After a brief silence the crowd erupted.
"I… I saw the execution this morning!" someone exclaimed. "It's true! Those people were criminals operating since Liberation!"
"Yes, I heard the same!"
"They said it was a trafficking ring!"
Fear, shock, and suspicion began to spread among the villagers like a rising tide.
A villager, his voice trembling with unease, spoke up from the crowd, "Then… does that mean Li Guofu was also involved in human trafficking?"
The question hung heavy in the air.
Before anyone else could respond, Widow He seized the moment. Her eyes flashed, and she said in exagaratted panic, "Aiyaa! Wang Chunhua, you rotten old crow, so you've been raising a human trafficker in your house all this time?" she exclaimed, her tone sharp and exaggerated. "A trafficker, ah? Selling women like livestock? Heavens above, what kind of sin is this! Are we supposed to sleep with our doors open now, or tie our daughters to the bedposts to keep them safe?"
She spat to the side, her expression filled with disdain, "Such filth in the village and you still have the face to stand here shouting? Bah! If this spreads, even the ancestors will lose face!"
Her words ignited the crowd, murmurs rose like a gathering storm.
"Is it really true?"
"If he's involved with that gang, then…"
"What about the safety of our daughters?"
Fear crept into every corner of the gathering.
Wang Chunhua and Li Changfu's faces turned ashen.
For a moment, Wang Chunhua seemed at a loss, but then like a cornered beast, she erupted, "Shut your filthy mouths!" she shrieked, her voice piercing. "My Guofu is not some human trafficker! You dare to smear his name like this? Have you all gone blind or eaten dog gall to gain such courage?"
She spun toward Li Shuying, her eyes blazing with fury, "And you little money-draining curse! A black-hearted girl who bites the hand that feeds her, how dare you speak such poison about your own uncle?" she snarled. "My Guofu may be many things, but he would never stoop to such disgraceful acts!"
Li Shuying merely smiled faintly, the curve of her lips calm and unhurried, "Is that so?" she replied lightly. "Then why is Uncle Guofu nowhere to be seen today?" Her gaze swept across the crowd, "The entire village has gathered here… yet he alone is absent. What does that suggest?"
Her words struck like a hammer.
A villager suddenly raised his hand, his voice urgent, "I saw him this morning!" he said. "He came running back from the county, looked terrified and then rushed straight into his house."
Another wave of murmurs spread.
"I saw that too... He looked like he'd seen a ghost…"
Widow He's eyes lit up with malicious satisfaction. She immediately turned to Liu Zhenshen, her tone urgent and exaggerated.
"Leader Liu, what are you waiting for?" she cried. "If we don't tie him up and send him to the county now, who knows what disaster he'll bring upon us? Are we supposed to wait until one of our daughters disappears before we act?"
She leaned forward, lowering her voice into a harsh whisper that still carried across the crowd, "Aiyo… keeping such a beast in the village is like hiding a knife under your pillow. Who can sleep peacefully like this?"
The crowd stirred uneasily.
But before Liu Zhenshen could respond, Wang Chunhua let out a piercing scream.
"Enough! Enough of this nonsense!" she howled. "No one is taking a single step toward my Guofu!"
And then to everyone's astonishment she threw herself onto the ground with a loud thud. Dust rose around her as she began wailing, beating her chest and thighs in a wild display.
"If anyone dares to touch my Guofu," she shrieked, "I will smash my head right here and die in front of all of you!"
Her voice grew more hysterical, almost unhinged, "And when I die, I will come back as a vengeful ghost and haunt every single one of you! I will cling to your doors, crawl into your beds, and drag you all to the underworld with me! Try me if you dare!"
The villagers watched the spectacle unfold with a mixture of amusement and unease. Some exchanged glances, suppressing faint smiles at Wang Chunhua's dramatic display, while others shifted uncomfortably, disturbed by the shrill intensity of her wailing.
But Liu Zhenshen felt no such amusement. A bead of cold sweat slid down his temple. His gaze repeatedly flickered toward the distant doors of the commune office. Though the distance was considerable, the noise carried far too clearly in the crisp evening air. If the county cadres stepped out and witnessed this chaos the consequences would be disastrous.
His expression hardened, "Li Changfu!" he barked sharply, his voice cutting through the commotion. "Take your wife away immediately and make her stop this nonsense!"
Li Changfu stood frozen, his face pale and slack, as though his soul had momentarily left his body. The words barely registered in his mind.
Detained, His son could be… detained? The thought alone made his legs feel weak.
Seeing his useless state, Liu Zhenshen's gaze shifted on Li Changde, who stood slightly behind, a faint, calculating smirk still lingering on his lips.
In that instant, Liu Zhenshen understood. His voice dropped, turning cold and edged with warning, "Li Changde," he said slowly, "if you think you can gain anything from this chaos… then you are gravely mistaken."
He raised a hand and pointed directly at Wang Chunhua, who was still rolling on the ground, wailing like a madwoman.
"Do not forget," he continued, his tone sharp, "this disturbance originates from your own family. Wang Chunhua is your sister-in-law. Li Guofu is your nephew. If the county cadres learn that your nephew is a suspect connected to a criminal gang… what do you think will happen to your future?"
The words struck like thunder and Li Changde's smirk vanished instantly. The color drained from his face, replaced by a flicker of alarm, "You wouldn't dare," he said, his voice low but tense.
Liu Zhenshen met his gaze without flinching. "Then stop this farce. Immediately."
The two men locked eyes, tension crackling between them like drawn steel. Then Li Changde turned sharply back to Li Changfu, his patience thinning, "Control your wife now," he said, "Or everything will be over for us."
Li Changfu, however, seemed unable to process anything beyond his own fear. His lips trembled slightly as he turned toward Li Changde, his voice dazed and hollow. "My Guofu… will really be detained?"
Li Changde cursed inwardly. This fool!
His gaze swept across the crowd, searching quickly until it landed on Li Guosheng and Zhang Xiuli, who stood at the edge of the gathering, watching the entire ordeal as though it had nothing to do with them.
Annoyance flared.
"Why are you standing there like wooden posts?" Li Changde snapped irritably. "Go and take your mother away!"
Li Guosheng did not move immediately. Instead, he turned his head slightly, glancing at his wife.
Zhang Xiuli met his gaze, her expression calm and unreadable. After a brief pause, she gave a subtle nod.
Only then did Li Guosheng step forward.
The moment Wang Chunhua caught sight of Li Guosheng approaching, her wailing grew louder, "Guosheng! Ah, my son, you must save your younger brother!" she cried, her tone desperate, almost pleading. "You cannot let anything happen to Guofu. Blood is thicker than water, have you forgotten? He is your own brother!"
Li Guosheng's expression remained steady, "Mother, do not worry," he said. "No one will take Guofu away so easily. After all… he has not been directly proven to be involved with that criminal gang."
He paused, then added, "Let us return home first. We will speak to Guofu and understand the matter clearly before anything else."
Wang Chunhua's frantic breathing gradually slowed, "Are you speaking the truth?" she asked, still unconvinced, her voice trembling.
Li Guosheng nodded firmly.
Only after confirming it again and again did Wang Chunhua finally allow herself to be helped up from the ground. Dust clung to her clothes, and her hair was disheveled, but her earlier hysteria had somewhat subsided.
With Li Guosheng supporting her, and Li Changfu following behind in silence, the family slowly withdrew from the gathering ground.
But Sun Guifeng lingered, her eyes remained fixed on the pair of brand-new liberation shoes on Li Jianmin's feet, unwilling to let go of the thought of compensation. Greed flickered unmistakably in her gaze as she parted her lips, ready to speak, but before she could utter a word, a hand lightly tapped her shoulder.
She turned, startled and saw Zhang Xiuli stood behind her. Her expression was calm, almost indifferent, "Don't think about those things for now," Zhang Xiuli said softly, her voice low enough that only Sun Guifeng could hear. "Let us return home."
Sun Guifeng hesitated, her reluctance evident, "But..."
Zhang Xiuli did not raise her voice. She merely cast her a single glance.
Sun Guifeng's words died in her throat. Understanding flashed in her eyes, and without another protest, she lowered her head and turned away, following obediently.
Zhang Xiuli, however, did not leave immediately.
She stood there for a brief moment, her gaze drifting on Li Shuying. There was something probing in that look. Measuring and calculating.
Li Shuying sensed it instantly. She lifted her eyes and met Zhang Xiuli's gaze head-on, her own expression calm yet unyielding. This was the first time she had seen this woman in this lifetime, but she knew her all too well.
In her previous life, Zhang Xiuli had been one of the most dangerous figures within the Li family, quiet, patient, and far more insidious than the loud and reckless Wang Chunhua or Zhao Hongmei.
If Wang Chunhua or Zhao Hongmei were a storm, then Zhang Xiuli was a hidden blade.
And Li Shuying had already bled once under that blade. This time she would not be careless.
For a brief moment, the two locked eyes.
Zhang Xiuli's composure faltered ever so slightly, caught off guard by the sharpness in Li Shuying's gaze. A flicker of unease passed through her before she turned away, her steps measured as she quietly withdrew from the scene.
At the edge of the crowd, Zhao Hongmei stood rigid. Her fists were clenched so tightly that her knuckles had turned pale, and her teeth ground faintly against each other as her gaze burned into Li Shuying.
This wretched girl… her chest rose and fell unevenly. No matter what trap was laid, no matter how carefully it was arranged Li Shuying had evaded every single one.
Not only that, she had turned the situation around completely. A cold unease crept into Zhao Hongmei's heart, tightening its grip. The sense of crisis she had felt earlier did not fade. Instead, it deepened, spreading like cracks through fragile ice.
This Li Shuying had changed far too much.
Seeing the Li family withdraw from the scene, Liu Zhenshen finally exhaled a long breath of relief, the tension in his shoulders easing at last. The crisis had been contained barely.
He straightened his back and addressed the villagers, "Comrades," he said, "it is already late. Let us disperse for now and go to the communal canteen for dinner. Any remaining matters can be discussed afterward."
Though unease still lingered in their hearts, the villagers did not dare to disobey. One by one, they began to disperse.
Li Shuying, however, did not move immediately. A cold glint flickered in her eyes. What had happened today… had been too dangerous. If not for the sudden revelation regarding the Hei Long gang, if not for that timely shift in the situation her family would have undoubtedly been forced to hand over their belongings.
That outcome was unacceptable. Her fingers curled slightly at her sides. No… this cannot continue. If she allowed things to proceed like this, the Li family's main household would only grow bolder, returning again and again to stir trouble. A decisive step had to be taken.
That evening, the main Li household did not appear at the communal canteen. Inside their dimly lit courtyard, a completely different scene unfolded.
Li Guofu sat slumped on the earthen floor, his face streaked with tears, his entire body trembling as he cried without restraint. His earlier arrogance had vanished entirely, replaced by raw fear. Wang Chunhua crouched beside him, patting his back anxiously, her voice filled with distressed comfort, "Aiya… my poor son, do not cry, do not cry… nothing will happen to you," she murmured, though even she did not sound convinced.
But Li Guofu could not stop. The mere thought of being taken away by the public security bureau sent waves of terror crashing through him, he regretted it. Regretted ever stepping foot into the Hei Long gang's territory. Regretted ever getting involved with those people.
Li Changfu stood nearby, his face dark and stormy. The constant crying grated on his nerves, amplifying his own panic and frustration until he could no longer endure it, "Enough!" he roared suddenly. "Both of you shut your mouths! Crying and wailing like this, are you mourning the dead?" he snapped harshly. "Nothing has even happened yet, and you are already acting like the sky has fallen!"
But Li Guofu, already on edge, did not hold back. He raised his tear-streaked face and shouted hoarsely, "Father, can't you see I'm distressed? I could be detained at any moment! If that old man Liu suddenly decides to act, what will I do then?" His voice rose with panic.
Then, as though finding a target for his fear, he suddenly turned and glared viciously at Sun Guifeng, "It's all because of you and your son!" he shouted. "Why did you have to provoke that little wretch? Why did you have to covet those things? If you hadn't stirred up trouble, would things have come to this?!"
Sun Guifeng's face stiffened, caught off guard by the sudden blame.
Before she could respond, Wang Chunhua's expression twisted with fury, her earlier fear now transforming into rage, "Yes! It's all because of you, you shameless, greedy fox!" she shrieked, her voice sharp and piercing. "Aiyo, what kind of cursed daughter-in-law have we brought into this house? Eyes full of money, heart black like soot always scheming, always stirring trouble!"
Sun Guifeng's face flushed red with humiliation and anger, but she dared not retort immediately.
Li Changfu snorted coldly, irritation etched deep into his lined face, "Humph… I only asked you to make things difficult for Liu Zhenshen," he said, his voice sharp with suppressed anger, "not to stir trouble with Chen Meilan and her children. Our purpose today was to tarnish Liu Zhenshen's reputation in front of the county cadres."
His gaze turned accusatory as it landed on Sun Guifeng, "But look at you, your eyes were blinded by greed. All you could think about were those few items Li Guoqiang sent back."
He paused, his expression darkening further, "Did I not warn you before? Keep your distance from that Li Shuying. That girl is no longer the same, she has changed. She is sharper now… more difficult to deal with. But you refused to listen."
The courtyard fell into a brief, heavy silence. Then Li Guosheng spoke, his tone calm yet thoughtful.
"Today's situation could have been a win-win," he said slowly, "if Li Shuying had not brought up Guofu's involvement with that criminal gang." His brows furrowed. "But how did she come to know of it?"
The question lingered in the air like a shadow. Almost instinctively, every pair of eyes turned toward Li Guofu.
Li Guofu stiffened. A flicker of confusion and then unease passed through his face. He had never spoken of it. Although the villagers knew he associated with local thugs, no one knew that his small group had ties to the Hei Long gang. That detail had always been carefully concealed.
Then a thought struck him and his pupils shrank. Could it be… Li Jianhua? A wave of panic surged through his chest.
If Li Shuying truly knew… if she took Li Jianhua to the public security bureau and reported everything he had been forced to do, that would not merely be suspicion, that would be evidence. Cold sweat formed along his back.
At that moment, Zhang Xiuli spoke, "It would be best to send him away for a few days," she said calmly, "If he remains in the village, the villagers will not let this matter rest," she continued. "And Brigade Leader Liu will not be able to suppress it indefinitely."
Her gaze flickered briefly toward Li Guofu before she added, "The winter sowing begins tomorrow. Once the work starts, everyone will be occupied. By the time the Mid-Autumn Festival arrives, this matter will gradually fade from people's minds."
Her words were simple. But the strategy behind them was clear. Avoid the storm and wait for it to pass.
"What?!" Wang Chunhua shrieked, her voice rising sharply. "My Guofu will be sent away?" Her face twisted with disbelief, clutching at her son as though someone were already trying to take him from her.
Li Changfu's patience snapped once more. "Otherwise, do you have a better way to save him?" he shot back harshly.
He did not wait for her response. Turning to Li Guofu, his tone became firm, leaving no room for argument. "Your sister-in-law is right," he said. "You will leave for a few days." He paused briefly before continuing, "Tomorrow, go to your elder sister-in-law's maternal village. Stay there for a month."
Sun Guifeng stiffened instantly, "What…? My maternal home?" she blurted out, unable to hide her shock.
Li Changfu's gaze sharpened as he turned toward her, "Is there a problem?"
Sun Guifeng forced a strained smile, lowering her eyes, "N...No… nothing," she said quickly. But the tension in her voice betrayed her reluctance.
Li Changfu gave a final nod, "Then it is settled," he declared. "Tomorrow, Li Guofu will leave the village for a month."
Inside the courtyard, the family continued discussing arrangements, but outside in the shadows a silent figure stood.
Li Shuying had anticipated this from the moment the chaos began. She had already guessed that the Li family would attempt to shield Li Guofu by sending him away.
That was why she had come to confirm. A cold light flashed in her eyes.
Running away?
Her lips pressed into a thin line. Do they think they can escape so easily? No if Li Guofu left the village, the matter would grow complicated, and the opportunity to strike would be lost.
This she would not allow. Li Shuying turned silently, her figure blending into the darkness as determination hardened within her heart.
She would have to act tonight.