“Got beaten too, huh? Definitely up to no good—someone dealt with him! A shameless, despicable little thing… good, at least they didn’t kill him!”
Taking a deep breath to steady herself, Ge Hongxia’s anger surged again. “Zhao Jianjun stole chickens last night, and people saw it! What else is there to deny? Call your son out! I want to confront him face to face!”
Zhao Shizhong didn’t refuse because he couldn’t, but because he didn’t want to. Over the years, his youngest son’s bad temper had worsened because he often did tasks Zhao Shizhong couldn’t handle personally. Letting him out now risked making a small issue escalate.
If it weren’t for the crowd, he would have quietly told his son to step aside for the moment.
Seeing Zhao Shizhong hesitate, Ge Hongxia’s suspicion solidified.
This old man clearly knew what his son had done last night!
Rage burst from her chest. “Zhao Shizhong, what do you mean by this?! I respected you as the village militia captain and tried to reason with you politely, but you refuse to cooperate. Don’t tell me you’re afraid to let your son face the consequences of what he did last night!”
The villagers, who had been quiet until now, began whispering among themselves.
“Yeah! If Zhao Jianjun didn’t steal the chickens, why wouldn’t the captain let him come out?”
“Sounds guilty to me! Maybe the captain even instructed this.”
“Couldn’t be anything else. Looks like he doesn’t like the Zhangs and wants to teach them a lesson!”
Zhao Shizhong bristled. All this fuss over a few chickens—this woman shows up early with a crowd at his gate, thinking she can stir trouble. Does she really think it’s about the chickens? Of course not—she’s using them as an excuse to settle old scores over her husband’s failed bid to become militia captain!
He had to assert the authority of a captain today, or this woman would walk over him, and his prestige in the village would be gone.
“Hmph! Director Ge, such arrogance! Inciting the crowd this early and spreading false statements—I see a tendency to disrupt social stability and unity!”
The murmuring crowd went silent. Wait, this is just about some chickens—how did it escalate to “disrupting society”? They didn’t want to get involved!
But Ge Hongxia didn’t care. She sat down on the ground and howled, “Zhao Shizhong is framing the innocent! My husband and I, Zhang Lao San, are honest, hardworking peasants for eighteen generations! To cover for your son, you dare pin this on me? Tell me, is this how fair and just a captain you are?”
Low whispers rose again, quieter this time. Zhao Shizhong didn’t catch what they said, but he knew the public opinion was turning against him.
He couldn’t stoop to sulking on the ground like a woman—it would make him look weaker. This was a tough, relentless opponent.
Just as Zhao Shizhong considered forcing a smile to smooth things over, a loud voice boomed from the yard.
“Mom! Mom! Where are my liberation shoes? What’s going on outside? Who dares cause trouble at our gate?”
As the footsteps approached, Zhao Shizhong’s heart sank. After all his maneuvering, his foolish son showed up—was it all for nothing?
He signaled the eldest daughter-in-law, Chunxing, to take Zhao Jianjun back. Chunxing, seeing her father-in-law’s twitching eye, didn’t quite understand the signal but obediently returned indoors.
In the yard:
“Big sister-in-law, what’s going on outside?” Zhao Jianjun yawned.
Hurrying to meet him, Chunxing said, “Jianjun, you should go check. Director Ge came to cause trouble at our gate early this morning. Father can’t handle it alone.”
Zhao Shizhong, still standing at the gate, nearly spat blood. He should have divorced this daughter-in-law long ago!
Hearing the approaching steps, he quickly changed his tone: “Director Ge, since you want fairness, I’ll call Jianjun out to clarify with you.”
He shouted into the yard: “Jianjun! Come explain to your Aunt Ge! She lost some chickens and says someone saw you take them.”
“Nonsense! That bastard dares slander me! I came home from the clinic last night and went straight to bed. I didn’t even step outside—how could I see any chickens?” The voice, full of anger, reached the crowd before he appeared.
Soon, Zhao Jianjun emerged. He had just gotten up; his hair was a mess like a bird’s nest, the bandage on his head was loose, his shirt half-buttoned, showing half his chest, one foot in a shoe, the other bare.
Everyone’s eyes immediately focused on his bare, darkened foot.
Following the crowd’s gaze, Zhao Jianjun spotted the liberation shoe on the ground.
He picked it up, slipped it on, and casually asked, “How did my shoe end up here?”
The main culprit was finally here! Ge Hongxia scrambled to her feet, face dark, glaring at Zhao Jianjun.
This brat dared call her a bastard in front of everyone—utterly shameless!
“Hmph! I carried this shoe all the way from my yard to here, and now you admit it’s yours? And still say you didn’t steal the chickens!”
Zhao Jianjun was baffled. This was his shoe—but what did that have to do with stealing chickens? What was wrong with this woman? He had already explained he didn’t steal them.
Woken by the morning commotion, already grumpy from getting up, and now falsely accused, he was even angrier.
Seeing her son about to lose his temper, Zhao Jianjun’s mother hurriedly stepped in at her husband’s signal to mediate:
“Hongxia, don’t be angry. Jianjun wouldn’t lie—he says he didn’t steal them. There must be some misunderstanding. Let’s all sit down and talk it through.”
Ge Hongxia’s fury boiled over. Another person siding with the Zhao family? Claiming her Jianjun wouldn’t lie—so that means she’s the liar?
She wished she had brought her husband along this morning—she wouldn’t be so isolated!
The evidence was clear—physical proof and eyewitnesses—but the Zhao family still tried to deny it, bullying her alone!
And poor Big Yellow had barked all night last night. Zhao Jianjun had probably sneaked out and hidden the chickens without her husband noticing, blaming Big Yellow. Big Yellow really got wronged!
Sitting on the ground, slapping her thighs, she cried with genuine emotion:
“You Zhao family, teaming up to bully me alone—there’s no justice in the world! My chickens were all stolen, Zhao Jianjun’s shoe was found outside my yard, he even admitted it, and the village patrol confirmed seeing him leaving at midnight, holding the chickens!”
Hearing this, the surrounding villagers whispered among themselves.
Zhao Jianjun, however, was furious!
“What a bastard! Working under me and daring to slander me—who gave Zhao Hongbing such nerve?!”