Chapter 449: One Thing at a Time
Chapter 449: One Thing at a Time
They had sought mediation from the village office that day, demanding that he pay for the damages. However, he shamelessly denied any involvement and even accused them of slander.
The argument had dragged on all morning without resolution. Since the incident had occurred late at night, there were no witnesses. Regardless of Aunt Yang’s accusations, Ah Zhuang persistently denied any wrongdoing, claiming he had gone straight to bed after drinking. His mother and wife, unwilling to pay for the damages, naturally sided with him.
Out of desperation, Aunt Yang had agreed to seek help from Mother Lin and the couple, Gu Zi and Su Shen. After all, Ah Zhuang was an employee at their pig farm, and he wouldn’t dare to act so recklessly in front of Su Shen.
“I’m relying on that old house as a shelter from the wind and rain,” she said. “I’ve furnished it with basic necessities. I don’t want to make a big fuss, I just want him to compensate for those items. Otherwise, I’ll have a hard time getting by.”
Although Aunt Yang had a good friend in Mother Lin, she didn’t want to burden her with every problem. She couldn’t accept Mother Lin buying her necessities either. If this matter couldn’t be resolved, she had made up her mind to stay at the relief center for the poor in town.
Gu Zi hadn’t expected Ah Zhuang to cause trouble again. She told Aunt Yang, “You know about that issue. We were going to deal with him sooner or later. But now that this has happened, we’ll handle one thing at a time. I have a way to make him pay.”
Su Shen added, “You’re currently a part-time employee at our pig farm. Given the circumstances, we have a humanitarian obligation to help you settle down first. Aunt Yang, you should go back with my mother-in-law and stay at her place for now. Mom, I’ll need your help to settle our employee.”
Su Shen had heard Gu Zi mention some things about Aunt Yang. Coupled with Mother Lin’s special concern for Aunt Yang, Su Shen naturally took the matter to heart. Moreover, this issue involved an employee of their pig farm, giving him every reason to intervene.
However, Aunt Yang was somewhat hesitant and still reluctant to go. She said,
“I understand and appreciate your kindness, but it’s still early. I can go to the reliet center in town tirst, taking the walk as exercise. Alternatively, I could stay in the rest area at the factory for a few nights. But I can’t stay at An Yun’s house. You’ve already helped me enough.”
Aunt Yang felt indebted to An Yun’s family for their abundant help, yet she couldn’t bring herself to impose on them by staying at their home. She knew her daughter-in-law all too well; the woman would not tolerate her mother-in-law’s smooth sailing. She would create a ruckus sooner or later, and Aunt Yang was prepared to bear the brunt of it.
However, if she were to move into the Lin family’s residence, her daughter-in-law would likely stir up trouble, possibly even dragging her grandson into the mess. Yang Tao, her son, was expected to return soon, and his arrival would undoubtedly escalate the situation. This would inevitably burden the Lin family, and Aunt Yang couldn’t bear to be so selfish.
Gu Zi noticed Aunt Yang’s firm resolve to decline their assistance. She suggested, “Why not stay at the pig farm’s rest area for a night or two? Even if Ah Zhuang compensates you immediately, you’ll still need time to purchase daily necessities. Su Shen, what should we do now?”
Su Shen instructed Su Bing and Su Li to take their sister inside the house. Then, in a deep voice, he said, “We should go to the village office now and confront Ah Zhuang. He needs to admit his guilt and compensate Aunt Yang. Do you need my help with your plan?” Su Shen looked at Gu Zi, a hint of a smile playing on his lips, looking rather handsome.
Gu Zi felt the intensity of his gaze. She mysteriously replied, “You’ll understand when the time comes.” After saying this, she excused herself to the neighboring house, asking Aunt Zhang to keep an eye on Lele. She then joined Su Shen, following Aunt Yang and Mother Lin to the village office.
The village head, Su Ming, was a man in his forties, of average height and slightly overweight. His face was kind and approachable. Seeing Aunt Yang and her group return, he immediately understood the reason for their visit.
He greeted Su Shen and Gu Zi, then promptly broadcasted a call for Ah Zhuang to come to the village office.
In truth, anyone with discerning eyes could judge the situation. Aunt Yang was not one to fabricate stories. If nothing had happened, she would never make such claims.
However, without any witnesses and Ah Zhuang’s staunch denial, Su Ming, as the village head, was helpless. Thus, he had no choice but to dismiss them earlier.
Ah Zhuang, unaware that Su Shen was also at the village office, dawdled at the pig farm until late afternoon. Only then did he leisurely make his way there..