Chapter 31 A Group Attack: Since they're too idle to cause trouble, they might as well get to work...
Liu Fushun never expected to have his manhood kicked. He collapsed to the ground in agony, writhing in pain. He heard the person who kicked him say something nonchalant like, "So you're a person after all." Enraged, he disregarded his unspeakable pain and struggled to his feet, glaring at the other person. "What do you mean? Do you think I'm not human? And what's wrong with you? Why did you kick someone right away—Zhong Ying?"
In the pitch-black night, you can only see people clearly if you look closely from a close distance; otherwise, they all look like shadowy ghosts.
Zhong Ying was speechless. "Big brother, you were about to slap me in the face. Was I kicking you? I was defending myself!"
Deng Xia quickly walked up to her daughter and then recognized who was confronting Zhong Ying. "Liu Qiang's eldest son, you laid a hand on my daughter, and you still have the nerve to say that?!"
Liu Fushun was so angry he was panting. He was the one who was injured, but the mother and daughter took the lead and accused him!
He was so righteous and impulsive that he wanted to tell everyone where he had been kicked, but someone beat him to it.
"Oh dear, Fu Shun's daughter, how did your face get slapped like this?" Tian Mei exclaimed in surprise.
Hearing the commotion outside, Zhong Chunsheng immediately lit the candle in his hand and strode out of the house.
Therefore, by the dim light of the candle, everyone present could see the bruises on the young woman's face. Even though she quickly covered her face, it was still a shocking sight.
Zhong Ying was also startled. She couldn't help but lower her head and secretly click her tongue. If only that kick had been harder.
The women around him began to criticize Liu Fushun.
"Why can't you talk things out properly? What kind of man hits his wife?" Nie Jinfeng said dismissively.
“That’s right, your wife gave birth to two children for you. I’ve seen her take care of the housework and the children every day. She hasn’t done anything wrong. How can you lay a hand on her? Don’t you have a conscience?” As an elder, Nie Ying couldn’t help but criticize.
Zhong Ying nodded in agreement, then looked up and saw an unusual figure. Her eyes immediately shone brighter than candlelight.
Li Linshi looked at her, not missing this change. His heart, which had stopped beating, seemed to be clenched tightly. Under such a gaze, he actually felt as if he were being illuminated.
Zhong Ying was genuinely pleasantly surprised. For over a month, she had been suffering from not being able to enjoy the air conditioning. If the time and place weren't so inconvenient, she would have loved to sing a song to Li Linshi, "Brother, I miss you~"
People kept gathering around and condemning Liu Fushun.
Hu Datong, who had squeezed through the crowd to watch the commotion, frowned and said, "What kind of mess has this been! Look how you could beat your perfectly good wife like this!"
Even the most respected and senior member of the production team, Third Aunt, said, "Yes, harmony in the family brings prosperity. You've made your home so unsettled; how can you not have a good life?"
Liu Fushun retorted, "I've told her several times to take the wooden bucket away from the doorway, but she hasn't. As a result, every time I go out, I step into the bucket and my shoes get completely wet!"
Zhong Ying turned to look at him in shock, "Just for this?"
Covering her face, Wu Ling sobbed softly, "...I...I didn't have time to take it yet. After washing the dishes from dinner, I still have to take care of bathing and putting the two kids to bed. I was just thinking of taking the clothes to wash and piling them in the basin, so I took the bucket with me..."
Deng Xia was so angry that she looked Liu Fushun up and down. "Your wife does all the housework and takes care of the children. Why don't you just take the bucket of water yourself? You have the strength to lift a bucket of water instead of lifting your wife? We aunts and uncles have watched you grow up, and we never knew you would grow up to be like a big shot."
Upon hearing the news, the Liu family members also rushed over.
Liu Ximei, the youngest daughter of the Liu family, had always been closest to her sister-in-law. This was the first time she had seen Wu Ling's unmasked, pitiful state, and she was immediately enraged. The thirteen-year-old girl, like a reckless little bull, clenched her fists and rushed over to punch her older brother, yelling, "You hit my sister-in-law! How could you hit my sister-in-law!"
The second brother, Liu Mancang, quickly stepped forward and lifted his sister up to stop her from hitting people. He frowned and scolded her, "You are our eldest brother after all. How can you, as a sister, lay a hand on your brother!"
Liu Ximei was so angry that she kicked her legs in the air, "Does he act like an older brother? He can lay a hand on my sister-in-law, so why can't I lay a hand on him! Second brother, let me go!"
Liu Mancang's wife, Fan Dani, supported her sister-in-law with eyes full of heartache.
The third brother, Liu Guangtian, stood on his sister's side and looked at Liu Fushun disapprovingly, saying, "Big brother, the strength we inherited from Dad isn't for using on our wives."
Liu Fengshou, the fourth son, stood to the side with his arms crossed and a slovenly air. "Look at all these people. I thought it was something serious. It's just disciplining his wife. Everyone, disperse."
His younger brother, Liu Laicai, reached out and tugged at him, lowering his voice, "Fourth brother, it's not as easy as you say! Didn't you see that sister-in-law's face is covered in bruises?"
Liu Fengshou shrugged. "So what? No matter how badly my brother does, he still has our parents, right? There's no need for others to point fingers here."
Upon hearing this, Deng Xia rolled her eyes. Fine, then she'd drag her parents down with her.
"Liu Qiang!" Deng Xia called him by his full name in a loud and imposing manner. "How did you raise your child? How could he do something as beastly as hitting his own wife? Or is Fu Shun following his example, behaving like this at home too? Liu Qiang, does your father beat you at home too?"
Upon hearing this, everyone's gaze fell upon Lin Shuhong, who quickly waved her hands, "No! Never!"
Zhong Ying's eyes darted around, and she deliberately walked over to Fan Dani, asking her in a voice that wasn't too loud, "Sister Dani, did you get beaten at home? It was really scary. Brother Liu is the type to hit his wife. I wonder if all his kids are like that... Anyway, if you've been beaten at home, you absolutely must tell us. I think Uncle Fan and Aunt Fan will definitely back you up! If all else fails, we're here for you. After all, we've been neighbors for over twenty years. Just let us know if you need any help!"
Nie Ying, who had just been standing by as an outsider and only offering a few criticisms, exploded upon hearing this. She was furious. "Man Cang hit you? Where did he hit you? You're pregnant and he still dared to hit you?!"
Terrified, Liu Mancang repeatedly assured his mother-in-law, "No, no, I never laid a hand on you like my brother!"
Zhong Ying silently retreated and disappeared into the crowd. Liu's eldest sister-in-law had married into the Shenjiagou production team from afar and had no relatives or friends. Perhaps this was the reason why Liu Fushun dared to act so recklessly and why she silently tolerated him. Let's drag more people down with us.
Taking advantage of the darkness, Zhong Ying shrank back in the crowd to make herself appear shorter, and then fanned the flames in a rough voice, "Hey, if the boss is like this, it's hard to say that the brothers below won't be the same way, beating their wives. Which family would dare to marry their daughter off to him?"
Zhong Ying quickly changed her position and voice, echoing her previous words, "That's right! Look at his wife, oh dear, she's been beaten like this! If it were his own daughter, he'd be heartbroken! They're both born of parents, they bore him children and did all the housework, how could he lay a hand on her?!"
Sure enough, people's thoughts were quickly drawn to the imagined scenario of their own daughters being beaten. These days, there are many children, and every family has a daughter. Although people still believe that daughters are not as good as sons, no matter how lowly a daughter is, she cannot be beaten or scolded at will.
The crowd shifted from blaming Liu Fushun, the eldest son of the Liu family, to blaming his parents for not raising their children well and questioning whether his four younger brothers were of the same character. Even the Liu family's strength, which had always been praised, became a disadvantage and fueled the violence.
Zhong Ying kept her achievements hidden; she only used the skills of an online troll to a small extent—guiding public opinion.
The darkness did not affect Li Linshi's vision. He clearly saw Zhong Ying's series of actions, and a smile unconsciously appeared on his lips. He inexplicably thought of wild rabbits peeking out from their holes in the fields.
The next second, Zhong Ying glanced at him again, her bright, piercing eyes seeming to speak volumes, filled with deep suspicion.
Zhong Ying had just shifted the blame to the Liu brothers when she suddenly remembered that Li Linshi was their cousin. She couldn't help but wonder if there really was a family history of domestic violence.
Li Linshi, understanding the look in her eyes, frowned. Unwilling to accept being blamed like this, he squeezed out a few words through gritted teeth, "I... am... not."
Under the cover of darkness and chaos, no one noticed Zhong Ying, who was clutching her neck with both hands and rolling her eyes, as if to say, "You've done this to me before."
Li Linshi found it both funny and infuriating. Was that "domestic violence"? He really wanted to kill her back then, and besides... they weren't even a couple.
On one side, a human and a ghost exchange glances, while on the other side, the crowd is filled with indignation.
Seeing that things were getting out of hand, Tian Mei quickly turned around and ran home to call her father-in-law, Li Ming, the production team leader.
Liu Qiang was shocked to see that his eldest son's "misdeeds" had ruined the reputations of his younger brothers. His second son was married, but his third, fourth, and fifth sons were still unmarried. With an older brother who beat his wife, how could matchmakers help him find wives? Were they all destined to remain bachelors like these disgraced scoundrels?
The thought that his sons might become "Liu San Hunzi" or "Liu Si Hunzi" made Liu Qiang rush over and punch his eldest son, just like he had done with his youngest daughter.
"You beast! It's all my fault for not teaching you properly!" Liu Qiang said through gritted teeth as he beat his son. "You're the eldest in the family, and not only do you not set a good example for your younger siblings, you've also ruined their reputations! What will they do if they can't find wives? I'm asking you, what will they do!"
Liu Fushun howled in pain as he was beaten. His father was much stronger than his younger sister, and he kept dodging and begging for mercy, "Dad, Dad! I'll never dare to do it again! I'll never lay a hand on Ling'er again! I'll set an example for my brothers. I'll change, I'll change everything. I'll be good to my wife from now on!"
Zhong Ying's hands were itching to touch them, so she silently walked over to her father, Zhong Chunsheng, and whispered, "Dad, isn't it a waste to light candles?"
Without waiting for her father's reply, Zhong Ying said to herself, "I blew it up, I'll save it for next time."
After saying that, she blew out the only light source on the road.
Under the cover of darkness, Zhong Ying walked along the wall, listening to the sounds, until she got closer and could distinguish two figures: the one standing and throwing punches was Liu Qiang, and the one dodging left and right was Liu Fushun.
However, before Zhong Ying could do anything, she was stopped by the dead ghost.
"I'll do it," Li Linshi said coldly. He saw what Zhong Ying was planning to do and was afraid that she would get involved and get hurt.
Li Linshi was furious with her, but he couldn't hit or scold her. So he shifted his gaze to his cousin, who was being beaten by his uncle. He thought, "If I hit him, my cousin really deserves a beating."
However, Li Linshi didn't do much. He just stood in the darkness, and when he saw Liu Fushun trying to hide in his direction, he kicked him hard, sending him back under Liu Qiang's fist.
However, there were a few others who shared the same thoughts as Zhong Ying. Under the cover of darkness, they unknowingly joined in, taking a kick or a punch to vent their anger...
By the time Li Ming and Liu Hongyan arrived, the scene had already devolved into a brawl.
Li Ming was utterly stunned and shouted, "What are you all doing?! Fighting in the middle of the night?"
Nie Ying stood by, protecting her pregnant daughter, without participating.
Deng Xia and Hu Datian casually stopped what they were doing and quickly walked a few steps to the side, pretending that they had never been involved either.
Nie Jinfeng caught her breath and moved to the side.
Zhong Ying stepped forward and helped the unsteady figure. The third aunt couldn't see clearly, but smiled gratefully at her.
Liu Laicai quietly tugged at his sister's clothes and pulled her aside.
In a short while, the people who had gathered together dispersed like ghostly figures, leaving only Liu Qiang and Lin Shuhong, the couple who were still beating their son.
Hu, chuckling awkwardly, said to Li Ming, "Captain, this is just parents disciplining their children, not a brawl. It's late at night, in the dark, so it's easy to mistake one for another."
Liu Fushun wailed, "Father, Mother, please stop hitting me, I feel like I'm going to die—"
His forehead was damp, and he felt increasingly cold. Liu Fushun remembered hearing that only the dying experience hypothermia, yet he was shivering with cold on this August night. It was over; he was really going to die!
The culprit that caused the temperature drop was surprised to hear its cousin's words and took a step back.
Li Ming and his wife Liu Hongyan quickly pulled Liu Qiang and Lin Shuhong apart.
Liu Hongyan couldn't help but scold her younger brother Liu Qiang, "How could you beat the child like this!"
Liu Qiang obediently stopped, not really intending to beat his son to death. He snorted, "Look what he's done! Beating his wife? I'll beat him like this too, so he can taste what it's like!"
Tian Mei carefully protected the candle in her hand, afraid that it would be blown out by the wind if she walked too fast, so she came over at this moment.
Using the light from her eldest daughter-in-law's hand, Liu Hongyan finally saw her nephew's wife's face clearly. She was immediately startled and turned to Liu Fushun, spitting, "Serves you right!"
Then Liu Hongyan took the candle from her daughter-in-law and, still worried, shone it on her nephew, fearing that her brother might really hurt the child.
After all, Liu Fushun had just been wailing that he was going to die.
But when you look at it by candlelight...
Liu Hongyan, annoyed, shoved her nephew across the face and scoffed, "You're so delicate, you act like you're going to die from a tiny cut the size of a thumb. Your dad goes much easier on you!"
Upon hearing this, Liu Fushun breathed a sigh of relief; it seemed that he wasn't as badly injured as his wife.
Liu Qiang glared at his eldest son with a fierce look, "You dare to do it again! I'll really beat you to death. Without you, my eldest daughter-in-law might have a better life!"
Liu Fushun's voice trembled with fear as he cried out repeatedly, "Dad, I remember! Mom, Aunt! Uncle—"
He really didn't dare to do it again. Putting aside the bone-chilling cold that felt like he was on the verge of death, there was also the beating his parents gave him. Who exactly pulled his hair, slapped him, and kicked his lower back and buttocks?
You only know the pain when the fist lands on you.
Li Ming, exasperated, stopped Liu Qiang. "Alright, enough with the beating. Tomorrow I'll arrange for him to dig the underground ditch!" He's got energy, huh? Use it all on building the production team!
Liu Fushun was dumbfounded, "Huh?"
His uncle didn't hit him, but why did he just throw him into labor reform? To dig underground ditches? That's hard work, only strong laborers can do it.
"What do you mean 'huh'?" Li Ming glared at him with a stern face. "You made a mistake and don't you have any sense of responsibility? There's no room for discussion about this!"
Just as things were calming down in the fields, Li Ming had just finished wiping his youngest son's memorial tablet, thinking he would finally have some time to talk things out. He was almost in tears when his eldest daughter-in-law hurriedly called him over to wipe his nephew's bottom. How could Li Ming not be furious?
Since you're so idle as to cause trouble, then go and get some work done! Don't go home until you're half-dead from exhaustion; once you're half-dead, you won't cause any more trouble.
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Author's note: Li Linshi looked at Zhong Ying: Cute.
Liu Fushun clutched his head and back: Damn it!
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