Chapter Sixteen: Yang Haigou's Counterattack

“Police?”

Village Chief Yang furrowed his brow and stood atop the stone mill under the old locust tree, gazing into the distance for a moment before hastily making his way to the edge of the mountain path to greet them.

“Hello, we’re from the Wangshan Town Police Station.”

Two police officers stepped out of the patrol car. One, a young man in his twenties with a fair complexion, spoke first. “My surname is Chen, Chen Yan. This is our Deputy Chief Wang.”

He glanced at the man beside him. Deputy Chief Wang pulled out his badge and showed it to Chief Yang. “I’m Wang Hongjun. Is it true that your village called to report an incident?”

“Yes, yes, exactly!” Chief Yang warmly invited the two officers to sit beneath the big locust tree. “I’m the village chief of Yangjia Village. A few days ago, a woman here tried to harm one of our educated youth under the cover of night.”

As Chief Yang spoke, he pointed to Li Yaoyao standing nearby.

Before Li Yaoyao could speak, the villagers surged forward indignantly, eager to set the record straight.

“Officer! That Wang Dahua is simply lunatic!”

“Yes! Li Zhiqing was trying to get us food, and just because Wang Dahua thought she got less, she tried to strangle her!”

“She used to be a troublemaker and even served time in prison…”

Watching the villagers’ passionate outburst, Wang Hongjun frowned and stood up. “Enough! Everyone, please be quiet. Let Li Yaoyao speak.”

Though the villagers had interrupted her, Li Yaoyao wasn’t angry. Instead, their loyalty touched her deeply.

She recalled what Women’s Director Yang Haiyan had said last time and hadn’t expected the village to actually call the police to arrest Wang Dahua.

But since Wang Dahua had tried to strangle her, forgiveness was out of the question. Li Yaoyao recounted the events of the past few days in detail.

Wang Hongjun listened with a tight frown while Officer Chen took out a notebook, jotting down notes and occasionally casting curious glances at Li Yaoyao.

“You’re lying!”

At that moment, Wang Dahua’s husband, Yang Haigou, limped forward.

“Officers, don’t believe them! They’re bullying me!”

“Since my leg got crippled, the villagers look down on me. Only Dahua cares for me…”

“She only wanted more food for me, but then Xue Ke’ang hit her with a stick and made her mentally unwell!”

Yang Haigou’s voice cracked as he cried, complaining, “Our village is starving, barely able to eat. That educated youth from the city not only refuses to help but plans to sell instant noodles at a high price in town!”

“She claims the food was a gift from friends, but I never saw anyone deliver anything. Who knows where she stole or grabbed it from!”

Hearing Yang Haigou twist the truth, Li Yaoyao trembled with fury!

That day, Wang Dahua had tried to snatch her instant noodles. If not for Xue Ke’ang’s timely intervention, she didn’t know what might have happened.

Before Li Yaoyao could retort, the villagers surrounded her in angry defense.

“You’re slandering her! Li Zhiqing clearly distributed food to us all!”

“Exactly! Last time, Li Zhiqing gave each of us a box of instant noodles. Didn’t you get yours?”

“Look, this time Li Zhiqing is handing out noodles again. I just heard from the chief that she didn’t even keep any for herself!”

“I’ll kill you, you bastard!”

As the villagers closed in, ready to strike, Yang Haigou fell backward in fear, shrinking behind the police officers.

“Officers, please uphold justice!”

He put his crippled leg before them, wailing, “After my leg broke, the villagers despised me. Dahua, though she had a past, reformed after prison!”

As he spoke, he wiped his tears, sneaking a glance at the officers. Seeing their expressionless faces, he cried even harder. “Dahua never abandoned me; she washes my clothes, cooks my meals, massages my bad leg on cloudy days…”

“Oh, my life is so miserable!”

A grown man weeping and rolling on the ground like a child, covered in dust and dirt. An onlooker might think he had been horribly mistreated.

“Enough! Take your grievances to the station!”

Officer Chen could no longer bear it and roughly hauled him up, stopping his pathetic display.

Wang Hongjun stepped in front of the crowd, raising his arms to hold back the angry villagers.

“Folks, please listen!”

“We won’t wrong the innocent, nor will we let a villain go free. Trust us! Today, we will take Wang Dahua with us. Whether she stays detained or is released depends on the investigation.”

Wang Hongjun’s square jaw and military bearing commanded respect. Slowly, the crowd quieted.

“Chief Yang!”

“Here!”

Hearing Wang’s call, Chief Yang quickly approached.

“Please send someone to lead us to Wang Dahua’s house and get the villagers to disperse.”

“Alright!”

Chief Yang promptly signaled Women’s Director Yang Haiyan. “Haiyan, you take these officers to arrest Wang Dahua!”

Then he shouted to the villagers, “Everyone has received their instant noodles. Please head home now! Go on!”

He even kicked a young man who was lingering.

“We won’t leave! We want to follow the police to arrest Wang Dahua!”

With little entertainment normally, the villagers eagerly brought their elders and children, following the officers toward Wang Dahua’s home.

“Hey! You all…”

Helpless, Chief Yang trailed behind, fearing trouble.

Yang Haigou limped ahead, intending to warn his wife, but someone tripped him.

Clutching his bad leg, he watched the crowd recede, his expression shifting from despair to cold fury.

“You… you’re all doomed…”

His gaze swept the scene, suddenly fixating on the parked police car.

“You can’t take my wife!”

With grim determination, Yang Haigou drew a fruit knife from his back waistband.

He knew his wife had angered the villagers. She had come boldly to claim the noodles but was scared inside, so he had taken the knife for protection.

Seeing the police coming to arrest her, he steeled himself and slashed at the patrol car’s tires.

“Sssk!”

Using all his strength, he punctured all four tires.

Then he limped away, fleeing toward the village outskirts.

Meanwhile, the group arrived at Wang Dahua’s house, where she sat on the kang bed, disheveled and bruised.

Seeing the police, she trembled and tried to run.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

The crowd blocked the door tightly. Wang Dahua barely resisted as the officers cuffed her.

“Where are you taking me?”

This time she was truly frightened, her legs weak as two officers supported her.

“We received a report from the village that you tried to harm Li Zhiqing.”

“Come with us to the station.”

Wang Hongjun and Chen Yan didn’t waste words. They dragged her outside the village.

Li Yaoyao stood among the crowd, watching the officers’ every move, feeling a surge of safety that made her smile.

Officer Chen’s fair face flushed upon seeing her smile. He shyly returned her smile and then gripped Wang Dahua more firmly, as if leading a soldier on parade, passing close to Li Yaoyao.

Suddenly, Wang Dahua violently struggled, nearly breaking free, cursing sharply.

“Li Yaoyao! If you don’t give us food, you filthy woman, you won’t die well…”