Chapter Seven: The Temple of the Mountain God

  The hoe in the farmer's hand came crashing down on Li Guoting who was lying in the snow.

  Li Guoting's mind buzzed, thinking to himself, it's all over, I, Li Guoting, will die at the hands of a farmer's hoe without avenging my great hatred, it must be fate. Thinking this, he closed his eyes and waited for death.

  Just as the farmer's hoe was about to hit Li Guoting, it suddenly stopped on his back.

  It turned out that Li Guoting had stolen a radish field from a farming household in the village, surnamed Ding. The owner was named Ding Quanliang, who was around 40 years old.

  As soon as it got dark, Ding Quanliang came to his own radish field with a hoe. He was going to dig up a few radishes and take them back home. Just as he arrived at his own field and was about to start digging, he unexpectedly found footprints on the snowy ground that someone had left behind. Upon closer inspection, he saw that the radishes in his field had been stolen. A burning rage ignited within him.

  These two years, the harvest has not been good. Many rural households in the surrounding areas have suffered losses. They are close to the Hongyan River and have not been greatly affected by natural disasters. However, they have suffered a lot from human harm. Since last year, there have been many more thieves. Not only chickens, ducks, sheep, and cattle raised in the village, but even small cats and dogs have been stolen. What's more hateful is that crops in the fields have also been stolen. Farmers work hard all year round, looking forward to harvesting their crops to sell for a good price to support their families' livelihoods. But as soon as the crops are ripe, they get stolen - wheat when it's ripe, beans when they're ripe, sweet potatoes when they're ripe... it's endless and impossible to guard against. As a result, every household has started building shelters in their fields, with family members taking turns staying there overnight to watch over their own crops.

  Ding Quanliang was no exception, his family's land by the river had been stolen countless times. But he had never caught the thief. There were a few times when he encountered him, but that little thief seemed to have oil on the soles of his feet, and his two feet ran faster than a wolf, and he actually ran away from under Ding Quanliang's eyelids.

  This made Ding Quanliang's heart hold a fire. He vowed that if he caught the thief again, he would beat him to death first.

  That night, as soon as he arrived at his own field, he felt something was off. Following his intuition, he found that the radishes in the field had been stolen again by those damned thieves. This made him furious. He walked forward along the footprints in the snow to the spot where Li Guoting had pulled out the radishes earlier. Squatting down, he looked at the loose soil and the yellowing radish leaves on the ground, cursing loudly: "You damn thief, you're specifically targeting your grandfather's radishes! Just wait, I'll catch you and dig you to death with a shovel!"

  Ding Quanliang cursed in his mouth, but also had no choice. He could only dig up a few radishes and head back home.

  Walked for a while. Suddenly remembered, looking at that appearance, the thief must have stolen it not long ago, and the footprints on the ground are still fresh. It's all because of my own carelessness, didn't look carefully, maybe following the footprints on the ground, I might be able to catch the radish thief.

  Thinking of this, Ding Quanliang tightened his cotton-padded jacket. His right hand held up the hoe, and his left arm was tucked under two newly dug turnips, and he walked back. Not far from his own field, he found that there was movement in the ground. Taking a closer look, someone was lying on the ground.

  "You dare to come and steal again, you must be tired of living. Luckily, your grandfather caught you several times, but let this turtle grandson escape. Today, it's your turn to fall into my hands. Your grandfather will finally get revenge on you today." Thinking so, Ding Quanliang took the hoe from his right shoulder, quietly placed the two radishes in the crook of his left arm, and grasped the hoe tightly with both hands, staring intently at the person crouching in the snow ahead, and carefully pounced.

  Just as he stepped on Li Guoting's calf with his right foot, raised the hoe high in both hands and shouted at Li Guoting's back, he suddenly saw Li Guoting turn around. It was an immature, childish, simple doll face. A pair of terrified eyes were staring at him in horror. From those fearful eyes, he seemed to see a hungry look and a frightened complexion. Suddenly, a wave of sympathy surged up in his heart. He couldn't bear to strike this tattered child again.

  "Get up, whose child are you? Why did you steal my radish?" Ding Quanliang moved his foot away from Li Guoting's calf and grabbed the collar of Li Guoting's sweater, pulling him up.

  Li Guoting was now afraid in his heart. He didn't know how this man would treat him, but he knew one thing: when country people caught a thief, they never showed mercy. If the thief was lucky, he would just be beaten up; if not, he would be killed. When Li was young, he had seen villagers in his own village beat to death a cattle thief. The scene of angry faces and twisted humanity was terrifying.

  Now I've also become a thief who steals from others, and was caught red-handed. That's not going to end well. Forget it. At this point, I can only accept my fate. Whatever will be, will be.

  Thinking of this, Li Guoting closed his eyes and ignored Ding Quanliang's inquiry.

  "Hey, you little scoundrel, I'm asking you! You damn well better not stay silent. Alright, let's go, I'll take you to the village and see if you still won't talk."

  Li Guoting remained silent.

  Ding Quanliang helplessly grabbed Li Guoting and brought him back to the village.

  It's said that Ding Quanliang caught a thief. The whole village ran out to watch the excitement. In the past one or two years, thieves often visited this village, and everyone was very angry. Several times, they found the thief, but couldn't catch him. Let the thief run away. This time, hearing that the thief was caught, the whole village suddenly became lively like New Year's Day.

  On the threshing ground where wheat was being trodden, a crowd of people gathered. Li Guoting was surrounded by a circle of villagers.

  His two arms were tied behind his back with a grass rope. He stood in the circle with his head down and bare feet.

  The villagers began to scold him. Young people kicked him with their feet and women spat at him.

  Someone suggested hanging him in the mountain temple next to the village. By dawn, take this thief to offer sacrifices to the mountain god.

  Then, everyone surrounded him, pushing and kicking Li Guoting, and brought him to the mountain god temple in the southwest corner of the village.

  The villagers invited the village head to preside over the interrogation of Li Guoting.

  Then, in the temple of the mountain god, a trial was held temporarily at night.

  The village chief was a tall and thin man with a goat-like beard. He was the most authoritative person in the village. Sitting in his armchair, across from the long table in front of him, he looked up and down at Li Guoting standing before him through the crystal glasses perched on the bridge of his nose, by the light of the clear oil lamp in the mountain temple.

  "What's your name?" he asked.

  Li Guoting stuck his head out and didn't answer.

  "Where do you live?"

  Li Guoting still did not answer.

  "Why steal turnips from Ding's house?"

  Li Guoting still didn't answer.

  "This kid must have eaten a ton of iron, looking for death. Dammit, the village chief asked you, are you still pretending to be in charge?" A burly man from the village committee standing next to him kicked Li Guoting and scolded.

  The village head asked a few more questions, but Li Guoting remained silent.

  Then the village chief turned his face to the villagers surrounding him: "This thief looks like a habitual thief. He doesn't say anything. Not saying, it proves that he is the thief who often steals in our village. What do you all think about how to deal with this thief? Should we send him to the government or handle it according to our village rules?"

  "Follow village rules. Follow village rules. The scene is filled with shouting."

  The village chief stood up from the armchair and said to Li Guoting, who was standing in front of him: "According to the village rules, stealing village property will be hanged in the mountain temple to worship the mountain god." After finishing speaking, he glanced at Li Guoting, who remained silent.

  Then the village chief swung his sleeves and said, "Let's follow the village rules, hang this thief on the beam of the Shangshen Temple to sacrifice to the mountain god. To deter others. See if anyone else dares to come to our Hongyan Village again." After finishing speaking, he turned around and left.

  Several young villagers quickly tied Li Guoting's hands behind his back and hung him from the beam in front of the mountain god temple.

  In the middle of the night, all the onlookers had left. In the entire Mountain God Temple, except for the old man watching over the temple who had fallen asleep in the small hut in front of the temple, there was only the tall statue of the Mountain God with a clear oil lamp lit in front of it, standing in the cold and quiet night. With its faded and slightly damaged mud-plastered face, it seemed to be smiling yet not smiling as it gazed at Li Guoting hanging in front of it.

  It's too unbearable. Li Guoting's two arms were hung on the beam with ropes, aching and sour. He struggled for a moment, wanting to move his body to alleviate the soreness in his arms. Unfortunately, the more he moved, the more painful his arms became. After being suspended for half a night, his stomach was growling with hunger. His mouth was dry and smoky. His brain was also severely swollen.

  Gradually, Li Guoting could no longer hold on. He dizzily lowered his head and fainted.