Liu Ercui's chest heaved. "Me, disgraceful? This woman came to our doorstep to bully your own daughter!"
“It’s Pei’er’s fault. Is it wrong for her to come to our door seeking justice?” Zhang Lei turned to the woman and softened his tone. “I’m sorry, she just has a fiery temper and said some harsh things. Please don’t take it to heart.”
The woman smugly snorted at Liu Ercui.
Liu Ercui was so angry that her mind went blank and she collapsed.
Upon seeing this, Qin Hanshu quickly strode over and helped Liu Ercui up, saying, "Sister-in-law."
Liu Ercui turned her head and saw that it was Qin Hanshu. She quickly said, "I heard you were not feeling well and were resting at home. Did I disturb you?"
Qin Hanshu shook his head, then turned to Zhang Lei and said, "Battalion Commander Zhang, the children certainly didn't start a conflict for no reason. Regardless of who is right or wrong, we should ask a few more people to understand the truth of the matter. Listening to all sides leads to clarity."
After saying that, he turned to the woman and said, "Sister-in-law, you are a reasonable person, don't you agree with what I said?"
The woman wanted to argue, but Qin Hanshu's words were indeed flawless, so she reluctantly nodded.
Qin Hanshu then picked out a child who was watching and asked, "Do you know why Pei'er hit Xiaoming?"
The child shook his head.
The others started talking all at once.
“We were playing together, but Sister Pei’er suddenly came over and called Pei’er away.”
"A little while later, Pei'er came back and told us to go with her to beat up Xiao Ming."
"But Xiaoming is in the senior class, so we didn't dare to go."
"Then Pei'er went alone."
“If Tiedan’er were here, we would still dare to follow, but today Tiedan’er went to his maternal grandmother’s house with his mother.”
The children were quite honest.
The woman sneered, "Listen to this! This little brat hit my son! Everyone saw it! My son is bleeding on the first day of the Lunar New Year! The medical expenses must be doubled!"
Qin Hanshu asked the children to quiet down, then gently asked Yue'er, "Yue'er, tell Auntie, what did you say to Pei'er after you called her away?"
Yue'er looked at Qin Hanshu with her big, watery eyes and suddenly felt that the smiling aunt in front of her was particularly scary.
It's that kind of terrifying feeling—knowing exactly what you're thinking!
The moon murmured, unable to utter a complete sentence.
Qin Hanshu didn't press her. He looked her up and down and noticed a mud stain on her trouser leg and a small piece of red paper from a firecracker packet.
Qin Hanshu turned to look at Xiaoming.
She looked to be about five or six years old, a little older than Pei'er, and was completely fearless under her mother's protection.
Qin Hanshu looked at him and suddenly said, "Xiaoming, Pei'er's pants are brand new, they cost twelve yuan. You stained them with ink from firecrackers, and the stain can't be washed off. You have to pay me back, twelve yuan."
Xiao Ming paused for a moment, then blurted out, "I didn't fry ink, I fry mud! Mud can be washed off!"
Qin Hanshu looked at Xiaoming's mother and smiled.
Xiao Ming's mother was speechless for a long time, then gave her son a hard slap on the bottom, "You brat, she's lying to you!"
Xiao Ming misunderstood his mother's meaning and pouted, saying, "I just wanted to scare her with mud, but who knew she was so easily frightened? She cried on the spot and even called for help!"
"..." Xiaoming's mother was speechless for a long time, then said to Zhang Lei in an annoyed tone, "No matter what, it's a fact that my son's tooth was knocked out by your daughter! You have to pay for the medical expenses!"
Zhang Lei nodded, "We'll compensate you."
Qin Hanshu whispered a few words in Liu Ercui's ear, and Liu Ercui immediately said, "We'll pay for the medical expenses, but you can't just say whatever you want. Here's what we'll do: we'll go to the clinic together, and whatever the doctor says it will cost, I'll pay you double."
Xiaoming's mother, however, was not so willing.
Zhang Lei glared at Liu Ercui, his expression conveying that he only wanted to spend money to settle the matter quickly and didn't want to argue any further.
Liu Ercui ignored Zhang Lei and said to Xiaoming's mother, "What? You're afraid to go to the clinic? Then you're just trying to extort me. I have to report this to the organization."
Zhang Lei angrily exclaimed, "Liu Ercui!"
Liu Ercui pretended not to hear and just looked at Xiaoming's mother.
Xiaoming's mother had no choice but to agree.
Zhang Lei and Liu Ercui went to the clinic with Xiaoming and his mother. All the children who had come to watch the commotion followed, but Yue'er and Pei'er did not.
The stairwell quickly became much emptier.
Qin Hanshu looked at Pei'er. The little girl was standing there, seemingly lost in thought. Her chubby little hands were clasped together, squeezing the flesh on the back of her hands so much that it bulged out.
Qin Hanshu sighed and went over to hug her.
Pei'er immediately asked, feeling wronged, "Auntie, why doesn't Dad help us when others are insulting me and Mom?"
Qin Hanshu really didn't know how to answer this question.
Before she could find a suitable answer, Pei'er asked again, "My sister is the same. I help her, but she doesn't help me."
Qin Hanshu said, "Pei'er, if you encounter something like this again, don't impulsively hit someone yourself. Talk to an adult, okay?"
Pei'er nodded, "I promise I won't hit anyone anymore. Hitting people will make Mommy get scolded."
Qin Hanshu smiled and patted her watermelon-shaped head.
Pei'er sighed like an adult and said, "Actually, I didn't hit him. I just pushed him, and he fell on his bottom and knocked out his tooth."
Qin Hanshu remained silent. How could falling on your bottom knock out your teeth? It seems her guess was correct.
Aside from losing a tooth, Xiaoming had no other external injuries, which shows that Pei'er didn't use any tools to hit him.
No matter how powerful Pei'er is, she's still just a child under five years old. It's impossible for her to knock out a little boy's teeth without using any tools.
Xiaoming is at the age where he is losing his baby teeth.
The tooth that fell out must have been loose for a long time.
Qin Hanshu led Pei'er towards her home, saying, "We'll have dinner at Auntie's tonight. Auntie will cook you something delicious."
Pei'er instantly perked up, gave Qin Hanshu a proper military salute, and said in a strong voice, "Thank you! Thank you! Auntie!"
This made Qin Hanshu laugh continuously.
Left all alone in the same spot, the moon listened to Qin Hanshu's laughter echoing in the corridor, and her eyes gradually reddened.
Why? Why does everyone around her like Pei'er?
Is it just because Pei'er has a mother, while she is just an orphan adopted by this family?
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