Chapter 39 Four o’clock? Wasn’t he afraid of being discovered?

"What?" Xia Yan was startled. She hurriedly put Lin Hongzhuo down, not even bothering to put her shoes on properly before running to the backyard pigsty...

The piglets, which usually greeted her whenever she appeared, now lay motionless on the ground.

She stepped into the pigsty and checked again. Dazed, she slumped to the ground, murmuring, "How could this happen?"

"Auntie, what happened to the piglets?" The two boys had also run over by then, Lin Hongzhuo’s voice thick with tears.

Xia Yan’s face darkened, just as Lin Hongzhe’s had a moment before, turning completely grim.

The children’s cries soon drew the attention of Wang Guilan’s family next door.

Upon seeing the piglets’ lifeless bodies, Wang Guilan muttered, "It must be the mountain god’s wrath."

Xia Yan, of course, didn’t believe in such superstitions.

When Ruan Xiaotian saw the scene, his expression was equally grim. Lin You had asked him to help look after the house while he was away on duty, and yet, on just the second day of Lin You’s absence, such a thing had happened.

"Mom, don’t say such things. There’s no mountain god. Don’t go spreading superstition here."

With that, Ruan Xiaotian stepped into the pigsty, inspecting the surroundings. A soldier’s keen observation skills were indeed different; he soon discovered several footprints.

It had rained two days ago, and the ground was still muddy. Although the perpetrator had tried to walk along the grass, traces were left behind nonetheless.

"Mom, this was done by a person, not any mountain god."

He turned to Xia Yan. "Sister, have you offended anyone since you came here?"

"Offended someone? No, not really. If there’s anyone I’ve had conflict with, it’s only Liu Xiuying," Xia Yan replied after some thought. But even then, she couldn’t imagine Liu Xiuying doing something so ruthless to her pigs.

Ruan Xiaotian shook his head. "These footprints are at least size forty-three. There’s no woman in the compound with feet that large."

"Then who could it be..." Xia Yan frowned, unable to think of anyone.

Ruan Xiaotian, his expression calm, analyzed, "Whoever did this chose to act at night, so they must be very familiar with the layout and routines here. It’s likely someone from the base."

"And they must also be well-acquainted with the duty roster—knowing that Lin You would be away these days."

As time passed, more and more people gathered, and the murmurs grew louder.

"I told you before, you can’t raise pigs here— the mountain god doesn’t permit live pigs on the mountain."

"Exactly, didn’t Wang Guilan suffer last time? Still helped that girl buy piglets—some neighbor she is. Seems to me she can’t stand to see Captain Lin’s family doing well."

"I think she holds a grudge. Her son went blind saving Lin You, didn’t he? On the surface, she’s friendly with that girl, but who knows what she’s doing behind her back. Maybe she killed those pigs herself—ten piglets are worth quite a bit."

Xia Yan didn’t need to look to know who had said that last line.

...

The malicious gossip made Wang Guilan’s face turn ashen. She was about to explode in fury, but Xia Yan spoke first, "What nonsense are you all spouting? Aunt Wang isn’t anything like what you’re saying. I was the one who begged her to help me buy the piglets. If you don’t know the truth, don’t spread rumors."

"And you, Liu Xiuying—everyone knows you suffered a loss at my hands. Now I suspect you’re the one who killed my piglets!"

Xia Yan fixed her gaze on Liu Xiuying, who was smirking in the crowd, and deliberately raised her voice.

As expected, the people around Liu Xiuying now looked at her with odd expressions.

"Don’t talk rubbish!" Liu Xiuying, who had been smiling a moment ago, immediately turned red with anger. If she hadn’t been holding her child, she might have rushed over.

"You say I’m making things up? Brother Ruan already found footprints—men’s footprints. And besides you, who else in the compound has a grudge against me?"

Ruan Xiaotian wanted to say something, but was stopped by a look from Xia Yan. She was doing this on purpose—to teach Liu Xiuying a lesson for her reckless tongue.

"Rubbish! I was at home all night looking after my child. I barely had time to breathe, let alone sneak out to harm your pigs. If you want to accuse me, you’d better be ready to take responsibility!"

"Hmph, I said I suspected you—just as you, moments ago, accused Aunt Wang of killing my piglets. If anyone should take responsibility, it’s you."

Xia Yan jabbed a finger at her.

"Am I wrong? Her son lost his sight saving your husband, and she lives right next door. If someone came to kill your pigs at night, how could she not hear it?"

Liu Xiuying pointed at Wang Guilan’s house. Wang Guilan’s room was right by the backyard, only a dozen meters from the makeshift pigsty—she really could have heard something.

After she spoke, everyone except Xia Yan’s group turned their eyes to Wang Guilan.

Wang Guilan panicked, terrified that Xia Yan might truly suspect her. She hurried to explain, "Xia, don’t listen to her nonsense. I’m so busy with the children during the day that as soon as my head hits the pillow at night, I fall asleep. I even snore! That’s why I moved to the backyard—to avoid disturbing my daughter-in-law."

"Oh, so you say you were asleep, and we’re just supposed to believe you?"

Liu Xiuying, seeing the suspicion shift successfully to Wang Guilan, resumed her sarcastic tone.

"I believe her!" Xia Yan stepped in front of Wang Guilan, standing between the two. "Liu Xiuying, you want to know who believes her? I’ll say it again—I do! I’ll take this matter to the regiment commander. I refuse to believe the culprit can’t be found!"

"You—why are you glaring at me like that? In any case, it wasn’t me," Liu Xiuying stammered, her bravado faltering as she took two steps back, clearly rattled, before turning and leaving.

Watching her retreating figure, Xia Yan frowned... Could it really have something to do with her?

As Liu Xiuying left, many others drifted away as well, until only Wang Guilan’s family, Xia Yan, and Nuannuan were left in the Lin family’s backyard.

"Xia, auntie—" Wang Guilan began.

"Aunt Wang, say no more. How could I believe outsiders over you?" Xia Yan interrupted her. "But this whole thing is very strange—the culprit must be quite skilled to kill all the piglets without making a sound."

Sun Juxiang, Ruan Xiaotian’s wife, who had been silent till now, spoke up quietly, "I did hear a few pig squeals when I got up last night."

"Hmm? Sister-in-law, what time was that?"

"Four o’clock," Sun Juxiang answered without hesitation.

"Are you sure, Juxiang? If you heard the pigs, why didn’t you wake me?" Ruan Xiaotian asked.

"I’m sure. As I got up, our clock struck four. I had no idea someone might be harming the piglets—after a few squeals, it went quiet again, so I didn’t think much of it..."

Four o’clock.

There should have been soldiers on patrol at the base then. Who could be bold enough to do this? Or perhaps... someone very familiar with both the people and the mountain. Who could it be?