"Freya, please continue speaking," Secretary Wang said gently as he looked at Freya.
Freya was slightly stunned, but quickly realized and waved her hands, smiling:
"Let them speak for themselves. After all, they are the ones involved and know everything best!"
As she spoke, she flashed a sweet smile at the three people. But hidden behind that smile was a trace of cunning and threat that was hard to notice.
The three, who already looked as wilted as frostbitten eggplants, shivered with fear the moment they saw Freya's smile.
Especially Madam Zi. She looked at her finger, swollen like a radish, and felt a wave of fear in her heart. Any thoughts of resisting immediately disappeared.
"Me! Me! Me!
Secretary Wang, let me speak first! I confess! I repent!"
Mr. Lao looked like he had grabbed onto a lifeline. He raised his hands eagerly, shouting that he wanted to confess.
He just wanted to get out of there. He didn't care even if he had to go to jail, as long as he could get away from that terrifying woman!
"I'll speak first! Let me speak first!" Mr. Qin shouted excitedly, waving his hands like a student eager to answer a question in class.
Madam Zi quickly laid on the ground, raising her only usable hand high and kicking her legs, shouting loudly:
"I want to speak! Let me speak! I want to talk!"
Everyone who saw this was shocked and said, "What a sight—unbelievable!"
Secretary Wang saw this and couldn't help the twitch at the corner of his mouth. He raised his hand, signaling everyone to quiet down.
He cleared his throat and said:
"Alright, alright, stop shouting!
Let Mr. Lao speak first. He's the oldest and was the first to raise his hand. Also, he looks pretty badly hurt."
Hearing that, Mr. Lao was moved to tears and kept thanking Secretary Wang:
"Thank you, Secretary, thank you! Your great kindness, I'll repay even in my next life as a cow or horse!"
Secretary Wang looked at Mr. Lao with a dark expression, silently cursing the old scoundrel in his heart.
He didn't want a lazy, lecherous cow or horse like that.
"I came here tonight looking for Madam Zi. I heard she was selling herself for just fifty cents a time, so I wanted to have some fun.
Luckily, Freya stepped in and woke me up.
She's truly a brave and fearless heroine!
My admiration for her flows like a mighty river, endlessly!
Oh, right, I even have evidence of my crimes. I hid a bad book in my jacket!
Secretary Wang, please, take me away! Call the police and let me turn myself in!
I know I deserve punishment and should be locked up.
After this lesson, I swear I'll change and become a new man!"
Mr. Lao's words were messy, but filled with sincerity and regret!
Sincerely wishing to escape, deeply regretting he ever messed with Freya!
"Didn't expect it—Mr. Lao's quite the poet!
Look at how he praised Freya, like he wants to lift her to the heavens!
Maybe he's into her beauty?
Hey, did you also try something with Freya? You didn't already sneak into her bed, did you? Especially now that Brian's done for!
Hahaha!"
A woman with narrow eyes and high cheekbones sneered sarcastically, her gaze full of obvious malice.
As soon as she spoke, some of the women started looking at Freya differently.
The unusual marriage of Brian's parents, along with the fact that their family was generally mild-tempered, made them looked down on in the entire Hongniu brigade.
Only after Brian became a soldier and achieved some success did their situation slightly improve, but the deep-seated contempt others had for the Xiao family remained.
Usually, they wouldn't let their kids play with the Xiao children, afraid they might catch some disability or stupidity!
On top of that, with few men in the Xiao family and no unity among them, some of the village men looked at Freya with increasingly brazen and disrespectful eyes!
Madam Wan was furious and wanted to step forward to defend her daughter, but Father Lu held her back!
Given their special status now, speaking up wouldn't help Freya, it might actually hurt her!
"Heh! Secretary Wang, can I know who this woman is?"
Freya seemed unaffected by the whispering crowd around her and simply smiled at Secretary Wang.
Her eyes swept subtly across the growing crowd, especially locking in on those men who were looking at her with ill intentions.
"Oh, that's Captain Shan's wife, Madam Kong. You can just call her Aunt Kong!
She doesn't hold back when she talks. Don't take it personally!" Secretary Wang replied, feeling that something big might happen based on Freya's expression.
"Freya's got good skills and strength. No one can bully her!
Just a few days ago, when she saved someone, she kicked a guy over who was over six feet tall!"
Secretary Wang turned to the crowd and added.
"Hmph, what if she's strong? Maybe she was just desperate, threw herself under Mr. Lao, and begged him to sleep with her!"
Madam Kong sneered and continued with more disgusting words.
"Madam Kong, have you eaten too much crap? Your mouth sure smells like it!
Your own daughter wasn't raised right and did all kinds of dirty things. Now you've got the nerve to throw mud at a decent girl!
What, your girl got rained on so you want to make sure others do too? Shameless!
The young ladies in our village better watch out, or they'll be wrongfully accused just like this!"
Madam Lin, who was Sunyue's mother, stepped forward and pulled Freya behind her as she lashed out at Madam Kong.
"You, Lin woman, I wasn't talking about you! Why butt in?!"
"Freya's man is a national hero, he got injured protecting our country!
I might be just a dirt farmer without much education, but I have a conscience. I know gratitude!"
Madam Lin scanned the murmuring crowd with a snort.
Many people looked down in shame.
The fact that Sunyue had been kidnapped and Freya saved her hadn't been made public, to protect Sunyue's reputation. But Madam Lin was a grateful person. When she saw someone slandering Freya, she couldn't just stay silent.
"Madam Lin, thank you for speaking up for me!
I have nothing to hide and nothing to fear!"
Freya gently patted Madam Lin's chubby shoulder to show her gratitude.
Then she stepped out from behind Madam Lin and slowly walked up to Madam Kong, saying nothing at first, just staring her down.
"What are you looking at?" Madam Kong was unnerved by Freya's gaze and instinctively stepped back.
"Oh, nothing. I just wanted to measure with my eyes how thick your skin is!
I've been fighting monsters all day and I'm tired. If your face is too thick, I might have a hard time hitting it!
But looking at the thickness, yeah, I'll still need to put in some effort!
Still, we're from the same brigade, and I'm a kind-hearted person!
Since your family didn't bother to teach you how to behave, I'll go ahead and help them out, and teach you how to be a decent human being!"
Freya gave her a sweet smile after she finished speaking.