Chapter 57 : Let’s Forget It

Xu Lihua stared wide-eyed. “What do you mean ‘harm you’? Feiyan, please explain clearly, who did Duan Yuzhen hire to harm you?”

Lin Donghua’s expression changed drastically. Her sister-in-law was already older, and if her reputation was ruined, she’d never get married.

“Feiyan, you can’t say things like that! We all grew up together in the same courtyard, how can you slander Yuzhen like this?”

He Feiyan pointed at the police officers beside her, coldly saying, “Whether I’m slandering or not, you can go argue with the police! Those thugs admitted it themselves, you paid them ten bucks to bully me!”

Gasps erupted from the crowd.

This big courtyard housed seven or eight families, and conflicts were bound to arise. But everyone knew each other well and got along, despite the noise. It was the first time something like this had happened with Duan Yuzhen.

Xu Lihua’s eyes were filled with reproach. “Yuzhen, this is too much! You grew up with Feiyan, you’re older than her, how could you bully her like this!”

“Exactly, that’s just inhumane!”

“In the same courtyard, and you’re willing to go this far? You really have a hard heart!”

“Tsk tsk, it’s surprising how the Duan family raises their children!”

Duan Yuzhen hung her head, wishing she could disappear.

“I just wanted to scare her a little, I didn’t mean it seriously! It’s her fault for embarrassing me last time otherwise, I wouldn’t have done this!”

Xie Fei fei was almost laughing from her shamelessness.

She spat angrily, nearly spraying Lin Donghua with saliva. “Duan Yuzhen, have some shame! When did He Feiyan say anything wrong? If it weren’t for you, the job at the newspaper would definitely have gone to Jiang Yu! You’re the one with bad intentions, causing trouble, and when you get exposed, you still hold a grudge against He Feiyan and hire people to bully her!”

He Feiyan sneered, “This kind of cancer should not be allowed to remain in our courtyard. Who knows who she’ll stab next?”

The police officer added fuel to the fire “Comrade Duan Yuzhen, stop stalling. Come with us to the police station.”

Few people were not willing to go to the police station, everyone feared that once they went in, they wouldn’t come out again.

Duan Yuzhen’s legs went weak, and she fell to the ground.

“I’m not going! I’m not going to the police station! Sister-in-law, I don’t want to go to police station!”

Lin Donghua’s expression was grim, and she scolded, “Now you’re scared? Where were you earlier?”

Fortunately, at that moment, the Duan family members hurried back home.

The east wing housed four generations of the Duan family, and there were quite a few of them.

From Elder Duan to the youngest, they rushed in.

Wen Yan had thought of many possibilities on the way, scaring herself into a pale face.

“Yuzhen!”

Seeing her family return, Duan Yuzhen felt as if she had found her anchor and threw herself into Wen Yan’s arms, crying loudly.

“Mom, save me!”

Xu Lihua coldly huffed, “I’m not saying anything, but Wen Yan, you really need to teach her properly. Look at what she’s done! Today she dared to hire thugs to bully Feiyan, who knows who she’ll stab next time.”

Elder Duan was a good man and had considerable respect in the courtyard.

Now, his face was dark, serious, and furious.

He walked straight to Duan Yuzhen and sternly commanded, “Get up!”

Duan Yuzhen trembled in fear and stood up with Wen Yan’s support.

Elder Duan held authority not just in the courtyard but also as the head of the Duan family, his word was final.

Duan Yuzhen barely raised her head when she suddenly received a slap.

Despite his old age, Elder Duan was strong, and that slap had at least seventy or eighty percent of his strength behind it.

It knocked Duan Yuzhen off balance, and she fell to the ground.

“It’s your parents who indulged you and spoiled you to become like this! Get up! If you do something wrong, you must admit it, crying like this is shameful!”

Elder Duan stood with his hands behind his back, his eyes steady on her.

He showed no sign of sympathy for Duan Yuzhen’s pitiful state.

Wen Yan felt heartbroken but was stopped by Duan Hongmin.

Duan Hongmin subtly shook his head, stepping in now would only make Elder Duan angrier.

“Dad, Yuzhen knows she was wrong. Please don’t be too angry, don’t let it affect your health,” Duan Hongmin gently persuaded.

Elder Duan let out a cold huff.

“Look at her, where does she seem like someone who knows she was wrong?”

Duan Jianren gritted his teeth and also stood up.

“Grandpa, she’s been hit and scolded already, can we just let this go?”

Xu Lihua scoffed, “Jianren, you say that, but Feiyan hasn’t even said this matter is over, and you’re the first to decide. You’d think the entire North City is under your Duan family’s control.”

Duan Jianren’s expression shifted, filled with anger.

“Xu Lihua, how can you speak like that! Are we supposed to send my sister to prison just because she lives in the same courtyard?”

He Feiyan found it amusing. “I’ve been standing here this whole time, and Duan Yuzhen has never admitted her fault, nor has she apologized to me. I really can’t see how she knows she’s in the wrong. So, Jianren, you think a simple ‘let it go’ means I should just consider myself unlucky?”

Duan Jianren’s name sounded unpleasant to the ears, and everyone called him Little Duan. Those younger than him called him Brother Ren, very few called him “Jianren.”

Now that He Feiyan called him that, it sounded like an insult.

Wen Yan pulled on Duan Yuzhen hard, gritting her teeth as she scolded, “Apologize quickly! Do you really want to go to police station?”

Earlier, because of her job, Wen Yan and her brother nearly had a falling out.

Now, so soon after, this incident arose.

Whether it was about marriage or work, this daughter had left her utterly exhausted.

Duan Yuzhen choked back tears and stepped forward, bowing deeply to He Feiyan.

“I’m sorry, I really didn’t mean it! I just wanted to scare you a little, I never intended to hurt you!”

After this incident, He Tingyue would probably hate her even more.

Just thinking about it made Duan Yuzhen unable to hold back her tears.

Elder Duan decided to compensate He Feiyan fifty yuan, considering it a private settlement.

He Feiyan agreed, and the matter ended there.

The police officers had come primarily to assist He Tingyue, and with the situation resolved, they naturally left.

The commotion settled, and everyone returned home.

Xie Fei fei was truly intimidated by He Tingyue, she didn’t even enter the door and ran off.

He Feiyan couldn’t catch her, insisting that Jiang Yu couldn’t leave, dragging her back home.

It was already past meal time, and Jiang Yu was a bit too hungry, eating two pieces of peach crisps and drinking a couple of sips of tea to fill her up.

“I have to head home first and let my aunt know.”

This incident had caused quite a stir, Yao Xiangling at the neighborhood office would definitely hear about it.

He Feiyan clicked her tongue, holding onto her. “We agreed you’d come to my house for dinner!”

“But it’s still early! I’ll go home for a bit and come back later.”

He Feiyan couldn’t argue with her, so she agreed and turned to shout for He Tingyue, “Brother, take Jiang Yu back home!”

Jiang Yu didn’t have time to cover her mouth, just as she was about to refuse, He Tingyue walked out of the room.

“Okay.”