Chapter 48 Thanks to 'Three Cousins'

When they got home, He Chengze took the little bun from her arms and asked, "Why did you come back so late today?"

Jiang Xueyi sighed: "Don't mention it, guess who I ran into at work today?"

He Chengze: "Who?"

Jiang Xueyi: "Do you remember the chestnut seller we met at the market last time? Her name is Hao Fang. She came to the Women's Federation today."

He Chengze guessed it in a second: "Because of domestic violence?"

Jiang Xueyi nodded. "The situation is even more serious than we imagined. Her husband not only beat her until there was no skin left on her body, but he also beat the child. His son's head was wrapped in bandages several times..."

The little boy didn't feel the adults' worries at all and giggled in He Chengze's arms.

He Chengze placed him in the crib and asked seriously, "How does the Women's Federation plan to resolve this matter?"

Jiang Xueyi sighed: "There's no other way except mediation."

The Women's Federation is, after all, just an institution.

It is impossible for everyone to follow Hao Fang and Zhao Shugen 24 hours a day. If Zhao Laosi wants to take action against them, he will have plenty of opportunities.

It would be even harder than climbing to the sky to make Zhao Laosi come to his senses and stop using violence against the mother and son.

From Zhao Laosi's attitude towards the three of them today, it can be seen that he disdains women.

Women are naturally weaker than men, which is why Hao Fang has never been able to resist.

Jiang Xueyi glanced at He Chengze. Some men use their physical advantages to defend their country and build achievements, while some men use their fists to attack their families.

When Jiang Xueyi saw Hao Fang's family, she remembered a case she had seen in her previous life.

There was also a family of three. The husband had been abusing his wife and son for years. The son remained silent, enduring the violence until he grew up and, on his eighteenth birthday, he picked up a kitchen knife and pointed it at his father. Overnight, the family was destroyed...

The look in Zhao Shugen's eyes today seemed to convey that sentiment.

In fact, it is easy to understand. In the eyes of the child, official agencies such as the police, the Women's Federation... cannot help them and their son. The only one they can rely on is themselves. One day, they will choose to believe in their own strength.

By that time, the one who would be the most devastated would definitely be Hao Fang.

The two of them sighed.

Jiang Xueyi pursed her lips and said, "Is there any way to help them?"

He Chengze thought for a moment and said in a deep voice, "I do have a way."

Jiang Xueyi's eyes lit up: "What method?"

He Chengze: "Keep it a secret for now. By the way, does Hao Fang have any relatives from her family?"

Jiang Xueyi shook her head: "She is the only daughter in her family. Her father passed away a long time ago, leaving only her mother. I heard that she has been ill for many years and can't even get out of bed."

No wonder Zhao Laosi is so confident.

"Okay." He Chengze said, "I'll take care of it."

After he said that, Jiang Xueyi felt relieved. She had great confidence in his ability to get things done.

She narrowed her eyes and said, "I hope Hao Fang and Shu Gen can escape from their clutches as soon as possible."

"That day will come." He Chengze said with a smile.

-

The next evening.

Zhao Laosi came back staggering from outside, holding a bottle of wine.

He kicked open the gate and cursed drunkenly, "Stinky woman, where did the dead man go?"

Only Zhao Shugen was at home. He was squatting on the ground playing with mud, holding a steamed bun in his hand.

He said timidly: "Mom, Mom is not at home..."

Zhao Laosi had just lost money and was so angry he had no place to vent his anger. He glared at the man and started cursing, "You little bastard! All you know is eating!"

Zhao Shugen was startled and dropped the steamed bun on the ground.

Zhao Laosi became even more furious. He rushed over and kicked Zhao Shugen in the back, cursing as he kicked him: "You can't even eat well. Do you know how expensive food is? You can't even afford it if I sell it."

The kick was so powerful that Zhao Shugen fell to the ground with a cry, his face hitting the mud, and two streams of blood immediately flowed out of his nostrils.

"Dad... I was wrong..." Zhao Shugen wiped his face, which was covered with mud and blood, making him look like a wounded kitten.

He tried to get up, but Zhao Laosi grabbed him by the back of his collar and lifted him up like a chicken. "What's wrong? Huh? I lost money today, and you still dare to be an eyesore here!"

Hao Fang rushed in from outside and shouted: "Let go of Shugen!"

She rushed over to grab the child, but was pushed by Zhao Laosi and hit hard against the courtyard wall.

"You dare to protect him?" Zhao Laosi spat, his spit landing squarely on Hao Fang's face. "This little bastard is just like you, both of them deserve a beating!"

He grabbed Hao Fang's arm and slammed her against the door frame. With a "bang", the back of Hao Fang's head hit the wooden edge and she fainted on the spot.

"Bah! Useless, not resistant to any blows."

Zhao Shugen saw Hao Fang fainted and burst into tears: "Mother! Mother!"

He tried hard to break free from Zhao Laosi's hand, but accidentally scratched his arm.

Zhao Laosi became even angrier and raised his hand to slap Zhao Shugen in the face.

After the slap, five red marks instantly appeared on Zhao Shugen's cheek.

"You dare to tickle me?" He dragged Zhao Shugen into the kitchen. "Today I'm going to teach you a lesson about the firewood stick!"

Zhao Shugen's eyes were filled with fear, tears streaming down his face: "Mother, mother, save me!"

Hao Fang woke up slowly when she heard the child's cry.

He crawled over and hugged Zhao Laosi's legs, crying, "Stop hitting me, stop hitting me, Shugen is just a child, if you want to hit me, hit me."

Zhao Laosi sneered, "What a jerk! This is the first time I've seen someone asking for a beating." He added, "Don't worry, I'm free today. I'll have time to take care of you and your son."

As he said that, he raised his leg and kicked Hao Fang in the chest.

Hao Fang curled up on the ground in pain, but held his legs tightly and refused to let go.

Zhao Shugen was so frightened that he trembled and shouted, "Dad! Don't hit my mom! We won't dare to do it again!"

"Now you admit your mistake?" Zhao Laosi said, "If it weren't for you two, I wouldn't have lost so badly today. Yes, I lost money because of you two unlucky guys."

"I'll definitely win money tomorrow if I kill you."

Zhao Shugen grabbed the shoulder pole next to the water tank and raised it high.

Just as it was about to fall on the mother and child, suddenly, a strong and powerful hand stretched out from the side and firmly grasped the carrying pole.

Zhao Laosi turned around and saw a tall and strong man, at least 1.8 meters tall, wearing a washed-out blue cloth jacket with his sleeves rolled up high, revealing his muscular body.

There were two people following behind him, each taller and stronger than the other. They were wearing gray Lenin suits with straps on their trouser legs, which looked quite out of place.

The three men stood with their feet shoulder-width apart, their heels nailed to the bluestone slabs, and their knees stretched straight.

As soon as he stood in the yard, he showed a different physique from that of an ordinary farmer.

It was like a high wall, and the shadow it cast covered Zhao Laosi completely.

Zhao Laosi was a little frightened, but he still pulled the pole back: "Let go!"

But no matter how hard he pulled, the carrying pole did not move at all, and was instead pulled back by the blue cloth jacket.

Zhao Laosi staggered and fell to the ground.

Seeing this, Hao Fang quickly got up, held Zhao Shugen in his arms, and looked at the three people vigilantly.

Zhao Laosi stood up cursing, "Who are you?"

Lenin pretended not to say anything, took a step forward, and suddenly grabbed Zhao Laosi's neck with his other hand, dragging him towards the door like a chicken.

Zhao Laosi's toes scraped the ground with a harsh sound, and a muffled "woooo" sound came from his throat, but he could not break free from the iron-like hands.

"What's the big deal about hitting women and children?" Lenin threw him into the yard. Zhao Laosi fell on the pile of firewood. Several splinters pierced his arms, and he grimaced in pain.

The other man in a Lenin suit squatting on the doorstep suddenly stood up and kicked Zhao Laosi in the knee. Zhao Laosi fell to his knees with a plop, facing Hao Fang and Zhao Shugen, mother and son.

"Weren't you very majestic when you beat people just now?" Lenin suit No. 2 stepped on Zhao Laosi's back, pulled out the belt from his waist, and yanked it in front of Zhao Laosi's eyes. The tip of the belt brushed past his nose and hit the courtyard wall with a "pop" sound, shaking the wall so that the paint fell off.

Zhao Laosi originally had some thoughts of resisting, but when he saw this, he suddenly didn't even dare to move.

He said in a trembling voice: "Brothers, where are you from? Do I know you?"

"Of course I know him." The man in the blue cloth jacket pulled a bench over and sat down, crossing his legs. "The three of us are Hao Fang's distant cousins, from the northwest."

"Cousin? Northwest?" Zhao Laosi was stunned, his suspicious eyes circling around the three people and Hao Fang.

How could he not remember that Hao Fang’s family had such a relative?

Lenin suit number one glanced at the chicken coop in the corner of the yard, and the chickens frightened away, "I heard from Hao Fang's mother that you two are not living in peace?"

He bent down to pick up a broken piece of firewood and rubbed his thumb over the broken end. "We in the Northwest value practicality. If we can't get along, we'll split up. A forced melon won't be sweet."

Zhao Laosi mustered up his courage and shouted, "That's our family's business. It's none of your business to butt in on it."

"Outsider?" The man in the blue cloth jacket raised an eyebrow, his strong hands gripping the doorframe as sawdust rustled down. "I've heard from your neighbors that you often bang Hao Fang's head against the doorframe. Is this the door?"

Zhao Laosi was so frightened that he jumped back half a step and stammered, "Cousins, what do you want?"

Seeing him shivering, Hao Fang slowly stood up, with flames burning in her eyes.

For the first time, she discovered that Zhao Laosi, who seemed omnipotent in front of her, was just a weakling in front of people who were more powerful than him. He would tremble at the mere words of others.

The man in the blue cloth jacket ignored Zhao Laosi and looked at Hao Fang: "Sister, tell him straight out, do you want to leave?"

Lenin pretended to be number one and said, "If you're tired of being bullied here, come with us to the northwest. The forest farms there are short of workers. There, women can earn as much work points as men, and it's no better than being beaten at home."

Hao Fang's eyes gradually lit up: "I, I want a divorce, is that okay?"

"Divorce?" Zhao Laosi was anxious and rolled up his sleeves to pounce.

Halfway through, he was stopped by Lenin suit No. 2. The arm didn't look thick, but it was like an iron pillar. Zhao Laosi struggled twice but failed to break free. Instead, he staggered a few steps.

"Don't be violent." Lenin suit number two placed his hand on Zhao Laosi's wrist, his fingertips gently pressing into the flesh. "I learned a few moves from my...fellow villager. If you don't want this hand anymore, feel free to struggle."

Zhao Laosi cried out several times: "Let go! It hurts, it hurts!"

The man in the blue cloth jacket sneered, "Let him go."

Lenin suit number two released his hand, and the man in the blue cloth jacket continued, "Think carefully about the divorce, Zhao Laosi. I'll give you one night to understand what it means to respect a woman's wishes. If you figure it out, you can get a divorce tomorrow. If you can't, we'll come to your house every day, eat with you, and go to work with you. How's that?"

Lenin pretends to be one: "Okay, it's getting late, let's go."

He smiled, but the smile didn't reach his eyes: "We have to give our cousin-in-law some time to think it over and weigh it over, right?"

When the three big men stepped out of the door, Lenin suit number two picked up the sickle hanging on the wall, looked at it, and hung it back: "This knife is not sharp anymore, it needs to be sharpened."

The frightening tone made Zhao Laosi break out in a cold sweat on the back of his neck.

Only when the footsteps disappeared did Zhao Laosi collapse on the ground.

He stared at Hao Fang in confusion and wonder: "Who are your three cousins?"

Hao Fang was busy wiping Zhao Shugen's nosebleed and applying medicine. For the first time, she said in a firm tone, "What do you care?"

"Hey, you bitch." Zhao Laosi raised his hand.

Hao Fang stiffened his neck and puffed out his chest, saying, "Go ahead and hit me. If you dare to hit me, I'll go find my three cousins and ask them to judge for justice."

Three tall and strong figures flashed through Zhao Laosi's mind. He was frightened and silently withdrew his hand.

The three men in blue cloth jackets stood outside the yard for a while, and left only when they could no longer hear any movement.

The three of them kept walking until they came to a big banyan tree about one kilometer away from Shuibei Commune.

He Chengze leaned against the tree trunk, took out a cigarette from the cigarette box, put it in front of his nose and sniffed it.

"Captain!" Lenin suit No. 2 ran over happily and shouted loudly.

"Silly boy, why can't you change your tone and call me deputy brigade commander?" The man in the blue cloth jacket slapped the man in Lenin suit number two on the back of his head.

He Chengze raised his lips and said, "I am the deputy brigade commander, but I am still your regimental commander."

He raised his chin and asked, "How's it going?"

Lao Lei took the cigarette from He Chengze's hand, put it between his lips, lit it with a match, and blew two streams of smoke from his nose: "What can I do? He's a coward. I almost peed his pants when I tried to scare him."

"I guess they'll get a divorce tomorrow morning." Lenin Suit Number One rubbed his head, wondering, "Deputy Brigade Commander, is this really going to work? That Hao Fang is divorced, and it's probably going to be hard for her to get remarried. Plus, with a child, life is going to be tough for both mother and child."

"You're so stupid," the man in the blue cloth jacket cursed. "Didn't you see? If we had come a little later today, that mother and son would have been beaten to death by Zhao Laosi. If you don't divorce a jerk like that, you'll just be his punching bag for the rest of your life."

Lenin Suit No. 1 chuckled and said, "That's true."

"Okay, everyone, stop talking." He Chengze said, "By the way, did you guys get caught?"

"We can't find him. The three of us are very vigilant and avoid people whenever we go back and forth." The man in the blue cloth jacket said, "Besides, even if Zhao Lao Si wants to cause trouble for us, he has to find the person first."

"Forget him. Even Hao Fang doesn't know where the three of us come from." Lenin said, pretending to be number two. "Even if he's lucky enough to find out that the three of us are from the army and comes to identify us, we can just blend into the crowd. Each of us is tanned more than the other. He definitely won't recognize us."

"I trust you to do the job." He Chengze said with a smile.

Not to mention that Zhao Laosi couldn't find his "three cousins", even if he found his "three cousins", what could he do? At most, his "maternal family" would help him out, and he wouldn't have anywhere to seek justice even if he reported it to the public security bureau.

They are set to get a divorce.

-

After receiving her salary, Jiang Xueyi did not forget to treat Liu Lu to a meal as promised.

It just so happened that Liu Lu was also discharged from the hospital. She didn't want to stay at home and was annoyed by seeing Captain Zhao and Kong Hongfang and her son, so she readily agreed.

The two of them took Zhao Xiaorui and Xiao Baozi to the town to find a state-owned restaurant.

Jiang Xueyi generously handed the menu to Liu Lu: "Order whatever you want, it's my treat today."

Liu Lu smiled and said, "Then I won't be polite. I'm going to make a killing today."

"Of course." Jiang Xueyi said, "Xiao Rui, come on, order some of your favorite dishes too."

Zhao Xiaorui smiled sweetly and said, "Thank you, Aunt Jiang."

The food was served, including braised pork, dumplings stuffed with leeks and pork, shredded potatoes with vinegar, and tofu with crab meat. It was a very sumptuous meal.

Jiang Xueyi used a serving chopstick to pick up some food for Zhao Xiaorui and asked Liu Lu, "How's your recovery going? What did the doctor say?"

Liu Lu: "The doctor later gave me a detailed examination and said the fetus was healthy and there was no problem."

"That's good." Jiang Xueyi was relieved. "Fortunately, you are afraid of bitterness, so you didn't drink much of the harmful reincarnation potion."

Liu Lu held her hand gratefully. "I have to thank you for this. If you hadn't come in time, I would have foolishly drunk the medicine."

Who would have thought that Kong Hongfang, a grandmother, would murder her own grandson?

"You have to be more careful in the future. You're pregnant. You can't just eat whatever others give you. It's definitely better to be more cautious." Jiang Xueyi said.

Liu Lu smiled and said, "I have good news for you. Lao Zhao promised me that he would send my mother-in-law back to the countryside next Monday."

"Really?" Jiang Xueyi's eyes lit up. "You've finally made it."

"What's the point of getting through it? I'm still troubled." Liu Lu sighed.

Listening carefully to the words and the tone, Jiang Xueyi asked, "What's wrong?"

Liu Lu sighed again: "To be honest, I just found out that Lao Zhao gave my mother-in-law a lot of money, and she used it all to buy the sex-changing medicine. Guess how much it cost?"

"Five dollars?" Jiang Xueyi guessed.

Liu Lu: “Five hundred!”

Jiang Xueyi was stunned: "Auntie Kong is quite willing to give."

Liu Lu sneered, "That's what I asked her. How could you be willing to spend 500 yuan on that harmful medicine?" Then she added, "Guess what she said?"

Jiang Xueyi replied, "What did you say?"

Liu Lu: "She said, 'Isn't it worth spending 500 yuan to buy a grandson?' She thinks it's worth it." She added, "Even now, she still thinks the doctors in the hospital are liars, and that only the 'old miracle doctor' who sold her the reincarnation medicine has the real skills."

She sighed: "I still have to get the money back. Five hundred yuan is not a small amount."

Liu Lu held Jiang Xueyi's hand and said, "I'll have to trouble you to accompany me when the time comes. I'm not good at talking, and I'm afraid I won't be able to get the money back by myself."

Jiang Xueyi patted the back of her hand and agreed.

After they had almost finished eating, the two of them walked back together.

It's dark outside.

Just when she was halfway back, Jiang Xueyi heard someone calling her name.

She turned around and saw that it was Hao Fang.

Hao Fang held Zhao Shugen's hand, carried a bag on her back, and kept waving at her.

Liu Lu asked: "Someone you know?"

"Yes." Jiang Xueyi handed the little bun to her and said, "Take care of the little bun for me. I'll be back soon."

She walked up to Hao Fang, who looked at her with excitement and patted Zhao Shugen on the back: "Quick, kneel down to your benefactor."

Zhao Shugen fell to his knees.

Jiang Xueyi was stunned and quickly helped the child up: "What are you doing?"

Hao Fang smiled shyly.

Unlike the dead and numb expression Jiang Xueyi had seen her with before, her whole body seemed to be radiant and her back was no longer hunched.

She said happily, "Secretary Jiang, I came here to tell you some good news."

She tightened her grip around Zhao Shugen's shoulders, took a deep breath, and exhaled, saying, "I'm divorced." She added, "Just a few mornings ago, I got the divorce certificate from Zhao Laosi."

"Really?" Jiang Xueyi's eyes lit up. "That's great."

Hao Fang kept saying, "Thank you, thank you, you are the great benefactor of me and Shugen."

As she said this, she wanted to kneel down.

Jiang Xueyi quickly stopped him: "If you do this, I will be angry. Why are you kneeling down for no reason?"

Hao Fang said excitedly: "Secretary Jiang, I really mean it. Thank you so much, and thank you to your wife and those three good people. Please say thank you to them for me."

Jiang Xueyi narrowed her eyes and put her index finger against her lips: "Shh."

She asked, "How did you recognize it?"

Hao Fang laughed and said, "Well, I don't have any cousin from the northwest." She added, "I'm just stupid. I went through a lot of twists and turns and pondered for two nights before I figured it out."

She said mysteriously, "Guess how I recognized them? I remembered my 'three cousins'. The way they stood, the energy they had, they looked different from the others. At first I just felt familiar, but then I remembered there was a man from our commune who went to the army. His standing posture, with his choking voice, was exactly like my 'three cousins'."

"Then I remembered that I saw your wife when I was selling chestnuts. The way she stood was as if she were cast from the same mold," Hao Fang said. "And then I thought, how could it be such a coincidence? Just two days after your Women's Federation people left, the 'three cousins' showed up."

She clapped her hands and said, "When you put them together, you'll understand everything."

Jiang Xueyi made a zipper-zipping motion and said with a smile, "Don't dwell on this matter too deeply. After all, it's still a violation of discipline. Just know it in your heart."

"I understand, I understand." Hao Fang nodded vigorously, "I will keep it a secret."

She also knew it, otherwise she would not have secretly found Jiang Xueyi and thanked her.

Hao Fang said proudly, "To be honest, I'm going to Shanghai with Shugen and my mother soon. I'm here to say goodbye to you tonight. I have hands and feet, so I won't starve to death there. It's a big city, and there's plenty of room for a divorced woman like me." She smiled, "Plus, the medical facilities there are good. I plan to take my mother there to get her illness cured."

Jiang Xueyi was very pleased to see that she had something planned out.

Away from Zhao Laosi, Hao Fang is a smart and capable woman.

Hao Fang said gratefully, "Let me thank you again."

No matter how many times she said the word "thank you", it was not enough to express her gratitude to Jiang Xueyi and others.

Jiang Xueyi smiled and said, "If you want to thank someone, you should thank yourself. If you hadn't given up and contacted the police and the Women's Federation, you wouldn't have been able to find us to help you."