Iron Pillar’s wife really was sly, sly in a way that couldn’t be underestimated. She didn’t go begging the village captain; she went straight to Director Ge. Clearly, she knew what she was doing.
Captain Zhao’s head throbbed painfully. Now he was certain his family had been schemed against. He felt trapped—if only Zhao Jianjun had admitted the truth from the start! Now any admission would just make things look like a cover-up.
Who on earth was trying to target his family with such low, unscrupulous methods? Truly lacking in virtue!
No, at this point, there was absolutely no way he would allow them into the backyard. Zhao Shizhong was genuinely worried—what if the mastermind still had some hidden trick up their sleeve?
Meanwhile, Zhao Jianjun, furious, panted heavily: “Dad! We can’t let them slander us like this! If they want to see, let them see! We’re upright—we’re not afraid of shadows!”
Captain Zhao’s nose almost twisted in frustration. After all his careful efforts, this was how his son repaid him? Since when had the two of them ever been “upright”? Did he dare let them into the chicken coop after Chunxing’s unfinished words just now? How had he never realized his son could be this dumb?
Zhao Shizhong glared fiercely at his son—a complete blockhead. Zhao Jianjun, intimidated, lowered his head and took a few reluctant steps back.
Ge Hongxia, with an air of official seriousness, turned to Zhao Shizhong: “Captain Zhao, what do you propose? This isn’t just my family’s issue anymore. The three families affected are all here. If you still won’t let us see, it wouldn’t be reasonable.
“Here’s the solution: open your yard and let us take a look. If Zhao Jianjun really didn’t do it, it will clear his name as well.”
Zhao Jianjun thought Director Ge was spot-on, perfectly expressing his own feelings, and quickly nodded in agreement.
Zhao Shizhong ignored his foolish son, refusing to yield an inch: “You lot want to storm my backyard—what kind of business is this? Are you raiding a landlord’s house? Do you even respect me, your captain?”
The metaphorical “hat” he dropped silenced everyone present. The captain’s position in the village was absolute. Offending him meant trouble—no one wanted that.
Look at the Su family—they were fine until Zhao Shizhong became captain. Somehow, they offended the Zhao family and now lived miserable lives. No one there wanted to risk wearing “small shoes” themselves.
At that moment, Zhao Shizhong’s wife, Du Hong, glanced at her husband and suddenly fell to the ground, clutching her head. “Ah!”
Captain Zhao, face full of grief, choked up as he shouted: “What do you people want?! Du Hong has fainted from your antics—are you trying to kill us all?”
Ge Hongxia wasn’t fooled. She knew Zhao Shizhong was just trying to excuse himself. Everyone only wanted to see the chicken coop—how did that become trying to kill his family?
Seeing Du Hong on the ground, she understood that ordinary villagers instinctively sympathized with the weak. She couldn’t push her luck now. Earlier, she had been the weak one after losing her chickens. Now, fainted Du Hong was the weak party. If the captain started accusing her again, everyone would side with him instead—she had to be careful.
Even Ge Hongxia, who normally would argue her point to the fullest, felt restrained.
Iron Pillar’s wife, usually meek and unnoticed, caught sight of Du Hong on the ground. A dark gleam flashed in her lowered eyes. She flung herself dramatically onto Du Hong, crying and wailing:
“Du Hong! Du Hong! What’s wrong?! We’ve always been the best of friends! If something really happened to you, what would I do?”
Her tears poured like a flood, but her hands didn’t stop moving. She had been itching to “deal with” this shameless woman for ages—today she finally had her chance!
Du Hong, pretending to faint, only wrinkled her brow in annoyance as Iron Pillar’s wife prodded and pinched. How could she forget this theatrically stubborn woman? She shouldn’t have followed her husband’s subtle hint to fake fainting earlier.
Xiaofang’s mother noticed Du Hong’s tightly furrowed brow and realized what was happening. The Zhao family weren’t trustworthy—they were setting her up with a “pain trick”! Were they planning not to return the chickens? They wanted to make trouble!
She joined in, pinching at Du Hong’s soft flesh. All the while she muttered: “Du Hong, what’s wrong? Aren’t you seriously ill or something?”
No matter how hard they pinched or poked, Du Hong gritted her teeth and refused to wake. The act had reached a point where waking would expose her; she had to continue no matter what.
Iron Pillar’s wife, still crying, suddenly stopped shaking Du Hong. She adjusted her wrist and delivered a solid slap. Tears still flowed, and she cried out: “Du Hong, wake up! You can’t be hurt!”
“Hmph! If you’re not scared of pain, then don’t get up!”
Du Hong was stunned, head buzzing, one cheek numb. This woman could really endure punishment.
Swinging both hands like a machine, Iron Pillar’s wife struck again and again, so forcefully that onlookers winced. Yet Du Hong endured, not breaking character.
Her hands aching, she twisted her wrist, a hint of a smile creeping onto her tear-streaked face. She finally had a legitimate reason to smack this shameless woman without punishment. Even if the chickens weren’t recovered today, it was worth it.
Zhao Shizhong, entangled by Ge Hongxia’s intervention, could do nothing.
Standing by the gate, Zhao Jianjun was initially stunned. By the time he realized what was happening and pushed the two women away, he was shocked at his mother’s pitiful state.
Du Hong’s face was swollen, looking like two dark-red buns. Her clenched hands trembled. She pointed at them furiously, words incoherent: “How dare you hit someone! This is destabilizing society—you need ideological education and reform!”
Everyone knew what “ideological reform” meant—Su Peilan had been a living example.
But these women were different. They had men backing them up, and they were saving someone. Why should they be scolded?
“Jianjun, don’t blame the good people! Me and your mother have a good relationship. If she hadn’t stayed unconscious, would I hit her? This isn’t hurting her—it’s to wake her up! Why don’t you recognize good intentions?”
Saying this, Iron Pillar’s wife cried again.
The crowd nodded—right, she was saving Du Hong, just a bit heavy-handed.
Xiaofang’s mother added: “Zhao kid, if we weren’t worried about your mother, we wouldn’t care what happens. We’d ignore it completely!”
Faced with his beloved’s mother, Zhao Jianjun was flustered and glared angrily at Iron Pillar’s wife.
Iron Pillar’s wife, tearful and indignant, sobbed: “Good deeds don’t get rewarded! If someone faints in the village, they either get a splash of water or a slap. You children don’t do your job, and instead you blame me? There’s no justice left!”
Everyone nodded repeatedly—she was right.
Lin Qiao, amidst the crowd, offered a practical but darkly humorous suggestion: “If your mother doesn’t wake up after all this, maybe we should just dig a hole and bury her?”