

Fortunately, the kitchen was spacious—originally designed with a bathing area in mind—which made room for the large dining table.

Every bedroom now had a finished wardrobe. Many chairs and stools had been made, and most of the daily household furniture was complete.

The workers at the construction site continued preparing materials each day for the spring project. A large pile of bricks and tiles from Yao's Brick and Tile Shop had already been stacked, though Xiao Ding had not instructed them to halt deliveries.

However, as the weather grew colder, even without Xiao Ding's orders, the quantity of bricks arriving noticeably dwindled. The brick kiln was likely affected by the cold, reducing its output.

Several days later, at noon, Li Gui and Lou Qing—who had been escorted to the county office—suddenly appeared at Xiao Ding’s doorstep.

Zhao Hu was delighted upon seeing them and quickly ushered them inside, introducing them to everyone.

Once indoors, Zhao Hu politely invited the two to sit, but they hesitated.

Xiao Ding found their reluctance odd and asked, “Why have you come here? Didn’t Magistrate Hu punish you?”

Zhao Hu looked puzzled at Xiao Ding, thinking to himself: if they were free, wasn’t it because you pleaded for them?

Sensing Zhao Hu’s doubt, Xiao Ding said, “I pleaded with Magistrate Hu that day, but he did not agree.”

“Magistrate Hu questioned us a few days ago, found our crimes were not serious, and gave each of us twenty lashes as punishment. Then he told us to go home and live honestly, never to do bad things again,” they explained, pausing before continuing, “After leaving the county office, we had nowhere to go. On the way there, Brother Zhao Hu told us about this place, so we came here.”

Xiao Ding finally understood why they wouldn’t sit—their sore backsides still hurt from the lashes, and they dared not sit down.

“Do you want to work as farmhands here?” Xiao Ding asked.

“Yes, Brother Xiao Ding, as long as you can give us a meal, we’re willing to stay and help with the work,” Li Gui said.

“I will pay you the wages of farmhands,” Xiao Ding thought. Now he had truly gathered the eight great officers under Bao Zheng’s command. If anyone knew that the mighty eight officers of Justice Bao had become farmhands tending his crops, they would surely be astonished.

Thus, Li Gui and Lou Qing moved into the Tian household. Xiao Ding instructed them to rest and recover before joining Zhao Hu and the others in managing the vegetable greenhouses.

As winter arrived, a heavy snowfall blanketed the land—the first snow of the season. The world was cloaked in silver-white.

Xiao Fu was delighted and planned to go bird-catching with Ou Muyun.

With the ground covered in snow, it was harder for birds to find food, making it easier to trap them using devices. Xiao Fu had experience, having done this before.

Though Ou Muyun was skilled in literature and martial arts, he had never played these countryside games and was quite intrigued.

Xiao Fu cleared a small patch behind the house, then found a woven basket. He propped it up with a short stick, scattering some grass seeds beneath it. A thin rope was tied to the stick, stretched to the side of the house where they hid. When a bird ventured under the basket to eat the seeds, they would pull the rope, knocking down the stick and trapping the bird.

The two children spent the entire morning hidden beside the house, eagerly waiting for birds to come beneath the basket. Their cheeks reddened by the cold, they hardly noticed.

Yet the birds seemed cunning, refusing to fall for the trap, which made the children increasingly anxious.

After an hour or two, a small bird finally hopped toward the basket. The children’s hands trembled nervously on the rope. Just as the bird was about to slip beneath, an urgent bell rang out from the village. Startled, the bird fluttered away, escaping capture.