Li Changgui frowned. “Weren’t all the onlookers here just now?”
“Yes, the witnesses are all here,” Xu Suyu answered gently. She turned and crouched in front of the children. “You’re all children of servicemen — our country’s little future heroes. You wouldn’t lie or help bad people bully good people, would you?”
The smallest-looking boy immediately thumped his chest. “No! My dad is a real soldier. I never lie.”
“Then can you tell the police officer: did Li Baoxiang bully me just now?”
The child ran straight up to the officer. “Just now that sister was sitting by the lake. Brother Baoxiang ran over and started talking to her. She was really scared and begged Grandma and the others to call the police. Brother Baoxiang grabbed her, and she struggled and shouted for help. Then Brother Jiang came and kicked him into the lake.”
The child’s grandmother panicked and reached to clamp his mouth. “You little brat, don’t talk nonsense.”
Another child spoke up at once. “Granny Chen, Er Zhu isn’t lying. Li Baoxiang did bully people. My granny said he was wicked and was harassing the young girls. Aunty Jiao and Aunty Liu were here too, but Li Baoxiang scared them off.”
“That’s right. My granny said people like Li Baoxiang ought to be pickled to behave,” another little girl chimed in, not knowing what “castrate” meant and thinking it was like pickling vegetables. “But Granny, he’s so big—he won’t fit in a pickle jar.”
The old woman snapped, teeth bared. “Shut up! Be quiet.”
The grandmothers’ faces went through every shade of awkwardness.
Xu Suyu tousled the three kids’ cheeks, reached into her school bag, and handed each a handful of fruit candies. “Thank you, little heroes, for telling the truth and protecting an innocent victim.”
The children, candy in hand and feeling heroic, lit up.
Li Changgui’s expression darkened. “They’re children. Their testimony can’t be counted.”
Xu Suyu replied calmly, “Those elders were cowed and pressured by your position and dared not tell the truth. Children, however, are the purest— they don’t lie. Their statements are the most reliable.”
Li Baoxiang stamped his foot. “Their words can’t be treated as evidence. I was just joking with Comrade Xu — I never harassed her!”
The standoff couldn’t continue forever. Just as the police were about to take everyone down to the station, Old General Jiang hobbled over with his cane.
Seeing him, Li Changgui’s annoyance gave way to protocol; he came forward and saluted. “Old General, why are you here?”
“If I didn’t come, I wouldn’t know you were abusing your power and bullying my granddaughter-in-law right in front of me,” the General said. He had heard what happened and watched two rounds of witnesses from the crowd; it made him furious.
Li Changgui started to explain. “Old General, there’s been a misunderstanding—”
“I don’t want to hear you.” General Jiang looked toward the younger eyewitnesses. “You say what happened. One of you and your grandson must be lying. If the statements don’t match, we’ll take this to the military district and get it sorted.”
The old woman’s resolve crumbled under the General’s pressure. At the same time, the little grandson piped up, “Granny, my dad hates liars. If you lie today, even my dad will think you’re wrong.”
The woman closed her eyes, sighed, and told the police, “I lied. What my grandson said is true. Li the chief intimidated us. If we’d told the truth, my son would have been affected, and we couldn’t risk that.”
Once one person flipped, the others fell in line and told the truth.
With the facts clear, the police naturally arrested Li Baoxiang.
Li Baoxiang panicked. “I was only joking with Comrade Xu! People in this compound all know I love to joke. Let’s settle this privately.”
Xu Suyu stood firm. “A ‘joke’ is only acceptable if both parties find it funny and it’s not offensive. I don’t even know you. You said those invasive, lecherous things and then grabbed me. That harmed me greatly. I will not accept a private settlement.”
Li Changgui quickly said, “Even if my son was wrong, Jiang Zhun hit him too. If you won’t settle, I can press charges against Jiang Zhun for intentional injury.”
Jiang Zhun scoffed, “Go ahead and report me. You think I’m scared—”
Xu Suyu cut him off. “Report if you like. Your son molested a woman he didn’t know. Jiang Zhun was acting righteously — the upright have no fear of their own shadow.”
She looked to the police. “I hope, after you investigate, you’ll commend Comrade Jiang for acting bravely. If we don’t recognize those who stand up to injustice, who will still have the courage to do it next time?”
The officers answered Xu Suyu, “We’ll investigate thoroughly. Those who should be punished will be.”
They led the struggling, wailing Li Baoxiang away.
Li Baomei rushed forward and blocked them, crying out toward the Jiang family, “It was only a few jokes — why are you making this a big deal? If Comrade Xu can’t take a few jabs from my brother, then fine—my brother will just marry her.”
Li Baoxiang nodded frantically, but before he could say more, Jiang Zhun sneered with contempt. “Ugh — damn yam-fiend. Even if Xu Suyu never marries, she wouldn’t pick a toad like you. Get lost!”
Li Baoxiang was taken away; the Li father and daughter hurried after him to deal with matters.
Old General Jiang patted Xu Suyu reassuringly on the shoulder. “Good child. Are you all right?”
“I’m fine, Grandpa. Jiang Zhun showed up in time and protected me.”
“Good, good. This boy finally did something decent.”
Jiang Zhun puffed up: “Old man, just praise me plainly. Don’t be so coy — I can take it.”
The General shot him a look. “Get out of my sight. Suyu was frightened. Take her home to rest. I’m going to the unit now.”
Xu Suyu guessed what the General planned to do at the unit and asked softly, “Grandpa, did I make trouble for the household?”
“What trouble? It’s foolish to suffer in silence and let wrongdoing go unchecked. You did the right thing.”
“That’s right. Suyu, remember — you’re part of my Jiang Zhun’s household now. You’ve got to stand up for yourself. You can’t be bullied into tears.”
Looking at the warm, protective General and at Jiang Zhun, Xu Suyu felt a knot in her chest loosen a little since her rebirth.
After the General left, Jiang Zhun put his hand on her shoulder. “Sister, did I do well just now? Reward me with something.”
Xu Suyu didn’t answer directly. She looked up at him seriously. “Jiang Zhun, power is a wonderful thing.”
“Of course power is great.”
“But if you’re not someone who holds power, that power will turn into a great stone pressing down on you or a knife swinging at you. Even if you’re the victim, you’ll be torn apart like just now. Are you willing to accept that?”
Jiang Zhun stared at Xu Suyu’s intense gaze and felt the remark land oddly: “W-What do you mean by that?”