Xia Tao looked directly at Grandma Xia and replied helplessly, "Grandma, don't you know? Over the years, I've given you almost all the wages I've worked so hard to earn!"
My pockets are emptier than my face right now, where would I find any spare money? To tell you the truth, I don't even have 10 yuan on me, so where am I supposed to conjure up 500 yuan for you?
He recounted his miserable situation with a bitter expression, as if the whole world owed him something.
Before anyone could speak, he continued, tears streaming down his face, "I'm just a transport worker, working hard every day in the wind and rain to earn that little bit of hard-earned money."
But who would have thought? I don't even have ten yuan on me now! It's all thanks to you! You're all vampires, you've squeezed me dry!"
From his grief-stricken expression and tone, others could indeed feel the pain and helplessness he was enduring, and at the same time, they couldn't help but feel disgusted with Old Lady Xia.
Although Xia Tao's words were somewhat exaggerated, none of the onlookers doubted them.
After all, Old Lady Xia was known for being unreasonable in the brigade, and Xia Tao was known for his good temper and honesty.
Moreover, the hardships in life are always easy to resonate with, and people are often willing to believe those stories that sound extremely tragic, and even more willing to believe that others are not as good as themselves.
Xia Wan was utterly dumbfounded by her brother's exaggerated performance. When did her brother suddenly unlock his full potential? How did he become so unrestrained all of a sudden?
Just then, someone in the crowd shouted, "The captain is here!"
Upon hearing this, everyone turned their heads.
Then they saw Captain Wu Guohua walking over with a serious expression. Upon seeing this, everyone quickly moved aside, automatically making way for the captain to walk forward.
The captain strode into the middle of the crowd, his sharp gaze sweeping over everyone around him. Then, he shouted angrily, "Aren't you all tired enough after a day's work? Why aren't you resting properly? What are you all doing here making a fuss?"
Faced with the captain's scolding, the previously noisy scene instantly quieted down.
However, with Li Cao and the others holding the line, the onlookers were not afraid of the captain at all.
Someone else cautiously stepped forward and asked curiously, "Captain, we just heard that something happened here, so we came to check it out. We heard that Xia Tao reported it to the police and Xia Shitou was arrested, so everyone wants to know what happened."
Another person chimed in, "Yes, yes, Captain, what about Wu Guangli? Why were they arrested? Please explain it to everyone."
At this point, someone else chimed in, asking, "I heard they hitched a ride on a train, is that true?"
Immediately, a barrage of questions arose, and the atmosphere on the scene became tense once again.
The captain glared at everyone, but no one could see his eyes clearly; they could only hear his reprimand: "Don't ask questions you shouldn't ask. Everyone, it's dark, so get back! This has nothing to do with Xia Tao, so don't stir up trouble. Go back now!"
Li Cao shouted indignantly, unwilling to give up before even getting the money: "Captain, you have to stand up for me! Look at my face, that brat Xia Wan beat me up like this! She has to pay for my medical expenses!"
Upon hearing this, the captain finally turned his gaze to Li Cao. He saw her covering her cheek tightly with one hand, her face full of grievance and resentment.
The captain, puzzled, asked, "What's going on? Why are you fighting?"
He felt that these people were forgetful, incompetent, and loved to play around. They knew that Xia Wan was someone they couldn't afford to offend, yet they were always hanging around in front of her.
Upon hearing this, Li Cao thought someone was backing her up, and immediately perked up, hurriedly crying out, "It was Xia Wan who hit me, Captain! Look at me, I'm covered in blood! Oh dear, I'm afraid my face will be scarred!"
As she spoke, she pointed to her seemingly disfigured face, desperately trying to make the captain look.
However, the night was as dark as ink, with only a faint moonlight shining down around.
When the captain looked closer, he could only see what appeared to be a dark shadow on Li Cao's face, but he couldn't make out the extent of the injury.
Seeing this, the team leader frowned slightly and asked, "Have you sent the village doctor to take a look?"
Grandma Xia replied from the side, "Yuanbao has already run off, but he hasn't come back yet."
At this moment, Old Lady Xia, who was standing to the side, could no longer contain her anxiety and asked, "Captain, what should we do about my Stone?"
No matter how bad he is, he is still her first grandson, and as a grandmother, she really feels sorry for him and doesn't want her eldest grandson to be stuck in the plow like this.
The brigade leader had no idea what the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law were really thinking, so he could only tell the truth:
"Xia Shitou and Wu Guangli will most likely be sent to a farm for labor reform, but this matter has not been finalized yet, and there may be other changes later! So, you should all wait patiently for news."
Hearing this, Old Mrs. Xia felt somewhat resentful, and could only seize upon the fact that Xia Wan had hit someone, urgently pressing for answers:
"Captain, that brat Xia Wan dared to beat my daughter-in-law like this. She has to compensate us for some medical expenses, right?"
Xia Wan, who had been silent all along, seemed to suddenly come to her senses and hurriedly defended herself, saying, "Captain, they are just slandering me! I didn't hit anyone at all, please don't believe their nonsense!"
However, Li Cao wouldn't let it go. Pointing to the bruises on her face, she shouted angrily, "Stop trying to deny it! The bruises on my face are clearly from the blows you gave me. Qiao Qiao saw it all clearly just now, didn't she, Qiao Qiao?"
As she spoke, she forcefully tugged at Qiao Qiao, who was keeping her head down and not daring to utter a sound, trying to force her to stand up and testify for her.
But Qiao Qiao kept her head down and didn't say a word, secretly cursing Li Cao for being such a terrible teammate.
Seeing this, the brigade leader became somewhat irritated and shouted, "Qiao Zhiqing, is this true or not? Say something!"
Why does this girl always talk so hesitantly? She's never very straightforward.
In an instant, everyone's attention was focused on Qiao Qiao. She was biting her lip, and after what seemed like a fierce internal struggle, she finally raised her head.
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