Chapter Twenty: Lively Scene
Lin Baozhu arrived at the forefront of the gossip. On the muddy ground by the riverbank, the soaking wet Bi Yuntao was protecting the soaking wet Zhao Xiaoyu. Standing opposite them was Erlaizi, a notorious scoundrel in the village. This man was short and stocky with a face full of red bumps, and looked lewd and disgusting.
"I've already touched this little girl."
Erlaizi rubbed his blackened hands, bared his yellow teeth, and lingered on Zhao Xiaoyu with a sticky look in his eyes: "Tsk tsk, that skin is so smooth. You, Bi Yuntao, are a worker with a secure job. Why are you worried about not finding a wife? Why not give her to me?"
As he spoke, he reached out and grabbed Zhao Xiaoyu's arm, causing her to scream and shrink into Bi Yuntao's arms.
Lin Baozhu frowned, not because she felt sorry for Zhao Xiaoyu, but simply because she disliked Er Laizi's behavior.
"You scoundrel!"
Bi Yuntao, half-holding Zhao Xiaoyu, took a half-step back, veins throbbing on his forehead, and gritted his teeth as he continued, "Zhao Xiaoyu is my girlfriend, we just got our marriage certificate! If you keep spouting nonsense, I'll break your legs!"
In the crowd, Lin's mother stood on the earthen embankment, cracking sunflower seeds, spitting the shells all over the ground. She leaned close to Stone's mother's ear, her voice loud enough to lift the roof: "Tsk tsk, they just got their marriage certificate today, and Zhao Xiaoyu went to bathe in the river tributary. What decent family would go to the river tributary in broad daylight instead of bathing at home? If she had stayed home quietly, would she have caused this mess?"
After saying that, he nudged Stone Mother with his elbow and said with a sly look, "Look at Bi Yuntao's pants, they're all wet and sticking to his body, and the front is all empty. Could he be a slut?"
These words were like a bombshell, causing an immediate commotion in the crowd. Stone's mother's eyes were glued to Bi Yuntao's crotch—a normal man's crotch should at least have a bulge, but his was as flat as a chopping board. Could it really be a peanut?
The unmarried girls blushed and lowered their heads, their feet seemingly rooted to the ground, refusing to budge an inch. The married women whispered amongst themselves, their probing gazes almost burning a hole in Bi Yuntao's heart.
Lin's mother laughed until her eyes crinkled, her voice growing increasingly shrill: "Bi Yuntao, your mother is having an affair, and your new wife is flirting with men in broad daylight! What kind of family is this? It's rotten to the core!"
The onlookers burst into laughter: "Speaking of which, your girl is really lucky. She just broke off the engagement with the Bi family, and then this happened to them. You can't be heartless, or you'll suffer the consequences!"
"Exactly! Look at Baozhu, she killed a wild boar on the very day she broke off her engagement with the Bi family. Her luck is unparalleled!"
Bi Yuntao listened to the surrounding mockery, his face burning red. But these words crawled into his ears like insects—if he hadn't rushed to break off the engagement with Lin Baozhu, he would still have the 1,300 yuan dowry in his hands; when his mother had the accident yesterday, the Lin family wouldn't have stood idly by even for the sake of Lin Baozhu's reputation.
He was filled with remorse when he suddenly remembered that Zhao Xiaoyu was from Beijing and would soon be able to bring him to the city. At that point, the difference between the Bi family and the Lin family would be like heaven and earth. He had given up so much for Zhao Xiaoyu; she would definitely be even more devoted to him in the future, and he might even be able to find him a decent job in the city…
Lost in thought, I heard the jingling of a bicycle bell in the distance. Several policemen in blue uniforms rode over on their old-fashioned bicycles.
The police stopped their vehicle, glanced at the onlookers, and asked Lin's mother, who was still babbling, "Auntie, has Bi Yuntao returned yet?"
Upon seeing the police, Lin's mother quickly spat out the sunflower seed shells, pointed to the middle of the crowd, and laughed, "Oh my, the police are here!"
"Zhi's finally here! Another scandal involving a 'broken shoe' has broken out in our village today, and it's the Bi family again..."
The police officers exchanged glances—why did this old lady's eyes light up at the mere mention of the Bi family's extramarital affairs?
Upon hearing that the police had arrived, Bi Yuntao disregarded Zhao Xiaoyu and pushed through the crowd, shouting, "Police officers!"
"Zhi! My parents must have been framed! They could never have done such a thing! I asked around in the village today, and someone deliberately set fire to our woodpile to lure the villagers there! Maybe Zuo Shuanzi was drugged by that thief and carried to our house. You must find out the truth!"
"We already interrogated your mother yesterday."
The lead police officer took out his notebook and flipped through it as he said, "She admitted to having an affair with Zuo Shuanzi, but there were indeed signs that she was led astray at the scene. We're here today because your mother reported that after she and Zuo Shuanzi fainted yesterday, everything in the house was stolen."
"Public Security"
"Zhi, we will definitely cooperate with the investigation! But before that, you must stand up for us!"
Bi Yuntao pointed at Er Laizi next to him and said, "This guy was just being a scoundrel and tried to steal my wife!"
Er Laizi was about to slip away when he heard this, and his legs went weak. He stammered, "Police officer..."
Zhi, it's a misunderstanding! A huge misunderstanding! It was hot today, so I went to bathe in the riverbank and saw this lesbian.
Zhi was struggling in the water, and I thought she was drowning, so I dragged her ashore. But they turned around and accused me of being a pervert...
"Being a hooligan is a serious crime, and what's more, you're trying to take someone else's wife, which makes it even more serious. If you have anything to say, come back to the station with us."
The lead policeman pulled out handcuffs, and with a click, Er Laizi's wrists were cuffed.
The villagers shrank back in fear, afraid of getting involved. Zhao Xiaoyu felt a bit better after seeing Erlaizi handcuffed, but when she heard that the Bi family had been robbed, she became even more disdainful of Old Lady You—it probably only cost them some grain coupons and money.
This even alarmed the police, who came to the village again to investigate. Today is her and Taozi's wedding day, and she had to cause such a scandal. It's clear they don't want her to have a good time!
Although the villagers were afraid of the police, they couldn't resist their curiosity and followed the crowd towards the Bi family's house from a distance. Bi Yuntao ran into Lin Baozhu as soon as he returned to the village today, then Zhao Xiaoyu was knocked into a pile of dung by Hu Zi, and when the two went to the river to wash themselves, they ran into Er Laizi. After all this commotion, they still hadn't returned home.
When Bi Yuntao opened the courtyard gate, the empty courtyard made his legs go weak.
"Where are the things in the house?" he yelled, rushing into the kitchen—the cupboard was gone, the iron pot was gone, even the rice jar was gone! He then ran frantically to the pigpen, but the black-haired pig his mother had carefully raised was gone too!
"Who did this?!"
He stumbled back to his room, only to find it empty; even the industrial vouchers he'd saved for half a year were gone! He ran to Old Lady You's room, but there was nothing left either...
Bi Yuntao collapsed into the courtyard with a thud, one hand supporting his forehead, the other pounding the ground, muttering, "It's all over...it's all over..."
"If you ask me, people really shouldn't do immoral things..."
Lin's mother pursed her lips and said, "It's not something an ordinary person could do to have your house so quietly and cleanly robbed."
"Auntie, watch your words!" the lead policeman said sternly. "We can't spread feudal superstitions at a time like this!"
Lin's mother reluctantly shut her mouth—what feudal superstition? This is what the whole village thinks!
Lin Baozhu stood at the back of the crowd, watching several police officers carefully examine the Bi family's courtyard, occasionally bending down to pick up something and put it into an evidence bag.
"Too many people came to the Bi family last night, and the scene was already destroyed."
While taking notes, the police asked Bi Yuntao, "Who has your family made an enemy of recently?"
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