Chapter 12: Rural Absurd Past Events Chapter 12: Shangou Village 12

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Protagonist:

Li Xiulan

Facing Wang Zhanggen's determined attitude, Li Xiulan felt as if a knife were twisting in her heart.

Wang Zhanggen was willing to go to prison for her innocence, so what could she do for Wang Zhanggen?

Actually, so-called reputation — you can't touch it, you can't see it — it's fundamentally not that important at all!

Compared to letting Wang Zhanggen suffer a prison sentence, what does her reputation amount to?

Therefore, in the end, Wang Zhanggen's love for her made Li Xiulan steel her resolve; she decided to hide it from Wang Zhanggen, sacrifice herself, and do something against Wang Zhanggen's wishes.

"I agree to all your demands, as long as you write a letter of understanding for my husband."

The next day, accompanied by Guo Fuqiang, Li Xiulan came to the county hospital ward again to find Yang Dafu.

The corner of Yang Dafu's mouth curled up, revealing a triumphant smile.

His laughter made the still-unstitched wound on his face look even more ferocious.

"Then pay my medical expenses now; this is the medical bill for these days, a total of!"

Li Xiulan did not hesitate; she directly took out the money.

Today she had first taken the passbook to the town and withdrawn all their savings before coming to the county hospital.

These savings were what her husband had accumulated over several years of working outside.

After paying Yang Dafu seven thousand yuan in compensation, Li Xiulan's entire assets amounted to only several hundred yuan left.

"You write a statement right now, saying you seduced me, that I was forced into being with you."

After taking the money, Yang Dafu said exactly that.

Li Xiulan's face was expressionless; without much hesitation, she picked up paper and pen and went to write that statement.

It was the witnessing Guo Fuqiang who hurriedly grabbed her hand to stop her:

"You really want to do this?"

A feeling of helplessness rose in Guo Fuqiang's heart.

He knew all the truth, yet he could not secure more benefits for Li Xiulan and Wang Zhanggen the couple.

Because the law is like this — Wang Zhanggen took a knife and slashed someone, he indeed bears part of the legal responsibility, and Yang Dafu just happens to be so good at exploiting loopholes; it truly makes one helpless.

"Mm, I've already decided; money doesn't count for anything, my reputation doesn't count for anything either, I only want my husband safe and sound."

Li Xiulan's gaze turned determined.

"You think it through; this statement you're signing will be made public, and it will have a huge impact on your reputation."

Guo Fuqiang couldn't help but sigh, once again reminding Li Xiulan of the pros and cons.

But Li Xiulan had already made up her mind:

"I know, but it doesn't matter."

She then wrote a statement according to Yang Dafu's demands, admitting she had seduced Yang Dafu, that she and Yang Dafu were willing participants, not that Yang Dafu had attempted to rape her, and she signed her name and pressed her fingerprint on the statement.

After receiving the statement, the smile on Yang Dafu's face grew even broader, because this statement was already enough to keep him out of prison; if he pulled some strings and worked the connections, he might even be able to become the Women's Federation Director of Shangou Village again.

"Yang Dafu, I've already written the statement you wanted; you should write my husband's letter of understanding too, right?"

As Li Xiulan handed the statement to Yang Dafu, she urged him to write the letter of understanding.

But Yang Dafu shamelessly said with a smile:

"What's the rush? The statement is only part of what I demanded; when you've served me until I'm discharged, I'll naturally write your husband a letter of understanding!"

Yang Dafu's shameless behavior — even Guo Fuqiang found it an eyesore.

"Yang Dafu, I warn you: I, this police station chief, have been witnessing the entire mediation process of this case; you'd better not play rogue on me, or I'll make you regret it!"

Guo Fuqiang sternly warned Yang Dafu.

Yang Dafu was quite wary of Guo Fuqiang; after all, the other party was a police station chief, while he was merely a petty Women's Federation Director.

"Chief Yang, rest assured, I won't play rogue; the day I'm discharged, I'll naturally write a letter of understanding for Wang Zhanggen."

With Guo Fuqiang present, Yang Dafu dared not refuse to write the letter of understanding, but he wanted to drag out the time as much as possible.

If Li Xiulan took the letter of understanding and then turned around and left, not coming to take care of him, wouldn't he be at a total loss?

So he had to wait until he could be discharged before he would write it.

"How many more days until you can be discharged?"

Li Xiulan asked this question at this moment.

Yang Dafu replied:

"The doctor said, probably about another week or so."

Li Xiulan thought for a moment, then finally agreed:

"Fine, then I'll serve you until the day you're discharged."

Because Li Xiulan knew in her heart that if Wang Zhanggen came out of the police station now and learned she had agreed to Yang Dafu's demands, he would surely kick up an enormous fuss again.

All her efforts might well go to waste because of that.

So rather than that, it was better to wait until Yang Dafu was discharged, until everything was completely settled, and only then let her husband come out from inside the police station.

Li Xiulan returned home, packed a change of clothes and toiletries she might need for the next few days, and then left hurriedly with the two children.

Before leaving, she made a trip to the silkworm room.

Because of all the busyness these past days, this batch of silkworm babies that were originally about to mount the cocooning frames and spin cocoons didn't get enough mulberry leaves to eat; she was too embarrassed to ask He Dazhu for help picking mulberry leaves again, and as a result a large patch starved to death.

Now looking at the ground full of foul-smelling, rotting silkworm baby corpses, only a few pitiful ones were still struggling and wriggling inside.

Li Xiulan's heart ached unbearably; she could not bear to shed tears.

Raising a batch of silkworms from eggs to the big eating phase takes roughly a month or more; they were just a few days away from mounting the cocooning frames and spinning cocoons, just a step away from being sold for money — only that final crucial step remained — but at this moment, because of all kinds of distressing matters, a large batch of silkworm babies starved to death; this truly made Li Xiulan collapse.

But now she could no longer manage that much.

This batch of silkworm babies, whether they live or die, can only be left to fend for themselves.

The stench filling this room can only wait until after she finishes taking care of Yang Dafu and he leaves the hospital before she comes back to clean it up.

Li Xiulan even mocked herself: fortunately, the Family Planning Office people had previously seized all the livestock — chickens, ducks, dogs, pigs — from her home; otherwise, having to go to the County Town for seven days straight, she wouldn't have known who to find to help look after the livestock at home.

Anyway, asking He Dazhu is impossible; she would rather be beaten to death than go to He Dazhu again.

That afternoon, Li Xiulan returned to Yang Dafu's ward at the County Hospital.

She put the luggage she had brought to one side.

She had the two children sit on the luggage bags.

Yang Dafu looked at those two children, dirty as coal balls, and his eyes revealed a disgust he could not hide.

"How come you brought both children too?"

Yang Dafu asked coldly.

He had originally thought to have Li Xiulan come alone to take care of him, and then once his injuries improved a little, he would find a chance to do away with Li Xiulan.

Wang Changgen had left several long, deep knife wounds on him, yet this had not dispelled Yang Dafu's coveting of Li Xiulan's beauty.

On the contrary, the harm Wang Changgen inflicted on him made him want to vent even more ruthlessly on Li Xiulan.

His inner heart carried endless darkness, to the point of distortion.

"If I don't bring them, who will help me take care of them?"

Li Xiulan replied coldly.

She hadn't thought that much; she simply hadn't expected that even after being hacked up like this, Yang Dafu still harbored improper designs on her.

If someone could help watch the children so she could come unencumbered, she would certainly be very willing not to bring the children along.

It's just that the current reality is, there is absolutely no one who can help her watch the children.

"Fine, fine, help me up, I need to go to the toilet to piss!"

Yang Dafu's tone was displeased, ordering Li Xiulan.

Li Xiulan frowned:

"Can't you get up yourself?"

Yang Dafu said irritably: "If I could get up myself, would I need you to take care of me? You don't even look at how deep a knife wound your dead ghost of a husband left on me!"

Li Xiulan had no words to say, and very reluctantly went to help Yang Dafu up.

The man before her made her feel nauseous and want to vomit; as long as she got slightly close, she felt resistance and rejection from the bottom of her heart.

With great difficulty she finally helped Yang Dafu reach the toilet, and Li Xiulan hurriedly turned around to go out.

But Yang Dafu said:

"Don't leave, my hands can't move at all, you help me take my pants down."