After the family finished their meal, Xuemei poured the remaining water from the earthenware jar into Liu's father's and the others' kettles. She then packed up the dishes and other things, shouldered her backpack, and was about to go home when she heard Shengnan shout loudly.
"Zhou Zhiqing, run away!"
As Shengnan finished speaking, she heard something fall to the ground with a loud noise.
Father Liu had already run to Shengnan's side, and Xuemei also walked over to see what was going on.
When I walked over, I saw Zhou Zhiqing sitting on the ground and patting his chest, and Shengnan was standing next to Zhou Zhiqing.
After Zhou Zhiqing recovered, he said, "Who is this idiot who is deliberately framing me?"
Father Liu looked at the fallen branches under the tree, the sickle half-stuck in the soil, and the half-spilt bowl of sweet potato rice. Father Liu asked:
"Who was cutting the branches just now? And which bastard stuck the sickle into the cut branch?"
"Village chief, I saw it. It was Wu Zhiqing. She was unhappy because she couldn't take advantage of me, so she used a sickle to cut branches to vent her anger." He Wenting stood up and said.
"Village chief, don't believe what she said. She has always been against me. She is just talking nonsense." Wu Lian said hurriedly.
"I'm not talking nonsense. I'm not wrongly accusing you. I wasn't the only one who saw it. Dai Zhiqing saw it, and so did other people."
As soon as He Wenting finished speaking, several children said that they saw it was Wu Zhiqing who did it.
"Wu Zhiqing, if you do something wrong, just admit your mistake and everyone will forgive you." Dai Dongfeng also said quickly when he saw this.
"Village Chief, it really isn't me. It's not like I'm the only one who needs to use a sickle."
"Okay, our village won't wrongly accuse anyone. Accountant Li, please make a list of the people who took sickles today. Those who took sickles should respond and show us their sickles."
…
"Wu Zhiqing, you are not wronged now, are you? Your sickle is missing, and there are witnesses who saw that you did it, and more than one person saw it." Liu's father said.
"Village chief, I really didn't mean it. I don't remember that I didn't deny it on purpose just now. I was so hungry that I just focused on eating when I heard the meal was coming. I really thought I was holding a sickle. Village chief, please be magnanimous and forgive me this time..." Wu Lian said pitifully.
"Stop, stop, stop. You don't need my forgiveness. You need to ask Zhou Zhiqing for forgiveness. If Shengnan hadn't been quick to react, you would have nearly killed Zhou Zhiqing. Since it wasn't intentional, I'm punishing you by making you apologize to Zhou Zhiqing and writing an 800-word self-criticism to be presented in front of everyone after the autumn harvest. Not only did you scare Zhou Zhiqing, you also caused his meal to spill. You must compensate Zhou Zhiqing two yuan and half a pound of rice."
"Village Chief, this is too much? I already said I didn't mean it."
"That's too much. Look how far your sickle has sunk into the ground. If it fell on Zhou Zhiqing's head, have you ever thought about what would happen? This is already too little. Hurry up and apologize to Zhou Zhiqing first. I'll give him the compensation after work this afternoon. You can wait until after the autumn harvest to review it."
Seeing that asking the village chief for help was unsuccessful, Wu Lian could only walk slowly to Zhou Bing with a bitter face.
He feigned pity and bowed to Zhou Bing, then said, "Zhou Zhiqing, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean it. Please forgive me. You know I don't have much money. Since we're both educated youth, can you please not ask me for compensation?"
"No, I'm asking for such a small amount of compensation from you because you're an educated youth. Just like the village chief said, if it weren't for Comrade Liu Shengnan, I would have lost my life under your sickle today." After Zhou Bing finished speaking, he cast a grateful look at Shengnan. Shengnan saw it, nodded, and lowered her head. Only then did Zhou Bing retract his gaze.
Seeing that asking Zhou Bing for help was useless, Wu Lian said in a dishonest way, "I only have my life left, but I don't have any money or food."
Father Liu was also helpless when he saw such a shameless person. After thinking for a while, he said, "Wu Zhiqing, since you are unwilling to pay yourself, then deduct the money and food from your subsidy and give it to Zhou Zhiqing."
Upon hearing this, Wu Lian was even more unwilling to do it. She immediately sat on the ground and cried, "Liujia Village is bullying people. The village chief of Liujia Village has abused his power for personal gain and embezzled the subsidies for educated youth..." Liu's father was so angry that his face turned red. It was the first time he met such a scoundrel and he was speechless.
When Liu's mother and Qing Ya heard Wu Lian saying bad things about Liu's father, they immediately ran over. Qing Ya grabbed Wu Lian's hands with her backhand, and Liu's mother grabbed Wu Lian's hair and slapped her in the face. Then she sat on Wu Lian and said:
"You little girl, my child's father felt sorry for you. It's not easy for a girl to be an educated youth in a foreign land. He took care of you and didn't send you to the public security bureau. He only asked you to pay some money and food. But you actually spread rumors and slandered my child's father. You are really a dog-raised Lu Dongbin - you don't know how to appreciate a good heart. Everyone in the village knows that my husband has been diligent and conscientious since he became the village chief. He has never taken a single needle or thread from the village. Every penny of the village's expenses is recorded in the book. It's not your turn to say anything nonsense."
The crowd around them immediately said:
"That's right. We all remember what the village chief has done for the village over the years."
"Last year, a single laborer in our village cost 1.3 cents, and it wasn't because of the village chief's good leadership."
"That's right. If the village chief is partial and perverts the law, then why didn't his wife go to the tofu shop after she was chosen? Everyone in the village knows that Li Niang's tofu is one of the best."
"That's right. The village chief and his family are also doing this for the sake of the village. The village chief's wife gave up her position to Widow Yang."
Widow Yang also quickly said, "It's all thanks to the village chief and Li Niang, otherwise how could I feed my children." Widow Yang's husband starved to death during the three difficult years in order to save food for his children and wife. Widow Yang has two sons and two daughters. During the autumn harvest, all four children, big and small, came to work. At noon, only Widow Yang could cook and bring the food to them. Widow Yang had just arrived.
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