"Third team, Lü Xiaolan from the Lü family; Fourth team, Hong Ju from the Hong family, come out here."
Luo Weijia's voice was deep, resonant, and powerful, and everyone around the stage could hear it.
There were two small areas where there was a minor disturbance, and then those areas were quickly isolated by the people around them, creating a vacuum zone.
Within that circle, there were two groups of people, one with only two people and the other with about four or five people.
Closest to Song Li and the others were the two people, including a little girl who looked about five or six years old. She was trembling and leaning against the adults, her eyes brimming with tears.
The adult was also pale, his body trembling slightly, and his eyes were filled with panic.
Song Li felt sorry for them, but she was also puzzled as to why they were reacting so strongly. Potatoes, aren't they something that everyone has?
Even if they were stealing potatoes, there was no need to make such a fuss! A few words would have sufficed.
Song Li was still puzzled when she heard a scream, followed by heart-wrenching sobs.
He quickly looked up and saw Luo Weijia holding a thick wooden stick, hitting the girl next to him hard on the platform in the middle.
He used all his strength with each thrust, seemingly unaware that he was facing two girls who were not even ten years old.
That ruthless look sent chills down one's spine, making one feel cold to the bone.
That's too cruel.
Those were just two children. How could they possibly withstand the strength of an adult man, especially one in his prime?
In no time, the slightly older girl collapsed to the ground, her limbs twitching, whimpering, and barely breathing.
Many people around didn't dare to look, nor could they bear to look; they all turned their heads away or lowered their heads to wipe away tears.
But it wasn't over on stage yet; the first blow was followed by the second.
This time, it seemed even harder than the first blow, hitting the girl's thigh, and she screamed in agony once again.
Next, the air here was filled with screams and the slight dust rising in the air.
The girl who was beaten was rolling on the ground in pain, and her screams were heartbreaking to hear, but no one stood up to speak up for her.
Only the girl's family members, suppressing their sobs, remained silent, let alone going up to rescue her.
The girl's family members were not seen rushing up to fight Luo Weijia on stage.
The younger girl trembled with fear, biting her lip tightly to keep herself from making a sound. Her clear, innocent eyes were filled with fear and terror.
That small platform suddenly seemed cursed, unable to evoke any pity, sympathy, or help from anyone.
Song Li was furious. Her impression of Luo Weijia plummeted, and she felt that he was too vicious.
How could he do that to such a small child?
Looking at the evasive attitude of the people around her, all with their heads down and silent, she felt both angry and heartbroken once again.
This is the 21st century! How can there still be places like this, like hell on earth? How can people's hearts be so cold?
Suddenly, Song Li felt a surge of courage, a courage that made her want to fiercely scold these people and wake them up.
He clenched his fists, his teeth chattering, took a deep breath, and resolutely took the first step.
No one stood up for those two girls. Song Lilai, that kind of person, should be condemned by everyone and made to pay back tenfold or a hundredfold to vent their anger.
"...Let me go..."
The ambitious Song Li met her untimely end, her plans thwarted by Song Jianshe, who stood beside her.
Feeling the tight grip on her arm, Song Li paused for a moment before suppressing her anger and speaking.
"Lili, what are you doing? This is not the time to fool around. You stand there obediently." Song Jianshe said in a serious tone.
Song Li suddenly became agitated, "Who are you calling ridiculous? I haven't even said you're cold-blooded yet, just watching two girls get beaten to death?"
"You guys are completely lawless! Don't you know we live in a society governed by law? Hitting someone can land you in jail, you know that?"
"Let me go right now, or that child will be badly hurt."
With a stick that big, and the strength of an adult male, it wouldn't be impossible to kill him.
The air suddenly went quiet for a moment, then Song Jianshe tightened his grip on Song Li's arm, his voice filled with anger, "Song Lili, you better stand still."
"Do you know what you're doing? Stealing grain is wrong in the first place, and they deserve to be beaten. If you offend Luo Weijia, how will our family survive in the future?"
Song Jianshe's face was absolutely black in the darkness, and his eyes held surprise and raging fire.
"Luo Weijia is the village chief and the production team leader. Do you expect to have enough to eat when the grain is distributed at the end of the year? Do you want to go hungry?"
As he spoke, Song Jianshe suddenly choked up, as if he had endless sorrows to tell.
It was Song Jianshe's words that made Song Li's body stiffen and her mind go blank, as if in a daze.
Production team? She must have heard correctly. What era is this from?
That happened in the 1950s or 60s, it's something that happened to my grandmother's generation, it has nothing to do with her no matter how you try to connect it!
But what did she just hear? She heard about the production team and the distribution of grain?
Oh my god, what's going on?
The chaotic scene occupied Song Li's mind, making her forget her desire to stand up for the two girls.
By the time Song Li noticed the changes around her, it was already broad daylight, and people were slowly dispersing in twos and threes, leaving the surrounding area in complete silence.
Song Jianshe's hand remained on Song Li's arm the entire time. Ever since Song Li said she wanted to stand up for justice, Song Jianshe hadn't dared to let go of her.
Song Li looked around at everything. Because it was dark, she couldn't see anything clearly before, and she hadn't noticed anything too wrong.
The slightest doubt that had been there before was pushed aside by the assault earlier, and it has only resurfaced now.
Upon seeing Song Li clearly, her eyes narrowed, widened, and she stared in shock at her surroundings.
What... what's going on?
The people around her, their clothes, and the place she was in all gave Song Li a sense of unfamiliarity.
They were all wearing clothes patched with countless stitches, dusty and gray, as if they had been wearing them for many years.
And the houses here are all made of adobe, dark and gloomy, with roofs made of straw. Song Li was certain they were thatched huts.
She abruptly turned her head to look at Song Jianshe, then her eyes flashed with understanding, but she didn't react much.
It seemed both expected and unexpected.
She appeared calm as she observed everything around her, but her heart was in turmoil, devoid of any peace.
Everything around her shocked and horrified her.
She doesn't even need to think about it; she knows something's wrong, but she can't quite put her finger on it.
Song Li tried her best to remain calm, telling herself to stay calm over and over again. She turned around, her back to Song Jianshe, and tried to adjust her emotions.
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