Chapter Seven: Tang Xue Was Bullied (New Book—Please Show Your Support!)

When Li Yi returned to Nianzishan Village, it was already past three in the afternoon. He didn’t go straight home but first hurried to the youth point in the compound of the village committee by mule cart.

With so many educated youths returning to the city now, those with connections had long since left, leaving the once lively youth point cold and deserted.

In his previous life, Li Yi had come here with his third sister to deliver things to Tang Xue, so he vaguely remembered that Tang Xue lived in a side room on the west side of the courtyard.

After tying the mule’s reins to a large poplar tree thick enough to embrace, Li Yi took some twisted fried dough sticks and headed toward Tang Xue’s dormitory.

Just as he reached the door, he heard muffled sobbing inside, accompanied by the comforting voice of his third sister, Li Na.

Worried that something might have happened to Tang Xue, Li Yi pushed open the wooden door with a shove.

Before him lay a scene of chaos: the table was overturned, its contents scattered across the floor. Among the mess, Li Yi spotted a thermos bottle shattered on the cold ground, the glass fragments strewn everywhere, its inner liner clearly broken.

Tang Xue sat on the cold floor, sobbing uncontrollably, her shoulders trembling slightly, her expression shattered and utterly despairing.

Li Na was holding her, offering continuous comfort.

The noise of the door opening startled them both, and upon seeing Li Yi, they both froze.

Though Li Yi didn’t know what had happened, he could tell Tang Xue had clearly been wronged.

He strode over and, to the astonishment of the two women, lifted Tang Xue from the cold floor and laid her gently on the wooden bed nearby.

Then he looked at Li Na and asked, “Sister, what happened?”

Li Na was about to speak but saw Tang Xue shaking her head vigorously, signaling her to remain silent.

Li Na immediately snapped back to her senses, realizing she had been careless. She knew well what kind of person Li Yi was. If he learned the whole story, there would be a huge scene, and it might spiral out of control.

Thinking this, she tried to find an excuse to brush it off.

But Li Yi was no fool. A billionaire decades in the future, he could see through their little scheme.

Before Li Na could say a word, he said firmly, “Sister, no matter what happened, we face it together. There's no use in hiding or avoiding it.”

“The village is so small; nothing stays secret. If you don’t tell me, I’ll just ask around until I find out. Don’t try to fool me!”

Li Na opened her mouth but finally shot Li Yi a sharp glance and said, “It’s all because of you, you little bastard. And you have the nerve to ask!”

Li Yi, sensing it was related to yesterday’s incident, felt a bit awkward and replied, “Sister, if there’s something to talk about, let’s talk. No need for personal attacks.”

“Hmph. You know Xu Hong, right? He’s the one who smashed up this room!”

“Xu Hong? Who’s that?” Li Yi frowned.

Li Na hadn’t expected Li Yi to not know Xu Hong and explained, “Xu Hong and Xiao Xue both came from Qin Province as educated youths. They’re from the same hometown.”

Suddenly, Li Yi recalled a sharp-faced, thin fellow who had occasionally appeared around Tang Xue before, often claiming to be her fellow villager. That must be the guy.

“Why did he smash Xiao Xue’s dorm?”

“Because of the quota to return to the city!”

“The quota?”

“Yes! Xiao Xue had already secured a spot to return to the city, but with this incident, if she marries you, she no longer meets the requirements, and that spot would have to be given up!”

Li Na continued, “Xu Hong knows this too, so he came today, hoping Xiao Xue would give him that quota. But Xiao Xue is conflicted and hasn’t decided whether to give up returning. Naturally, she wouldn’t agree to anything!”

“Unexpectedly, that guy turned hostile immediately. Not only did he say many nasty things, but he also overturned the table!”

Li Yi’s brow furrowed deeply. “The quota belongs to Xiao Xue. How she handles it is her own business. Giving it to him would be a favor; not giving it is only fair. What right does he have to flip the table?”

Li Na glanced at Tang Xue and then at Li Yi. “He... he used to pursue Xiao Xue, but she rejected him! And now that you’ve spread that thing about Xiao Xue all over the brigade, maybe that bastard felt jealous and angry, so he started spouting insults!”

“What exactly did he say?”

“Well...” Li Na hesitated.

Seeing her reluctance, Li Yi pressed, “Sister, at a time like this, what’s there that can’t be said?”

Suddenly, Tang Xue looked up and shouted hoarsely, “You want to know what he said? Fine, I’ll tell you! He said I’m loose and improper, that a grown woman crawling into someone else’s bed is a tramp, and I deserve to be paraded through the streets like a disgrace...”

Hearing this, anger surged within Li Yi.

He threw the twisted dough sticks onto Tang Xue’s bed, turned on his heel, and stormed out, heading toward the dormitory where the male educated youths stayed.

Seeing this, Li Na knew trouble was brewing.

Her brother was reckless and once he got fired up, no one could hold him back. If she didn’t stop him now, blood would surely be shed.

She rushed out, calling urgently, “Xiao Yi, stop right there...”

Without turning back, Li Yi said, “Sister, you watch over Xiao Xue. I’m going to find that bastard. If he dares bully my wife, does he think all the men in the Li family have died out?”

“Xiao Yi, don’t be rash. It’s not worth it over this...”

“Not worth it? That damn dog dared to bully my wife! If I don’t stand up for her, then I’m a damn cuckold!”

With that, he shrugged off Li Na’s grasp and charged toward the male dormitory.

Inside the room, Tang Xue listened to Li Yi call her “wife” repeatedly outside. Her heart, once heavy and lifeless, suddenly stirred.

Though Li Yi wasn’t an ideal match, it was clear he truly cared for her.

Moreover, when the incident happened, he immediately decided to marry her, showing a sense of responsibility.

If not for his family’s poor situation and his own notorious reputation, marrying him wouldn’t have been unacceptable.

But such thoughts flickered only momentarily in her mind. Everyone in the entire Nianzishan Brigade knew exactly what kind of person Li Yi was.

Lazy and good-for-nothing was one thing, but he also liked stealing chickens and eggs. If something went missing in the village, it was sure to be him.

He was also a ringleader among the village’s teenage troublemakers, a group of reckless youths. Last year, they killed and roasted a sheep belonging to the brigade, and it was only resolved after Li Shankui paid compensation.

Could she really marry such a man?

Thinking this, tears welled up again in Tang Xue’s eyes.