chapter 14 Female village chief settles lawsuit

Cabin forced a smile, "Sis, even if I had a strong back, how much could I carry? The things the villagers pick up might not be worth much, but they're not light."

Dagny listened and felt it made sense. If they relied solely on manpower to transport goods, she doubted anyone would be willing to do it. Hiring ox carts was costly and often not worth it. Plus, there was no guarantee that the carts would make it out of the mountains safely. Every year, during grain-selling season, some carts flipped into gullies.

Furthermore, ox carts were too slow. If they took too long, the seafood would spoil, making it even less valuable.

However, Dagny had worked hard to find this route, and she wasn't willing to give up so easily. She planned to gather a few villagers and accompany Cabin to the seaside tomorrow.

At the moment, Cabin didn't have any immediate work to do. If he could work together with Dagny to help turn the village around, it would indeed be a commendable deed.

As they chatted, they also tidied up the table. The remaining meat would surely spoil if left outside. They put them in plastic bags, placed them in the water bucket they used for fetching water, and hung them close to the water's surface in a well. This way, they could preserve it for an extra couple of days.

After finishing, Cabin remarked, "Once I earn some money, I'm getting a refrigerator. It's essential to eat well and have energy, even if it means working a bit harder."

Dagny smiled at his words, not saying much. However, she knew that buying a refrigerator for the village wouldn't be an easy task. Transporting large items through these rugged mountain roads was truly a time-consuming and laborious endeavor.

That night, Cabin slept soundly, snoring away, while Dagny struggled with insomnia. She spent the night contemplating how to help the villagers earn money. Her intentions were not only kind-hearted, aiming to improve the lives of her fellow villagers, but it was also tied to her happiness. She had staked her future on this, wagering with her family. If the village could shed its label as a poverty-stricken village within a year, then she would have gained her freedom!

Bright and early the next morning, before the sun had risen, Dagny got dressed and headed to Cabin's door.

"Knock knock knock."

"Hey, if you want to get rich, don't be lazy! Get up!"

"Ugh!"

Cabin grumbled. If he had known this girl had such a fiery temperament, he wouldn't have spoken to her so much last night. It prevented him from sleeping in. He was supposed to practice the God Formulas after getting up, but with Dagny urging him, he skipped it and went straight to eating.

Dagny was afraid that if they delayed, it would be inconvenient for the villagers to gather. So, after they finished eating, she took Cabin to the village committee office. She needed to use the loudspeaker to call the villagers for a meeting, to discuss plans for prosperity.

They hadn't reached the entrance of the village committee office when a few people came over, arguing loudly. Two burly men were dragging a woman holding a child. The woman, in her early twenties and with some charm, was dressed decently and seemed like a city dweller. At this moment, she was sobbing.

Each of the two men was carrying two watermelons, and they walked over and slammed them onto the ground. They addressed Dagny, "Village Head Ding, this woman stole melons. You must seek justice for us villagers!"

The woman, still crying, protested, "I didn't steal them. I was taking my child to visit relatives in Rock Village, and we passed by a melon field. My child needed to pee urgently, so he urinated at the edge of the field, that's all. Just as these two men approached, they bullied me. They touched me all over and wouldn't let me go. When I said I would call the police, they suddenly accused me of stealing melons. I told them I wouldn't call the police anymore and begged them to let me go. These two men wanted me to sleep with them, or else they'd say I stole the melons!"

The woman cried as she recounted the incident, while the two burly men argued back. Another man stood as a witness.

"She did steal from Asher's house, and she won't admit it. I saw her holding the melons, trying to leave. When Asher caught her, she turned around and accused him of harassing her."

Cabin recognized these two villagers. They were both troublemakers from the village. The bigger one was Asher Yang, Faraday's nephew. The other, a burly man named Caden, was a loner who spent his days idly.

Knowing these two were always causing trouble, they must have targeted a passing woman they found attractive, trying to harass her. After harassing her, they probably intended to extort money from her.

Cabin stayed silent, wanting to see how Dagny would handle this.

Dagny watched the three of them present their cases and then asked Asher, "Did this woman pick these melons?"

"Oh yes, at least worth a hundred bucks!" Asher kicked the four melons on the ground, his face filled with indignation.

Dagny turned to the woman and said, "Indeed, our area is already struggling. How could someone steal our melons?"

Upon hearing the village officials side with their fellow villagers, the woman burst into tears again, unable to speak.

Dagny turned to Asher and said, "But let's think about this, if the woman didn't take the melons out of the field, it can't be considered stealing."

Asher quickly responded, "She took them. She had already taken out over a hundred meters by the time I caught up to her. Don't believe me? Ask Caden!"

Caden nodded emphatically beside him, "Yes, yes, she had over a hundred meters. I was exhausted chasing her."

Dagny nodded, "Alright, take the melons back. I'll deal with this woman. I'll make sure she compensates you for your losses."

Asher felt like he had won the case and gave a smug smile to the woman holding the child. He bent down and tried to pick up the watermelons again.

Caden moved to help, but Dagny said, "Caden, stay behind to provide testimony."

Asher managed to pick up two watermelons, but he couldn't lift the other two. He turned back and called out, "Caden, when you go back later, help me bring the rest of the melons back! Oh, and leave one for Village Head Ding to enjoy, just take one back."

Cabin watched from the side, thinking that Asher was being played by the beautiful Village Head.

Sure enough, Dagny's face darkened, and she scolded, "Asher, stop right there!"

"What's wrong?"

"You're a grown man, and you can't carry four watermelons. This woman, with a child in her arms, managed to carry four watermelons for over a hundred meters. Are you lying? Use your brain!"

Asher was immediately exposed for his lie, and his face turned red. However, he was a troublemaker and didn't seem to care.

"Anyway, I caught her stealing melons, and Caden will vouch for me. You have to decide for me."

The woman, seeing the village officials speaking up for her, said, "Leader, please help me. Look at my thigh, there’s a bruise due to his pinching."