Reborn with a Space: Building a Fortune Amidst Famine

Chapter 62: 62 caught

”Who said we stole your ducks?” The three of them had already decided not to admit it under any circumstances.

”Didn’t steal and eat them, huh? Okay then.” Yuanyuan said with a smile.

The three were quite puzzled; they hadn’t said that earlier.

Yuanyuan approached them with a hoe handle in hand.

They’d heard about this girl’s knife-wielding incident, and seeing her like this still made them a bit uneasy.

But thinking there were three of them and just this little girl, what was there to fear?

People are like that; without realizing it, they started retreating step by step.

Yuanyuan knew she wasn’t a match for the three of them, but could she just let it go and swallow her pride?

Seeing them continuously move backward, she had already made up her mind. Seeing they had backed up to the water’s edge, Yuanyuan suddenly swung the hoe handle.

When danger approached, instinctively they stepped aside. Because the threat was right in front of them, all three leaned back at the same time.

All three fell into the water, and though kids by the water generally knew how to swim, they still floundered for a bit in their fright.

Yuanyuan stood on the bank, ”It’s okay if you don’t admit it. Today, I’ll visit each of your homes. Heh, do you all have chickens and ducks?”

”You accursed brat,” one of them cursed.

Yuanyuan hated being called a jinx. She swung the hoe handle down on the one who had just insulted her.

Yuanyuan was quite strong. With one strike, Da Linzi in the water couldn’t dodge, taking a solid hit.

”Yuanyuan, you’re going too far. Who can prove we ate your duck?”

”I don’t need proof to do things,” Yuanyuan said, then called out. Ducks and geese in the water came to her, following her.

The three half-grown lads were feeling scared now. At home, they were told not to mess with Yuanyuan, not out of fear, but to avoid trouble for themselves. Those with shoes fear those barefoot.

Yuanyuan returned home, fed the ducks and geese, then headed to the village, locking up before she left.

She knew where all three of them lived, and went to Da Linzi’s house first, assuming they would have returned by now.

Yuanyuan stood at the door calling for Da Linzi. Inside, as Da Linzi was changing clothes, he was startled.

Had the jinx really come looking?

The Tang family heard a little girl calling Da Linzi outside but paid no mind.

Yuanyuan called a few more times with no response, then shouted at the top of her lungs, ”Da Linzi, you thief, you stole my ducks. Aren’t you afraid of retribution?”

This brought Da Linzi’s mother out from the yard; seeing it was Yuanyuan, she instinctively took a step back.

”Aunt, have your Da Linzi come out. He stole my ducks yesterday, and I caught him today. What should we do about it?”

Da Linzi angrily ran out but didn’t go past the door. He stood inside. ”You say I stole, who can prove it?”

Yuanyuan’s expression was calm. ”You don’t admit it?”

”I didn’t do it, why should I admit it?”

”Fine, then say what happens if you did do it?”

”I didn’t do it.”

”Didn’t do it, then say so. Only if you say it, will I believe you.”

”Da Linzi, seriously?” Tang Tielin’s wife glared at her son. She knew her son did it; they understood their own child.

A large crowd gathered outside, creating a spectacle.

”Da Linzi, if you didn’t do it, what are you afraid of?”

”Hmph, I’m not afraid. If I did it, may I trip when I walk out the door.”

As soon as he finished speaking, he tripped and fell flat on his face from inside the threshold. Trying to get up, he fell again, face first.

Yuanyuan watched him calmly, ”Da Linzi, dare you speak such words again? Even Heaven can’t stand it.”

This scared the Tang family and the onlookers.

Tang Tielin’s wife hurried to help her son. ”Da Linzi, Da Linzi.”

Seeing his nose and mouth bleeding, it looked horrifying.

The onlookers became even more wary of Yuanyuan.

”Da Linzi, did you or did you not steal my ducks?”

A half-grown lad was frightened. He felt like something pushed him the first time. The second time he fell, he felt slapped.

It was terrifying enough, so the bloodied Da Linzi nodded frantically. ”It was me, it was me and Qiangzi and Dashan who stole your ducks yesterday, and we planned to steal again today when you caught us.”

The two other mischievous families watching were also frightened. In Dashan’s family, he was their only child; seeing Da Linzi like that scared Dashan’s mom, who immediately came forward. ”Su girl, Dashan was wrong. I’ll give you a hen to make up for it, and he’ll never dare again.”

Qiangzi’s mother also came out, ”Yes, my Da Qiang will never steal your ducks again. I’ll get you a hen too.”

The two turned and went home to catch ducks.

Tang Tielin’s wife smiled awkwardly, ”Su girl, today I’ll have Da Linzi’s dad punish him, and I’ll give you a duck.”

”Alright then, Da Linzi, you listen. One who does something, the sky sees all. You’re so young, but doing things like this, what about when you grow up?”

Today, this ends here. I’ll take the ducks from your three families. If any more of my ducks go missing, I’ll come looking for you.”

Da Linzi was too scared to say anything. He was almost scared to death. The jinx had just been standing there, but after he spoke those words, this all happened.

Yuanyuan took the three ducks and went home. But unbeknownst to her, by nightfall, the whole village knew what happened.

Parents were telling their children to avoid Yuanyuan and to run if they saw her.

Yang Hongwen’s family was talking about it too. ”Is she really that cursed?”

Xu Chunjiao sighed, ”With her reputation getting out, how will the girl ever marry?”

The Yang family, father and sons, said nothing. The children didn’t understand, but Yang Hongwen knew this reputation would follow the girl for a lifetime.

That night, the husband and wife lay on the kang talking about it.

”Dear, that girl is indeed cursed.”

”Hmm, but it’s fine. Didn’t you notice? If you don’t provoke her, nothing happens, right?”

”Yes, I really admire that girl. Honest, capable, grateful; at nine years old, she manages to keep on living.

But in the future, what will happen? Who knows how her reputation will develop?”

”She’s still young. In a few years, it will fade.”

Yang Hongwen said this even though he wasn’t convinced himself. Yuanyuan’s image had taken root in people’s minds, and after that, most people avoided her, fearful of provoking her.