Chen Lishu simply couldn't stand it any longer. She stepped forward and shielded the child with her body, saying, "He's just a child. He accidentally bumped into you, a simple apology would suffice. There's no need to be so aggressive!"
The woman's hand missed, and seeing Chen Lishu speak up for the child, she became furious. "Hey, why are you sticking your nose where it doesn't belong? It didn't dirty your clothes, did it? Is this beggar your son? Well, then, my woolen coat is thirty yuan, you pay up!"
"What's wrong with you, woman? You're even going to hit a child. Are you even human?" Zhang Xue saw that she was trying to extort Chen Lishu and quickly pushed her way out of the crowd.
"My friend just can't stand to see this. Stop trying to swindle people. I've never seen such a shameless shrew like you."
"Shameless?" the woman shrieked. "He dirty my clothes, so he has to pay. If you two aren't this little brat's parents, then get out of the way."
As she spoke, the woman quickly yanked the child from Chen Lishu's side. The child, caught off guard, stumbled a couple of steps before being shoved to the ground.
"Where are the parents? Who is this child's parent? If you don't come out, I'll send him to the Public Security Bureau. Don't think you can get away with not compensating me just because he's young."
"Auntie, I'm sorry, I'm sorry..."
Upon hearing that he would be sent to the Public Security Bureau, the little boy, who had been stubbornly pursing his lips, was now terrified. He cried and kept calling out, "Zhang Mama, Zhang Mama..."
"Who is Zhang Mama? Are you nearby? You dirtied my clothes and you have the nerve to cry!" The woman moved to push him again, but before her hand could touch the boy's clothes, her collar was grabbed from behind.
"I said, that's enough," Chen Lishu said, applying force and flinging the woman aside. She looked at the woman with icy eyes. "People have their limits. You have the guts to bully a child and call him a little bastard, but you're the most spineless one, you know that?"
The woman was stunned by her gaze, which was like an ice pick. "You, how dare you insult me?"
Chen Lishu's gaze swept over the woolen coat she was wearing and she sneered, "It's just a darn coat. Take out the receipt, let me see."
Hearing Chen Lishu's tone, it seemed like she was willing to pay. Since someone was willing to be the scapegoat, the woman naturally wouldn't quibble over Chen Lishu's rudeness.
Soon, she took out the receipt from the department store. Her attitude was much better than her previous arrogance.
"Here, thirty yuan. This is the latest style from this department store."
Chen Lishu took the receipt, glanced at it, and then directly took thirty yuan from her pocket and handed it to the woman.
Seeing that Chen Lishu was actually willing to pay, the woman's face immediately broke into a smile. However, just as she put the money away and prepared to leave, she was called back.
"Did you forget something?"
The woman looked at Chen Lishu in confusion. "What is it?"
"You should take off that coat, shouldn't you?"
The smile on the woman's face froze.
"Since they've already paid you thirty yuan, you should return the coat."
"That's right. You were so loud just now, what are you, a statue now? Hurry up and take the coat off."
The surrounding onlookers began to chime in.
"Fine, take it! As if I care!" The woman glared at the crowd, took off her coat, and threw it at Chen Lishu's feet.
Chen Lishu didn't mind. She bent down and picked it up quietly. Seeing the woman turn to leave, she called out again, "Did I say you could leave?"
The woman turned back furiously. "I've given you the coat, what else do you want?"
"What do I want? How did you insult this child just now? I demand that you apologize to him."
Chen Lishu said this, pulling the little boy in front of her, waiting for the woman to speak.
The woman looked at the child's dirty face and clothes, as if she had heard a great joke. She said disdainfully, "Apologize to a beggar? Are you out of your mind? Let me tell you, don't think you can boss me around just because you paid for him. There's no way I'm apologizing."
"No need to apologize, comrade. No need to apologize. This is all our courtyard's child being ignorant. I'll definitely discipline him when we get back."
Zhang Qiaoyun saw that someone had already paid, and the stone that had been weighing on her heart was finally lifted. Fearing that things would escalate further, she quickly pushed through the crowd.
She first gave Chen Lishu a fawning smile, then began to bow and apologize profusely to the woman.
When the little boy saw Zhang Qiaoyun, his eyes lit up noticeably. He whispered a little aggrievedly, "Zhang Mama."
Zhang Qiaoyun went over and pinched his cheek hard. She gritted her teeth and said, "I let you out to beg, not to cause trouble! Just you wait until I deal with you when we get back."
The little boy's cheek turned red and swollen from the pinch, but he endured the tears and dared not make a sound. Zhang Mama hated it the most when children cried.
"Oh? So you're this child's mother?"
Seeing this, the woman immediately turned her attention to Zhang Qiaoyun. "Why didn't you come out when I called you earlier? This little brat is running around everywhere, how can you, an adult, be watching him?"
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. This child was recently taken in by our welfare home. He hasn't learned the rules yet. I'll discipline him properly when we get back."
Zhang Qiaoyun bowed repeatedly, apologizing.
The woman arrogantly raised her chin and glanced at Zhang Qiaoyun. "You're sensible. I'll be magnanimous and let this matter go today."
"You say it's over and it's over? If you don't apologize to this child today, you're not going anywhere."
The woman looked at Chen Lishu. "I say, is there something wrong with your head? They're not pursuing it anymore, why are you still holding on? Are you just trying to show off?"
Zhang Qiaoyun, afraid of further escalation, pleaded with Chen Lishu, "Let it go, comrade. Thank you for today. Just let her leave."
Chen Lishu glanced at her without speaking. She took two steps closer to the woman and suddenly pushed her, making her fall. The woman was stunned by the sudden action.
"You say you'll be magnanimous? What right do you have to say such a thing? Since I've already paid you for the coat, shouldn't I get back everything you did to that child just now?"
Chen Lishu looked down at her and said, "What did you do to that child just now? Oh, right, besides hitting him, you also insulted him, didn't you?"
Saying this, Chen Lishu slapped her hard twice, once on each side. "Now we're even. You can go."
The woman was frightened by her fierce gaze. Someone who could casually hand over thirty yuan without blinking—that could be someone's monthly salary. Who knew if she had some status that couldn't be offended.
The woman's mind raced. She didn't dare to say anything more. Covering her face, she got up and ran away rather miserably.
"Oh my, what happened to this child? Why did he faint?"
Someone in the crowd suddenly shouted. Chen Lishu turned and saw the little boy lying limply on the ground not far away, his eyes tightly shut, his breathing rapid, and soon he began to twitch.
"Ruìruì, what's wrong? Don't scare Zhang Mama." Zhang Qiaoyun was terrified. She quickly fumbled in her clothes pocket for medicine, but after a couple of tries, she realized the child's medicine had already run out.