Ye Chenchuan, you’re ruthless!

Qin Rongrong’s heart filled with despair as she looked at the cold disdain in the boy’s dark eyes. Her heart ached as if it were being sliced open.

Yes, this was the ruthless, unfeeling Ye Chenchuan from her previous life.

Qin Rongrong’s heartbroken appearance didn’t go unnoticed by the nosy village women around. One of the middle-aged women exchanged a knowing look with her companion and chuckled.

“Young man, speaking so harshly—what if you scare the girl? Can’t you tell? She likes you. Why don’t you let this auntie make the decision and have you marry her?”

The old women nearby giggled, causing Qin Rongrong’s face to flush with embarrassment. Her shy and timid demeanor made the old women even more pleased with themselves, confidently gossiping among each other.

Their chatter drew frowns from the onlookers.

But the boy at the center of the gossip remained expressionless and stern. He kept his gaze lowered, continuing to hammer away at the rock in front of him. In his right hand, he held a large, well-polished hammer.

With a loud crash, the stubborn rock shattered in front of the chattering women, sending fragments flying dangerously close to them.

One of the women shrieked and jumped back, ready to curse him out. But when she met the boy’s cold, piercing eyes, she felt a chill down her spine and immediately closed her mouth.

Damn, this kid is like a wolf cub, with a cold glint in his eyes. He’s not someone to mess with.

She quickly decided to leave.

The woman spat on the ground, tugged at her companions and the group of women, exchanging glances, hurried away with quick steps.

With the nosy women gone, the scene quieted, leaving only Qin Dahai’s wife, Li Erhua, wailing and making a scene.

Seeing her daughter was unharmed, Li Erhua stopped clinging to Qin Rongrong and instead found an open spot, sat down and began to wail:

“Oh, my dear! What’s going on here?

What did our Rongrong do to deserve this?

She was just bringing water, so how did she end up falling into the mud?

It must be that heartless, black-hearted bastard who’s got it in for our Qin family, scheming to humiliate us!

Oh, heavens! Why don’t you strike down those damn bastards with lightning!”

Li Erhua sat on the ground, spewing curses like a shrew, not forgetting to roll her eyes at the Song family members in the crowd.

Chen Juhua, watching from the crowd, couldn’t help but laugh in anger at Li Erhua’s indirect insults. Did Li Erhua really think she was a fool? It was obvious she was cursing the Song family.

This old woman wasn’t someone to be trifled with. The matter of her own dear granddaughter being harmed by Qin Rongrong and sent to the clinic hadn’t even been resolved yet. And now, Li Erhua was practically asking for trouble.

*You reap what you sow.

Don’t blame me, then!*

Chen Juhua rolled up her sleeves and charged at Li Erhua like a fierce tiger. She grabbed Li Erhua by the collar and slapped her twice. The blows were so hard that Li Erhua’s head buzzed, and she saw stars. When she finally came to, she covered her face and screamed:

“Chen Juhua!nYou wretched old hag!

How dare you hit me?!”

“I’m hitting you, you foul-mouthed woman!”

Chen Juhua sneered at Li Erhua.

“Li Erhua, why don’t you ask your precious daughter what wicked thing she’s done!”

“Wicked? My Rongrong is such a good girl. What wicked thing could she have done? It’s your shameless Song family that’s been bullying my young Rongrong. Otherwise, why would she have ended up in a mud pit?”

Li Erhua responded self-righteously and called out to Qin Rongrong:

“Rongrong, tell us what really happened?”

Hearing this, Qin Rongrong felt a wave of guilt and stammered,

“Mom, I didn’t do anything.”

As soon as she said this, the crowd around her couldn’t help but laugh in anger.

This girl from the Qin family was really telling lies with her eyes wide open.

Liu Hongmei, who was standing nearby, was furious. She thought she had thick skin, but she hadn’t expected someone to be even more shameless!

Wang Laopuo from the same village couldn’t take it anymore. She stepped forward and began reasoning with Qin Rongrong.

“Qin family girl, people live for their reputation, just like trees need their bark. You’re so young, and you’re lying in broad daylight in front of so many people. Aren’t you ashamed? We all saw the despicable thing you did earlier. Should I repeat it for everyone to hear how you pushed Wanyue off that swing?”

“Exactly! I’ve never seen such a vicious young girl!”

“Who would dare take such a malicious girl as their daughter-in-law?”

“Well, my family wouldn’t dare. Bringing such a jinx into the house, who knows how we might die later?”

No matter how calm Qin Rongrong usually was, she couldn’t hold up under the accusations of Wang Laopuo and the others. Her face turned pale and she collapsed to the ground.

Li Erhua wasn’t a fool. Seeing her daughter’s reaction and hearing the crowd’s comments, she instantly knew the truth.

But she couldn’t admit it. If word got out that Rongrong had done such a wicked thing, the Qin family’s reputation would be ruined.

With such a sister, how could Baozhu survive in the future?

But it seemed like this matter couldn’t be hidden. These people had all seen it with their own eyes!

My poor Baozhu!

Li Erhua jumped up and gave Qin Rongrong a hard slap, making her mouth bleed.

“You wretched girl! You were born to bring ruin to the Qin family!”

Li Erhua cursed, her eyes red with anger.

Qin Rongrong’s face burned with pain. She licked the blood from the corner of her mouth, a look of madness flashing in her eyes,

“Mom, don’t forget, this wretched girl is your own daughter. If I’m a wretch, then what does that make you?”

Ungrateful daughter! How dare you talk back!

Li Erhua’s face turned red with rage. She let out a scream and was about to hit Qin Rongrong again when Qin Dahai, who was standing nearby, grabbed her arm.

“What are you doing?”

Li Erhua scolded Qin Dahai.

Qin Dahai, who cared deeply about his reputation, glanced at the people around them, who were pointing and whispering, his face darkening with embarrassment.

“If you have something to say, say it at home. Stop making a fool of yourself in public!”

Li Erhua knew how much her husband valued his reputation. She snorted and turned back to Qin Rongrong, yelling,

“Fine, you wretched girl, just wait until we get home!”

Qin Dahai didn’t care that his daughter was still lying on the ground. He kicked her and shouted,

“Get up and go home!”

But Qin Rongrong just sat there dazed, not moving an inch.

Furious, Qin Dahai grabbed her like a wild boar and started dragging her away. As the Qin family was about to leave, Chen Juhua, who had been watching coldly, stepped forward with her family to block their path.

“You can leave, but Qin Rongrong stays.”

“Aunt Juhua, what are you doing?”

Qin Dahai looked at the Song family, who were full of anger, and felt a headache coming on. The Song family’s old matriarch was not someone he could afford to offend.

Li Erhua, however, was different. She was a tough nut to crack. Seeing the Song family blocking their way, she jumped up and tried to scratch Chen Juhua.

But Song Wenbo, who was quick to react, immediately pushed Li Erhua, sending her tumbling to the ground.

“How dare you, you brat, bully me like this! Dahai, beat him up!”

Li Erhua shouted.

Qin Dahai’s headache only got worse.

The commotion had attracted the attention of Song Jiandang, who arrived with the commune secretary and a group of officials.

“What’s going on here?”

“Li Erhua, are you causing trouble again?!”

Song Jiandang had been inspecting the progress of the riverbank construction with the commune secretary and other cadres. They had only just begun when they heard loud commotion near the dam.

He initially thought that members of the commune construction team were having a disagreement and had started fighting.

But when he got closer, he saw that it was actually Li Erhua causing a ruckus.

Song Jiandang’s face immediately darkened. Suppressing the anger bubbling up inside, he spoke up.

The once brazen Li Erhua, upon seeing Song Jiandang, instantly turned as timid as a mouse facing a cat. She quickly scrambled up from the ground and hid behind Qin Dahai.

“Oh no, why is the brigade leader here? And with so many high-ranking officials?” Li Erhua, who had never encountered such a formidable presence before was so scared that she couldn’t even speak.

If Li Erhua was scared, Qin Dahai was even more so. Both of them kept their heads down and didn’t dare utter a word.

Seeing how cowardly the two of them were acting, Chen Juhua scoffed, then confidently stepped forward to address the commune secretary and Song Jiandang.

“Secretary, Jiandang, let me, this old woman, explain the situation. I hope this won’t delay the leaders’ work.”

The commune secretary, Wang Yunkai, who had a gentle temperament and wasn’t at all pretentious, smiled as he replied,

“Auntie, we are the people’s servants and our job is to serve the people. We are here to listen. Please, go ahead and tell us what’s on your mind.”

Chen Juhua sighed in relief, feeling fortunate to have encountered such understanding people. She then clearly and thoroughly explained the entire situation.

As Wang Yunkai, Song Jiandang, and the other cadres from the commune listened, their expressions grew increasingly serious. By the time Chen Juhua finished speaking, the smile on Wang Yunkai’s face had long vanished, replaced by a coldness in his eyes.

He asked gravely.

“Is this true?”

Internally cursing the Qin family multiple times, Song Jiandang glared at Li Erhua and Qin Dahai with a dark expression.

Cold sweat dripped down Qin Dahai’s forehead,

“Well, I… this…”

He stammered, while Qin Rongrong, who had been sitting motionless on the ground, suddenly burst into a maniacal laugh.

“That’s right! I did it! I did it all!”

“You wretch, what nonsense are you spouting?!” Li Erhua sprang up and tried to hit her.

“Stop! Why aren’t you restraining her?!” 

Even the normally mild-mannered Wang Yunkai lost his temper and shouted angrily. Several people from the rear immediately rushed forward and restrained Li Erhua, along with Qin Dahai and Qin Rongrong.

Wang Yunkai, who had been a leader for many years, exuded an intimidating authority when angry, silencing everyone around him.

He took a deep breath, his usually gentle face now filled with seriousness. This matter was no small issue; if word got out, it would bring shame to the entire commune.

Addressing the onlookers, he said.

“Fellow villagers, this is a serious matter and we must ensure justice for the victim. Shortly, I will personally escort Qin Rongrong’s family to the police station. Rest assured, the law will provide a fair resolution for us all!”

What?! Take them to the police station?!

Upon hearing this, Li Erhua and Qin Dahai were stunned and collapsed to the ground, unable to get up.

As for Qin Rongrong, she continued to laugh maniacally, causing the surrounding people to wonder if something was wrong with her mind. Why else would she be acting so terrifyingly?

“Secretary Wang is right. We must trust the police and the Party. Now, the task of building the riverbank is still challenging, so let’s not stand around here. Everyone, go back to work.”

Song Jiandang echoed Wang Yunkai’s words, dispersing the crowd with a few sentences.

Once the crowd had dispersed, Wang Yunkai spoke a few more words to Chen Juhua before leading his men to escort the Qin family to the police station.

Watching as the Qin family, who had wronged her beloved granddaughter, were taken away to the police station, Chen Juhua felt a great sense of relief.

The old lady waited until the downtrodden Qin family had disappeared from sight before turning around to tidy up a bit. Then, anxious to check on her precious granddaughter, she hurriedly made her way to the county health clinic.

After Chen Juhua and her family had left in a hurry, a young boy who had been quietly chiseling stones finally stopped, his deep, black eyes filled with worry.

“I wonder if the little girl has woken up yet…”

At the county health clinic, the ward was peaceful and quiet. On the white hospital bed, a young girl with long, black hair lay unconscious, her eyes still closed.

The midsummer breeze was hot and stifling. A young nurse, dressed in a white uniform, rushed into the room from the corridor, instantly spotting the girl with her porcelain-like complexion and rosy lips.

“Tsk, a beauty is always a beauty. No matter how many times I see her, this little girl still looks like a fairy.”

The young nurse clicked her tongue in admiration, adjusted the girl’s blanket and quietly left the room.

At that moment, two elderly figures appeared, floating in midair above the ward, muttering to each other.

“Old woman, why hasn’t our great-granddaughter woken up yet? Could something have gone wrong and she’s unable to wake up?”

The white-bearded old man fretted beside her.

Angered, the old matriarch of the Song family twisted his ear, causing him to howl in pain.

“Nonsense! You foolish old man, don’t you know? Wanyue is undergoing a tribulation to ascend. She won’t wake up so quickly!”

The old patriarch, whose ear was being twisted:

………