Li Qi looked to his father for help, but the village chief had his head down, seemingly lost in thought, and didn't look at him.
Under the scrutiny of so many people, Li Qi had no way to escape.
He recounted, in fits and starts, how he saw how beautiful Chunlan was in the morning light at the village entrance that day, how he acted rashly and did something wrong, and how he later threatened Chunlan with the child.
A proper college graduate, returning from the provincial capital, an intellectual, how could he be so shameless as to do something worse than that of a pig or a dog?
Sang's father found it absurd. His family and the village chief's family had always been on good terms, and the children had played together since they were young.
Sang Wen and Li Qi had an even better relationship; they attended the same school from elementary school to university.
The two children had agreed to get married after graduation, but some things delayed them and they couldn't hold the wedding.
When the news first broke that Li Qi and Chunlan were dating, the whole family was furious.
However angry I was back then, I'm just as grateful I am now.
Fortunately, my daughter didn't marry such a scumbag, otherwise she would probably spend the rest of her life in pain and torment.
Sang's father was the leader of this group; everyone looked to him for advice.
Sang's father didn't see Chunlan, so he asked her a question.
As soon as she finished speaking, Chunlan led the child out of the house.
Her face was covered in bruises, and her exposed arms were also covered in bruises.
A frail woman appeared before the crowd in such a heartbreaking state.
Even the most hard-hearted person would be moved by this scene.
The way everyone looked at Li Qi was not only with disdain, but also with contempt.
It's shameful to be neighbors or fellow villagers with someone like him.
Just as everyone was condemning Li Qi with their eyes, the village chief stood up from the ground.
He dusted off his clothes, his murky eyes scanning everyone present. Suddenly, he picked up a stick from the ground, slammed it against the wall, and asked fiercely, "You've all grown up, haven't you? Huh?"
The people who came were mostly burly men, all around the same age as Sang's father, and not much younger than the village chief.
When the village chief questioned them in that tone, the children, like those who had done wrong, shrank back and lowered their heads.
Yi Mu frowned. His original intention in making that call was to let everyone come and see what kind of despicable character the village chief was.
But things were clearly not as simple as he thought; the village chief had a great deal of authority.
These elderly men, some fathers and even grandfathers, were quite afraid of this short, stocky man.
The village chief was very satisfied with his deterrent effect.
He walked up to Sang's father and began to negotiate in a very friendly tone.
"Brother, you see, this isn't a big deal. I'll compensate Chunlan. Let's not make a big fuss about it, or it'll be bad for everyone's reputation. What do you say?"
In a group, once something happens, many people's first thought is not to try to solve the problem, but to try every means to cover it up.
A struggle flashed in Sang's father's eyes. He also had a daughter, but Chunlan was all alone, with a child to raise.
Regardless of her character, it's truly pitiful for a woman to encounter something like this.
The village chief saw the struggle in his eyes, leaned closer to him, and said in a voice only the two of them could hear, "I think that apple orchard you told me about last time should still belong to your family."
"If Huang Laosan comes to me for judgment again later, I will definitely speak up for you."
Faced with such naked temptation, it would be a lie to say that Sang's father was unmoved, but a person cannot live without a conscience.
Without a heart, what's the difference between them and beasts that even eat human flesh?
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