When Xu Kuo heard that this matter was an order issued by the county, he wanted to take Jiang Xiuying to the county.
Upon hearing Xu Kuo say this, Ren Hongmei quickly pulled him back.
"My son, don't be foolish. If you take Xiuying to the county now, aren't you just walking into a trap? Those people might be waiting for Xiuying there!"
Hearing Ren Hongmei's words, Jiang Xiuying also burst into tears.
Xu Kuo suddenly remembered that he had overheard the conversation between the two people at the supply and marketing cooperative, and he felt that there might be some misunderstanding.
Before Xu Kuo could figure out what was going on, a series of shouts and curses came from outside.
Upon hearing the commotion, Xu Kuo knew that the villagers had come. Before he could even close the door, some ignorant children threw stones into the yard, and one of them accidentally hit Xu Kuo on the head.
Xu Kuo picked up the carrying pole beside him and was about to rush forward to fight them, but the group of people were so frightened that they scattered in all directions.
"I'm telling you, if any of you dare to cause trouble again, I'll beat you so badly you'll be running for your lives!"
After making those harsh remarks, Xu Kuo immediately returned home and locked the courtyard gate securely.
"Mom, Xiuya, don't overthink it. I'll figure out a solution."
For some reason, Xu Kuo's firm voice comforted the two of them, especially Jiang Xiuying, even though she didn't know how to resolve the matter.
But when these words came from Xu Kuo's mouth, they were inexplicably convincing.
"They came and ruined all our food!"
Ren Hongmei felt heartbroken at the thought of all the food that had been wasted.
They could hide in their house, but what would the three of them eat and drink?
Upon hearing this, Xu Kuo fell silent.
"Mom, Xiuya, don't worry. I secretly hid some food before, but I didn't have time to tell you. I was afraid that something like today would happen. I'll take the food out in a little while."
"Look what I bought in town today?"
If Xu Kuo had taken out sugar and peach crisps in the past, everyone would have been overjoyed. But nowadays, although they still eat them, they taste like cardboard.
After grabbing a quick bite to satisfy their hunger, the three of them huddled together to discuss what to do next.
According to Xu Kuo, every wrong has its perpetrator and every debt its debtor; they should go to the county to seek justice!
Before Xu Kuo could speak, there was a knock on the door. "Hongmei, we know you're home, please open the door quickly!"
Hearing the shouts outside, Ren Hongmei's face turned pale instantly.
"It's the village chief and his group. They can't possibly be here for anything good."
Xu Kuo knew what his mother was afraid of, so he went out and opened the door himself.
"It's the village chief!"
The village chief covered his nose and looked at Xu Kuo with disgust, saying, "Xu Kuo, it's good that you're back. Hurry up and hand over your wife so that our village can report back to the higher-ups."
"Village chief, I don't understand what you're saying. You're telling me to hand over my wife, and I'll do it? What's wrong with my wife?"
Xu Kuo was determined to play the fool with them, and the village chief was now getting anxious.
"I'm telling you, you absolutely mustn't make a mistake at such a crucial moment. This concerns the collective interest. The county has already spoken; your wife is to be treated specially!"
Xu Kuo felt that something was amiss, and he remembered that some major events had also occurred in the 1960s.
“Village chief, why don’t you ask around more carefully? It would be bad if we made a mistake in the process.”
"How could this be wrong? I know you don't want to hand over your wife, but this is an order from the county. Don't put your village chief in a difficult position!"
When he realized that force was ineffective, Sun Zihang tried to reason with Xu Kuo.
"Village chief, you should just say what you want. What exactly do you want?"
The village chief was also puzzled. How come Xu Kuo, who was usually so tactless, had suddenly become so eloquent?
"Simple, just let us take your wife away and parade her through the streets as a public spectacle. That's the rule!"
"What kind of rule is this!"
When Xu Kuo heard these feudal dregs, he was so angry that he cursed them.
"Let me tell you, that's absolutely impossible. I will never hand over my wife. As for the idea of parading her through the streets, that's just nonsense!"
Although being paraded through the streets wouldn't pose any real danger to her life, Jiang Xiuying was already feeling quite ashamed in the face of the villagers' harsh criticism. If she were actually paraded through the streets, what difference would that make from forcing someone to commit suicide?
Under Xu Kuo's insistence, the village chief could only slink away.
However, he left behind a harsh remark before departing.
"Don't worry, those guys from the team left today. They'll be back tomorrow. If you don't hand over your wife today, you'll have to tomorrow!"
Watching the village chief flee in disarray, Xu Kuo spat out a few mouthfuls of blood.
Even at night, the family couldn't have any peace. Other villagers would come to their doorstep and cause trouble from time to time, and none of the three of them got a good night's rest.
"Master, this can't go on forever. Why don't you just hand me over? I will always remember your great kindness to me. My life has been worthwhile."
Although their good days had only lasted a few days, Jiang Xiuying couldn't bear to see the mother and son suffer with her.
Anyway, all they want is her. As long as she goes, everything will be fine.
"What nonsense are you spouting? Now that you've married me, I'll protect you for the rest of my life. If I can't even protect you, what kind of man am I!"
“That’s right, Xiuya, you didn’t do anything wrong. Don’t pay attention to those people outside. Our family is trying to figure out a solution, and we’ll keep trying.”
Even as night deepened, neither of them, burdened with worries, felt sleepy, and Xu Kuo had no chance to exchange for anything from the system.
Xu Kuo was almost asleep when he heard Ren Hongmei speak again.
“My son, I’ve made up my mind. While everyone in the village is asleep, you should take Xiuya and run away. No matter where you run, hide first and wait out this storm.”
They had experienced many difficulties in their lives, and sometimes those difficulties were only temporary. Xu Kuo never expected that Ren Hongmei, who had been honest all her life, would actually tell them to go out and hide.
"By the way, third brother, take all the food you hid before. Mom can't eat much by herself."
Although the situation was not so serious as to be beyond redemption, Xu Kuo's eyes inexplicably reddened upon hearing these words.
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