Chapter 9: Tang Xue’s Shock

When everyone heard that Xu Hong had actually demanded Tang Xue give up her spot to return to the city, and that after she refused, he had attacked a defenseless woman with such vicious language, their gaze toward Xu Hong instantly changed.

Several female educated youths who were close friends with Tang Xue spoke up one after another, speaking out in her defense!

Xu Hong was now both ashamed and furious. He felt his dignity had been trampled on, and he momentarily lost his composure.

“What right do you have to criticize me? Wasn’t I right?”

Then Xu Hong pointed at Tang Xue and shouted, “She’s a young woman—and yet she was caught in bed with this good-for-nothing, both of them completely naked. Isn’t that promiscuous and immoral? Isn’t that having an affair?”

“He’s about to marry this good-for-nothing—why is he still hogging the spot to return to the city? Why…?”

Before he could finish, Li Yi stepped forward and slapped him hard across the face several times, knocking him flat on the ground!

At the same time, Li Yi fixed his gaze on him and said, “Although what Xiao Xue and I did may have crossed the line a bit, it was mostly my fault—it has little to do with her. If anyone is despicable and shameless, it’s me, Li Yi. She’s innocent!”

Li Yi then turned to Feng Kai and the other educated youths behind him and continued, “Tang Xue has been working in our Nianzi Mountain Brigade for three years now. You all know what kind of person she is—warm-hearted, cheerful, helpful, studious, hardworking, virtuous, and kind to others. She’s like an angel sent down to earth.”

“Before this, has anyone ever heard of her doing anything out of line? How could she possibly be associated with such vicious terms as ‘promiscuous,’ ‘immoral,’ or ‘slut’?”

Hearing Li Yi’s words, everyone couldn’t help but nod in agreement.

Everyone had witnessed Tang Xue’s conduct over the years; they’d watched her grow from a girl of fifteen or sixteen into the woman she is today. They all knew exactly what kind of person she was.

Especially now that she was about to return to the city, she had absolutely no reason to get involved with someone like Li Yi.

So even if there was any fault in this matter, it lay with Li Yi—it had absolutely nothing to do with Tang Xue.

And for Xu Hong to attack a vulnerable woman who was already a victim—his behavior was despicable enough.

However, Xu Hong had nothing left to lose. Clutching his jaw, he snapped, “It’s a fact that she slept with you, isn’t it? Sleeping together before marriage—isn’t that promiscuous?”

“Fuck that ‘promiscuous’ bullshit! If you don’t know how to talk, I’ll rip that filthy mouth of yours right off!”

Li Yi then glared at Xu Hong and continued, “I heard you used to pursue Xiao Xue, but she turned you down! I think the reason you’re using such vicious words to hurt Xiao Xue is because she’d rather choose a good-for-nothing like me than be with you—you’re just jealous!”

“I… I didn’t!”

“Don’t deny it, and don’t try to wriggle out of it. Any explanation is just an excuse—the public’s eyes are wide open!”

“Besides, Xiao Xue has only decided to postpone her return to the city—she hasn’t decided for sure that she won’t go back. Why should she give up her spot?”

Li Yi continued, “This isn’t some steamed bun or sweet potato—you can’t just give it away on a whim! Besides, there are over thirty male and female educated youths in the whole Nianzi Mountain Brigade, and six or seven of them are from Qin Province. Even if Xiao Xue really decides to stay here, why should that spot be given to you? Who do you think you are?”

Li Yi’s words left Xu Hong speechless. His face flushed alternately pale and red, and his chest heaved with the frustration boiling inside him!

The people both inside and outside the room looked at him with eyes full of contempt and disgust. It was one thing to curse at someone, but to actually try to take away their spot to return to the city!

No one knew better than they did just how precious a spot to return to the city was. Ever since the government announced two years ago that educated youth would be returning home in batches, countless people had fought tooth and nail for a single spot.

Spending money and giving gifts were nothing out of the ordinary; many women, desperate to return to the city, even resorted to using their bodies as capital to comply with unspoken rules.

There were also those who had already married locally, yet in their eagerness to return to the city, many abandoned their wives and children—so many, in fact, that the county civil affairs bureau had to set up queues just to process divorce paperwork!

You, Xu Hong, have no blood ties to Tang Xue—you’re barely even a fellow villager. Why on earth would she give up such a precious spot for you?

You curse at them when they refuse, and even trash their dorm room—your character is truly appalling. No wonder Tang Xue would rather marry a good-for-nothing than be with you.

Hearing the whispers outside, Li Yi knew he had already gained the upper hand in the public opinion battle.

Then, Li Yi spoke again: “No matter how dark your heart may be, if I ever hear you’re bullying my wife again, I’ll make you regret ever being born!”

After delivering his threat, Li Yi turned to face everyone present and said with a stern expression, “Barring any surprises, I’ll be officially marrying Tang Xue in a month. We got engaged yesterday. Our relationship is perfectly reasonable. Anyone who dares to gossip behind our backs should take Xu as a cautionary tale!”

As Li Yi’s piercing gaze swept over the crowd, everyone felt a chill run through their bodies, their hair standing on end.

Li Yi paid no heed to them. He turned and walked straight toward the door. As he passed by Tang Xue, he grabbed her hand and pulled her along with him as they left!

Both Tang Xue and Li Na were stunned by Li Yi’s display. Setting aside his formidable fighting prowess, the words he’d just spoken in her defense were shocking enough on their own.

The Li Yi of the past had been domineering and overbearing, but he wasn’t particularly quick-witted. When faced with a problem, he would rely solely on his fists to resolve it, often turning a just cause into an unjust one.

But today was different. Not only did he defend Tang Xue’s honor, but he also completely dismantled Xu Hong’s arguments.

Throughout the entire exchange, he not only demonstrated formidable martial prowess but also spoke with reason and evidence, his logic clear and coherent—it was as if he were a completely different person.

So much so that even after Li Yi had led Tang Xue and Li Na back to the female educated youth dormitory, they were still in a daze!

Li Yi knew that his performance today had left them momentarily taken aback, but he didn’t say much about it.

Back at the dormitory, Li Yi personally cleaned up the broken pots and jars in the room, then instructed Third Sister to stay at the educated youth camp for the next few days before setting off for home in his mule cart.

He arrived home just after five o’clock. It was still early, and his parents hadn’t returned yet.

Li Yi first carried the flour from the cart into the house and hid the money.

Then he gathered some fresh grass to feed the mule before hurrying out of the house.