Li Qiang was always concerned with appearances. It was precisely to save face that he went to the city to work, and he hadn't returned home for several years.
However, in the second year after he went to the city, he was able to send a large sum of money home every year, making them one of the wealthiest families in the village.
With money came the desire for respect. This time, when he returned, everyone fawned over him. Relatives and friends said he had the demeanor of city folk, like Huo Rou, a cultured person from the city.
Having heard so much praise, being criticized by his son's words would naturally displease him, but his sudden temper was truly odd.
He struck his son, Li Xiaohua, with unrestrained force, again and again.
Li Xiaohua's clothes ripped open, his skin torn and bleeding.
"Ah! Dad, stop hitting me!" Li Xiaohua cried out in pain, sobbing and begging for mercy. "I was wrong, I was wrong!"
"It hurts! Dad, it hurts so much!" Li Xiaohua couldn't take it anymore and rolled on the ground.
Li Qiang did not release him despite his pleas. Instead, he grew more excited. Panting, he beat Li Xiaohua, cursing him with satisfaction, "I told you not to learn bad things. I told you not to talk nonsense!"
"They say that about me, it's all your fault for shaming me! You deserve this beating!"
Seeing blood seep through Li Xiaohua's clothes, the neighbors realized this was not just ordinary parental discipline and quickly intervened to stop him.
Liu Dazhi grabbed Li Qiang's belt and roared, "That's your son, why are you hitting him so hard!"
"He's my son, I'll discipline him however I see fit, what business is it of yours?!" Being restrained only made Li Qiang more frantic. He thrashed wildly, trying to break free from Liu Dazhi's grip.
"No one beats their child like this. Children should be taught properly!" another elder sister advised earnestly.
"You want to question me disciplining my own child? Weren't you the ones who just said I don't know how to raise my son!" Li Qiang shouted in rage, his emotions exceptionally agitated.
Li Xiaohua's mother, hearing the commotion, rushed over. Seeing Li Xiaohua covered in bruises, she tearfully clutched her heart. She looked at the frenzied Li Qiang and, sensing something was wrong, quickly went to pull him away.
"Husband, let's go home! Come back with me, go back and take your medicine." With Liu Dazhi's help, Li Xiaohua's mother dragged Li Qiang away.
Li Xiaohua was left behind, crying from the pain.
After all, he was just a child. Even though she had spoken of An An that way, Huo Rou couldn't truly hold it against him.
She got into the car, opened her packed luggage, and found a bottle of medicine for Li Xiaohua.
"Here." Her voice was as gentle as ever. "This is special ointment. Apply it to your wounds when you get back, and it won't hurt anymore, and you'll heal quickly."
Li Xiaohua, with snot running down his face, took the medicine Huo Rou handed him and cried uncontrollably. "Auntie Huo, I, *sniffle*, I was wrong, *sniffle*, I shouldn't have said that about An An."
"A good child is one who corrects their mistakes. Xiaohua, you must not talk carelessly anymore. Look how angry your father is." The neighbor lady came over to comfort him, looking at his wounds with concern.
"Come, let Auntie take you home to apply the medicine. I have some old clothes left by my brother, you can change into them first. When your mother calms your father down, you can go back." The neighbor lady took Li Xiaohua home.
What should have been a warm farewell was turned into this by Li Qiang. Xiao Fang and Zi Chen had also finished packing and watched as Huo Rou got into the car.
The car drove along the winding country road. Shen Feng lay in the back seat, eyes closed, resting. Huo Rou looked at the people toiling in the fields, a hint of longing in her eyes.
As the car approached the village entrance, Li Dayong and Liu Cuihong suddenly appeared and blocked the road.
"What are you doing?" Old Zhang reacted quickly, braking sharply and stopping the car just in front of them. He rolled down the window and shouted at them.
"It's him! That's the driver from last time!" Liu Cuihong recognized Old Zhang, remembering him from when they blocked the car before.
Old Zhang clearly remembered too. "You again?"
"You little whore, going to the city to see your lover, aren't you!" Liu Cuihong lunged at the car, wailing, "My poor daughter! A good virgin girl was led astray by her to do such things!"
Motorcycle taxis, always waiting at the village entrance to take passengers to the county town, gathered around upon hearing the gossip.
The car could no longer move forward.
Old Zhang had no choice but to get out. "Miss Huo, I'll handle this. You stay in the car, don't get out, lest they hurt you if they go mad."
"What nonsense are you spouting?" Old Zhang frowned, got out, and called out in a low voice.
"Everyone, please judge. Our Zhaodi, such an obedient child, went to the city to work a while ago, wanting to help the family financially." Li Dayong wiped away imaginary tears with his hand and continued to wail in a nasally voice.
"As a result, after going to the city, she was dragged by this pimp, Huo Rou, to do those things!" Li Dayong sighed. "She couldn't get enough herself, so she dragged my Zhaodi down with her! Zhaodi is barely eighteen years old!"
"Heavens, I never expected her to be that kind of person! She doesn't usually go out much, is there any misunderstanding?" Huo Rou had a sweet face and didn't go out often, so she had a good reputation in the village.
Hearing Li Dayong and Liu Cuihong say this, people couldn't help but doubt.
"Yes, Brother Li, did you get it wrong? Sister Huo Rou doesn't seem like that kind of person."
"Yes, yes, let's call Zhaodi and ask."
Seeing everyone siding with Huo Rou, Liu Cuihong exchanged a look with Li Dayong and said, "How could we be mistaken? Think about it yourselves. The lock on her door, the furnishings in her house, those are not things ordinary people like us can easily have."
"As you said, she doesn't go out much. Where did all this money come from? If she wasn't kept by a rich man, how else could she have gotten it?"
Liu Cuihong strung together all the villagers' doubts and told her story without batting an eye. "Besides, she often has visitors from out of town, all of them exceptionally good-looking, clearly rich. If they're not her clients, then what are they?"
Li Dayong added fuel to the fire. "You're all fooled by her appearance. My daughter was also fooled by her. Now she can't escape!"
Old Zhang, hearing them speak of Huo Rou that way, although he didn't know the details, from what he had seen over the past two days, the people who came to Huo Rou's courtyard were mostly there for business. He didn't know what kind of business, but it was definitely not the disreputable kind they were talking about.
"You're lying!"
"Whether it's a lie or not, you all have brains, you can figure it out." Liu Cuihong pounded on the car hood. "My poor daughter, she's in dire straits now. Husband, don't let her go, we must get justice for our daughter today!"
"Bitch! Get out of the car!" Li Dayong pointed at Huo Rou inside the car and shouted.
The surrounding crowd seemed to be swayed by their act. Come to think of it, it made sense.
"Get out! Get out! Let them have their daughter back!" The crowd joined in the jeering.
Huo Rou's eyes were filled with coldness. She opened the car door and got out.