During this period in time, the commoners of the lower social class had their own way of dealing with scoundrels among them. It had been a long time since any of them had encountered such a situation as everyone was very careful nowadays and did not dare to offend anyone. The more the older women talked, the more worked up they became, and someone among them even wanted to go to the brigade to look for Zhao Liang and ask him to come and deal with this old woman. However, based on the rules, people from the city did not come under the jurisdiction of their village. Zhao Liang would have to decide whether he had any say over the matter when he got here.
Qiao Mei did not want to blow things up. Should things really get out of hand, it would not be good for anyone. If the Zhang family became desperate, it was hard to say what they would do. After all, despair gives courage even to a coward.
“Alright, alright. Tell us why you’re here today?” Qiao Mei handed the two bowls of water from Li Gui to Zhang Wei and Zhang Chao. At that moment, Old Madam Zhang did not dare to say anything. If she still said anything, then it would really seem like she was not nice to the children. The two children hurriedly drank up the water in the two large bowls.
Zhang Qian and Zhang Cong, who were standing behind them, had walked for a long time and also wanted a drink. However, they were really afraid of these people. If even Old Madam Zhang could not handle them, then there was really nothing that the two of them could do.
After talking for so long, Old Madam Zhang still did not know the identity of this beautiful young married woman in front of her. This woman had a sharp tongue and was very shrewd. Old Madam Zhang softened her attitude as she said to Qiao Mei, “Who are you?”
Qiao Mei smiled. Given all the earlier commotion, she did not manage to introduce herself. “My name is Qiao Mei, I’m Li Gui’s daughter. Why? Don’t you know me?” Qiao Mei had thought that Zhang Cong would tell Old Madam Zhang everything which happened yesterday when he returned home. She did not expect him to have told an incomplete story.
Old Madam Zhang and Zhang Qian had never seen Qiao Mei before and it gave them a shock. Previously, when Old Madam Li came to ask for money, she had said that Qiao Mei was dark and fat and looked like a black bear spirit. This young married woman standing in front of them was quite beautiful, with fair skin and bright eyes, and did not look like a girl from the countryside. She was so different from what Old Madam Li had described.
Old Madam Zhang turned around to look at Zhang Cong and he quickly whispered, “It’s true.”
“So what is this all about, hurry up and just say it. It has already been a while since you arrived, I am tired even if you’re not.” Qiao Mei looked at Old Madam Zhang irritably.
One must put the saddle on the right horse. Since she was already here, she could not go back empty-handed. A thief would never leave without something!
Old Madam Zhang pointed at her grandson’s leg and said, “You must be the one who pushed my grandson! We spent a lot of money at the hospital yesterday! The doctor said that my grandson would have a disability in the future! You have to give us an explanation!”
Qiao Mei did not think much of it. “Oh, you saw me push him with your own eyes? He fell down himself and yet he’s blaming me?”
“That’s right, didn’t he fall down himself, how could it be that Qiao Mei pushed him?”
Zhang Cong leaned on the crutches and said to Qiao Mei, “It was you! Yesterday, you admitted that you pushed me!”
“Everyone, listen to this! What a strange thing! Whoever heard that or saw that?” Qiao Mei looked at Zhang Cong mockingly and a few women also chimed in.
“I didn’t see anything.”
“Did anyone see it? No. There’s no such thing.”
“Didn’t he fall by himself?”
Everyone denied that anything happened as they held back their smiles. There were people who had never lied in their lives, so it was easy for others to tell that they were lying. However, it did not matter as they were in the village and this was their territory.
“All of you! You’re all lying!” Old Madam Zhang did not expect them to be in cahoots with one another. In the past, she had also lived in the countryside and none of the families there could get along. They could even argue over a ration of grains or someone overstepping on a piece of land. She had never seen such a harmonious village.
Qiao Mei also felt very pleased that everyone was protecting her and speaking up for her. When she thought about how she did not even know who her neighbors were in her other life and how everyone was so cold and indifferent, she felt that her current environment was so much better.
“I’m going to the police station to report all of you for lying! I don’t believe that things won’t be different if the police came!” Old Madam Zhang pointed at Qiao Mei and said.
“Do you have evidence to prove that I did it?” Qiao Mei munched leisurely on melon seeds as she looked at Old Madam Zhang, who was stamping her feet out of anxiety. Her son, Zhang Qian, had not said a word or done anything since he arrived. Qiao Mei just felt that it was such a pity that Li Gui had actually spent so much time with such a person.
