The Comeback of the Cannon-Fodder Supporting Actress

Chapter 451: Chapter 442: I Am the Vicious Eldest Aunt (29)

The old master and Old Madam couldn’t sleep at all though they claimed they had.

The two elderly people tossed and turned in bed, guessing who might be out to harm them.

”We haven’t made any serious enemies over the years.”

The old master sighed heavily: ”Why would someone hate us so much?”

Old Madam pondered over the villagers, but couldn’t think of anyone.

Somehow they endured until dawn, and a group hurried home to check on things.

When they returned, they found the courtyard in chaos, the door smashed open, quilts and mattresses torn to shreds, and many other items broken.

Old Madam’s legs went weak at the sight and she nearly collapsed.

Anning quickly steadied Old Madam.

Old Madam pointed towards the storage room: ”Quickly, check it out.”

Anning pushed the door of the storage room, which was properly locked.

”Mother, the storage room is fine.”

Old Madam was somewhat relieved: ”Things can be replaced, as long as we are unharmed.”

Xu Zhiqin was also furious at the scene, his face flushed with anger.

Even if he didn’t always agree with his parents’ ways and had already established his own separate household, his relatives lived here and were in trouble; he had no reason not to care.

”Father, Mother, we cannot let this go; I will go to find the clan elders and the village chief.”

The old master nodded: ”Go.”

Xu Zhiqin hurried off.

Liu Bao intended to have his two sons clean up, but Anning promptly stopped them: ”Leave it as it is for now; this is all evidence and must not be tampered with.”

”Madam, how are we going to cook then?”

Anning thought for a moment and took out some money to give to Liu Bao’s wife: ”Go buy some goods and take them to the Third sister-in-law’s place, ask her to help prepare some meals, and give her a hand; when it’s ready, bring it over here.”

Liu Bao’s wife then called Liu Chunmei to go shopping with her.

Anning gave enough money, and Liu Bao’s wife bought some rice and flour from the neighbors, as well as meat and oil from the village butcher, and took them to Xu Zhiqin’s house.

Just as Mrs. Li was tidying up the children ready to cook, Liu Bao’s wife brought over the items: ”Third Madam, our house was struck by disaster last night; we don’t know if it was wolves or something else that got into the yard, many things were broken, and now Third Master has called for the village chief and clan elders. It’s inconvenient to cook at our place; I must trouble you for help, may we use your kitchen?”

Mrs. Li smiled: ”Sure, I’ll help you move the stuff in and you and your daughter can help out; let’s get the food ready faster.”

Liu Bao’s wife had bought plenty, enough for several meals even after cooking, so the gesture was essentially gifting the rest to Mrs. Li, who was naturally willing.

Even if Xu Family’s main house hadn’t given anything, just getting a meal there meant she would have offered her help, let alone with such generous provisions given.

The three of them were all efficient workers, and quickly prepared the meals.

Liu Chunmei took a lunch box, packed the meals, and took them away, while the remaining items and food were enough for Mrs. Li to feed her children for several meals.

After Mrs. Li fed the children, she let them play on their own and went to the main house.

By the time Mrs. Li arrived, the clan elders and the village chief were already there.

Seeing the yard and house in such disarray, both the faces of the clan elders and the village chief darkened.

The villagers of Xiao Guan Village were known to be kind-hearted and had a good reputation; such an incident had never happened before, and naturally, the clan elders and the village chief could not tolerate acts of malice that endangered the lives of a family.

The village chief examined the scene, discussed with the clan elders, and then said to the old master: ”It looks like the work of wolves; old brother, what exactly happened?”

The old master recounted the events of the previous night when Anning discovered blood sprinkled outside the yard, and Liu Bao’s son had found dead pheasants thrown at the base of the mountain: ”We didn’t dare stay home last night, fearing it might attract the wolves, so we quickly took shelter in the third brother’s house for the night. We came back early in the morning to find our home like this.”

The old master was both angry and frightened by the incident, his eyes red: ”I’ve lived my life honestly and never made enemies; tell me, who would have such a cold heart to harm us?”

Xu Zhiqin said, ”We must find out who this person is. Today they harmed my father, and who knows if they’ll harm someone else tomorrow. Our village cannot tolerate such a scourge.”

Indeed.

The clan elders and the village chief felt terrified just thinking about it.

Someone who strikes in the shadows like this must not be allowed to remain. What if they harm someone else? What if you argue with them and they do the same to you behind your back?

The Xu Family was lucky; the eldest daughter-in-law happened to get up at night and smelled the blood, a stroke of fortune not every family can count on.

”Let’s investigate.”

The clan elders gritted their teeth, the word ”investigate” carried a chilling coldness.

The village chief gathered some of the village’s most respected elders and a few strong and healthy young men to gather everyone in the village and interrogate them one by one about where they were last night and if anyone could vouch for them.

Despite the investigation, they couldn’t figure out who it was.

Instead, they found out that several youths in the village were gambling together.

As soon as their parents heard about the gambling, they immediately started hitting them, causing a huge commotion.

Just when the village was in turmoil, with many women arguing fiercely and the village chief was at his wit’s end, Anning stepped forward.

She said to the Old Madam, ”Mother, the Huang family said my embroidered image of the Bodhisattva has spiritual power. Let’s give it a try, ask the Bodhisattva who did this. Perhaps the Bodhisattva might guide us.”

The village chief heard this and took it to heart.

”Could this work?”

Anning, through gritted teeth, said, ”Let’s try. We’re getting nowhere with the investigation; what if the Bodhisattva cannot stand that person’s deeds and tells us?”

People were actually quite superstitious during this period and believed in such spirits and ghosts.

Anning then asked Xu Zhiqin, ”Third brother, has everyone in the village arrived?”

Xu Zhiqin nodded, ”Yes, everyone’s here.”

Xu Zhiyong’s family had also come.

He too rushed over when he heard that there was a problem in the elder branch.

He looked around and confirmed with Anning, ”Elder sister-in-law, I’ve recounted, and indeed everyone has arrived.”

Anning then went back to the room and took out a not-so-large embroidery from the bottom of the chest.

Xu Erya in the crowd kept making faces, thinking how foolish her aunt by marriage was. She thought Anning was crazy to rely on the Bodhisattva in an investigation.

In any case, Xu Erya was not nervous at all.

She didn’t take the blood-sprinkling matter seriously; after all, it wasn’t her doing.

Anning hung up the embroidered image of the Bodhisattva in front of everyone, then burned incense and knelt to the ground and prayed: ”Your disciple Mrs. Wen implores the Bodhisattva for protection, please guide us through this mystery...”

Anning kowtowed several times, and just as she finished, she saw the smoke from the three sticks of incense, originally going straight up, began to change.

The villagers were all startled, and upon looking again, they saw the smoke being absorbed entirely by the embroidered image.

Anning was delighted and immediately called Xu Minruo, ”Min Ruo, quick, bring the offerings.”

Xu Minruo ran out and came back with some offerings for Anning.

Anning respectfully arranged them, kowtowed again, and then closed her eyes. After a while, Anning opened her eyes and said to the Old Madam, ”Mother, you need to bring over a basin of water.”

Now the villagers were even more curious, not knowing what Anning intended to do with such a grand setup.

Xu Erya watched the excitement while continuously cursing Anning as a fool in her heart.

She believed that there were no such things as gods and ghosts in this world; these people were just too superstitious.

However, it never occurred to her, if that were true, then how did she become Xu Erya and travel through time to the ancient past?