The room fell into a hush as the officers turned their gaze to Gu Zi, their eyes lighting up at the sight of her. It wasn't just her beauty that captivated them, but also her eloquence and intelligence. She had a way of dealing with even the most difficult of families. Su Shen's choice of a wife was incredible.
Su Shen pulled Gu Zi into his embrace, a gesture that sent an unexpected jolt through her heart despite the tense atmosphere. He leaned in, his voice low as he spoke to her. "Let's hold out together against them. Until this matter is resolved, no one is leaving."
With that, Su Shen cast a glance at the others in the room, prompting the officers to tactfully shift their gaze elsewhere. Gu Zi was left puzzled. Had Su Shen just glared at the law enforcement officer? His expression was fierce, yet somehow, incredibly attractive.
Meanwhile, Old Lady Lin was nursing a throbbing headache. A female officer, taking pity on her due to her advanced age, guided her to a seat where she could rest.
Lin Laoyao and his wife, feeling rightfully chastised, seemed to realize their mistake. However, they didn't care much about right or wrong. They hadn't come here to argue, but to play the family card and privately settle the matter with Lin Lao'er's family. But they were no match for Gu Zi.
Gu Zi was too crafty for her own good. She was nothing like an eighteen-year-old girl; she was more like a savvy woman in her thirties. She claimed to be willing to wait it out with them, but in reality, she was keeping them all here, not allowing them to do anything.
Time was something they couldn't afford to waste. They still had to find connections to appease Lin Jie and seek help from Lin Jie's fiancée. They couldn't afford to be held here indefinitely.
Lin Laoyao thought to himself that they had made an enemy today. Once he had paid the money, he would make sure to get back tenfold for the humiliation he and his son had suffered. He didn't believe that Gu Zi, with her high-profile and uncompromising approach, could continue to have it her way.
One day, he would teach this insolent niece of his a lesson.
No more than two minutes had passed after Gu Zi finished speaking when Lin Laoyao, with an air of urgency, compelled his wife to hand over the money. Then, with his wife in tow, Lin Laoyao made his exit.
Off to the side, Old Lady Lin finally caught her breath and hurriedly followed them. To an outsider, it would seem as if she had only one son to worry about.
Mother Lin, looking at the two hundred yuan that Gu Zi had placed in her hand, let out a long sigh of relief. "This matter should finally be coming to a close," she said.
Gu Zi and Su Shen escorted Mother Lin back to the hospital.
On the drive back to the village, Gu Zi asked Su Shen, "Did my assertive demeanor earlier frighten you?"
Sitting upright and gazing straight ahead, Su Shen pondered for a moment before responding, "On the contrary, I think it was quite effective. Maintain that attitude, it will prevent you from being taken advantage of."
Su Shen didn't find his wife's assertiveness intimidating. After all, the fault lay with Lin Laoyao and Lin Jie. Gu Zi was merely seeking justice for her biological father.
Moreover, Gu Zi was right. If a person like Lin Jie wasn't disciplined, who knew what harm he could cause in the future?
If his parents couldn't discipline him, then it was perfectly acceptable for the state to do so.
A faint smile played at the corners of Gu Zi's mouth. Su Shen didn't find her strong-willed demeanor off-putting, but rather admirable.
Regardless of how others perceived her, Gu Zi didn't care. However, Su Shen was her confidant. She didn't expect them to agree on everything, but at the very least, their values should align.
Gu Zi's trust in Su Shen deepened, and she found herself opening up more, sharing her innermost thoughts.
"I know that settling this matter privately would be the most socially acceptable course of action," she began, "but I don't want that. I don't want to maintain any semblance of a relationship with Lin Laoyao's family. That would be an ongoing emotional drain, like a slow-acting poison. It may not be lethal at first, but it slowly eats away at you, which is far more terrifying than a poison that kills instantly."
In this era, people's awareness of the law was rather thin, especially in the village. When incidents of fighting or brawling occurred, resulting in minor or severe injuries, even disability or death, people often chose to settle the matter privately, or simply let it go.
Few people would actively seek help from law enforcement, all because of the word "relationships."
If the bully and the victim were related, the two families would try to downplay the situation. This was a society built on relationships, where causing a scene was frowned upon and could easily lead to criticism.
Furthermore, everyone knew each other and lived close by. If a dispute were pursued to the end and relationships were ruined, retaliation was inevitable. Therefore, everyone chose to compromise, as long as it didn't involve losing face..
...