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“Village Chief! You have to stand up for us!” Qian Guifen immediately accused, “That wretched woman, Li Xiulian, she... she seduced some wild man from outside! She even hurt my son!”
“You're talking nonsense!” I quickly retorted, clearly laying out the sequence of events, including how Wang Jianmin and his gang barged into my home and injured my father. I emphasized that Shen Junyan and I were merely discussing academic issues openly and honestly, while the Wang family was spreading false accusations and causing trouble!
Shen Junyan also stepped forward to testify. His arguments were coherent and heartfelt, vividly describing the Wang brothers' unreasonable behavior.
The villagers watching began to murmur among themselves. Although they enjoyed gossiping, most of them had a sense of justice. They were well aware of the Wang family's character. In contrast, they had seen my hard work and filial piety during this time, as well as Shen Junyan's good reputation as an Intellectual Youth.
Moreover, it was a fact that my father had been injured and that Wang Jianmin had barged into our home! The truth was becoming increasingly clear.
Zhao Laonian's expression darkened. He knew that if this matter was not handled properly, he would also be held accountable as the village chief. Especially at this critical time leading up to the college entrance examination, if news spread about an Intellectual Youth being assaulted or a candidate being falsely accused, it would attract unwanted attention from above—something he could not afford!
He shot a fierce glare at his daughter and then glanced at the Wang brothers, who were still groaning while holding their eyes. Finally, he composed himself and made a decision: “Enough! Everyone stop shouting! I see this as a misunderstanding! Wang Jianmin, you barged into the Li family and assaulted someone; that is wrong! Write an apology and submit it! You will cover the medical expenses! As for Li Xiulian and Shen Junyan…”
He paused to look at us. “Young people, you need to be mindful of your influence! Try not to run off to the back mountain too often to avoid unnecessary gossip!”
This muddled approach seemed to punish both sides equally but actually favored the Wang family!
I could not tolerate this!
“A misunderstanding?” I scoffed, my voice not loud but clear enough for everyone to hear. “Village Chief, this is not a misunderstanding! This is slander! This is defamation! This is mob violence! If they dared to barge into my home today and assault my father, what will stop them from committing murder or arson tomorrow? If we do not punish this severely, will there be any law left in our village?!”
I scanned the villagers present: “Fellow villagers! We are all law-abiding citizens! We cannot allow such evil behavior to run rampant! Today they are bullying me, Li Xiulian; tomorrow they might bully you!”
My words resonated strongly with many in attendance! Several people began nodding in agreement!
Zhao Laonian’s face grew even darker! He did not expect me to dare confront him publicly and incite the villagers!
At that moment, Shen Junyan spoke up as well, his voice calm yet powerful: “Village Chief Zhao, as an Intellectual Youth sent to the countryside in response to the national call, I am here to receive re-education from the poor and lower-middle class farmers and contribute to socialist construction. I did not come here to be falsely accused or assaulted! This matter is extremely serious! If the village does not provide a fair resolution, I reserve the right to report this situation to the Communal Association or even escalate it to the county level!”
Upon hearing this, Zhao Laonian was completely flustered! The issue concerning Intellectual Youth was no small matter! If it reached the county level, he could forget about being village chief!
After weighing the pros and cons, Zhao Laonian finally gritted his teeth and increased the penalties: Wang Jianmin and Wang Jianguo would not only have to pay for medical expenses but also publicly apologize and serve three days of confinement for deep reflection! The few ruffians who had joined in causing trouble were also taken away by the militia for a stern lesson!
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