Having also tied up Old Man Gao, Xing Zhaozhao dragged another string of people down the mountain.
Hongyu skipped and hopped along beside her.
Following behind were other onlookers, forming a large, mixed crowd that looked quite lively.
Captain Gao had just heard that Lao Liu's family was coming to cause trouble for Xing Zhaozhao when he saw Xing Zhaozhao dragging a string of things down the mountain at the village entrance. He was so shocked that he couldn't close his mouth.
"This, this... why are we here again?" he asked.
Xing Zhaozhao pointed to the string of items in her hand: "Old Liu's family wanted me to go to the public security brigade to lie for them, saying that Liu Gouzi came to visit me last night, not to steal anything. I didn't want to, and they even wanted to fight me. I had no choice; I couldn't just stand there and take the beating, could I?"
"I guess this counts as self-defense, right, Captain?" she asked.
Captain Gao was still a little stunned, then nodded: "Yes, that's right, but..."
He took a closer look at the string of people and pointed to Old Man Gao, who was at the very end of the string: "That one doesn't seem to be from Old Liu's family, does he?"
Moreover, even though they've severed ties, he's still her man's biological father. Isn't it inappropriate to beat him up along with her?
Aunt Hao immediately stepped forward and said, "He's Old Liu's son-in-law, so he's practically part of Old Liu's family. But I'm the one who hit him; it has nothing to do with Zhao Zhao. The main problem is that this old man went too far. Seeing Zhao Zhao being bullied by Old Liu's family, he didn't help her; instead, he sided with Old Liu's family and criticized Zhao Zhao. Even if Uncle can tolerate it, I, as his aunt, can't. Even though Zhao Zhao has severed ties with him, we're still from the same village. How can he side with outsiders instead of his own people? He needs to be taught a lesson, Brigade Leader."
Upon hearing this, Captain Gao's face darkened, and he nodded: "This person definitely needs to be properly educated."
"Will I help you drag the person to the brigade headquarters this time, just like last time?" Xing Zhaozhao asked, looking at Captain Gao.
Captain Gao: "..."
Are you addicted to dragging things out?
Captain Gao thought for a moment, then nodded reluctantly: "Drag, drag, drag it over."
"Okay." Xing Zhaozhao replied with a smile, and skillfully dragged the person to the brigade headquarters.
As for the rest, she left it to Captain Gao and didn't get involved.
After seeing the person off, Xing Zhaozhao led the bouncy Hongyu home. When they reached the foot of the mountain at the village entrance, they saw two people standing there.
A burly man with a strong, street-smart air about him, a square face, sharp eyes, and a cross-shaped scar at the corner of his eye, exuding a fierce aura.
Standing next to him was a young man who looked like a chick, somewhat timid and hesitant. His eyes, when he looked at Xing Zhaozhao, were filled with a mixture of flattery and fear. He was an acquaintance, Brother Fa, Wang Xiaofa, who had sneaked into her house last night with Liu Gouzi to look for ginseng.
Xing Zhaozhao roughly guessed who the big man was.
Upon seeing Xing Zhaozhao approach, the burly man immediately pulled Wang Xiaofa over and said, "Hello."
Upon seeing the burly man's appearance, Hongyu immediately tensed up, spreading her arms to protect Xing Zhaozhao: "Who are you? What do you want?"
After saying that, she didn't forget to comfort Xing Zhaozhao: "Mom, don't be afraid, I'll protect you."
Xing Zhaozhao smiled and patted her son's head: "It's okay, they're probably just friends."
As she spoke, she looked at the burly man and asked, "Brother Fei?"
The burly man nodded, extended his hand to Xing Zhaozhao, and introduced himself: "Wang Dafei."
Xing Zhaozhao raised an eyebrow slightly and reached out to hold his hand: "Dafei? What a coincidence, I'm Dafei's mother."
"Hmm?" Wang Dafei raised an eyebrow slightly.
I feel like I was taken advantage of.
“My eldest son’s nickname is also Dafei,” Xing Zhaozhao explained with a smile. “My surname is Xing, so you can call me Sister Xing.”
Wang Dafei readily agreed and called out, "Sister Xing."
After saying that, he turned around and slapped Wang Xiaofa on the head: "Hurry up and apologize to Sister Xing. How could I have such a stupid brother like you? You were so easily persuaded to steal things by just a few words from someone."
He even got caught red-handed, what a useless piece of trash.
Of course, he wouldn't say the last sentence.
Wang Xiaofa pitifully apologized to Xing Zhaozhao: "I'm sorry, Sister Xing."
Xing Zhaozhao didn't take it seriously and said, "It's okay, I'm not the one who will suffer anyway."
Thinking of what happened last night, Wang Xiaofa's thin body trembled involuntarily.
I don't want to remember it, I don't want to remember it at all. That feeling of being trampled on was terrifying.
"When Xiao Fa mentioned what happened last night, I didn't quite believe it. But after witnessing it with my own eyes, I'm convinced that you, Sister Xing, are truly a heroine." Wang Dafei looked at Xing Zhaozhao with admiration.
Xing Zhaozhao smiled and said, "It's just that I have a lot of stupid strength."
"You didn't just bring your brother here to apologize to me today, did you?" Xing Zhaozhao looked at Wang Dafei intently and asked.
Wang Dafei smiled and nodded: "That's right, there's something I'd like to ask Sister Xing for help with."
Xing Zhaozhao thought for a moment and guessed, "Ginseng?"
Wang Dafei's smile deepened: "That's right."
"I'm sorry, I really don't have any ginseng here," Xing Zhaozhao said.
“I know, but since you were able to find wild strawberries in the deep mountains during this season, I believe finding a ginseng root won’t be difficult,” Wang Dafei said, looking at Xing Zhaozhao earnestly.
Xing Zhaozhao shook her head: "Luck is a tricky thing to talk about."
“It’s okay, I can wait,” Wang Dafei said.
"If I can find one in good condition and from a good year, I can offer this price." Wang Dafei held up four fingers to Xing Zhaozhao.
In the past, Xing Zhaozhao might have been tempted, but now...
A wild ginseng of good quality and good age should fetch a better price over there.
She's not particularly concerned about money right now.
Xing Zhaozhao lowered her head and remained silent.
Wang Dafei looked at Xing Zhaozhao, feeling somewhat uneasy.
If this price isn't enough to entice her, then that's a bit problematic.
Xing Zhaozhao looked up at Wang Dafei: "Did you do Liu Gouzi's thing?"
Wang Dafei was taken aback when she brought this up, then quickly nodded: "That's right. My brother isn't very smart, but he's not a bad person. If he hadn't deliberately instigated it, he wouldn't have done that stupid thing last night. Of course, he needs to be taught a lesson."
"You saw the people I just dragged over, right?" Xing Zhaozhao asked.
Wang Dafei continued to nod, looking at her with some confusion.
“They’re Liu Gouzi’s family members, and the other two are from my husband’s family, the Gao family,” Xing Zhaozhao said. “I can help you find ginseng, but you have to help me deal with these two families.”
Wang Dafei was stunned again.
He could understand Liu Gouzi's family, but why were even her in-laws involved...?
What kind of deep-seated grudge did they have?
"Where's your partner? Is he alright?" Wang Dafei asked.
Xing Zhaozhao's eyes darkened, and she said, "He is still on the front line and his fate is unknown. However, I think even if he knew, he probably wouldn't object."
He'll only become more ruthless.
Wang Dafei understood: "Okay, how do you want me to deal with them?"
Xing Zhaozhao thought for a moment and said, "Don't let them die, but don't let them live comfortably either."
She paused, then added, "Forget about the child."
Wang Dafei nodded: "I understand."
He wasn't that ruthless.
“I’ve found the ginseng, how can I give it to you?” Xing Zhaozhao asked.
“If you don’t mind, you can find me at the black market,” Wang Dafei said, patting Wang Xiaofa on the shoulder beside him. “From now on, I’ll have this kid do my work. You can just go to the street corner to find him.”
"Understood," Xing Zhaozhao said.
After finishing their business, Wang Dafei took Wang Xiaofa back home, while Xing Zhaozhao, holding Hongyu's hand, continued walking towards their home on the mountain.
Halfway there, a person suddenly darted out from the woods beside them.
Xing Zhaozhao was startled and instinctively pulled Hongyu into her arms. She only breathed a sigh of relief after she saw the person's appearance clearly.
Her long, gray hair was neatly combed and pinned up at the back of her head. Her delicate face looked somewhat pale because she hadn't eaten well. Although she was dressed in coarse cloth, she still couldn't hide the scholarly air that had settled within her for a long time.
It was Professor Yang Xin, who was sent down to Xiaogaozhuang and lived in a cowshed at the entrance of the village.
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