Seeing how sensible and thoughtful the three little ones were, Jiang Yunshu felt more and more fond of them the longer she looked.
But her own situation was already awkward enough.
Even if she liked them, she couldn’t take the children home with her.
“Still, when you resist, you must protect yourselves. Safety always comes first, understand?”
Jiang Yunshu helped Er Bao redo her little braids, gently blowing on the injury on her arm, unable to resist saying a few more words to them.
Before the children could respond, Jiang Yunshu heard a commotion outside.
“Doctor Wang, those three kids from the Gu family are still inside, right?”
She turned around and, through the window, saw the village chief approaching with a large group of people behind him.
Doctor Wang stepped aside to make way. “They’re still here.”
The village chief seemed to breathe a sigh of relief and nodded.
“That’s good. How’s Zhiming’s mother doing?”
Jiang Yunshu came out of the room with the children. When the village chief saw them, he quickly came forward warmly.
He grabbed Dabao’s hand and looked him over again and again. “Oh dear, look at this—how could anyone beat a child like this?”
Then he looked up and smiled at Jiang Yunshu. “Yunshu, we really have to thank you for what happened today. Who knows what might’ve happened otherwise.”
It was clear the village chief was trying to flatter her.
Jiang Yunshu didn’t accept it. She took two steps back, putting distance between them, a smile still on her face.
“Since the village chief already knows what kind of situation these children are living in, then naturally you can’t let them continue suffering like this. Instead of exchanging meaningless pleasantries here, it would be better to think about how to hold He Xiufang accountable.”
Her smile curved her eyes, but it felt cold.
Her meaning was obvious—if they insisted on pursuing the matter, He Xiufang would not escape punishment.
“The village chief should have a higher level of awareness than us ordinary villagers. This matter can be treated as big or small—but if it’s brushed off so easily, who knows how many others in the village will follow suit in the future?”
Her words left many people silent.
She wasn’t wrong. After all, Gu Yanzhou had sacrificed himself for the country.
If even the children of a martyr couldn’t be protected, what about ordinary people like them?
Ever since economic reforms began, more and more men had gone out to work, leaving behind children and women at home.
They inevitably had to rely on others for care, and even relatives couldn’t always treat them fairly—no wonder people felt uneasy.
“Yes, I’ve already thought about these things on the way here,” the village chief said with an awkward smile. “But the village has its own considerations. As for the final outcome, we’ll have to see what the public security officers say. We’ll just do our best to cooperate.”
His smile looked strained.
Originally, he had wanted to downplay the matter. After all, the three children were already orphaned and had no one to rely on in the village.
Though He Xiufang had gone too far, it didn’t seem right for her to go to jail just for hitting the children a few times—it was, after all, a “family matter.”
If word spread to other villages, who knew how they’d be mocked? He might as well stop attending township meetings altogether.
“Earlier today, Aunt Yu was heartbroken seeing the children’s condition. Village chief, with just a few words like that, are you trying to brush me off—or the children?”
Seeing Jiang Yunshu bring up his own mother, the village chief glanced at the village committee members behind him. Someone quickly stepped in to speak.
“Yunshu, everyone knows you’re doing this for the children’s good. Don’t worry—the village takes this matter very seriously. The impact is extremely bad, and no matter what, we will give the children an explanation.”
Jiang Yunshu looked at them, fully aware of their hidden agendas.
The village chief was a refined self-serving man—if it didn’t concern him, he wouldn’t lift a finger.
He had known full well how miserable her life was in the Jiang family before, yet had never bothered to mediate.
The only reason this matter now seemed important to the village…
was because someone had reported it to the police.
With public security involved, if he didn’t at least put on a show, it would be hard to justify.
“Uncle Zhang, that makes it sound like I’m being unreasonable. Since you’ve given me this assurance, I can’t very well refuse to give you face.”
“That’s more like it. We all live in the same village—why make things so tense when we see each other every day?” The village chief chuckled awkwardly.
Originally, this wasn’t something he needed to deal with. But now that it had escalated, if he didn’t step in, Jiang Yunshu might just turn the whole situation upside down.
“However, this matter won’t just end like this. As a member of the village, I also have to respond to the country’s call—to protect the rights of women and children.”
Jiang Yunshu smiled sweetly, looking harmless—but the village chief understood the hidden meaning in her words.
“Girl from the Jiang family, don’t worry. The village will absolutely not allow something like this to happen again. Not just you—even the neighbors have been informed. If the Gu family dares to lay a hand on these children again, I’ll be the first to deal with them.”
Jiang Yunshu’s smile faded. She had no interest in continuing polite conversation.
“It’d better be true. Otherwise, if the village’s reputation suffers, it won’t look good for you either, village chief.”
The committee members all nodded quickly. “We really need more women like you in the village—so aware and principled. Shall we take the children home now?”
This whole situation felt stifling. None of them had expected they’d one day have to read the mood of a young woman like this.
The village chief, in particular, felt a lump of frustration in his chest.
He had lived half his life—everyone in the village usually treated him with respect. Yet Jiang Yunshu gave him no face at all.
Jiang Yunshu glanced at Lu Huian in the ward. Her condition had stabilized, and after taking medicine, she had fallen into a deep sleep.
It wasn’t a good idea for the children to stay at the clinic any longer. Letting the village committee take them back was the best option.
First, with the village chief personally involved, the Gu family would have to consider his authority and wouldn’t dare mistreat the children too much.
Second, after today’s incident, the whole village now knew what kind of people they were.
He Xiufang would inevitably have to go to the police station.
With this warning, she’d think twice before causing trouble again.
She wasn’t stupid—she knew that if she acted up again, Jiang Yunshu would beat her half to death.
“Dabao, take your younger brother and sister and go home with Uncle Village Chief. If anyone bullies you again, you can always go to him.”
Jiang Yunshu crouched down, her voice soft as she looked into Dabao’s eyes.
Dabao felt reluctant, but he also knew staying with Jiang Yunshu wasn’t a long-term solution.
He took Xiao Bao and Er Bao’s hands and nodded firmly. “I’ll take good care of my brother and sister. Thank you, Auntie.”
Doctor Wang sighed.
The children were sensible—but fate had been cruel to them.
Children without parents were like grass without roots.
Jiang Yunshu could help them this once…
but she couldn’t protect them forever.
After all, she wasn’t their mother.