“Company Commander Zhou, this man is my brother. He means no harm to Educated Youth Xiao. Please let him go,” Hu Guizhen quickly explained.
“What do you mean, no harm? Grabbing my hand, covering my mouth, acting like a lecher toward me—that’s no harm?”
More and more people were passing by, and someone had gone to fetch the Brigade Leader. If Zhou Qichuan resorted to violence, it was no small matter, and Xiao Mandong’s disheveled state on the ground didn’t look like a mere quarrel.
The Brigade Leader arrived breathless, only to see Hu Guizhen’s older brother pinned to the ground by Zhou Qichuan, letting out pained groans.
Xiao Mandong’s hair was a mess, and she sat on the ground making a scene, crying and shouting about catching a hooligan. The Brigade Leader’s mouth twitched—knowing Xiao Mandong as he did lately, this girl was definitely setting a trap.
Xiao Mandong had deliberately provoked the Hu family just now. She had thought it over: better to strike first than to constantly guard against them. Who could be on the lookout every single day?
Getting the Hu family to leave the village was the best solution.
Seeing the Brigade Leader arrive, Zhou Qichuan released Hu Jun. Hu Jun felt like his arm was about to break. He had assumed Zhou Qichuan was just a farmhand, but it turned out he was a soldier. He had only lost his composure because Xiao Mandong’s attitude had infuriated him.
The Brigade Leader, in fact, had a poor impression of the Hu family. Just moments ago at the brigade office, Mother Hu had lectured him condescendingly, saying he hadn’t managed the village properly, that letting an educated youth get into trouble in the village was unacceptable, and that reasonable arrangements had to be made, or else they wouldn’t let it go. She demanded the village give the role of record keeper to Hu Guizhen, claiming a pregnant woman wasn’t fit for fieldwork, and the record keeper’s job was perfect for her.
The Brigade Leader had been so angry he nearly laughed. So what if they were city folk? They couldn’t dictate things in his territory—it was ridiculous.
Mother Hu then spoke as if issuing a royal decree, not even giving him a chance to respond, before issuing her second demand.
She wanted the brigade to take back the house rented to Xiao Mandong and rent it to Hu Guizhen instead, saying Cripple Liu’s house wasn’t even fit for a pigsty, let alone a pregnant woman.
She also said she would talk to Xiao Mandong herself, and if Xiao Mandong voluntarily gave up the housing, the brigade had better not interfere.
Just a few minutes after leaving the brigade office, this happened.
Xiao Mandong insisted on reporting the matter to the police, claiming Hu Jun had acted lecherously and must be arrested and sentenced. Zhou Qichuan offered to testify that Hu Jun had indeed made the first move to grab Xiao Mandong, and when she called for help, Hu Jun tried to cover her mouth.
Hu Jun was absolutely furious. All he had done was try to pull her aside, and this woman had started hitting him right away, then twisted the story to bite back. No wonder his little sister had called this woman a lunatic and told him to stay away.
After hearing Xiao Mandong’s accusations and the testimony of the surrounding villagers, the Brigade Leader understood the full story:
“In that case, let’s report it to the police. This morning, you went to Educated Youth Xiao’s house to cause trouble, and there were witnesses. Now this lecherous act—the villagers can testify to that too.”
Just then, a villager shouted, “I saw it with my own eyes—this woman tried to hit Educated Youth Xiao this morning!”
“I can testify too—just now, this man grabbed Educated Youth Xiao!”
Mother Hu’s face went pale with fear when she heard the Brigade Leader and the villagers. Her lofty attitude vanished instantly. No matter how she tried to argue, she couldn’t get out of this unscathed. This was their territory, after all. She had planned to come here, put on an air of unattainable superiority to intimidate people, and after she left, even if someone wanted to bully Hu Guizhen, they wouldn’t know her family’s background and might restrain themselves. Who knew it would turn into this?
“Brigade Leader, you’ve misunderstood. We just wanted to have a talk with Comrade Xiao.”
“Are we that familiar? What would we have to talk about?”
“We just wanted to rent that house of yours. Guizhen is pregnant, and Cripple Liu’s place truly isn’t suitable for a pregnant woman, so…”
“I already made it clear this morning: my house is not for rent. Can’t you understand plain words? Renting the house was just an excuse, wasn’t it? You knew about the grudge between me and Hu Guizhen, so you came to retaliate against me, to humiliate me like this?”
Hearing Xiao Mandong’s words, the crowd seemed to understand. So that was why the Hu family had gone straight to Xiao Mandong’s new house to stir up trouble—it was revenge. The family really was disgusting. So much time had passed, and they wouldn’t let it go.
Now, clearly, because their morning attempt had failed, they were humiliated and angry, so they came to cause more trouble.
Xiao Mandong’s eyes reddened, and her voice carried a hint of choking, looking utterly pitiful:
“This Hu Jun just said the most awful things, and I couldn’t control myself, so I hit him. I was scared and cried out for help, and he tried to cover my mouth. If Company Commander Zhou hadn’t come in time to save me…I…sob…I would’ve been…sob…”
The words were deliberately vague. Hu Jun roared out, “You shameless liar! You’re lying!”
He hadn’t said a word—not one word the whole time.
Xiao Mandong shrank back, hiding behind the crowd, her voice trembling with tears: “Brigade Leader, report this to the police. Having people like this in the village is too terrifying.”
Zhou Qichuan watched Xiao Mandong. This woman really had multiple faces. The viciousness of her hits just now and her pitiful act now were impossible to connect as the same person.
Mother Hu knew that if the police got involved, with so many witnesses, her son would be finished. So she softened her tone: “Educated Youth Xiao, this is really a misunderstanding. We’re willing to apologize to you. I hope you can forgive us.”
“Apologize? Your family’s words are sure worth a lot. A simple apology, and you think that settles it?”
“Then what do you want?”
That was exactly what Xiao Mandong was waiting for. “I have just two demands. First, you pay me two hundred yuan in compensation. Second, you leave our Red Flag Brigade today, and from now on, you’re banned from entering this village.”
“No!” Hu Guizhen shot back without a second thought.
Her mother and brother had come to back her up. If they were driven out of the village and banned from ever returning, how could she hold her head up in her in-laws’ home in the future?
“Then let’s go to the police. I only want justice.”
This damned girl was ruthless. Mother Hu gritted her teeth: “I can give you the money, but banning us from entering the village—isn’t that too much?”
“Too much? You came to this village, smashed Cripple Liu’s place, then caused trouble at my house, and now you act lecherously toward me. With your family around, what young woman or little girl would dare to leave her home?”
Hu Jun clenched his fists, veins bulging, held back only by Mother Hu’s iron grip. His eyes were filled with murderous rage toward Xiao Mandong. How was he suddenly the kind of menace that kept women off the streets?
Mother Hu took two deep breaths: “Educated Youth Xiao, I’ll give you three hundred. Let me stay in the village for three days to settle Guizhen’s affairs. Is that acceptable?”
“No—I have only those two demands. No negotiation.”
The Brigade Leader also wanted to drive the Hu family out. Hu Guizhen’s mother was truly insufferable.
Hu Guizhen sobbed and begged Xiao Mandong, “Xiao Mandong, I beg you. I haven’t seen my family for over two years. Have pity on me. My mother won’t stay more than a few days—their work unit passes expire soon, and they’ll go back.”
