Chapter 36: Ruling Qingshan Brigade with Fists

Lin Jingyue struck with ruthless force, leaving the faces of those on the ground pale as death.

The eyes of the children sparkled with excitement and admiration.

Lin Jingyue stepped forward, raining punches and kicks upon them. “You dare to snatch from me? Try to rob your aunt, and I'll beat you to death!”

“Trying to take advantage? Take advantage of your mother, you filthy scum!”

“Dogs, parasites of socialism, trash!” These mongrels surely took advantage of others as well.

Idiots!

“Grandpa Team Leader, they're right ahead! They tried to bully Sister Lin…” The eldest child pulled the team leader and a crowd of workers off duty who had come to watch the commotion.

“…”

“Dogs, not acting like humans—your aunt will teach you a lesson today!”

“You dare to snatch from your aunt, tired of living, aren’t you!”

“Please, stop hitting us, we were wrong…” Sun Tiezhui, who suffered the worst beating, clutched his head and begged for mercy.

“Aunt, we were wrong, we won’t dare again, please stop…” The others pleaded.

The onlookers: “…” Wasn’t she the one getting bullied?

“You wretch, let go of my son!” A woman, arriving late, saw Sun Tiezhui beaten and wailing, shoved through the crowd and rushed forward. “You orphaned brat, how dare you hit my son! I’ll fight you!”

Smack—

Facing the charging madwoman, Lin Jingyue showed no mercy, turning and slapping her fiercely.

“Ah! You dare hit me?!”

The other mothers, seeing their sons beaten, hesitated instinctively, not daring to approach.

“I hit you, yes. You bore a son but failed to raise him, harming others—it’s all your fault! To birth and not teach is an unforgivable sin!” Lin Jingyue delivered another slap.

“Ah, I’ll fight you! You little tramp, useless girl, my son is precious…”

“All right, hurry up and pull them apart!” The team leader’s face was dark, fearing the woman would be beaten again.

Sun Tiezhui’s father shrank back, quickly dragging his wife away.

“Sun Bighead, why are you stopping me? You coward, your son’s getting beaten and you just watch…” Liu Guilan jumped in rage, scratching Sun Bighead’s face until blood dripped.

“Liu Guilan!” The secretary had arrived, his expression even grimmer than the team leader’s.

Liu Guilan finally quieted down.

Everyone looked at the people still groaning on the ground, then at Lin Jingyue, who remained calm and unruffled, not even a crease in her clothes. They couldn’t help but twitch their lips and exchanged subtle glances.

“Grandpa, it was them trying to steal Sister Lin’s meat,” Iron Egg said, tossing aside his stone, addressing the team leader.

The other children spoke up urgently. “Sister Lin gave us meat to eat, and they tried to steal it—they’re bad people!”

“Sister Lin is a good person!”

“They’re bad people!”

Every child held a stone in their hand.

Their parents: “…”

The team leader was speechless; he hadn’t even spoken yet.

But how generous must this educated youth Lin be, giving so many children meat? Does she have money to burn? So thought the crowd.

Lin Jingyue clapped her hands. “Team Leader, I want to report to the police—they tried to steal my money!”

At her words, the team leader and the secretary’s faces darkened further.

“You little tramp, you…” Liu Guilan started to rage again, but the secretary’s glare shut her up.

“Educated Youth Lin, how will you explain their injuries if you call the police?” the secretary asked, suppressing his anger.

“I acted in self-defense.” Lin Jingyue spread her hands. “And even if I have to pay some medical expenses, I’ll still report it.”

The secretary…

The team leader…

With the selection for the Advanced Brigade coming up, reporting to the police was out of the question.

The two were about to reason with Lin Jingyue when Liu Guilan jumped up again. “You’re talking nonsense! You say my son tried to steal your money—who can prove it? Clearly you beat my son, you should pay for his medical expenses!”

Other families of the beaten sons joined in. “Pay up! Beating people like this, it’s outrageous.”

Relatives from the team leader’s family showed up—Li Tongchui’s parents, crying and wailing.

Anyone would think Li Tongchui was at death’s door.

The secretary gave the team leader a discreet glance; the team leader twitched his mouth. Well, every family has its rotten relatives; no one should mock another.

“I saw it, and I heard it, they tried to steal Sister Lin’s money!” Iron Egg retorted loudly.

Li Tongchui’s mother said, “You child, why are you siding with outsiders? Tongchui is your second uncle!”

“We saw it too, and heard it!”

“Yes, we all heard it!”

Zhaodi clenched her fist. “I saw it too!”

Her mother tried to cover her mouth but was too late.

Iron Egg could speak up because of the team leader’s presence; others dared not offend anyone, since two of the beaten were nephews of the team leader and secretary.

Lin Jingyue smiled sweetly. “See, I have witnesses. Jiang Xun, I want to report to the police.”

She looked at Jiang Xun, who hurried over.

The educated youth point had just gotten off work and hadn’t started cooking, but word spread that Lin Jingyue was bullied by several village rascals, so everyone came to watch.

Jiang Xun, seeing she was unharmed, calmed his anxiety and his gaze grew icy. “All right, Zhou Yan, take the bicycle and report to the police.”

The bicycle hadn’t been returned yet, so it would be useful.

“Okay!”

“Wait!” The team leader and secretary spoke in unison.

Zhou Yan stopped, looking at Lin Jingyue.

Lin Jingyue signaled him to wait, then turned to see what the team leader and secretary wanted to say.

“Educated Youth Lin, you and my daughter-in-law are family, after all—let’s not act like strangers. If you report to the police, they won’t face much punishment anyway,” the secretary said, after some thought.

“My relationship with Lin Xinrou isn’t good.” So don’t play the family card.

The secretary…

The team leader continued, “Educated Youth Lin, how about this: have them compensate you for your loss, and let this matter rest for now. If they offend again in the future, you can report to the police then.”

“How much compensation?”

The team leader and secretary exchanged hopeful glances. “What do you think?”

“I’m just a young girl, I don’t know much. I’ll listen to the secretary and team leader.” She smiled sweetly and innocently, her eyes clear.

Pretending, clearly.

In the crowd, Sun Lanlan whispered, then covered her mouth in fear that Lin Jingyue might hear.

“Each family compensates you one… two yuan?” With five families involved, two yuan each would make ten, not a small sum.

“Why should we?!” Liu Guilan and the others exploded.

Their sons had been beaten, and now they were expected to pay—did the team leader and secretary lose their minds?

“If they don’t agree, I’ll report to the police.” Lin Jingyue looked troubled.

The secretary said, “…If they refuse, I’ll transfer two yuan worth of work points from their families to your name.”

Liu Guilan was about to explode, but shrank under the secretary’s glare.

The others were angry but dared not speak up.

Lin Jingyue was satisfied. “Then let’s call it settled. I’m magnanimous enough to let them off.”

She waved, then looked at the children. “Children, come for your candy. Today you defended your sister, so I’m happy—each of you gets a White Rabbit milk candy. Eat it now, don’t give it to anyone else!”

“Sister earned ten yuan today, such a bargain. In the future, if anyone tries anything bad against us, do the same—don’t be afraid, beat them within an inch of their lives, and if that doesn’t work, report to the police.”

“May such incidents happen often!”