Chapter 243: Chapter 243: So You’re Not the One Getting Hit
It was only after hearing Su Qing’s words that Li Aiguo and the villagers noticed the firewood stick in her hand.
She was here for a fight!
Li Aiguo’s voice trembled with anger. "I’m your uncle, your elder."
"When you abandoned me, you certainly weren’t thinking about being my elders. Did you ever stop to think whether a little girl like me could survive without a mother’s protection?" Su Qing’s eyes narrowed. ’No matter what, I have to give this Li Aiguo a beating today. It’s not just because he took Li Wan and abandoned my predecessor, but also because he deliberately had someone drug her, causing her to get sick and run a fever.’
’The source of all my predecessor’s tragedies is this so-called uncle right in front of me. If I don’t give him a beating, I’ll never be able to stomach this.’
"Back then, that was..." Li Aiguo had a prepared excuse for what happened all those years ago, but unfortunately, Su Qing gave him no chance to say it.
Su Qing rushed forward and cracked the stick against Li Aiguo’s left arm.
"AHH—" Li Aiguo screamed in pain. ’This damn girl is really doing it!’
As the stick landed, Su Qing continued, "Whatever your reasons were, they’re no excuse for abandoning me! Do you have any idea what my life has been like all these years? I was with the Old Su Family, tormented by them for so long I nearly died in their house. They even tried to sell me to be some simpleton’s wife! If the aunties and uncles in this village hadn’t helped me, I’d probably be dead by now! Do you think I’d still be here, alive and well, for you to see today?"
"Ah, Su Qing, you..."
Su Qing gave him no chance to speak, cracking the stick against his right arm. "You made me suffer so much, and you still have the gall to call yourself my elder? Pah! I told you to leave, but you wouldn’t. You just had to stick around and show off in front of me. If I put up with this without beating you, what do you take me for? A pushover?"
"Yeah, that’s right, Su Qing! Your uncle deserves a beating! He was so cruel, taking your mom and leaving you behind!" When the villagers heard Su Qing credit them with helping her escape the clutches of the Old Su Family, they immediately took it as fact. They became incredibly supportive of her actions, not only refusing to stop her but feeling that she was completely in the right.
"You... you people... OUCH..."
As they spoke, Li Aiguo was hit several more times, the pain forcing beads of sweat onto his forehead.
"Stop hitting me, stop hitting me! I really just came to visit you!" Li Aiguo said hurriedly.
In just a few moments, Li Aiguo’s arms and legs had taken several blows. He lost his footing and fell to the ground, quickly covering his head and shouting, "Su Qing, don’t you want to know about your mother?"
"My mother!" Su Qing’s stick stopped in mid-air. She narrowed her eyes at Li Aiguo. "What news about my mother? Hmph, didn’t she leave with you and abandon me? Why come running to me with this now? I think you’re just..."
"Don’t hit me! I have news about your mother!"
"Su Qing, stop! Stop hitting him!"
Li Aiguo and Zhao Youcai’s voices rang out at the same time.
Zhao Youcai had just gotten word that Li Aiguo was in the village looking for Su Qing, and he had rushed over, worried she’d be at a disadvantage. Li Aiguo was her elder, after all. If he decided to pull rank, Zhao Youcai worried that Su Qing’s feelings for Li Wan would force her to back down. Others might not realize it, but he knew: as much as the girl seemed to resent Li Wan, deep down, she must miss her mother terribly.
Li Aiguo was Li Wan’s older brother. The girl would probably yield to him for her mother’s sake.
However, when Zhao Youcai rushed over, all he saw was Li Aiguo already beaten to the ground by Su Qing.
"Captain Zhao." Seeing him arrive, Su Qing took the opportunity to back down gracefully and lowered her stick.
Li Aiguo also knew Zhao Youcai and immediately said to him, "Captain Zhao, Su Qing is hitting her elder! Are you going to do something about it or not?"
Li Aiguo was furious. He had just arrived and hadn’t even done anything, and the first thing that happened was he got a beating. He had never been humiliated like this in his entire life. It was infuriating!
Zhao Youcai glanced at Li Aiguo and said coolly, "You’re Su Qing’s uncle, her elder. You should be a bit more magnanimous. Su Qing is still young. Why are you getting worked up over a child?"
"What?! You—!" Li Aiguo grew even angrier. He felt a stifling pressure in his chest, as if it were blocked by a heavy stone.
Then Zhao Youcai continued, "You took Su Qing’s mother and abandoned the girl. She’s got anger bottled up inside, and it needs to come out. You can understand that, can’t you?"
’Understand my ass!’
Li Aiguo felt an urge to start swearing.
Before Li Aiguo could say a word, Zhao Youcai added, "Of course, it was also wrong of Su Qing, as a junior, to hit her elder."
’Now that’s more like it.’
Li Aiguo nodded, planning to let Captain Zhao mediate and give him some justice. True, he had come to find Su Qing with a purpose, but that was a separate matter. He wasn’t about to take this beating for nothing.
But Captain Zhao’s next words made Li Aiguo even more furious. "But since you were the one who indirectly caused her to be abandoned and suffer for all these years, let’s just call it even. In fact, you could say Su Qing is still the one getting the short end of the stick. She’s suffered so much over the years. Ah, Su Qing’s uncle, you all really need to compensate this child. Otherwise, you’re not doing your duty as her mother’s brother."
Li Aiguo was speechless. ’I really fucking want to curse someone out and punch them!’
Seeing Li Aiguo’s face flushed red with suppressed rage, Su Qing gloated inwardly. ’At least I’ve helped my predecessor get a bit of revenge.’ She was a hundred percent certain that this uncle of hers had never had good intentions. He was definitely scheming something nasty behind the scenes.
"Spit it out. After all these years, why have you come looking for me now?" Su Qing said, brandishing the firewood stick and glaring at Li Aiguo.
Li Aiguo was still sprawled on the ground. When he saw the look in Su Qing’s eyes as she held the stick, a shiver ran down his spine. He hastily pushed through the pain to stand up. "Of course I came because of your mother! But you just started beating me without even asking why, you..."
"Didn’t our Captain just say I’m the one who got the short end of the stick? Logically, I should be beating you a couple more times," Su Qing said, raising the firewood stick again.
"You—!" Li Aiguo jumped in fright and quickly ducked behind Zhao Youcai. "Captain Zhao, you have to talk some sense into her!"
Zhao Youcai didn’t have a good impression of Li Aiguo to begin with. "Alright, you’re a grown man. Stop cowering. What kind of look is that? Are you telling me a child like Su Qing can scare you this badly? Pathetic."
Li Aiguo was speechless. ’Easy for you to say, you’re not the one getting beaten up.’
Zhao Youcai ignored Li Aiguo and turned to Su Qing. "Su Qing, my girl, since your uncle came all this way to find you, let’s hear what he has to say. Don’t worry, I’ll be right here watching. If he gets out of line with you, I’ll run him out of the village myself."
Li Aiguo: ...
