He Zhuzhu saw her daughter coming back with the fish soup, "Your sister Shuning is too clear about the distinction."

Mingming put the soup bowl on the dining table, and Goudan immediately leaned over to smell it, "When grandma was around, we could occasionally drink fish soup."

He Zhuzhu lowered her eyes. It wasn't just her mother-in-law who was most proficient in fishing skills. The only one who could be proficient in fishing was her deceased husband. Unfortunately, both of them were gone now, leaving them, an orphan and a widow, to depend on each other.

The sun has set, and the villagers who went to the town to pay their grain taxes in the afternoon have not returned yet.

Wang Shuning was sweating all over after eating a big bowl of boiled fish fillet. There were too many chili peppers in the dish, so it was very spicy.

After finishing the meal, she took the dishes to the well to wash. Just as she was about to change the water and clean the dishes one last time, Goudan, who had been playing outside after dinner, came running back, shouting, "Mom, Fengfeng's dad got into a fight and got beaten up badly."

Wang Shuning stopped washing dishes. Fight? Who is Fengfeng's father?

He Zhuzhu, who was wearing coarse cloth gloves and preparing to saw down the dead tree before it got dark, walked out of the hall and said, "Isn't labor meant to pay taxes to the town? Why would it involve fighting with others?"

Goudan shook his head and said he didn't know, with fear on his face, "Fengfeng's father had a white cloth tied around his head and blood on his body. He looked very scary, and it felt like he was about to die."

He Zhuzhu turned Goudan's head and pushed him into the house. "Don't talk nonsense, kid. Stay home. Mom will go out for a while."

Goudan slowly squatted down at the gate. He Guoyue came out and asked him, "Did Fengfeng's mother cry?"

Goudai thought about it for two seconds and shook his head, "No, Fengfeng's mom was barking the whole time, and Fengfeng's grandma seemed to be cursing, calling people bastards all the time."

Mingming turned around and went back to the house, "Then she wouldn't die. Mom cried so hard when grandma died."

Wang Shuning asked Goudan, "Who is Fengfeng?"

Goudan: "Uncle Laodong's son, my best friend."

"Who is that Uncle Labor?"

Goudan raised his eyebrows, "Grandpa Chunxi's son, Sister Shuning, don't you know?"

Wang Shuning suddenly realized that it was He Chunxi's son who was beaten.

"Shuning, Shuning."

Wang Shuning heard Zhang Meili's loud voice before she even entered the yard. She quickly poured out the dishwater in the basin, stood up and asked, "What's wrong?"

Zhang Meili took a breath and held her waist and said, "Zhao Heping was beaten up. His leg is tied with a splint. It is probably a fracture."

“…”

Wang Shuning was stunned. "Did the villagers who went to the town to pay their public grain in the afternoon have a conflict with others?"

Zhang Meili took a quick breath, "How did you know?"

"The people who were beaten were people who went to pay their taxes in the afternoon. One was a villager and the other was an educated youth. It must have been a group fight. Are there any other people injured?"

Zhang Meili pointed in the direction behind her and said, "I didn't see anyone else injured, but the village chief was taking other villagers to Guixi Village to seek justice. I saw He Daniu, He Xianfeng, and Uncle Chunxi holding hoes. They must be almost at the entrance of the village."

The educated youth who had lived in the city since childhood had never seen a group fight between villages, especially one involving so many people. In addition to curiosity, they also felt a little uneasy.

Wang Shuning immediately put the washed dishes into the basin and said, "Wait for me."

She put the basin in the kitchen, locked the door, and excitedly dragged Zhang Meili out.

Zhang Meili blinked, "You want to go too?"

"It's a good time to join in the fun, just to help digestion."

When the two arrived at the village entrance, Guo Jingyi, Liu Sicun, Zhao Leyi, Li Jiefang and Hu Haoguo were waiting there.

Guo Jingyi said: "Bei Chu is at home taking care of Zhao Heping and didn't come."

A few people quickened their pace, fearing that they would miss the fun.

As they walked, Liu Sicun said, "I heard that last year, due to the drought, Hongyang Village wanted to cut off the river water upstream. The two villages almost had a fight at that time. We arrived late and missed the fight. We didn't expect that they would have a fight with Guixi Village this time."

Zhang Meili: "I heard from Uncle Chunxi this morning that the leaders of Guixi Village are all young and strong, and they are very tall. Can the village chief and his men defeat them?"

When they arrived at the entrance of Guixi Village, they saw many people standing under the big locust tree at the entrance.

Wang Shuning immediately pulled Zhang Meili to hide in the bushes by the roadside. Seeing this, the others also hid and watched the fun.

Except for the two men, Li Jiefang and Hu Haoguo, the five women had never engaged in a group fight.

The two sides are in a standoff, and the line in the middle is like the boundary between Chu and Han on a chessboard, which cannot be crossed easily.

The village chief of Dafeng Village, He Haiming, and the village chief of Guixi Village, Wang Dongqiu, stood face to face. He Haiming had a serious face and his eyes were raised.

Wang Dongqiu supported He Haiming with his hands and asked him to calm down. "Village Chief He, what happened today was completely an accident. We didn't expect anyone to get hurt."

He Haiming pushed Wang Dongqiu's hand away forcefully. "Wang Dejun, who was driving, did it on purpose. He didn't let you cut in line, so he deliberately retaliated. He Laodong from our village got hit on the head and bled all over the floor. The doctor said it was a concussion. The new educated youth Zhao Heping broke his leg just one month after arriving. Accident? I think it was intentional."

"Village chief, don't waste time talking to them. Let Wang Dejun come out. We must seek justice for today's matter. Do they from Guixi Village really think that our Dafeng Village is easy to bully?" He Xianfeng picked up a hoe and hit the ground hard, and several pits were dug into the road.

Wang Dongqiu was very angry. He did not go on the afternoon trip because he saw that there was not enough food. Who knew that when he came back, he would be told that someone was injured. Not long after, someone came from the village to report that the villagers of Dafeng Village came to fight, and the village chief was the leader.

Although the young people in Guixi Village are not afraid of fighting, collective fights between villages are still rare. Especially since they were the ones who started this incident, people in Dafeng Village were actually injured, one of whom was an educated youth. If things go wrong, the situation may spread to the town and county.

Zhang Meili stretched her head and asked anxiously, "What are they talking about? Why haven't they started fighting yet?"

Wang Shuning could see He Haiming and Wang Dongqiu's mouths moving. "There's no way they can fight. The village chief brought so many people here just to show his strength. He Laodong and Zhao Heping were injured, so the other party must pay compensation. The more people they bring, the more attention the village will pay, and the more compensation the other party will have to pay."

Guo Jingyi echoed: "Group fighting is not a minor crime, unless He Haiming doesn't want to be the village chief anymore."

If a group fight goes wrong, the village cadres will definitely be the first to bear responsibility.

As they couldn't hear the voice clearly, the seven of them moved a little closer.

Wang Dongqiu also knew that this matter could not be resolved peacefully. "I will lock Wang Dejun up in the ancestral hall as soon as he comes back. I will personally bring him to apologize at dawn tomorrow. We will cover the medical expenses for He Laodong and Zhao Heping."

He Haiming frowned and reprimanded, "Medical expenses are what we should pay, and there are also lost wages, convalescent expenses, and mental damages. This injury will keep them from working for a month or two. They are all young people with a long life ahead of them. If they are left with sequelae, what will you let them do?"