"You can cry all you want today, but you still have to explain yourself clearly," the village head's words made Su Xiaoxiao tremble, regretting not taking the easy way out earlier.
"That's right! You must explain clearly today!"
"It's just asking who you met last night. What's so difficult to say?"
"If you want to claim innocence, then give us a name!"
"Indeed, what's the use of crying? We don't buy that from you."
"..."
The villagers looked at Su Xiaoxiao and said.
"I met Zhang Lao San, alright!" Su Xiaoxiao, pushed to the brink, suddenly screamed and shouted at everyone, "Why are you all helping Fu Wenwen? What's so good about her!"
"You finally admit it!" The village head glanced coldly at Su Xiaoxiao, finding her hysterical outbursts a sign of her troubled mind. "Why help her? Wouldn't we be helping you if we didn't help her? I've never seen a girl as wicked as you. At such a young age, why would you do something so harmful?"
"I didn't harm her! I just met Zhang Lao San, and he wanted to date me, but I refused!" Su Xiaoxiao said in distress. "The reason I didn't say anything was because I was afraid you'd misunderstand my relationship with Zhang Lao San. He went to steal Fu Wenwen's grain, but I didn't tell him to! Why are you all blaming me..."
Seeing that Su Xiaoxiao was still acting and refusing to tell the truth, the village head took a puff of his cigarette. "No need for a self-criticism. Tomorrow, you'll be sent to the Public Security Bureau. You can tell the police comrades yourself!"
"I won't go! I don't want to go! Why should I go!" Hearing the village head, Su Xiaoxiao tried to escape, but the surrounding villagers blocked her.
"You have to go, whether you want to or not!" A stern voice came from behind the crowd. Everyone turned to see a police uniform, white on top and blue on the bottom, and they immediately parted to make way.
Xu Lin, who had come to the village with Fu Wenwen, saw a crowd gathered and, thinking something had happened, hurried over. He happened to overhear the village head questioning Su Xiaoxiao. Hearing her name, Xu Lin stood outside the crowd and listened for a while, until Su Xiaoxiao tried to escape and was blocked by the villagers.
When Fu Wenwen arrived with Lin An, she stood beside Xu Lin. Listening to Su Xiaoxiao's constant denials and excuses, she offered a silent prayer for her.
Now, she didn't need to say anything more. Su Xiaoxiao had dug her own grave.
If she had obediently followed the village head's advice and offered a self-criticism, Fu Wenwen might not have been able to send her to the Public Security Bureau. After all, village heads generally preferred to keep things quiet. The village head had initially intended to smooth things over.
But by provoking the village head and embarrassing him in public, she had no one to blame but herself.
Her words couldn't stand up to any scrutiny. Did she coincidentally know she was resting in the small grove? Did she coincidentally meet Zhang Lao San?
Too many coincidences meant it wasn't coincidence, but premeditation.
"Comrade police, you've come at just the right time." The village head, seeing Xu Lin, hurried to greet him.
"Hello, Village Head Zhu. Zhang Lao San has confessed, and he repeatedly mentioned the educated youth Su in his statement. Therefore, I'm here today to ask Su Xiaoxiao to accompany me," Xu Lin said, saluting the village head with a stern, professional demeanor.
Hearing Xu Lin's words, the village head glanced at Fu Wenwen. Fu Wenwen looked at the incredulous Su Xiaoxiao and grinned.