Chapter 16: Marinate Him for Three Months

Xie Liye’s head was buzzing, and he was still dazed from what happened—after Chang Sui Sui hit Xie Jianguo and then tried to hang herself. When his father yelled at him like that, he blurted out immediately, “I, although I can’t love you or give you children, I can sleep with you, and the children I have with Meili can be raised by you.”

Village Chief: “!!!”
Everyone: “!!!”
Xie Jianguo: “!!!”

The Village Chief was the first to react and immediately gave Xie Liye a slap on the back. “What nonsense are you spouting?! You’re barely grown and already learning to act like a rogue?!”

Xie Liye felt like crying but couldn’t, with a miserable look on his face he looked at the Village Chief, “Dad, you just asked me what happened, so I’m telling you what big brother said. Why are you hitting me?”

He rubbed the sore spot on his back with a wronged expression, “After big brother said that, Chang Sui Sui got upset…”

“That’s not just upsetting Chang Sui Sui—I heard it and slapped him hard!”

“Pfft! I really didn’t expect Xie Jianguo to be so shameless, playing the landlord who marries a concubine!”

“Isn’t this acting like a rogue? Saying ‘sleep with you’—Chang Sui Sui is so pretty and from the city, how could she possibly like him?”

The Village Chief’s face darkened more and more hearing the people’s murmurs around him. He really hadn’t expected Xie Jianguo to be such a scoundrel. The Village Chief didn’t even doubt that Xie Liye was telling the truth. His youngest son was straightforward and honest, not one to twist words. What Xie Jianguo said was clearly a heat-of-the-moment slip.

He glanced at Chang Sui Sui, who was about to cry and faint, and suddenly felt ashamed. He knew Xie Jianguo was a bastard, but after all, it was his son. If he really got charged with molestation, his whole life would be ruined.

“What molestation?! It’s this woman who seduced me! She’s dead set on marrying me! I—ah!” Before he finished, the Village Chief kicked him hard in the stomach. Xie Jianguo fell to the ground and stayed there for a long time, unable to get up.

The Village Chief glared fiercely at Xie Jianguo and said, “You beast, shut your mouth!” Then he took a deep breath and turned to Chang Sui Sui. “Chang Sui Sui, I didn’t raise this brat well. If you feel wronged, you can beat him up as much as you want—as long as it makes you feel better…”

Chang Sui Sui understood what the Village Chief meant. She knew in the story, people like Xie Jianguo were somewhat favored by fate; it was unrealistic to take them out in one go. But she had plenty of energy to slowly deal with them.

She sniffed and pretended to be troubled, looking at the Village Chief, “Well, as long as he doesn’t bother me anymore, I’ll let you handle him however you want.”

After saying that, she wiped her tears and gave Xie Jianguo a challenging look.

Xie Jianguo, who was lying on the ground in a pitiful state, suddenly flew into a rage. “Me bothering you?! I’ll kill you!”

Chang Sui Sui “frightened,” took a few steps back, her face pale. She looked at the Village Chief with tears welling up, “Maybe I should just hang myself right here… boohoo…”

Xie Liye quickly kicked away a nearby rope and spread his arms like a mother hen, standing in front of the big tree behind her. “Chang Sui Sui, don’t be so upset. My dad will definitely stand up for you!”

He hurriedly shouted to the Village Chief, “Dad! Dad! Please help Chang Sui Sui!”

This was going to be his future aunt by marriage. If she actually hanged herself, who would marry his uncle? Uncle, your wife is about to be gone!

The Village Chief felt like his head was going to explode. He was already unhappy about Xie Jianguo liking Chang Meili before. Now seeing Xie Jianguo so bewitched by Meili, and still doing something so absurd, he hated Meili even more.

He bit his teeth angrily and kicked Xie Jianguo twice more. “How dare you talk tough here? Don’t you know that if Chang Sui Sui wanted, she could send you to jail right now to eat peanuts!”

The Village Chief had been holding back, but now he kicked with full force.

Xie Jianguo grimaced in pain and finally realized what he said was indeed lewd. If Chang Sui Sui was a little cruel and insisted he was a molester, his life would be over. Even if he didn’t get jail time, he’d be in there for a few years at least.

Realizing this, sweat poured down his face. He took the kicks quietly and completely behaved.

The Village Chief then turned to Chang Sui Sui and said, “Chang Sui Sui, I know this matter has wronged you. If you want, I can send this unfilial son to the police station right now!”

Chang Sui Sui shook her head repeatedly, her eyes red and tearful. “No need, Uncle Village Chief. If he goes in, our village’s collective honor might be lost…”

Her words earned her even more respect from the villagers. If it were anyone else, they would have already been yelling for revenge. Chang Sui Sui was actually still thinking about the village’s reputation—a true comrade!

Even the Village Chief was moved. “Chang Sui Sui, you say what you want. Whatever punishment you think is appropriate.”

Chang Sui Sui carefully wiped her nose and said timidly, “Maybe… he can go clean the cesspool? And then apologize to me…”

She looked at the Village Chief nervously, her voice getting softer and softer, looking very helpless.

The Village Chief felt even more heartbroken watching her, nodding repeatedly in agreement. But then, thinking that Chang Meili seemed to be cleaning cesspools too, he frowned.

“Well, since Chang Sui Sui says so, this brat will publicly confess his mistakes in the village square, then live in the pigsty at the west end of the village and clean pig manure for three months!”

Luckily, their village had two manure pits; otherwise, he really wouldn’t know how to separate this bastard from Chang Meili!

Chang Sui Sui almost laughed hearing that Xie Jianguo had to clean manure for three months. Three months would definitely marinate a person’s smell.

She was now very curious how Meili, smelling like manure, and Xie Jianguo, smelling like pig manure, would continue to love each other.

She nodded, “Okay, I’ll listen to Uncle Village Chief.”

The Village Chief looked at Chang Sui Sui’s obedient expression and couldn’t help but feel a bit sorry. If Xie Jianguo’s fiancée had been Chang Sui Sui, their family wouldn’t have so many problems.

He sighed deeply, blaming his son’s bad luck.

He sent village people to take Xie Jianguo to the pigsty at the west end of the village but didn’t notice that Xie Liye, who had been holding Chang Sui Sui moments before, quietly slipped away…