Chapter 79: Jin Xiuyi Loses His Temper
There was no emotion on Doctor Jin’s face. He simply nodded lightly at the village chief and said calmly, “Village Chief, you heard it just now—this boy personally admitted to pushing someone. The only difference is that the one he pushed wasn’t the Wen family’s child.”
The village chief looked slightly embarrassed and nodded. “Yes… I heard it.”
He then turned to Li San and Li Erhu and said, “Li Erhu, do you admit to pushing someone?”
“I… I…” Li Erhu stammered, unable to deny it.
Doctor Jin let out a cold chuckle and said, “Now I’ll tell you who it was you pushed. Yi’er.”
Jin Xiuyi had already been seething with rage. If Wen Jun hadn’t been holding him back, he would have charged out long ago. Now, hearing Doctor Jin call him, he immediately broke free from Wen Jun’s grip, stepped forward, and called out loudly with his head held high, “Grandfather!”
The village chief’s face changed instantly.
“This…” He was at a complete loss for words, speechless for a moment. All he could do was glare fiercely at the Li family and shout, “Li Erhu, aren’t you going to apologize?”
Do they have any idea who they’ve offended?
But Doctor Jin coldly interrupted him. “No need for an apology. Li Erhu, look carefully. The person you pushed—was him.”
Li Erhu was clearly frightened. He burst into tears and shouted, “I didn’t mean to! I didn’t push the Wen family’s mute kid, he ran into me himself—it wasn’t me! It wasn’t me!”
“You may not have pushed Wen Nong, but you did push me. If Wen Nong hadn’t blocked me, I would have fallen into the river.” Jin Xiuyi stood tall, his gaze icy as he stared at Li Erhu.
In front of the Wen family, Jin Xiuyi could act like a child, but after all, he came from a prominent family. His father held office at the Hanlin Academy, and his natural bearing was not to be underestimated. Now that he deliberately released his presence, the Li family was completely stunned.
“You didn’t give me the egg,” Li Erhu cried out.
Jin Xiuyi clenched his fists in fury. He looked up at Doctor Jin and asked, “Grandfather, may I handle this myself?”
Doctor Jin nodded.
With permission granted, Jin Xiuyi took a step forward and continued, “You said you didn’t know who I am. Then let me tell you now. The man before you, Doctor Jin, is my grandfather. My father serves as an official in the capital, a fourth-rank Hanlin scholar of the Hanlin Academy. What you did today already constitutes attempted murder. I only need to write one letter to my father, and your entire Li family will be thrown in prison.”
Hua—
The entire crowd erupted in astonishment, gasping as they looked at Jin Xiuyi in disbelief. The boy who moments ago had seemed like a mere child now stood before them as someone completely beyond their reach.
The capital—that was a place they’d never even seen in their lifetimes. And yet this boy claimed his father was an official there. Fourth-rank! They didn’t even know exactly what a fourth-rank meant, but even their county magistrate was only seventh-rank!
Everyone involuntarily stepped back, and the circle of spectators widened.
The village chief’s expression changed drastically. He quickly stepped forward to mediate, glaring furiously at the Li family. “Li San, this is the good son you’ve raised? Aren’t you going to apologize immediately?”
The Li family was stunned. Prison? Their entire family?
“No, I don’t want to go to jail! Dad, Mom, I don’t want to go to jail!” Li Erhu wailed.
His mother collapsed to the ground in fear. Li San’s face turned ashen. Li Dahu was hiding inside the house, afraid to come out. None of them made a move to comfort Li Erhu, their once-pampered little tyrant.
Jin Xiuyi snorted coldly and turned to the Wen family. He took Granny Luo’s hand and asked, “Granny Wen, do you want them imprisoned? I can write to my father.”
Granny Luo hadn’t yet recovered from the shock of Jin Xiuyi’s identity. It wasn’t until he pulled her hand that she snapped back to reality. She opened her mouth and asked, “They’ll really all go to jail?”
Jin Xiuyi nodded firmly. “Yes. One word to my father, and not a single one of them will escape.”
Doctor Jin glanced at him but said nothing.
Now fully understanding that she hadn’t misheard, that Doctor Jin’s son was truly a high-ranking official in the capital, Granny Luo suddenly felt emboldened. No matter what, the Li family had to be taught a lesson today. Otherwise, who knew how they might retaliate in the future.
“If that’s the case, then you should—”
Before she could finish, Li Erhu’s mother let out a wail and flung herself to the ground, kneeling before Granny Luo and repeatedly kowtowing. “Aunt Wen! We were wrong! We were wrong! We won’t dare again! Please don’t send us to jail!”
Li San also came to his senses and knelt down too, kowtowing to the Wen family while pressing Li Erhu’s head down, begging, “We were wrong. We admit it. We’ll never dare again. Aunt Wen, Uncle Wen, Brother Xiuyi—think of our childhood friendship! Please have mercy! Don’t send us to jail!”
He looked at Jin Xiuyi, then at Doctor Jin and the Wen family, repeating, “We’ll take responsibility. We’ll pay for Wen Nong’s medical expenses. We know we were wrong. Aunt Wen, please forgive us!”
So many people were watching. So many witnesses. They could deny Li Erhu had pushed Wen Nong, but no one could deny that he’d pushed the Jin family’s young master.
That was even more serious than pushing Wen Nong—it could destroy their entire family.
“He peed himself!” Tie Niu suddenly shouted from the crowd, and only then did everyone notice that Li Erhu, pinned down by his father, had indeed wet himself.
Tie Niu’s mother quickly covered his mouth and dragged him a few steps back, afraid someone from the Wen or Jin family would hear.
Jin Xiuyi gave Li Erhu a disdainful look. With this kind of courage, and you still dared to harm others?
The Li family continued to beg for forgiveness, promising to pay for medical expenses. The Wen family, however, remained silent.
Doctor Jin looked like it had nothing to do with him at all, clearly leaving the decision entirely to Jin Xiuyi.
The village chief had no choice but to step forward, cupped his hands toward Jin Xiuyi and Granny Luo, and said, “Young Master Jin, Aunt Wen… Since they know they were wrong and are willing to pay compensation, do you think we could… ease up a bit? Aunt Wen, we’re all from the same village. Let’s talk things through calmly.”
Granny Luo held Jin Xiuyi’s hand and looked at Wen Xiuyi.
“Eldest, what do you think we should do?”
Wen Xiuyi was still in shock himself. So having powerful backing really did make things easier. This little guy had subdued the Li family with just a few words.
He never imagined that he, Wen Xiuyi, would one day be the one using someone else’s influence.
“Li Erhu, you’ve bullied Wen Nong again and again—bullied the children of our Wen family. How should we settle this debt?” Wen Xiuyi looked down coldly at the Li family.
Li San seemed to glimpse a glimmer of hope and quickly said, “I’ll pay! Brother Xiuyi, I’ll pay. Whatever the medical fees are, I’ll pay. We truly know we were wrong. I swear, from now on, I won’t let Erhu bully the Wen children again. No—not just Wen children. If he ever bullies any kid in the village again, I’ll break his legs myself. Brother Xiuyi, we grew up together in the same village. Please, help me beg Young Master Jin for mercy. I’m begging you—we really can’t afford to go to jail!”
