RYEY – Chapter 58 Apology and Compensation

“Xu Laidi extorted money and grain from Chen Dazhu.”

Li Huan nodded, but inside he sneered. Was Chen Dazhu’s money really that easy to extort? If he were so easily bullied, how could he have split from his family so smoothly?

Chai Jianmin’s scheme had failed today. In Xu Laidi’s mind, nothing mattered except money and food. But she made one fatal mistake—how could a man’s pride allow itself to be trampled like that?

“Village Head, then about Chen Dalang…”

“Shut up! Don’t you think there’s already enough trouble? The year-end evaluation for advanced villages is coming up. Do you want our village’s title to be stripped away?”

Jiang Guangrong had barely spoken before Chen Weidang snapped at him fiercely. Jiang Guangrong scratched his head awkwardly, his thoughts thrown into chaos by the village head’s words.

“Village Head, your thinking is wrong. If all the unmarried men in Xiangyang Village start targeting the female educated youths at our station, then what’s the point of us being here at all?”

Qian Longkun stepped forward, blocking Chen Weidang’s path just as he was about to leave. The head narrowed his eyes at him.

Zhao Xiaobao also stepped forward, standing firmly at Qian Longkun’s side. Though he didn’t speak, his meaning was clear: unless the head properly resolved this matter, they weren’t letting him go tonight.

“So what is it you all want?”

“Village Head, it’s not about what we want. It’s about how filthy and vile Chen Dalang’s thoughts are. We demand he be sent to the Public Security Bureau to serve prison time.”

“No way! If anyone dares send my son to jail, I’ll hang myself right in front of them!”

Dalang’s mother panicked, rushing to shield her son. Dalang shrank back in fear, hiding behind her.

“If he doesn’t go to jail, then he should at least be publicly struggled against. And he must compensate the female educated youths mentally and apologize.”

“Yes! Compensation, apology, public struggle. Oh, and hasn’t Chen Chunhua still not apologized to Cheng Qiao yet? Might as well struggle against her too.”

Zhao Xiaobao, always eager to stir trouble, spoke up. His words nearly scared the Chen Weimin family to death. If even one member got publicly struggled against, the whole family would never be able to hold their heads up in the village again.

“Go apologize.”

Chen Weimin kicked Chen Chunhua hard in the lower back. She cried out in pain, nearly unable to get up from the ground.

But she gritted her teeth and climbed back up. She knew her father hated even looking at her right now. If she delayed, his fists would come down on her.

“Educated Youth Cheng, I apologize. That day I was blinded by greed, that’s why I pushed you, causing you not only to scar your face but also forcing you to… marry into Xiangyang Village, never able to return to the city.”

What the hell—was this an apology or a curse? She cursed Cheng Qiao to never return to the city, while she herself could marry into the county seat and become a city woman.

Li Huan’s eyes turned icy. No one had the right to curse his wife. He was about to speak when Cheng Qiao quietly held him back.

“I accept your apology. I hope that when Comrade Chen Chunhua marries into the county, she has a harmonious family, a successful career, and that she doesn’t abuse her stepson—try to be a good mother.”

“You—”

“No need to thank me. Good people will be rewarded.”

Cheng Qiao added with a sweet smile, then rolled her eyes exaggeratedly in front of the villagers. Returning to the city wasn’t up to Chen Chunhua’s curse.

“Chen Shuigen, have you decided?”

The village head’s patience had reached its limit. Chen Shuigen knew silence wasn’t an option. He quickly stepped forward, giving Qian Longkun a bitter smile.

“Educated Youth Qian, let’s not have a public struggle. We’ll pay compensation, in money and grain. And apologies, of course. Dalang, get over here and kneel to apologize to Educated Youth Qian.”

Dalang rushed forward and fell to his knees with a “thud” before Qian Longkun. Qian Longkun hastily sidestepped, his face growing darker. Were they trying to get him killed with this display?

The village head walked over and kicked Dalang in the butt. “Stand up! This is the new society—kneeling isn’t allowed. And who exactly are you supposed to be apologizing to?”

“To me.”

Zhang Yuefang stepped out boldly. For the first time, Chen Weidang really looked at this educated youth who had been here nearly two years. She truly carried herself with the poise of a city woman.

“Educated Youth Zhang, I was tricked today, that’s why I… I’m sorry. Anyway, I didn’t actually touch you. I promise, from now on I’ll steer clear whenever I see you.”

Dalang stood, bowing stiffly as he stammered out an apology.

Zhang Yuefang’s tense heart finally relaxed. This kind of thing could not be brushed off. Otherwise, she might end up like Cheng Qiao—forced to stay in this remote village forever.

“And how do you plan to compensate me?”

“Uh… Mother, how should I compensate her?”

“Give her fifty cents, and… a jin—no, half a jin of sorghum flour.”

“Pfft—”

The villagers all scoffed at Dalang’s mother’s words. Fifty cents and half a jin of sorghum flour—was she trying to insult someone?

“You stupid woman, if you can’t talk properly then shut up.”

Chen Shuigen saw the head glaring again, so he hurried to scold his wife, then bent over with a forced smile at Zhang Yuefang.

“Educated Youth Zhang, our family isn’t well-off. We can’t give much. But to show sincerity, we’ll give you five yuan and ten jin of cornmeal.”

Zhang Yuefang nodded. She knew that a farmer worked all year to earn just a few dozen yuan and thousands of jin of coarse grain. Cornmeal was a delicacy reserved for holidays.

Seeing her nod, the village head knew the matter was settled. The weight on his chest finally lifted, and he wearily waved for the crowd to disperse.

The night had deepened. People walked home in twos and threes under the moonlight, chatting about the recent events, finding them all novel.

Xu Laidi hurried back to the educated youth station. She pushed open the gate and groped her way toward the girls’ dorm. Just as she was about to unlock the door, a voice came from behind her. Startled, she dropped the key in the dark and couldn’t find it again.

“Hehe, you’re really shameless. After what happened, you still managed to slip away. Let’s see how many times you can escape.”

“Chai Jianmin, don’t spout nonsense. How am I shameless?”

Smack!

“Ah! Chai Jianmin, how dare you hit me! I’ll fight you!”

Xu Laidi forgot about the key and lunged at him. She had been so unlucky lately—everyone thought they could bully her.

Chai Jianmin dodged, and Xu Laidi missed, nearly falling to the ground. Her face flushed red with fury, she glared at him as though she could eat him alive.