Shuangling: Braving the Rapids

Aimin was pulled aside by the villagers to explain chrysanthemum planting techniques, but the harvesting progress was not affected at all. Needless to say, this is all thanks to Ma Xiangju!

No one knows what method she used, but Ma Xiangju managed to find five or six young wives to help. These women were all experts at picking cotton, and now, facing these delicate chrysanthemums, they didn't even bother to wear protective gloves. They simply lined up in a "one" shape and moved among the chrysanthemum rows, filling their baskets with fresh chrysanthemums wherever they went.

It must be said that picking chrysanthemums is easier than most farm work. The young wives looked relaxed and their eyes were light as they chatted and joked while they finished the work.

At this moment, the chrysanthemum field is a scene of abundant harvest, and the cheerful laughter echoes among the flowers.

Whenever there's such a lively occasion, there's always one person who's there. Who is it? It's none other than the old bachelor Qin Ergou!

Now, the moment has finally come for the rural grassroots social activist, the Qin family village's recognized veteran rumor-monger, troublemaker, and troublemaker to make his dazzling debut!

Seeing Ma Xiangju carrying a basket on her head and weaving through the chrysanthemum bushes, Qin Ergou's beady eyes darted around twice, and in the blink of an eye, he came up with a wicked plan.

After aiming at the other party's route, the old bachelor crouched down, using the dense chrysanthemum bushes as cover, and crouched down on the path the other party was sure to take. But then he grinned and stealthily stretched out one leg.

Ever since he was wronged by Ma Xiangju during the fire, Qin Ergou had been holding his breath. After being dealt with by his two cousins, Aimin and his cousin, he became even more determined to get revenge.

Due to his limited strength, he dared not target Qin Laishun and Qin Shuangling, so he turned his attention to his old nemesis, Ma Xiangju.

But Ma Xiangju was no pushover! This shrewd and strong-willed woman from another province had already spotted Qin Ergou hiding in the chrysanthemum bushes. Knowing he was going to trip her up, she decided to play along and slowly made her way towards the trap.

Poor Qin Ergou was happily fantasizing about the scene of the woman falling face-first into the mud when, unexpectedly, Ma Xiangju raised her right foot high and stomped hard on his outstretched foot. A sharp pain shot through his toes, and before he could even scream, she decisively raised a basket and slammed it down on his head with a loud thud!

"Ouch! That hurts so much!"

Qin Ergou clutched his foot and yelled incoherently. Having suffered a loss and with his view blocked by the basket, the old bachelor instinctively tried to escape, but Ma Xiangju held him firmly against the edge of the basket. His strength, which should have been superior, was now useless due to the swelling and pain in his toes, and he was also entangled in the chrysanthemum bushes and couldn't break free.

"Xiaoyu and Xiaozhen, come quick! Look, I've caught a stray dog! Hahaha!" With her overwhelming advantage, Ma Xiangju called over several young wives.

These women, who had often been bullied by old bachelors, seized this opportunity to retaliate against Qin Ergou. Some kicked him in the buttocks, some spat on him, and some swung baskets at him, making Qin Ergou howl and run around in pain.

The onlookers, young and old, laughed so hard they slapped their thighs, but not one of them intervened—this scoundrel had done so many bad things in his life, he deserved this retribution!

"Qin Ergou, you're a dog that can't change its nature! You made up lies to smear me before, and now you're trying to trip me up. I'll kick you to death today!" Ma Xiangju spat and cursed as she violently attacked.

"Xiangju! I...I was wrong! I won't do it again! Please forgive me this once!" Qin Ergou, carrying a basket on his head, kept begging for mercy. Seeing that the old bachelor had given in, the young wives then began to persuade Ma Xiangju.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Qin Ergou scrambled out of the encirclement. He was indeed shameless; as soon as he escaped, his mouth started taunting again, "Xiangju! Don't think that just because you hit me, I didn't lose out! Look! I've trampled over a whole patch of those fragrant... chrysanthemums! Hahaha!"

This is a manifestation of Ah Q's spirit of self-deception. At this moment, he clenched the chrysanthemum petals on his head into his hand, rubbed them for a moment, and then put them to his nostrils. The scene was so lewd that it disgusted Ma Xiangju and the other young wives.

The onlookers burst into laughter again, and Ma Xiangju's "highland red" face became even more pronounced. She was both ashamed and angry, and chased after him with short, quick steps.

Knowing he was no match for Qin Ergou, he slipped like a slippery eel and disappeared behind the crowd of onlookers.

Ma Xiangju had no intention of letting him off easily, and chased after him relentlessly, determined to take revenge.

And so, a cat-and-mouse game unfolded in the fields. The two chased each other from the paddy field ridges to the chrysanthemum fields, and then from the chrysanthemum fields into the crowd…

Ma Xiangju was exhausted, and Qin Ergou, being a natural sycophant, was widening the distance between them. At this moment, the old bachelor thought he was about to escape, and while running, he turned his head to laugh at the woman behind him. But in that moment of distraction, Qin Ergou bumped into a pot-bellied middle-aged man.

The old man was none other than Qin Laishun, the number one figure in Qin Family Village. At this moment, he grabbed Qin Ergou by the back of the neck and pulled him up.

Before the "all-powerful" top leader, Qin Ergou was powerless to resist. He was like a little duck flapping wildly in the air. Then, the other party pushed him to the ground with a little force.

"Qin Ergou! You're itching for a beating again, aren't you? Have you forgotten how I taught you a lesson last time? I told you not to disgust Aimin again, and now what are you doing in Kikuta? You're a real bastard, one bad apple spoils the whole bunch!"

As Qin Laishun cursed, he kicked Qin Ergou hard in the groin. This was no small matter; Qin Ergou grimaced in pain, clutching his groin and rolling on the ground.

Seeing the old bachelor beaten into such a miserable state, Ma Xiangju, who had chased after them, felt a pang of pity. She knew Qin Ergou was no good, but if the beating continued, the man would either be beaten to death or crippled.

So she ran up to Qin Laishun and pleaded, "Secretary Laishun, give me this filthy mess, don't get your feet dirty!"

Upon hearing this, the villagers who had been watching rushed over to try and break up the fight. They were all neighbors, and even if Qin Ergou was disliked, they figured he should at least be taught a lesson; they couldn't just stand by and watch him get beaten to a pulp.

Shockingly, Qin Laishun still refused to stop. His face contorted with rage, and even after Qin Ergou had begged for mercy, he continued to punch and kick him.

Qin Laishun's actions were a bit too domineering, and people couldn't help but wonder, was this still the same production team leader who was smooth in dealing with people and knew how to unite the villagers? How could he be even more ruthless than "Southern Tyrant" and "Huang Shiren"?

Seeing that a fatality was imminent, Aimin pushed through the crowd to protect Qin Ergou. He grabbed Qin Laishun's arm and said, "Brother, calm down. If someone gets seriously injured, things will get complicated!"

Upon seeing his cousin, Qin Laishun first smiled broadly, then roared at Qin Ergou, who was lying on the ground, "I'll spare you for now for Aimin's sake. If there's a next time, I'll skin you alive! What are you looking at? Get out of here!"

Qin Ergou glared at Qin Laishun with resentment and sorrow. The old bachelor was truly resilient; drawing strength from who-knows-where, he pushed off the ground and scrambled towards the village, howling as he ran.

"Qin Laishun! You've gone too far! Even Uncle Hai has never hit me like this. You've only been in charge for a short time, you...you just wait! I'm not done with you today!"

Qin Laishun roared and was about to give chase when Aimin grabbed him around the waist. This bought Qin Ergou some time to escape. However, someone like him, it was hard to say whether he would ever appreciate Aimin's kindness. Given his temperament, who knew he might turn on him one day…