Chapter 355: Chiming In
Chapter 355: Chapter 355: Chiming In
The Song Family finally reached a compensation agreement with the Li family and Ye Qingqing, and the university’s disciplinary action against Song Yufang was also announced.
Song Yufang’s actions were considered intentional assault and had caused relatively serious injuries, so she should have received a major demerit. However, Beijing University took into account that she had proactively covered the medical expenses and reached a compensation agreement with the injured students. Therefore, the university only issued her a formal warning and a public reprimand to the entire school.
The incident caused quite a stir at Beijing University. After all, being disciplined right after the semester started was, if not a record that would never be broken, certainly unprecedented.
Song Yufang had certainly set a precedent.
"Serves her right!" Liu Juan said with a satisfied look on her face as they walked to class. After hearing from Ye Qingqing what happened in Director He’s office, Liu Juan and the others were furious. Even Niu Wenying, the resident peacemaker, thought the Song Family had gone too far. "The way the Song family acts is just disgusting. They’re all cut from the same cloth. Let’s see if Song Yufang still dares to hurt people so recklessly after this punishment."
"Exactly," Chen Meizhen agreed with a nod. "It’s just a shame Li Huan and Ye Qingqing had to suffer. Luckily the weather has cooled down, or it would have been even more miserable for them."
Because they were all close, the girls from Su Qing’s dorm room 206 always walked to class together in the morning. Just as Chen Meizhen finished speaking, they saw Song Yufang walking nearby.
Song Yufang overheard what they were saying. She gritted her teeth, shot them a fuming glare, and quickened her pace, heading into the classroom ahead of them.
"Look at her. It’s like she’s still not convinced she was wrong," Chen Meizhen commented. "She’s acting as if we’re the ones who bullied her."
"That’s just how people like her are. Ignore her. Come on, class is about to start. Let’s get to the classroom," Li Huan said, glancing at her watch.
When they entered the classroom, they saw Song Yufang sitting by the window, her head on her desk, crying her heart out. Another girl was beside her, softly consoling her.
Seeing Su Qing and her friends come in, the girl said to Li Huan, "Li Huan, we all know it’s a fact that Song Yufang accidentally hurt you. But her family has paid the compensation, covered the medical fees, and the school has publicly reprimanded her. Can’t you just let it go and stop holding it over her head?"
Su Qing glanced at the girl who was speaking. After a few days of classes, she had gotten to know most of her classmates.
There were over thirty people in their class, and most of them were very friendly. But it takes all kinds to make a world, and there were bound to be one or two like Song Yufang. The one speaking now, Zhao Xiaohui, was a perfect example of someone who was completely clueless.
Zhao Xiaohui was the type to be warm-hearted and loved to help others, but she had trouble telling right from wrong. Take Niu Wenying, for example. She was also a peacemaker who disliked conflict, but she could distinguish between right and wrong and wouldn’t offer her kindness indiscriminately. Zhao Xiaohui was different. She would help whoever she thought was weaker, regardless of whether that person was in the right.
Just like right now, she had decided that because Su Qing’s group didn’t get along with Song Yufang, they must be ganging up on her.
Li Huan’s temper flared when she heard Zhao Xiaohui’s words. "Which one of your eyes saw us holding anything over her head?"
"Song Yufang only has a problem with you guys, not with anyone else. You walked into the classroom right after her, and she started crying the moment she came in. Don’t tell me one of our other classmates bullied her?" Zhao Xiaohui felt that her reasoning was perfectly sound.
Another female student nearby, named He Jia, spoke up. "Zhao Xiaohui, you don’t even know what happened. How can you be so sure it was Li Huan and her friends who bullied her? I don’t think that’s the right way to handle this. If you want to get involved, you should first ask Song Yufang who actually bullied her."
Zhao Xiaohui was certain she wasn’t wrong. "If it wasn’t them, who else could it be?"
The other students thought He Jia had a point. Someone asked Song Yufang, "Song Yufang, stop crying for a second and tell us why you’re upset. Who bullied you? Just say it. It’ll be awkward if we blame the wrong person."
Song Yufang remained with her head on the desk, secretly clenching her fists. She had just overheard Su Qing’s group talking about the compensation, and anger flared within her. She thought about how her family had to pay the Li family over three thousand yuan, and how her brothers and sisters-in-law had fought with her parents over it and even called her at school to chew her out. The fact that her older brothers, who normally doted on her, would cast aside all sibling affection for money made her feel even more wronged.
The more she thought about it, the more upset she became, which was why she had collapsed onto her desk and started crying when she entered the classroom. Who would have thought Zhao Xiaohui would misunderstand and start accusing Li Huan? Hearing that actually made her feel much better. She had planned to keep crying and let Zhao Xiaohui be her champion to vent her frustrations for her, but she hadn’t expected all her classmates to start clamoring for her to explain herself.
With so many people talking, Song Yufang couldn’t very well stay on her desk crying. She sat up straight, her head slightly bowed. "It’s... it’s nothing, really. I just felt bad after hearing what Li Huan and her friends were saying. It’s not their fault."
Song Yufang had realized from this incident that she needed an ally, or she’d have no one to help her when things went wrong. Zhao Xiaohui seemed like a perfect candidate, so she naturally had to win her over. "Don’t blame Zhao Xiaohui," she said. "She just saw me crying and was worried about me."
Hearing Song Yufang’s words, Zhao Xiaohui felt she hadn’t helped the wrong person. ’See? Song Yufang is even defending me.’ So she quickly said, "You heard that! Song Yufang started crying because of what Li Huan and her friends said. It’s clear at a glance who’s bullying who, isn’t it? I really don’t get you people. It’s one thing for Song Yufang to be bullied by them, but how can you all help them bully her?"
"Who’s bullying Song Yufang?" Hearing Zhao Xiaohui’s words, the other students in the class became unhappy and protested.
Liu Juan piped up, "Zhao Xiaohui, what’s wrong with you? Song Yufang overhears us, runs into the classroom crying, and you automatically decide we’re bullying her? Why don’t you call her out for eavesdropping? Were we talking to her face-to-face? Besides, we were talking about Song Yufang injuring Li Huan and Ye Qingqing and having to pay compensation. We weren’t spreading rumors or badmouthing her; we were just stating a fact. So what, she gets to eavesdrop on a factual conversation, cry about it, and then act like we’re the ones bullying her?"
"That’s right. Everyone knows who’s really bullying who. Li Huan and Ye Qingqing’s injuries haven’t even healed yet," Chen Meizhen added.
Zhao Xiaohui frowned. "Isn’t this all in the past? Why are you still harping on it? Everyone makes mistakes, don’t they?"