Su Wanshan looked around and, seeing that no one else spoke, felt slightly satisfied. His tone softened a bit, "One bowl of soup and two pieces of meat per household, no more, no less, it's very fair."
He paused, his gaze sweeping over several disgruntled faces, but he ignored them, only letting out a soft snort.
No one spoke, and he didn't say anything more, then turned and left.
His back view was crisp and decisive, without the slightest hesitation.
"Village chief, why aren't we getting any? Aren't we from Qingshan Village?"
Wang Chunhua was so angry that her voice cracked, her face turned bright red, and the veins on her forehead throbbed.
She overheard something from behind and her heart immediately jumped – if others can eat meat, why can't her family?
She abruptly pushed aside the people blocking her way, rudely squeezed to the front of the crowd, put her hands on her hips, glared and questioned, "This is a pheasant that the whole village saw together, it's not like anyone's privately kept! Why doesn't my family get a share?"
"That's right! Why can't we divide it up in our family?"
Li Cuicui also squeezed in, clutching her dirty apron in her hand.
Although she was short, she had a loud voice that pierced the air: "Even if a pheasant is cut open, each family will only get two small pieces of meat, but that's still meat! Meat!"
She repeatedly emphasized the word "meat," as if those two words could evoke people's sympathy.
Her eyes lit up, and she had already planned it out in her mind—even if there was only a little bit of oil, she could still make a hot soup for the child and give him a touch of meat.
Lately, the bottom of the pots in the house has been so hot that you can see people in them. The kids stare at the stove every day, eagerly waiting for their meals.
This little bit of meat is a real blessing to them!
Recently, the family has indeed eaten meat a few times—all thanks to Su Yueyue earning work points and bringing some back every two days.
Thinly sliced cured pork belly with alternating layers of fat and lean meat is cooked in cabbage soup; the aroma is so enticing it would make the neighbor's kids cry.
The whole family had eaten some oily food, and their complexions were much rosier than before.
But the pheasant was discovered by the whole village. Everyone watched it dart out of the grass and was then chased into the ravine by Shen Jinhe and caught.
Now every household gets a share, but the Xie family is left out—what kind of logic is that?
Wang Chunhua and Li Cuicui were seething with resentment, and the more they thought about it, the more unwilling they became.
They exchanged glances and simultaneously looked up at Su Qingzhi, as if waiting for the other to back down.
Xie Daping and his son Xie Yichang stood silently at the back, without saying a word.
Xie Daping kept his head down, his pipe clenched tightly in his mouth, his knuckles turning white; Xie Yichang clenched his fists, his fingernails digging into his palms.
Their faces were as black as the bottom of a pot, as if they had been coated with ink.
Although he didn't say anything, his expression clearly showed his dissatisfaction.
That suppressed anger was like a volcano about to erupt, just one spark away from exploding.
"You still have the nerve to ask for meat?"
Su Qingzhi spoke in a cold voice, not loud, but sharp as a knife, cutting into one's eardrums with pain.
She walked step by step to the center of the crowd, her gaze sweeping over Wang Chunhua and Li Cuicui like an icy blade. "What about the money you paid to Ning's father? Did you give it to him? When you injured him that day, why didn't you think about breaking the law? Now you have the nerve to stand here and ask for benefits?"
Her tone grew increasingly harsh, each word striking the ground with a resounding clang: "I made this decision—consider it a lesson for you! If you want a share of the meat, pay back your debts first! Otherwise, don't blame me for being ruthless!"
Su Wanshan really wanted to crack open these two people's heads to see how they had the nerve to stand here demanding an explanation.
That's utterly shameless!
Su Qianfan was still lying in bed, the stitches on her leg hadn't been removed yet, and she still needed crutches to walk.
He coughed up blood last night, and the doctor said that if he had been brought in a day later, he might have lost his life.
But what about these people?
Not only did they show no remorse, they even came to fight over this little bit of meat!
If outsiders find out, won't they laugh at Qingshan Village for having no manners?
Su Qianfan was still lying in bed, his injuries hadn't fully healed, and he still needed to take medicine and recuperate every day. Even his meals were brought to his bedside and fed by Su Yueyue.
He was naturally calm and collected, but after being beaten almost to the point of being crippled, one can only imagine the humiliation and resentment he felt.
But he never complained, nor did he ever think of using this incident to blackmail anyone.
And what about Wang Chunhua and Li Cuicui?
It's only been a few days, and they're already jumping out to claim credit and benefits; it's utterly disheartening.
"Didn't we give them ten yuan?"
Wang Chunhua shouted even louder, the veins in her neck bulging, as if she had suffered a great injustice, "It was just given to us last night! Su Yueyue also finished work this morning and earned work points! Why can't she get a share of the meat?"
Her voice rose eight octaves, carrying a mixture of arrogance and grievance, "We've already paid the money, and we've completed all the necessary procedures. What more do you want? Do you expect us to kneel down and kowtow to apologize before you'll let it go?"
"What can you do if I don't share with you?"
Su Qingzhi curled her lips into a sneer, her eyes revealing undisguised contempt.
She slowly raised her head, her gaze sweeping across the room, and asked, word by word, "What do you think? Should we give it to them?"
Her voice was clear and powerful, and everyone present could hear it clearly.
This is not about soliciting opinions, but about awakening conscience.
The villagers were stunned for a moment, looking at each other in bewilderment. Some rubbed their hands together, while others coughed and covered their mouths.
But soon, people started nodding, and then one after another.
"Of course it shouldn't be divided!"
An elderly man spoke first, stepping forward with his cane, "The Ning family suffered so much, almost to the point of death! And you think you can just give them ten yuan and call it a day? This isn't an apology, it's clearly treating them like beggars!"
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