Chapter 220: Chapter 220: Malicious Intentions

Translator: 549690339 |

“Miss Zhou, could you please open the door? Master Ding specifically sent us to inform you that there is no need to worry anymore,” Zhang Lin repeated.

As instructed by Ding Gaochang, he needed to ensure that Zhou Daya was safe and prevent her from taking any rash actions due to this incident.

However, in Zhang Lin’s eyes, if he were the one who’d had to face a life­threatening situation like this, he would undoubtedly be enraged, ready to make his enemies regret, even if it meant sacrificing his own life.

Regrettably, the law is the law.

Those villagers who almost drove Zhou Daya to death were wrong, and complicity in such an act is abhorrent. But they were misled and didn’t actually kill Zhou Daya. Thus, their punishment would not be severe.

If Zhou Daya were to retaliate out of anger and harm someone, that would be a real crime against the law, and it would bring about severe punishment.

Ding Gaochang was concerned that Zhou Daya might make a foolish mistake, not only causing harm to others but also cutting off her own lifeline. Therefore, he specifically sent Zhang Lin to meet with her and try to persuade her from doing so.

Even though Zhang Lin always advocates for retribution and doesn’t like mediating, he is doing this given Zhou Daya’s pitiful circumstances. Should she lose her life over this seemingly insignificant matter, leaving behind her only grandmother, it would be a total disaster with no way out.

Zhang Lin felt compassion, thus he took this matter to heart.

After Zhang Lin finished talking, there was no response from inside the house for a while.

Some people in the courtyard couldn’ t wait anymore. They raised their voices and yelled, “Daya, please open the door. We understand you are angry with us, but we were deceived as well. We committed such mistakes out of confusion. Considering our past friendship, please forgive us.”

“Yes, Daya, please don’t take it to heart.”

“Indeed, we wronged you…”

Upon hearing these words, Zhang Lin’s brows furrowed and he scolded them, “Are you guys here to apologize or not?”

“What do you mean by that?” someone retorted at the unhappy Zhang Lin, “Of course we came to apologize.”

“You say you came to apologize, yet you ask Miss Zhou not to blame you. To an outsider, it looks as if you forced the girl into something.”

Zhang Lin said discontentedly, “I’ve never heard of such an apology before. This isn’t an apology; it’s more like you guys feeling guilty and seeking comfort. You just want her to forgive you so that you can rid yourselves of guilt and so that your hearts won’t feel as heavy.”

“You guys didn’t come to apologize, you’re just seeking peace of mind!”

In the end, it’s all about selfishness. They were just thinking about their own feelings without considering others, especially Zhou Daya. Asking her to forgive them in such a way was simply disgusting!

Zhang Lin already found these villagers despicable for having earlier tried to force Zhou Daya to become the bride of the Water Ghost. It seemed that they coerced a young girl into giving up her life for their own gain.

Initially, when these people rushed over to apologize, Zhang Lin thought they might show remorse and change their ways. To his chagrin, it turned out that most of them were still self-centred!

If it wasn’t for the fact that he was wearing the uniform of government officials and always listened to Ding Gaochang’s advice, Zhang Lin would really like to fight these people.

After being scolded by Zhang Lin, the villagers’ faces turned unsightly.

Many people knew the narrow-mindedness of their thoughts, yet they used excuses to console themselves. Over time, they even convinced themselves and saw it as the truth.

Now that Zhang Lin had stripped away their false pretenses, many of them felt ashamed and avoided eye contact with him.

However, there were a few people who were genuinely sorry as they silently knelt in the distance. Some of them even slapped their own faces until they were red and swollen.

Regardless of whether these people were sincerely sorry or not, Zhang Lin didn’t bother with them. He only said, “At this moment, Miss Zhou does not want to see you. If you are really sorry, you should be more supportive in the days to come. That’s more significant than anything else.”

“If you force Miss Zhou into something and make her uncomfortable at this time, don’t blame me for reporting to Master Ding, and letting him punish you all!”

Zhang Lin, with his tall and imposing figure, always solemn and serious and with an intimidating look, was now full of rage, making him seem even more formidable.

The villagers, who were already uneasy about opposing the County Government Office, upon hearing these words, became frightened of being held accountable for any potential problems. They glanced at each other and silently left the courtyard.

Moments later, those who were genuinely apologizing looked at Zhang Lin with uncertainty, “We…”

“I can tell that you are sincere. It’s just that the timing isn’t right. It makes you all seem just as guilty as the ones who initially forced her into this. She already feels victimized because of this. Won’t your actions make her feel even worse?”

Zhang Lin advised, “It may be better to go home for now and gradually address this issue later. If Miss Zhou does not accept it, there’s no need to rush.

Otherwise, it will only upset her more, which isn’t good for any of you.”

“Please heed my advice and leave for now.”

After pondering for a while, the villagers nodded and said, “Alright. Could you please relay a message to Daya for us? Tell her that we came and will be ready to assist her whenever she needs help in the future.”

“Yes, could you please pass on this message for us? We will follow your advice and leave for now.”

The remaining villagers looked crestfallen as they reluctantly left.

The courtyard resumed its original quietness. With a sigh of relief, Zhang Lin spat on the ground and complained, “What a bunch of assholes. They make me irritable.”

“Indeed, they make me upset too. What kind of people are these?! They say even a fly will not sting an egg without a crack, after all! Qi He and Qi Shen were able to deceive these people because their minds are corrupt to begin with!” The government official on the side joined in the conversation.

Zhang Lin just nodded and, after calming himself down, he knocked on the door again, “Miss Zhou, don’t worry, there’s nobody else in the courtyard now. You and Granny can open the door.”

“Master Ding is quite concerned about Miss Zhou and asked me to visit and speak to you…”