Chapter 231 Are you out of your mind?

Upon hearing this, Caiju rushed over immediately, even putting her shoes on backwards.

When she refused Zhou Anguo's marriage proposal last time, he left without even saying goodbye, leaving no trace.

Hearing Zhao Lin crying so miserably, she was most concerned, her heart churning with mixed feelings of guilt and heartache.

She moved a stool and sat down, wanting to say a few words to comfort her, but her lips moved and she swallowed them back.

But when he saw Zhao Lin's cheeks swollen and red like steamed buns, with a clear finger mark across his face, and then saw a dark blue footprint on Shen Cuifen's back with purple edges, clearly from a heavy kick, he gasped and unconsciously slapped his thigh: "My God, this is a beating to death! This isn't living a normal life, it's treating people like animals!"

Jiang Shuixian stood to the side holding her child. She had only come to watch the excitement, but now she couldn't help but clench the hem of her clothes, her fingertips turning slightly white and even feeling a little cold.

Looking at the mess in the yard and the bruises on Shen Cuifen's face, she suddenly recalled the scene of her older sister Jiang Guifang being beaten by her husband and bedridden for half a year—a scene that is still etched in her memory like a brand.

At that time, Jiang Guifang was pale and covered in bruises. She had difficulty speaking and lay in bed for six months before she could barely get out of bed.

Thinking of this, Jiang Shuixian felt a sudden pang of sadness, and her eyes welled up with tears. She couldn't help but murmur softly, "What happened to the Zhou family? How did they become like this? They all take their anger out on women, treating them like useless things, hitting them and cursing them whenever they want. Is this how humans behave?"

Zhao Lin sneered, a mocking smile curving his lips, but the smile was as cold as frost in the dead of winter.

Her voice was low, as if squeezed from the depths of her throat, each word like a sharpened knife, slicing through the air: "The Zhou family doesn't consider their sons human; only men with the surname Zhou are their lifeblood, the hope for continuing the family line. And what about us? What are we? Brooms to sweep the floor? Or rags they can toss away at will? In their eyes, we're not even garbage! This life is unbearable, living is just torture!"

After applying the medicine, Shen Cuifen sat on a small stool, her shoulders trembling slightly, and gently wiped away the tears that kept welling up in the corners of her eyes.

Her face was badly swollen, her lips were cracked, and her voice was slightly hoarse.

She lowered her head, her voice so soft it was almost inaudible, as if afraid of disturbing something: "Mother, where can we go now? Can we not go back...? I'm really scared, scared that Father's anger hasn't subsided, and he'll beat you again when he comes back. I... I really can't bear to see him treat you like that again..."

Upon hearing this, Caiju immediately stood up from the wooden bench by the wall, put on an indignant expression, and spoke in a hurried tone.

"I'll go check on the Zhou family right now! Maybe Uncle Zhou has already gone to town on business and left. He might even have packed his bags!"

As she spoke, she deliberately clapped her hands, making it seem as if she was going to gather information.

Zhao Lin didn't stop her, but simply nodded slightly, his eyes indifferent, as if he had already seen through everything.

She knew perfectly well that Caiju wasn't genuinely trying to help.

It was clearly an excuse to go and find out what was going on with the Zhou family, and incidentally watch the excitement and spread gossip.

This kind of thing is all too common in this village. Whenever someone is in trouble, there are always some people who can't wait to get involved, their ears perked up more than dogs.

Caiju strolled out the door slowly, her steps light and quick, a smug smile on her face.

She wandered around outside for a long time, asking around, and finally found out what was going on before slowly strolling back.

As soon as she entered the door, she waved to Zhao Lin, her voice loud as if afraid no one would hear her: "Aunt Zhao, don't worry! Uncle Zhou is really gone! I saw him with my own eyes carrying a gray cloth bundle and an old canvas bag, hurrying towards the village entrance. The door was locked, the iron gate was locked, and the lights were off inside, he must have gone far away!"

Zhao Lin had anticipated that he would run away.

This kind of man always tries to hide when something goes wrong and never dares to take responsibility.

She remained expressionless, only offering a perfunctory reply: "Oh, it's good that you've left, so you won't cause trouble when you come back."

His tone was flat, as if he were talking about something extremely ordinary.

After sending Caiju away, she gently took Shen Cuifen's hand and led her step by step slowly towards her home.

On the way, Zhao Lin looked at his daughter's haggard face, and his heart ached as if it were being cut by a knife.

She finally couldn't hold back any longer and scolded him, her voice trembling slightly, "Cuifen, how could you be so foolish? It was so dangerous just now! Your father had gone mad, he didn't hold back his punches and kicks, why did you rush in to stop him? You're carrying a baby in your belly! That's your flesh and blood! What if something had happened, if he had been hurt or the baby had been affected... how would your mother live? Your mother is counting on you!"

Upon hearing this, Shen Cuifen immediately covered her swollen belly tightly with her hands, as if protecting some rare treasure.

Her tears streamed down her face, rolling down her cheeks and soaking her clothes.

She choked back tears, her voice breaking, "Mother... how could I just stand by and watch you get beaten? How could I stand by and watch you be bullied? I can't do it! You are my mother, my dearest person, how could I bear to see you in pain? My heart aches even more than yours!"

Zhao Lin trembled slightly upon hearing this.

She slowly turned her head and glanced at the desolate and dilapidated courtyard behind her—the mud walls were mottled, the wooden gate was crooked, and the chicken coop in the corner of the courtyard was half collapsed.

Just now, her most beloved son, in an attempt to protect her, rushed forward without a word to block her way, only to be kicked to the ground by Zhou Anguo, his forehead hitting the stone steps and bleeding profusely.

At that moment, her heart almost broke.

Thinking of this, she felt a pang of sadness and pain in her heart, as if someone had grabbed her heart and twisted it hard.

She fought back her tears, turned around, and said sternly to Shen Cuifen, "Cuifen, you must remember this: I never do anything on a whim; I always think it through. In the future, when something happens, don't be so foolish as to rush in to block things, do you hear me? You have to think about the child in your belly; you can't be so reckless!"

Shen Cuifen stubbornly shook her head, tears streaming down her face, wetting her collar and the ground beneath her feet.

Her voice was soft, but it carried an unwavering determination: "No! Mother, I can't just stand by and watch you get beaten! If I don't stop him, Father will keep beating you until he can't beat you anymore! I... I will never be a bystander! I'd rather take this beating for you than let you bear it all alone!"

Zhao Lin felt a warmth spreading through his heart, as if a surge of heat was flowing from his chest to every part of his body.

She knew that her daughter truly loved her and was willing to risk her life to protect her.

But she couldn't let this pain turn into even greater harm.

She could only keep a straight face, put on a fierce look, and whisper, "You don't listen to your mother either?"