Chapter 8

Fang Qinghe was immediately restrained. He didn’t dare to act recklessly anymore.  

After all, in this era, if someone were escorted to the Public Security Bureau, their reputation would be ruined.  

He might not even be allowed to take the college entrance examination in the future.  

So, he had no choice but to retreat to the back of the commune members’ queue and stand in line.  

Among the crowd, people whispered to each other.

“What’s wrong with Educated Youth Shen today? Isn’t she usually the one chasing after Fang Qinghe?”  

“Ah! This is nothing. What happened last night is even more interesting. That Educated Youth Shen, last night…”  

And so, as the gossip spread from one woman to another, the entire Yonggan Village soon learned about the events of the previous night.  

Ye Huan immediately became alert. There was such a thing?  

No wonder she hadn’t seen Shen Jiaojiao last night.  

Ye Huan’s gaze fell on the scarf around Shen Jiaojiao’s neck.  

A shocking thought formed in her mind.  

Could it be that Shen Jiaojiao had really been involved with Xu Mo?

Was that why she was using a scarf to cover the marks?  

If that were the case, her reputation would be completely ruined.  

By then, isolated and helpless, she would surely turn to Ye Huan for help.  

Ye Huan quickly came up with an idea.  

Once the wild boar meat was distributed, everyone began to head back home.  

Shen Jiaojiao stared blankly at the small piece of wild boar meat in her hands.  

She didn’t even know how to cook. Giving it to her was a complete waste.  

At that moment, someone suddenly rushed in front of her.  

“You little wretch! You still dare to report us? What are you trying to do? Didn’t you like my son, Qinghe? Weren’t you always chasing after him before? Now, how could you turn around and bite him back? Don’t tell me you really had an improper relationship with that Xu Mo?”  

Fang Qinghe’s mother had been furious ever since their wild boar was taken last night and they were fined twenty yuan. She had been so angry that she hadn’t slept all night.  

Every time she thought of Shen Jiaojiao, she wished she could tear her mouth apart.

Mother Fang’s sharp and mean face twisted in anger, her eyes rolling so far back they were almost white.

“Oh… I see now! You must have been pleasured by that brute Xu Mo so much that you turned around and bit back at my Qinghe! Look at you, wearing a scarf in the middle of summer—definitely trying to cover something shameful!”  

The moment Shen Jiaojiao heard those words, she was enraged.  She picked up a stone from the ground and hurled it straight at Mother Fang’s face.  

“Filthy words, vulgar and disgusting.” she spat.  

Mother Fang had been caught off guard. The fist-sized rock struck her forehead, and in an instant, a large swelling bump formed.  

“You little wretch! How dare you throw a rock at me? I’ll beat you to death!”  

She lunged forward, raising her hand high, ready to strike Shen Jiaojiao.  

But just as her hand was about to come down, a strong hand grabbed her wrist, stopping her in place.  

Xu Mo stood there, his face cold and terrifying.  

Mother Fang’s eyes widened. Seeing Xu Mo himself, her suspicions felt even more confirmed.  

“Look, look! You two really are fooling around together! Shen Jiaojiao, you’re nothing but a—”  

Before she could finish her sentence, a loud slap landed across her face.  

“You old hag! How dare you ruin my son’s reputation? I swear, I’ll beat you to death today!”  

Liu Xiaolan stormed in, wasting no time. She grabbed Mother Fang’s face and delivered another slap.  

This old woman was beyond filthy with her words.  

After the first slap, Liu Xiaolan yanked Mother Fang’s hair hard, pulling her backward and sending her crashing to the ground.  

Then, without hesitation, Liu Xiaolan straddled Mother Fang, slapping her across the face again and again.  

Shen Jiaojiao: “……”  

My future mother-in-law is so fierce.  

“Aiya! I’m being beaten to death! I’m going to die!”  

Mother Fang, thin and frail, was no match for Liu Xiaolan’s aggression.  

Just then, Fang Qinghe returned after collecting his share of the meat.  

Seeing his mother being beaten in front of everyone—though she wasn’t his biological mother—it was still humiliating.  

He immediately rushed over to intervene.  

But Liu Xiaolan had three sons and a daughter.

So, when Fang Qinghe charged forward, Liu Xiaolan’s three sons immediately stepped in, blocking his way. Without hesitation, they swung their fists at him, landing blows one after another.  

If the fight continued like this, someone would eventually end up seriously injured—or worse.  

Fortunately, the Captain arrived just in time.  

“Stop! All of you, stop right now!” he bellowed.  

“Captain, they started it first!”  

At this moment, Fang Qinghe, his face swollen and bruised, saw the Captain and hurriedly complained first.  

Mother Fang, on the other hand, was covered in scratches from Liu Xiaolan’s attacks. Her face was marked with red streaks, as if she had been clawed by a wildcat.  

This was absolutely outrageous!  

Feeling completely wronged, Mother Fang threw herself onto the ground, rolling and wailing, demanding justice.  

“Captain! You must stand up for us! This Liu Xiaolan family is nothing but a bunch of bullies! They’re using their power to oppress us! They’re nothing less than a gang of thugs! Hurry and send them to the Public Security Bureau!”  

Liu Xiaolan was about to land another slap on the old woman, but Xu Mo stepped in, stopping her.  

Fighting in front of the Captain wouldn’t do them any favors. If anything, it would only put them at a disadvantage.  

The Captain was utterly exhausted. These villagers never gave him a moment’s peace.  

“This is absolute nonsense! What the hell happened this time? How did it turn into a fight?”  

Liu Xiaolan quickly stepped forward, cutting off Mother Fang before she could speak.  

“This old hag has been running her filthy mouth again, spreading rumors and ruining my son’s and Educated Youth Shen’s reputations! And the things she said were absolutely vile! Now, the entire village is talking about it! Tell me, Captain, how is my son supposed to find a wife after this? And how is Educated Youth Shen supposed to live with her name ruined?”  

Everyone knew that a woman’s reputation was more important than anything. If it was destroyed, it was as good as ruining her life.  

“Captain, this old hag is harming both my son and Educated Youth Shen’s lives!”

The more Liu Xiaolan spoke, the more aggrieved she felt. In the end, she simply sat on the ground and started crying.  

“My son has already suffered enough in life, and now this old hag is ruining his reputation! How am I supposed to live like this?  If my son can’t find a wife in the future, it’ll all be this wretched woman’s fault!”  

She shot a vicious glare at Mother Fang, pointing a trembling finger at her nose.  

“If no one is willing to marry my son, I’ll make sure your son is castrated! I’ll see your family wiped out, no descendants left! If you won’t let me live in peace, then I’ll fight you to the death!”  

Mother Fang wasn’t one to back down either. She pushed herself up from the ground and sneered.  

“I didn’t say anything wrong! Educated Youth Shen must have been so thoroughly pleased by your son that she turned around and falsely accused mine— Ahhh!”  

“You still dare to speak? I’ll beat you to death!”  

Liu Xiaolan lunged at her again, yanking Mother Fang’s hair and slamming her head straight into the ground.  

The Captain was nearly scared to death.  

Women fighting were truly terrifying.  

“Hurry, hurry! Pull them apart!”  

Under his command, the people around finally managed to separate the two raging women.  

“If any of you dare to lay another hand on each other, I’ll dock your work points and send you straight to the Public Security Bureau!”  

That warning worked like a charm. No one dared to make another move.  

The Captain turned to Mother Fang with a disappointed look.  

“Wang Erniu, you’re a woman yourself! How could you say such crude and vulgar things, ruining the reputations of two young people?”  

Mother Fang, still panting from the scuffle, scoffed.  

“I didn’t say anything wrong! That Shen Fox— that Educated Youth Shen— is clearly tangled up with Xu Mo! Otherwise, why would she be wearing a scarf in the middle of summer? She’s obviously trying to hide some filthy marks on her body!”