In the village of Shijiawa, the case of the brigade leader wielding absolute power was a typical example across the entire public security system. The officers naturally recognized Shi Xiaoli, and could not help but feel a measure of sympathy for the girl.
With Xiao Mandong, Zou Yan, and several other neighbors testifying for Xiaoli that a group of people had ganged up to beat her, the public security officers prepared to take Tang Jing back to the police station for interrogation.
Cui Lijuan immediately stepped forward to stop them when she heard this.
"Comrade officers, this daughter of mine grew up in the countryside and has picked up a lot of bad habits. Don't believe a word she says."
She then turned to look at Shi Xiaoli. "Xiaoli, it's Mom who has wronged you. If you want to hit or scold someone, come at me. You can't take out your resentment on me by bullying Tang Jing."
"Mom is begging you, can you just stop making trouble?"
As she spoke, Cui Lijuan clutched her stomach and sank to the ground, grabbing Xiaoli's trouser leg. She wailed so bitterly that she looked utterly pitiable.
Shi Xiaoli did not dare to shake her off. Cui Lijuan was pregnant and had almost had a miscarriage earlier, so she could not risk being falsely accused of harming her. She turned to the public security officers.
"Comrade officers, this Tang Jing disliked my sick brother for being too much to handle, so she drugged him. My brother passed out after taking the medicine and hasn't woken up since. I'm here to report this crime now. My brother is a disabled patient, and she deliberately tried to harm him, even wanting to take his life. I beg you officers to do me justice!"
"Bullshit!" Cui Lijuan raised her hand and slapped Shi Xiaoli right across the face. "I'll make you spout such nonsense! How dare you learn such wicked ways at your age, framing others like this? How did your father raise you to become such a person?"
No one had expected Cui Lijuan to lash out without warning.
Shi Xiaoli took the slap full on her face. She swore to herself silently that one day, she would pay that slap back to her tenfold.
"Comrade officers, everything she said is a lie. The medicine wasn't given by Tang Jing—they drugged him themselves. This child is vicious beyond belief. She would even scheme against her own brother just to get what she wants." The moment Cui Lijuan said those words, the onlookers could not help but murmur in disbelief.
"Is that even her own daughter? She's smearing her own child's name just to cover up for her niece."
"Ugh! Cui Lijuan, have you lost your mind? That's your own flesh and blood! The niece is Tang Guanshan's relative, what on earth are you thinking about? Your own daughter isn't as important as your husband's pathetic family?" Auntie Gao spat on the ground in disgust.
Cui Lijuan stuck her neck out defiantly.
"I don't care about personal relationships, I only tell the truth. She claims Tang Jing drugged her brother, but Tang Jing has been with me since yesterday. She never had the time to do it. I can't just ignore the facts just because Xiaoli is my daughter."
The public security officers grew impatient. "We won't wrong an innocent person. Since both sides have their own stories, all of you will come with us to the station. After we investigate the whole matter, we will clear things up and give everyone their due justice."
"Comrade officers, can we take my brother to the hospital first? He's been unconscious for far too long." Xiaoli could not bear to leave her brother alone here—this whole family was far too malicious.
The officers naturally agreed. The crowd helped carry Bowen to the hospital together, and Gao Huizhi stayed behind to watch over him, telling Xiaoli to rest easy and that she would take good care of him for a while.
Cui Lijuan's eyes glinted with venom, as if she wanted to devour Xiaoli whole.
She pulled out a medical note, saying the doctor had ordered her to stay in bed and not move around freely. After the officers read the note, they could only leave one officer behind to take her statement at home.
The other officer brought Tang Jing, Xiaoli, Xiao Mandong, and several neighbors who were willing to testify back to the police station.
The neighbors looked at Cui Lijuan with nothing but contempt for her actions, but after all, Tang Guanshan was a section chief—no one wanted to offend him. When the fun of watching the scene died down, everyone gradually dispersed.
Cui Lijuan pulled Chen Guixuan aside, and secretly slipped fifty cents into Chen Guixiang's palm. "Guixiang, please, go give Old Tang a message for me. Thank you so much."
Chen Guixiang clutched the money quietly in her hand.
"Fine, fine, this is such a hassle." She then turned and left.
Everyone else who finished giving their statements was allowed to leave on their own, but Xiaoli and Tang Jing were kept behind to wait for further investigation.
Xiao Mandong went to the hospital to look after Bowen. They could not head back to the village today no matter what—they had to wait until Xiaoli was released.
Xiaoli had thought that as long as she cooperated with the authorities, she would be allowed to leave once the investigation was done. But to her shock, Tang Jing was let go, while she, the one who filed the report, was still not permitted to leave.
The sky outside had turned pitch black. Xiaoli started to panic. Her brother was all alone at the hospital—what if he woke up and wandered off, or what if that malicious family did something to harm him?
Just as her mind was racing with anxious thoughts, the door to the interrogation room was suddenly pushed open. In the dark room, someone pulled the light cord. The person who walked in was none other than Tang Guanshan, followed by a public security officer and a strange man.
Tang Guanshan looked Xiaoli up and down with a scrutinizing gaze. He then dragged a chair over and placed it politely behind the strange man, his face full of fawning deference. When the man sat down and looked Xiaoli over for a moment, he nodded slowly.
Tang Guanshan then moved another chair for himself, sat across from Xiaoli, lit a cigarette, and spoke in a tone that was dismissive and full of certainty.
"Little girl, you've got a few cheap tricks up your sleeve, but you're still far too naive. If you want to get your local household registration, that's not impossible. But once I get your hukou settled, you don't have a job lined up, which means you'll be sent down to the countryside. Do you really think your mother will take good care of your brother? You're a pretty enough girl. Going to the countryside would be no different than going back to your old hometown. For a girl with good looks, being sent to the countryside is nothing but a disaster waiting to happen."
"Compared to that, the other path might be the best choice for you. As your stepfather, I've found you a great way out. This is Director Peng from the Investigation Committee." Tang Guanshan gestured at the man.
"Director Peng's son Peng Chao is a very good young man. He's 29 years old, only his leg was injured. Rest assured, it won't get in the way of having children. As long as you take good care of Peng Chao, the Peng family will cover all the food, shelter, and daily needs for you and your brother. If you can give birth to a child or two for the Peng family, you and your brother will live a life of luxury, and never have to worry about anything for the rest of your lives..."
Tang Guanshan had never expected the ongoing investigation to dig so deep that it would uncover the bribes he took ten years ago.
Just when he was at his wits' end, someone gave him a hint that the Investigation Committee Director Peng's son was paralyzed and could not find a wife. If he could get his niece to marry into the Peng family, his own troubles would be completely solved.
He would never be willing to let Tang Jing marry that man, so he set his sights on Xiaoli. He brought up the idea to Director Peng, planning to force the girl into the situation against her will, because he knew how stubborn and unyielding that little brat was.
But to his surprise, Director Peng refused, saying he would never force anyone into marriage, and the girl had to agree of her own free will.
He was worrying over how to make this work when that little brat Xiaoli practically walked right into his trap. As a section chief with years of experience, he certainly had connections in the system. He reached out to an acquaintance in the public security force, brought Director Peng along to see Xiaoli, and if Director Peng took a liking to her, he would make sure that stubborn girl agreed to the deal.
Now, seeing Xiaoli's blank, unresponsive face made him burn with rage.
He walked over to Xiaoli's side, his voice soft but laced with vicious malice.
"Shi Xiaoli, this world isn't nearly as fair as you think. I've worked my way up to where I am today, and I have more than enough ways to make things go badly for you. If you're a good girl and go through with this marriage obediently, I promise I won't treat your brother badly. But if you choose to be uncooperative... there's no end to the ways a simple-minded fool could end up dead..."
It was at that moment that Director Peng, who hadn't said a single word up to then, finally spoke up. "The girl's clearly a smart one. Old Tang, give the kid a little time to think things over. Let's head out first."
