"Get out, all of you. I have my own parents. I don't know any Zhao Xianming. Stop bothering me."
"Can't you forgive him, just because he's old?"
"Nothing you say matters. You were born by him, so you have to pay for his old age."
...
A group of men in their forties and fifties surrounded Jun Jiuli in the middle. An auntie held a wooden stick as thick as a small bowl.
Jun Jiuli sat on a dirt road, her throat dry and hoarse, tear tracks still visible on her face, surrounded by a crowd verbally assaulting her.
A tall man carried a camera, and a woman in a white cotton jacket, around twenty-eight years old, held a microphone close to Jun Jiuli's mouth.
Zhao Qingqing: "There are no unfilial children. Even though he didn't raise you, he gave birth to you. Twenty years have passed, can't you just forgive him?"
"Yes, yes. If not for him, how would you be here?"
Jun Jiuli: "If you were me, could you forgive him?"
Zhao Qingqing: "Of course. Filial piety comes first."
"Da Ya, no need to say so much to her. Someone who doesn't even support their own father deserves to be struck by lightning."
"That's right, that's right. We've brought him here anyway. If you don't support him, you have to."
Jun Jiuli: "Don't come any closer. I'll call the police. You people are abetting evil. Be careful you won't have a good end."
"Hey, you little girl, how can you be so wicked at such a young age?"
Zhao Qingqing: "Xiao Nan, how can you say that? We are all for your own good. Everyone here is your blood relative from the Zhao family."
Jun Jiuli: "Blood relative? Why don't you support him then?"
Zhao Qingqing: "He's not my biological father. I have to support my own father. Uncle is your responsibility. He only has you as his daughter. You can't escape this. Otherwise, we'll meet in court."
"That's right, that's right. We're giving you some face by having your cousin come. Otherwise, we'll sue you directly, and you'll be famous in this area."
The old woman with the wooden stick approached Jun Jiuli step by step, pointing the stick at her and gesturing.
"You heartless little girl, who gave you that blood and flesh? This is your own father! Do you want to abandon him to my son if you don't support him? No way."
"Yes, yes, you have to pay."
A man wearing a thin hospital gown, his skin as withered as tree bark, forced a smile that was more like a cry towards Jun Jiuli. His voice trembled as he spoke.
"Nan Nan, Dad knows he was wrong, but you've been fine all these years, haven't you? Just don't hold a grudge. Give Dad 100,000 yuan for medical treatment. Dad regrets it and will make it up to you in the future."
Shui Wa: "Holy hell, this old man is calculating. He's this old, what can he possibly make up? The original owner didn't lack a father to call."
Jun Jiuli: "Shui Wa, record this."
"One hundred thousand? I'm a university student who just started college. How can I possibly have so much money? Please, don't disturb my life anymore."
"We don't care. This is your father. You have to come up with the money no matter what. Whether you steal it, rob it, or sell yourself, it's none of our business."
"You're forcing me to death! Heavens, why is my life so miserable?" Jun Jiuli cried, tears streaming down her face like water.
"Don't you have adoptive parents? Go ask them. This is your biological father. Is he less important than two outsiders?"
"Why should a beast like him be compared to my parents? My parents raised me and paid for my education. What did he do? Nothing, yet he shamelessly demands support. You're dreaming."
"How can you talk about your own father like that? You're a useless daughter."
"I didn't ask him to give birth to me, nor did I agree to it. Besides, I don't even know if he's really my father. You're not all human traffickers, are you?"
The old woman was so angered she almost fell backward, raising the wooden stick to hit Jun Jiuli. Zhao Qingqing quickly stopped her.
"Mom, how can you hit someone? The camera is still on. Didn't I tell you to speak nicely?"
She then put on a smiling face and said softly, "Don't mind her. My mom is just too emotional."
"You brought things here. I think you're trying to rob me and kill me. I'm calling the police now to have you arrested."
The old woman lunged forward again, her eyes glaring fiercely.
"You little brat, how dare you."
As she spoke, she swung the stick towards Jun Jiuli's forehead. Hearing the mention of the police, Jun Jiuli instinctively became scared, completely forgetting her daughter's instructions. She dodged nimbly.
The wooden stick hit the utility pole behind Jun Jiuli and bounced back, instantly creating a gaping hole in the old woman's forehead, blood gushing out.
...
It was still the 3G era, and the internet was not as developed. Smartphones were rare, and most people were still using feature phones.
Those who were online on QQ found a strange link in their spaces. Driven by curiosity, they clicked on it. To their surprise, it was a live broadcast, witnessing a dramatic ethical saga.
Li Ming felt his small feature phone screen was clearer than ever for the first time. After a close look, he realized he could even leave comments.
"Wow, what's going on? Is anyone there?"
"Yes..."
"So many people... Why are all these old people bullying that young girl?"
"Newcomers, look at the title and the comments in the bottom left corner."
"Damn, this is too inhuman! Does anyone know these shameless people?"
"I recognize the woman holding the microphone. She seems to be the first university student from our village. Every Chinese New Year, she looks down on us, like a peacock."
"She and that old man in the wheelchair seem to be relatives. This is too much. A group of people surrounding that young girl, and they even look like they're going to lay hands on her."
"Oh my god, is anyone nearby? Go help her, she's too pitiful."
"This girl is from our village. Unfortunately, I'm working out of town. I'll call my uncle right now and tell him to gather some people. We can't let people from other villages bully our village's girl."
"Big brother, that's righteous."
"Righteous +1."
"Righteous +10010."
"I warn you, don't be ungrateful. Our Da Ya is a mediator, the kind you see on TV. If you don't listen to her, you'll be in trouble."
"Holy crap, so arrogant. Is a mediator an official?"
"Truly shameless. What kind of program is this?"
"That one that's always deceiving viewers' tears on Qiezi TV, I've been sick of it for a long time. No matter what the problem is, they always persuade people to reconcile. Last time, a woman who was being domestically abused and wanted a divorce was forced by them to stay."
"This is too much! Why are they doing this?"
"Under the guise of family reunion. Divorce means you don't love your children. An incomplete family, how can children be happy? I'm sick of hearing those words. It's precisely by forcing people together that children become unhappy."
"Me too, I've been tired of this show for a long time. But it has a pretty big gimmick. I don't know where I can comment or complain. This is the first time I've seen this kind of video where you can directly express your feelings."
"First time +1."