Chapter 8: Thoughts of the Crowd

"You filthy liar, how dare you slander my son! As expected, a whole family of murderers—bad seeds—capable of any heartless deed. Aren’t you afraid of retribution? You shameless beasts, I’ll tear your mouth to pieces!"

Xu Hongyan, Zhou Zheng's mother, arrived at the Jiang family’s gate with a crowd of villagers and happened to catch Yu Yan’s words. Her fury exploded; she screamed as she lunged at Yu Yan, clawing for her.

Faced with the curses, Yu Yan instinctively curled in on herself—a conditioned reflex honed over years.

Wan Shun kicked Xu Hongyan aside. "Aunt, going crazy won’t change the facts. If you have the energy, go home and discipline your wayward son. Spend more time teaching him and less time raving, or you’ll have no one to care for you when you’re old."

Xu Hongyan’s face turned ashen from the kick, and she looked at Wan Shun in disbelief. "You dare kick me? You little bastard, are you out of your mind? No wonder that thieving woman has the nerve to spit venom—she has you backing her up.

A wild brat with a mother but no father to teach him—no manners at all. You really think you’re somebody now? Just because you made a scene at the Wan family yesterday? The Zhou family isn’t a bunch of cowards like the Wan family."

She raised her hand to slap him.

Wan Shun easily blocked it and returned the slap with a casual flick. "Like mother, like son. With a mouth as foul as yours and a mind so vicious, it’s no wonder your son is so ruthless even at his age. He’ll grow up to outdo you—land in jail, live in a single cell, cared for by the state. You’ll be free at last.

You’re always jealous of my godmother, aren’t you? No need to envy—you’ll have your turn, all thanks to your own teaching. You’re quite accomplished."

Xu Hongyan’s face twisted from the blow, her hands shaking with rage. "You—you—you—"

The crowd was stunned. Wan Shun really had lost his mind. Yesterday, they thought he’d rebelled because the Wan family had pushed him too far, but today, slapping an elder at the slightest provocation was sheer madness.

The police, seeing the two about to fight, barked coldly, "Enough! If you have something to say, say it. No more violence."

Xu Hongyan shot Wan Shun a venomous glare, then rushed toward the police.

"Officer, you must stand up for my child! He’s only nine, and she’s slandering him—how can he live with that? How can our whole family survive? She’s trying to destroy us—this is murder! Officer, you must help us!"

The officer dodged her grasp. "Don’t worry. We won’t wrong a good person, nor let a bad one go. Let’s call everyone in and see for ourselves."

Wan Shun spoke quietly. "Yes, let’s question them properly. Let’s see what other heartless acts have been committed, and how the mother raised them. If the son goes to jail, maybe the mother can join him."

"You little wretch, do you really think I can’t touch you?" Xu Hongyan was livid.

The officer was at his wit’s end.

Down by the mountain’s woodpile, a group of children huddled together, trembling.

"Do you think she’s dead?"

No one replied, but all their faces were pale with terror.

Caught up in the moment, they hadn’t paid attention when they used the knife.

By the time they noticed, Yu Yan’s forehead was pouring blood and she was barely conscious, seemingly about to die.

They’d fled in panic and hidden here.

"What are you doing hiding here? We’ve searched everywhere for you!"

Village Secretary Deng Jianye had scoured the entire village before finally finding them here. He frowned deeply and questioned them in a low voice.

The children were so frightened by the secretary that they wailed.

His brow furrowed tighter—no need to ask, he knew these little troublemakers were responsible.

At the Jiang house.

The half-grown children, already crying miserably, saw the uniformed officers and didn’t need prompting—they confessed in tears.

They’d hit her, cut her hair, and the weapon was still in their basket.

Xu Hongyan was furious, hopping with rage. Her son had ruined her reputation inside and out, so she started beating him.

"You little bastard, are you crazy? Why would you hit someone for no reason? Using a knife—are you tired of living? How did I raise such a troublemaker?"

Zhou Zheng howled in pain.

The other children were beaten too—the place echoed with scolding and the children’s screams.

The onlookers kept silent. Bullying Yu Yan was an open secret in Fu'an Village.

But no one had ever made it public, and certainly no one had involved the police.

Wan Shun calling the police this time was unexpected.

Many harbored resentment, and their gazes toward Wan Shun were full of blame.

Wan Shun sneered softly. So, all they cared about was losing face—not Yu Yan’s suffering.

His lips curled in a cold, sarcastic smile. "What’s wrong, uncles and aunts? Have your own kids been troubled by these little brats too? Watching them get punished is satisfying, isn’t it? No need to thank me—I’ve always liked to do good. So, raise your own children yourselves; otherwise, when someone else steps in, it won’t feel so nice."

The crowd...

The beating and scolding lasted three minutes.

Xu Hongyan smiled obsequiously at the police. "Officer, you see, the kids are still young. It’s normal for them to make mistakes. We’ve already disciplined them. Can’t we just let this go?"

The other families echoed her.

The officer said, "First, we don’t advocate beating children. If there’s an issue, talk it out—don’t use violence. Teaching children requires reason, not corporal punishment.

Second, how this is handled depends on negotiation with the victim’s family."

The families fell silent. Negotiating with the Jiang family was beyond them.

Because of the Jiangs, everyone in the village had suffered scorn, isolation, and ridicule from outsiders. Their pride had almost been shattered.

The Jiangs had caused them trouble and harm. Taking it out on the Jiang family—whether by beating, scolding, or spitting—seemed only fair.

Even though their children had gone too far this time, they didn’t see it as wrong. To them, the Jiangs had brought it upon themselves.

Their biggest regret was not finding out sooner and letting Wan Shun report to the police first, making the matter public.

Wan Shun understood their thoughts and found them laughable.

He quietly picked at his nails. "Don’t think being young means you can get away with a beating and the police won’t arrest you. Those who don’t repent and keep repeating their mistakes still have a place to go—look into juvenile detention."

"What’s juvenile detention?" The villagers didn’t understand.

Wan Shun’s lips curled. "It’s where minors who break the law are locked up—a children’s prison.

Anyone who’s been in juvenile detention will have a record. They won’t be able to attend university or join the military. Even finding a job later will be hard—they’ll be shunned. That stain will follow them for life.

My godmother’s case already constitutes serious injury, and with abuse involved, depending on the circumstances, three to five years is a light sentence. Isn’t that right, officer?"

The police...

The children before them weren’t yet fourteen—not old enough for juvenile detention.

Moreover, juvenile detention isn’t a children’s prison.

Under the current circumstances, they wouldn’t be held for so long.

But neither of them spoke; they remained silent.

Wan Shun continued, "Most importantly, at such a young age, to commit such a vicious act—tell me, are these children mentally and emotionally healthy? Would any of you dare let your sons or daughters marry someone like this?"

The police didn’t refute him, so everyone believed Wan Shun’s words.

Legal matters might seem distant to them.

But when it came to marriage, it touched their own interests. If you set aside Yu Yan as the victim, the actions of these children were truly chilling.

For a moment, everyone looked at the children with strange expressions.

Xu Hongyan and the other parents were genuinely anxious now.

Their beatings grew harsher, no longer for show.

The officer opened his mouth to intervene, but seeing Yu Yan’s condition, he held back.

No matter what wrongs the Jiang family had committed, it was no excuse for these people to take the law into their own hands, especially when it affected the children.

If proper education wasn’t enforced, these children would surely grow up warped.