Chapter 79: Urging You to Be Kind

Zhou Andong walked in front carrying the meat, while Zhou Anbei followed behind carrying the two cases of beverages.

"Brother, brother! Our house was robbed the day before yesterday. I keep suspecting it was Zhou Anbin and Zhou Anlei."

Zhou Andong let out a cold laugh: "Besides those two, who else could do such a heartless thing, running to our house to steal meat?"

Zhou Anbei snorted: "A few days ago, I saw those two bastards sneaking around, peeking over our wall into our yard."

As the two turned into another alley, they saw a crowd of people standing in front of Luo Yuezhen's house.

"Something's happened!" Zhou Andong's expression darkened. He walked over quickly and heard a group of old women whispering, with men occasionally chiming in.

A fat woman pulled some roasted peanuts from her pocket and tossed them into her mouth one by one: "Where would she get the money? Bringing rice and flour home like that."

Another middle-aged woman said: "Yesterday I even saw her buy a lot of meat. Tsk tsk, she bought more than my family did."

A young man with a wretched, gaunt face stretched his neck to look into the yard: "Loosen your belt, and you'll earn a month's wages. A while ago, I saw Luo Yuezhen at a hair salon in Tiebei. As long as she works a few days, wouldn't the money just come?"

"Second Little One, did you really see that? You're talking like it's the gospel truth." Another woman teased him.

Little Er giggled and deliberately rubbed against the woman: "How could I lie to you?"

The woman glared: "Little Er, if you rub against me again, believe it or not, I'll snip that thing of yours off!"

Little Er gave a wretched smile: "Alright, I'll take my pants off right now, will you snip it?"

"Get lost!" the woman cursed: "You dirty bastard, stay away from me."

"Luo Yuezhen, your parents died because of you, and your grandparents died because of you too. Why haven't you died yet?" A sharp, shrill female voice came from the yard: "Tell us, where did the money come from to buy all this rice, flour, and meat?"

"Speak up!" another sharp female voice chimed in: "Did you do something shameful? You cheap woman, if you dare to ruin the Luo family's reputation, I won't let you off."

Zhou Andong's brows furrowed tighter and tighter, his face growing gloomier. Then he heard an old woman say viciously: "Nothing good will come of keeping this woman in our village."

"Exactly, her whole family was cursed to death by her. Who knows when we'll be next."

"Let's go find the village chief and drive her out of Tanghezi."

"Right, right, let's go find the village chief."

"Make way!" Zhou Andong shouted, his mood sour: "It's almost the New Year, don't you people have anything better to do at home than block someone's front door?"

Hearing Zhou Andong's shout, the crowd naturally parted. When they saw it was Zhou Andong, a few of the guys became dissatisfied.

Little Er cursed: "Zhou Andong, what the hell are you acting like a big shot for? Fuck!"

"Smack!" Zhou Andong raised his hand and slapped Little Er hard across the face, followed immediately by a kick to the guy's stomach.

With an "Ouch," Little Er let out a miserable cry, clutching his stomach as he collapsed to his knees.

The scene suddenly went quiet. The few guys who had been cursing fell silent, and one by one they retreated several steps, keeping a safe distance from Zhou Andong.

Zhou Andong looked at Little Er and said coldly: "Little Er, you've always been badmouthing me behind my back. I'm not unaware, I just couldn't be bothered to deal with you. Did you really think I was afraid of you? Now you've even started spreading rumors about Sister Yuezhen. Do you have any idea what the consequences of this could be for a woman? Aren't you afraid that if Liu Yahang finds out, he'll skin you alive?"

"And you lot." Zhou Andong pointed around the circle, speaking sternly: "We're all from the same village. You're all elders, and many of you watched Sister Yuezhen grow up. You bullied her when she was small, and now you're bullying her as a widow with children. What has she done to you? Did she drink your soup or eat your rice? Do you hate her so much that you want her dead?"

Zhou Andong patted his own chest: "Touch your own hearts and ask your conscience, is it still red?"

No one noticed that the old village chief, Li Jiutang, was standing behind the crowd, listening silently to Zhou Andong's words, a look of shame appearing on his face. Over the years, he, as village chief, bore significant responsibility for Luo Yuezhen falling into this plight.

"Saving a person's life, preserving a person's flesh and blood, and protecting a person's reputation—of all good deeds, these three are the greatest. To do the opposite is a great evil. Kindness is accumulating virtue for oneself. The karma of this life is the debt of the previous one; if you commit evil in this life, you will have to pay it back in the next."

Zhou Andong looked around: "I urge you to be kind and accumulate some virtue for your children."

Hearing Zhou Andong's words, some looked disdainful, some lowered their heads, and some turned and left.

Zhou Andong didn't pay them any more mind and walked into the yard. He saw Luo Yuezhen sitting on the ground with disheveled hair, her clothes torn and bloody scratches on her face. Her two children were kneeling beside her, supporting their mother, their teeth clenched and eyes filled with fury as they glared at the two women standing opposite them, tears streaming down their faces.

Zhou Andong recognized these two women; they were Luo Yuezhen's second aunt and her old aunt. In the village, they were famous shrews with formidable fighting power, and the only ones who could suppress them were Zhao Guifen.

"I can tell you where her money came from." Zhou Andong walked over, helped Luo Yuezhen up, and looked at the two women: "I gave her the money. Do you have a problem with that?"

Luo Yuezhen's old aunt snorted: "Why did you give her money?"

Zhou Andong laughed: "That's a ridiculous question. Why shouldn't I give her money?"

"Enough!" Luo Yuezhen's second aunt, Jia Guimin, sneered: "Your own family is barely getting by, yet you're giving her money? Are you an idiot, or do you think we're idiots?"

Zhou Andong held up the meat he was carrying and pointed to the two cases of beverages Zhou Anbei was holding: "See this? I brought this for Sister Yuezhen. Do you have a problem with that?"

Hearing Zhou Andong's words, the two women's expressions shifted, their eyes filled with disbelief.

"Alright, stop staring. Go do whatever you need to do. And Little Er, if you dare to spread rumors or stir up trouble again, destroying someone's reputation, I will personally take you to the police station and let you rot in there for two years."

Li Jiutang walked into the yard with a dark expression. He looked at the two women, his face even uglier: "This house was left to her by Yuezhen's grandfather. None of you can take it away, so don't even think about it."

"Why?" Jia Guimin shrieked: "Even if it's an inheritance, we all have a share. Why should she have it all to herself?"

Li Jiutang snorted coldly: "Because I am the village chief. If you dare to come and trouble this widow and her children again, I won't let you off." ===== CHAPTER 80 =====