Free Web NovelChapter 127: Chapter 127: Humiliation
Over at the village committee office, the postman had just wiped the sweat from his brow and pulled out a string of firecrackers when the curious villagers started to gather.
The postman grinned and set off the firecrackers.
Su Li arrived amidst the popping and cracking.
"Su Li from Number 28, Xinghua Village, are you here? Your acceptance letter has arrived!"
Amidst the distinct smell of gunpowder, the postman held up the letter and announced solemnly.
A smile bloomed on Su Li’s face as she answered, "Yes, I’m here."
"Congratulations." Since it was registered mail, the postman checked Su Li’s ID before handing the acceptance letter over to her.
"Thank you." Su Li’s smile was radiant.
The villagers of Xinghua Village, however, were stunned.
Fang Yulan, who had just burst in excitedly while dragging Qin Shanshan, was also stunned.
"It’s not for Qin Shanshan? The acceptance letter is for Su Li?"
"So Su Li is the one who got into college, not Qin Shanshan?"
Amidst the crowd’s murmurs, Fang Yulan dragged Qin Shanshan forward and confronted the postman. "Did you read the name wrong?" she demanded.
As she spoke, her eyes darted to the letter in Su Li’s hand. She reached out to snatch it, but Su Li sidestepped her.
"What do you think you’re doing?" The postman quickly stepped in front of Su Li, shielding her.
Fang Yulan yanked her hand back. "Are you sure the letter is for Su Li and not Qin Shanshan?"
She shoved Qin Shanshan forward. "The letter is supposed to be for her!"
"That’s right, Postman. Isn’t there a letter for Qin Shanshan?" a nearby villager chimed in.
The postman shook his head firmly. "No. There’s only one acceptance letter, and it’s for Su Li. I am absolutely certain."
"This... this..." The people of Xinghua Village were utterly speechless this time.
"Su Li actually got into college!"
"Heavens, does this mean Qin Shanshan failed, but Su Li passed?"
Everyone began to whisper amongst themselves, their eyes shifting between Su Li and Qin Shanshan.
Qin Shanshan, who had been standing as still as a statue with her head bowed, finally moved. She lifted her hand and bit down hard on the hand Fang Yulan was using to grip her arm.
"AOW!" Fang Yulan shrieked, violently flinging Qin Shanshan’s hand away.
In that instant, the skin on Fang Yulan’s hand had been broken, and blood began to trickle out.
"Qin Caihua, have you lost your mind?!" Fang Yulan raged.
With a trace of blood at the corner of her mouth, Qin Shanshan glared daggers at Fang Yulan.
"So it’s not Su Li who has to kowtow, it’s Caihua..." a slow-witted old man suddenly remarked into the silence.
"Shut up!" Qin Shanshan roared. She lowered her head to bolt but found her path blocked.
The one blocking her was none other than Su Li.
Su Li tapped the envelope against her palm. Looking at Qin Shanshan, she said, "A bet’s a bet, Qin Shanshan. You’ve had plenty of time to prepare yourself mentally."
She chuckled lightly. "Now that everyone’s here, it’s time to honor our agreement."
She glanced at the ground. "The ground here is nice and flat, no stones. It’s a good spot. Right here will be fine."
Su Li’s smile was radiant.
’She couldn’t help it; she was in a great mood. Her acceptance letter had arrived, and Qin Shanshan had even been dragged here for the show. It was the icing on the cake.’
’Ever since the fiasco with the city’s top scholar announcement, Qin Shanshan had vanished. I thought she was going to run off and weasel out of our bet, but someone actually dragged her here.’
Su Li glanced at Fang Yulan and, for a brief three seconds, found her almost likable. ’She does have her uses, after all.’
The postman, who couldn’t make heads or tails of this drama, stood to the side looking utterly bewildered. All he could think was that Su Li had an impressive aura; no wonder she was the city’s top scorer.
For the villagers of Xinghua Village who did understand, however, the feeling was much more complicated.
Qin Shanshan’s entire body was trembling. She gritted her teeth, glaring at Su Li until her own lips started to bleed, but she refused to move.
’How could she possibly kneel?!’
Even now, Qin Shanshan couldn’t believe that she had lost to Su Li.
Su Li was the city’s top scorer, while she hadn’t even been accepted. It was a nightmare more terrifying than any nightmare.
Large, resentful tears streamed down Qin Shanshan’s face.
Sister-in-law Tang, who was in the crowd, spoke up. "Maybe let’s not? Making her kowtow is a bit too much. You should forgive and forget when you can. Su Li, you’re still young; accepting something like this might bring you bad luck..."
Su Li shot her a cold glance. "Too much?"
She sneered. "I don’t think so. Forget this bet for a moment. Just based on everything she’s done to me, I deserve not just ten kowtows, but a hundred."
The moment Su Li finished speaking, Qin Shanshan let out a faint whimper and suddenly collapsed to the ground.
’She fainted! No, she’s faking it!’
As the villagers crowded around anxiously, calling out Qin Shanshan’s name, Su Li simply sneered and turned away without a word.
"Shanshan? Caihua..."
"Is she alright?"
As everyone fussed over Qin Shanshan, a voice suddenly cut through from behind them. "Move aside."
They looked up to see Su Li holding a chamber pot.
"Hey..." Everyone’s faces changed. They scrambled to their feet and backed away before they could even process what to say.
SPLASH! Su Li had already emptied the chamber pot all over Qin Shanshan.
Any words the onlookers might have had died in their throats. The entire courtyard of the village committee office fell silent as everyone stared at Qin Shanshan on the ground.
Qin Shanshan kept her eyes squeezed shut, but her body trembled uncontrollably. Everyone there knew she was only pretending to be unconscious.
Su Li casually tossed the pot aside, dusted off her hands, and looked down imperiously at Qin Shanshan.
"If you’re going to play dirty and not kowtow, then you have to pay a price. Those who humiliate others will bring humiliation upon themselves."
"Qin Shanshan, I hope you never forget today’s disgrace. Carve this humiliation into your heart, your mind, and your very bones, lest you forget it the next time you think about provoking me." freeweɓnovel.cѳm
Su Li raised her head, cast a cool glance over the villagers of Xinghua Village, then turned and walked away.
Her words were a warning to Qin Shanshan, but they were also a warning to every single person in Xinghua Village.
’Keep stirring up trouble, and what happened to Qin Shanshan today could happen to you tomorrow!’
Su Li strode away. No one dared block her path, and no one dared to make a sound.
Once Su Li was long gone, the villagers began to disperse with sheepish smiles, none of them sparing a glance for Qin Shanshan.
The villagers hated Su Li and feared her, but they also despised Qin Shanshan.
One by one, the crowd thinned out. The postman wandered off in a daze. The village chief sighed and told the other gossiping cadres to return to their work.
Soon, only Qin Shanshan, still pretending to be unconscious, was left in the courtyard.
Slowly, the sound of heart-wrenching, indignant sobs began to rise—cries that Qin Shanshan desperately tried but failed to suppress. Though it was broad daylight, the sound sent a chill down the spine.
She staggered to her feet and shuffled away, trembling like a zombie.
Her fingernails dug deep into her palms, and her eyes were bloodshot with a monstrous, towering hatred.
’Su Li, as long as I live, one of us must die!’
’I will kill you. I swear I will repay the humiliation I suffered today a hundred times over.’
’Everything you have today—your honor, your future—I will destroy it all and take it for myself! That honor and that future belong to me, and Tang Yuanxiao can only be mine!’
「Miles away, Tang Yuanxiao suddenly sneezed.」
Yu Le, who was beside him, glanced over. "Captain Tang, someone must be thinking about you."
Tang Yuanxiao frowned. "What kind of nonsense is that?"
Yu Le gave him a sidelong glance. "Nonsense, huh? Guess your girl isn’t thinking about you, then."
Tang Yuanxiao: "...It’s not complete nonsense."
Yu Le rolled his eyes. "Yes, it is."
Tang Yuanxiao snorted and quickened his pace.
Yu Le sauntered along behind him. "So when is she getting here?"
Tang Yuanxiao stopped in his tracks, turning to answer, "I’m not sure yet, but it should be soon."
"Tsk, tsk..." Yu Le clicked his tongue a few times and walked on past Tang Yuanxiao.
Tang Yuanxiao remained standing where he was.
’He’d told Su Li in his letter to send a telegram before she set off so he could pick her up from the train station, but a telegram had yet to arrive.’
’Su Li never did things by the book. Maybe she’d just show up without sending a telegram at all...’
’At that thought, Tang Yuanxiao suddenly wondered, could she possibly arrive tomorrow? Or the day after?’
