Free Web NovelChapter 31: Chapter 31: Humiliated Again
Even decades in the future, when people’s legal awareness would be far stronger, turning in one’s own parents and brother would still be controversial. This was even more true in the current era.
To deal with people like Miao Fenghua and Su Dan, appeals to sentiment and custom were useless. The law was the most effective tool. But taking legal action was incredibly difficult, and she couldn’t be the one to do it herself.
If she did it herself, it would harm her almost as much as them, and she’d be condemned by everyone. It just wasn’t worth it.
She had to maintain her position as the victim, occupy the moral high ground, and avoid the accusation of being unfilial. She needed others to help push things forward until Miao Fenghua and Su Dan’s actions were successfully classified as a crime.
Yes, they were Su Li’s mother and brother. But what they had done was a crime. Their sins were monstrous, and if they weren’t punished, the consequences would be unimaginable!
Once this idea took hold, if Su Li ever needed the police to deal with them again, no one would point a finger at her and call her unfilial.
To achieve this, Su Li had administered a dose of strong medicine to everyone’s psyche. freēwebnovel.com
The current developments proved that this strong medicine had taken effect. No one dared to underestimate the horror of Miao Fenghua and Su Dan’s actions anymore.
They couldn’t ignore the fact that what they did was a crime.
A crime! The kind of crime you go to jail for!
The villagers looked at Miao Fenghua and Su Dan, their hearts filled with awe and alarm. They warned themselves never to be like them and started racking their brains, wondering if they or their relatives had ever committed a crime.
With these thoughts, the way they looked toward the side room changed completely. It was a look of strange wonder mixed with a thread of fear and apprehension.
’This Su Li... she’s no simple character.’
Seeing that the situation was hopeless, Miao Fenghua and Su Dan started struggling frantically again, but no one dared to pay them any mind.
Once their matter was settled, the Village Chief finally had a moment to ask Fang Luo why he had come to the village. Fang Luo’s expression turned serious. "Village Chief, if you hadn’t mentioned it, I would have almost forgotten my official business for today."
He carefully took a silk banner from the bag he carried. "I came today specifically to present Su Li with a banner ’For Heroic Courage’."
He unfurled the banner and faced the crowd. "Comrade Su Li previously acted heroically, engaging in a battle of wits with human traffickers. She rescued four children and led to the capture of four traffickers. Our bureau held a special meeting to commend her bravery. This was issued by the director himself. Because of the distance, I was tasked with delivering it."
The villagers stared at the banner in Fang Luo’s hands with reverence. It was issued by the police bureau itself!
The Village Chief, representing Su Li and Xinghua Village, solemnly accepted the banner from Fang Luo.
Fang Luo gave a solemn, silent salute to show his respect and gratitude.
The Village Chief was so moved his hands were trembling. The villagers present were stunned, gazing at the banner in his hands with profound awe.
His task complete, Fang Luo prepared to take the ’criminals’ back. Villagers eagerly volunteered to help escort them, just in case there were any problems on the road.
Fang Luo was very pleased with this and personally selected a few sturdy young men.
Since Su Li was injured and unconscious, she needed to rest quietly and would not have to make the long journey to assist with the investigation.
The young men and Fang Luo subdued Miao Fenghua and Su Dan, and amidst Miao Fenghua’s pleas and curses, they marched out of the Tang Family’s home in a great procession.
Just as they stepped out the door, they saw Qin Shanshan sneaking away. Fang Luo’s brow furrowed the moment he saw her, and he asked the Village Chief beside him.
"Is this young woman illiterate?"
Qin Shanshan froze in disbelief. The Village Chief and the other villagers were also stunned.
Seeing their expressions, Fang Luo explained impassively, "I don’t mean anything by it. I just wanted to say that in the future, if conditions permit, you should try to let girls go to school and learn to read. Once they can read, they can understand reason. Then they won’t be foolishly filial out of legal ignorance, harming others and themselves."
Qin Shanshan’s expression cracked. She felt an unprecedented level of humiliation.
She was the only girl in the village with a high school education! She was the most cultured and knowledgeable girl in the village! How could he call her illiterate!
Her face twisted with rage. The Village Chief awkwardly explained, "She’s not illiterate. She’s the only girl in our village who’s a high school graduate."
The Village Chief felt a subtle shift inside. He used to introduce her with great pride, but today he felt deeply ashamed.
Fang Luo’s eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at Qin Shanshan. "A high school graduate?"
His expression was strange. He didn’t say the words, but his face clearly read, ’My god, a high school graduate? All that schooling was a waste.’ Anyone could see it.
Qin Shanshan felt a humiliation like never before. Just as she was about to retort, she saw Police Fang frown and ask.
"You look very familiar. Weren’t you the one hiding by the Tang Family’s gate just now? There’s something wrong with you, you know. I wanted to say something to you earlier. Something this major was happening, and you just hid and watched? Not only did you not help, you didn’t even go get the other villagers. Are you an accomplice standing watch?"
Qin Shanshan jumped in fright. "No, I’m not! I’m their next-door neighbor."
"Neighbor? People always say a close neighbor is better than a distant relative. Yet you watched your neighbors suffer and just hid on the side." Fang Luo’s expression was one of utter speechlessness. "Someone could have died! You were just going to stand there and watch Su Li and that child get beaten and thrown to their deaths? What kind of ’virtuous and sensible’ is that!"
"That kind of ’virtuous and sensible’..." Fang Luo shook his head and sighed.
Listening to him, the Village Chief and the villagers suddenly found it hard to face the phrase ’virtuous and sensible.’
Qin Shanshan saw the looks in the eyes of the Village Chief and the villagers and broke out in a cold sweat. "No, you’ve misunderstood! I didn’t call for help because those people were the Tang Family’s in-laws..."
Qin Shanshan trailed off as she saw everyone’s expressions, her mouth snapping shut. Her face went deathly pale.
Fang Luo seemed to find the very sight of her offensive. He shook his head, turned, and started walking away, muttering, "Public morals are truly in decay... a crooked heart, and leaving someone to die... simply..." frёewebηovel.cѳm
His voice wasn’t loud, but everyone heard him clearly.
Qin Shanshan’s face turned ashen. She finally couldn’t hold it in anymore and, with a loud WAIL, she stumbled away and ran back home, crying.
Fang Luo’s expression grew even darker. He couldn’t help but turn to the Village Chief and the villagers to earnestly advise them, "Village Chief, the ultimate purpose of learning to read is to improve one’s character. Moral education is also very important. Otherwise, it’s better not to be educated at all."
The Village Chief and the villagers watched Qin Shanshan’s retreating back and nodded in embarrassment, their expressions indescribable.
"Isn’t that the truth. Better not to be educated at all."
"Even I, an illiterate, know what it means to be virtuous and sensible..."
Everyone muttered amongst themselves, shaking their heads and sighing.
Qin Shanshan had run off. The villagers thought about the rumors that circulated about her, then about what had just happened. For a long time after, they couldn’t face her normally, nor could they face the phrase ’virtuous and sensible.’
It was originally a compliment, but now, whenever the villagers heard it, it inexplicably sounded like a sarcastic, negative remark. As a result, they later found themselves at a loss for words when trying to describe a good girl. Every time, they had to rack their brains for positive things to say, which drove them crazy with frustration.
Similarly, the complex feelings everyone in Xinghua Village had toward Qin Shanshan were remarkably similar to their feelings about that very phrase.
