Chapter 9 The Mastermind Behind the Scenes

Zhou Zheng and his friends were beaten so badly they howled in pain—it truly hurt.

“Stop hitting us, we’re sorry, it’s not our fault, it was Wan Yu who gave us spicy snacks and told us to deal with the thief woman. Wan Yu made us do it. She said the harder we hit her, the more impressive we'd be, and she'd give us even more tasty treats. It wasn’t us.”

The children, tearful and snot-nosed, betrayed the mastermind behind it all.

In the crowd, Wan Yu’s expression changed instantly. She turned and tried to flee.

Wan Shun leapt over in two strides and kicked her back.

She had always wondered why, without any reason, Yu Yan would be injured so suddenly—it wasn’t like the old days; even the most mischievous children wouldn’t dare go that far. She thought Wan Yu, no matter how shameless, would hide at home for a few days before showing her face again, but to her surprise, Wan Yu had come out to stir trouble the very next day. She had underestimated her.

“Dear foster sister, why run? After all the shady things you’ve done, what’s one more?”

Wan Yu clutched her stomach, baring her teeth, her gaze at Wan Shun laced with venomous blades.

But before she could unleash her malice, Xu Hongyan slapped her back to reality.

“I knew it. My kid is mischievous, but always knows his limits. He would never do something truly bad. What were you thinking, trying to harm my child like this?

What’s the matter—was your affair not exciting enough, so now you’ve turned to corrupting children? How could you be so wicked?”

Wan Shun sighed. “Perhaps this is my fault. Foster sister hates me for not taking the blame for her, wants to use me as her knife but fears trouble, so she uses others as her blade. But of all the things she could do, she shouldn’t have targeted the children—such innocent flowers of the nation, almost saddled with criminal charges. Terrible. What do kids know? It’s all taught by adults.”

These words ignited the fury of the parents of the mischievous children. Whether true or not, it was clear Wan Yu had incited their kids to do wrong, and that was unforgivable.

“Shameless whore, why don’t you just drop dead!” A group of enraged women was like an army—the police could barely restrain them.

Wan Yu, crying and in agony, struggled desperately. “It wasn’t me, I didn’t do it, these kids are making things up to frame me. Let go, let go, officers, help me, are you just going to watch them hurt people?”

A slap landed on Wan Yu’s mouth—her wounds from yesterday hadn’t healed, and now more were added, her face pitifully battered.

“Framed?” Xu Hongyan raised her hand for two more slaps. “Was your affair a frame-up? Was inciting my child to do bad things also a frame-up? Why is it always you being framed and never anyone else? Like the stench of dung blaming the flies for being attracted.”

Wan Yu’s hair was yanked, her scalp burning with pain. “How should I know? You all just see me as easy prey.”

“Wretch, how dare you keep lying at a time like this.” Xu Hongyan and the others rained blows upon Wan Yu, making her howl in misery.

The two police officers paced in frustration.

Xu Hanshan’s face was dark as night. Incidents like this in his jurisdiction would make him a laughingstock. Forget about any merit awards.

He suppressed his anger and called several strong women to pull them apart.

Wan Yu's clothes were torn, her face swollen from slaps, her scalp raw from hair being pulled out—she looked scarcely better than Yu Yan.

She sobbed and wailed, “Officers, I want to report this! I want to sue them for slander, and for assault!”

The police officers’ brows were tightly knit.

Wan Shun smiled and squatted in front of Wan Yu. “Inciting injury is also illegal. If the circumstances are serious, it’s a minimum of three years. You not only incited violence, but you did so with minors, making it even worse. Foster sister, do you feel life is meaningless, do you want to die? Is it because you feel your affair was too immoral, or because your evil deeds have finally caught up with you and you want to die to atone? The idea is noble, but your methods are vile. If you want to die, do it far away—why drag others down with you?”

“Wan Shun,” Wan Yu glared at Wan Shun, her eyes like daggers. “I didn’t, I didn’t!”

Wan Shun could hear Wan Yu grinding her teeth.

“So you’re saying these kids are bad seeds by nature?”

The parents surged forward again.

Wan Yu, terrified, hid behind the police.

The officers' temples throbbed.

“Officers, you saw it yourself—it was this wretch who incited my child. The kids are so young, what do they know? It’s all her fault. If you’re going to arrest or punish someone, it should be Wan Yu, right?” The women surrounded the police, chattering urgently.

The police...

After negotiations, Xu Hongyan and several parents, along with Wan Shun, reached an agreement to settle with compensation.

Wan Yu was taken away by the police. Wan Shun refused to settle with her—no matter how Wan Yu tried to plead or threaten, it didn’t work.

Xu Hongyan and the others also refused—they were truly angry at Wan Yu. If not for her, none of this trouble would have happened.

The crowd dispersed, Xu Hanshan lingered at the end.

His clouded old eyes watched Wan Shun.

“Do you still want to live in this village?”

Wan Shun touched her cheek, a sneer on her face. “Uncle Village Chief, did I do something wrong? Isn’t it you who always preaches in the brigade, forbidding violence and urging everyone to trust the police, believe in the law, seek the help of officers? Learn the law, understand the law, use the law to defend your rights. See, I’ve followed your advice perfectly, striving to be a law-abiding citizen.”

Xu Hanshan was silent for a moment, then spoke earnestly.

“Girl, all these years, surviving among the Wan family shows you’re smart and capable. So you should know that people are social creatures. Living in the Fu’an brigade means you must get along with everyone.”

Wan Shun laughed aloud. “Uncle, your idea of ‘getting along’ means not hitting back when struck, not retorting when insulted? There are always people in this world who like to push their limits—what then?”

Xu Hanshan choked. “At least you shouldn’t be so extreme, making trouble in front of the police.”

Wan Shun’s smile faded, her expression darkening.

“Village chief, haven’t these years been enough? If Yu Yan has done wrong, the police will arrest her, the law will punish her, the judge will sentence her—not endless, bottomless abuse from these people under the banner of justice. How ridiculous. What gives them the right, what qualification do they have? Just because more people do something, or it’s been done for a long time, or the victim doesn’t resist, doesn’t mean it’s right.

Enduring doesn’t mean thinking you’re wrong; it’s simply wanting, as you say, to get along, to keep the family together, to wait for a son’s return. Resistance isn’t about making enemies—it’s just refusing to bow to wrong, just wanting to survive. Village chief, you should educate not me, not Yu Yan, not the Jiang family, but the blind, ignorant villagers.”

Xu Hanshan was lost for words, leaving in silence. Wan Shun had truly changed.

Yu Yan was worried. “Shun, will they drive us out? Will you be implicated?”

Wan Shun smiled to reassure her. “Don’t worry.”

“Shun!” her little friends called from the doorway.

Wan Shun went over. “Why come here now? Aren’t you afraid of getting in trouble?”

Yang Zhonghua pouted disdainfully. “What’s there to fear? I’m just a five-year-old kid, what can they do to me?”

Wan Shun laughed. “So you admit you’re five now?”

This child was clever beyond his years, never admitting he was just a little bean.

Yang Zhonghua waved his hand. “Never mind me. Shun, how are you? You called the police today, those families must hate you. Won’t you get ambushed tonight?”

The big silly one nodded vigorously. “Yeah, yeah, Shun, they’re really bad, you need to be careful.”

Wan Shun smiled, her eyes cold. Those families were indeed tough, but not stupid. If they stirred up trouble at night after a daytime conflict, everyone would know it was them.

At least they wouldn’t act openly.

But even if they did, she wasn’t afraid.

She glanced at her little friends. “Relax, it’ll be fine. Remember, if you have a problem, go to the police, don’t be afraid. As long as we’re in the right, nobody can do anything.”

The children nodded foolishly.

After sending them off, Wan Shun counted the money in her hand—all compensation from the families, ten yuan each, five children, fifty yuan total.

This was all the assets she and Yu Yan possessed.

For the destitute Jiang family, it was far from enough.

Wan Shun decided to go to the commune tomorrow.

With daylight left, Wan Shun continued tidying up the yard. Before dark, she caught a fish at the river for dinner for herself and Yu Yan.

The night passed peacefully.