Chapter 254 The Village Chief Counsels His Nephew
Gong Suo'er was pushed to the ground by Aunt Bai, her elbow and arm scraped. Whether it was pain or resentment, her face was contorted.
Gong Mingde quickly stepped forward to help his sister up. Ji Meihuan pouted at the side, her hands itching.
"That's enough. I didn't raise my daughter well and caused you trouble."
The team leader suppressed his anger and lowered his head, unwilling to lose more face over his unpromising daughter.
Chen Fen was indignant. She was in so much pain and it was being dismissed so perfunctorily.
"What's wrong with my daughter? If your son hadn't come out and flirted with young girls, would my daughter have been bewitched? It's all your fault, and you even injured me. This matter cannot be let go."
The team leader grabbed Chen Fen, who was trying to rush forward, with great force.
"Gong Aidang, you good-for-nothing! You can't even protect your wife and child, and you call yourself a team leader?"
The village chief frowned, his mind that Aidang's wife was becoming more and more unreasonable.
The team leader, enraged, slapped Chen Fen.
"Still causing trouble? Look at how you've raised your daughter. If you don't want to live here, go back to your mother's house."
Chen Fen could hardly believe her ears. She lunged at her husband, tearing and hitting him.
Ye Shengsong revealed only her bright, lively eyes, observing everyone's expressions, a sign of her nosiness.
Zi Yisheng felt that if you gave the little girl a bag of sunflower seeds, she could pull up a stool and watch the show.
"Alright, stop the commotion. You're not hungry enough, or you wouldn't have the energy to quarrel."
The village chief glared at his nephew, then cautiously observed Zi Yisheng's expression, afraid his nephew might have truly offended someone. Seeing that Zi Yisheng wasn't even looking at the spectacle, his eyes fixed only on the little girl, he knew that this matter would at least have to satisfy the little girl.
"I understand what happened now. Gong Suo'er made a mistake, and young Chu Fan was wronged. You've all quarreled and fought, but we can't keep dwelling on this.
How about this: Gong Suo'er will be kept at home and properly supervised. She can only go out when she realizes her mistake. Aidang will compensate the Bai family with twenty eggs. This matter is settled."
Aunt Bai didn't care about twenty eggs. She was satisfied with having beaten someone today. If there was a next time, she would do it again.
But twenty eggs were very precious in this time of famine. It would be difficult to trade them for anything in the village.
"I disagree. My daughter was beaten, and I was beaten too. In the end, I have to compensate with twenty eggs. Forget twenty, I won't give even one."
Ji Meihuan, standing nearby, also felt a pang at the mention of twenty eggs. With those twenty eggs for nourishment, she might be able to conceive.
"Uncle Village Chief, the Bai family has already vented their anger by hitting people. It's not appropriate for us to compensate with eggs, especially since we didn't pursue them for the assault."
The team leader understood why his uncle was favoring the Bai family, but for the first time, he felt how useless he was as a team leader. The resentment he held towards the Bai and Ye families couldn't be dispelled, so he could only suppress his anger and accept such a punishment.
"That's enough. We'll do as the village chief says."
The team leader turned and went back into the house. The village chief waved for everyone to leave and didn't speak to Zi Yisheng in front of them.
The village chief looked at Chen Fen, her hair disheveled, and spoke irritably.
"Our Gong family absolutely cannot tolerate a wife who disgraces her husband in public. You've also raised Gong Suo'er like this. You've been a very unsuccessful wife of the Gong family. This is the last time. If there's another time, you'll go back to your mother's house directly."
Chen Fen felt deeply humiliated by the village chief's words, but she didn't dare to argue with him. She could only lower her head sullenly, her resentment unable to be suppressed.
Gong Suo'er, standing beside her, also stood there defiantly, unafraid even of the village chief.
The village chief looked at Gong Suo'er with disgust in his heart, thinking that this child was truly incorrigible.
"And Gong Suo'er, find a family and get married quickly, preferably to someone far away, so you don't cause trouble and embarrass your family again."
This was a severe punishment for a young girl. Marrying far away was equivalent to having no maternal family to rely on, abandoning her.
Gong Suo'er was not afraid at all. Her whole family doted on her, and they wouldn't marry her off far away just because of some old man.
The village chief finished speaking and no longer paid attention to these people, walking into the house by himself. Upon seeing his nephew still looking sullen, he was also filled with anger.
"Do you feel you've lost face in front of the Ye and Bai families today?"
The team leader gritted his teeth. Could he lie and say he wasn't angry?
"Heh heh, Gong Aiguo, don't forget you're just a minor village official in Bai Rong Brigade. Too many people in the village can replace you."
The team leader suddenly looked up, his heart tightening at his uncle's cloudy yet shrewd gaze. What did he mean?
"I'm telling you the truth: you should be glad that the Bai family had their anger appeased today. Otherwise, you won't be in this position tomorrow."
"What do you mean? Do the Ye and Bai families have that much influence? Don't think you can be arrogant just because you sent us some grain. They should know that Bai Rong Brigade is under my control."
The team leader felt his dignity trampled underfoot again. He refused to believe that anyone could turn things upside down in Bai Rong Brigade. Even a dragon had to coil for him.
The village chief's heart ached as he watched his nephew stubbornly refuse to understand.
"Heh heh, Gong Aiguo, you really haven't been an official for long. I told you before, the Bai and Ye families are here to live in peace. They were once top families in Mingcheng. See if they have the ability to crush you.
It's fine if you don't provoke them. But once you make them unhappy, they will definitely replace you with someone they can control."
The team leader's eyes narrowed. This was the first time he had heard the true situation of the Bai and Ye families. However, he couldn't easily let go of his pride. Even if they were powerful, they should at least leave him some dignity.
"This is my final warning. If you continue to be so unappreciative, I won't be able to protect you, and I won't care about your future.
Wentao has always followed Zi Yisheng, even accompanying them back. Think about it. And look at the nine young men next door to Zi Yisheng's house – is any of them ordinary? Don't be foolish and bring trouble to your family."
The team leader's clenched fist finally loosened. If his uncle was telling the truth, then what was the point of his pride and dignity!
"I understand. I will definitely not provoke them in the future."
The village chief finally showed a smile.
"That's right. The Ye and Bai families are not troublemakers at all. This time it was your daughter and wife who caused the trouble. But Aiguo, you really cannot indulge these two women anymore, or you will suffer sooner or later."