"Dean, you have to stand up for me. Look at this, these few people came to our shop and started smashing our things without any reason, demanding compensation, opening their mouths for two thousand bucks. Yesterday they overturned our stall, and they even beat my mom. Sheâs still lying at home. I havenât even asked them for medical expenses, and today theyâre counterattacking us, insisting that my mom hit their son, demanding money from us. How could my mom, at her age, hit a strong young man? And yesterday, many people saw it. Theyâre bullying us because weâre outsiders, trying to push us to the brink. We work hard every month for just enough to get by. Where would we get that kind of money? They even say they have connections in the hospital, and if we donât pay up, theyâll kick us out. Dean, I just want to ask, are we not living in a lawful society? How can such a big military hospital engage in such thuggish behavior? Who has such great authority?" Lin Wan could not lose the initiative. She let go of Tong Liâs wife, leaned forward to the dean, and cried louder in grievance, deliberately turning her face to let the dean see the injuries on it.
The dean frowned, looked at the mess in the shop, then at the injuries on Lin Wanâs face, looking disheveled. His heart trembled.
This is too much. He also heard the peopleâs words just now.
"Dean, it was their family who caused trouble yesterday. They overturned our stall, wasting the countryâs food supplies and causing us to lose dozens of bucks for nothing. If the hospital didnât want us to sell, they could have just told us directly. Why resort to such harsh violence in a military hospital of all places? Do the people in the military rely on brute force to solve problems?"
"Even though you let it go without saying anything for us yesterday, today you even let the hospital staff come over to cause trouble. We common people may have no power, but weâre not easy targets either. Isnât that right, everyone?"
"Yes, weâre not easy targets. Today, you must give us an explanation."
Upon hearing this, the dean realized the situation was bad and immediately said, "Comrades, donât jump to conclusions. Tong Li is not our hospitalâs staff, nor is he a soldier. Heâs just a contractor for one of our canteen windows. After the incident yesterday, I looked into it privately. It was the people in the canteen who caused the commotion, not your fault."
The dean said this and quickly helped Lin Wan up, "Young lady, please get up. I will definitely give you a proper explanation for this matter."
"Dean, you must stand up for us. My mother and I came a long way from the south. We may not have money or power, but we canât just be bullied for nothing. They smashed my shop and injured my mom. This debt must be properly settled. If we donât get two thousand bucks, we wonât let it go."
"You little wretch, you want to defraud us," Tong Liâs mother, the leader, said venomously, pointing at Lin Wan.
"Oh, so you know itâs fraud, huh? Then when you asked us for money, werenât you trying to deceive us?" Lin Wan sneered at her and said.
"I..." Tong Liâs mother was choked by her words and instantly realized she fell for her trap. She turned to look at the bespectacled man beside her daughter-in-law, "Second Uncle, say something."
The man with glasses frowned deeply, his expression turning cold, muttering to himself about her lack of sense.
"Tong Li Niang, who gave you the courage to blatantly smash someone elseâs store in broad daylight? I havenât even settled yesterdayâs matter with you, and today youâre coming here under the hospitalâs flag to cause trouble. The hospital is a place for medical treatment and healing. Who gave him the power?"
"Itâs not... not you..."