TNIBFT -Chapter 59 The Protagonist Really Can’t Die

Ye Tian deliberately shouted loudly.

Everyone looked down, and immediately someone exclaimed in surprise, “It’s still a dudou! Isn’t this the one my wife just took off tonight?”

“This is my sister-in-law’s!”

“My wife only has this one dudou left, and you’re still stealing? Do you have no limits?”

“Beat him!”

The crowd grew furious, faces red and throats tight with anger. Ye Tian’s lips curved into a mischievous grin—he was just waiting for a chance to teach Shen Jie a proper lesson, ideally one that would leave him dead, otherwise this would keep dragging on.

The laws of this era had loopholes: the law didn’t hold the crowd accountable.

With more than twenty people on the scene, if Shen Jie were beaten to death, there would be no way to handle it. Seizing the opportunity, Ye Tian fanned the flames: “Shen Jie refuses to learn from his mistakes, stealing all the dudous from the women in our village. If this gets out, outsiders will definitely say the men in our village are useless.”

“What kind of person deserves to see tomorrow’s sun?”

Ye Tian’s voice was persuasive, and the villagers immediately echoed him: “Beat him to death!”

“Beat him to death!”

The crowd gradually went insane, stamping their feet toward Shen Jie. He crouched on the ground, head in hands, motionless.

Almost done, right?

Just a little harder!

Ye Tian’s gaze swept over the crowd, teeth clenched. Just then, someone behind him spoke: “Over here.”

It was the village chief.

The villagers raised their torches and turned, seeing the village chief enter with two soldiers in dark red uniforms. The villagers dared not move. The chief respectfully addressed the soldiers: “Sirs, it’s him.”

“Breaking into the village at night and stealing women’s clothes—utterly shameless.”

The chief pointed at Shen Jie on the ground, frowning as he continued: “This person was originally the adopted son of my deceased son. I now request you, sirs, to bear witness. From today onward, I sever all ties with Shen Jie.”

“Understood!”

The soldiers nodded. One of them immediately stepped forward and dragged the lifeless Shen Jie away, each soldier holding one of his arms, hauling him out.

The village chief followed behind, addressing the soldiers’ backs: “Thank you, sirs.”

Without turning back, the two soldiers disappeared into the night with Shen Jie.

Ye Tian sighed helplessly. Shen Jie really couldn’t die—someone would always come to save him at the crucial moment.

“Village Chief.”

“Village Chief!”

Many villagers, holding torches, surrounded the chief. The village chief nodded slightly. His aged face was full of grooves, eyes sharp as he looked at Ye Tian. After a long pause, he moved his lips and said: “I’m sorry, letting you take the blame for him again.”

“It’s fine, I’m used to it anyway!”

Ye Tian shrugged indifferently.

The chief’s eyes flickered, seemingly lost in thought, then he turned to the villagers and continued: “Shen Jie has no connection to my family. From now on, if he commits crimes, you don’t need to come to my house to confront him.”

After saying this, the chief waved his hand: “It’s the middle of the night, everyone, disperse!”

The show was over.

Ye Tian walked with the crowd and only bid farewell to the villagers at a fork in the road, heading home alone.

From afar, he looked at the crooked little house in the wind and snow, feeling a warm surge in his heart.

He didn’t know when it had started, but he had already regarded this broken house as home. Through the window, it was dark inside. The three children were probably sleeping soundly. Ye Tian tiptoed in.

Gently closing the door, he looked at the three little heads on the small beds and smiled.

“Ha~”

Rubbing his hands together, Ye Tian straightened Xiao Jiang’s blanket, lightly touched his hair, and then did the same for his daughter. Ye Shuangxue’s eyelashes were long and curled, her little nose delicate, her face like jade and snow—adorably cute.

Ye Tian couldn’t help but laugh. “I wonder which poor kid got the short end of the deal.”

As he spoke, he reached out to tuck in the blanket and deliberately pinched Ye Shuangxue’s nose.

Perhaps his fingers were too cold; the little girl twisted her head slightly, trying to shake off his hand. Ye Tian chuckled and turned his gaze toward the eldest. Even asleep, the eldest frowned, his small face looking unusually mature.

Small and old—that was exactly it.

Ye Tian extended his thumb and gently pushed Ye Yunting’s furrowed brow. “Five years old, already carrying five years’ worth of life troubles, sigh!”

Ye Yunting’s eyelid twitched uncontrollably. Luckily, the light was dim, so Ye Tian couldn’t see it—otherwise, he would have been caught.

Ye Tian took off his shoes and got into bed without a care.

He didn’t notice that the eldest’s shoes were still dusted with unmelted snow, that Ye Shuangxue’s pillow was soaked in a large patch, and that Xiao Jiang was quietly watching him in the dark.

“Zzz…”

When Ye Tian’s snoring started, the three children clutched their blankets and turned to look at each other in the darkness.

“He went to deal with Shen Jie,” Ye Yunting whispered.

“Shen Jie got beaten half to death and was carried off by the manor guards.”

Shen Jie?

Ye Shuangxue’s heart pounded. Could it be that Ye Tian was taking revenge because Shen Jie had falsely accused her of stealing? That was so dangerous.

Ye Tian had done so much for her, yet she had even worried that he had taken all the valuables and was going to abandon her and her brothers. How could she have thought that of him? Thankfully, she hadn’t confronted him; otherwise, he would have been so hurt.

Xiao Jiang said softly, “I know he won’t leave us. He’s our dad.”

After speaking, Xiao Jiang looked at Ye Tian’s big feet with wide eyes, full of happiness.

He understood Ye Tian.

This was a secret between them. Ye Tian had said he would never leave them.

Ye Shuangxue turned over, curling up again. “Sleep.”

The siblings’ little chat was over.

Children who had never been loved were like birds startled by even a breeze; she carefully worried about revealing her feelings, fearing that Ye Tian might dislike her and see her as a burden.

She also feared that Ye Tian would think she couldn’t let go of him and grow annoyed.

Ye Shuangxue stared wide-eyed at the wall.

If she had the chance, she had to ask Ye Tian—did he care about his daughter?

Was he really willing to live with the three of them?

Everyone else hated them. Everyone thought they were bad. Could Ye Tian really like them?

…

The next morning, Ye Tian woke up to find the three children already off to school.

The house was quiet. Fresh firewood had been added to the hearth by the children. Ye Tian’s cheeks burned with warmth—he must have saved the galaxy in his past life to deserve such wonderful kids.

Today, the hotpot restaurant was opening. Ye Tian planned to freshen up and head straight to the shop.

Everything was ready; after so much preparation, today was the day to see the results.

Ten minutes later, after Ye Tian closed the courtyard gate, he saw the three children walking through the snow toward him.

“Eldest!”

Ye Tian waved at Ye Yunting. His expression was calm, but he quickened his pace. Xiao Jiang jogged toward Ye Tian, while Ye Shuangxue slung her schoolbag over one shoulder, her little face pouting as she reluctantly followed her brother.

“Why are you back so early?”

Ye Tian looked down at Xiao Jiang, wondering if the kids had caused trouble or gotten into a fight again.

Xiao Jiang lifted his face. “Sister Ling’er cried until her eyes looked like walnuts and had a big argument with the master. The master went out to find Sister Ling’er, so we got dismissed from school today.”

Ye Tian nodded. “The hotpot restaurant is opening today, so we could use the extra hands anyway.”