"Is this really necessary? We're relatives after all." Cao's father looked at Gu Hanping with a grim expression.

If it's just a verbal agreement, then at worst it's a blatant denial, a stubborn refusal to admit it.

They have no shame anyway.

How much is a face worth?

But if Gu Yunyang wants them to write an IOU, then they have to sign, put their fingerprints, and leave their handprints.

Cao's father could foresee that if they dared not pay, the Red Flag Brigade would come to their brigade with the IOU and confront their brigade leader.

They even went so far as to complain to the commune.

A verbal promise can be easily reneged upon.

If there is an IOU, the commune will handle it.

What if they get caught and taken to the police station...

They are all all bark and no bite; they're just a bunch of people who are tough on their own but cowardly when it comes to outsiders.

Gu Hanping naturally glared at him coldly: "You must sign."

Cao's mother roared, "We're in-laws, after all! Do you really have no shame at all? How is my daughter supposed to live in your house from now on?"

Gu Hanping was not one to argue with women, and seeing this, Hao Pingping immediately mocked, "Now you know your daughter is having a hard time at her in-laws' house? Why don't you remember when you made your daughter move things to support her parents' family? If you don't want her to be miserable at her in-laws' house, then return everything she moved out of her in-laws' house over the years."

"impossible!"

Cao's father immediately denied it: "She didn't bring anything back."

He then added, feigning concern, "In-laws, we're all family. We're absolutely committed to our word and won't go back on our promise. How about we skip the IOU? Otherwise, how will Cao Ying ever face her family again?"

That's quite a mouth; it can say anything as soon as its lips touch.

Both positive and negative are yours.

Anyway, I won't lose out.

Gu Hanping didn't know how to confront Cao's mother, but when Cao's father spoke up, Gu Hanping bluntly retorted, "If she doesn't want to go back to her parents' home, then she won't. My family isn't the kind that mistreats its daughter-in-law. If she can endure it and not go back to her parents' home, she'll still have a good life. Otherwise, she'll end up like this, with all the things she got from the family division probably moved back to her parents' home, right? She's always eyeing her husband's family, trying to freeload."

Cao Ying's face turned as red as a monkey's bottom.

Things can be done, but they can't be said so explicitly.

Isn't this just pointing at her face and calling her a troublemaker?

Even though that's the truth, she still has her pride.

“Father-in-law, that’s my maternal home too, it’s my home.”

Cao Ying was indignant.

Gu Hanping replied expressionlessly, "It's your maternal family, but look at our Red Flag Brigade, which family empties out their husband's family's property when they marry into their own?"

Changbai saved your life by jumping into the water, which was a great kindness to you. But you refused to let go of my Changbai and repaid kindness with enmity, insisting on marrying into my family.

"They demanded two hundred in betrothal gifts, plus twenty-four legs. Not only did they not bring back a single penny of the betrothal gifts, but eighteen of the twenty-four legs were left with the bride's family. And there was no dowry at all. Is this how you treat your in-laws?"

The shameful things she did back then were exposed by her father-in-law.

It didn't even mention repaying kindness; instead, it was defined as repaying kindness with enmity.

Cao Ying's face was practically dripping with sweat.

She looked at Gu Hanping with some resentment.

Gu Yunyang felt that if Gu Hanping were hospitalized and seriously ill at this time, Cao Ying might have encouraged Gu Changbai to remove the oxygen.

So that's how it is.

Gu Yunyang initially had no idea how Gu Changbai and Cao Ying's marriage came about.

Judging from the way the Cao family looked at me before, I felt that there was definitely something fishy going on.

Unexpectedly, it really is true.

It seems that this drowning incident might have been staged.

Otherwise, the Cao family would not have reacted this way.