vrcanaries Chapter 40 Aunt Slin's Purpose
Chapter 40 Aunt Slin's Purpose
"Gis, come with me now!"
The tall girl tugged at Geese's sleeve, recounting what had happened as they walked.
"Your mother went to the lakeside before dawn. She said she was going to retrieve the fishing nets she had set up a few days ago..."
Who knew those bastards from Gonde Village were already lying in wait in the shadows!
Upon hearing this, Giss's expression completely changed.
"Anya, how is my mom?" Geese grabbed the girl's wrist and asked urgently.
In his haste, Gis unconsciously increased the pressure on his hands.
"Your mother wasn't hurt, but all her catch was stolen!" Tears welled up in the girl's eyes as she struggled to free her forearm, which was being squeezed so hard.
"She came back and went straight to my house. When she saw that my dad was still asleep, she couldn't hold back anymore."
He kept muttering something about how badly injured he was, how he couldn't eat, and how he couldn't go on living like this...
Giss was anxious and hurriedly ran towards old Yal's house.
"Gis, slow down! Watch your injury!" the girl called from behind and hurriedly chased after him.
Upon arriving at the door of old Yar's house, Giss suddenly stopped, and the girl following behind him was caught off guard and bumped solidly into his back.
The girl felt as if she had bumped into a wall. She secretly rubbed her chest with her forearm, but she wasn't annoyed at all. Instead, a shy blush crept onto her cheeks...
……
A number of neighbors and villagers had already gathered in Old Yar's yard.
Some people watched coldly, while others gathered around and whispered words of comfort to Aunt Silin.
Giss could only hear his mother sobbing as she accused the people of Gonde Village of being wicked.
"I just want to... take back the fishing nets I set a few days ago..."
"How could they bully me like this... Why didn't they come out earlier or later? They waited until I was exhausted from cleaning up, and then they jumped out and said the catch was theirs!"
Her sobs were hoarse and heartbreaking to hear.
"Old leader, why aren't you awake yet... wake up and help us!"
Without that fishing area, how would my daughter and I survive... Gis almost lost his life fighting for the village, and now he can't even get out of bed!
Gis rushed into the yard and, seeing his mother like this, his eyes instantly reddened.
He ran a few steps to Aunt Slin's side, and Giss squatted down to help her.
"Mom, are you alright? Did they hurt you?"
"Gis...!"
When Aunt Slin looked up and saw her son, her expression changed drastically. Forgetting all her tears, she quickly helped Gis up and whispered to him why he had come.
"Why are you up? Didn't I tell you to stay in bed?"
As soon as she finished speaking, she burst into even louder sobs, repeatedly crying out that Giss had suffered a miserable life since childhood, losing her father and now having to endure this torment...
No matter how much Gis tried to persuade him, he couldn't stop...
Seeing Aunt Slin's appearance, someone in the crowd spoke up coldly: "So what if you stole it! Since you lost the duel, you have to keep your oath!"
"What good is just crying!"
"That body of water already belongs to someone else. It's your own fault for going there; you deserved to have it taken from you!"
Several villagers who shared the same idea immediately echoed his sentiments:
"You shouldn't have gone to that fishing area. You knew it was their territory, did you really want to cause trouble?"
"Exactly! If Geese had just fought back and won, would any of this have happened?"
"What's the point of showing off if you don't have the ability? You can't even beat a little girl..."
"He represents our entire village! If he loses, the whole village will suffer because of him! Who knows how many more terrible things will happen to us in the future!"
Giss squatted to the side, silently listening to these accusations, which felt like knives stabbing into his heart.
He wanted to argue, to roar, but the words wouldn't come out.
He lost!
He failed the entire village and betrayed old Yar's trust and expectations.
Gis gritted his teeth and couldn't speak, but Aunt Slin instantly flew into a rage.
You can insult her, but if anyone dares to say a bad word about her Geese, she'll fight them to the death!
Suddenly, Aunt Slin stood up abruptly, her tears instantly dried, and she pointed a finger at the men who had just made sarcastic remarks, her voice shrill and piercing:
"What did you just say?"
"You cowardly bastard, where were you when my son was risking his life for the whole village?"
"Why don't you stand up for the village?"
"You damned bastard born of a wild man! How dare you criticize my Geese!?"
Aunt Silin's voice was sharp and unruly; a few words from her silenced the men on the spot.
She seemed still angry, grabbed Geese's arm, and lifted the clothes on his arm to reveal the strips of cloth wrapped around it.
"You bunch of cowardly forest rats who only know how to cower in your burrows, you don't even have the courage to step onto the field!"
"Look at my Gis, he's covered in wounds because of you!"
These injuries... won't heal in at least two months!
"My dear Gis!"
As she finished speaking, her voice trembled with sobs, and tears streamed down her face once more.
A man with a pointed face and monkey-like cheeks curled his lip, seemingly embarrassed and annoyed by the insult. He spoke in a sarcastic tone:
"If you lose, you have to accept it; you deserved to be robbed!"
"To be honest, Old Kui is really something, how come he can't even beat a little girl..."
"I think old Yar is really senile. He insisted on choosing Gis back then. If it were me, I would have crushed those guys from Gonde Village long ago!"
"Alright, alright, that's enough." An elderly man in the crowd couldn't stand it any longer and stood up to speak for Geese.
"Gise is just a little kid. He tried his best, but how could he possibly beat two people?"
"Please keep your mouth shut for my sake."
The man was about to make some more accusations when a weak yet authoritative voice came from the inner room.
That's enough.
The sound wasn't loud, but it rang in everyone's ears like a thunderclap.
Everyone froze, turning their heads to look at the wooden door.
Aunt Silin immediately stopped crying, a hint of joy flashing in her eyes.
"The old leader?!"
The wooden door creaked open and was slowly pushed open from the inside.
Old Jarl came out, leaning on his signature cane.
He was wearing a linen short-sleeved shirt, his face was a little pale, but his eyes were not as cloudy as before, and he exuded a long-lost vitality...
Old Yar walked steadily, and there was no trace of the weak and feeble appearance he had yesterday.
Although everyone knew that old Yar was out of danger, no one expected him to recover so quickly!
The courtyard was quiet for a moment, then everyone gathered around, offering their concerned greetings.
"Old Chief, how are you feeling?"
"If you're not feeling well, just sit down. Don't force yourself..."
"..."
Old Yar's gaze swept over everyone in the courtyard, finally landing on Aunt Slin, whose face was streaked with tears.
"Since they've already exported the fish, the catch should rightfully belong to them... I'm glad you're alright. Were your fishing nets stolen?"
Old Yar asked gently, only to be met with a shake of his head from Aunt Slin.
"It's good that the fishing net wasn't stolen; it was my fault."
Fishing is possible in the lake area at the village entrance, and there's also land where crops can be grown, so no one will starve!
If you're ever hungry, come find me. I'll make sure you and your child don't go hungry!
Upon hearing this, Aunt Slin immediately pulled Gis aside and showed old Jarl his bandaged wound.
They then lifted his shirt, revealing the dense bruises on his body to everyone present.
Aunt Slin's intentions were crystal clear...