Chapter 79: I Urge You to Be Kind

Zhou Andong walked ahead carrying meat, while Zhou Anbei followed behind, hugging drinks.

“Brother, our house was robbed the day before yesterday—I strongly suspect it was Zhou Anbin and Zhou Anlei.”

Zhou Andong let out a snort: “Who else but those two would do something so despicable—stealing meat from our house?”

Zhou Anbei snorted: “For days now, I’ve seen those two bastards sneaking around, peering over the wall toward our place.”

The two turned into another alley and saw a crowd gathered outside Luo Yuzhen’s door.

“Something’s happened!” Zhou Andong’s face darkened; he hurried over and heard a group of women whispering, with men occasionally butting in.

A fat woman pulled roasted peanuts from her pocket and tossed them one by one into her mouth: “Where did she get the money to buy so much rice and flour?”

Another middle-aged woman said: “Yesterday I saw her buy a lot of meat—tch tch tch, my family doesn’t buy half as much as she does.”

A thin, sly young man stretched his neck to peer into the courtyard: “Loosen your belt for a while, and it’s worth a month’s wages. A while back, I saw Luo Yuzhen at a hair salon in Tiebei—if you work a few days, don’t you get the money?”

“Little Er, you really saw her? You sound so sure of yourself.” Another woman teased.

Little Er grinned mischievously and rubbed up against the woman: “Why would I lie to you?”

The woman glared: “Little Er, if you rub against me again, do you think I won’t cut off that thing of yours?”

Little Er smirked lewdly: “Fine, I’ll take off my pants right now—will you cut it then?”

“Get lost!” the woman spat. “You damn thing, stay away from me!”

From inside the courtyard came a shrill, bitter voice: “Luo Yuzhen, you killed your father and mother, you killed your grandparents—why don’t you just die already? Speak up! Where did you get the money to buy all this rice, flour, and meat?”

Another sharp female voice rang out: “Hurry up and answer! Have you done something shameful? You worthless woman—if you tarnish the Luo family’s name, I won’t let you off!”

Zhou Andong’s brow tightened further, his face growing darker, when another woman spat bitterly: “This woman shouldn’t be allowed to stay in our village.”

“Exactly—she killed her whole family. Who knows when she’ll bring misfortune to us too?”

“Let’s go find the village chief and drive her out of Tanghezi.”

“Yes, yes, let’s go find the village chief!”

“Make way!” Zhou Andong growled, in a foul mood. “It’s the New Year—nobody’s got problems at home? Why are you all blocking someone’s front door?”

At Zhou Andong’s shout, the crowd naturally parted; when they saw it was him, a few men scowled.

Little Er cursed: “Zhou Andong, what the hell are you playing at, acting like some big shot, fuck!”

*Slap!* Zhou Andong swung his hand hard across Little Er’s face, then kicked him square in the stomach.

“Aaah!” Little Er screamed, clutching his belly and collapsing to his knees.

The crowd fell silent. Those who had been muttering instantly shut up and stepped back several paces, keeping a safe distance from Zhou Andong.

Zhou Andong looked down at Little Er, voice icy: “Little Er, you’ve been slandering me behind my back—I know, I just didn’t care. You think I’m afraid of you? Now you’re spreading lies about Yuzhen-jie—do you have any idea what that does to a woman? Don’t you fear Liu Yahang coming after you and flaying you alive?”

“And you others.” Zhou Andong gestured around, voice sharp: “We’re all from the same village. You’re all elders—you’ve watched Yuzhen-jie grow up. Back then you bullied her as a child, now you bully her as a widow with orphans. What has she done to you? Has she drunk your soup? Eaten your rice? Why do you hate her so much you want her dead?”

Zhou Andong slapped his own chest: “Put your hands on your hearts—ask yourselves—are they still red?”

No one noticed that the old village chief, Li Jiutang, stood behind the crowd, listening silently, his face filled with shame. Over the years, Luo Yuzhen’s suffering had been his failure—he bore great responsibility.

“To save a life, to preserve family bonds, to protect a person’s honor—these are the greatest good deeds. The opposite is great evil. Kindness is accumulating virtue for yourself; the karma of this life is the debt from the last. If you do evil now, you will pay for it in the next.”

Zhou Andong scanned the crowd: “I urge you to be kind—for your children’s sake, accumulate virtue.”

Some scoffed, some lowered their heads, some turned and walked away.

Zhou Andong ignored them, turned, and entered the courtyard. Luo Yuzhen sat on the ground, hair disheveled, clothes torn, blood streaks on her face. The two children crouched beside her, holding her up, teeth clenched, eyes blazing with fury at the two women across from them, tears streaming down their cheeks.

Zhou Andong recognized the two women: Luo Yuzhen’s second mother and old aunt—both notorious shrews in the village, fierce fighters, only matched by Zhao Guizhen.

“I’ll tell you where her money came from,” Zhou Andong said, helping Luo Yuzhen up, facing the two women. “It’s from me. Do you have a problem with that?”

Luo Yuzhen’s old aunt snorted: “Why are you giving her money?”

Zhou Andong laughed: “That’s a ridiculous question—why can’t I give her money?”

“Enough!” Luo Yuzhen’s second mother, Jia Guimin, sneered: “Your own family can barely afford to eat—yet you give her money? Are you an idiot, or do you think we are?”

Zhou Andong lifted the meat he carried, then pointed to the two cases of drinks Zhou Anbei held: “See this? This is what I brought for Yuzhen-jie. Do you have a problem?”

Hearing Zhou Andong’s words, the two women’s faces shifted between disbelief and shock.

“Enough. Everyone, go back to your business. And Little Er—if you dare spread another lie, slander someone’s reputation, I’ll personally drag you to the police station and have you locked up for two years.”

Li Jiutang entered the courtyard, face grim, glaring at the two women: “This house was left to Yuzhen by her grandfather. None of you can take it—no matter how much you wish for it.”

“Why not?” Jia Guimin shrieked. “Even if it’s inheritance, we all have a share—why should she keep it all for herself?”

Li Jiutang snorted coldly: “Because I’m the village chief. If you ever bother this widow and her children again, I won’t let you off.”