Switched Life:I Went Viral on a Family Variety Show
Chapter 170: Carve for You Even in Death

Chapter 170: Chapter 170: Carve for You Even in Death

Li Juezhou stared deeply at Shen Fang, his teeth nearly crunching together, and said, "Do I look like someone who wants to go to the hospital for a checkup?"

Shen Fang raised an eyebrow in surprise and asked, "Then what do you want?"

"I want you dead."

"..."

**

Thanks to Grandpa Chen stalling, the police officers finally arrived, clad in their uniforms.

However, there were too many people involved in the brawl, and the police couldn’t just handcuff everyone and haul them back to the station. They had no choice but to settle the conflict on the spot.

The TV crew’s demand was simple: they wanted the villagers to apologize.

The villagers’ demand, in contrast, was just as straightforward, though borderline absurd.

They wanted the guests to figure out a way to heal Grandpa Chen’s hand completely within two days.

As the representative sent by the production team to negotiate with the villagers, Director Sun immediately became impatient:

"Your demands are utterly unreasonable, completely fantastical! At this rate, why not just chop off my hand instead?"

"Then go ahead! At least give us an explanation!"

When the villagers snapped back, Director Sun instantly backed down and unconsciously felt an icy chill on his skin, as if a blade was pressing against him.

He hunched his shoulders and quickly took refuge behind one of the police officers, regaining some courage as he said:

"What’s the big deal about Grandpa Chen’s hand? You’re telling me no one else’s hands can get the job done?"

During the earlier exchanges, Director Sun had already learned that Grandpa Chen wasn’t just the Great Witch overseeing rituals; he was also the most experienced woodworker in Jiangkou Village.

The villagers’ insistence on healing Grandpa Chen’s hand most likely stemmed from the matter of constructing the sacrificial platform.

But with so many woodworkers in Jiangkou Village, surely things could still proceed without Grandpa Chen, couldn’t they?

"You’re right. Without Grandpa Chen’s hand, the sacrificial platform can’t be built," the clan leader stepped forward, his back hunched.

He sighed, his tone laden with helplessness, and added, "The villagers aren’t trying to make things difficult for you intentionally. But the dragon pillar we need to use for the sacrificial platform can only be carved by Grandpa Chen."

Director Sun opened his hands in frustration and replied, "That doesn’t mean you can just treat us as your scapegoats!"

"Let’s be reasonable. The guests on our show were only responsible for transporting the wooden materials for the platform. Throughout the entire construction process, they didn’t even contribute so much as a single word.

You built a shoddy structure that collapsed. Instead of holding those responsible accountable, you come looking to cause trouble for our guests. Don’t you think that’s outright despicable?"

The clan leader hunched his back further, his hands clasped behind him, while remaining silent. He shook his head repeatedly as he sighed ceaselessly.

This indifferent attitude made it evident that he was attempting to brush off the matter.

But Sang Ning wasn’t about to let the clan leader off the hook so easily. She grabbed Chen Weimin by his shirt collar and threw him forward.

"Here, I’ve dragged out the person responsible for the shoddy construction. You don’t need to thank me."

When the police officers arrived, Chen Weimin had tried to quietly slip away into the crowd.

But Sang Ning’s sharp eyes caught him before he could make his escape—he had only taken one step before she hauled him back.

The conflict had been instigated by Chen Weimin, so it was only fitting that he should be the one to put an end to it.

When he was tossed out, Chen Weimin shrank down like a frightened quail, clutching his head and bowing low.

Stammering, he tried to explain to the clan leader, "Clan Leader, believe me! My craft was taught to me by my father. Even if you don’t trust me, surely you trust my father, don’t you?"

"Pah! Don’t go tarnishing your old man’s name!" Grandpa Chen spat. If his arm weren’t already immobilized in a sling around his neck, he’d have gone all-out to teach his son a lesson.

Grandpa Chen was eager to distance himself from the mess, and the clan leader understood. It was entirely clear that Chen Weimin’s lack of skill was at fault here.

This was the clan leader’s last year in his position, and he didn’t want the Zhantian Festival to end in failure on his watch.

All in all, what’s done was done. If there was no way to remedy the situation, someone had to take the fall.

"Grandpa Chen, since Weimin injured you, the dragon pillar carving will have to be his responsibility. If he can’t complete it and the Zhantian Festival is delayed as a result, I will have no choice but to expel him from Jiangkou Village!"

The clan leader’s every word was measured and steady, yet they carried an unmistakable note of judgment.

Jiangkou Village was home to two types of people: those who wished to remain firmly rooted in the village and avoided the outside world at all costs, and those who despised the village’s backwardness and seized every opportunity to leave.

Chen Weimin belonged to the former group. He had grown accustomed to living under Grandpa Chen’s protection, leading a carefree life without accountability. He wouldn’t leave Jiangkou Village even if it meant death.

"Clan Leader, I beg you for mercy! You know as well as anyone that aside from my father, no one else in the village knows how to carve the dragon pillar. Even though I’m his own son, I’m incapable of doing it myself! This is basically forcing me to leave Jiangkou Village!"

In his desperation, Chen Weimin grabbed hold of the clan leader’s sleeves, pleading hopelessly. He was barely stopping short of falling to his knees.

Hearing the possibility of his son being expelled, Grandpa Chen grew anxious. He may have been furious with his son’s incompetence, but at the end of the day, Chen Weimin was his only child. How could he stand by and watch him being driven out?

"Clan Leader, I, old Chen, believe I’ve contributed plenty to Jiangkou Village. If my son made a mistake, it’s my fault for failing to teach him properly. But to expel him outright, isn’t that too disrespectful to me?"

Grandpa Chen, intent on defending his son, clashed directly with the clan leader.

"Old Chen, have I not shown you enough respect?" The clan leader gave a cold snort, his beard twitching with irritation.

"I didn’t agree with letting Weimin get involved with the platform construction in the first place. But it was you who pounded your chest in front of me, swearing that while he might not be capable of carving dragon pillars just yet, he was completely ready to take charge of other woodworking tasks. I grudgingly gave my consent.

And now look at the result: Weimin’s work is an utter disaster! To top it off, he dragged the production team into this in an attempt to shirk responsibility. Does that seem reasonable to you?

I understand your eagerness to pass on your craft to him, and I turned a blind eye to it. But now that something’s gone wrong, somebody has to shoulder the blame.

Either you carve the dragon pillar yourself, or your son leaves the village. Those are your two options. You decide!"

The clan leader delivered his final words in one breath. To avoid further back-and-forth with Grandpa Chen, he left swiftly while Grandpa Chen was still stunned, leaving the gathered crowd steeped in awkward silence.

The police officers attempting to mediate were momentarily dumbfounded. Was this considered resolved or not?

Grandpa Chen’s lips trembled in anger, his eyes involuntarily welling up with tears.

"Fine, it’s just a dragon pillar, isn’t it? I’ll carve it myself!"

Grandpa Chen, in defiance, lowered his head and clenched the fabric of the sling around his neck, lifting his left hand to undo it. Next, he started unwrapping the bandages from his injured right hand, layer by layer.

The surrounding villagers gasped, their hearts sinking, and they called out to stop him.

"Grandpa Chen!"

"Don’t be reckless! Do you want to lose your hand permanently?"

But Grandpa Chen paid no heed. Pushing back his tears, he gritted his teeth and resolutely continued unwrapping the bandages on his right hand. "Quit yammering, Amin! Get the tools for your father. I’ll start carving the dragon pillar right now!"