Chapter 26: Li Peng's Opportunity

Early the next morning, Diao Xiaojiao headed straight for the town middle school.

The police had made it clear yesterday: the case could only be held at the local station for three days at most. If they didn't obtain a letter of forgiveness within that time, the case would be escalated to formal procedures, and by then, it would be too late.

She cursed Li Qi countless times in her heart. If it weren't for that little brat causing trouble, how could she have ended up in such a predicament? Still, she had weathered countless storms throughout her life, and she was confident that things would eventually unfold the way she wanted.

She signed in at the school gate, but the security guard wouldn't let her in, telling her to wait outside. Since Li Peng had a class, he didn't emerge for another fifty minutes.

Diao Xiaojiao had barely slept the night before, and after traveling all morning, she could hardly stand. She leaned against a tree, her body swaying, nearly fainting.

When Li Peng saw Diao Xiaojiao, his mood soured instantly. The mother-in-law of his eldest sister’s husband had a notorious reputation. She wasn't just a terror in her own village; she was a legendary shrew in the surrounding area—the type who would insist she was right even when she was wrong and would never let a grudge go. As a woman in her fifties, she was at the peak of her feistiness, spewing filth and vulgarities with such ease that she could curse for three days straight without ever repeating a line. Li Peng had witnessed her rants before and was left with psychological scars. She was a master of vitriol who had spent her entire life maxing out her skills in being unreasonable.

He wanted nothing to do with such a vile woman. He just wanted to get rid of her as quickly as possible. He walked over to her and asked impatiently, "Auntie Diao, what are you doing here?"

Diao Xiaojiao grabbed his hand. "Li's eldest boy, you must stand up for me today..."

After ten minutes of her tearful, incoherent rambling, Li Peng finally managed to piece together the truth from her web of lies and insults: The Gao family had brought men to beat up his father and his third brother. Now, because of the suspected assault, nine men were being held at the station and needed Li Qi to issue a letter of forgiveness to avoid jail time.

Finally, Diao Xiaojiao gritted her teeth and said, "Li's eldest boy, you're an educated man and a reasonable one. This whole thing was started by your sister and your third brother; we, the Gao family, are clearly the victims. I won't say anything more now. I'll give you five hundred yuan if you get that little brat Li Qi to sign the letter for me. I’d rather give the money to you than to your third brother; he’s so heartless that no decent person would ever do what he did."

Li Peng paused, his mind racing. He was planning to buy a degree in the south, which would cost five thousand yuan in total. His third brother had already forced him to hand over seventeen hundred, and he could probably borrow another fifteen hundred from his colleagues. If he could squeeze two thousand out of Diao Xiaojiao, he would have enough for his bachelor’s degree!

At this thought, he was so excited he could have jumped. In his eyes, the old woman suddenly became much more pleasant. She was no longer a shrew, but a goddess of wealth who would help him climb the social ladder.

Li Peng adjusted his expression, feigning a look of indignation. "The third one is truly out of line. We’re all family; how could he act like that? He’s just uneducated and acts without thinking. He has no sense of principle when it comes to right and wrong. But you all were too impulsive, too—how could you block my door and beat people up?"

Diao Xiaojiao was fuming inside. If it weren't for Li Qi and Li Li making trouble and forcing her son to sign some agreement, none of this would have happened. It was the Li family bullying them. But despite her rage, she had to force a smile. "Yes, yes, my Jianye was pushed to the edge and acted impulsively. And my daughters-in-law, they were the ones egging the men on. I tried my best to stop them, but I couldn't. I’m old, and my words don't carry much weight at home anymore. Now that things have turned out so ugly, it’s not good for either family, is it? Look..."

Li Peng clicked his tongue. Diao Xiaojiao was truly shameless, distancing herself from the trouble the moment it started. Those men in the Gao family couldn't even decide what to eat without asking her permission; the idea that she had no say in their actions was laughable. It was absolutely disgusting.

But he couldn't let his true feelings show on his face. He continued, "But the matter has already reached the police station. My father and brother didn't get beaten for nothing. What is five hundred yuan supposed to do? It’s not even enough for medical bills. As you said, their heads were broken; what if there are long-term complications? Their lives could be ruined."

Diao Xiaojiao felt a surge of irritation at his haggling. The Li family really was rotten to the core! It was obvious he thought the amount was too low. Five hundred yuan was nearly half a year's wages for her son. Over the years, by controlling the household finances—collecting her three sons' salaries and her husband's pension—she had only managed to save about five thousand yuan. Taking out five hundred was already killing her.

Her tone sharpened as she raised her voice. "Then what do you mean? Our Gao family men got their heads broken too! I'm not even asking you to pay for that, so what else do you want?"

Li Peng didn't budge. "Two thousand yuan. Don't try to bargain with me. You bring me two thousand, and I'll make the third one give you that letter."

"Are you out of your mind? Two thousand? Why don't you go rob a bank! You can't even make two cents selling your own wife, and you think you can demand two thousand from me? You..."

Diao Xiaojiao was beyond furious. She went full throttle, her spittle nearly spraying all over Li Peng’s head.

Li Peng turned and walked away. Fearing her harassment, he even broke into a light jog, rushing back into the school and telling the guard, "Whatever you do, don't let that old hag in!"

He knew full well that five hundred yuan wouldn't cover anything, and since his wife, Du Li, found out his savings had been taken by Li Qi, he had already been kneeling on a washboard for two days. This was the perfect opportunity to turn things around. He didn't care how much she cursed; he would just let her stew for a while.

Diao Xiaojiao stood at the gate, screaming at the top of her lungs for over ten minutes, but she eventually gave up, lacking the energy she had in her younger years. If she were younger, she would have kept going until the students were dismissed.

After catching her breath, she decided to head to the hospital to find Li Qi. Although she wanted to stab that little brat to death, her husband, her three sons, and her two brothers-in-law were all at the station. She couldn't explain their absence to the mine leaders for another day. She didn't dare delay; if they missed three days of work and received disciplinary action, it would affect their pay.

With that, Diao Xiaojiao suppressed her rage and set off to find Li Qi.