Su Wanshan nodded emphatically, his gaze fixed intently on Su Yueyue. "It has to be earned by her own hands! She has to gather 120 work points within 20 days! Not a single one less!"
He paused, then his voice suddenly rose, "Dragging along? Do you really think the whole village is stupid? You're blatantly lying; who do you think you can fool?"
Su Yueyue clenched her teeth, her Adam's apple bobbed, and her lips were almost bitten through.
She wanted to argue, but the words stuck in her throat.
She knew that no one would listen to her explanation now.
Finally, she lowered her head and squeezed out three words in a hoarse voice: "I...I know."
He Zaizhou then interjected, his tone calm but firm, leaving no room for argument: "Village chief, let's write a written agreement."
He pulled a stack of papers from his pocket and gently placed them on the table. "Words are easy, but a written agreement is what counts. If she changes her mind later, who can stop her? Who will be the witness?"
He knew in his heart that this girl was really unlikable.
Although he hadn't had much contact with the Su family, he had met them a few times and knew that they were honest, simple farmers who lived their lives honestly and never caused trouble.
But Su Yueyue grew up with them since she was little, and instead of learning anything good, she developed a spoiled and lazy personality.
On the contrary, Su Qingzhi grew up by Wang Chunhua's side. She didn't have as much food or clothing as Wang Chunhua, and she suffered more hardships than Wang Chunhua. Yet, she was not corrupted and remained upright and responsible.
Sometimes, character isn't something you cultivate; it's something ingrained in your bones.
Good and evil, diligence and laziness, are written in one's destiny from the very beginning.
"How dare I cheat in front of so many people?"
Su Yueyue suddenly looked up, her cheeks flushed, her eyes filled with humiliation and anger. "Do you think I'm a thief? I'm a member of the Su family! I have dignity too!"
"What wouldn't a person who harms others do?"
He Zaizhou replied coldly, his eyes sharp as knives, "You say you have dignity, then you should clear Wang Chunhua's name first."
Zhu Xiuqin had already brought over paper and pen, shoved them into the village chief's hand without a word, and turned to leave without saying another word.
He was a man of few words, but he was steady and reliable in his work. Seeing this, everyone felt that there should be some proof of this matter.
Su Wanshan pondered for a while, then sat down, spread out a piece of paper, picked up a pen, dipped it in ink, and wrote down the whole matter clearly from beginning to end: why should he lose money?
Because Su Yueyue secretly took and sold the eggs that Wang Chunhua had saved, Wang Chunhua was wrongly accused of embezzling collective property; who should pay for this?
Su Yueyue herself; who did what?
Su Yueyue concealed the facts and refused to admit her mistakes, which aroused public outrage.
Each stroke is clear and logical, each word as firm as a nail, leaving no room for argument.
After writing it down, he pushed the paper in front of Su Yueyue and Wang Chunhua and said in a deep voice, "Put your fingerprints and signatures on it. This is your own business. The village will only uphold justice and remain impartial."
When Su Yueyue saw the words written on the paper, her face immediately darkened like the sky before a storm, overcast and devoid of any light.
She immediately noticed the words "stealing eggs", "refusing to admit wrongdoing", "compensation of ten yuan", and "earning work points on her own", each one like a knife cutting into her heart.
She was so angry that her hands were trembling, her fingertips were numb, and her chest was heaving violently.
But she knew that resistance would only make things worse.
In the end, she bit her lip, suppressed her anger, and with trembling fingers, dipped her finger in ink and pressed her bright red handprint onto the paper.
She knew that once she signed this paper, it would be tantamount to handing over leverage to someone else.
If Su Qianfan wanted to take action, she could take this document to the police station to sue her at any time—the promise of not paying compensation or earning work points was clearly ironclad evidence of violating policy.
But someone like Su Qianfan, once he gets a chance, he will never let it go easily.
What's more, He Zaizhou was standing coldly to the side at this moment—she had long heard that He Zaizhou was the captain of the armed forces department, wielding real power, and that the whole village would tremble at his command.
If he were to actually stand up and testify against his mother's behavior, he wouldn't even have a chance to explain himself, let alone escape.
She didn't even have a chance to argue.
After signing, she handed the thin sheet of paper to Su Qingzhi with trembling hands.
The sunlight shining on the paper seemed to scorch her skin.
The crowd receded like the tide, footsteps gradually thinned, the noise dissipated, leaving only a desolate and empty courtyard.
The wind swept up a few fallen leaves from the corner of the wall, swirling them around like a silent mockery.
As Su Yueyue was leaving, she suddenly stopped and turned back to glare fiercely at Su Qingzhi.
Those eyes were like knives, like flames, as if they wanted to burn, pierce, and tear the person in front of them to pieces!
Her nails dug deep into her palms, her teeth almost breaking, and anger and resentment surged in her chest.
But she ultimately didn't rush forward—she couldn't.
She could only suppress her hatred deep inside, and it took all her strength to keep from losing control on the spot.
That's too ruthless, too cruel, and too merciless!
She never imagined that her former younger sister could be so cruel to her own family!
"Ningning, come home for dinner!"
Yin Hua's voice rang out gently, tinged with a smile.
She and Zhu Xiuqin each took one of Su Qingzhi's arms, like two old trees growing side by side, steadily protecting the new bud in the middle.
Their eyes curved into crescents as they laughed, and the curve of their lips revealed their heartfelt joy.
Her steps were light as if she were walking on a spring meadow, each step a happy rhythm, as she walked towards home.
"Oh, right," Zhu Xiuqin suddenly remembered something and said in a light tone, "Have your older brother go for a walk by the stream tonight, take a fish basket, maybe he can catch a plump crucian carp. We'll make you a pot of milky white fish soup, sprinkle some chopped green onions on top, it'll smell delicious!"
Her voice was full of tenderness, as if she were planning an extremely important life event.
"Thank you, both of you wonderful moms!"
Su Qingzhi tilted her head back and smiled like a peach blossom just beginning to bloom on a branch—sweet and warm.
Her voice was light and cheerful, like a wind chime, and every word was filled with the warmth of honey, "You are simply my light, illuminating my every day!"
As she spoke, she kissed Yin Hua and Zhu Xiuqin on the cheek, making the two mothers laugh even more happily.
The three people chatted and laughed, their shadows stretched long by the setting sun, reflected on the muddy ground like a warm silhouette.
Their laughter echoed along the village road, startling several hens hiding behind the fence, which flapped their wings and fled.
As they walked further away, their silhouettes gradually blurred into the twilight.
He Zaizhou remained standing in the same spot, watching them leave.
When the figures were almost out of sight, he slowly turned around and walked back along the same path.
As he passed by Su Yueyue, he didn't stop at all, nor did he even glance at her. He simply raised his eyelids slightly and gave her a cursory look.
That glance was like the moonlight on a cold winter night—cold and devoid of warmth.
His voice was even lower, as cold as the wind blowing from an ice cellar: "I will personally archive this in the Armed Forces Department. The information is complete and permanently recorded."
Su Yueyue froze, her lips trembled slightly, and a hint of fear flashed in her eyes.
She opened her mouth, but no sound came out.
"..."
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