NOVPUB
Chapter 544: Chapter 534 Apologizing to You
The head of the security department watched the two parties preparing for hospital admittance and extortion, scratching his head in confusion. What were these people thinking? Shouldn’t the matter be handled by the police station before any compensation discussion took place? Even if they didn’t go to the police station, the security department should mediate and provide criticism and education. Why were they skipping these steps and jumping straight to hospitalization? That didn’t make any sense.
"Everyone, stop for a moment, what are you even talking about? Are we really at the point where you need to be hospitalized? I see you arguing so fiercely, but I can’t even tell where you’re hurt, so what’s the deal? You’re trying to swindle someone right in front of me, isn’t that so?" The head of the security department couldn’t stand it anymore and interrupted their quarrel.
The sound of arguing abruptly ceased. Shen Yunfang caught her breath and leaned back in her chair, thinking to herself that the environment really does influence people. Otherwise, how could she possibly have gotten into an argument with these people?
"Both parties, please calm down. Now that the incident has occurred, we need to resolve the matter. I’ve listened to enough to understand that the issue isn’t that serious, it’s all a misunderstanding. You are still related this way, and it’s not necessary to make such a fuss over this little misunderstanding. You can’t separate, and you can’t just abandon your son; you will have to continue living together in the future. I think the old lady was too impulsive; you need to apologize to your daughter-in-law. Shen, try to be more magnanimous. After all, she is your spouse’s mother. If you keep holding a grudge, you’re only making things difficult for your spouse. Am I right or not? If both sides give a little, then the matter can be settled." The head of the security department was accustomed to mediating such matters, so his words were on point and showed a level of expertise.
However, those inside the room felt he was mistaken. The moment Qiu Shuping heard that she should apologize to her daughter-in-law, she almost exploded with rage. Fortunately, she remembered she was in the security department, which was equivalent to a police station, so she managed to control her emotions and her volume. Still, she didn’t hold back her dissent, "Why should I apologize to her? Does she have that much face?"
"Humph, don’t you dare apologize to me. This matter can’t be settled by just an apology. I’ve been hit and abused, and my good reputation has been slandered. I must pursue this to the very end," Shen Yunfang had no intention of letting the issue drop. She had never been hit by anyone from childhood till now, and to think she was slapped today by such a person, of course she was angry, furiously so. She was determined to seek justice for herself.
The head of the security department smacked his lips, realizing that now neither party agreed to a settlement, he was out of options. After all, he was not a police officer and could not actually pass judgment on the case.
"Fine then, I’ll have to get someone to the police station and let them deal with it. If you have grievances or objections, you can talk when they arrive. I really don’t want to handle this mess."
"Oh my, head of department, let’s not, it’s such a small issue. Why must we involve the police station?" Li Hongqi didn’t want to go to the police station.
He understood that in this situation, his mother was in the wrong, as she had initiated the physical altercation, and there were many people who could testify against her—a stain that could not be easily removed. Later, he did get hit, but the hits weren’t severe. If his injuries had been more serious, he might have been able to claim some moral high ground, but as it stood, his attempt to feign injury was foiled by his sister-in-law’s steel needle, blocking that avenue.
"I don’t want to complicate things either, but as you can see, your own mother doesn’t agree. Let me be clear with you, setting aside what Shen did, the fact that you started hitting people first is wrong. No matter how you try to justify it, you have no standing. Moreover, it seems now that your reasons for hitting Shen don’t hold up. In front of everyone, in the whole class, accusing Shen of adultery—that’s dragging her name through the mud," the security chief stated realistically.
Li Hongqi felt bitter inside, but he nodded in agreement on the surface.
"So as I was saying, since the old lady hit Shen and Shen hit you, let’s call it even. Now, if the old lady were to offer Shen a sincere apology, why can’t we just let this go and move on?" The head of the security department was eager to persuade both parties to reconcile. After all, every family has its own troubles. Who doesn’t have some difficult relatives? If people were to fight and quarrel over such individuals every day, how could life go on? Therefore, his stance was to prioritize peace and harmony.
"Yes, yes, you’re right. Just one moment, please. I’ll go talk to my mom." Li Hongqi nodded and bowed before turning to speak with his mother.
"Mom, please just humble yourself and apologize to your daughter-in-law. The main thing is she’s really holding onto this, she took it to the officials, and it’s partially your responsibility. You could very well get arrested by the police, and even if it’s not enough to be sentenced, getting locked up for a few days of education is not worth it, right, Mom?" Li Hongqi knew exactly what his mother was afraid of, so his words really hit home with Qiu Shuping. 𝓷𝓸𝓿𝓅𝓊𝓫.𝒸ℴ𝓶
"I, how was I wrong to hit her? She wasn’t behaving herself, so as her mother-in-law, why can’t I hit her?" Qiu Shuping couldn’t understand, but she knew she had to keep her voice down to avoid being overheard.
Li Hongqi, having no other option, continued to reason with his mom, "Mom, Sister-in-law was just in class, conducting normal lessons, doing experiments. It’s inevitable for students to be close to each other. It’s not like she was cheating. And just think about it, even if she was, would she do it in front of so many people? She’s not stupid. Besides, it’s not like in the old days when daughters-in-law lived under their mother-in-law’s control. Nowadays, even if a daughter-in-law did cheat, you’re not supposed to hit people."
"What? How can that be? She’s a daughter-in-law of our Li Family, why can’t I, the mother-in-law, hit her?" Qiu Shuping still couldn’t accept this new way of thinking.
"Alright, alright, keep it down. Sister-in-law is already angry enough from being hit by you. If you upset her even more, do you still want things to get better?" Li Hongqi gestured for silence, urging his mother to speak softly.
"So, what should I do? Really go and apologize to her? There’s no such thing, for a mother-in-law to apologize to her daughter-in-law." Qiu Shuping felt utterly embarrassed.
"Mom, ’a small act of patience can prevent great problems.’ Have you forgotten why we came here? If we offend Sister-in-law now, won’t we have come here in vain?" Li Hongqi was more rational and better at weighing options, seeking to maximize his own benefits even in this situation. "Mom, just think of it as doing it for your son. Can you bear this small humiliation?"
"Exactly, we’ve lived to this age, we’ve seen everything. We should be able to bend and stretch," Mother Zheng joined in to persuade her as well.
Qiu Shuping looked at her son, then at her in-laws, and gave a slight nod, ready to swallow her pride for her son’s sake.
Seeing his mom nod, Li Hongqi immediately smiled, turned toward Shen Yunfang, and said, "Sister-in-law, our mom has come to her senses. She was wrong about you and wants to sincerely apologize. We hope you can be magnanimous and let bygones be bygones."
Qiu Shuping was awkward and reluctant. Having to apologize to the daughter-in-law she had just been scolding, in front of so many people, was a blow to her dignity.
