After thinking it over carefully, she felt that things were not simple. So, like the mantis stalking the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind, she, the oriole, followed behind and overheard most of what was going on. She guessed that Sun Li must have been plotting something against her, and that Fang Da and Zheng Yang had somehow gotten together and joined forces to deal with Sun Li.
She looked at the two people not far away with complicated eyes, and quietly went back without disturbing her grandmother. She lay in her bed and couldn't fall asleep. She wasn't surprised that Sun Li had plotted against her, but Fang Da's behavior made her feel uneasy.
She knew about Fang Da's feelings for her, but she never expected him to go to such lengths for her without ever saying a word in front of her. The little boy who used to follow her around when she was a child was now actually protecting her.
Jiang Ruyu thought of Zheng Yang again. She could also imagine that everything these two people did today was for her, and that if they weren't careful, they would end up in jail. What did she do to deserve such treatment from them?
Unable to fall asleep, she sat up, thinking that Fang Da was going to the countryside tomorrow. She took out a cloth bag and started picking through her system backpack. There was nothing else she could do but try her best to bring him some things, hoping that he would have a better life in the countryside.
She prepared several packs of cigarettes for Fang Da, whether for her own consumption or as a gift, and also brought two bottles of Xifeng liquor. Not knowing Fang Da's size, she could only give him a large piece of cloth, about ten feet long, which was still a gift from the signing ceremony.
After packing up a two-pound piece of cured meat, a bag of biscuits, a bag of brown sugar, two pounds of fruit candy, and a thermos, Jiang Ruyu leaned against the bed and stared blankly at the night sky dotted with stars through the window on the back wall.
After some time, there was a sudden commotion in the courtyard, followed by hurried noises. Old Mrs. Jiang was awakened, and Jiang Ruyu rubbed her eyes, pretending to be woken up as well.
She yawned and asked her grandmother, "What's going on outside? It's so noisy!"
Grandma Jiang was also puzzled: "Who knows? Let's go out and see. The voices sound like they belong to the Sun family. This family has only been quiet for a few days, what's going on now?"
Jiang Ruyu followed her grandmother outside. Her uncle and cousin from next door also came out. All the families in the courtyard came out. Jiang Ruyu saw Zheng Yang, who came over and said, "Grandma, you're too old to come out. It sounds like the Sun family's daughter is missing. Let's help look for her."
Grandma Jiang frowned: "The child is missing? How could such a big girl get lost?"
Jiang Ruyu followed Zheng Yang, Zheng Xiaoyue, and Zheng Dali to help search. The neighbor's uncle and cousin also came out, as did Yang's son. Several families from the backyard who heard the commotion also came. They all lived in the same large courtyard, and if anything happened, they would just say the word and help.
The commotion caused by the dozen or twenty people searching for her was quite significant. Finding Sun Li didn't take much effort. The neighbors who had just said they were going to split up and search separately were stunned. Wasn't the girl being hugged and groped by a young man the Sun family's daughter?
Li Xiuying and her husband, Sun Datou, also saw it. Li Xiuying screamed, "Ah, you bastard, what are you doing to my daughter?"
As soon as she uttered that word, the boy who was holding Sun Li didn't even raise his head. He let go of Sun Li and ran away. Sun Yuan quickly shouted, "Don't run, you son of a bitch! If I catch you, I'll definitely hand you over to the police."
Once the others realized what was happening, several young men took off to help chase after the runaway kid. But just as Fang Da had said, he knew the terrain too well, and after a few turns, he disappeared from sight. Naturally, the young men who went after him returned empty-handed.
The commotion was quite loud, and everyone in the alley turned on their lights and came out. Fang Da's parents, elder brother, and sister-in-law also came out, and Fang Da followed behind. In just a short while, he had changed into his usual wrinkled, tattered clothes that he could never wash properly and came out looking sleepy.
The people who came out all looked puzzled. After the person who had come out to look for someone whispered to them what was going on, the group, who had originally come out to look for someone, were suddenly given a mouthful of gossip in the middle of the night, leaving them all staring wide-eyed with disbelief.
At this moment, Li Xiuying was both devastated and furious. She felt ashamed and convinced that her daughter had been forced. She shook Sun Li frantically, saying, "Lili, tell Mommy, were you forced?"
Sun Li had just woken up when Fang Da threw her, making her already dazed head even more disoriented. Her mother was still shaking her vigorously, and her head was practically turned to mush: "Mom, what are you saying? Stop shaking me, I'm so dizzy."
Li Xiufen slapped her hard: "Who was that man who was hugging you just now? Tell me, I'm going to report him for indecent assault."
Sun Li's eyes flashed with panic, and she retorted guiltily, "What man? You're mistaken. There's no man here."
Li Xiufen stood up in disappointment: "So many people saw you hugging a man, and you're still lying through your teeth. Don't you want to make things right? If you don't tell us, we won't care about you anymore."
What? Sun Li stared in shock at the crowd. She immediately spotted Zheng Yang's indifferent face and Jiang Ruyu's mocking gaze. Her body stiffened, and out of the corner of her eye, she saw Fang Da. She looked at him in disbelief. It was him, it must have been him, he had schemed against her.
But why? Why? He liked Jiang Ruyu so much, why did he scheme against her like this? Suddenly, she remembered the way Fang Da used to look at Jiang Ruyu—pure affection, without a trace of darkness.
So, from the very beginning, she was like a lamb entering a tiger's den. Did Jiang Ruyu know about her scheme? It seems she didn't. Thinking of this, she simply gave up and pointed at Zheng Yang, saying, "It's Brother Zheng Yang. He's the one who invited me out."
Her words silenced everyone, especially those from her courtyard, because they had all seen Zheng Yang come out with them. Even if someone wanted to extort money, they should at least find someone who wasn't there.
Li Xiuying was so angry at her own daughter's words that she fainted. Sun Datou walked up and slapped his daughter, whom he usually doted on, to the ground. Without saying a word, he rushed over and pinched his wife's philtrum. When Li Xiuying woke up, Sun Datou picked her up and said, "I'm sorry to have troubled you all, and I'm sorry to have made you laugh. Since such a shameful thing happened in my family, I won't trouble you any further. I, Old Sun, will treat you all to drinks another day. Let's call it a day."
Sun Datou was usually a nice guy with good relationships, so everyone gave him some advice: "The child is still young, just teach him more and he'll be fine."
"That's right, we're going back first. You two shouldn't be angry anymore, it's not good for your health if you get angry."
"Sun Yuan, take good care of your parents."
Sun Yuan's face was also pale. His sister had done something so shameful that he felt ashamed. "Yes, yes, definitely. Thank you all for your help, uncles and brothers."
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