Reborn in 72, I hunt to support my family and spoil my younger sister rotten.

"Captain Xu!" Accountant Yang's wife quickly hid behind Captain Xu, her voice trembling. "Look at him, he's threatening us! This kind of person is too dangerous. Our child is in the hospital, and he's doing this..."

Captain Xu frowned, his tone stern: "Comrade Li Xiangyang, I'll say it again, watch your attitude. We're all reasonable people; let's talk things out."

Li Xiangyang took a deep breath, barely suppressing his anger: "Then tell me, how should we resolve this?"

"I'll tell you how to solve this!" Accountant Yang suddenly mustered his courage, pointing his finger at Li Xiangyang's nose. "My son has already spent over twenty yuan at the hospital, and he needs to stay there longer. You have to pay for all of that! And also..."

"What else?" Li Xiangyang looked at him coldly.

"And you have to pay compensation for emotional distress! Do you know how much my son suffered?" Accountant Yang's wife joined in the shouting, "Fifty yuan! Not a penny less!"

Li's mother listened with trepidation. Fifty yuan—that was an astronomical sum. Even if Li Xiangyang had earned money hunting, such a large amount wasn't something he could just come up with so easily.

"Ha." Li Xiangyang sneered. "Captain Xu, I'd like to ask, according to the regulations, how should the case be judged?"

Captain Xu pondered for a moment: "According to current regulations, maliciously using a weapon to injure someone constitutes a serious threat to social order and the personal safety of citizens. The punishment should be three to seven years of labor reform. The victim's self-defense was beyond reproach."

At this point, Captain Xu glanced at the pale faces of Accountant Yang and his wife, then changed the subject, "However, if we can obtain a letter of forgiveness from Comrade Li Xiangyang, and considering that your son is a first-time offender and young, we can reduce his sentence to one to three years..."

"A letter of forgiveness?" Li Xiangyang interrupted Captain Xu directly. "Dream on! It was his son who committed the attack with a knife. Why should I write a letter of forgiveness?"

"You..." Accountant Yang's face turned pale with anger.

"To be honest," Li Xiangyang said, his eyes sharp as knives, "you're lucky your son is even alive. If I hadn't saved him, he'd be dead by now..."

"You!" The accountant and his wife's expressions changed simultaneously.

Indeed, if it weren't for Li Xiangyang's emergency rescue, their son would probably be dead already.

They knew the truth, but they couldn't say it out loud at the moment.

Captain Xu glanced at the expressions on both sides, knowing that further discussion would only escalate the conflict, and said to Accountant Yang and his wife, "Alright, you two go back first. Our enforcement bureau will continue to follow up on this matter and will provide both parties with an explanation on how to handle it."

Accountant Yang wanted to say something more, but was glared at by Captain Xu, so he had no choice but to leave with his wife in a huff.

After they left, Captain Xu turned to Li Xiangyang: "Comrade Li Xiangyang, I know you're right. But this matter still needs to be resolved properly to avoid future problems..."

“Captain Xu,” Li Xiangyang interrupted, “don’t worry, I won’t shirk my responsibilities. But there’s absolutely no way I’ll write a letter of forgiveness. As for the medical expenses, I was originally planning to pay them, but you saw their attitude; they won’t give me a single penny.”

Seeing the determination in Li Xiangyang's eyes, Captain Xu knew that the matter couldn't be resolved in a short time, so he had no choice but to take his leave.

After everyone had left, Li's mother took Li Xiangyang's hand and said worriedly, "My son, what are we going to do? The Yang family seems to have quite a background..."

“Mother, don’t worry.” Li Xiangyang gently patted his mother’s hand. “We’re in the right. Besides…”

He pulled a wad of cash from his pocket: "Look, this is what I earned today selling hides and meat. Over forty yuan, enough for their medical expenses."

"Then how about we pay for the medical expenses..."

"Mother, you can't give it to me!" Li Xiangyang grasped his mother's hand and said solemnly, "This isn't about money."

Li's mother looked at her son with a puzzled expression.

“Think about it, their child stabbed someone first, that’s a huge mistake. Now, not only do they not admit their wrongdoing, they’re turning around and blaming me. They came here trying to extort money from me,” Li Xiangyang explained patiently. “If we give them money now, it’s like condoning their evil deeds. They’ll dare to do it again next time.”

"But..." Li's mother was still a little worried.

“Mother, do you remember how you taught me when I was little? You taught me that if I made a mistake, I should admit it.” Li Xiangyang looked into his mother’s eyes.

Li's mother sighed, "I just feel that it's still a human life, and I'm afraid their family will come looking for trouble..."

"No, they won't," Li Xiangyang smiled. "Their son got into trouble, and now they can only beg us to write a letter of forgiveness. Besides..." He patted his chest, "With their son around, who would dare bully you and Xiaohua?"

Upon hearing this, Li's mother's eyes reddened.

She had noticed the changes in her son these past few days.

"Okay, I'll listen to you." Mother Li wiped her eyes. "I believe you."

Li Xiangyang nodded: "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing. I'll do what needs to be done, and I won't suffer any losses."

Before he could finish speaking, another series of hurried footsteps came from outside the courtyard.

"Is Li Xiangyang home?" a loud voice called out.

Before Li Xiangyang could answer, production team leader Zhang Dashan strode into the yard.

He was followed by an unfamiliar middle-aged woman, but Zhang Dashan made no attempt to introduce her.

Li Xiangyang's heart sank.

The Yang family has quite strong connections.

In those days, the production team leaders of each village could allocate farm work and work points, and even influence the distribution of grain. They were truly important figures in the village.

The two men's sudden arrival made their intentions clear.

"Captain Zhang," Li Xiangyang called out politely but firmly.

Zhang Dashan glanced around the main room, sat down in a chair, and then spoke: "Xiangyang, I heard you had a bit of a conflict with Accountant Yang's family in Yangjia Village?"

His tone was unfriendly; he was clearly there to demand an explanation.

“It wasn’t a conflict,” Li Xiangyang said calmly. “It was his son who injured someone with a knife.”

“Young people,” Zhang Dashan waved his hand impatiently, “who hasn’t acted impulsively? Look, write a letter of understanding, pay the compensation that’s due, and settle things amicably.”

This isn't a discussion; it's clearly an order.

Li Xiangyang sneered inwardly: "Captain Zhang, this isn't a personal grudge; it's a case the law enforcement bureau has to handle."

"What?" Zhang Dashan's face darkened. "Are you not giving me face?" He looked coldly at Li Xiangyang. "Don't you think about it? In this village, work points, food rations..."

The threat couldn't be clearer.

Li's mother, who was listening nearby, turned pale.

These days, work points are the only means of survival.

"Captain Zhang," Li Xiangyang said, not backing down at all, but instead stepping forward to block his mother's path, "I advise you, you'd better not get involved in this matter. Work points and rations are up to you, give them or don't! If you don't give them, let's see if you dare!"

"Fine, you've got guts! We'll see!" Zhang Dashan stood up angrily.

Just as Li Xiangyang was about to speak, the middle-aged woman suddenly spoke up in a sinister tone: "Li Xiangyang, we've inquired about you too. You think you don't care about work points or food just because you can hunt, right?"

She sneered, "Then I can tell you too, not only your work points and food in the village, but even your hunter's license, hmph." Her eyes were vicious. "If you don't believe me, just wait and see!"

This threat clearly hit the mark.

Without a hunter's license, one cannot use a hunting rifle, and the danger of encountering wild animals while hiking in the mountains is unimaginable.

Li Xiangyang narrowed his eyes, his hands unconsciously clenching.

"Let's go!" Zhang Dashan flicked his sleeve and left with the middle-aged woman.