Chapter 435 Setting a Scene

What will be the final outcome for Shen Lizhu and Gong Huaifeng remains to be seen.

However, Dan Niang, who had previously sought treatment from Li San Niang (first appearing in chapters 414-415 and reappearing in chapter 421), has now had her case resolved.

Dan Niang listened to Li San Niang's words that very day. She first went to the Women's Assistance Association and told them that she wanted to take her daughters away from the Sun family and divorce Sun Da Lang.

After listening to Li's mother's words, she went to the teahouse at the end of the street where the Women's Assistance Association was located to find Mr. He.

Mr. He was considered a remarkable person in Changshoufang. According to the rumors in the neighborhood, Mr. He's ancestors had produced officials of the third rank, but not all families could produce officials generation after generation.

When the He family passed down to Mr. He's generation, all that was possible was that Mr. He was able to read and write, and could live a slightly better life than ordinary people.

As for arranging custom-made items for Mr. He, we lack the financial resources and ability.

Therefore, Mr. He simply lived off the land left by his ancestors.

But Mr. He is also an extraordinary person.

Mr. He has a younger brother. After his parents passed away, he raised his younger brother as his own son. After all, there is a difference of more than ten years. Although he cannot be called a son, it would be appropriate to call him an uncle and nephew.

After raising his younger brother and arranging a marriage for him, Mr. He immediately divided the He family's wealth in two, giving half to his younger brother's family. After seeing his younger brother have children and live his own life, he no longer needed to worry about anything.

Mr. He felt he had done everything an elder brother could do. Thus, after putting his younger brother aside, Mr. He lived the life he wanted, drinking tea, listening to stories, chatting with peddlers and laborers, and occasionally giving advice and helping people.

By chance, the Li family's Women's Support Association came into contact with Mr. He.

Li's mother did not think that Mr. He was a scholar who did not do proper work. On the contrary, she thought that Mr. He, like Li's father, was a kind-hearted person who was willing to help people in distress within his ability.

"Mr. He must already know about the Women's Assistance Association that I established in my home."

Since Mr. He was willing to offer advice to help Jiu'er escape her suffering, he must have a very kind heart.

Mr. He is knowledgeable in law and familiar with various regulations; he is a rare talent in the alliance.

"oh?

What does Li the midwife mean by this?

Li's mother didn't delay and said directly, "Our alliance would like to ask you to be a worshipper, sir."

The alliance provides you with a fixed monthly salary. If any young ladies come to our alliance with problems that we cannot solve, please give us some advice.

For every idea we come up with, we'll give the gentleman an extra sum of money that month, how about that?

Mr. He was no ordinary man. After thinking for only a few moments, he agreed to what Li's mother said.

When Danniang nervously approached Mr. He, who was drinking tea and watching the street scene at a table by the window in the teahouse lobby, she first stammered out her purpose. Only after realizing that Mr. He was not the kind of scholar who looked down on others did she fluently tell him her story.

"...That's how it is. The manager of the assistance association asked me to come to you, sir, for advice on how to handle this."

After hearing about Dan Niang's story, Mr. He remained calm and composed, leisurely picking up the teapot on the table and pouring a cup of tea for himself and Dan Niang.

Mr. He gestured for Dan Niang to drink some tea to moisten her throat.

Dan Niang was truly thirsty. Anyone would get parched if they talked nonstop for half an hour.

After drinking a cup of tea, Dan Niang became anxious. She looked up at Mr. He, who was holding a teacup and looking out the window, and asked in a low voice, "Sir, is there any way to help me?"

If that doesn't work, I'll have no choice but to risk my life.

“Sigh,” Mr. He put down his teacup and sighed, “It’s alright, it’s not time to risk our lives yet.”

Mr. He lowered his voice and carefully spoke to Dan Niang: "...If you can do that, then when the time comes, you can ask for a divorce, and it will usually be successful."

Village chiefs and elders in most villages have to be mindful of their reputation to some extent.

If Sun Jiaqiang insists on disagreeing, you can use the name of the Women's Aid Association. The female physician from the Li family has a good reputation in Chang'an. If you do that, you'll be almost certain to succeed in getting a divorce.

Dan Niang returned to the Sun family with the idea given by Mr. He and a heart full of excitement and nervousness at the prospect of escaping her misery.

Danniang spent several days finding out the specific time for the village to worship at the ancestral hall during the Qingming Festival this year, as well as the tasks assigned to the Sun family, from Sun's father and mother down to Sun Dalang and Sun Erlang. She also subtly inquired with Granny Li, a familiar villager, about when the village chief and village elders would return from the mountain to pay their respects.

A grand drama is about to begin.

Following Mr. He's instructions, Dan Niang figured the time was almost up. First, she fed Daya two boiled chicken eggs, deliberately leaving pale yellow bits of food on Daya's lips. Then, she had Daya take the chicken eggs that the family had saved to the ancestral hall to give to Sun's mother. These were the chicken eggs that the Sun family was preparing for the whole village.

The village's sacrificial rites always end with a meal together.

In the countryside, it's common for one family to contribute some vegetables and another to contribute a few chickens. Families with better financial means might contribute a chicken or a rabbit.

So when Daya brought a small basket of chickens to the ancestral hall to give to Sun's mother, Sun's mother noticed the crumbs on Daya's lips. How could someone like Sun's mother bear to give chickens to Daya, a young girl?

So, at this moment, Sun's mother stood at the entrance of the ancestral hall and cursed Daya for being such a lowly wretch, shamelessly stealing food, a filthy slut, and destined to be a slut who runs a brothel.

The insults were so harsh that all the other women in the village who were busy working with Sun's mother in the backyard of the ancestral hall came out.

But Sun's mother never cared about what others said, after all, she was used to such insults at home.

Besides, Sun's mother always felt: "Da Ya is my family member, my own granddaughter. I can scold her however I want. Even if I hit her, it's to teach her a lesson."

So you didn't eat your chicken?

"How kind of you! Why don't you give all your chickens to me, your wife, to eat?"

Daya listened obediently as her mother pointed her finger and scolded her. After a while, she saw Erya gesturing to her from not far away, and Daya burst into tears.

Sun's mother is a typical bully who has a habit of establishing authority over her granddaughter, Daya. So, when she heard Daya crying, her first reaction was, "How dare Daya cry?"

The second reaction was to slap her across the face. Children's skin is so delicate, and in just a few breaths, a bright red handprint appeared on Da Ya's face.

"I'll make you cry, I'll make you cry, I'll make you steal food, I'll beat you to death, you filthy slut!"

Just as Granny Sun was about to slap Daya across the face again, Danniang, who had been hiding to the side, stepped forward and shouted, "You hit my child, I'll beat you to death, beat you to death!"

It was expected that Daya would be beaten, but Danniang, as a mother, knew that this was a setup and had no choice but to sacrifice herself.

But seeing the bright red handprints on Daya's face, Danniang's old and new grudges ignited a fire of anger in her heart. As if she had gone mad, she pounced on Sun's mother. With great force, Sun's mother fell to the ground, and Danniang sat on Sun's mother's stomach. With both hands, she slapped Sun's mother more than ten times.

Sun's mother was stunned by the blow. By the time she came to her senses, Dan Niang had already raised her hand again.

“What kind of scene is this, standing in front of the ancestral hall on days like this!”

"Quickly pull them apart!"

The village chief led the way, followed by several village elders, and behind the elders were dozens of men, all from the same village.

This is the village chief leading his clansmen back from paying respects to their ancestors on the mountain.

The timing was perfect, allowing everyone to witness this scene.