Those things that happened in those years

Chapter 27 All Punished

As the fight escalated, the small hole was dug larger and larger until it was finally big enough for an adult's fist to fit through. The "weapons" used by both sides also became more diverse, no longer limited to water, bamboo sticks, and stove hooks; ashes, stones, and dirt all became tools of attack. In an instant, dust filled the classroom, shouts and laughter mingled together, creating utter chaos. Some were drenched in water, soaked to the bone and looking disheveled; others were hit on the head by stones, wincing in pain; still others had ashes and dirt in their eyes, tears streaming down their faces, almost blinding them.

The chaotic situation snowballed, becoming increasingly out of control, with more and more people joining in. Not only were the boys eager to participate, but many girls were also drawn in, their usual quietness and reserve long forgotten.

The neighboring class was gradually losing ground in the brawl. Naturally, they weren't going to let it go, so several students stormed out of their classroom to confront Hong Liguo and his friends. This only added fuel to the fire, making the already chaotic situation even more uncontrollable. The two sides initially blamed each other, exchanging insults, but their emotions escalated, and they began pushing and shoving. The situation gradually spiraled out of control, eventually escalating into a violent physical altercation.

Seeing this, the losing side immediately ran back to their classroom to call for reinforcements, while Hong Liguo and his friends were not to be outdone, rubbing their hands together in anticipation of the other side's "reinforcements." And so, almost all the students from both classes came out, and a large-scale melee unfolded on campus, completely blocking the corridors and creating a deafening din.

The chaos only subsided when the teachers, hearing the commotion, rushed over. Like startled birds, everyone scurried back to their classrooms, which were filled with tension and unease. Hong Liguo and the others' hearts were still pounding.

After taking stock, it was discovered that two students in the next class had head injuries and were still bleeding. The school leaders took the matter very seriously and immediately arranged for teachers to take them to the township health center for treatment. Hong Liguo's class was in a better situation, with only a few students suffering minor abrasions and no serious injuries.

On the surface, it seemed that Hong Liguo's class had won the melee, but in reality, they had paid a heavy price. Soon, the principal, the dean of students, and other teachers from the teaching affairs office arrived at their classroom, their faces grim as if a storm was about to break. They were going to deal with this incident seriously as a warning to others. When Hong Liguo saw the teachers' expressions, his heart sank, and he knew that he was in big trouble.

Following identification by injured students from the next class, almost all the boys and 30% of the girls in Hong Liguo's class were put on the punishment list. Everyone knew that since they had participated in the chaos, it was only natural to be identified and punished, so they all silently lowered their heads, preparing to accept the punishment. Hong Liguo was also prepared to be punished.

However, only the sisters Su Yihong and Su Yilan seemed particularly aggrieved. They lowered their heads, tears welling in their eyes, and their bodies trembled slightly. The teacher noticed their distress, stepped forward, and softly asked, "Why are you crying?"

The two sisters raised their tear-streaked faces and said in unison, "Teacher, we really didn't participate in the fight with the class next door." Their voices trembled and choked with sobs, making it all the more heartbreaking to hear.

However, many classmates from the next class insisted that they were involved, leaving the two sisters speechless and filled with helplessness and grievance. Hong Liguo, seeing the sisters' appearance, also felt indignant for them.

In Hong Liguo's class, the Su sisters were known for their honesty and good behavior. They were gentle, never argued with anyone, and never sought trouble, getting along very well with their classmates. They were always soft-spoken, rarely even raising their voices, making it hard for anyone to imagine them getting involved in such a fierce fight. However, the unwavering accusations from students in the next class put them in a difficult position. No matter how they explained, they couldn't change the situation, and Hong Liguo also felt that the accusations from the next class were highly unreliable.

To be honest, the scene was chaotic. Dozens of students were fighting amongst themselves, and it resembled a battlefield. Who could clearly remember who participated and who didn't? Hong Liguo was also there and did see the two sisters in the crowd, but based on his understanding of them, given their personalities, they would never have willingly joined the fight. Hong Liguo guessed that perhaps in the chaos, they were swept into the fray, and students from the next class, in their panic, mistakenly thought they were also involved, leading to this misunderstanding.

The principal stood on the podium, looking at the students below with an impatient expression. He said sternly, "Even if you didn't participate in the fight, you must have gone outside at the time. If you hadn't gone outside, you wouldn't have been identified."

The principal's words were both reasonable and unreasonable, but in this school, his words were the authority, and they had to be obeyed regardless of whether they made sense or not.

The principal's words weighed heavily on the two sisters, making it hard for them to breathe. They knew that no matter how they argued, it would be useless, so they stopped talking and just cried silently, their tears soaking their clothes. Hong Liguo watched from below and felt sorry for them.

Finally, after a detailed investigation, the school made different disciplinary decisions based on the students' level of involvement in the incident. Students with serious offenses were fined two yuan, those with minor offenses were fined one yuan or fifty cents, and those with relatively minor offenses were fined one yuan or fifty cents. The teachers recorded the names of the punished students and asked them to bring their fines to school the next day as a way of explaining the incident and hoping that everyone could learn from it and avoid similar incidents from happening again. Hong Liguo was also fined one yuan, while the Su sisters were each fined fifty cents. Even after paying their fines the next day, the two sisters were still crying, saying that they were punished unjustly. And if they were unjustly punished, no one would speak up for them.

The commotion subsided, and the wall between the two classes was repaired. However, another commotion was quietly approaching. This time, it was a challenge from the older students to Hong Liguo and his classmates from the younger students. Hong Liguo's heart was in his throat again, wondering what kind of trouble he would face this time.