The woman was hit in the face and was stunned for three seconds before she reacted, "I'm going to kill you... Ah!"
Before the obscenities could escape her lips, her cheek was met with a harsh slap, and her whole body staggered several steps to the side.
She hadn't expected that the seemingly frail girl would strike with a force stronger than a man's, stronger than when her own man raised his hand, so all her anger and fear were unleashed by Su Shu in that moment.
Under the watchful eyes of the public, and unwilling to back down against a young girl, suddenly, Su Shu, standing there radiating an aura of coldness, inexplicably struck her with fear.
Su Shu said, "Considering you have a child with you, I feared it would negatively affect him, I have been extremely patient with you. Yet, you continue to create a scene, not even sparing a five-year-old child from your tirade, spewing whatever comes to your mouth. Is fighting with people really what you enjoy? Fine, have it your way."
"What are you, daring to hit me? I will kill you, let you see who's tough!"
The woman, crazed, leaped up from the ground and charged over, completely ignoring her child beside her who was terrified and screaming.
A shrew, before the Apocalypse, Su Shu had not encountered many people like this, as she mostly spent her time either writing or shopping in malls, and would avoid such encounters whenever possible with her past personality.
After the Apocalypse arrived, people who disregarded decency to selfishly trouble others were everywhere, and sometimes she couldn't avoid them.
In times of severe resource scarcity when survival itself was a question, the darker aspects of human nature unabashedly played out across the land.
For trivial issues like this, Su Shu had already experienced countless times. Later, she adopted the principle of not offending if she was not offended. She was no longer the meek bunny of the pre-apocalypse days. She lost her temper when that woman spoke of Xiao'ai and finally exploded.
Telling her off was one thing, she could keep the peace, but insult Xiao'ai? Ha!
*
At the police station.
Su Shu held Xiao'ai, covering her ears, quietly sitting on one side, listening to the officer's lecture.
Conversely, the woman was crying and wailing, struggling with the officers, ranting about how ill-mannered Su Shu was, how violently she had hit her, the resentment so intense she wished the police would handcuff Su Shu on the spot.
The middle-aged officer's surname was Yang.
Officer Yang, holding his tea cup, appeared somewhat helpless. The young girl before him looked to be about twenty, seemingly gentle and quiet, yet beneath that docile facade lay a fiery temper.
The woman's reddened cheek claimed to have been struck by a slap. Tsk, if indeed this girl had done it, she certainly didn't lack strength.
One night she was out looking for her niece, the next, she was assaulting someone. Who knew what might happen tomorrow?
Seeing her attitude was not bad, Officer Yang, who she had previously acquainted herself with, frowned slightly less sternly.
'Do you realize what you did wrong?"
Su Shu said, "I know."
Officer Yang, "Where did you go wrong?"
Su Shu, "I shouldn't have resorted to physical violence in public."
Officer Yang..."
What, as if it's acceptable to get physical in private?
He coughed twice, glanced at the troublesome woman, then back at the calm and educated girl, his expression softening, "Young lady, try not to be so hot-tempered, huh? Wouldn't it be better if everyone just got along?"
Su Shu nodded, "Okay, I'll listen to you."
There, that's a better attitude.
Thanks to the officers' mediation, the unwilling woman finally stopped yelling. She turned to Su Shu with a sneer, "Want to settle this? Fine, I'm not unreasonable. You started it, right? If you want me not to pursue this further, alright! Pay me five thousand for my emotional distress, and I'll give you a chance to redeem yourself!"
As she spoke, everyone at the station's faces turned dark.
Su Shu glanced at Officer Yang holding his tea cup, her eyes questioning, can I hit her to make her more brain-damaged?
Officer Yang averted his gaze indifferently.
Su Shu sneered, about to turn away, but her eyes then caught the always silent and embarrassed boy standing in the corner, his nervous and awkward expression, and blushing cheeks. Su Shu's mind buzzed, and she swallowed all the words she was about to say.
After a moment of reflection, she reversed her previous attitude and agreed.
"Alright, it was I who acted first, that was wrong."
After speaking, she glanced unintentionally again at the boy's face, his tension seemed much relieved.
Forget it, it's just five thousand; she could afford it.
Officer Yang squinted at Su Shu, clearly perceiving that her attitude had just shifted. Glancing once more at the distant boy, he seemed to understand something, and his curiosity about Su Shu piqued.
She was an interesting girl, indeed young, yet she often exuded a sense of maturity that didn't fit her age.