Watching Li Yi close in step by step, Xu Hong was filled with fear!
Xu Hong knew better than anyone what kind of person Li Yi was—he was the village’s most notorious troublemaker, for whom brawls and fights were a daily occurrence.
On top of that, he was tall and burly, with astonishing fighting prowess; usually, three or four people weren’t a match for him.
Just seeing how easily he’d sent Zhou Guangya flying moments ago made it clear that he and Li Yi were in completely different leagues.
“You… don’t come any closer! I’m going to call for help!” Xu Hong said, his voice trembling.
“Go ahead and scream. Don’t you see where you are? Even if you scream yourself hoarse, it won’t do you any good!”
No sooner had the words left his mouth than Li Yi realized something was off about what he’d just said—it made him sound like some thug preying on innocent women.
What Li Yi didn’t realize was that, in the eyes of these educated youth, he really was no different from a bully.
“Li Yi, if you dare hit me today, I’ll definitely report you to the commune tomorrow!” Xu Hong shouted angrily.
But what met him was a resounding slap that sent blood streaming from the corner of Xu Hong’s mouth.
“The commune is nothing! Haven’t you forgotten? You went to the county public security bureau for days on end, trying to get the cops to arrest me, but I still got out!” Li Yi shouted.
At those words, all the educated youths present froze in shock.
So the fact that Li Jia, that good-for-nothing, had been taken away by the police was actually connected to Xu Hong. No wonder he was the first to hear the news.
“You… what are you talking about? I don’t understand!” Xu Hong’s heart skipped a beat as he hurriedly replied.
He couldn’t possibly admit to this. After all, snitching on someone behind their back wasn’t something to be proud of; if word got out, people would be pointing fingers at him.
In those days, the villagers generally had limited education. They preferred to resolve issues behind closed doors; even with major matters, they were reluctant to bring them to the commune, let alone the county.
The common folk’s simplest logic was that once a matter reached the county level, it would be impossible to resolve—one misstep could ruin a person, or even an entire family.
That’s why everyone despised those who snitched on others behind their backs; in the eyes of the community, that was the behavior of a scoundrel.
Li Yi knew this guy would deny it, so he immediately retorted coldly, “If you hadn’t reported me, how would you have known I was arrested by the police? And why are you spreading rumors here, claiming I was arrested for profiteering and that I’ll be sentenced?”
“You dare say that because you’re the bastard who pinned this ‘speculation and profiteering’ charge on me. What’s the matter? You did it but won’t admit it? You coward!”
Provoked by Li Yi’s words, Xu Hong flew into a rage and shouted, “You’re the one who dares to do it but won’t admit it! Didn’t you sell mushrooms in the county town? Didn’t you set up a stall near the sugar factory to do business? Isn’t that profiteering?”
“If you’re bold enough to do such things, why are you so afraid of being reported?”
Upon hearing this, all the educated youths present froze. They had originally thought Li Yi’s earlier words were just a deliberate attempt to frame and slander Xu Hong!
But hearing this, perhaps Xu Hong really had done it. After all, as fellow educated youths, they knew nothing about these matters.
Yet Xu Hong seemed to know all this so clearly—it was clearly impossible unless he’d conducted a thorough investigation.
Thinking deeper, why would Xu Hong investigate these matters? What were his intentions? The answer became crystal clear!
Once they realized this, the way everyone looked at Xu Hong changed. Their sympathy vanished, replaced by a hint of disgust.
“Haha, you’ve investigated this quite thoroughly—you really have been scheming all along!”
With that, Li Yi kicked Xu Hong squarely in the stomach. He wouldn’t show any mercy to someone like this.
First, he lusted after and bullied his wife, and then he reported him. A scumbag like this had to be taught a lesson; otherwise, people would think Li Yi was a pushover!
“Ah!”
The kick sent Xu Hong crashing to the ground. He curled up into a ball, looking just like a boiled shrimp.
“Go ahead, hit me! Beat me to death!” Xu Hong roared furiously.
At this point, he knew begging for mercy was useless, so he might as well go all out.
Since this beating was inevitable, he might as well provoke this thug into hitting him harder so he could report him to the commune.
He refused to believe that the Public Security Bureau—run by the Li family—could really have such absolute power!
But Li Yi wasn’t the type to fall for such a trick.
He had seen through Xu Hong’s scheme long ago. A cold smile curled at the corner of his mouth as he unleashed a barrage of punches and kicks on Xu Hong.
But Li Yi made sure to strike only non-vital areas—it hurt like hell, but it wouldn’t leave any serious scars. Even if he went to the hospital for an examination, it would be hard to classify it as a minor injury.
In an instant, Xu Hong’s pitiful screams echoed throughout the entire educated youth commune.
The commotion had drawn the attention of others—including the female educated youth and nearby villagers—who all rushed over to gawk.
Everyone stood there watching Li Yi “assault” Xu Hong, yet no one dared to step in and stop him.
On the one hand, Li Yi’s reputation as a thug was well-known, and no one dared to stop him—after all, Zhou Guangya’s fate served as a cautionary tale.
On the other hand, although no one was sure exactly what was happening, they noticed that the male educated youths at the settlement weren’t stepping in to help; instead, the looks they cast at Xu Hong were filled with disgust.
Clearly, the situation wasn’t as simple as it seemed, so no one stepped in to stop it.
Just then, two figures ran up from outside the camp.
Seeing the crowd gathered here, they knew something was wrong and immediately ran over!
“Stop!”
Li Yi turned around and saw that it was Tang Xue and his third older sister, Li Na, so he stopped immediately!
Tang Xue looked at Xu Hong, who was writhing on the ground and wailing in pain, and felt a sudden pang of unease. She hurriedly said, “You… how could you hit someone like that!”
Li Yi said in a low, stern voice, “That bastard deserved it!”
Then, Li Yi turned to the other educated youth members standing nearby and said, “What happened today isn’t me, Li Yi, bullying an outsider just because I’m from this village. It’s because this kid really deserved a beating.”
“This kid was jealous that I was delivering mushrooms to the county seat and doing a little side business on the side. He actually snuck off to the county Public Security Bureau to report me, and even went so far as to pin the charge of ‘speculation and profiteering’ on me—he was clearly trying to ruin me.”
Li Yi continued, “The police didn’t think my actions were anything out of the ordinary, so they didn’t pay him any mind at first. But that kid just got more worked up—he went to the police station time and again to cause a scene, forcing them to arrest me.”
“With no other choice, the police had to take me in for questioning—they just wanted to get to the bottom of things. But that bastard went back to the village and started spreading rumors about me, saying I’d been arrested by the police for profiteering and was facing a prison sentence. Tell me, doesn’t that bastard deserve a good beating?”
As soon as he said this, the crowd erupted in an uproar!