The crowd let out sighs of regret, but in the expressions of a very small number of people, Lin Qimo only saw schadenfreude.
Perhaps that was the truest nature of human hearts when they see you suffering, few people think of helping you up. Not pushing you further down already counts as kindness.
She was also worried that Lin Guihua might end up like in her previous life beaten so badly that she miscarried and died.
Lin Qimo turned back.
She saw her second younger sister holding a baby in her arms none other than Li Xiaoqi.
She had only learned the naming pattern of the Li family’s seven sons when she went to collect soybeans: from oldest to youngest, they were simply called One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven. They were named numerically because Li Daqiang was a gambler and believed numbers were lucky.
Lin Qimo walked over.
“Didn’t I tell you to stay home and rest? Why did you come out too?”
“Brother Li Er just shoved Little Seven into my arms, I couldn’t refuse at all,” Lin Tangtang said with a troubled expression. Just recalling the scene made her uneasy and frightened.
Seeing how clearly shaken she was, Lin Qimo frowned.
It was easy to imagine how horrifying it must have been a pregnant woman nearly six months along beaten into a miscarriage.
At that moment, Qin Wenying came over holding Little Bao.
“Those kids were completely terrified. They carried a blood-covered person over here it scared me too, let alone Tangtang,” she said, eyes glistening. “Li Daqiang’s man is truly not human. He beat his wife like that and then ran off completely irresponsible. At least Li Da can take responsibility.”
“I gave them 500 yuan. When we sent her to the health clinic, Lin Guihua was already unconscious. I just hope she can make it through this ordeal.”
Everyone watched as the clinic staff and nurse worked together to lift Lin Guihua still unconscious onto a tractor.
Li Da and Li Er got on as well.
Li San, Li Si, Li Wu, and Li Liu were not allowed to follow.
Li Da seemed to say something to his younger brothers before the tractor drove off.
Everyone stood watching until the vehicle disappeared into the distance.
Only then did the crowd gradually disperse.
The Li brothers stood there with red eyes, watching until they could no longer see the tractor.
At that moment, Li San led his three younger brothers toward Lin Qimo.
They suddenly knelt down.
All four children knelt in a row and bowed three times each. The scene stunned even Qin Wenying.
“Good children, get up first. We’ll talk when we get home,” Si Chongguang said, taking the child by the hand and leading them away from the clinic.
Qin Wenying, Lin Tangtang, and Lin Doudu quickly followed behind.
Lin Qimo walked at the back. She glanced back and saw the villagers gradually dispersing.
Not far away, Lin Laoyao was staring in their direction with a dark expression. When he noticed her looking, he quickly pretended to chat casually with Granny Tan.
No one knew what they were muttering about, but they looked very pleased with themselves.
Lin Laoyao gave her a meaningful smile.
Lin Qimo’s mood was heavy. She glanced at them coldly and turned away.
She was already worried that news of Qin Wenying lending money to Li Da would spread.
Five hundred yuan might not mean much to Qin Wenying, but for villagers in the countryside, even fifty yuan was a huge sum.
If everyone in the village found out that the relatives staying at her house could casually lend out 500 yuan, who knew how many jealous people it would attract.
Two days ago, when Li Da delivered soybeans to her home, she had already reminded Lin Guihua to go stay at her parents’ house during pregnancy. Without a careful person at home, things could go wrong.
Who would have thought something would really happen today?
Everyone returned to Lin Qimo’s house with mixed and uneasy emotions.
Her normally spacious courtyard now felt crowded.
There was barely anywhere to step, so Lin Qimo stood by the gate.
“Where did your father go?” a voice called out before the village head even arrived.
The voice of Lin Changhong was already heard as he rushed in briskly, grabbing Li San to ask about Li Daqiang’s whereabouts.
“Which direction did your father run? Do you know?”
Li San shook his head. “I don’t know. He ran after hitting my mother. My eldest brother chased him but couldn’t catch him. When we saw my mother covered in blood, we took her down the mountain first.”
Li San was thirteen this year, about the same age as Lin Tangtang. As the eldest among the brothers, he spoke quite clearly.
Lin Changhong sighed heavily.
“This counts as intentional injury. He must be brought to the village committee for criticism and education.”
“If he returns home, make sure you report it to the village committee, understand?”
Li San lowered his head and patted Little Seven in his arms.
“I understand, Director.”
Before leaving, Lin Changhong also asked about the dried tofu supply situation.
Lin Qimo politely said she would go to the state-owned restaurant in a couple of days to discuss cooperation, and Lin Changhong left looking slightly more at ease.
At that moment, Li San stepped in front of Lin Qimo.
“Sister Qimo, my eldest brother said the money we borrowed from you, he’ll write an IOU when he comes back. No matter what happens to my mother, we will definitely repay you. Please rest assured.”
Li Si, Li Wu, and Li Liu kept wiping their tears beside him.