After Transmigrating, I Was Assigned Three Wives—Refusing Was a Crime! - Chapter 11:

Chapter 11: A House Secured

Lu Qing stared hard at Sun Magan. “You all?”

As Sun Magan saw the three of them closing in, he kept stepping back, clearly looking for a chance to escape.

“We caught you with both the stolen goods and the weapon. Sun Magan, put down the dagger and come with me to see the village chief,” Wu Hai said, his tone cold and stern as he displayed the authority of a village enforcer.

“This was given to me by my second uncle,” Sun Magan gritted his teeth and argued.

“What else did your second uncle give you?” Lu Qing was speechless. Even after being caught red-handed, this fellow still insisted on lying. These rascals truly were impossible to reason with.

“Lu Qing, it’s all because of you! If not for you, I wouldn’t be like this. One day I’ll settle this with you!” Sun Magan snapped. Then, quick as lightning, he grabbed his wife and shoved her straight toward Wu He. She stumbled and fell onto Wu He, giving Sun Magan the opening he wanted.

Seeing the chance, Sun Magan immediately turned and fled. With the Wu brothers both being trained fighters, he had no chance of winning. A wise man avoids immediate danger—escaping was clearly his best option.

“Where do you think you’re running!” Wu He, tripped by Sun Magan’s wife, fell to the ground. Wu Hai reacted fast and shouted, wanting to charge forward, but Lu Qing moved even faster.

The moment he saw Sun Magan flee, Lu Qing hurled a stone he had prepared beforehand. It struck Sun Magan’s calf with perfect accuracy.

“Ahh!” Pain shot through him. Sun Magan stumbled and fell, allowing Wu Hai to catch up.

“Wu Hai, brother, spare me! I swear I’ll repay you!” Sun Magan begged, but Wu Hai struck him with a slap and in just a few swift moves pinned him to the ground.

Lu Qing stepped forward and tied Sun Magan up with a rope.

“I didn’t do anything, I didn’t do anything! It was all Sun Magan! He was jealous that Lu Qing was earning money and said Lu Qing didn’t share his way of making money, so he grew malicious and stole from Lu Qing’s house and even burned it!” Sun Magan’s wife, Dong Chunhua, seeing him captured, was so terrified that she revealed everything without the slightest attempt to hide it.

“You wretched woman, I knew you had bad intentions! Just wait till I beat you to death next time!”

“Let’s go.” Lu Qing said nothing more.

The three of them pushed the wheelbarrow and brought Sun Magan and Dong Chunhua back to Manglong Village.

When they arrived at Liu Xicai’s house, the respectable and influential elders of Manglong Village soon gathered. For the village, theft and arson were serious crimes, and the elders needed to discuss proper punishment.

“Thieves must have their hands cut off, and arson is even worse. I think we should send him to the Magistrate Office tomorrow.”

“Agreed.”

After discussion, they decided to send Sun Magan to the Magistrate Office.

“Village Chief, I was wrong, I was wrong! Village Chief, I lost my senses! Village Chief, Uncle De, Uncle Facai, please show mercy since we’re all from the same village. Village Chief, you even held me when I was a child! My grandfather and father died protecting Manglong Village from bandits. The Sun family only has me left!”

Sun Magan’s voice was full of emotional pleading. If he was sent to the Magistrate Office, he knew he would come out peeled alive—if he came out at all. The jail there was not a place for human beings, especially for someone who committed crimes like his.

Lu Qing stood silently at the side, surprised that Sun Magan’s grandfather and father had died that way.

“Here he goes again with the same excuse about his grandfather and father,” Wu He muttered irritably beside Lu Qing. “He uses this every time he commits a crime, and somehow it always works.”

“We can’t deny that his grandfather and father did die for Manglong Village. If not for them misleading the bandits, the villagers would have suffered terribly that year,” Wu Hai said.

“It’s a pity the Sun family fell to this point. By Sun Magan’s generation, they’ve become lazy troublemakers,” Wu He said, shaking his head.

“Village Chief, I’m willing to give my house to compensate Lu Qing. And the things I stole—I haven’t used any of them! Also, my wife—I’ll give her to Lu Qing as a concubine. I’ve never touched her,” Sun Magan said quickly, desperate to settle privately.

“Sun Magan, do you think we would believe that?” Wu He was speechless. Someone like Sun Magan could resist touching his wife?

“No, no! I really can’t! I was born unable to do such things! If you don’t believe me, ask her! I only beat her a few times, that’s all!” he said anxiously.

Everyone turned to Dong Chunhua.

“Yes,” Dong Chunhua nodded. “He never touched me.”

With everything out, she had no reason to hide it anymore.

Lu Qing was speechless. He didn’t expect Sun Magan would even offer his wife.

“This…” Liu Xicai frowned slightly, then looked at Lu Qing. “Lu Qing, what do you think?”

“I’ll follow whatever you all decide,” Lu Qing said.

“Since Sun Magan is willing to give his house and wife as compensation, and since the stolen items weren’t used, I think we don’t need to send him to the Magistrate Office,” Liu Xicai said, softening.

Lu Qing looked at Liu Xicai. He was a good man—someone who spent his whole life working for the village—but not a good village chief.

“I’m willing! I’m willing!” Sun Magan shouted repeatedly.

“In that case, it’s settled. Uncle De, Uncle Facai, you two will be witnesses. From today on, Sun Magan’s house belongs to Lu Qing, and Sun Magan’s wife, Dong Chunhua, becomes Lu Qing’s concubine. She will no longer have any relation to Sun Magan.”

“Village Chief, I think we should add one more thing—banish Sun Magan from Manglong Village. He should never return,” Wu Facai said.

“But…” Liu Xicai frowned. If that happened, Sun Magan would be homeless and might starve outside.

“Sun Magan has committed many wrongs, not just once or twice. Even if his father and uncle died for the village back then, that shouldn’t forever excuse his misdeeds. You cannot offset crime with past merit. If we allow that, won’t everyone behave recklessly in the future?” Wu Facai said seriously.

Lu Qing raised an eyebrow. As expected of someone who had served in the military—he understood justice clearly.

“I agree with Facai. Sun Magan can’t stay,” Tian Fengshou said.

“I’ll follow the village chief,” Zhao Youde said, not expressing an opinion.

“I’ll follow the village chief too,” Meng Xiaojun’s father, Meng Dahu, said, same stance.

Two abstained. Two supported banishment. The final decision fell on Liu Xicai.

He looked at Sun Magan. “For the sake of your grandfather and father, I’ll spare you this once. I hope you change your ways. Tonight, you’ll stay at my house.”

He didn’t banish him.

“Thank you! Thank you, Village Chief!” Sun Magan kowtowed repeatedly.

Once the matter ended, everyone dispersed.

“Uncle Facai, Uncle Fengshou, thank you,” Lu Qing said. Although Sun Magan wasn’t sent to the Magistrate Office, he was satisfied with Wu Facai and Tian Fengshou’s suggestions.

“It’s nothing. We didn’t do much. It’s a pity we couldn’t drive that troublemaker away,” Wu Facai said with regret.

“Lu Qing, remember this—never flaunt your wealth. What happened today is a lesson,” Wu Facai warned. Sun Magan targeted him simply because Lu Qing suddenly seemed wealthier—buying food, clothing, and even a wheelbarrow.

“You’re right, Uncle Facai. I’ll be careful,” Lu Qing nodded.

Then Lu Qing brought Han Qiuniang, Zheng Yulan, and Cheng Su’e to Sun Magan’s house. The three women were stunned when they saw Dong Chunhua.

“Sun Magan gave her to me as a concubine,” Lu Qing explained. Looking closely now, he realized Dong Chunhua was actually quite beautiful. Sun Magan had probably intended to sell her to some brothel eventually.

Lu Qing then inspected the house. Because Sun Magan was lazy and irresponsible, his home wasn’t much different from Lu Qing’s old one—but at least it was a place to live.

“Darling…” Han Qiuniang looked at Lu Qing nervously.

“What’s wrong?”

“I heard Aunt Zhang say Sun Magan isn’t a good person. If we do this… will he take revenge on us?” Han Qiuniang asked worriedly.