Chapter 6

“After that, those men carried my body back to Samuel Black’s house and buried it under his fruit trees. Samuel Black gave those thugs a large sum of money to keep quiet. Then he rushed to your sister-in-law and told her that I had been in an accident at the construction site, crushed to death, and that my body couldn’t even be found. The villagers, not knowing the truth, built a tombstone for me, thinking Samuel Black was kind-hearted for helping to handle the funeral arrangements. No one could have imagined that he was actually the one who killed me!”

Brother’s voice was filled with hatred. “I wish I could strangle him with my own hands. But right now, I’m like a wandering ghost with no power to get close to him. Leonardo, I want you to help me, but I’m afraid you’ll put yourself in danger. You have no strength right now. I don’t want you to die.”

I stood there frozen, my brother’s words echoing in my mind over and over again. My heart felt as though it were being squeezed tightly by an invisible hand, so painfully that I could hardly breathe. I never imagined that my beloved brother had been killed by Samuel Black. And yet, that murderer was still living freely in the village, even daring to harass my sister-in-law. I hated my own helplessness, hated the fact that I couldn’t even avenge my brother or retrieve his body.

A severe headache struck me. I suddenly opened my eyes and found myself lying at the foot of a mountain. Da Huang was by my side, gently rubbing his head against my arm, his eyes filled with guilt. I immediately realized that everything that had happened wasn’t a dream. It was my brother who, through Da Huang, had told me the truth.

I struggled to get up, holding Da Huang in my hands, listlessly walking towards home. I felt as though my soul had been lost. My mind was filled with images of my brother being killed, and his body hidden beneath the fruit tree.

As soon as I reached my doorstep, I saw Samuel Black standing in the yard, harassing my sister-in-law. Anger surged through me instantly. But he spoke first, mocking me, “Leonardo Walker, did you go looking for a cow and end up acting like an idiot? Look at you, so dejected and disgusting! Stop dragging your sister-in-law down. She could have married someone decent, but you’ve ruined everything for her. If you have any sense, find a place to hide and stop being a nuisance!”

After saying that, he burst into laughter, completely unaware that my gaze had turned icy cold. I used to be a fool, but now that I know the truth, I’ll never let him bully me again.

Elliott Banner, standing nearby, added fuel to the fire: “Head of the household, you really need to deal with him properly! Sell his cow—that should cover the damage to our crops.” She was terrified that I might bring up again what had happened between her and Ronald Heller in the sorghum field. Although no one would likely believe the words of a “fool,” if Samuel Black became suspicious, she would lose her source of income. No one in the village was richer than Samuel Black. How could she give up such a comfortable life?

Upon hearing this, Samuel Black became even more determined to take the ox away. He reached out to untie the ropes holding the ox. Just then, Old Lady Li came over, pleading with him, “Village chief, this is the only valuable cow the Leonas have. If you take it away, how will the three of them survive? Please, have mercy on them!”

Samuel Black was annoyed by Old Lady Li’s interference, and he became furious. He pushed Old Lady Li away. Old Lady Li was old and weak, so she couldn’t withstand his push. She stumbled and almost fell. I rushed over and steadied her.

“Madam, thank you. Please don’t offend him for my sake. He’ll get back at you.” I said softly. “I’ll handle my own problems myself!”

With that, I turned and ran inside. I grabbed a machete from behind the wall and charged straight at Samuel Black, screaming, “Samuel Black, if you’ve got any guts, don’t run! Today, I’m going to cut you down and avenge my brother! You damned bastard!”

Samuel Black never expected me to become so crazy all of a sudden. He turned pale with fear and started hiding everywhere in a panic. He could see that I was truly desperate now. He didn’t dare say any more insulting things and fled the yard in a hurry.

“Samuel Black, if you ever come to my house again, I’ll chop you to pieces!” I shouted after his retreating figure. I knew full well that he wouldn’t give up so easily. Maybe a few days of peace would give him more time to come up with a plan.

Elliott Banner saw Samuel Black run away. When he turned around and saw my icy gaze, he was terrified. Without thinking further, he turned and ran away. Earlier, she had said a lot of bad things about me, fearing that I might hold it against her and seek revenge.

In the yard, only a few villagers who usually took care of us remained. One of the aunts said worriedly, “Leonardo, you’ve scared him away this time. But he’s not someone to be trifled with. He’ll definitely come back to get revenge on you. You need to be careful.”

Looking at the worried expressions on the villagers’ faces, my heart warmed. I said softly, “Everyone, go back home. This time, I’ve brought trouble upon you. Samuel Black holds grudges against me. I’ll deal with him myself. Please don’t let me drag you into this.”

The villagers also knew Samuel Black’s temperament. There was no point in saying anything further, so they could only shake their heads helplessly and go home. Only my sister-in-law and I were left in the yard. We stared at each other in silence, the atmosphere heavy. My sister-in-law kept staring at me, making me feel uncomfortable. I couldn’t help but ask, “Sister-in-law, why are you staring at me like that?”

My sister-in-law frowned, her tone full of confusion. “Leonardo, when you went out to chase Da Huang, did something happen? You’re not like before. Your speech is more logical now, and you don’t stammer anymore. Don’t you notice that yourself?”

After my sister-in-law said that, I suddenly realized it: I’m not stupid anymore. I can speak more smoothly, and my mind is much clearer than before. Probably falling down the hillside just now and hitting my head made me return to normal.

But this joy didn’t last long. I fell back into gloominess. Although I had returned to normal, I still wasn’t capable of dealing with Samuel Black, nor could I retrieve my brother’s body. After hesitating for a moment, I asked the question that weighed on my mind: “Sister-in-law, when my brother was buried, wasn’t there really any body at all?”

My sister-in-law’s gaze darkened as she spoke slowly, “That day, Samuel Black rushed over, saying that your brother had been in an accident at the construction site. He was dead, and his body was crushed beyond recognition. I was completely stunned, overwhelmed with grief. I couldn’t even think about whether what he said made sense—or if it was possible for a body to be completely destroyed to the point of being unrecognizable. But in that moment of panic, all I could do was find your brother’s clothes and build a makeshift grave for him.”

As she spoke, she suddenly frowned, as if she had just thought of something. “Leonardo, now that you mention it, something doesn’t seem right. Your brother goes to the construction site to work. What is Samuel Black doing there anyway? He’s lazy and gluttonous. He would never go to a place like that on his own.”