Not to mention that there were only twenty or thirty people from other villages, and they were all ordinary people.

Even when police officers come to the village to arrest criminals, they need the consent of the village committee and the villagers to help them take the criminals away.

Otherwise, villagers wouldn't need to show their faces; they could simply pass on a message to each other to cover the criminals' escape, making it more difficult for the police to apprehend them.

A mere twenty or thirty people from other villages trying to cause trouble in the village? Don't even think about it, they have no chance of succeeding.

People were gathered in small groups in the courtyard, and the atmosphere didn't seem too tense; they were chatting and joking around.

"Zhu Zi, why are you home this time? Didn't I hear you went to Qingdao to work?"

"Sigh, I just got back last night. It's not easy to make money in Qingdao. Now, capable people have taken over the casual labor market."

It's chaotic outside! Honest people don't get paid for their work, and those who aren't willing to risk everything won't get by there.

We have houses and land; we're not some hotheaded fools from Northeast China. Those guys are willing to risk their lives. We can't afford to risk our lives; if we don't make any money, we'll have to go home.

Life in our village is much better than before. We can easily make a decent living by hosting tourists and selling dried goods.

"Yes! This month, my family made over a thousand yuan through the village's Taobao shop alone, which is less than what we earn working outside the village."

But life is stable and comfortable; I don't have to leave my family and home, or be at the mercy of others. Going out to work is like being a migrant worker, looked down upon by others.

"That's right. The cadres in our village are becoming more and more capable, and they've managed to manage the village very well."

The pier is almost finished, and there are more and more tourists. These are the sources of future wealth.

Our family is planning to pool our money to buy a alloy boat; we can get a decent motorboat for around 30,000 to 40,000 yuan.

During the fishing ban, tourists are drawn to remote reefs and islands to harvest oysters, clams, and dry shellfish.

Once the fishing season opens, we can set up crab traps and cast nets; the income will be quite good.

While chatting, everyone kept listening to the sounds of the host negotiating inside the house.

That's right, it's negotiation!

The man is also from the countryside, and he knows the saying that even a hero can't escape his village.

The thirty or so people who came this time were just to make it clear: we are also a large family, we have plenty of people, and if we really can't reach an agreement, we're not afraid to turn against each other!

The other party included Wang Qing's former and future in-laws and son-in-law, as well as relatives and in-laws such as her brother-in-law and sister's husband—all of whom were her closest family members.

On Wang Qing's side, it was her father, brothers, uncles, cousins, and other male relatives from the close lineage who came forward; none of the women came forward.

The men who came were all very rational; if a peaceful resolution was possible, no one wanted to resort to violence.

Even if the entire village were to engage in a brawl, the outcome would be uncertain. If they won, all would be well; they could even use the compensation money to pay for the medical expenses of those who came to help in the fight.

If we lose, not only will we have to pay a huge sum of money to apologize, but we'll also have to pay for the medical expenses of the relatives and friends who come to help!

In rural areas, gang fights are not just about saving face; they are also about fighting an economic battle.

Fortunately, both the male and female clan leaders were seasoned veterans with extensive experience in combat.

When the man arrived at Yujia Village, he stopped talking about whether or not he would be cuckolded.

Without saying a word upon entering, he set out his carriage and horses, effectively announcing the annulment of the engagement.

They even brought four matchmakers from both sides, one male and one female. Enough said, the marriage was arranged by relatives.

The relationship between the man and woman was quite close. The matchmaker for the woman's side was Wang Qing's cousin and her husband. The cousin's husband was away working and not at home, so it was the cousin and her eldest son who came.

On the groom's side are the boy's cousin and her husband. The cousin's husband is from the same village as Yujia Village, although he is not surnamed Wang, but Liu, and his family is not small.

These relatives are all related, so unless there's a particularly deep-seated grudge, it's really not easy to immediately turn on each other and start a fight, which provides a great buffer.

Although Wang Qing's family is a local household in Yujia Village, the fault in this dispute lies with the woman, while the man initially tried to appease her before resorting to force.

As long as it's not too outrageous, there's no reason for you to take action. Even if you're on home turf, you can't be unreasonable, right?

There are specific rules for breaking off an engagement in rural areas. Generally, whoever proposes to break off the engagement first will have to pay compensation.

However, it was clear that the woman was in the wrong, so she could only accept being dumped and having to pay compensation.

The only issue the two sides are currently arguing about is the amount of money involved. Since they're no longer relatives, it's natural to want to settle accounts carefully.

The two families have been engaged for four years, and the betrothal gift, let alone the extremely high amount given upon meeting, is at least 10,000 yuan.

There's still 29,999 yuan left for the engagement gift, and 1,000 yuan for the parents' "changing of address" fee. There's also 6,600 yuan hidden in the wedding invitation.

Add to that the seasonal gifts for the Spring Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival, Dragon Boat Festival, and the Dragon Boat Festival on the second day of the second lunar month, including cigarettes, alcohol, fish, and meat, which amount to 6,000 yuan a year, and 24,000 yuan over four years.

The three gold items (gold necklace, gold earrings, and gold ring) that I bought for the woman were converted into a motorcycle, which cost me another 28,000 yuan.

In addition, the clothes the boy bought for the girl privately each time he visited, the pocket money he gave her, the red envelopes for the New Year, etc., amounted to another 20,000 yuan.

The engagement banquet hosted by the groom, with six tables and costing 12,000 yuan, had to be paid for by the bride's family.

If you calculate it this way, in the four years since the engagement, the groom's publicly disclosed expenses have amounted to 131,600 yuan.

The man also demanded an additional 60,000 yuan in compensation for emotional distress from the woman. With all these demands added together, the total amount reached 191,600 yuan.

The woman would definitely not agree to pay all of this money, because the cost of the banquet is unreasonable from the start.

“We acknowledge that your family paid for the banquet, but you also ate all the food, so you can’t expect the woman’s family to pay for it all.”

Let's talk about compensation for emotional distress. Sixty thousand yuan is too much. Add a little more, and it's enough for your family to find another wife.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!