"Is anyone there? Murder!"
A shout made Tran Mac's action pause. He only saw an elderly figure hobbling in from outside the courtyard, shielding Lu Tam in front of her, wailing, "Is anyone there? Someone come quickly! Bro Mac is going to kill someone!"
With each call, the neighboring houses also lit up their torches one after another.
Before long, many neighbors, throwing on clothes, arrived, forming a circle outside the courtyard, pointing at Lu Tam and his mother inside.
"Why are Lu Tam and Old Mistress Lu in Bro Mac's courtyard?"
"What's Bro Mac doing holding a knife? He isn't going to kill someone, is he..."
...
Hearing the neighbors' discussions, Old Mistress Lu cried even more sorrowfully: "Oh my, we just came to borrow some grain. If you don't lend, then don't lend, yet you beat my son like this, and still want to kill my son! This is simply heaven-defying..."
And Lu Tam, sheltered by her, also craned his neck, wailing, "Bro Mac hit me! And he wants to kill me! I'm in so much pain I'm going to die..."
The appearance of the mother and son made some villagers who didn't know the full story immediately start criticizing Tran Mac.
"Bro Mac, isn't it just borrowing some grain? Even if you don't lend, you can't hit people! It's really too much."
"Bro Mac, how can you be like this? Old Mistress Lu is already so old. If Lu Tam is injured, what will happen to her old self and Hu Nhi?"
"Bro Mac, if there's still food in the house, just lend some to Old Mistress Lu. We're all fellow villagers; it's not easy for anyone."
"..."
"It's not like that! Uncle isn't that kind of person!" At this moment, Han An Nuong, properly dressed, came out from the house, anxiously explaining to everyone, "Bro Lu Tam wasn't here to borrow grain at all! Besides, it was so late, we were all asleep!"
"Nonsense! My son clearly came to borrow grain! Bro Mac wouldn't lend, and even hit my son! I was right outside the courtyard, saw it clearly!" Old Mistress Lu insisted that her son was just there to borrow grain.
"You... Old Mistress Lu, you must speak with a conscience!" Han An Nuong was clearly not very good at arguing with people, so anxious her eyes were a little red.
Old Mistress Lu, without any credibility, said, "I am speaking with conscience! On the contrary, Bro Mac, no matter what, my son is your elder! Even when Dai Lang was alive, he had to call him Bro Lu Tam! Bro Mac, it's not like you don't have grain! A few days ago, I even smelled meat from outside your room!"
"Fellow villagers! It's just an excuse to eat! Repay next year! Not a bit of fellow feeling! Beating my son like this! Fellow villagers, you must uphold justice for me and my son!"
"Mother!"
Old Mistress Lu and Lu Tam hugged each other, their crying a sorrowful wail.
Many of the surrounding neighbors had also borrowed grain from Tran Mac but were refused. At this moment, hearing Old Mistress Lu's words, they immediately felt sympathetic and criticized Tran Mac even more:
"Bro Mac, you're too much! We've been neighbors for so many years! Old Mistress Lu's family isn't having it easy either! How could it come to this?"
"You... You all..."
Han An Nuong's face flushed with anger, tears welling in her eyes. She pointed at Old Mistress Lu and said, "When did we not plead for some care? How many times has Bro Lu Tam come to borrow grain, back and forth? I lent to him twice, but which time did he repay?"
"Hu... Nonsense! When did you give me grain?" As soon as he opened his mouth, Lu Tam felt a little guilty. But seeing so many fellow villagers present, figuring Bro Mac wouldn't dare act recklessly, he immediately and forcefully denied the fact that Han An Nuong had given him grain.
"Lu Tam! Do you have any conscience left..." Han An Nuong was so angry she directly called Lu Tam by his full name.
"Aiyo! Everyone, look quickly! Mistress Han, pricked by my son, has become angry from shame! Clearly didn't give my son grain, yet falsely accuses my son of borrowing! Simply lawless! Everyone must uphold justice for me and my son! We can't live anymore..." Old Mistress Lu directly started crying, screaming, and rolling on the ground.
"You... How can you slander people like this..." Han An Nuong was thoroughly angered to tears, wiping her tears and sobbing.
"Sister-in-law, you go inside. Leave this to me."
Tran Mac helped Han An Nuong into the house. Old Mistress Lu, thinking Tran Mac wanted to "escape," immediately started wailing, "Don't you dare go! You beat my son like this, you must compensate!"
Tran Mac certainly wouldn't leave; this was his house. Where would he run?
He said, "Fine! You say you came to borrow grain. Then tell me, who comes to borrow grain with a cleaver?"
Saying so, Tran Mac picked up the cleaver from the ground, walked before the fellow villagers. They were all from the same village; whose cleaver this was, the village women knew clearly.
Sure enough, some women took a quick look and recognized it as Lu Tam's family cleaver.
Lu Tam was a bit dazed, looked at Old Mistress Lu, as if asking what to do next.
This naturally couldn't stump Old Mistress Lu. She stiffened her neck and said, "That's because my son was beaten by you last time! This time he deliberately brought a cleaver for self-defense! But didn't expect to still fall into your malicious hands!"
"Then explain this: this late at night, not borrowing grain earlier, not borrowing grain later, why specifically choose to come when everyone is asleep to borrow, and still bring a cleaver?" Tran Mac said.
The crowd immediately quieted. By common sense, this indeed couldn't be justified.
Lu Tam also learned from Old Mistress Lu, saying, "I... I was too hungry to sleep! Can't I borrow grain then?"
The truth was, the day before yesterday he had agreed to Vuong Hi's mountain hunt. But he was too hungry and weak; if he went up the mountain tomorrow, he was afraid he wouldn't return. So, he discussed with Old Mistress Lu: wait until Tran Mac was asleep, then go to the Tran house to steal some grain to fill his stomach.
Having borrowed grain several times, he roughly guessed where the Tran family's grain was hidden.
Tran Mac laughed in anger: "You each have your own story, right? Fine, let's report to the officials! Let the lords in the yamen judge!"
The crowd quieted again. The so-called "commoners don't fight officials"; for ordinary people, as long as it wasn't a life-threatening matter, they all didn't want to get involved with the government.
Old Mistress Lu, seeing the situation wasn't right, immediately rolled on the ground, crying and wailing, "Bro Mac is bullying people! I can't live anymore! I can't live anymore..."
Other people, seeing Old Mistress Lu's pitiful state, again showed reluctance, one after another acting as peacemakers.
"Bro Mac, be forgiving where you can. Compensate Old Mistress Lu with a bit of grain, and let this matter be over."
"Yeah, we've been neighbors for so many years."
Old Mistress Lu, seeing the situation turning in her favor again, tears welled in her eyes: "Son, are you okay?"
"I'm in pain... about to... can't breathe..." Lu Tam coughed violently.
"Oh my..." The mother and son hugged each other, crying in pain.
"Fine, fine, fine! Playing like this, right..."
Tran Mac had seen through it; this mother and son duo came prepared.
Lu Tam came to steal grain, Old Mistress Lu kept watch outside the courtyard. Once discovered, she would shout at the top of her lungs, waking the surrounding neighbors, then pretend to be pitiful, turning the tables, immediately covering up her son's attempt to steal grain.
Even, there was no way for people to blame her son.
Anger rose from Tran Mac's heart. Holding the wood-chopping knife, he walked towards Lu Tam step by step.
"You... What do you want?" Lu Tam, seeing Tran Mac approaching with the knife, his face changed drastically.
"Bro Mac! Don't be impulsive!" the surrounding neighbors shouted.
"Bro Mac is going to kill someone! Bro Mac is going to kill someone..." Old Mistress Lu, however, wasn't afraid of Tran Mac at all. Instead, she shouted even louder, shielding Lu Tam.
"Die!"
Tran Mac kicked Old Mistress Lu far away, raised the wood-chopping knife in his hand, and fiercely chopped down.
"Uncle! Don't..."
In the room, Han An Nuong saw this scene, her soul almost frightened out. She rushed out in a panic...