Zhang Qiang frowned even more as he looked at the two people locked in a stalemate.
If this drags on any longer, who knows if Wang Lili will actually call the police?
He took a deep breath, his gaze fixed on Liu Hu, and said in a serious tone, "Liu Hu, tell me honestly, did you have a relationship with Wang Lili?"
Liu Hu felt flustered under his gaze and subconsciously wanted to deny it, but when the words were about to come out, he remembered that he had just admitted that Wang Lili had taken the initiative to go to the grove with him. If he changed his mind now, he would only seem more guilty.
He gritted his teeth and nodded stiffly, "Yes...it has happened a few times, but..."
"Alright, stop talking!" Zhang Qiang interrupted him directly, his voice suddenly rising, "Since it happened, stop making excuses! Wang Lili isn't married, and neither are you. Doing this kind of thing in broad daylight is wrong! In the end, it's always the woman who suffers in this kind of thing. Do you think you can get away with it by being stubborn?"
Liu Hu was scolded and dared not utter a sound. He lowered his head, the wound on his shoulder still throbbing, but his heart was filled with resentment.
He never expected that Zhang Qiang would not help him, but instead side with Wang Lili.
Zhang Qiang ignored Liu Hu and turned to Wang Lili, his tone softening slightly, "Wang Lili, I know you're upset. But calling the police isn't the only solution. Taking it to higher authorities won't be good for your reputation. Tell me, besides calling the police, what else do you want?"
Wang Lili pursed her lips, her eyes filled with conflict.
She wanted Liu Hu to pay the price, but she was also afraid that reporting him to the police would completely ruin her reputation.
Seeing this, Zhang Qiang immediately seized the opportunity and offered his solution, "How about this, let Liu Hu marry you. I'll take care of the wedding; it'll be a simple affair with just a few tables and a meal for the people from the forest farm. As for the bride price, you know Liu Hu is currently working in the countryside and doesn't have much money, so I'll pay thirty yuan for him as compensation for your loss. There happens to be an empty room behind the forest farm; we can tidy it up and use it as your wedding room for now. If you can return to the city later, or if you want to move elsewhere, the forest farm will not stop you, and you won't have to pay back the thirty yuan."
Upon hearing this, Liu Hu immediately exploded, "I won't marry her! I absolutely won't marry a woman like that! Captain Zhang, how can you force me to marry her!"
"I'm calling the police!" Wang Lili exploded upon hearing this. "How can I marry him after he treated me like this?!"
"Shut up!" Zhang Qiang kicked Liu Hu hard, and Liu Hu groaned in pain, not daring to make another sound.
He turned to look at Wang Lili, his tone somewhat persuasive, "Wang Lili, think about it calmly. It's already like this. If you don't marry Liu Hu, who else can you marry? Which young man among the educated youth would be willing to marry a girl whose reputation has been affected? Even if you go home and your family doesn't know, the fact that you're not a virgin will be exposed sooner or later. The most important thing for a woman isn't getting revenge, but her future life."
He paused, then emphasized, "Even if Liu Hu is unwilling, I can still force him to marry you. Don't worry, if he dares to treat you badly or bully you after the marriage, you can come to me anytime to complain, and I'll help you deal with him. Moreover, with this marriage, no one will talk about you behind your back anymore, and you can hold your head high in the forest farm."
These words struck a nerve with Wang Lili.
She really needs to think about her future.
Although calling the police could punish Liu Hu, it would also ruin her reputation. No one would want to see her in the forest farm or back in the city.
Marrying Liu Hu, though not the best choice, would at least give her someone to rely on and stop her from being gossiped about.
Wang Lili remained silent for a long time before finally nodding slowly, "Okay, but I have one condition: he must treat me well from now on and can't have any more contact with other women."
“No problem!” Zhang Qiang immediately agreed, then turned to Liu Hu, who was still defiant, his tone threatening, “Liu Hu, what about you? If you don’t want to marry her, then I’ll really call the police. Wang Lili is adamant that you raped her, and you just admitted to having relations with her. Even if you don’t get the death penalty, you’ll definitely go to jail. Do you want to go to jail?”
Liu Hu shuddered. His greatest fear was going to jail. If he went to jail, not only would his life be ruined, but his family would also be implicated.
Looking into Zhang Qiang's stern eyes and then at Wang Lili's cold expression, he knew he had no choice.
Finally, like a deflated balloon, he slowly lowered his head and said, "I'll marry you."
Zhang Qiang finally breathed a sigh of relief, a satisfied expression appearing on his face. "That's right. Since you've all agreed, it's settled then. Tomorrow I'll have someone clean up that empty room, and the wedding will be held next weekend. Liu Hu, if you dare to go back on your word, or if you treat Wang Lili badly after the wedding, I won't let you off the hook!"
Liu Hu didn't speak, but just lowered his head, his heart filled with resentment and regret.
Wang Lili remained silent, looking at the ground with a complicated expression.
She didn't know if her decision was right or wrong, but since things had come to this, she could only take it one step at a time.
Just then, a villager who had gone to get the first-aid kit rushed back, shouting, "Captain Zhang, the first-aid kit is here!"
Zhang Qiang took the first-aid kit and handed it to the educated youth next to him, saying, "Bandage Liu Hu up and then take him to rest. Wang Lili, you should go back to the educated youth settlement first. We can talk about it tomorrow."
After saying that, he turned to leave.
Xu Xinghe didn't see Jiang Linchuan, so she knew he hadn't returned yet. She immediately stopped Zhang Qiang and said, "Captain Zhang, I have something I want to say to you. Is it convenient for us to talk?"
"Okay." Zhang Qiang was usually a nice guy outside, but this time he was unusually firm about Liu Hu. "So, what do you want from me?"
"It's about... my cousin. Could we please stop him from carrying timber?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
