The noisy group turned their heads to see an old woman kick open the gate of the Educated Youth Point. She dragged Tiedan along, cursing and swearing as she marched in.
"Auntie Liu?" Ji Wenrou looked on in astonishment.
"Oh! It’s good you’re here, Educated Youth Ji. These educated youths are just heartless, bullying the weak! Just look at what they’ve done to our Tiedan."
Auntie Liu pulled Tiedan forward. His face was indeed terribly swollen, and he was limping, whimpering in constant pain.
"Did you all hit him?" Wang Zhiping stepped out of the kitchen, followed closely by Wu Meimei and Fang Ping. They all wore grim expressions.
Wu Meimei’s eyes flashed with anger. *These idiots! How could they dare to provoke the locals?* Their position as educated youths was already precarious enough, and this would only make things worse.
Fang Ping felt a sense of dread. Most of the villagers were neighbors and kin who stood together against outsiders. Why did these new educated youths have to go and offend the locals? Especially someone as troublesome as Auntie Liu.
Fang Ping couldn't help but recall the time she first arrived at Taohua Village. She had been naive and well-behaved back then. Auntie Liu had set her sights on her, insisting on introducing her to her son—a good-for-nothing brute whose first wife had been beaten away and never returned. Tiedan had been left in Auntie Liu’s care ever since. Fang Ping had been terrified, and it was only thanks to the brigade leader intervening that she had been spared. She’d heard that Auntie Liu’s son had gone out looking for his wife and never came back. Just thinking about it now made her shudder.
Ji Wenrou felt awkward, too. She never expected that the child Wen Ruocheng had struck was Auntie Liu’s grandson. The good reputation she had worked so hard to build was likely going to be wiped out.
Trying to maintain a gentle smile, she attempted to explain: "Auntie Liu, you’ve misunderstood. We didn’t do it on purpose. We just got back and saw Tiedan bullying Yanyan. We were furious, so we pushed him away a little."
Ji Wenrou hugged the shivering Wen Yan close. Wen Yan hung his head, not daring to look at Tiedan, tears streaming down his face. He was naturally delicate and harmless-looking, which only made him seem more pitiful.
Auntie Liu realized what was going on. "So it was you and Educated Youth Wen who pushed him?"
Her eyes darted around before settling like blades on Wen Yan. The boy flinched, his small body trembling uncontrollably. Ji Wenrou hurried to comfort him, while Wen Ruocheng stood in front of them with a cold face, staring Auntie Liu down.
"Can you be reasonable?" Wen Ruocheng said with mounting impatience. "He was the one who bullied Yanyan first. I didn't come after you, yet here you are, shifting the blame onto us."
"A child as well-behaved as Tiedan could never bully this little brat!" Auntie Liu refused to hear it. She had raised Tiedan; she knew his nature. Tiedan wasn't the type to go around bullying people! She was convinced of it.
Wen Ruocheng looked at the shameless old woman with disgust, once again loathing the village. *Damn it! If we were back in the city, who would dare speak to me like this?*
"Auntie Liu, please, let’s calm down. This is just a squabble between children. Let’s keep the peace," Wang Zhiping said, forced into the role of the peacemaker as the atmosphere grew tense.
"Are you educated youths trying to bully a lonely old woman?" Auntie Liu plopped onto the ground, rolling about and throwing a tantrum. "Oh, woe is me! I’ve worked so hard to raise my grandson alone, only for him to be bullied! Is it because you see that I have no one to rely on? Oh, Heaven, open your eyes and look at this!"
The nearby families heard the commotion and couldn't be bothered to finish their meals. Eating was nowhere near as important as watching the drama unfold.
"Where are you going?" a man asked, frowning as he buried his face in his bowl.
"I’m going to see what Auntie Liu is kicking up a fuss about now."
On her way over, the woman told the neighbors, and soon four or five middle-aged women were heading toward the Educated Youth Point. Some even brought their bowls of porridge with them.
When they arrived, they saw Auntie Liu wailing on the ground while the hulking Wen Ruocheng stood over her with a cold, intimidating expression.
"Tsk, Educated Youth Wen looks pretty scary."
"Who's to say? We’d better be careful from now on. I’m afraid of getting beaten by him."
Hearing the murmurs, Wen Ruocheng looked up to see a crowd encircling them. His face darkened even further. "Stop your unreasonable behavior!" he said, suppressing his fury. *I really want to kill someone!* he thought. *These ignorant villagers!*
Ji Wenrou’s expression wasn't much better, but she restrained herself. "Auntie Liu, get up first," she said, leaning down to help her. "Let’s talk reasonably. Yanyan was hit by Tiedan, so we acted out of a desire to protect him, and for that, we apologize. But we know the gravity of the situation; we only pushed Tiedan away, and we didn't use much force."
"Are you saying Tiedan caused these injuries himself just to frame you?" Auntie Liu snapped. She grabbed Tiedan and lifted his shirt. Beneath it, his skin was covered in black and blue bruises that looked truly horrific.
"Grandma, it hurts..." Tiedan cried, his eyes red.
"Hiss! That Educated Youth Wen was ruthless. If my kid were beaten like that, I’d fight him to the death!"
"And they say they didn't use much force! If they had, would Tiedan still be alive?"
"Too terrifying!"
Ji Wenrou heard the surrounding discussion and shuddered, her expression turning vacant. She glanced at Wen Ruocheng. *How can this be?* He had only pushed him away; how could his entire body be so severely bruised?
Wen Ruocheng had the same question. He knew how much force he had used. It had been nothing more than a shove. It shouldn't have caused this much damage!
"You're lying! I didn't do this to him!"
"We’re lying? So this is how you educated youths behave—doing things and refusing to admit it?" Auntie Liu’s tears flowed freely. "My Tiedan has only ever been hit by you! Are you saying he did this to himself?"
Wen Ruocheng was rendered speechless.
"You have to pay compensation today! I’m taking Tiedan to the town hospital for an examination. If you don't give me ten or eight yuan, nobody is leaving!"
"Auntie Liu, how could an examination possibly cost that much?" Ji Wenrou frowned. A hospital registration fee was only thirty cents, and an exam was usually a little over a yuan. Even with medicine, it shouldn't be anywhere near ten or eight yuan! Auntie Liu was clearly extorting them.
"How could it not? My Tiedan is bruised all over; who knows if you damaged his internal organs? I have to get him a full-body scan!" Auntie Liu slapped the ground and wailed. "Oh, my wretched life! I raised a son who never comes home, and now the grandson I’ve painstakingly brought up is being bullied! Are you just targeting us because we’re a fatherless and motherless family? You say my Tiedan bullied that boy, but where’s your proof? Tiedan might be a bit rowdy, but he’s never bullied anyone! I bet that brat did something wrong and got what he deserved!"
Wen Ruocheng clenched his fists. "Auntie Liu! That is a truly heartless thing to say!"
"Oh! You educated youths are not human! If you don't pay up today, I’m going to the brigade leader and the secretary! I’m going to report every one of you!"