A husband found in the village? I bought a regent for a penny!

Chapter 54 If you don't pay up, you'll go see the authorities.

The tall woman was still spitting as she chattered on and on.

Gu Xixi's face had already darkened.

"Shut up!"

She suddenly let out a low growl that shook the entire room.

The tall woman was so surprised by the seemingly delicate girl's strength that she was momentarily speechless and fell silent.

Gu Xixi was seething with anger and shouted, "You're always saying those two words, 'killing us all the time!' We've been neighbors for so long, how come I've never seen any of you burn to death while cooking, or have your whole family blown to bits by firecrackers during the New Year?"

The father was embarrassed and said, "How can you talk like that, girl?"

Gu Xixi sneered, "Weren't you afraid of being cursed to death? Why did you come here?"

"And your little turtle sons at home, worried that they'll be cursed to death, so you keep them tied up so they don't run around all day."

“Even when Stone goes out, he avoids people. It’s because they’re so persistent that they’re coming to bully him!”

The tall woman, having recovered her composure, retorted defiantly, "What makes you say it's our child looking for him?"

“My eldest child is the best behaved. I tell him he can’t play with stones, and he listens to me.”

"Be obedient?" Gu Xixi sneered, pulling the stone forward.

"If you were obedient, you could have smashed the stone like this?"

The five people were stunned when they saw Shi Tou's face clearly.

Gu Xixi said, "Your son only hurt his buttocks, look at our faces, our eyes!"

“Losing eyesight is a lifelong problem. I’ll take Shitou to a doctor to get his eyes checked later. If there’s anything wrong with his eyes, I’ll see who should pay whoever is responsible!”

As Gu Xixi spoke, she tugged at Shi Tou's sleeve to show them the bruises on his arm.

The tall woman retreated guiltily, and the other four also exchanged glances, avoiding direct eye contact.

At this moment, Gu Xixi and Shi Tou's side had already gained the upper hand in terms of momentum.

Gu Xixi raised her head and glared at those people, "Shitou, tell these uncles and aunts now, what exactly was the fight about this morning?"

As she spoke, she secretly squeezed the stone's small hand in her palm.

Shi Tou looked up at Gu Xixi. Although he couldn't explain why, he was no longer afraid.

In the past, when he saw the disdainful looks from his neighbors and heard their disgusted comments, he only dared to cover his ears and run away quickly.

But now he mustered the courage to look them in the eye. "This morning when I went out, Da Bao and Shuanzi insisted on blocking my way and wouldn't let me pass. When I took a detour, they surrounded me and laughed. They also called other people to curse at me and throw stones at me."

“They…they said my father was a short-lived ghost.” Stone’s voice choked with emotion, but he gritted his teeth and held back his tears.

Then she continued, "I said, 'Don't let them insult my father!' Then Da Bao said I was a jinx and didn't deserve to be spoken to by him, and told them to beat me up."

After Shi Tou finished speaking, Gu Xixi looked coldly at the five people in front of her.

"Did you hear that? It's very clear who started it and who attacked first."

"What else do you want to say?"

The tall woman turned her back and gave the others a meaningful look.

Although it was her eldest child who started it, everyone was involved, and if things really come down to it, no one can escape responsibility.

So, Shuanzi's father changed his previous fierce demeanor and put on a smile, saying, "Oh, what's there to say?"

"It's common for kids to fight and roughhouse, and boys are especially mischievous. In my opinion, since nothing serious has happened, we adults shouldn't get involved, okay?"

Gu Xixi gave a heavy, cold laugh. "I heard you say you absolutely had to pay for the medical expenses before I opened the door."

"They even said they had no money for compensation, so they could sell the Zhang family's trees."

"Why does your attitude change when it's your turn?"

She glanced down at the stone, her tone nonchalant, "According to the laws of this dynasty, anyone who injures or maims another person without cause shall be responsible for seeking medical treatment for the injured, or at the very least, for caring for the injured until they recover."

"In severe cases, the perpetrator will be punished with 20 to 50 strokes of the cane and imprisoned for three to five years, depending on the circumstances of the injured party."

Da Bao's mother, Shuanzi's father, and the other three people looked ashen-faced.

Now it was their turn to be afraid.

Da Bao's mother's lips trembled, but she still forced herself to say, "How would a woman like you know the rules of the government? You're not just making this up to fool us, are you?"

Gu Xixi smiled and said, "I forgot to mention that if a child under the age of ten commits a crime, the parents shall take over the punishment of caning."

She looked into Da Bao's mother's eyes, her smile deepening, "You've never tasted the pain of being hit by a board in your life, have you?"

Ordinary people are instinctively afraid to see officials.

Da Bao's mother had never experienced such a threat before. Her legs immediately went weak, and she uncontrollably knelt down on the ground.

Shuanzi's father also turned pale and dared not speak.

Gu Xixi finally felt relieved to see these people who even bullied children.

"I'll be waiting here today."

"If Shi Tou doesn't receive the money for medical treatment, medicine, and health maintenance, I'll go to the county government this afternoon. This poor orphan has been beaten; is there really no one to uphold justice?"

She left those words behind, took the stone back, and locked the gate.

It wasn't until he reached the nursery that Shi Tou snapped out of his shock.

"Sister Xixi, let's not take their money. I've applied your medicine, and it doesn't hurt anymore."

Gu Xixi said, "Why shouldn't I want it?"

She squatted down, looking into the stone's eyes, "Of course we don't want money that doesn't belong to us."

"But they hurt you and should pay the price."

"Besides, those adults came here intending to continue bullying you."

"If they weren't in the wrong and had no way to refute us, why would they let us go today?"

Stone nodded, seemingly understanding but not quite.

He secretly resolved that he must be brave in the future and become a person like Sister Xixi.

During lunchtime, five families successively delivered medical expenses.

The amount wasn't high; it totaled only a little over one hundred and forty coins.

According to Shi Tou's own wishes, Gu Xixi did not care about the amount of money; she simply wanted Shi Tou to accept the money personally and count it clearly in front of her.

Is it important to claim this medical expense? Of course it is.

Stone lost his parents, so money is very important to him.

Will those mean neighbors become kind? Not necessarily.

But the monetary price will teach them a lesson, at least in the future they will keep their own children away from stones.

On the official road outside the county town, a little black donkey pulls a cart and trots forward.

Mu Nanzhao turned around and said, "Don't worry, after this experience, he won't be so easily bullied again."

Gu Xixi smiled and said, "I hope so."

Just now, Mu Nanzhao drove to the nursery. As soon as Gu Xixi saw his face, she knew that he was making good progress at the Meng family.

However, the two tacitly agreed that neither of them mentioned it nor asked about it.

Passing through Stone Village, it was still early before dark, and a large bonfire was lit outside the village.

Several people stood a little distance away, throwing something into the fire to burn.

Curious, Gu Xi asked an old man standing by the roadside, "Old man, what are you burning?"

The old man looked worried, glanced at Gu Xixi and Mu Nanzhao, and said weakly, "Rat."