Chapter 30: A Village Brawl in Guixi Village

He Zhuzhu saw her daughter return with the fish soup. “Your Sister Shuning is very clear-cut.”

Mingming placed the soup bowl on the table, and Goudan immediately came to sniff it. “When Grandma was still around, we could occasionally drink fish soup.”

He Zhuzhu lowered her eyes. It wasn’t just her mother-in-law; her deceased husband had been the most skilled fisherman. Unfortunately, both were gone, leaving only her and her children to rely on each other.

The sun had already set, and the villagers who had gone to town to deliver grain in the afternoon hadn’t returned.

Wang Shuning ate a large bowl of steamed fish slices, sweating profusely; she had put in too much chili; it was very spicy.

After eating, she took her bowl and chopsticks to the well to wash them. Just as she was about to change the water for a final rinse, Gou Dan, who had been playing outside after dinner, ran back, shouting, “Mom, Fengfeng’s dad got into a fight and was beaten badly.”

Wang Shuning stopped washing the dishes. A fight? Who was Fengfeng’s father?

He Zhuzhu, wearing coarse cloth gloves and preparing to saw down a dead tree before dark, came out of the hall. “Didn’t they go to town to deliver grain? How could they get into a fight?”

Goudan shook his head, not knowing. His face was filled with fear. “Fengfeng’s dad had a white cloth on his head, and there was blood on his body; he looked terrifying, like he was about to die.”

He Zhuzhu turned Gou Dan’s head and pushed him into the house. “Don’t talk nonsense, child. Stay home; Mom will go out for a bit.”

Goudan slowly squatted down at the gate, and He Guoyue came out and asked him, “Did Fengfeng’s mom cry?”

Goudan thought for two seconds and shook his head. “No, Fengfeng’s mom was shouting; Fengfeng’s grandma seemed to be cursing, calling someone a ‘murderer.'”

Mingming turned to go back inside. “Then he won’t die. Mom cried so sadly when Grandma died.”

Wang Shuning asked Goudan, “Who is Fengfeng?”

Goudan: “Laodong uncle’s son, my best friend.”

“Who is Laodong uncle?”

Goudan raised his eyebrows. “Chunxi grandpa’s son! Sister Shuning, don’t you know?”

Wang Shuning suddenly realized that it was He Chunxi’s son who had been beaten.

“Shuning, Shuning.”

Wang Shuning heard Zhang Meili’s loud voice before she even entered the yard. She quickly poured out the dishwater, stood up, and asked, “What’s wrong?”

Zhang Meili caught her breath, supporting her waist. “Zhao Heping was beaten; his leg is in a splint; it’s probably broken.”

“…”

Wang Shuning was stunned. “Did the villagers who went to deliver grain this afternoon have a conflict with someone?”

Zhang Meili quickly gasped. “How did you know?”

“Those who were beaten were all those who went to deliver grain this afternoon; one was a villager, and one was an educated youth. It must have been a brawl. Were there any other injuries?”

Zhang Meili pointed behind her. “I didn’t see anyone else injured, but the village chief is leading other villagers to Guixi Village to seek justice. I saw He Daniu, He Xianfeng, and Uncle Chunxi carrying hoes; they must be almost at the village entrance now.”

The educated youths who had grown up in the city had never seen a village brawl, especially with so many people involved. Besides curiosity, there was also a hint of unease.

Wang Shuning immediately put the washed dishes in the basin. “Wait for me.”

She put the basin in the kitchen, locked the door, and excitedly dragged Zhang Meili out.

Zhang Meili blinked. “You’re going too?”

“I have nothing to do; I’ll join the fun and digest my food.”

When they reached the village entrance, Guo Jingyi, Liu Sicun, Zhao Leyi, Li Jiefang, and Hu Haoguo were waiting there.

Guo Jingyi said, “Beichu is at home taking care of Zhao Heping ; he didn’t come.”

They quickened their pace, afraid of missing the excitement.

Liu Sicun said as they walked, “I heard that there was a drought last year, and Hongtaiyang Village upstream wanted to cut off the river water. The two villages almost fought then; we arrived late and missed it. Unexpectedly, they’re clashing with Guixi Village this time.”

Zhang Meili: “Uncle Chunxi said this morning that the heads of Guixi Village are all young and strong men, very tall. Can our village chief beat them?”

When they reached the entrance of Guixi Village, they saw many people standing under the big locust tree at the entrance.

Wang Shuning immediately pulled Zhang Meili to hide in the grass by the roadside; the others also hid to watch the excitement.

Except for Li Jiefang and Hu Haoguo, the five women had never been in a brawl.

The two groups were facing each other, a line between them like the boundary line on a chessboard, not to be easily crossed.

He Haiming, the village chief of Dafeng Village, and Wang Dongqiu, the village chief of Guixi Village, stood facing each other. He Haiming’s face was stern, his eyes narrowed.

Wang Dongqiu supported He Haiming, trying to calm him down. “Village chief He, today’s incident was purely accidental; we didn’t expect to hurt anyone.”

He Haiming forcefully pushed Wang Dongqiu’s hand away. “Wang Dejun, the driver, clearly did it on purpose. He retaliated because we didn’t let him cut in line. He Laodong was hit on the head and bled profusely; the doctor said he had a concussion. Zhao Heping , the newly arrived educated youth, broke his leg just a month after arriving. Accidental? I think it was deliberate.”

“Village chief, don’t waste time with them. Let Wang Dejun come out. We must get justice today. They think Dafeng Village is easy to bully!” He Xianfeng, holding a hoe, struck the ground hard, creating several holes.

Wang Dongqiu was furious. He hadn’t gone on the afternoon trip because he saw less grain, but then he was told someone was injured. Soon, someone ran to report that Dafeng Village’s villagers were coming to fight, led by the village chief.

Although the young men of Guixi Village weren’t afraid of fighting, village-to-village brawls were rare, especially since they had started it. Dafeng Village had real injuries, including an educated youth. If things went badly, it could reach the town or county.

Zhang Meili anxiously asked, “What are they saying? Why haven’t they started fighting yet?”

Wang Shuning could see He Haiming and Wang Dongqiu’s mouths moving. “They won’t fight. The village chief brought so many people to show strength. He Laodong and Zhao Heping were injured; the other side will have to compensate. The more people they bring, the more seriously the village takes it, and the more compensation they’ll get.”

Guo Jingyi agreed. “A mass brawl is no small crime; unless He Haiming doesn’t want to be village chief anymore.”

If a brawl resulted in an incident, the village officials would be the first to be held responsible.

Because they couldn’t hear clearly, the seven of them moved a little closer.

Wang Dongqiu also knew this couldn’t be easily resolved. “As soon as Wang Dejun returns, I’ll lock him in the ancestral hall. Tomorrow morning, I’ll personally go to apologize. We’ll be responsible for He Laodong and Zhao Heping ‘s medical expenses.”

He Haiming’s eyebrows furrowed into an inverted eight. He sternly rebuked, “Medical expenses are only natural. There are also lost wages, convalescence expenses, and mental distress compensation. They can’t work for one or two months because of this injury. They’re young people; they have a long life ahead of them. What if they have sequelae? What will you do then?”