Chapter 30: Third-Class Hero

Li Hai was angry; Li Hai blushed; Li Hai was helpless.

"Listen to yourself—is your sister-in-law really a tigress? When did she ever beat me into wetting myself? She’s just afraid I’ll squander our money; it’s for my own good. This ten-yuan note is something I’ve been secretly scraping together from my deliveries this past month. She doesn't know about it..."

Li Qi shook his head. "We can't take your money. Last time you secretly gave Li Zhe five yuan for sneakers, the second sister-in-law blocked the door and cursed for over three hours. I heard you had to sleep on the floor for a whole month. Second Brother, it’s not worth it. The family isn't hurting for this ten or eight yuan right now."

Seeing Li Peng and his wife leave, Li Mantang sat back up and cast a faint, lingering look at his second son. "A grown man, yet you let your wife keep you on such a short leash. Your eldest brother is the same spineless creature when it comes to his wife—neither of you took after me at all."

Li Qi interrupted his father. "Oh, give it a rest. I was wondering why the ox at the edge of the village went missing today; turns out you’ve been blowing enough hot air to float it into the sky. You’re not afraid of your wife? Every time Mom just glares, you look like you’re ready to drop to your knees. In her final days, Mom told me a story. When you two first met and you were trying to impress her, it just so happened to be the day her family was hauling manure. You went over, all confident, to help carry the load, but you didn't even make it two miles before you got heatstroke. Mom ended up carrying the manure in one basket and you in the other, hauling you all the way home. After that, you became famous around my grandfather’s place—everyone nicknamed you 'Li the Manure-Carrier'."

Li Hai couldn't hold it in and burst out laughing, spraying the old man with a fine mist of saliva. The old man wiped his face, saying mournfully, "That wretched old woman... she promised me she’d never tell anyone..."

Li Qi laughed until his stomach hurt. "So, being afraid of one's wife is clearly a genetic defect in our family. You lot are beyond saving. Just wait until I find a wife; I’ll definitely keep her well-behaved. A wife is like dough—the harder you knead it, the better it turns out. Women are the type that obey you more the firmer you are."

"Pah!" "Heh-tui!" Li Mantang and Li Hai both shot him a look of utter disdain.

"Look at you, licking Liu Yuting’s boots like a pathetic little lapdog. If you ever marry that girl, you’ll be washing her underwear every single day."

Li Qi looked up at the ceiling at a forty-five-degree angle, wearing a look of profound melancholy. "Liu Yuting? She has already become history. In my eyes, she’s not even worth as much as the moss growing on a dog’s grave."

"Do you even believe that yourself?"

Li Hai didn't believe a single word. Li Qi had been fawning over Liu Yuting for years. In the sweltering 35-degree heat of summer, he wouldn't even spend five cents on a popsicle for himself, yet he would insist on buying her a ten-cent cream bar. A single glance from Liu Yuting was enough to make Li Qi fall to pieces. The third brother was definitely the most henpecked of them all.

He firmly shoved the money into Li Mantang’s hands. "Dad, just take it. Whether you choose to forgive them or not is something you and the third brother can figure out, but I don't think we should make things too hostile."

The old man nodded. "Go on back; don't worry about this anymore." Li Hai nodded and left.

The next day, Diao Xiaojiao received word that Li Peng’s attempt at persuasion had failed. She flew into a rage and started cursing, causing Li Peng to turn and run. Anxious as an ant on a hot pan, Diao Xiaojiao rushed from relative to relative until she finally managed to get a connection to someone at the town police station. The answer left her in despair: Li Qi’s letter of forgiveness was indeed the key. Whether the nine people from the Gao family could keep their jobs or whether they would end up in jail all depended on Li Qi’s attitude.

Only then did she truly panic. She wanted to find someone to intercede with the Li family, but over the years, she had fought with everyone for miles around and cursed everyone in the village and town. Her reputation was long since ruined, and all the elders refused to get involved in this mess. Some were even more blunt: "What were you thinking when you blocked their house and broke two people’s heads open? Them letting you go to jail is getting off easy. If I were the Li family, I wouldn't even give you a chance to mediate."

Diao Xiaojiao felt incredibly aggrieved. The whole thing started with Li Li causing trouble, and Li Qi was an accomplice who insisted on taking photos and forcing her son to sign an agreement. Her family was clearly the victim—how could there be no place to find justice? The world had changed into something she no longer recognized. When she was young, if two families in the village got into a fight over illicit affairs, the village cadres would always just smooth things over and punish both sides equally. It was impossible for it to reach the police. How was it that now, with the same situation, her family had to lose their jobs and go to prison?

After a busy day, a desperate Diao Xiaojiao finally realized that the money had to be paid. She wouldn't dare risk a mutual destruction with Li Qi; that would mean the futures of nine people and nine families. She found the other eight women and told them about the ten thousand yuan Li Qi demanded. Everyone cried together, cursing Li Qi for being heartless and bullying them. But with the deadline the next day, they all begrudgingly agreed to pool the money. Diao Xiaojiao’s family took the lead—since her husband and three sons were involved, she put up five thousand, and the other five families each contributed one thousand, finally scraping together the ten thousand yuan.

The next day, Liang Bing came to the hospital to relay the news to Li Qi. Diao Xiaojiao had already arrived at the police station with the money; he could go over and sign the mediation agreement.

"Is your injury okay?" Liang Bing asked with concern.

Li Qi shook his head, indicating it was fine. In truth, he had felt his scalp itching the night before, as if his brain were growing. When he peeled off the gauze, he was shocked to find the wound healing at a speed he couldn't comprehend. At this rate, he could have the stitches removed today. However, he was afraid of being too shocking, so he didn't dare tell the doctor. It was great to be reborn—all sorts of hidden benefits. In his past life, he would be panting just walking up to the second floor of a bathhouse, but in this life, he felt full of vigor and strength. Li Qi loved his current body far too much.

Li Qi and Li Mantang rode in Liang Bing’s car to the police station, but Li Qi asked Liang Bing to make a quick detour to pick up a silk banner he had ordered the day before.

*Presented to: Niuxin Town Police Station*
*[Dedicated and Diligent, Solving Worries for the People!]*

The eight gold-leaf characters shimmered, and Li Qi’s name remained in the bottom left corner. Liang Bing looked at the banner and secretly praised Li Qi for being sensible.

When the three arrived at the police station, Li Qi took the money from Diao Xiaojiao under her murderous glare, counted it carefully, and found it was exactly the right amount. Only then did he sign the mediation agreement. The members of the Gao family were brought out by the police to sign one by one.

Just then, Xu Tiesheng walked in from outside, holding a certificate of merit and a small box. Seeing Li Qi, his face beamed, and he grabbed Li Qi’s hand. "You must be Li Qi! What a good lad, truly a good lad. You heroically saved an elderly person who was on the verge of being murdered and also prevented a child from being kidnapped. More importantly, you provided us with crucial leads on the suspects. Following a city-wide dragnet, we apprehended the suspects within 24 hours, and through intensive interrogation, we discovered they were involved in other major crimes. Based on a decision from the Municipal Bureau, Commissioner Zhou Guodong chaired a meeting yesterday and approved the commendation for you. We have decided to award you the 'Good Citizen Award for Bravery' and the 'Third-Class Heroic Medal.' Here are your certificate and medal."

Xu Tiesheng smiled as he opened the box, revealing a yellow medal to Li Qi.