Chapter 268
Jiang Guosheng and Auntie Zhou were dragged up, their faces pale with fear. They struggled, wanting to kneel before Su Xiaoxiao and her brother, but the police firmly held them down. In the end, they could only lift their heads and look pitifully at Su Xiaoxiao and Su Hongchen.
“We know we were wrong! We truly know we were wrong! We are all part of the Jiang family. Can we settle this privately? Our family has always followed the law. If we really go to jail, how can we face our ancestors?”
“If you were afraid of disgracing your ancestors, why did you do this in the first place?” Su Xiaoxiao snorted angrily, rolling her eyes and refusing to even look at them.
Jiang Guoli and Jiang Guohua knew that whether they would be held accountable depended on a word from Su Hongchen or Su Xiaoxiao. Even though they were filled with hatred, they didn’t dare to show it, grinding their teeth in silent rage.
Jiang Guosheng and Auntie Zhou were forcibly dragged out, their children crying desperately behind them, but to no avail. They could only watch helplessly as their parents were taken away in the police car. The villagers, who had gathered to watch the commotion, sneered and gossiped openly.
“The Jiang family must be rotten to the core. Look at how quickly they’ve brought the police over again. Can we ever have a peaceful new year?”
“Exactly! They’ve already caused us to lose the Advanced Brigade award this year. Are they going to make us miss it again next year?”
Everyone grew agitated at the thought, glaring at the Jiang family as if they wanted to tear them apart. Just then, someone in the crowd spoke up, “Isn’t this all Su Xiaoxiao’s fault? If she hadn’t insisted to marry to Jiang Yexun, the Jiang family wouldn’t have had any trouble all these years.”
The air grew tense, and everyone turned to look at the speaker. Dong Jiaxuan, who had covered her mouth and tried to speak quietly, now looked terrified.
“Why are you all looking at me?”
“We’re looking at what kind of brain you have to say something so ridiculous,” Su Xiaoxiao said, stepping into the crowd and confronting Dong Jiaxuan. Though they were about the same height, Su Xiaoxiao’s proud stance made her seem much more imposing.
“I didn’t say that!” Dong Jiaxuan lied without thinking. Everyone looked at her like she was an idiot.
“Are you stupid? There are so few people here. Do you really think we can’t tell who’s speaking?” Tao Junlan mocked from the side.
Su Xiaoxiao frowned, glaring at Dong Jiaxuan. Initially, she had planned to slap Dong Jiaxuan when she spoke out, but her ridiculous comment left Su Xiaoxiao speechless.
Su Xiaoxiao turned to her brother, looking aggrieved. “Brother, did you see that? Even with you here, she dares to bully me. Imagine how badly she treated me when you weren’t around.”
Su Hongchen’s face grew cold as he walked over to his sister. He patted her head gently before turning his icy gaze to Dong Jiaxuan.
“With your family’s history of stealing from the factory and being fired, you have no right to criticize my sister. Instead of focusing on her, why don’t you think about how your family will survive without jobs or a home?”
“That’s not true! When I called last time, nothing like that was mentioned!” Dong Jiaxuan’s face turned white, and she shook her head in denial, though she was more concerned about her own future.
“Last time was just the firing. The police investigated further, and three days ago, your father was sentenced to fifteen years, your mother to ten, and each of your brothers to three years,” Su Hongchen said with a mocking laugh. He had made sure the sentences were as severe as possible.
Dong Jiaxuan’s legs gave out, and she collapsed to the ground, looking up at Su Xiaoxiao and Su Hongchen with a sense of oppression that made it hard for her to breathe.
“No, that’s impossible! My parents would never do such a thing!” Dong Jiaxuan denied, though she knew it was true. Her family had always been greedy, and her bragging had only made them bolder.
While Dong Jiaxuan worried about her family, she was more concerned about herself. Everyone in the brigade and the educated youth dormitory would look down on her even more now. How would she live? Would Yongsheng still marry her? Even if he wanted to, would the Pan family agree?
Dong Jiaxuan looked hopefully at Pan Yongsheng, but he turned away, refusing to look at her. Her heart sank.
“Anyway, stay away from my sister in the future. She’s pure and kind, nothing like you,” Su Hongchen warned. He wanted everyone to know that despite growing up in the same neighborhood, Su Xiaoxiao was nothing like Dong Jiaxuan.
As for how Dong Jiaxuan, as the daughter and sister of convicts, would be treated in the brigade and the dormitory, that was her own fault. If she hadn’t caused trouble, her family’s situation wouldn’t have been exposed so publicly.
“Stay away from her. Someone with such poor upbringing can’t be expected to turn out well. You might end up getting betrayed by her,” Su Hongchen said, turning to leave with Su Xiaoxiao.
When he saw Jiang Yexun, his eyes darkened. Jiang Yexun immediately promised, “Don’t worry, brother. I won’t let someone like Dong Jiaxuan get near Xiaoxiao.”
Su Hongchen, reassured, looked away. They ignored the onlookers and returned to their courtyard. Once the door was closed, the villagers began mocking Dong Jiaxuan.
She burst into tears, covering her face and pushing through the crowd to run away.
Su Hongchen raised an eyebrow and went to the kitchen. Seeing Jiang Yexun following, he said disdainfully, “You knew she was bullying Xiaoxiao. Why did you let her continue for so long?”
“I couldn’t catch her in the act. My second brother just died,” Jiang Yexun admitted, feeling guilty for not dealing with Dong Jiaxuan sooner.
“She did that? What was she thinking? Even finding a local would be better than being with a married man,” Su Hongchen said in surprise.
Before Jiang Yexun could explain, Su Xiaoxiao jumped in. “But she won’t get away with it for long. She’s already pregnant.”
“Pregnant out of wedlock? Why not report her to the Discipline Inspection Office? They’ll shave her head, criticize her publicly, and send her to a farm in the northwest for punishment. Wouldn’t that be better than letting her continue causing trouble?” Su Hongchen frowned, looking at the two like they were fools.
“It’s my fault. I didn’t think of that,” Jiang Yexun apologized. Because of his family’s situation, he avoided dealing with the Discipline Inspection Office to prevent trouble for himself and his mother.
Su Xiaoxiao defended him, “The Discipline Inspection Office here is harsh. If they investigate Dong Jiaxuan, they might cause trouble for Auntie and Yexun. We can’t risk our safety to get back at her.”
Su Hongchen frowned at Jiang Yexun, who quickly added, “She and Pan Yongsheng plan to return to Shanghai for the New Year. I was going to report her then.”
By then, he could anonymously send a report, ensuring it wouldn’t trace back to him or his mother. The local office wouldn’t come all the way northeast to investigate their backgrounds.
“She can afford to go back?” Su Hongchen asked, surprised.