A glint flashed in Qin Shanshan's eyes as she spoke. "Oh my god, that's so dangerous! Su Li, you're so brave for taking on human traffickers. What exactly happened? Can you tell us? I can't even believe it's true."
Su Li glanced at her. "I know you don't believe me."
She said nothing more, turning to the round-faced woman to ask about something she wanted to know.
Qin Shanshan finally managed to get a word in and steer the conversation back. She was trying her best to convince everyone that Su Li was lying when Little Tang Mo returned.
He wasn't alone. Following behind him was Li Shuanshu, the village's veterinarian and doctor.
Little Tang Mo had a good memory. You usually only had to tell him once who someone was and what to call them for him to remember. So when he saw the round-faced woman and the others, he politely greeted them one by one. The only person he didn't greet was Qin Momo.
The round-faced woman and the others all doted on Little Tang Mo and answered with beaming smiles. They all stood up when they saw Li Shuanshu.
After his greetings, Little Tang Mo explained to Su Li, "Mom, I asked Uncle Shuanshu to come take a look at you."
He hadn't run out earlier because Su Li had glared at him, but to get Uncle Shuanshu. After speaking, Little Tang Mo looked at Su Li, both nervous and expectant.
Su Li's heart couldn't help but soften again. She hesitated for a moment before reaching out to pat Little Tang Mo's head. "Thank you."
"I didn't think it was a serious injury. Sorry to trouble you, Doctor Li. Please, have a seat."
Li Shuanshu chuckled and shook his head. "Don't mention it. Little Tang Mo is a very sensible boy. He already thanked me and even paid the consultation fee." The so-called fee was Little Tang Mo's own New Year's money.
Li Shuanshu set down his medical kit and looked at Su Li carefully. "You can tell me wherever it hurts."
Su Li nodded and obligingly lifted her bangs.
"This is a bruise. Just apply some ointment and use a hot compress every night. Does your head hurt? Do you feel nauseous?"
Su Li shook her head. "It hurts, but I'm not nauseous." 'Thank goodness it's not a concussion,' she thought.
Li Shuanshu nodded and leaned in to examine the wound on the right side of Su Li's forehead. "This bleeding is from a chunk of your hair being ripped out by the roots. You'll need to apply some medicine, but hair won't grow back there after it heals."
Su Li touched the spot gingerly, unconcerned about the small bald patch. "It's fine."
A rare look of pity appeared on Li Shuanshu's face. "That must have hurt terribly, right? That's the most painful kind of injury."
Su Li thought for a moment. "It was okay. In that situation yesterday, I don't even remember the pain."
'Thinking back, that patch of scalp must have been torn out when someone grabbed me as I was chasing the trafficker on the train. I couldn't feel any pain then, but whoever grabbed my hair was ruthless. Just for bumping into them, they'd attack so viciously.'
While Su Li remained calm thinking about it, the faces of the round-faced woman and the others changed. The way they looked at Su Li was suddenly different—she could really endure pain.
Hearing this, Little Tang Mo wrung his little hands and moved his small body closer to Su Li, leaning against her, full of self-blame. Li Shuanshu, who was getting some medicine for Su Li, saw his expression and smiled. "Is Little Tang Mo feeling bad for his mom? On the way here, you said you ran into human traffickers yesterday. It sounded scary. What happened?"
Su Li gave a brief account, and Little Tang Mo added from the side, "That man was really mean! He's the one who grabbed Mom's hair and hit her..."
"No crying now. You're a big boy." Su Li was afraid if he started crying, she'd get upset too, so she quickly cut him off.
Little Tang Mo stopped, and at least he didn't cry. Su Li breathed a sigh of relief.
She really didn't want to see Little Tang Mo cry. When the little one cried, it wasn't like other bratty kids who wailed and shrieked annoyingly. His tears just fell, drop by drop, in a way that could break your heart.
'My stepson is naturally endearing, which is a bit of a problem for me, his stepmother.'
The round-faced woman and the others tactfully left with Li Shuanshu. Qin Shanshan wanted to stay, but after looking at Su Li's expression and then at Little Tang Mo beside her, she had no choice but to leave as well.
News always traveled fastest in the village. The story of Su Li being wrongly accused that morning had already spread, and now the incident with the human traffickers was making the rounds too.
Qin Shanshan did everything she could to spread a message: the story probably wasn't true; Su Li couldn't possibly have that kind of courage.
Many villagers also felt the story was likely false. A day passed. That night, when everyone discussed it, the general attitude was the same. Qin Shanshan was very pleased. The next day, she joined the others in sighing about how Su Li was up to her old tricks, turning into a compulsive liar.
A village is never short of big-mouthed gossips who keep their noses in everyone else's business. In their telling, the story had already changed. They were all saying that Su Li had run into some thugs and been taken advantage of, so she made up a story about fighting traffickers to make people see her in a new light.
After lunch, everyone gathered under the old apricot tree in the village to shoot the breeze. They were chattering away when a group of people entered the village.
There were seven or eight of them, all unfamiliar faces, carrying chickens and gifts. They arrived in a grand procession. Upon asking, it turned out they were from the neighboring village, here to thank Su Li. They said that the day before yesterday, Su Li had caught a human trafficker and saved a child from their village.
The few people who had just been bad-mouthing her were now faced with a resounding SLAP, SLAP to the face. They watched the group walk off into the distance, then hung their heads and sheepishly dispersed.
And at that very moment, Qin Shanshan was at the Tang Family's home again. She was there out of "kindness" to persuade Su Li to stop being stubborn and just explain to everyone that there were no human traffickers.
"...The things people in the village are saying are so nasty right now, Su Li. I just can't stand to hear them slander you. Why don't you just explain that there were no traffickers? I know you, you're timid..."
Qin Shanshan spoke with great earnestness, as if she were confiding her deepest thoughts. Su Li just watched her coldly. "Are you saying I'm lying?"
"No, it's just that everyone is saying you're lying..." Qin Shanshan said, looking troubled.
"It was you who said it, wasn't it?" Su Li asked coolly.
"Su Li, don't be so stubborn. I'm doing this for your own good. Everyone's saying you ran into some thugs, which is bad for your reputation." Qin Shanshan looked aggrieved. "I just came to persuade you out of kindness. Like you said before, you don't have any proof that your injuries are from fighting traffickers..."
She gritted her teeth. "Su Li, if you can find evidence to prove your story, then I'll admit I worried for nothing. I'll even slap my own face. But right now, you have no way to prove it, so why don't you just admit to everyone that you lied..."
'As long as Su Li admits she lied, it'll confirm the 'fact' that she was assaulted!' Qin Shanshan was diligently digging this trap for Su Li, getting quite into it, when Su Li interrupted her. "Go on and slap your own face then."
"What?" Qin Shanshan was baffled.
"The people who can prove my story are here. Weren't you just offering to slap your own face?" Su Li let out a small laugh, standing up to welcome her guests.
"Miss! I've come to thank you! Thank you for saving my daughter from the human traffickers yesterday!" The group of thanks-givers, led by Li Hongqin from the neighboring Li Family Village, had arrived at the Tang Family's gate.
Qin Shanshan stiffly turned around. Her face twisted as she watched the bustling crowd and listened to their laughter.
Of course, she wasn't actually going to slap her own face. Taking advantage of the crowd, she slunk along the wall and snuck out of the Tang Family's yard. After finally making it back to her own house, she let out a sigh of relief. But just as she was about to close the door, Tie Niu stormed over, his face livid, and confronted her.
"Shanshan, I heard you were assaulted. Is it true?"
Qin Shanshan was horrified, nearly choking on a gasp.