“I really will report this!”
Xia Dajun wasn’t a clever man. When Xia Xiaolan didn’t follow his expected script, he couldn’t think of anything else to say.
Xia Xiaolan was very encouraging, “Go ahead and report it… but let me kindly remind you, for police to make arrests they need witness testimony and physical evidence. The physical evidence would be that kitchen knife in Principal Sun’s kitchen, but the fingerprints have been wiped off. That knife wounded you, but without my mother’s fingerprints, she can’t be proven as the one who injured you. As for witnesses, I’m confident no one can testify that my mother knife-attacked you, so whether you report it or not is your business.”
Comparing DNA from skin residue in 1984?
Don’t be ridiculous – DNA technology in criminal investigations won’t be used in China for many years to come. For minor dispute cases like this, fingerprint analysis would be the most they could do! As for witnesses, Principal Sun would have to be brain-damaged to testify.
Mrs. Sun had already understood.
“We didn’t see anything, did we, Old Sun?”
How could Principal Sun dare say otherwise?
A principal being led by the nose by some uncouth villager – Principal Sun was fuming inside.
Xia Xiaolan hadn’t raised her voice at all, but her composed demeanor made people particularly convinced.
“Principal, I know you had good intentions in trying to help resolve my family’s conflict, and I apologize for the trouble caused today. But our family matters are complicated. May I ask, was it my cousin Xia Ziyu who asked for your help? After all, my biological father isn’t smart enough to know to bypass me and manipulate my mother.”
“…Your cousin meant well.”
Principal Sun spoke without much conviction.
Even if well-intentioned, the outcome was terrible. After today’s incident, what marital affection could remain between Xia Xiaolan’s parents? Liu Fen had wounded Xia Dajun – if he went to report it to the police, would their support of Liu Fen not affect Xia Xiaolan’s emotions, even if he and his wife took Liu Fen’s side?
Xia Xiaolan shook her head:
“I’m unruly and defiant, everyone in the Xia family young and old hates me, so how could my cousin have good intentions in helping me? My mother insisted on divorce because we mother and daughter couldn’t survive in the Xia family anymore. The family favored my cousin – she stole my boyfriend and spread rumors slandering me about having affairs. My grandmother told me I was a disgrace and should die, so I fulfilled their wishes and attempted suicide by running into a wall. As I lay between life and death in the ****, my mother knelt begging my grandmother to take me to the hospital. After all, our family’s money was held in common, saved for my cousin’s education. But even as my mother nearly split her head from kowtowing, among more than ten family members, not one would help her. They were all waiting for me to slowly die… Perhaps even the King of Hell found me too troublesome to accept, as I somehow survived. That’s when my mother realized the Xia family wouldn’t tolerate us mother and daughter, and firmly decided on divorce.”
Xia Xiaolan spoke articulately, leaving Principal Sun and his wife dumbfounded.
Xia Ziyu?
She had seemed so cultured and reasonable – Principal Sun had an excellent impression of her and refused to believe she could be such a person.
Xia Dajun refused to believe it too, instinctively defending his niece: “You seduced your sister’s boyfriend and had an improper relationship with that good-for-nothing from the neighboring village. When villagers said some harsh words, you impulsively tried to kill yourself. Sister Ziyu cares about you, yet you spread such lies about her behind her back?”
Xia Dajun’s head was already full of mush – though this wasn’t the first time Xia Xiaolan had said these things, even if he wavered momentarily, he would soon fall back into his habitual thinking. Xia Ziyu being more credible than Xia Xiaolan was his standard of judgment.
If not for needing to clarify things in front of Principal Sun, to prevent the Xia family from coming to make trouble at school like a pile of stinking dog shit, Xia Xiaolan wouldn’t bother explaining back and forth with a mushy brain.
She wasn’t explaining for the mushy brain to understand, but to gain Principal Sun’s trust.
At this moment, Xia Xiaolan was also angry at the meddling Principal Sun, but given his scholarly nature, if he could meddle because of Xia Ziyu, why couldn’t she use him?
She just needed to destroy Xia Ziyu’s image in Principal Sun’s eyes.
Principal Sun was still the backbone allowing Zhang’s Snacks to operate peacefully at County First High School’s gate.
Xia Xiaolan laughed coldly inside.
“I won’t bother explaining to you – you’ve always only believed your niece. You say I had an improper relationship with that good-for-nothing from the neighboring village – you mean Zhang Erlai? He was sentenced to life imprisonment for embezzlement. Why would I, Xia Xiaolan, spare such garbage a single glance? You say I seduced my future brother-in-law? Ridiculous – I still have the love letters Wang Jianhua wrote me just days ago. I even took him to the county town for the college entrance exam, and right after that, he became Xia Ziyu’s boyfriend. The thief calling others thieves – those two guilty consciences trying to turn things around, not satisfied until they drove me to death… But unfortunately for them, instead of being ruined as Xia Ziyu hoped, I still have hopes of attending university. Xia Ziyu fears I’ll seek revenge after getting into university, so she wants to get me back to the Xia family to slowly deal with me, right?”
Principal Sun was completely stunned.
Xia Xiaolan spoke with reason and evidence. Because she had encountered Xia Ziyu at White Stream Temple and was sick of her affected manners, she had brought along those bottom-drawer letters when coming to town. Originally intended to upset Xia Ziyu when the opportunity arose, who knew they would come in handy now?
She and her uncle had just arrived in Anqing and were planning to wait for Liu Fen at Sister Huang’s shop after the parent-teacher meeting. When the gate guard Old Zhao saw her, he quickly informed her that a man claiming to be her father wanted to enter the school. Old Zhao had blocked him, but Principal Sun had allowed him in.
“He went in following your mother and hasn’t come out yet.”
The parent-teacher meeting was already over.
Meeting Chen Qing at Principal Sun’s door, Chen Qing said they were also guarding against Xia Dajun making trouble, though they hadn’t seen him.
When Xia Xiaolan went upstairs, Liu Fen had already attacked him, and Xia Dajun was threatening to report to the police. Xia Xiaolan heard a few sentences and guessed what had happened, finally unable to endure it anymore, and knocked on the door. After dealing with the physical evidence and being over 90% certain that Principal Sun and his wife would take her and Liu Fen’s side, Xia Xiaolan could handle this matter slowly.
After all, Liu Fen wasn’t the one injured and bleeding – let Xia Dajun just tough it out and listen to her speak!
Xia Xiaolan pulled out a stack of letters from her pocket, “Shall I read these aloud to everyone?”
What’s there to read in love letters – this girl had no shame.
Principal Sun knew Wang Jianhua – an educated youth in his twenties who had gotten into university, his student status was handled through County First High.
He seemed well-matched with Xia Ziyu too.
Before the New Year when Xia Ziyu visited, though Wang Jianhua hadn’t come, Xia Ziyu had mentioned her personal life and spoke of this “boyfriend.” She had seemed so poised and happy, and his wife had even teased Xia Ziyu about whether she would marry after graduation.
Now someone was telling Principal Sun it was all a facade?
The scales in Principal Sun’s mind began to waver.
Xia Xiaolan added heavy fuel to the fire: “The Xia family threw us out with just 20 jin of sweet potatoes – my mother slaved for them for twenty years, worth just one jin of sweet potatoes per year? Now the Xia family comes to ruin my studies – since my mother didn’t kill you, I’ll fight to the death with you Xia family!”
Principal Sun was startled:
“Student Xia, studies come first, you must stay calm!”
What had he gotten involved in?
Whether Xia Ziyu feared Xia Xiaolan getting into university or was trying to make amends by caring for her, Principal Sun didn’t want to investigate deeply.
He wouldn’t care too much about stolen boyfriends and such. Young girls’ conflicts couldn’t compare to academic prospects.
But Xia Ziyu’s perfect image that she had cultivated before Principal Sun now had cracks.
Xia Ziyu had no relation to Principal Sun – why should he help her? It was all because of the character she had displayed – self-improvement, filial piety, respect for teachers and education, and so on. If these were all false, Principal Sun wasn’t fastidious about morality, but he was more frustrated about being deceived by a student.
A female student playing the principal for a fool – where was his dignity?
“Student Xia, I apologize for being partial and meddling in your family affairs… Rest assured, before you take the college entrance exam, no one from the Xia family except you will be allowed to enter the school grounds. No matter who claims to bring you food, or clothes, or show concern and worry for you – none of them will be allowed in!”