The rumors spread around in the village and reached Qiao Zhuang’s ears very quickly. The version that Qiao Zhuang heard was even more ridiculous. The story was that Qiao Zhuang had threatened Qiao Yu to go from house to house to beg for food and even when she got the food, he still abused her. As soon as this story came out, Zhao Liang brought a group of militiamen to Qiao Zhuang’s house to look for him.
“Is Qiao Zhuang here!” Zhao Liang shouted from the door.
“Who is it! What’s the matter!” Qiao Zhuang came out of the house, and even though he saw that Zhao Liang had brought so many militiamen with him, he was not afraid at all. After all, he had been a bully in this village for most of his life and everyone knew what he was capable of.
“Do you know about the rumors flying around in the village recently?” Zhao Liang did not beat around the bush and went straight to the point.
“In the village? What did people say?” Qiao Zhuang looked puzzled.
“Oh, you still don’t know. They said that you, Qiao Zhuang, abused Qiao Yu and beat her up and asked her to go from house to house to ask for food, and told her to cause trouble in other people’s houses if she couldn’t get the food. Many villagers have already confirmed that Qiao Yu has done this at many houses,” Zhao Liang said.
Qiao Zhuang was furious when he heard this. He smashed the hoe beside him and said, “Which bastard is lying! When have I ever done this!”
Zhao Liang did not want to waste any more time with him since the purpose of the visit was to inform him of the issue. There was nothing beneficial about continuing with the conversation given that it may lead to trouble.
“Qiao Zhuang, please handle your own family matters. Don’t let such rumors spread in the village anymore.” After saying that, Zhao Liang left with the militiamen.
Qiao Zhuang picked up a stick in the courtyard angrily and went into the house to look for Qiao Yu. All the people in the house were so frightened that they quickly hid from him. The eldest son, Qiao Fu, hurriedly stopped Qiao Zhuang and said, “Father, what’s wrong with you, why are you so angry?”
Qiao Zhuang threw the stick down and said furiously, “Go! Find that asshole Qiao Yu for me! How dare she go out and spread rumors! How dare she go out and embarrass me!”
When Liu Ying and Jiang Ye heard this, they quickly ran out to look for Qiao Yu. Wang Qin had a very high status in the family and was about to get up to look for Qiao Yu when Qiao Zhuang stopped her.
“You’re the accountant of the village brigade. How can you not know when even Zhao Liang knows about this matter?” Qiao Zhuang narrowed his eyes and looked at Wang Qin.
Wang Qin got so frightened that her legs went weak. She sat down near the fireplace and stammered but no words came out.
“Speak up! Are you mute!” Qiao Zhuang picked up the stick from the ground and struck it against the ground.
Wang Qin was so afraid that she kept trembling and sputtered, “I… I’ve been going there early recently… and coming back early. I really didn’t hear about what happened in the village…”
Qiao Gui tried to allay Wang Qin’s fear by saying, “Father, what my wife said is true. She really hasn’t been to the brigade much recently. I don’t even know about this matter.”
Qiao Zhuang’s wife stayed at the side and kept quiet. Qiao Zhuang looked at the family and felt that he had nowhere to vent his anger, so he pointed at his wife and said, “You’ve raised such a good daughter! She’s been spreading nonsense outside! Where are the things she got from others! She says she goes out every day to beg for food! So where are the things!”
Qiao Zhuang pointed at his sons and daughters-in-law and asked them. No one knew what Qiao Yu had brought back. The fourth daughter-in-law said softly, “I… I saw Qiao Yu leave the village yesterday… I don’t know where she went…”
“Left the village? How could she leave the village? She didn’t go to work and went out of the village instead?” Qiao Zhuang frowned and looked at his fourth daughter-in-law.
“I! I’m telling the truth! I saw it with my own eyes! But I don’t know where she went!” The fourth daughter-in-law quickly waved her hands. She was afraid that Qiao Zhuang would think that she was in cahoots with Qiao Yu and that he would think that she was lying.
Qiao put down the stick in his hand angrily and sat near the fireplace. He said to his fourth daughter-in-law, “Alright, I hear you. Go get me some water.”
The fourth daughter-in-law hurriedly left the fireplace and went to pour water for him. The sons all sat in the house and did not dare to make any sound. The house was quiet as they waited for the eldest daughter-in-law, Liu Ying, and the third daughter-in-law, Jiang Ye, to find Qiao Yu to come back and clarify the matter so that they would not be implicated.
Qiao Zhuang thought about what Zhao Liang had said and planned how to deal with that wretched girl Qiao Yu.