Chapter 19: Wang Erhu: Let Me See Your Underwear

Lin Xue’s true identity could not remain hidden forever; Xu Feng was well aware of this. A day or two might be kept secret, perhaps even a year or two, but could it be concealed for ten or twenty years? Once the domestic situation stabilized, the whole country liberated, and population censuses conducted, the truth would inevitably come to light.

Moreover, Xu Feng himself was no longer keen on staying secluded in this remote mountain valley. As a time traveler, he understood the direction the future would take. He had no desire to engage in civil war, but when it came to foreign conflicts, Xu Feng was more than willing to get involved. Although on the battlefield against the enemy, one more or one less like Xu Feng might not make a difference, having one more was always better.

Yet, just as Xu Feng was lost in thought, a clamorous noise erupted outside the door.

“Bang!”

The dilapidated courtyard gate of Xu Feng’s home was violently kicked open. Leading the charge was Wang Erhu, followed by the self-righteous Widow Li, and behind them surged a dark mass of roused villagers. Men and women, young and old, many clutching hoes and pitchforks, their demeanor resembling a mob ready to catch and punish a traitor.

The entire Old River Valley village was in an uproar.

“Xu Feng! Get your ass out here!” Wang Erhu’s pig-faced visage twisted with arrogance as he pointed accusingly at the door, spitting venomously: “Today, in front of all the villagers, you have to explain! That woman of yours— is she really a Japanese spy?”

“Yes! We need a clear answer!”

“If she’s a spy, she can’t stay in our village!”

Several ruffians allied with Wang Erhu immediately joined the uproar, setting the crowd aflame. Inside, Lin Xue heard the commotion, her face draining of color, her grip on the firewood knife faltering. Instinctively, she glanced at Xu Feng with eyes full of fear and reliance.

Xu Feng didn’t even raise an eyelid. He crushed out his cigarette, stood leisurely, snatched the firewood knife from Lin Xue’s hand, and tossed it aside.

“Stay close behind me and hide if things go wrong. Play the pitiful victim,” he said as he led Lin Xue out of the house.

Holding Lin Xue’s hand, Xu Feng stepped from the dim interior into the courtyard illuminated by flickering firelight. His palm was broad and warm, firm with undeniable strength. That warmth traveled along Lin Xue’s icy fingers straight into her heart, calming the tumult of fear within her.

The courtyard gate lay wide open, a dense crowd blocking every exit. Wang Erhu stood at the forefront, his pig-like face contorted with rage and self-satisfaction, grotesquely menacing. Beside him, Widow Li wore a mask of tragic compassion, as if truly concerned for the village’s safety.

Among the crowd, the metallic glint of hoes and pitchforks caught the light, villagers’ eyes a mixture of suspicion, anger, and a stirred-up blind fury.

“Xu Feng! You really dare to come out!”

Wang Erhu’s arrogance swelled as he nearly jabbed his thick finger into Xu Feng’s nose: “Today, in front of all the village elders and neighbors, you must explain! That woman of yours with no known background — is she a Japanese spy or not?”

His words ignited the crowd like dry tinder.

“Yes! Explain clearly!”

“When she hit someone, didn’t she curse them in Japanese?”

Xu Feng ignored the shouting mob. His gaze calmly swept over Wang Erhu, then briefly rested on Widow Li’s feigned impartiality, before finally settling on Old Zhang at the courtyard entrance.

He said nothing, holding Lin Xue’s hand quietly.

Protected just half a step behind him, Lin Xue lowered her head, her long lashes trembling, shoulders slightly hunched in a pitifully frightened pose.

Xu Feng’s silence brought a momentary hush over the chaotic scene. His unflappable composure, like a mountain unmoved by an earthquake, starkly contrasted with Wang Erhu’s flailing threats.

“Wang Erhu,” Xu Feng finally spoke, his voice low but cutting through the noise, “you say my wife cursed people in Japanese?”

“That’s right! I heard it with my own ears—she said ‘baka’!” Wang Erhu shouted, craning his neck. “And when she hit me, those strikes were fast and fierce, not the way of our peasants. Surely it’s the swordsmanship of those little Japanese devils!”

Xu Feng smiled suddenly.

The smile stunned everyone into silence.

“My wife is deaf and mute,” Xu Feng said as calmly as if commenting on today’s weather. “A mute who can’t even speak—how could she curse you? Does she curse you with her eyes?”

“You…” Wang Erhu was momentarily speechless.

“As for your so-called swordsmanship,” Xu Feng’s eyes flickered with undisguised disdain, “have you ever seen what Japanese swordsmanship looks like? Did your father teach you, or did you make a pact with the Japanese devils?”

“My wife, in a moment of desperation, grabbed a fire stick to defend herself. How does that turn into Japanese swordsmanship in your mouth? I think you weren’t beaten—you were simply scared out of your wits, seeing Japanese devils in everything.”

A murmur of low discussion rippled through the crowd. Xu Feng’s words made sense. How could a mute curse? That was indeed an issue.

Seeing the tide turn, Widow Li quickly stepped forward, adopting her usual frail yet worried tone: “Fengzi, you can’t say it like that. No one here is targeting you personally. The main concern is that your wife… her background is unclear.”

“In these chaotic times, if by chance she really is a spy sneaking in, then the lives of every villager, young and old, would be at risk. We can’t let down our guard.”

Her words were cleverly crafted, shifting the focus from whether she was mute to the more critical question of her identity, all while casting herself as a protector of the village’s welfare.

Xu Feng raised an eyebrow as if hearing something new. “Unclear background? Sister Li, where did you hear that?”

He turned to the crowd, his voice rising sharply: “My wife was brought home by Old Li! Everyone here knows who Old Li is, right?”

“Old Li spent his life hunting, traveling far and wide, never uttered a lie! He’s kind-hearted. Seeing this girl all alone in the valley, deaf and mute, he took her in and entrusted me with her care!”

“So what? Do you doubt my character, or do you not trust Old Li’s? You think he would collude with a Japanese spy to harm our entire village?”

His words silenced the crowd instantly.

Old Li was well known in nearby villages for his integrity and helpfulness—an acknowledged good man. No one would suspect him.

Villagers exchanged glances, many starting to waver.

Seeing the situation worsen, Wang Erhu grew desperate and blurted out, “Don’t use Old Li to pressure me! Who knows if you all conspired together! I have a way to prove it!”

He puffed out his chest, wearing a sinister smile as his gaze roamed shamelessly over Lin Xue: “Japanese women don’t wear loincloths like our women in the Long Kingdom! If she’s got the guts, make her strip down so everyone can see what’s beneath! That’ll settle it once and for all!”