Chapter 201: Misfortune
Kuai Shou snatched the carrying pole he had raised high, and Dong Da turned around to look at the person on the ground who was unknown if dead or alive, with blood smeared all over his face.
Regardless of whether the person was really fainted or faking it, he abandoned the tool in his hand and lifted his foot to stomp fiercely on the ground.
He targeted wherever there was more flesh!
Damn it, what the hell, the men of the Dong family weren’t dead yet. Since he dared to bully his sister in broad daylight, he didn’t think anyone would come rushing over like this!
Dong Ruolan, whose face had been licked and almost had her mouth licked too, saw her dad and three brothers, and immediately felt relieved in her heart. She clenched her sleeve and wiped fiercely at the wet spot on her face.
She rubbed her face until it was bright red, but still couldn’t hold back the intense disgust.
Was Zhang Yi a dog? He was so disgusting, using his tongue to lick her face!
“Wah woo~”
A faint bad breath smell still came from the tip of her nose, and Dong Ruolan, suddenly feeling unclean, burst into tears.
“Lan’er, don’t cry, don’t cry!”
He himself was so angry that his chest heaved violently, as if he might faint the next moment, but upon hearing his little daughter’s cry, Dong Fusheng immediately reacted and pulled the person squatting on the ground covering her face into his arms.
He habitually patted her back, coaxing her gently just like when she was little.
“Lan’er, don’t cry. Watch big brother avenge you. If I don’t beat him to death today, I’ll take your surname!”
“…”
He had run nonstop to the Dong family to report the news, then run all the way back.
Far behind the Dong family, Su Ning, panting heavily, felt a jolt in her heart upon hearing Dong Ruolan’s cry.
Afraid that something had happened because she hadn’t arrived in time, her legs that had gone soft as noodles suddenly surged with strength again, and she dashed over.
She glanced at the little girl crying in Dong Fusheng’s arms; her clothes were intact, and she let out that held breath heavily.
“Dong big brother, stop kicking! If you kick more, someone will really die!”
Even if Zhang Yi wasn’t an educated youth sent down to the countryside, just an ordinary poor commoner, beating him to death like this wouldn’t end well for him either.
One life for one life, and trading for such a dirty-hearted rotten-lunged person’s life would be too not worth it.
So after Dong Da stopped, Su Ning didn’t hesitate to step forward and check his condition. As long as he didn’t die, the rest—she wasn’t skilled in medicine, no way around it!
Not long after, Brigade Leader Su Qingshan and several other cadres from the team arrived.
After hearing what happened, and seeing the person lying on the ground beaten half to death, they all couldn’t help but spit and secretly curse “deserves it!”
Su Qingshan clasped his hands behind his back and gripped the pipe stem tightly, giving Dong Fusheng an eye signal. The two moved away from the crowd, one in front and one behind.
“Old Dong, how do you want to handle this?”
Take the person back to the commune and send him away; it would only dirty his file. If it were his own daughter, Su Qingshan would think such handling too light.
But it concerned the girl’s reputation; making a big fuss would mean even the victim would be gossiped about behind her back by the big mouths from ten miles and eight villages, unable to hold her head up.
She hadn’t married yet; after this, her marriage prospects would probably be difficult.
“This matter can’t be settled so simply!”
Last time he should have grabbed the carrying pole and beaten him until he was scared. Otherwise, how would he have the guts to pull off today’s stunt?
Dong Fusheng was so angry his teeth itched, he lifted his old eyes to glance at that dead fish, and viciously said, “We have to sue him to death!”
Worst case, recruit a son-in-law later; at most, he and her mom would raise her for life!
“Alright, I get what you mean.”
Hooliganism conviction meant heavy sentence, possibly even executed!
It would also serve as a warning to those dishonest educated youths, to alert them that the girls in their village weren’t for them to toy with as they pleased.
“Ning Ning, how is he?”
“A few broken bones, won’t die.”
“What about the head injury?”
So much blood smeared on his face—sure he won’t die?
“The head injury has stopped bleeding; after waking, there might be mild concussion, dizziness, nausea.”
That wasn’t a big deal then.
He beckoned for someone to tie up the person on the ground five flowers bound, and once confirmed he wouldn’t die, Su Qingshan relaxed.
“Big one.”
“Dad, I’m here.”
“You all take little sister home first, don’t let your mom worry. I’ll follow the brigade to the commune.”
Dong Da and the others nodded, helping up little sister who was still squatting on the ground.
“Sister Ning, thank you.”
Knowing that dad and brothers had arrived so timely because of her, Dong Ruolan felt both relieved and grateful.
If no one had seen, who knows what would have happened to her today.
After this incident, not just toward city educated youths, but toward men in general, Dong Ruolan felt she had a shadow.
At this time, they still didn’t know that Dong Ruolan was Zhang Yi’s fallback choice today, unintentionally shielding Su Ning from a disaster.
……
After helping as witness and giving statements, when the group returned grandly, it was already pitch black outside.
The snow that had stopped all day began falling heavily again, with a trend of getting bigger.
Standing under the big parasol tree on the side of the Su family old residence, Yan Bei’s hair and shoulders had a thin layer of white snow.
Only after the people who escorted her back turned and walked far did he quickly step forward and reveal himself, “Ning Ning.”
“Why are you here?”
She stopped unlocking, and Su Ning turned back in shock. Seeing him come from the left side, a trace of reproach appeared in her eyes, “Why not enter through the backyard small door and wait inside?”
“I just came out too.”
The tips of his hair had formed ice, showing how long he had foolishly stood there waiting.
She tiptoed and reached up to brush off the snow from his hair and eyebrows, then held his hand, “Why so cold?”
“It’s nothing, I’m a big man with strong inner fire, not cold at all.”
“Your mouth is the hardest part of your whole body.”
“Cough.” Well, not necessarily.
His eyes flickered, and Yan Bei slightly turned his face so she wouldn’t notice the anomaly behind his ear.
They quickly entered the room; the firewood in the kitchen fire basin wasn’t burning strongly, and the water bottle for boiling water hung on the iron hook.
He poured a cup of hot water for her to hold and warm her hands, then Yan Bei busied himself lighting the stove to cook her something hot.
“What do you want to eat?”
“Noodles.”
“Okay.”
His skill at lighting fire and cooking grew more proficient; in no time, Yan Bei brought a bowl of cooked noodles.
On top was a golden fried egg, underneath laid cured sausage bits and a few vegetable leaves.
The local mountain pepper oil plus green onions and cilantro, indescribably fragrant.
Having not eaten lunch until now, the starved Su Ning smiled at him, didn’t fuss, sat by the fire basin holding the big bowl and slurped it down heartily.
One bowl of hot noodle soup down, full and warm.
“How is it? Full?”
“Delicious, full.”
Yan Bei took the empty bowl and chopsticks with a smile, got up to wash them clean, then tidied the stove.
Only then did he sit down beside her and softly ask about today’s events.
With no intention to hide, Su Ning told him everything that happened in detail.
Upon hearing the end, about Zhang Yi’s confession at the police station, Yan Bei’s face successfully darkened, grim as water, the chill emanating from him even lower than the outside falling snow.
“Did Accountant Dong say anything?”
Any sensible person knows this isn’t her fault; blame only the one who did bad things.
But bystanders see clearly; when it happens to oneself, few keep that rationality.
Zhang Yi’s outcome is already doomed not to be good, but the Dong family is in this village, seeing each other often; if there’s real filth…
Yan Bei subconsciously gripped the hand on his knee: he didn’t want to become something that could attack her, even if just possible.
“Uncle Dong didn’t say much, even told me not to take it to heart, said things always consider the sequence.”
It was Dong Ruolan who was supposed to go there, and because she did, it gave Zhang Yi the opportunity.
Fortunately, no irreparable big event happened, and Zhang Yi got his retribution.
“That educated youth was right; Ning Ning, for people you haven’t seen or aren’t familiar with, even urgent cases, you can’t go alone.”
No need to have ill intentions toward others, but must guard against them.
“Okay.”
“So obedient.”
Seeing her nod and agree without hesitation, so well-behaved it made his hands itch, Yan Bei couldn’t help but smile in his eyes and reached up to pat her head.
“Why do I feel like you’re teasing Little Round Circle?”
……
Dong family.
Just home and not yet caught breath, Dong Fusheng was yanked by his wife with such force it seemed she wanted to pinch off the flesh on his hand.
“How’d it go, old man? Can that dog thing get heavy sentence?”
“No escape!”
“Serves him right! Stinking heart and liver grown maggots, dog bastard thing!”
Cursing through gritted teeth, she spat, and Ruolan’s Mother truly hated not going with them, otherwise she’d have clawed that face to pieces!
Even having a good plot of land would count as her failing!
