Chapter 19: Cornfield

Zhang Jun roughly stuffed a handkerchief into Su Qingyue's mouth and dragged her into the cornfield, pinning her down tightly.

His eyes were lecherous and vulgar as he reached out to undo Su Qingyue's belt, "Su Qingyue, give yourself to me, and I'll go to your house to propose marriage tomorrow!"

"Propose to your father!"

Following the *clatter* of a bicycle falling to the ground, an urgent and cold male voice came.

Pei Huaiye kicked Zhang Jun, sending him tumbling, and picked up Su Qingyue, placing her to the side.

Yuan Guang turned the bicycle around, "Comrade Su, don't be afraid, I'm going to the police station to report this right now!"

Pei Huaiye raised his fists and struck Zhang Jun's face left and right, hitting him hard!

Zhang Jun's nose bled profusely, and one of his front teeth flew out of his mouth!

Pei Huaiye's eyes were bloodshot, his face fierce, each punch heavier than the last.

Zhang Jun howled in agony. Hearing that Yuan Guang had gone to report to the police, he covered his head and begged for mercy, "It's a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding! Comrade, I recognized the wrong person, it's all a misunderstanding!"

Pei Huaiye turned him over with a cold face, then tied his hands and feet together separately, and rolled up corn leaves into a ball to stuff into Zhang Jun's mouth to block it.

Thinking of the grievances Su Qingyue had suffered, he wished he could tear this man into pieces.

Su Qingyue had just wiped away her tears and tidied her hair. Fearing that Pei Huaiye would beat the man to death, she hurried forward to stop him, "Alright, stop hitting him!"

Pei Huaiye stopped.

He carefully helped Su Qingyue up, his face full of heartache.

Before the two could walk out of the cornfield, they heard a rush of footsteps from afar, and by the sound of it, there was more than one person.

Zhou Wenfang walked at the very front, leading the way with a triumphant air, "It's right around here, Captain Xiang. I saw with my own eyes that Su Qingyue got off the bus and went into the cornfield with a tall male comrade."

"Oh my, look, a large patch of corn has been knocked down!"

"Captain Xiang, although Su Qingyue is my sister, for the sake of the brigade's conduct, I must tell the truth. She did indeed enter the cornfield with a man," Su Qianqian said with a pained expression.

Su Qingwu said angrily, "What nonsense are you talking about? My little sister is not that kind of person!"

Su Qianqian said urgently, "Big Brother Su, I'm really not lying to you."

"That tall male comrade was wearing a Zhongshan suit, had a crew cut, was big and tall, and seems to be a seventh-level worker at the printing factory."

Zhou Wenfang pretended to be envious, "A seventh-level worker, his monthly salary must be over seventy yuan."

"No wonder Su Qingyue is committing adultery with him!"

Zhang Guoqiang of the Qingshan Brigade stopped in his tracks upon hearing this.

"Stop slandering people! My son has upright character and would never commit adultery. It must be Su Qingyue who seduced my son!"

Li Zilan was so angry her hands shook, "Bullshit!"

"You are all chewing on rumors about things that didn't happen, aren't you afraid of getting sores and pus in your mouths!?"

"Also, our little sister is beautiful and has a job in the county town; she wouldn't look at your son at all!"

Zhang Guoqiang was furious, "Then why did she seduce my son into the cornfield? Everyone in your village saw it!"

"You believe whatever others say? Do you not have a brain!?"

Li Zilan usually looked gentle and soft, but when it came to protecting her own, she was truly invincible.

Since returning to the countryside, Su Qingyue had completely transformed the Su family. Now the whole family ate well, had money and grain coupons in hand, and everyone was glowing; they were no longer the type to live life with their heads bowed.

Just as everyone was arguing incessantly, a fair-skinned and beautiful woman stood out from the cornfield in a dignified manner.

The crowd was silent for a moment, stunned by her beauty, and immediately realized that this was Su Qingyue!

There were several villages in the Shuangqiao Commune, and everyone had heard that Su Qingyue was beautiful, but they hadn't expected her to be *this* beautiful!

Her lips were red, her teeth white, and her features were as if painted. Her thick, black, and shiny braids rested on her chest, and the skin on her body was as white and tender as bean curd soaked in water, shining with a pearly light under the moonlight. Her peach-blossom eyes were dark and bright, and her clear pupils were exceptionally limpid in the moonlight.

A trace of malice flashed in Zhou Wenfang's eyes, "Su Qingyue! Did you just finish committing adultery? Where is the wild man?"

Su Qingwu and Li Zilan stepped forward to protect Su Qingyue, blocking her behind them. Su Qingyue gave them a reassuring look.

She walked quickly to Zhou Wenfang, raised her hand, and slapped her across the face.

Before Zhou Wenfang could even cry out, Su Qingyue raised her hand again and slapped Su Qianqian across the face!

"Su Qingyue, how can you hit people!" Su Qianqian covered her face, both shocked and angry.

She cried with tears streaming down, "You committed adultery and ruined the brigade's reputation, why are you still hitting us?"

"You deserve it! Your behavior of twisting black and white and deliberately doing evil is what ruins the brigade's reputation!"

Pei Huaiye spoke coldly as he dragged the trussed-up Zhang Jun out from the cornfield.

His sharp gaze swept over Zhou Wenfang and Su Qianqian, his eyes filled with disgust.

Su Qianqian's heart jumped, and she had a bad premonition.

Seeing their son bruised and swollen, Li Dongmei and Zhang Guoqiang exploded, "My son, how did you get beaten up like this!?"

As they spoke, they were about to pounce on Pei Huaiye.

Captain Xiang's head was buzzing. He blocked Zhang Jun's parents, "Pei Huaiye, Su Qingyue, tell me what exactly happened?"

"Captain Xiang, it seems a Jeep is coming."

The bustling crowd made way.

Yuan Guang and Liu Qiang got out of the car. Liu Qiang was wearing a police uniform and had brought two police officers.

Liu Qiang nodded imperceptibly toward Pei Huaiye and then spoke solemnly, "Comrade Yuan Guang reported the crime as an eyewitness. Zhang Jun of the Qingshan Brigade deliberately persecuted Su Qingyue, a woman of the Shuangshui Brigade, and was stopped in time by Comrade Pei Huaiye."

Liu Qiang roared sternly, "Zhang Jun has committed the crime of hooliganism! Step forward! Take him away!"

Seeing the police officers with such majesty and such a big formation, everyone was too scared to make a sound.

Pei Huaiye kicked Zhang Jun, and the police officer pulled the corn leaves out of Zhang Jun's mouth, "If you dare to lie even one word, your crime will be increased!"

Zhang Jun spat out the blood from his mouth and knelt to beg for mercy, "Police comrades, I am wronged!"

"I am sorry to Comrade Su Qingyue, but I really didn't do it on purpose."

"All of this was instigated by Su Qianqian and Zhou Wenfang!"

"Su Qianqian said she was Su Qingyue's sister and said Su Qingyue liked me, but was just shy and timid, telling me to be bold and show my affection."

"I was confused for a moment and believed their ghost stories. As soon as I got off the bus, I grabbed Su Qingyue and took her into the cornfield. I didn't do anything else."

"Then I was beaten up by Pei Huaiye!"

The police officer scolded while taking notes, "How old are you? You do whatever others tell you to do! This is against the law, do you know you're going to jail!"

"Also, Comrade Pei didn't beat you; he was acting in a righteous cause!"

Every word from Officer Liu and Zhang Jun was like a thunderclap, shocking everyone!

Zhang Jun admitted to persecuting a woman and was immediately handcuffed.

The crowd was in an uproar; this was completely different from what Su Qianqian had said.

Li Dongmei collapsed to the ground.

Hearing that it was Su Qianqian and Zhou Wenfang who instigated their son to commit a crime, Zhang Guoqiang immediately pounced on them, grabbing their hair and beating them.

Before Su Qianqian and Zhou Wenfang could react, their faces were already swollen.

Zhang Guoqiang used great force to drag them to Liu Qiang, "You two sluts, tell the police properly how you instigated my son!"

"What are you doing! Do you think we don't exist!?"

Liu Qiang scolded Zhang Guoqiang angrily and turned his head, "Su Qianqian, Zhou Wenfang, why did you instigate Zhang Jun to commit a crime?!"

Zhou Wenfang and Su Qianqian exchanged glances and insisted that Zhang Jun was talking nonsense, "Police comrades, he is lying! He is framing us!"

Li Dongmei was furious, "Who is framing who? You two clearly ran to the commune and said Su Qingyue was committing adultery in the cornfield."

"That's right, instigating Zhang Jun to persecute Su Qingyue, and then coming to call everyone to watch the show—it's obvious you wanted to harm Su Qingyue."

"Captain Xiang, such low-quality Educated Youths cannot stay in our brigade; their hearts are too evil!"

The crowd judged Su Qianqian and Zhou Wenfang in a cacophony of voices. ===== CHAPTER 20 =====