Chapter 58: Chapter 58: Proving Innocence—Kindness with an Edge

Old grudges and new resentments flared up together.

Lin Xiaomeng refused to back down and shouted, “Gu Qinghuan, did you teach them this? Just look at what they did to Dacheng! If a child misbehaves, it’s the parents’ fault. Today, your whole family owes us an explanation. Hand over those two brats!”

Gu Qinghuan was startled when she saw Xu Jincheng’s bruised and swollen face. Da Bao really didn’t hold back—no wonder he’d grow up to be a future gang boss.

“Serves him right! He deserved it. Honestly, I think they went too easy on him!” Gu Qinghuan shielded the two children behind her.

“Sister-in-law, what’s that supposed to mean? Aren’t you going too far?” Xu Huaizhi was immediately displeased when he heard this.

The conflict instantly escalated.

Xu Huaian stepped in front of her and the children, facing off with Xu Huaizhi.

“I respect you as my elder brother, but my wife and children did nothing wrong. I hope you’ll get to the bottom of things before jumping to conclusions.”

Lin Xiaomeng pushed Dacheng forward. “Dacheng, lift up your shirt and show your second uncle. Tell him what happened! That way they can’t say we’re falsely accusing anyone.”

With his parents backing him, Dacheng lifted his shirt and repeated his earlier story, even squeezing out a few tears to look extra pitiful.

Da Bao, face flushed, stepped forward. “You’re lying! I didn’t do it. You were the one who called us bastards and jinxes first, that’s why I hit you. If Er Dan hadn’t helped, Bei Bei would’ve been pushed into the river by Shi Tou and the others.”

Bei Bei rolled up her sleeve, tears in her eyes. “My arm still hurts.”

There were indeed dark red marks on the child’s arm—the other kids were all older than her.

“Big Brother, I believe the children wouldn’t lie. Let’s get the facts straight first,” Xu Huaian said calmly.

Gu Qinghuan, heart aching, pulled Bei Bei into her arms. No wonder she’d been struggling to hold her chopsticks at dinner—her arm was hurt.

Xu Huaizhi was momentarily stunned.

But Lin Xiaomeng was convinced Dacheng was innocent.

“If they’re not lying, are you saying my Dacheng is? Huaizhi, stop wasting time—grab those two brats! I’m going to teach them a lesson myself today!”

Gu Qinghuan flared up too. “I’d like to see you try!”

A fight was about to break out.

In the end, the two men managed to hold onto a shred of reason.

Xu Huaizhi pulled Lin Xiaomeng back.

Xu Huaian suggested, “Instead of arguing here, why don’t we ask Shi Tou, Er Dan, and the other kids who were there? We’ll know the truth then.”

Xu Huaizhi nodded. “That’s a good idea.”

Dacheng started to panic—if they found Er Dan and Shi Tou, wouldn’t his lie be exposed?

What made him even more upset was that, in the past, whenever he bullied those two, the family always sided with him.

Now, those two little brats actually had someone to protect them. He’d been beaten up like this, yet second uncle still believed they weren’t at fault.

He was scared, but also unwilling to accept it.

Gu Qinghuan agreed to this solution as well.

Only Lin Xiaomeng grumbled, “What’s the point? Dacheng’s already been beaten up like this!”

Gu Qinghuan sneered, “Just because someone gets beaten up doesn’t mean they’re in the right. Maybe some people go looking for a beating!”

Lin Xiaomeng glared at her fiercely.

The group took the children to find the other kids who’d been present that afternoon.

Just as Xu Huaizhi was about to question them, Xu Huaian stopped him. “Big Brother, if we question them all together, they might coordinate their stories. It’s fairer if we ask them separately.”

Xu Huaizhi thought about it and agreed.

So they separated the children and questioned them one by one, taking it very seriously.

Many villagers came to watch the commotion.

After all, it was rare for a family to make such a fuss over a kids’ scuffle—especially when the kids fighting were all relatives.

There’d been no shortage of gossip about the village secretary’s family lately.

Er Dan, the team leader’s youngest son, was a sturdy, honest boy. As soon as he heard they were asking about the afternoon, he quickly described what he’d seen.

His account matched Da Bao’s and Bei Bei’s almost exactly.

But Shi Tou and the other kids tried every trick in the book.

Faced with the adults’ stern questioning, they didn’t dare admit to bullying anyone with Dacheng, so they started making things up, trying to pin the blame on Da Bao.

But since they were questioned separately, they couldn’t coordinate their stories, and each version was different.

Anyone with eyes could see they were lying.

Xu Huaizhi’s mood hit rock bottom.

But Lin Xiaomeng still had blind confidence in Dacheng.

“Gu Qinghuan, did you hear that? Shi Tou and the others all said it wasn’t Dacheng who started it. The minority should obey the majority—aren’t you going to admit you’re wrong?”

Gu Qinghuan burst out laughing. “A brain is a wonderful thing—too bad you don’t have one! Since when is this about majority rule?”

Xu Huaizhi pulled the fuming Lin Xiaomeng back. “Enough! Stop embarrassing yourself.”

Honestly, he and Xu Mingshan really were father and son—they even scolded people the same way.

The result was obvious to anyone with sense, but some people just refused to admit defeat.

Gu Qinghuan gathered the lying kids together. “I know you’re all lying, but you’re just trying to protect your friend. I won’t blame you.

Here’s a handful of White Rabbit candies. Whoever tells the truth in front of everyone gets them as a reward.”

Shi Tou and the others looked at each other, then all shouted at once, “Me! I’ll tell the truth! Me!”

Friendship meant nothing in the face of a handful of White Rabbit candies.

Gu Qinghuan was pleased and pointed at Shi Tou. “You’re the loudest—you tell us! Only one chance. If you lie again, no candy.”

Wanting the reward, Shi Tou described exactly what had happened.

His story matched Er Dan’s, Da Bao’s, and Bei Bei’s.

Now the truth was finally clear.

Gu Qinghuan handed the White Rabbit candies to Shi Tou without hesitation. The other kids looked on enviously.

Even though Lin Xiaomeng realized she’d wrongly accused someone, she still stubbornly insisted, “You bribed them!”

“Whatever method I used, the truth is out now,” Gu Qinghuan said, spreading her hands.

Xu Huaizhi, still with some sense of shame, stepped forward awkwardly. “Second Brother, Sister-in-law, sorry. We came here without knowing the facts and caused you trouble.

Dacheng, get out here and apologize to Da Bao and Bei Bei.”

Dacheng hid behind Lin Xiaomeng, shouting unwillingly, “I won’t! I did nothing wrong! They’re just bastards and jinxes—Grandma said so!”

He shouted and cried at the same time.

Xu Huaizhi’s face darkened instantly.

What kind of mother teaches her child to say things like that?

Lin Xiaomeng hugged her son protectively. “If he doesn’t want to apologize, then forget it. Those two are fine anyway—it was just a few words. But our Dacheng got beaten up—why should we apologize?”

Xu Huaizhi glared at the mother and son in disappointment. “You’re spoiling him! That’s why he’s turned out like this!”

He was away from home most of the time and hadn’t realized when his son had learned to lie, insult others, and bully his siblings.

“Just a few words? Da Bao, Bei Bei, go ahead and say the same things back. After all, your aunt is so generous—she won’t mind,” Gu Qinghuan said, refusing to let them off the hook.

Da Bao shook his head. “Mom, he was wrong to insult us, but I don’t want to say those things. It would hurt others and damage my own character. That’s not right.”

Gu Qinghuan had only wanted her child to vent, but she hadn’t expected such a response. She was both surprised and proud.

Xu Huaian had taught him well. If he hadn’t died young in the book, Da Bao probably wouldn’t have turned out so badly.

Luckily, everything in this life could be rewritten.

He wouldn’t hurt others, but when insulted, he could stand up for himself—kind, yet with an edge. Very good.

Da Bao would definitely grow up to be a strong and upright man.

“Good boy. Mommy is so proud of you!”"

"Chapter 59: Drunken Misconduct