Chapter 157

Xu Ran saved the courtesy. “When we came back, I walked at the back. You coming out from nowhere, hugged me and pushed me down to the ground. Then you shouted loudly. As soon as you uttered your first cry, your family members rushed out all of a sudden. Who would believe that you didn’t prearrange it? Hmm? Or did you expect that I would molest Liu Piao? If that was the case, how could Liu Piao be alone outside? Hmm? Who can explain to me?”

“Explain to me properly!” Xu Ran almost roared out the last sentence, which shocked everyone.

In an instant, all the cries stopped.

Xu Ran didn’t give them a chance to retort. He continued, “Since you said that I molested Liu Piao, tell me how I molested him? I clearly remembered that after Liu Piao pushed me down on the ground, I tried to get up, but he pulled me back. He was not willing to let me go even when I hadn’t done anything. If I really did something, would Liu Piao take off his clothes and climb into my bed? Hmm?”

“Village head, I think you should know the people in Liu Village the best. What do you think about the reputation of this family in Liu Village? I remember that Tongtong’s parents’ land is still occupied by you, but the land deed is owned by Tongtong. What do you think will happen if I go to Yamen to sue you for land usurpation?”

“Moreover, you said that I molested Liu Piao. What do you want me to do? Marry him? Or do you want me to compensate?”

Both conditions were extremely tempting and Liu family didn’t know how to choose.

Liu Piao cried and said, “Brother Xu Ran, just take me. I will serve you nicely with my cousin.”

Xu Ran sneered, “Who is your brother? In the previous minute, you had just claimed that I molested you, and in the next, you called me brother. Do you have any sense of shame? You must have been waiting for this opportunity for a long time, from last year till this one. As you speculated that I would come for tomb-sweeping on the New Year’s Eve, your family members have been waiting here early in the morning, and then you gave such a performance. It’s really amazing.” Xu Ran said as he clapped his hands.

Xu Ran squatted down and raised Liu Piao’s chin with his hand, “It’s a pity! I don’t like you. I feel dirty when I look at you. Isn’t it said that you’ve been engaged? Why were you still out there to seduce me? How licentious!”

Xu Ran’s words were merciless. This person had schemed against him, so he naturally wouldn’t show any mercy.

Xu Ran stood up and said to Liu Youcai, “Village head, I believe you have had a conclusion about who is telling the truth and who is lying! If someone wanted to blackmail me, of course I wouldn’t let him succeed. If you don’t give me a proper explanation today, don’t blame me for escalating the incident and implicating Liu Village’s reputation, nor for using my Xiucai title to oppress you.”

When it came to the reputation of Liu Village, Liu Youcai’s brow was already tightly knitted. Finally, not until he heard Xu Ran saying that he would use his title to oppress them, did he remember his identity as a Xiucai. If Xu Ran, Xu Village’s only Xiucai, was bullied in another village, Xu Village’s people wouldn’t be so easy on them.

What’s more, the reason that Liu Piao family had racked their brains for scheming such a farce, was only because they coveted Xu Ran’s money, wasn’t it? Even Liu Youcai had some calculation in his heart.

After auditing such a farce, he had to rule on it. He didn’t dare to displease Xu Ran. Many people in Liu Village were counting on him to earn some money for the Spring Festival. If he was offended, he, as the village head, would probably be an eyesore in the village in the future!

Liu Youcai said, “Liu Dewang, you asked your family members to get up. I have grasped the gist of what happened today. You said that you saw Xu Ran holding Liu Piao, but you didn’t see how he molested Liu Piao. Liu Piao himself couldn’t explain clearly, either. I also heard that you didn’t want to marry Liu Piao to the boor of the neighboring village; instead, you wanted him to become the concubine of Xu Ran. To reach that goal, you schemed everything. Today, you are even cheeky enough to play such a farce in front of me. Now I rule your family to apologize to Xiucai Xu, and ground you in the ancestral hall for seven days.”

Not one word was about the land of Liu Tong’s parents that Xu Ran had mentioned. The village head was partial anyway.

After Liu Youcai announced the punishment, he turned to ask Xu Ran, “Xiucai Xu, what do you think of this ruling?”

Xu Ran said, “Village head, this is your village’s affair. I am in no position to get involved. However, our Xu Village’s people are not allowed to be bullied by outsiders. I think I have to go back and negotiate with our village head about this.”

At Xu Ran’s words, Liu Youcai felt that though it was winter, his forehead started to sweat. He quickly said, “Xiucai Xu, don’t do that. How about punishing them to kneel for seven days and eat nothing for three days?”

Xu Ran said, “Village head, there will definitely be problems with them kneeling for seven days in winter. Besides, they might be starved to death without eating for three days. I think it’s better to let them kneel for three days, and starve for a day. However, I have one more request.”

Liu Youcai wiped his forehead. “Go ahead and speak, please.” Even ‘please’ was used.

“It’s not a difficult thing. I just hope that this family will not appear in front of me when I come for tomb-sweeping every on New Year’s Eve. As the saying goes, ‘A burnt child dreads the fire.’ I’m afraid the similar things will occur to me again, so I wish village head could agree to this little request.”

The request was quite little, but it could not be justified not to let the family appear in front of their own doorway.

The Liu Dewang family wanted to refute but they swallowed their words under a glare from Liu Youcai.

They knew that they had no chance to make a comeback today.

As they cried all this way, everyone in the village had known about it. If the words got out, it was doubtful whether Liu Piao could still marry the boor in the neighboring village. But if the boor didn’t want him, Liu Piao would really be on the shelf forever.

Thinking about it, Liu Dewang Family cried even more pathetically.

However, Liu Piao was still in the shock from Xu Ran. Xu Ran said that he seduced him and that he was licentious, so how could he face others in the future?

Even if he would not accept him as a concubine, he shouldn’t have used such words on him. Obviously he had just given him a hug.

Liu Piao felt that he was so wronged as to want to cry. When he heard his daddy’s cries, he couldn’t help but cry too. Thus, his already reddened eyes was swollen even more.

Listening to the cries, Xu Ran was a little irritable. At this time, Tangtang and Guoguo, who had kept silent, pulled the clothes of the two adults. Tangtang said, “Dad, Daddy, when will we go back? They have been crying and crying all the time, so annoying.”

The proverb said, ‘Children and fools spoke the truth.’ As Tangtang and Guoguo, two naive children, said it, not only Liu family, even the village head’s expression went sullen, and turned an even more disgusted look at Liu Piao and his dad and daddy.

Xu Ran touched Tangtang’s head and said, “We will go back when the village head agrees to my request. Be good, wait a little longer.”

Xu Ran’s words were obvious. He wouldn’t leave until his request was fulfilled.

Liu Youcai nodded in a hurry, “Xiucai Xu, don’t worry. I will order them to obey it, and to make sure that in the future you could just go around the neighborhood without them in sight.”

Xu Ran made a fist-and-palm salute. “Then, I appreciate your goodwill. Since village head has promised me, I will go back first. I hope you can handle the other matters properly, and I will pay more visits to Liu Village in the future.”

After saying that, Xu Ran left with the kids hand in hand, ignoring the farewell from Liu Youcai.

As to why he had mentioned paying more visits here in the future, Liu Youcai was embarrassed to ask, and was in no position to ask.

Liu Youcai did not spare the punishment to Liu family just because Xu Ran had left. He ordered them to kneel in the ancestral hall for three days and eat nothing for a day.

Liu Dewang didn’t say anything, since he couldn’t have the final say in this family.

However, as to Liu Tiezhu, it was a different case. The affair arose from Liu Piao. Though they hadn’t done anything nor said anything, they had to kneel in the ancestral hall too. How could they not hate Liu Piao?

Especially Liu Tiezhu, he was counting on Liu Piao to marry Xu Ran and let Xu Ran pay his gambling debt.

If he kept stalling his debt, he would be beaten to death.

He looked at Liu Piao with more and more vicious expression. Then, as if he had made a decision, he took the lead to leave the village head’s house and walk to the ancestral hall.

Seeing that Liu Tiezhu had left, the others couldn’t stay any longer. They could only follow him.

…

On the way back home, Xu Ran was not in a better mood. He found that he had bad luck entangling in love affairs recently. With Zhang Yue being counted in, there had been five of them. Xu Ran was really speechless.

While Xu Ran was still worrying if Liu Tong would care, Liu Tong comforted him first, “Ran, don’t take it to heart. Haven’t you told village head not to let them appear in front of us in the future? Why are you angry with invisible people?”

Xu Ran shook his head. “Tongtong, I was worried that you would be annoyed. It was my fault today. I was too careless.”

Liu Tong was stunned for a moment before remembering why Xu Ran was worried that he would be angry. He shook his head, “Ran, I was here today too. I saw everything. How could I blame you? Besides, it was owing to my Ran standing out so as to attract people’s attention.”

Tangtang and Guoguo, who were walking in front of them, quietly rubbed their hands, feeling that today was colder than ever before.

Hearing Liu Tong’s words, Xu Ran turned his head and looked at him a few more times. Finding no anger on his face, he finally relaxed.

Xu Ran said, “I really haven’t taken this family seriously before, but today’s incident is obviously schemed by them. After waiting for a whole year, they have tried hard.”

Hearing Xu Ran’s words, Liu Tong suddenly smiled. “My uncle’s family is actually similar to your parents. However, I’m not their biological child after all, so they treated me in a worse way than your parents did to you. Ran, in fact, I have always been glad that they had sold me to your home. If it wasn’t for their greed, I wouldn’t have met you.”

Xu Ran smiled and said, “Then I should thank them for giving me such a good Tongtong.”

Liu Tong was a bit shy, but he didn’t continue. The family slowly walked home.

When they got home, it was dark.