"How else could it be settled? You started this whole thing, so you deserve to be beaten." The village chief glared at her fiercely before turning to the crowd. "Why aren't you all off to work yet? Are you waiting to have your work points deducted?"
"Heh heh, Village Chief, we're going right now."
Rural folk valued work points more than anything else. As soon as they heard about deductions, they stopped caring about the spectacle, grabbed their farm tools, and ran faster than rabbits.
At the entrance of the warehouse, only Feng Yuanchun’s family, Old Woman Chen and her son, Feng Caihua, and a few village cadres remained.
Old Woman Chen wailed, "Village Chief, you’re biased! I admit I started it, but Shengjun and I are covered in injuries from Qiu Guihua and the others; we can't work anymore. Surely they have to give us some compensation?"
"Pah! You want compensation? How about I give you a pile of shit to eat, do you want that?" Ding Cuilan cursed angrily. "You asked for a beating and now you want to extort money? Do you believe I’ll give you a few more slaps?"
Old Woman Chen, terrified from being beaten, shrank her neck, but still threatened, "Ding Cuilan, don't you get cocky with me. Paying for injuries is only right and proper. You don't think you can just beat my son and me and walk away scot-free, do you? I’m telling you, if your family doesn't pay up, I’m going to the Public Security Bureau to report you sluts and have you all thrown in jail."
"You mangy-headed hag, I’ll fight you to the death!"
It was unclear which of Old Woman Chen’s words had triggered Liu Qingqiu.
Liu Qingqiu grabbed Old Woman Chen by the hair and slapped her across the face several times.
"You dare report us? I’ll smash your face in first, then cripple you. At least then, if I go to jail, it won't be for nothing. You don't want that mouth of yours anymore, do you? I’ll tear it to shreds!"
Her slender, delicate hands went *pap-pap-pap*, striking Old Woman Chen’s mouth again.
Old Woman Chen tried to fight back, but Qiu Guihua and Ding Xiaotao each pinned down one of her arms, leaving her completely helpless as she endured over a dozen slaps from Liu Qingqiu.
The village chief was furious and anxious. He looked at Feng Caihua and Feng Yuanchun. "What are you two girls standing there for? Hurry up and pull them apart!"
Feng Caihua pouted and muttered, "If you ask me, Old Woman Chen deserves the beating. Her mouth is so foul, she needs a good thrashing."
Despite saying that, she still stepped forward to break up the fight.
Feng Yuanchun grabbed Liu Qingqiu’s hand, smoothed out her messy hair, and whispered, "Mom, don't be angry. Don't ruin yourself over trash like this; it’s not worth it."
Liu Qingqiu shed tears, feeling deeply aggrieved. "I’m just angry that she said such horrible things about you. She even wants to bring the Public Security Bureau to arrest us. It was clearly her who bullied you first—doesn't she deserve the beating? But instead, she wants to call the police."
"A thief crying 'stop thief,' turning the tables—it’s despicable."
Liu Qingqiu couldn't come up with any truly vicious insults; she just felt that Old Woman Chen was wicked.
Ordinary people feared those in official positions and wanted nothing to do with them. When villagers fought, they asked the village cadres to settle things; they never went to the authorities.
Old Woman Chen wanting to involve the authorities was clearly an attempt to ruin them completely.
Old Woman Chen lay on the ground, groaning in pain, but she didn't dare shout about going to the Public Security Bureau anymore.
The village chief was so angry he pointed at her nose and cursed, "You mangy-headed hag, keep on acting up! If you don't want to live in peace and keep causing trouble for me every single day, then your family can just leave Feng Village. Go wherever you want; our village can't afford to keep a bunch of troublemakers like you."
The Chen family had wandered into Feng Village during the drought of 1960. It was only because of the village chief’s kindness that they were taken in and allowed to settle down as residents of Feng Village.