Xu Youtian hurriedly sent someone to fetch Secretary Xu and the brigade leader, and also told them to summon the militia.
He refused to believe that the Xu family would simply let Zhou Ye and his wife beat them up.
Xu Yongguo didn’t dare step forward.
Instead, he quickly ran outside to hide. Judging by the way Hong Shanpang usually fought, he was afraid he would end up dead at Zhou Ye’s hands.
After hearing what had happened, Secretary Xu and the brigade leader were furious.
“They’re actually trying to ruin their own daughter-in-law’s reputation? They deserve to be taught a lesson by Zhou Ye!”
The young man who had delivered the message frowned.
“Secretary Xu, if you don’t go now, someone might actually die.”
Secretary Xu refused to send the militia.
“The brigade leader and I will go ourselves. Bring Director Tang along too.”
“But… Uncle Youtian said Zhou Ye is fighting viciously. He told us to bring the militia.”
Secretary Xu glared at him.
“Who does Xu Youtian think he is? He wants the militia to deal with Zhou Ye for him?
Do you even know what Zhou Ye’s position is in the military? A bunch of farmers who spend their days facing the dirt think they can lay hands on a military officer?”
Secretary Xu had originally thought Zhou Ye was only a squad leader.
But one of his distant relatives who worked at the county’s Armed Forces Department had told him that Zhou Ye from Xu Brigade had become a regimental commander in the Qingyang City Navy.
Over the past few years, he had earned several First-Class Merits at sea.
He had even gone to military academy for further training. His future was limitless.
Secretary Xu certainly didn’t dare offend him.
He hurried out, only to hear his wife calling after him.
“Dinner’s almost ready! Where are you going now?”
“It’s an emergency! Who has time for dinner?”
…
Su Xiaoqi pinned Yang Xiaolin to the ground as memories of every beating she had suffered flooded back.
She slapped Yang Xiaolin mercilessly and drove her elbows repeatedly into the soft parts of her body.
Yang Xiaolin squealed like a pig waiting to be slaughtered.
Xu Meizhen had already hidden herself away.
Only Xu Youtian and Yang Huaihua cursed as they charged forward.
Normally, since everyone in the brigade shared the surname Xu, they should have united against Zhou Ye.
But the old Xu couple were simply too despicable.
On top of that, Xu Youtian was ruthless and had a terrible reputation in the village.
Unless someone actually died,
no one wanted to get involved.
Old Xu Six shouted from the side,
“Zhou Ye! It’s me, Old Six! Beat them half to death if you have to—but don’t kill anyone!”
Old Xu Six had been Zhou Ye’s childhood sidekick.
They had grown up together.
By the time Secretary Xu and the brigade leader reached the gate,
Xu Yonghua had already been dragged out of the latrine.
The miserable man burst into tears as a white maggot crawled out of one of his nostrils.
Everyone who saw it immediately gagged.
“Blech…”
“Xu Yonghua, you must’ve really been hungry,” Old Xu Six mocked while trying not to laugh himself to death. “If you’re into that sort of thing, my outhouse has plenty more.”
Several villagers squatted in the Xu family’s vegetable plot laughing hysterically.
Others leaned against trees, laughing so hard their missing teeth whistled.
“Yang Xiaolin usually laughs so much. Why isn’t she laughing today? Was she actually born unable to smile?”
Grinning, Su Xiaoqi said,
“Yang Xiaolin has switched to the crying route.”
Secretary Xu and the brigade leader rushed over.
Seeing the pitiful state of Xu Yonghua and Yang Xiaolin, they struggled to suppress their laughter and forced themselves to maintain the dignity expected of village officials.
“Zhou Ye, what’s going on here?”
Zhou Ye flexed his fists.
“Secretary Xu, I’m protective of my own people. Yang Xiaolin beat my wife, so I beat her husband. Sounds fair to me.”
The brigade leader sighed.
“Nothing wrong with that. But… you can’t beat them every single time you see them.”
Su Xiaoqi’s eyes lit up.
“The brigade leader’s suggestion is excellent.”
The brigade leader was speechless.
Secretary Xu shot him a glare.
“If you don’t know what to say, then keep your mouth shut.”
Su Xiaoqi repeated everything she had overheard Yang Huaihua and the others plotting.
The more she spoke, the more horrifying it sounded.
“Secretary Xu, Zhou Ye heard it all. With his temper, do you think he could possibly endure that?”
Zhou Ye raised an eyebrow.
Temper?
Secretary Xu was so angry that he pointed at Xu Youtian, spraying him with spit as he scolded him.
“You old fool! You’ve really outdone yourself!”
Su Xiaoqi then raised her voice.
“Xu Meizhen isn’t even married yet, and she’s already so vicious…”
The villagers immediately broke into heated discussion.
Yang Huaihua felt as though her heart had shattered.
She had always said that educated girls from the city were the worst.
Xu Youtian had always treasured his reputation above all else.
Now Zhou Ye and Su Xiaoqi had thrown it to the ground and stomped all over it.
His deeply wrinkled face looked like a deflated balloon.
“Zhou Ye… I’ve raised you all these years. Tell me, what do you want?”
Zhou Ye thought for a moment.
“Let’s sever all family ties.”
“No!”
Yang Huaihua immediately refused.
Back then, the Zhou family hadn’t allowed her to take Zhou Ye and Zhou Zheng with her.
She had secretly fled with the two brothers anyway.
“I worked so hard to raise both of you. Don’t even think about cutting ties with me.”
“I’ll go to your military unit and hang myself there!”
Su Xiaoqi reached out toward Old Xu Six.
“Old Six, go find a rope.”
He froze.
“What for?”
“My greatest flaw is that I’m too kind. Since my mother-in-law wants to hang herself, shouldn’t I help her as her daughter-in-law?”
She pointed toward a crooked tree nearby.
“I’ve calculated it. That spot has the best feng shui. She might as well hang herself there.”
Yang Huaihua suddenly felt as though a rope had already tightened around her neck.
Her face turned green as she burst into tears.
“Heavens! What sins have I committed? My own son and daughter-in-law are forcing me to die!”
Su Xiaoqi spread her hands.
“Secretary Xu, do you think she really wants to die or not?”
Of course everyone knew Yang Huaihua was only threatening suicide to force Zhou Ye into giving in.
No one expected Su Xiaoqi to dismantle the threat so effortlessly.
“Enough.”
Secretary Xu waved dismissively.
“Youtian’s wife, stop putting on an act.”
“Aren’t you ashamed of yourself?”
He then asked Su Xiaoqi what compensation she wanted.
After thinking it over, she decided that money mattered most.
To the Xu family, their savings were their greatest source of confidence.
Take away that confidence…
Then this remarried family probably wouldn’t remain so harmonious.
“Compensation.”
“No way!” Yang Huaihua exploded.
Su Xiaoqi didn’t get angry.
“Secretary Xu, you all can go home. We’ll stop here today.”
She was being this reasonable?
Something felt off.
Smiling like a sly little fox about to pull a prank, Su Xiaoqi said,
“Tomorrow we’ll start another round of beatings. Village life is so boring. Everyone should come early to watch.”
Some villagers who were close to Xu Youtian couldn’t stand hearing that.
“This is men’s business. What’s a woman like you running your mouth for?”
“I think being sent to the countryside for re-education was too light a punishment. Someone like you should’ve been sent to the northwest for hard labor.”
“Our Xu family won’t let you bully us!”
Su Xiaoqi picked up a stick and charged straight at them.
Zhou Ye followed behind her.
Whenever one of the men tried to fight back, Zhou Ye blocked them so Su Xiaoqi could continue beating them.
Three or four men each took several hard blows.
Even their own brothers didn’t dare intervene.
Not even Secretary Xu, who usually protected his fellow villagers, said a word.
After all, they weren’t fools.
“Call the militia!” one of the beaten old men shouted.
Everyone turned toward Secretary Xu.
His face darkened.
“You think you can summon the militia whenever you want?”
Then he turned to Zhou Ye and Su Xiaoqi.
“Zhou Ye, Educated Youth Su, listen to your uncle for a moment.”
Looking at Zhou Ye, he continued,
“Can we sit down and talk this out?”
After a long discussion,
they finally reached an agreement.
Xu Youtian and Yang Huaihua would compensate Su Xiaoqi with three hundred yuan.
They hated every second of it.
They couldn’t bear to part with the money.
Inwardly, Yang Huaihua viciously cursed Zhou Ye, wishing he would die in his next mission without even leaving a body behind.
She also cursed Su Xiaoqi, hoping she’d be assaulted by hooligans, lose her honor, and then be sold off.
Secretary Xu spent another half hour patiently persuading everyone.
Only then was the matter finally settled.
Yang Huaihua still refused to sever family ties.
Su Xiaoqi hadn’t truly expected it anyway.
Trying to use blood ties as a tool for moral blackmail meant nothing to someone like her, who had no intention of being morally bound.
The people of Xu Brigade had enjoyed quite a spectacle.
They also realized that Secretary Xu clearly valued Zhou Ye.
At the same time, many began to doubt whether Zhou Ye was really just a mere squad leader.
That very night,
news of Su Xiaoqi’s exploits spread throughout the educated youth residence.
Shen Ruhua blocked Xia Wenjie’s path.
“Comrade Wenjie, are you going to see Su Xiaoqi?”
Xia Wenjie answered coldly,
“That’s none of your business.”
“I advise you not to go. Back when Su Xiaoqi liked you, you treated her like dirt. Now you’re looking for her again… Aren’t you afraid her husband will be unhappy?”
Xia Wenjie adjusted his glasses.
“Who told you I was going to see Educated Youth Su?”
“Good. Better not.”
Shen Ruhua smiled and turned away.
Watching her leave, Xia Wenjie’s face darkened with malice.
He turned around and went back to his room.
Meanwhile, Su Xiaoqi sneakily dragged Zhou Ye into their room.
She poked her head outside, looked around cautiously, then quickly shut the door.
She looked exactly like someone about to commit a crime.
Zhou Ye was speechless.
“…Are you planning to steal something?”