Chapter 1271

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Protagonist:

Li Xiulan

When the sun rose, the car accident scene on the mountain highway outside Shanggou Village had already been washed clean; little birds on the mountains on both sides were chirping away, quiet as if nothing had ever happened.

Only the vehicles heading toward Shanggou Village suddenly became more numerous.

One, two, three...

There were small sedans, minivans, even taxis.

The family members of those who died or were injured in last night's car accident began returning one after another.

With such a major incident occurring, the sons and daughters working away from home naturally could not stand by and do nothing.

Vehicles gathered in ever greater numbers at the village entrance of Shanggou Village.

Most people didn't even go home, heading straight for the Wang Family instead.

At this time Wang Dashan, Wang Erhai, and Wang Xiaohua were all still at the Town Police Station.

The Wang Family's huge building had only Li Xiulan, Du Xiaojuan, and Kang Yi — this outsider — present.

Besides them, there was only an infant who still couldn't speak or walk.

"Li Xiulan, call your three sons out! Something this big happened, they have to come out and give an account!"

A young man who worked away from home, eyes red, shouted angrily.

His name was Yang Jiahao; he was Yang Xiaocai's son.

Yang Jiahao had originally already fallen out with his father Yang Xiaocai, that lazy good-for-nothing who gambled all day — he barely even came home for Spring Festival — but when he learned Yang Xiaocai had died in a car accident, he still rushed back immediately.

Not for anything else, only to fight for a substantial compensation payout.

Yang Xiaocai originally needn't have died; Wang Erhai had gone to call him to carry the coffin, he verbally agreed to come down, but upon arriving at the Wang Family he found Wang Changgen's corpse too stinking — even covered by the coffin the smell could still be detected — so he temporarily changed his mind, only willing to attend the funeral procession, unwilling to carry the coffin.

If he had gone to carry the coffin, walking at the front of the procession, he wouldn't have been hit.

It was just a pity that after he refused to carry the coffin, he could only follow at the rear.

Then when the heavy truck crashed in, it hit him too.

And his death was truly miserable!

The wheel rolled directly over his head; it burst open like a watermelon, splattering red tofu all over the ground, his head completely flattened!

"Exactly, hurry up and call your three sons out, don't hide!"

A young man beside Yang Jiahao also shouted along.

His name was Zhang Jiajun, same name as Zhang Zhongtian's grandson.

But he had no relation to Zhang Zhongtian's family.

This Zhang Jiajun's father was named Zhang Defa. Zhang Zhongtian's grandson's father was named Zhang Zhiqiang.

Zhang Defa had also been following at the rear of the procession last night, and then perished together; his head wasn't crushed flat, but his intestines were squeezed out.

This was also why Zhang Jiajun appeared here together with Yang Jiahao.

As for Zhang Zhiqiang, he had been crippled in both legs by a car accident long ago; otherwise he would have also gone to the funeral procession last night.

Why was Zhang Zhiqiang's son named Zhang Jiajun?

Word was that Zhang Zhiqiang and Zhang Jiajun had a conflict before, so later when Zhang Zhiqiang had a son, he named his own son Zhang Jiajun as well.

The Yang Jiahao and Zhang Jiajun before everyone's eyes — the whole village knew they were no good.

Back when they were only fourteen or fifteen, they stole chickens and dogs in the village, even stole the doors and windows of Shanggou Village Primary School and sold them to the scrap yard.

That incident caused a huge sensation in the village; Zhang Zhongtian brought police to investigate — at first they thought it was He Dashu the village watchman who did it — later police investigated the scrap yard and discovered they had wronged He Dashu; the real culprits were the two young men Yang Jiahao and Zhang Jiajun.

In the end the matter could only be dropped, because police summoned the two parents Yang Xiaocai and Zhang Defa to the station, and these two parents flatly refused to acknowledge it — no money, take a life if you want, do whatever you please, compensation was absolutely impossible.

However, bad as they were, demanding justice for their own birth fathers was only right and proper.

So no one dared say anything against them.

On the contrary, people felt they were brave, speaking up for the dead villagers.

The other villagers who had gathered around were also emotionally agitated, chiming in agreement:

"Right, right, hurry up and make them come out! They must give an account!"

Facing the courtyard packed solid with people, Li Xiulan was momentarily panic-stricken, not knowing what to do.

"Don't rush, my three sons are all still at the police station; let's wait until they come back, okay?"

"How can we not rush! The ones who died are our relatives, not your three sons, so you can afford to make sarcastic remarks!"

Yang Jiahao shouted at the top of his lungs.

And Zhang Jiajun shouted:

"They must pay money!"

"Right, pay money!"

Li Xiulan flustered:

"Pay, we'll definitely pay; how much do you want?"

"Less than 300,000 is non-negotiable!"

"300,000 is still too little; those are living human lives!"

Public sentiment remained seething.

Li Xiulan was just about to answer.

At this moment Du Xiaojuan hurriedly rushed down from upstairs:

"Mom! Go back inside!"

Du Xiaojuan shouted.

Drawing the gazes of everyone who had come demanding answers.

"Xiao Juan, can you handle this?" Li Xiulan's face showed worry.

After all, Du Xiaojuan had only given birth recently; did she still have the energy to face the towering anger of so many villagers?

But Du Xiaojuan's gaze was resolute, her presence fully unleashed:

"Mom, leave this to me! You hurry back!"

An unquestionable aura radiated out, making Li Xiulan say nothing more and hurriedly turn around to go back.

Du Xiaojuan looked at the villagers surrounding the courtyard and said loudly:

"I am Wang Dashan's wife, Du Xiaojuan. Right now Dashan is still at the Police Station and hasn't returned. Whatever issues you have, just tell me! First, let me declare: no one wants a tragedy like this to happen! But if anyone wants to use this opportunity to extort, then don't blame me for being ruthless!"

"Du Xiaojuan, our family members died, shouldn't you pay us some money!"

Yang Jiahao shouted.

But Du Xiaojuan said:

"Whether we should or not isn't up to you, and it isn't up to me either. We'll wait for the Police to produce the Accident Determination Certificate, determine each party's responsibility, and whatever responsibility our Wang Family bears, we naturally won't shirk a single cent!"

Zhang Jiajun said:

"Sounds better than a song, but right now you must give a definite figure. Otherwise, later your whole family slips away, where do we go for justice!"

"Right, right, exactly!"

"How much can you pay? Say a number first!"

Facing the surging crowd sentiment, Du Xiaojuan did not lose her composure.

She knew very clearly in her heart that if she made a promise now, it would only make these people think they could bully her, and then push their luck.

So she did not yield an inch:

"Can't you hear! I said, however much the Police determine we pay, that's what we'll pay! You want me to name a figure now? I say ten yuan per person, are you willing!"

"Who's willing for 10 yuan! You've got lots of money, don't you? How stingy!"

"Exactly, exactly!"

"That's too miserly!"

Crowd sentiment surged again.

Du Xiaojuan expressionless:

"Good you know I'm stingy! You also don't think about extorting Wang Dashan; his money is in my hands, what he says doesn't count! I'll say it again: however much the Police tell us to pay, that's what we'll pay! Don't even think about making us pay a single cent more!"

"What kind of talk is that! How can you be so cold-blooded and heartless!"

"I'm just this cold-blooded and heartless! Whoever dares make trouble here, I'll call the Police immediately! Also, the ringleaders making trouble will absolutely get their compensation last! Don't believe me? Keep making trouble!"

Once Du Xiaojuan said this, quite a few people stopped speaking.

Even Yang Jiahao and Zhang Jiajun, the two who had been shouting the loudest, now looked at each other, not daring to speak loudly anymore, only muttering softly:

"When will we actually get the compensation..."