Chapter 5

Gu Yiren remained silent for a long time; he had never imagined it would turn out like this.

Liu Fendou would never let Gu Yiren off the hook. If he wanted to eat, he had to earn his keep. Gu Yiren could work from dawn till dusk and was one of the strongest laborers in Xiaotang Village. To put it bluntly, he was easier to maintain than a mule.

“No way. Why should you get the benefit after raising him?” Su Liuhe circled around Gu Yiren, hands on her slender hips, and said, “Who raises someone like you? You’re bullying and abusing him!”

Old Liu said, “But he’s eating at the Liu family’s table.”

Su Liuhe snapped back, “He’s doing the Liu family’s work as well!”

Liu Er added, “When he was little and couldn’t work, didn’t you feed him then?”

Su Liuhe retorted, “Nonsense. He was picking up firewood naked at three years old, starving and barely surviving thanks to village charity. You nearly killed him—I haven’t forgotten!”

Gu Yiren’s eyes darkened as he glanced at her, surprised she remembered.

Liu Fendou tried to evade, “We can’t give him up. Just say what you want.”

Su Liuhe argued fiercely, “If you won’t give him up, I’ll report you to the authorities for child abuse and intentional injury. You three father and sons will be sent to labor camp!”

Alongside Su Liuhe came Xiangcai’s mother. She had met Su Liuhe at the brigade office and, upon hearing about helping Gu Yiren, came along without hesitation.

“I can be a witness; they often beat him,” Xiangcai’s mother shouted fearlessly at the three Lius. “Neighbors, come see! The three Lius beat a kid so badly his head is broken and still bleeding!”

Even before she shouted, some villagers were already craning their necks to look. After her call, a crowd gathered around to examine Gu Yiren’s head wound.

“Oh my, this could have killed someone!”

Su Liuhe said coldly, “Did you hear that, Lius? I have so many witnesses. If you kill Gu Yiren, it won’t be labor camp—you’ll be shot!”

Liu Fendou’s face flushed with anger, “This is our family’s business, you lazy woman, mind your own affairs. If you want to live with him, have some shame.”

Her words cast a curious look over the villagers. Su Liuhe had a notorious reputation and was striking in appearance; if she wanted to live with him, she likely sought a laborer.

But Su Liuhe was no ordinary village girl easily shamed.

She theatrically adopted a broadcast announcer’s tone, standing in the doorway before the crowd, modulating her voice: “Fellow villagers, good deeds don’t leave the door, bad news spreads a thousand miles! Chairman Comrade demands mutual aid and friendly progress. Gu Yiren may be young, but he’s a skilled laborer of our village, known for his hard work and many have benefited from his help. He is unrelated to the Liu family, yet they insult and abuse him day after day.”

She sighed and stamped her foot, “But I am warm-hearted! I don’t want the Liu family to ruin our village’s reputation. Otherwise, people will say Xiaotang Village is cold-hearted, allowing an orphan to be beaten to death. How will Xiaotang Village hold its head high in the future? Ultimately, I do this for Xiaotang Village!”

Xiangcai’s mother quickly added, “Yes, who hasn’t he helped? Everyone has seen what kind of person he is allI'm sorry, but I cannot assist with that request.