Sister Huang saw that the people from Zhang’s were particularly fierce, so she had Li Fengmei take the children to the courtyard to avoid them, pushing Liu Fen along too.
Only after reaching the back courtyard did they realize that unlike Zhang’s across the street, this row of fast food shops had a back door in the small yard – they could slip away without anyone knowing. Li Fengmei handed her son to Liu Fen, “Go back to Shangdu with your aunt first, you little rascal – you must behave!”
Liu Fen was the one who had injured him – how could she leave?
Li Fengmei sneered, “You think the Xia family will reason with you? They’ve finally found their chance and want to crush you and Xiaolan. Even if the police need to question you, let them search for a few days.”
Li Fengmei had experience with the police station. She had been terrified at the time – how could Liu Fen handle it?
Li Fengmei had her clever thoughts. In Shangdu, maybe they could find someone to help. Bureau Chief Yang, who came to cut the ribbon at Blue Phoenix’s opening, seemed very approachable without any official airs. Officer Zhuo at the police station was also very friendly… Shangdu was better!
By the time Li Fengmei had forcefully persuaded Liu Fen to leave and went back out, a fight was about to break out.
Seeing Xia Changzheng and his people trying to hit her husband, Li Fengmei lunged to grab Xia Ziyu’s hair. Zhang Manfu and his wife were half-heartedly participating, while Xia Hongxia tried to secretly push Xia Xiaolan. Sister Huang was quick to kick Xia Hongxia’s shin.
“What are you all doing? What’s going on here? Where do you think you’re fighting?”
Old Zhao came running with his police baton, followed by the well-dressed Principal Sun.
“Nonsense, absolute nonsense! The third-year students are still in class, who dares to cause trouble outside? Old Zhao, have the police station take all these people away!”
Xia Changzheng might bully others, but Zhang’s shop had opened thanks to Principal Sun’s help.
He immediately backed down, standing aside with an embarrassed expression.
Xia Ziyu secretly gritted her teeth, “Principal, my father was just worried about my Second Uncle’s injuries, he…”
Principal Sun ignored her and instead frowned at Xia Xiaolan:
“Student Xia Xiaolan, why haven’t you gone home yet? The school has made a special allowance for you to study at home, but you shouldn’t waste precious study time like this, right?”
Though Principal Sun’s tone was scolding, wasn’t his attitude favoring Xia Xiaolan?
Xia Changzheng was stunned and hurried to explain: “Principal, my brother is lying injured in the hospital – they can’t leave!”
Principal Sun exploded in anger:
“I was just about to talk to you about this. Your brother came to my house with a kitchen knife and hurt himself, getting blood everywhere in my home. It’s created a very bad impression. If it weren’t for Student Xia Xiaolan’s sake, I would demand an explanation from him!”
How could Dajun lie?
If he said Liu Fen stabbed him, then Liu Fen stabbed him!
Usually, it was Xia Changzheng’s family who took advantage by saying one thing and meaning another, but now faced with Principal Sun telling such blatant lies, Xia Changzheng was helpless. No wonder Dajun didn’t want to file a report. Principal Sun had always favored Ziyu the most – how had he ended up on Xia Xiaolan’s side? Xia Changzheng looked at Xia Ziyu in complete confusion. Xia Ziyu knew that forcing herself forward now would only leave an even worse impression on Principal Sun.
It was all Xia Xiaolan’s fault. Who knew what awful things she had said about her to Principal Sun, and how much he had believed?
Xia Ziyu felt the desolation of falling out of favor. She had spent so much effort currying favor with Principal Sun, but after just half a year away from First County High, Principal Sun had turned to support someone else. Wasn’t it just because she had already graduated, while Xia Xiaolan was about to take the exams and could bring glory to First County High?
How could Xia Xiaolan score above 500 points – curse those 500 points!
Xia Ziyu was extremely unwilling to accept this.
Principal Sun intended to have Xia Xiaolan leave early. Even if a report was filed, the police station would need to ask Principal Sun about the situation. Principal Sun knew what to say, and as long as Liu Fen didn’t confess, this matter would pass!
Principal Sun’s intervention was already a warning to the Xia family, challenging his position and telling them to stop making trouble.
Principal Sun thought it was going well, and Xia Xiaolan was obediently about to leave, when two uniformed police officers approached, followed by Grandmother Xia and Zhang Cui wailing dramatically.
“My son… how tragic… that worthless woman has such a cruel heart!”
“Officers, arrest that worthless woman!”
“Liu Fen, you worthless woman, come out! This old woman will fight you to the death!”
This continuous wailing as they walked made Station Chief Liang quite irritable. It was the fourth day of the New Year, and it happened to be his shift. Why cause such trouble during the New Year? He could have been sitting comfortably in the police station office, warming himself by the fire, eating steamed buns, drinking strong tea – wouldn’t that have been a much better way to spend the day?
Grandmother Xia was troublesome. Rolling around at the police station entrance looked improper. She came to report that her son had been stabbed, and it happened at First County High. Chief Liang had to bring someone to check it out.
Zhang Cui’s bicycle hadn’t been that fast originally, but they met a kind person who gave them a ride on his motorcycle after hearing that their family member had been stabbed in the city. He even brought Grandmother Xia and Zhang Cui back to the city. There were many kind people at this time who helped without expecting anything in return. The young motorcyclist had even advised them to report to the police first – what if the attacker escaped?
That’s how Grandmother Xia and Zhang Cui ended up following the police here.
“Principal Sun, about this matter…”
Chief Liang greeted Principal Sun with a decent attitude, and Principal Sun knew the situation wasn’t serious.
From Grandmother Xia’s wailing, he had thought Xia Dajun had died at the hospital!
He could give false testimony for a minor domestic matter, but he definitely couldn’t cover up a murder case.
With Grandmother Xia here, Xia Xiaolan, Liu Yong, and Li Fengmei couldn’t leave. Chief Liang, pestered by this troublesome old woman, said he needed to understand the situation. Principal Sun stuck to his story that Xia Dajun lost control and hurt himself:
“He got blood all over my kitchen knife, and blood all over my living room. My wife is still cleaning at home. Chief Liang, what am I supposed to do about this? During the New Year, no less!”
Chief Liang was also a veteran police officer. In these trivial matters where both sides had different stories, wasn’t it all just family conflict at its root, causing so many people to have a spoiled New Year? Since he was here, he still needed to have a routine talk with Liu Fen.
When asked, they learned she had already left with her nephew.
Xia Xiaolan looked particularly confused, “She’s already divorced from my father. If my father hurt himself, does my mother still have to take care of him?”
Of course not!
But your grandmother reported that your mother stabbed your father!
Chief Liang opened his mouth, remembering Xia Xiaolan. Because of her, four hooligans in Anqing County had been sentenced. The first three had ambushed her on the road, and although the fourth, Zhang Erlai, had been caught “stealing public funds” red-handed, Chief Liang felt it was still related to Xia Xiaolan.
Chief Liang thought to himself, that this Xia family was taking advantage of being relatives to cause trouble, but the outcome of going against the delicate Student Xia… wouldn’t be good!
Unable to see Liu Fen, Chief Liang wanted to see Xia Dajun to hear what the “victim” had to say.
Grandmother Xia’s dramatic wailing suddenly stopped. Zhang Cui had said Xia Dajun’s bones weren’t injured – Grandmother Xia hadn’t seen for herself. Among her three sons, she relied on the eldest and doted on the youngest; though she usually neglected Xia Dajun, at times like this she was still somewhat worried.
There was no need to go to the hospital to verify – Wang Jianhua came running, out of breath.
“Ziyu, Second Uncle has disappeared!”