Chapter 77: Baby Gu, Be Careful!

Chapter 77: Baby Gu, Be Careful!

Old Wei was a local and familiar with the town's layout. After finding a spot to park the car, Yun He and Gu Jiabei followed him towards the marketplace.

Along the way, many villagers greeted Old Wei and struck up conversations with him. Gu Jiabei didn't enjoy being constantly scrutinized, especially when those gazes fell upon Yun He. Eventually, after enduring this for a while, Gu Jiabei bid Old Wei farewell and took Yun He off to explore on their own.

The marketplace was bustling with activity. Stalls lined both sides of the narrow pathways, and amidst the throngs of people, collisions were inevitable. After Yun He was bumped into for what seemed like the umpteenth time by someone walking in the opposite direction, Gu Jiabei finally couldn't take it anymore and draped his arm around Yun He's shoulders, pulling him close.

"Are you doing this on purpose?" Gu Jiabei asked.

"No!" Yun He denied immediately.

Gu Jiabei let out a cold huff and glanced at Yun He with his almond-shaped eyes. "Did I say anything?"

Yun He felt a flutter in his heart from Gu Jiabei's gaze and pressed himself closer. "There are too many people here. Keep a tight hold on me so you don't lose me."

Gu Jiabei ignored him but didn't remove his arm from Yun He's shoulder.

After strolling for a while, they noticed a large crowd gathering not far ahead, making the already congested area even more impassable.

"What's going on ahead? Should we take a look?" Yun He, on his tiptoes, peered forward out of curiosity, but the distance was too great, and he couldn't see anything.

Without waiting for Gu Jiabei's response, Yun He tugged on his arm and led him forward. As they approached, they could hear whispers from the onlookers.

"Here comes Liu Laoer beating his wife again."

"Probably lost money gambling, I bet."

"Poor kid, having a father like that is a real misfortune."

...

Utilizing his height advantage, Yun He pushed through the crowd, squeezing to the front just in time to witness a tall man in the middle of the street violently striking a woman. The woman had been knocked to the ground, wailing in pain, while the spectators around them seemed accustomed to such scenes and did not intervene.

Beside the battered woman stood a six- or seven-year-old boy, dressed in filthy clothes, crying and screaming, "Stop hitting Mommy! Stop hitting Mommy!"

The boy rushed over to cling to the man's leg, attempting to stop his father, only to be kicked aside by Liu Laoer. "Scram!"

Liu Laoer then turned and kicked his wife again. "Stinking woman, you dare to talk back to me. Let me show you who's in charge here."

As he spoke, he unleashed another barrage of punches and kicks. Yun He couldn't bear to see the small boy standing amidst the crowd, crying helplessly and not knowing what to do.

The child cried out between sobs, "Save my mom... Waa... Save my mom..."

His gaze swept past Yun He before continuing to look around at the adults, desperately pleading for help with tearful eyes.

Perhaps it was the terrified and vulnerable look in the little boy's eyes that stirred Yun He's compassion. Without hesitation, he rushed forward.

"Damn it." Yun He pushed his way through the crowd and kicked Liu Laoer in the back. "Can't you see your son is crying?!"

Liu Laoer was knocked to the ground by the sudden kick and burst into a rage. "Who the hell kicked me?! Looking for trouble?!"

Gu Jiabei followed Yun He, his brows furrowed. "Watch your language."

"Damn it! Who the f*ck do you think you are, lecturing me? Who gave you the right to meddle in other people's business? It's none of your damn concern how I handle my wife!"

Liu Laoer got up from the ground and recognized the two strangers. Though they were tall, Liu Laoer's intimidating presence as a notorious tough guy in the area made him fearless. He wasn't afraid of outsiders trying to provoke him on his turf.

Seeing someone step in, the little boy clung to Yun He's clothes like a lifeline, his dirty little hands gripping tightly, fearing that Yun He might ignore him. His face, already stained with tears, was a mess from crying.

"Don't be afraid." Yun He whispered to the little boy, then turned to Liu Laoer and said, "I don't interfere with how you treat your wife, but if you block my path on the street and hinder my way, I have to step in."

"Damn it! I've been around these parts for years, and I've never heard of anyone getting in anyone's way. You two outsiders dare to talk nonsense here?" Liu Laoer swung his fist at Yun He as he spoke. "I'll make sure you don't get away with this!"

Before Yun He could dodge, Gu Jiabei stepped forward, positioning himself protectively in front of Yun He. He grabbed Liu Laoer's arm, twisted his wrist, and swiftly delivered a kick to his groin, sending Liu Laoer stumbling forward.

Liu Laoer, surprised by Gu Jiabei's agility and strength, took a few seconds to recover before grabbing a knife from a nearby meat stall and swinging it at Gu Jiabei.

The crowd began to stir in alarm.

"A knife! He's using a knife!"

"Liu Laoer is serious this time!"

"Oh God, please don't let there be a tragedy!"

...

...

As Yun He caught sight of the cleaver in Liu Laoer's hand, his heart leapt into his throat.

"Gu Baobao! Be careful!" Yun He shouted desperately in his panic.

In that split second, it seemed to Yun He that Liu Laoer's movements hesitated for an instant. Then, he heard a chorus of murmurs rising from the crowd behind him.

"What baby? Which baby?"

"Gu Baobao? How can a grown man have such a name?"

"Did you mishear? "

"He must have called him Father Gu, right?"

"What kind of ears do you have? He could be his father at this age?"

...

...

Liu Laoer hesitated only for a moment before fiercely swinging at Gu Jiabei. This man was truly fierce, not just posing – it seemed that fighting was an everyday occurrence for him, and he had considerable strength. Most importantly, he wasn't afraid of trouble.

As Gu Jiabei dodged the chopping blade swung at him, he yelled to Yun He, "Take the child and move away."

Yun He was deeply worried about Gu Jiabei but also feared that staying with the child might hinder him. After a moment's hesitation, he followed Gu Jiabei's instructions and led the boy aside.

He held the boy's hand and quickly walked over to the woman who had been knocked down by Liu Laoer. Squatting down, he asked, "Are you okay? Can you get up?"

The woman shook her head in tears, "Go, just go, don't worry about me, leave now."

"Mom... Mom..." The little boy cried as he knelt before his mother.

The woman wept, hugging her son and collapsing on the ground.

Still concerned about Gu Jiabei, Yun He didn't linger. He circled around behind Liu Laoer, ready to seize an opportunity to choke him. Just then, he saw Gu Jiabei swiftly grab Liu Laoer's wrist, yank the knife from his grasp, and then mercilessly strike his abdomen with an elbow. Liu Laoer clutched his stomach in pain and crouched on the ground.

Yun He added another kick to Liu Laoer's back in frustration.

"You two won't be leaving here alive today..." Liu Laoer's eyes burned with fury, his face twisted in rage.

"Move aside, move aside, what's going on here?" At that moment, Old Wei appeared from nowhere and approached Yun He, looking at Liu Laoer in panic. "Oh, it's Liu Laoer! What's happening? These two are my guests. There must be some misunderstanding. Please, for my sake—"

"I don't give a damn who you are! Nobody in this town dares to interfere with my business!" Liu Laoer stood up, clutching his stomach with a murderous look on his face.

"Alright, alright. It's all just a misunderstanding," Old Wei said with a forced smile, pulling out two hundred yuan from his pocket. He walked over to Liu Laoer and offered the money. "Take this as medical expenses. We're all acquaintances, so please accept my apology."

"Damn it, this amount is only fit for beggars!" Liu Laoer snatched the money from Old Wei's hand. "My stomach hurts! My back hurts too!"

Without hesitation, Old Wei quickly took out another two hundred yuan and handed it over. "That's all I have, truly. This is even the school's budget for groceries."

Liu Laoer fiercely grabbed the additional two hundred yuan and spat towards Gu Jiabei. "Disgusting! Damn my bad luck! Today, you're lucky. But if you dare meddle in my affairs again, I'll make you both crawl out of this village!"

"Yes, yes, thank you very much." Old Wei continued smiling and addressed the onlookers. "Everyone, disperse, disperse. There's nothing to see here. Do you have nothing better to do?"

"Scram, all of you, get out of my way." With the money in hand, Liu Laoer strutted out of the crowd, ignoring the weeping mother and child.

Although Yun He didn't want Old Wei to give Liu Laoer the money, he understood that every place had its own rules. Seeing how the locals ignored Liu Laoer's public abuse of his wife, Yun He guessed that Liu Laoer was some sort of local bully or ruffian. Therefore, he decided not to provoke further trouble.

He glanced at Gu Jiabei, who nodded slightly in response. Yun He helplessly looked at the mother and son still slumped on the ground.

"We can't do anything for them. Let's go," Gu Jiabei whispered.

Yun He understood the logic; even if the police were to arrive, they would likely just offer advice and warnings, for after all, it was difficult for outsiders to intervene in domestic matters.

However, looking at the six- or seven-year-old boy, Yun He couldn't bear to leave him behind.

"The child is so pitiful," Yun He said.

"Let's go." Gu Jiabei shook his head, indicating for Yun He to stop interfering.

Old Wei approached and pulled Yun He away, whispering, "Come on, Teacher Yun. We should be afraid of Liu Laoer changing his mind and coming back. He's quite a troublemaker."

Yun He cast one last look at the boy before silently following Old Wei and Gu Jiabei away.

On their way back, Gu Jiabei asked Old Wei what Liu Laoer did for a living.

Sighing, Old Wei replied as he drove, "Ah, he's just a bully and a ruffian in the village. He doesn't have any legitimate occupation. He goes around collecting debts, fighting, and gambling. His wife and son are often beaten by him, running through the streets. The villagers have seen it all and are sick of it. At first, some people tried to intervene, but he'd beat up whoever dared to interfere. Eventually, no one dared to get involved anymore."

"Did no one call the police?" Yun He asked.

"Law enforcement did come a few times, but what's the point? They've tried counseling, detention – you name it. After he got out, his wife beat him even more. Eventually, she forbade anyone from interfering. The more people intervened, the worse the beatings got. It's just tragic for their son," Old Wei sighed.

Having left in high spirits, Yun He found himself disheartened by this encounter. He accompanied Old Wei to purchase everything the school needed before retracing their steps back.

By the time they returned to the school, it was already afternoon, and the students were dispersing for home. Seeing Yun He's gloomy expression, Ji You approached curiously, asking what had happened. Old Wei recounted the incident.

"F*ck, there are still village bullies who abuse their kids and wives?!" Ji You exclaimed, eyes wide.

"Well, you know, tough environments breed rough characters," Old Wei said, mocking himself.

"It's an exception," Gu Jiabei commented.

"But…" Old Wei hesitated, then decided against speaking further. "Forget it, it's nothing… really."

"What is it? Come on, I hate when people leave me hanging like this," Ji You prodded, elbowing Old Wei playfully.

"Nothing... It's really nothing..." Old Wei waved him off hastily.

"Go on, what's the matter?" Gu Jiabei noticed that Old Wei seemed to have something on his mind.

"Uh... Well... It's really nothing... I just suddenly remembered... I was just a bit curious, that's all..." Old Wei stammered.

"Speak!" The other three chimed in unison, demanding an answer.

Old Wei froze for a moment. Under their relentless interrogation, he awkwardly admitted, "It's really nothing... I just wanted to ask..."

"Was Boss Gu's childhood nickname... 'Baby Gu'?"