Side Story 1: Junjun's New Life (Part 2)

Side Story 1: Junjun's New Life (Part 2)

The weather at the end of June was unbearably hot.

Old Zhou rode a large bicycle under the scorching sun, wearing a straw hat on his head. Sweat poured down his forehead like rain, soaking his old undershirt.

After leaving the village brigade, he passed by more than a dozen houses, where four or five women were holding children and resting under the elm trees in front of their houses.

Upon seeing him arrive, the woman at the head of the group greeted him, "Secretary Zhou! Where are you going? It's unbearably hot. Do you want to rest your feet and have a slice of watermelon?"

The road ahead had been recently paved with gravel, but this time the gravel was not fine and the pieces were large, causing pedestrians and vehicles to complain about the bumpy ride. So Old Zhou stopped the car, took off his straw hat and shook off his sweat in the shade by the roadside, and replied, "No, no, don't bother me, I'm going to Shuibi Bay soon."

Another woman asked, "Is it still that same thing? Sigh, it's been so long..."

Old Zhou didn't say much, just smiled and said, "We need to discuss this properly—oh, don't take the watermelon, Little Red's mom, I don't eat it. I'm leaving now, thank you for your trouble."

The women forced the melon into his hands, saying, "Eat it in two bites, and it'll cool you down. Don't run around in this weather; getting heatstroke is no small matter."

Unable to refuse their enthusiasm, Lao Zhou quickly ate the watermelon while standing, wiped his mouth hastily, and said, "You guys keep chatting, I'm leaving."

The woman at the front put down the child she was holding and stepped forward: "Secretary, hey..."

Her face held a touch of embarrassed simplicity, and her voice, unlike her usual loud tone, was lowered as she carefully said, "Logically, we shouldn't be talking nonsense. We're not from Shuibi Bay either. But Yanzi and I have been studying together since we were little. She's the kindest and most gentle person. Now that the little girl is going to her house on her own, it's fate. To put it bluntly, if she were really with Yanzi, she might be much better off than if she stayed at home... There's no one else here. We're just having a private chat with the leader. Secretary, you've come back and forth so many times, you probably already know what kind of person that guy surnamed Fang is, right?"

Old Zhou felt an even heavier burden on his shoulders as several women looked at him with such earnestness.

He wiped the sweat from his neck and lowered his voice, saying, "Ladies, I know what you're all saying. Isn't it because we wanted to discuss things properly that it's taken so long? Today, not only am I going, but also the elders from both families, and Teacher Fang. It was so hard to get him to take a day off to come home so we could all sit down and talk properly... Sigh, we were supposed to talk about it a couple of days ago, but then Xiao Niannian wasn't feeling well and was getting an IV drip at the clinic, and Xiao Junjun was seriously injured and probably got scared. She cries and screams whenever she sees strangers. It's so sad. Master Cheng even found some superstitious methods for her... Sigh, I'll stop here. I hope we can get things sorted out today. I'm leaving now. You can continue enjoying the cool air."

Having said that, the women couldn't stop him any longer. Seeing him get on the bike, they told him to ride slowly.

After they had gone some distance, they sat down under the tree again and whispered about the Cheng and Fang families.

—Fang Junjun, the granddaughter of the Fang family, was beaten by her grandmother and ended up in the river. She then swam directly to the Cheng family's house on the other side, just like Cheng Qiuyan, who jumped into the river with her child ten years ago. This incident caused a huge uproar, and even after almost a month, the surrounding villages are still discussing it. The village has mediated countless times, but there's still no resolution.

Old Zhou felt uneasy and was much more agitated than usual while riding his bike. He bounced around two river bends and finally arrived at this secluded corner of Shuibi Bay.

A sunshade had been installed in the Cheng family's courtyard, with a table set up underneath where three or four men were sitting. Upon hearing the car, Lin Guohui got up first, went to the gate, and greeted, "Secretary Zhou is here."

Old Zhou laughed and said, "Hey, they're here." Then he asked, "Has everyone else arrived?"

“Captain Wang and Lanlan arrived early, and my eldest and second great-uncle are here too,” Lin Guohui took his hat, frowned slightly as he looked at the cracked straw on the brim, “Secretary, thank you for making this trip in this heat again today.”

Old Zhou: "Oh, it's only right."

The Captain Wang that Lin Guohui mentioned was the captain of this area back when there were still production teams. Although he has stepped down, his influence remains undiminished, and he is still highly respected. Lanlan is the village's young women's director, surnamed Shi. The eldest and second great-uncle are the elders of Master Cheng's previous generation. They are not closely related by blood, but they are the only remaining elders in the clan.

Old Zhou entered the courtyard, greeted the group, and sat down. Granny Cheng poured him some tea, which he quickly accepted and thanked her for.

He asked Master Cheng, "Old Cheng, how's the little girl?"

Master Cheng said, “Secretary, I’m not afraid to tell you this, but Yanzi’s mother and Guohui’s aunt both said that the little girl was frightened and needed to see a superstitious person. I thought it couldn’t hurt, so yesterday I went to Goucao Bay and found a superstitious person. She didn’t even see the little girl’s face. She just did some work by the water’s edge and in front of their door. And believe it or not, she really didn’t make a fuss last night and slept soundly all night.”

The two old men had completely white hair, but were in good spirits. At their age, they were still quite superstitious, so they agreed, saying, "These things are unpredictable. Although we talk about science now, who cares if it works or not? We shouldn't eat or drink anything recklessly. If this trip can help the little one get a good night's sleep, then it's worth it."

Old Zhou downed a cup of tea to moisten his dry throat, and casually agreed, "Worth it, worth it. Hey, is Lanlan inside?"

Grandma Cheng came over to add water for him and replied, "He's inside. He wants to talk to Xiao Junjun. Xiao Junjun got up this morning and had breakfast with her sister. She doesn't have a fever anymore."

Old Zhou breathed a sigh of relief and said, "That's good. Last night I asked Old Yuan at the clinic, and he said that his little Niannian doesn't have a fever anymore and doesn't need an IV drip."

Grandma Cheng didn't respond.

Master Cheng and the two uncles remained silent.

Seeing that everyone was in an awkward silence, Lin Guohui said, "Oh, that's fine then."

Old Zhou felt a little embarrassed.

The adults were easy to handle after so many mediations, but the main problem was that Fang Junjun herself was determined not to leave the Cheng family. The last few times when Grandma Fang and Wang Jing came, she lost control of her emotions as soon as she saw her grandmother and mother, shouting, crying and vomiting, which looked very pitiful.

Today's mediation is a serious one, and everyone hopes to resolve this matter completely. In fact, the matter is not difficult at all.

Fang Junjun wants to stay in the Cheng family, the Cheng family wants her too, and the Fang family might not necessarily refuse to let her stay.

Most importantly, some things are not easy to talk about openly. If Grandma Fang hits the child, it's just discipline, which is how children are disciplined? But if we take it seriously, the bruises and Fang Junjun's current mental state are enough to warrant calling the police.

Everyone in the village knows that Old Mrs. Fang had a terrible temper back then. Her daughter and son were both beaten, and no one dared to say a word. It was a family matter.

The village was considering Fang's feelings and wanted to resolve the matter amicably. Besides, the two families lived across the river from each other, and it wouldn't be good if things got too out of hand.

After waiting a while longer, Teacher Fang finally returned.

Old Zhou called Captain Wang and Lanlan, and together they went to the Fang family's house to gather everyone, including little Fang Yuenian. Back in the Cheng family's courtyard, the two families, young and old, sat down on opposite sides, with the village leaders in the middle and the elders on either side as witnesses. Lin Guohui then closed the courtyard gate.

Old Zhou cleared his throat and first asked Cheng Qiuyan, "Um, Yanzi, how is Xiao Junjun doing now?"

Cheng Qiuyan felt nauseous just looking at Old Lady Fang, but she forced herself to stay alert and said, "You don't have a fever this morning, thank goodness."

Wang Jing opened her mouth, wanting to ask more about her daughter's condition, but Xiao Fang Yuenian squeezed out of her arms, struggled and ran away. When she reached the gate of the courtyard and found that there was nowhere to go, she stopped and cried.

"All you do is cry!" Old Mrs. Fang scolded, "Get back here and die!"

Wang Jing glanced at her mother-in-law with a stern face, but probably because there were so many people around, she didn't say anything back. She chased after Fang Yuenian and pulled her back, coaxing, "Don't run around, be good, adults are talking."

Looking at Fang Yuenian's patient and considerate attitude, Cheng Qiuyan felt even more annoyed when she thought of Fang Junjun. But when she turned around unintentionally, she saw her son, Cheng Bing, standing quietly by the door, looking at the adults in the yard.

“Go back,” Cheng Qiuyan waved to him, “go find your sister.”

Xiao Chengbing blinked her beautiful big eyes, looking at Fang Yuenian struggling in Wang Jing's hands, her eyes full of confusion.

Lin Guohui also saw his son and said to his wife, "Bring him over too, it won't hurt to listen to him."

Cheng Qiuyan then went over, took little Cheng Bing's hand, and whispered, "Bingbing, the adults are talking, so you should listen to your mother. Be a good girl, okay?"

Xiao Chengbing asked, "We won't send Sister Junjun away, right?"

The child's voice was innocent and childlike, yet it stunned all the adults present.

Xiao Fang Yue Nian forgot to struggle and secretly looked at Xiao Cheng Bing, lost in thought.

Cheng Qiuyan picked up Cheng Bing and sat down with the others.

Seeing that the little one had calmed down, Old Zhou continued, "Today, the elders from both sides, as well as your parents and young people, are all here. The village wants to mediate properly and try to get things settled as soon as possible. Our village will definitely consider Junjun's wishes first. Although she is only eight years old, we're talking about her full age. She's not completely ignorant. Both families know her situation. As adults, we can't upset her too much."

That was clear enough. Old Zhou's gaze fell on Old Lady Fang's face, making her shrink back a little awkwardly.

Shi Lanlan, however, was not as tactful as Lao Zhou. She coughed and said, "Hongya's mother, you are an elderly person. Don't think that I, a young person, am disrespecting you. This is not how you discipline the little one. We have mediated many cases of husbands beating their wives in our village. These are not trivial matters. If they get out, it will be bad for everyone."

Grandma Fang couldn't take such words lying down, and her face immediately turned red. "Leaders, you...you guys shouldn't make it so serious! How did I hurt her? The little one is disobedient, so she needs to be hit..."

“You can’t hit her like that!” Shi Lanlan interrupted her. “Little Junjun’s physical injuries may heal, but how is she mentally? She’s scared out of her wits. Other girls go to school looking beautiful, but she’s eight years old and still not in school. What are you thinking? I came to your house the year before last when elementary school started, asking you to send her to school. You said she was petty and should wait a year. I came again last year, and you still said to wait a year. Hongya’s mother, this isn’t the old society anymore. How can you not send your child to school?”

Captain Wang knew that Shi Lanlan had always been concerned about the girls' education in the village, so he quickly smoothed things over after she had spoken a bit harshly, saying, "Alright, alright, Lanlan, let's not talk about this for now. There's still a month before primary school starts this year. Once we've settled things here, Xiao Junjun will naturally be able to go to school."

Shi Lanlan snorted coldly, turned her face away, and remained silent.

Old Zhou then looked at Teacher Fang and said, "Teacher Fang, you are an educated person and too busy with work. The village doesn't want to take up your time, but if you ask me, you are the head of the family, and we must go through you for this matter today."

Without his glasses, Teacher Fang lost some of his intellectual air, and his ashen face made him appear somewhat cold and stern.

But after Lao Zhou finished speaking, he immediately agreed: "Yes, Secretary, you're right. It's also our fault for troubling the village with our family's affairs."

Old Zhou: "There's no need to say these things. This is what we should do. You are a teacher in the town, and Master Cheng is a master craftsman in the village. I have a good memory. I remember you were classmates when you were young, right? So we are all acquaintances. Everyone here is family from both sides. I won't beat around the bush and will just say what I have to say."

Upon hearing this, Master Cheng looked up and exchanged a glance with his former friend and in-law.

Teacher Fang looked away the instant their eyes met.

"Hmph," Master Cheng thought coldly to himself. "He's an intellectual, and I'm just a carpenter. What can my old classmate say? If he were a good person, he would have lost two Sun girls."

Old Zhou knew that the two of them had a grudge because of their children's marriages, but this matter was just tangled up together, and there was nothing he could do about it.

He said, “Teacher Fang, Fang Wu, let’s not go into the details of what happened. We’ve also made the village’s opinion clear. After all, Xiao Junjun is your family’s daughter. If you insist on taking her back, then no matter what, the right is in your family’s hands, and no one can take her away from you. But let me make this clear: if Hongya’s mother beats the little one again, or if Xiao Junjun still can’t go to school this September, then the village will definitely be in trouble. Lanlan and the Women’s Federation can’t just stand by and do nothing. If it gets reported to the town, things will be difficult to handle. Is that alright?”

Grandma Fang pointed at Old Zhou as if she wanted to say something, but Teacher Fang glared at her fiercely.

Old Zhou then said to Wang Jing, "Wang Jing, Lanlan told me about your difficulties. Your Xiao Niannian is also not in good health. Our idea is to take Xiao Junjun back now. You need to take good care of her and it would be best to take her to a big hospital for a check-up. Her condition is really not right. I'm afraid she has some mental problems. This matter can be serious or minor, so we can't be negligent."

Fang Wu found this unbelievable and said, "Secretary, aren't you exaggerating? She fell into the water and got a fright, and now she's mentally unstable? She's always been like this; she's not close to us at home, we're like enemies..."

"Shut up!" Teacher Fang shouted, "What nonsense are you spouting!"

Wang Jing was actually going to scold her husband, but Teacher Fang beat her to it, and she caught her words in her throat, her face turning red.

Not only was Teacher Fang angry, but the two great-uncle men from the Cheng family also couldn't stand it anymore, saying, "A seven or eight-year-old girl, is she born to treat her own family as enemies? I'm an old man and I may be harsh, but how well do you think Junjun gets along with our Xiaoxiao? Why doesn't she think about jumping into the river when she's in our house?"

Fang Wu was speechless, but Old Madam Fang was furious. She retorted, "You elders need to be responsible for your words! I can't control your Xiaoxiao, but Xiaojunjun is a member of the Fang family. I refuse to believe that anyone can snatch someone else's child like this! Enough talk, let's go! Call Fang Junjun out here and come to my house!" Author's Note: Thank you to Bole 9492239 (9492239) for your support! For more exciting content, please leave a message for this book on Liancheng Reading.