Su Xiaoqi, after thoroughly tormenting Su Jiamo, paid him no further attention, discarding him like a rag by the counter.
Shen Yun, standing nearby, vaguely grasped Su Xiaoqi's intention.
His eyes flickered slightly as he stepped forward, wiped a drop of blood from Su Jiamo's bleeding mouth, and then, suppressing his discomfort, smeared it onto his own face.
Seeing this, Su Xiaoqi's eyes widened in surprise, and she gave him a thumbs-up, thinking, "So incredibly clever!"
She signaled Zhao Dayou to open the door and mouthed two words to him.
Zhao Dayou, momentarily stunned, complied nonetheless.
"Quick, someone call the officials! There's trouble, someone's been beaten, help!" Zhao Dayou displayed the professional decorum expected of a shopkeeper not very familiar with Su Xiaoqi.
His shouts soon attracted a group of patrolling constables.
They were still on duty, patrolling the streets on the second day of the Lunar New Year, feeling cold and hungry and already in a foul mood, when they heard the commotion.
Upon arrival, the lead constable, Ren Yinghao, looked at Zhao Dayou, snorted, frowned his sparse brows, and asked the reason for the report.
Zhao Dayou pointed at Su Jiamo, who was beaten beyond recognition, and said, "Beaten, someone's been beaten..."
"Who, who beat him?"
Before the words were out, Su Xiaoqi interrupted, "Constable, this person, this person was beaten by me.
My husband and I were visiting my parents for the New Year today and passed by the supermarket to buy some gifts. We encountered this man.
He immediately insulted me and told me to divorce my husband and come home with him..."
As Su Xiaoqi spoke, she glanced at Zhao Dayou and then at the growing crowd of onlookers.
Among them were people who had heard Su Jiamo speaking in the shop earlier.
Without Su Xiaoqi needing to say more, their naturally gossipy natures prompted them to start discussing what had just happened.
"That's right, I heard it too. He even called him some sort of scoundrel, that son of a bitch went too far."
"Exactly. In broad daylight, under the bright heavens, he dared to molest an honest woman. Who would dare to go out on the streets anymore?"
"He, he could say those words, but then, he even started getting handsy with me. My husband, my husband stepped forward to protect me, only to be beaten by him, beaten until he bled.
It's a pity, I thought he was a scholar with no strength to even tie a chicken, someone who spent his life with books, raised on the words of the sages, how could he be his match?
Fortunately, I grew up in the marketplace, was bullied often since childhood, and did a lot of hard work, so I have some strength.
I, I was afraid he would beat my husband badly, making him unable to go to the capital. That's why, that's why in my panic, I struck out to save my husband."
Su Xiaoqi spoke in a roundabout, melodious manner, her voice delicate and weak, yet each word was an accusation. The crowd listened, their indignation rising, and they all demanded severe punishment for the lecherous scoundrel.
"Constable, I truly didn't intend to hit him, it was just that I was too worried about my husband.
As you all know, it's not easy for our Shen family to have a scholar, and he has finally passed the provincial examination. His future is bright, and if he were to be injured by a hooligan, where would I find justice...
*Sob sob*, I really didn't mean it, I... I ask the neighbors to bear witness for me..."
Su Xiaoqi cried in a most pitiful manner.
Tears like falling pear blossoms, her eyes brimming with them, who wouldn't feel heartache seeing her?
"What a disaster. This scoundrel bullied a wife and then beat her husband. Who knew he'd run into a virtuous and fiery woman? He deserves it."
Someone began to pass judgment.
Su Xiaoqi felt a slight prickle of unease hearing their words.
But she saw that Constable Ren, whom she had dealt with before, also showed a look of disgust at Su Jiamo, whose face was now swollen into an unrecognizable mass.
He was a man of integrity, and his life's greatest hatred was for those wealthy families who, with a bit of money, acted with arrogance.
In the past, when they caused trouble, before they even reached his hands, they would be released by the county magistrate.
Today was perfect. Before the county magistrate received word, he would deal with him first.
Su Xiaoqi, seeing through his thoughts, lowered her head, reassured.
She knew that County Magistrate Huang Liangsheng was not a good person, but Constable Ren was a man of justice.
As expected, Constable Ren, to quell the public's anger, took his men and escorted Su Jiamo away.
Before leaving, he pronounced a verdict on him: attempting to molest an honest woman, imprisonment.
"Mmm... mmm..." Su Jiamo's face was so swollen it looked like a steamed bun, his muffled sounds unintelligible.
Su Xiaoqi gave him a cold glance and then averted her gaze.
She knew Su Jiamo had Su Baiwan to bail him out, so he wouldn't really be imprisoned.
However, it was good to disgust him a little.
It was with this thought that Su Xiaoqi conceived this plan to deal with him.
It was also for the sake of her reputation in the future.
Now that she had publicly exposed Su Jiamo's harassment, if he wanted to bring up their past interactions, he would have no basis.
After all, if she truly had feelings for him, she wouldn't have personally sent him to jail on the second day of the Lunar New Year.
Once the crowd dispersed, Zhao Dayou stepped forward, clasped his hands in thanks, and expressed his commitment as the supermarket's proprietor to prioritize customer safety, assuring everyone not to worry.
This declaration drew enthusiastic applause from the onlookers.
They praised the supermarket for its responsibility and vowed to shop there for everything in the future.
Su Xiaoqi subtly signaled Zhao Dayou, who immediately understood and took out snacks and pastries, distributing them to everyone.
This made everyone even happier, showering them with thanks and compliments.
After a period of casual conversation, everyone dispersed.
Su Xiaoqi, feigning gratitude, thanked Zhao Dayou profusely and left through the front door.
Getting into the mule cart, Su Xiaoqi smiled and boasted to Shen Yun, "How was it? My plan, is it any good?"
Shen Yun gazed intently at her, his eyes not blinking, and after a while, said, "My wife's stratagem is unparalleled, your husband is impressed. However, if the plan were even more ingenious, that would be the true path to victory."
Su Xiaoqi blinked her eyes. She knew Shen Yun was clever, so she deliberately raised her eyebrows and said, "In that situation, I don't know of any better method."
"To kill a thousand enemies and lose eight hundred yourself, my wife suffered a loss. For a mere Su Jiamo, why would my wife risk her reputation like this?"
In fact, he also had ways to deal with Su Jiamo, but he saw his wife stepping forward for him.
Su Xiaoqi's thoughts turned. It was true, if Shen Yun hadn't smeared that bit of blood on Su Jiamo's face at the critical moment, she might not have been able to handle it so perfectly.
After all, this was ancient times, and for her, a woman, to be coveted and to have it become public knowledge was not a glorious matter.
Even if people at the time saw her as the victim, later manipulation by the Su family would make people think she was frivolous and promiscuous.
In short, although this incident could bring down Su Jiamo, her reputation was likely ruined.
But at that moment, the situation was urgent, and she couldn't think of a better solution.
Su Xiaoqi had considered this point at the time, but there was no other way.
After all, Shen Yun had indeed struck Su Jiamo.
If she hadn't stepped in, she feared Su Jiamo was targeting Shen Yun.
She fell silent for a moment.
Shen Yun also remained silent.
The atmosphere in the mule cart suddenly became tense.