Chapter 568: Criticism
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Once the voices opposing Gu Zi’s proposal had subsided, Su Ming stood up. His posture was as upright as a pine tree, hands on his hips, he spoke without hesitation, “Enough! Where has anyone acted recklessly? I find this proposal fair. After all, when you were slinging mud at the pig farm, weren’t you also acting recklessly? Otherwise, why would you be here?”
Su Ming’s stern expression silenced the crowd for a moment. He then turned to Gu Zi and said, “Little Su’s wife, I think your proposal is reasonable. When the investigation results come out, we will proceed as you suggested. I’m not afraid to speak plainly today; this matter must be settled.
“You all should have a clear understanding of how much electricity each household pays annually, and how much the Su family pays. You know very well that you’ve been taking advantage of the pig farm, letting Su Shen bear the brunt of the costs.
“In the three villages, each household pays much less for electricity than they actually use. Yet, you still come here to make a fuss. Have you lost all your conscience, behaving so inhumanely?”
Su Ming’s words were clear and sharp. Although he didn’t directly accuse anyone of lacking conscience, everyone understood his implication. The last few sentences were directed at the people from Chen Village. Seeing the village head defending the Su family, and fearing Gu Zi’s suggestion of relocating the factory, they all stood up, accusing the people from Chen Village without mincing words.
Some hot-blooded young men even clenched their fists, wishing they could punch those few people away.
The people from Chen Village were indeed despicable. Not to mention the electricity bills, even the discounts Su Shen had given to the villagers over the years were enough to earn the gratitude of the three villages.
If Su Shen really became disheartened this time and chose to move the factory, wouldn’t the three villages revert to their original state?
In this day and age, relying solely on farming for a living would lead to starvation. The people from Chen Village were truly heartless, trying to bring everyone down with them!
The crowd’s emotions escalated, and they surrounded the few people from Chen Village, led by Da Zui, shouting and cursing at them. The insults were so harsh that even Big Yellow, the dog, shook its head, drooping its ears in an attempt to block out the noise.
The few people from Chen Village were outnumbered. Their faces turned red, and they hung their heads, feeling as if they were at a public criticism meeting. The feeling was unbearable, and they were terrified, fearing that the crowd might resort to violence.
Especially Da Zui, who was so frightened that tears streamed down her face. Her large face was a mess of snot and tears, a pitiful sight.
She was genuinely scared now, having incurred the wrath of the crowd. She hurriedly bowed to the angry crowd and apologized to Gu Zi, “Please let me see Gu Zi again. I know I was wrong. I shouldn’t have spoken nonsense. I will apologize to her in person.”
“Phooey! What’s the use of seeing her and apologizing? I think Gu Zi is right. You should pay more. Only then will you learn your lesson. You love being ungrateful, don’t you?”
“I think we should discuss this with the elders of Chen Village and drive these inhuman people out of the village. They are tarnishing our reputation. Get out of Chen Village!”
“Exactly, especially the Da Zui couple, with their malicious hearts and rotten guts. I haven’t seen Da Zui’s husband today, but if I did, I would give him a piece of my mind. In terms of seniority, I am his second uncle. I should really teach this nephew a lesson…”
Everyone had something to say, and if each person spat once, they could drown the few people in the middle. Their faces turned pale, and their mouths were full of apologies. They were on the verge of kneeling down.
Gu Zi ignored the criticism on the side. She wouldn’t repay evil with kindness. The people from Chen Village needed a lesson. They wanted the Su family to take the blame for the power outage, but in the end, they became the despised ones. They deserved it.
Su Ming said to Gu Zi, “Su Shen called. He will be back in the village tonight. We need to hold a village meeting. I told Li Zhu to come and pick you up with the ox cart in the evening.”
Upon hearing the news about Su Shen, a smile finally appeared on Gu Zi’s face. “Alright, I will be there on time. Thank you, village head, for today. I will tell Su Shen everything.”
Hearing Gu Zi’s words, Su Ming showed a kind and joyful smile. “What’s there to thank? Didn’t you hear what they said just now? Su Shen and I share the same surname, Su. Five hundred years ago, we were from the same family! Alright, alright, stop cursing at these people. At six o’clock this afternoon, each family should send a representative to the village office. We are going to have a meeting.”