Chapter 236

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Chai Mi

Chai Mi and Chai Youqing stopped at Liu Zhanggui's doorstep, then Chai Mi called out: "Auntie, I'm here... is anyone home?"

Not long after, a woman came out of the room, and it was Xue Haiyan.

Xue Haiyan dressed rather plainly, except her eyes looked a bit swollen, as if she had just been crying.

"Chai Mi is here... Youqing, you're here too. Oh, you two come in quickly..."

As she spoke, Xue Haiyan invited the two into the room. Then she eagerly brewed tea...

Liu Zhanggui was dressed as usual, except he wore a straw hat on his head to cover his face...

Chai Mi couldn't help but laugh: "Xiangli Chief, this look of yours... is quite unique. You say you're at home, why wear a hat? It's not like you're going out..."

Liu Zhanggui held a cigarette in his right hand, took a drag, and sighed: "So what do you suggest? At my age, if people see me, they'll say I got beaten black and blue, which doesn't look good at all..."

Face, Liu Zhanggui still cared about it.

Even though no one was home, he was still afraid someone outside would see he had a problem with his eyes.

Of course, this was a bit like "there's no silver here, three hundred taels."

Actually, the day Liu Zhanggui was beaten, basically everyone was there; out of several thousand people in the village, at least several hundred saw it.

Liu Zhanggui covering up like this was a bit like fooling himself.

After all, in the countryside, if it were some other family fighting, it might not become big news, but the Xiangli Chief getting beaten—that was big news.

Chai Mi took the hat off Liu Zhanggui's head, glanced at it, and felt his eye sockets were indeed badly bruised purple, but his eyeballs were normal, not bloodshot, so his eyes shouldn't be injured.

Then Chai Mi took out the sunglasses she had bought from her pocket and handed them to Liu Zhanggui: "Wear these... these are good."

Liu Zhanggui immediately perked up, put on the big sunglasses, then went to look in the mirror, feeling from left to right that these sunglasses were indeed a good thing.

"It has to be you, Chai Mi, how did I not think of getting sunglasses?" Liu Zhanggui's mood improved a lot all at once.

He was originally someone who cared about face; after his eyes turned bruised, he hadn't gone out for nearly three days.

For no other reason than fear that someone would ask if he went out...

"These sunglasses aren't Song Qiushui's, are they? I see she often wears sunglasses."

Song Qiushui usually wore big sunglasses and high heels when going out; fortunately, she had been staying with Chai Mi a lot lately, so her outfits weren't particularly outrageous.

Otherwise, the former "spiritual little sister" Song Qiushui never let go of her sunglasses; basically she was the only one in the village who wore sunglasses, and she was very recognizable.

"You're overthinking... would Qiushui be willing to give you her sunglasses?" Chai Mi said with a smile: "That girl doesn't even know I bought you sunglasses. You'd better not let her see them later, otherwise she'll say: we're doomed, the Xiangli Chief is really fixated on our village belle..."

"Hahahaha..."

"Hahahaha..."

Everyone laughed.

The atmosphere instantly became lively.

Everyone understood Song Qiushui's personality; she was a bit "willful" and also quite likable.

"You don't say, I bet she really would say that. She's been improper all day, always thinking someone adores her, without regard for age..." Liu Zhanggui said with a laugh.

Chai Youqing conveniently put the things down on the ground.

Liu Zhanggui and Xue Haiyan saw that Chai Mi and her father had brought things, and naturally knew these two brought things to visit them; after all, Liu Zhanggui could be considered honorably injured...

In the countryside, someone getting injured and someone visiting was a common occurrence.

Just like when Chai Mi's mother was hospitalized recently, a group of people went to visit.

When Chai Mi called the hardworking people a few days ago, she also invited everyone to eat along the way. So there were quite a few hardworking people not working those two days, partly for this reason.

"Just coming to see is enough, why bring things..." Xue Haiyan said somewhat complainingly: "He's that kind of person; he doesn't want people to say he's injured. Even when his few older brothers came to visit us, he didn't let them..."

Then Xue Haiyan saw those ten-plus packs of cigarettes, and her face instantly showed surprise: "Chai Mi, why did you buy him so many cigarettes... this is a bit too much..."

Liu Zhanggui leaned over to look: indeed quite a lot, enough to smoke for several months.

"Old Xue, go prepare some dishes; at noon I and Youqing will have a drink..."

"Xiangli Chief, no trouble. My dad and I just came to see you. Wait a bit, my dad has to go dig a well; looking at it, it really isn't raining. If this land isn't irrigated, I'm afraid this year's crops will be ruined." Chai Mi refused Liu Zhanggui's idea of keeping the two for a meal: "We can eat this meal whenever we're not busy."

Liu Zhanggui took another drag of his cigarette and blew a smoke ring: "Then wait for Da Zhi to come back in a few days... oh, Da Zhi isn't home; otherwise, let him help your dad dig a well. That kid is strong. I'm not up to it, I'm not up to it; old arms and legs, other work is manageable, but digging a well is really too exhausting..."

Moreover, Liu Zhanggui wasn't in a good mood either; he himself was injured, the Xiangli Chief was beaten up, and his son Da Zhi had been put inside. Whoever it happened to, no one would be in a good mood.

This was also because Liu Zhanggui had a good mindset; otherwise, he would have kicked up a fuss long ago.

"Sigh, you say that matter those few days made such a scene; those few at your old house are really something. They fought, and even beat up the person trying to pull them apart... what is all this?!" Xue Haiyan got very angry when she mentioned this. She and Liu Zhanggui had been divorced for many years; when she left, Da Zhi was only fourteen or fifteen. In a blink, so many years had passed. He finally came back, and the couple planned to remarry, but after just a few days, their son Da Zhi was put inside for breaking up a fight. Could Xue Haiyan not be angry?

"You say, these past two years, Zhanggui has run this broken village chief position, earning not a single cent, and even pouring money into it every day. He doesn't do the work at home, but helps with the village's busywork. And what happened? You say, he didn't gain a bit of good, went to pull apart a fight, and at his age, still got hit with several electric batons... what is this all about..."

Chai Mi was seeing someone beaten for trying to pull apart a fight for the first time. Of course, since this happened with those few at the old house, it wasn't surprising.

"Too many people, didn't watch well..."

"Not watching well is one thing... but what about Chai Zhongxiao and his wife? They're not deaf or blind. My Zhanggui has come home, and they don't ask a single word? Is that reasonable?" Xue Haiyan said with dissatisfaction.

Indeed not reasonable.

Reasonably speaking, no matter what, Liu Zhanggui was also there to pull apart a fight back then, and got beaten by Che Lianyun or someone. This kind of beating people indiscriminately is indeed rare. And after beating someone, not asking about it or coming to see them is even more strange.

"This is because my wife here is well-intentioned and doesn't hold a grudge. If she held a grudge, they wouldn't have it easy."

"Say a few less words..." Liu Zhanggui stubbed out the cigarette he hadn't finished, lit another for himself, and handed one to Chai Youqing to light. "Saying all sorts of things... it's not a big deal. Back then there were too many people and hands, it was too chaotic, no one noticed. This isn't some earth-shattering big deal, and I'm fine..."

"Hehe, you're fine." Xue Haiyan's tone was clearly not good; she looked at Liu Zhanggui with a sideways glance, her face full of dissatisfaction.

Liu Zhanggui was fine, but the problem was her son Liu Zhijing had been put inside!!!

Especially since Liu Zhijing was only in his twenties and hadn't even married yet, and he went inside...

After this, finding a partner was basically a done deal ruined...

Could Xue Haiyan not be angry?

Privately, Xue Haiyan had actually already fought Liu Zhanggui once; otherwise Liu Zhanggui wouldn't have had bruises around his eyes for three days already, and instead of fading, they had gotten worse...

Today Liu Zhanggui wore a hat precisely because the bruising around his eyes was more severe. Of course, Liu Zhanggui could never mention this matter, nor would he admit it.

"Having a father like you is enough. Why didn't you let someone gouge out your eyeballs? Can't you see Da Zhi getting involved? Can't you hold back a bit? Now it's fine—my son went in to stand up for your useless father..." Xue Haiyan said, tears coming down.

Sitting in prison in this era was nothing glorious...

Of course, this kind of thing wasn't glorious in later times either.

Liu Zhijing marrying a wife was already difficult, because Liu Zhanggui and Xue Haiyan's divorce meant they had actually missed the recent marriage age in the countryside. Xue Haiyan could return partly because she was older, and after a major illness she no longer cared so much about past things, but most importantly, Xue Haiyan was especially worried about her son's marriage.

Now it was good...

The son had gone in...

Whether it was ten or eight days, or half a month, it was all a stain on one's life.

Before this, whoever wanted to be a matchmaker, other families' girls would hear: this boy had sat in prison, that was no good...

Basically, it was one yellow and one at the ancestral hall.

Xue Haiyan was equivalent to: I came back to remarry for nothing?

"Auntie, don't cry. It's fine, this isn't Da Zhi's fault. The people in the village are all watching; others wouldn't be as narrow-minded as you. Sitting in prison is sitting in prison, but it depends on the situation. Da Zhi sat in prison to protect his own father from being beaten. Outsiders mentioning it would all give a thumbs up and say: this boy wasn't born in vain..."

So-called hearing your words is better than reading ten years of books.

Now this phrase used to describe Liu Zhanggui and Xue Haiyan's feelings was more suitable than anything.

The two of them had always felt especially guilty and especially ashamed.

These past two days at home, besides fighting and complaining to each other, they were just worrying themselves.

Liu Zhanggui didn't care about being village chief or not; he cared more about his son...

But no matter from which angle, he couldn't find a reason to convince himself.

Now, after Chai Mi said this, Liu Zhanggui immediately became energetic.

Makes sense!!!

And especially reasonable!!!

"Chai Mi, it has to be you; you're right."

Liu Zhanggui and Xue Haiyan, having found psychological comfort, immediately felt better: Right, anyone who sees my son has to give a thumbs up; this is what a good son should do.

Father has trouble, son stands up for him; it's as normal as can be. The reasons are sufficient...

What's left is...

"I say, it's still those few people from our old home; they are the root of the problem. This period they've been quarreling and making trouble, and now one has courted death and another has been injured... I think Da Zhi is great; that day if you hadn't gone to pull them apart, someone might have been killed. I think Da Zhi isn't impulsive or anything; he's just too straightforward, and used a bit too much force in the fight..."

Chai Mi said this, and Liu Zhanggui and Xue Haiyan's complexions both looked better.

That's why they say words depend on who says them.

Liu Zhanggui and Xue Haiyan really had no excuse; now hearing Chai Mi say this, they both decided that if relatives, friends, or villagers asked what happened to Da Zhi, they'd say: my son is honest, he just used too much force pulling them apart, and as a result those not-people things from Chai Family's old home insisted he was fighting; at the time there were many people and it was chaotic, impossible to explain clearly, so he was wronged...

If put that way, the nature would change.

Liu Zhijing immediately went from someone who sat in prison to a good child who saw justice and acted bravely...

One thing, different people saying it naturally has different processes; as father and mother saying so should also be right.

Liu Zhanggui and Xue Haiyan were happy, tea was brewed, cigarettes were lit, fruit was brought out, peanuts and melon seeds were there too.

Actually, when Chai Mi first arrived, Xue Haiyan was dissatisfied.

After all, it was all because of Old Chai Family's matters that her own son suffered.

Chai Mi was also from Old Chai Family; although whatever wrong, but in Xue Haiyan's eyes: Old Chai Family, not a single good person.

Now, Old Chai Family had one good person, and that was Chai Mi.

Chai Mi wasn't in a hurry to leave; the few people chatted for a while.

Chatting and chatting, they chatted to Chai You De's matter.

"Xiangli Chief, you should know how Chai You De is..."

"Chai You De..." Liu Zhanggui smoked, sighing: "His situation is a bit complicated... sigh... I heard from the Xiang: skull fracture, nose bridge fracture, I don't know about the rest. Now whether he's in the county city or somewhere else I don't know... This matter is also especially hard to handle; those two girls of Sun Yuguang insist it was that second girl who hit them; how old is that little girl? Anyone with eyes can see there's a problem... The problem is, I don't dare to speak recklessly about this; I saw both girls hit, but who hit the heavier blows, I don't know..."

Liu Zhanggui said rather awkwardly: "Whether the matter is big or small, I can't say. The village already advanced ten thousand yuan yesterday..."

"Stop with the village village, isn't that you yourself taking your own money to advance it?" Xue Haiyan, bringing this up, was furious: "Your uncle isn't village chief anymore; yesterday the Xiang still looked for your uncle, saying the hospital side said Chai You De's hospitalization fees weren't enough, money spent like flowing water, if you don't take money your life can't be saved... This is clearly asking your uncle for money, right? Who has how much money? Your uncle had no choice; he and his brothers begged and scraped together ten thousand..."

Chai Mi frowned tightly: ten thousand yuan was a lot; in this era it wasn't a small number.

So Chai Zhongxiao still borrowed money?

That was a bit funny.