The Domineering Cultivator Farmer

Chapter 43: Trouble Knocks on the Door

Liao Xue and Feng Boda left that same afternoon, accompanied by Feng Xiuer. With the wedding just five days away, they needed to hurry with the preparations. Niuniu stayed behind to help Fang Yun welcome the bride on the big day. That evening, after Fang Yun helped Niuniu wash up, father and daughter snuggled under the covers to discuss how they could surprise Feng Xiuer. Niuniu giggled nonstop, thoroughly delighted with Fang Yun’s plan, and promised she’d carry out the task her dad had assigned her. The two of them played around for quite a while before Niuniu finally fell asleep. Looking at Niuniu’s rosy little face as she slept, Fang Yun lay in bed but couldn’t fall asleep. Thinking about how he would be marrying Feng Xiuer in five days, he felt both anticipation and anxiety. More than anything, he felt guilty toward the mother and daughter; Fang Yun wanted to give Feng Xiuer an unforgettable wedding to make up, even just a little, for what he’d owed her all these years. He lay there thinking until two or three in the morning before finally drifting off in a daze, only to be woken up the next morning by Niuniu poking his nose. He grabbed Niuniu—who was grinning like a fox that had just stolen a chick—and planted a smacking kiss on her. Then Fang Yun got dressed and took Niuniu with him to brush their teeth and wash their faces. Just as the father and daughter were squatting face-to-face, competing to see who could make the most toothpaste bubbles, a loud shout rang out from the courtyard gate: “Who’s Fang Yun? Come out here right now!” The tone sounded just like a boss addressing one of his subordinates. No sooner had the words left his mouth than—before Fang Yun could even answer—a bald, middle-aged man with a large belly strode into the courtyard, accompanied by a group of people. As soon as he spotted the father and daughter in the courtyard, the bald man pointed at Fang Yun and shouted, “Hey, you there! Go get Fang Yun out here.” Fang Yun glanced at him and said coldly, “I am Fang Yun. Get to the point.” “Oh, so you’ve got some attitude now? Let me tell you, you’re in trouble. I’m Director Wu of the Municipal Forestry Bureau, specifically in charge of wildlife conservation in the city. Someone has reported that you illegally captured a python and a white eagle—both Class I nationally protected animals. You must hand them over immediately so we can take them away.” The bald man’s name was Wu Zhenhua. He was a deputy director of the Municipal Forestry Bureau, specifically in charge of forestry administration and wildlife conservation, and directly overseeing the Forestry Administration Division and the Wildlife Conservation Division. The night before last, he had watched an exclusive interview with Fang Yun on the “Walking Among the People” program on the provincial TV station. The animals featured in the segment caught his attention—especially the giant python and the white eagle, which truly captivated him. Just yesterday evening, a mysterious figure had someone contact him, offering 10 million per animal to acquire the giant python and the white eagle. Wu Zhenhua was not a reckless man. He immediately looked into Fang Yun’s background and discovered that Fang Yun’s entire family were farmers, and none of his relatives or friends had any influential connections. He decided on the spot to go ahead with the plan. Wu Zhenhua was in charge of wildlife conservation at the Forestry Bureau. As long as he confiscated the giant python and white eagle from Fang Yun under the pretext of wildlife protection and transported them back to the city—then claimed to the public that the two animals had died in an accident—and greased a few palms here and there, the money would be his. Nothing would go wrong. He’d been involved in the illegal trade of wildlife plenty of times before, and he’d always come out unscathed. At this thought, Wu Zhenhua’s heart raced; he could almost see endless piles of money pouring toward him and countless beautiful women throwing themselves at him. So excited he hadn’t slept a wink all night, Wu Zhenhua summoned his closest confidants before dawn. When he laid out the plan, the whole group got excited—over the years, they’d followed Wu Zhenhua in plenty of such schemes, and every time, he’d generously shared the profits with them. Immediately, the group drove to the village and, guided by passersby, pulled up right in front of Fang Yun’s yard. Fang Yun felt a wave of disgust wash over her. It was obvious what this man was up to, yet he had the nerve to use “protecting wildlife” as an excuse. “Daddy, please don’t give them the python and the white eagle—they’re all bad guys.” As soon as Niuniu heard that these men intended to take the python and the white eagle away, she panicked and ran over, clinging to Fang Yun’s leg. “How dare you talk like that, you little brat! Watch out, or I’ll—” “Get lost.” Before Wu Zhenhua could finish his sentence, Fang Yun interrupted him, pointing an angry finger right at his nose. “What did you say? You dare tell me to get lost? You’re finished, kid. Just wait until you’ve served your time behind bars.” Wu Zhenhua was so furious his fingers were trembling. Ever since he’d become deputy director of the Forestry Bureau, no one had dared to tell him to “get lost” to his face. He never imagined that a lowly farmer from a small mountain village would dare to point a finger at him and tell him to “get lost” today. Unless he taught this girl a harsh lesson, he wouldn’t be able to quell the rage burning in his heart. “You lot, arrest him and take us to find the python and the white eagle,” Wu Zhenhua said, waving his hand at his few trusted henchmen behind him, ready to resort to force. Several men rushed forward, ready to seize Fang Yun. “Thud, thud, thud”—the sound of bodies hitting the ground echoed. Wu Zhenhua stared blankly at his henchmen, who had been flung out of the courtyard and lay in a heap at the gate, writhing in pain and screaming. Then he looked at Fang Yun’s foot as it slowly retracted, and a bead of cold sweat trickled down his face. This farmer standing before him had actually trained in martial arts. “Get out,” Fang Yun said coldly to Wu Zhenhua once more. This time, Wu Zhenhua didn’t say a word; he slunk out the door, got into his car, and drove off. The few men still writhing on the ground in pain scrambled to their feet and followed him. By the time Fang Changsheng and his wife came out after hearing the commotion, everyone had already left. They asked Fang Yun a couple of questions, but he simply said it was nothing, so they didn’t make a big deal of it. “Fang Yun, I heard you just got into a fight? Who provoked you this time?” Old Li was quite curious. Fang Yun’s temper was generally manageable—he wouldn’t usually resort to violence unless someone had truly angered him. However, most people had no choice but to take a beating when facing Fang Yun, which was why Old Li had immediately assumed Fang Yun had been the one to strike first. Fang Yun didn’t want to worry his parents, but there was no need to hide anything from Old Li, who was standing right in front of him. Seeing Old Li, who had rushed over upon hearing the news, Fang Yun told him exactly what had happened. “Although this guy had a bad attitude, this matter really is under his jurisdiction. You acted a bit impulsively this time,” Old Li said, furrowing his brow after listening. Fang Yun gave a contemptuous smile. “If he’d truly come to protect wildlife, I would’ve treated him with respect. But you can tell at a glance that this guy has his sights set on the python and the white eagle. I just used a secret technique I’ve learned to investigate him—he’s been involved in plenty of illegal trafficking of nationally protected animals. I suspect he’ll be back today; I just don’t know who he’ll bring with him.” Old Li stood up and waved his hand. “Really? I see. I’ll handle this. While I’m at it, I’ll have someone help you get adoption papers for those animals of yours.” Old Li didn’t doubt the secret techniques Fang Yun had mentioned; having once held a high-ranking position, he’d come into contact with many extraordinary individuals and knew that each of them possessed their own unique abilities. It was just past 11:00 a. m. when Fang Yun spotted Wu Zhenhua approaching from a distance—this time accompanied by a squad of armed forest police. It seemed Director Wu really hated him to the core. A little over four hours was just enough time for a round trip to the city—he probably hadn’t stopped for a single moment. Watching Wu Zhenhua lead the police to arrest him, Fang Yun still had the presence of mind to think about all this. He glanced at Old Li sitting in his courtyard and the squad of soldiers standing behind him. Fang Yun shook his head and watched with curiosity as the group, including Niuniu, walked into the house. It seemed there was nothing left for him to do here; he had no idea where Old Li had managed to get these soldiers from. “Fang Yun, I told you I’d make sure you rot in prison, and now…” As soon as he stepped into the courtyard, Wu Zhenhua began shouting smugly, but when he got a clear look at the situation inside, he was rendered speechless, as if someone had grabbed him by the throat. Hearing Wu Zhenhua’s arrogant words, Old Li flew into a rage. He slammed his fist on the stool and stood up. “How dare you! You’re just a lowly deputy director of the Forestry Bureau—what right do you have to convict and sentence people? Arrest him right now, take him back for a thorough investigation, and deal with him severely.” Wu Zhenhua instantly collapsed to the ground. He knew full well that if his deeds over the years were uncovered, they would be enough to warrant execution—let alone “strict punishment.” Old Li cast a look of disgust at Wu Zhenhua, who was slumped on the floor, and turned to berate the forest police officers who had followed Wu Zhenhua in: “Are you the state’s police, or his personal thugs? You come in here without a thorough investigation, arresting people without distinguishing right from wrong.” Everyone recognized Old Li—a former national leader. Hearing him call them Wu Zhenhua’s “private thugs” terrified the group. The police officer in charge quickly saluted and said, “Reporting, Commander, we received a report from Director Wu stating that someone here was illegally capturing nationally protected animals of the first-class category and resisting law enforcement with violence, so we came to investigate.” Old Li waved his hand. “Don’t call me ‘Commander.’ I’m just an old man now. Fang Yun has been given permission to adopt these animals. If there’s nothing else, you can go back.” “Yes, sir.” The officers quickly saluted and turned to leave; they didn’t want to stay there a moment longer.