Through her tears, Li Xiangli cried bitterly, her sorrow tugging at everyone's heartstrings. "No matter what accusations were made about my past, I'm still a mother. How could any mother bear to see her children beaten? Aren't all children the treasures of their mothers' hearts? You demand I pay for your medical expenses, Ma-shi, but what about my son? Who's going to account for the harm you did to him?"
Her children, Xiaozhu and Le'er, also started sobbing, their cries innocent and heart-wrenching. "The bad woman bullied us! How could anyone say it was wrong for our mother to stand up for us?"
The crowd was visibly moved by the pitiful sight. Most of them had children themselves and understood how precious they were to a parent. It was one thing for kids to bicker, but for an adult like Ma-shi to strike a four-year-old child? It was unthinkable.
Aunt Liu was the first to step forward. "How could you people bully a widow and her children like this? Everyone knows Guo Laosan gave his life in battle and earned first-class honors for his service! His children are the pride of this village. Why are you treating them this way?"
Seeing the two crying children, Aunt Liu's heart ached. She crouched down to comfort them, saying, "There, there, don't cry. Granny Liu will give you something nice to eat." She cast a sharp look at her husband, Uncle Liu. "Are you just going to stand there like a block of wood? Look at how wronged this mother and her kids are! How can you be so cold and indifferent?"
Uncle Liu sighed. He hadn't wanted to get involved, thinking it was just a messy squabble. But now that his wife was taking a stand, he couldn't back down. "Village Head," he said, "I've been here watching the whole time. It's true that Ma-shi went too far. She insulted and hit Xiaozhu. Li Xiangli was just defending her son. As for Ma-shi's demands for compensation, I think it's better to drop it."
Aunt Liu wasn't satisfied. "Drop it? Li Xiangli and her kids were treated like this, and you want to just let it go?"
Li Xiangli wiped her tears, her frail yet determined demeanor inspiring sympathy. The crowd began chiming in, expressing their support for her and condemning Ma-shi's behavior.
Sensing the tide turning against her, Ma-shi grew anxious. This sly woman! She actually learned to play the victim now, she thought.
"What, you think I should pay her? I'm the one who got beaten up!" Ma-shi protested loudly. "What a joke!"
Li Xiangli brushed away the last of her tears and said firmly, "I don't want your money. But you will apologize. Say whatever you like about me, but calling my children bastards is something I will never tolerate!"
Her words were resolute. Today, she was determined to put an end to such slander. Her children were innocent and pure. They didn't deserve to hear such cruel words, nor would she allow it to continue.
The village head sternly interjected, "Ma-shi! How could you say such things? You'd better apologize right now, or I won't let you off easily!"
Ma-shi hesitated, unwilling to lower herself, but her husband had had enough. Storming over, he slapped her. "Apologize, you shameless woman! Do you want to keep stirring up trouble until we're all kicked out of the village?"
Biting her lip in humiliation, Ma-shi begrudgingly muttered, "I'm sorry."
By now, Li Xiangli had wiped her face clean of tears. Gone was her earlier vulnerable demeanor, replaced by a calm yet intimidating presence.
"I don't accept your apology," she said coldly. "If everyone thought a mere 'sorry' was enough to settle every injustice, what need would there be for courts and officials?"
The crowd was taken aback. On one hand, they admired her boldness; on the other, her sudden shift in demeanor left them confused. Wasn't this the apology she had demanded? Why reject it now?
Ma-shi's temper flared again. "You shameless little wretch! I've already apologized, and now you dare to look down on me? You want to make me grovel, is that it?" She lunged forward to hit Li Xiangli again.
"Ma-shi!", the village head roared, slamming his cane on the ground. "Do you have any respect for my authority? Fighting right in front of me?"
Ma-shi glared at Li Xiangli but refrained from making another move.
Unfazed, Li Xiangli said evenly, "I want everyone here to understand something. My children are not to be trifled with. If anyone thinks they can bully them and then get away with a simple apology, they're sorely mistaken. I may be a widow with no power or status, but as the saying goes, those who have nothing to lose have nothing to fear. If anyone dares harm my children, I will fight them to my last breath."
Turning to the village head, she added, "Village Head, I have urgent business in town, so I'll take my leave now." With that, she took her children by the hand and walked away without another glance.
Uncle Liu's cart was waiting, but she didn't feel like riding with the others. Her heart still ached at the sight of Xiaozhu's swollen face. She needed to tend to his injuries immediately.
As she walked, the villagers whispered amongst themselves. "Since when did Guo Laosan's wife become so fierce?"
The village head, too, was puzzled. But seeing her newfound strength, he couldn't help feeling a measure of respect. A woman raising children on her own needed that kind of backbone.
Xiaozhu looked up at his mother and said, "Mother, it doesn't hurt. Please don't be sad."
Li Xiangli gazed at his red, swollen cheek with guilt. Her son was so understanding, it made her heart ache even more.
"I'm not sad, Xiaozhu," she said gently. "I'm just upset. My precious child, whom I couldn't bear to lay a hand on, how dare someone else strike you?"
Le'er pouted and said, "But you were crying. I don't want to see you cry. It makes me sad, too."
Xiaozhu's eyes reddened. Even though he'd often seen his mother cry in the past, it always made him feel heavy with sorrow.
Li Xiangli smiled faintly, leading them along. "Crying is often seen as a sign of weakness, but it doesn't have to be."
"But Mother... you were crying earlier," Xiaozhu said hesitantly.
"Yes, but sometimes, crying can be a weapon."
Xiaozhu looked at her, confused.
Li Xiangli explained patiently, "When I cried in front of everyone, they all came to help us. But if I cried alone, who would come to our aid? That's why my tears earlier weren't weakness—they were strategy."
Xiaozhu's eyes lit up with understanding. "So, Mother, you were pretending to cry?"
Disclaimer:
I am not the original author of this work. This is a translated version of the original text, shared for reading and reference purposes only. All rights to the original content belong to the original author. I do not claim ownership of the original work or its characters. This translation is intended solely for informational and entertainment purposes.