Chapter 161 My sister isn't a good person either.
Liu Zhixia patted Zhang's hand and said sincerely, "Sister Zhang, don't be so polite. If it weren't for your help, Da Bao would have suffered so much. If the medicine hadn't worked, or if Boss Shen had found out, you risked your life to save him. The Liu family will remember this kindness for a lifetime."
Zhang's eyes welled up with tears, but she just smiled sheepishly.
After they paid the final payment, Zhang warmly saw them off as they left the factory. Just as they reached the gate, they saw a group of people gathered there, pointing and whispering.
A piercing wail rang out from the center of the crowd: "He's heartless! My daughter-in-law ran off with another man! And the gatekeeper won't let us in! He's trying to force our whole family to our deaths!"
The voice was recognized by everyone in the Hui Liu family; it belonged to Granny Shen!
Liu Xiangyang and Zhang's expressions instantly darkened.
Zhang instinctively tried to turn and run away, but Shen's father, who had sharp eyes, spotted her and rushed over like a mad dog, grabbing her arm tightly.
"You little bitch! I finally caught you! You traitor! You conspired with outsiders to capture my son, and you still have the nerve to run away?"
Shen's father's face was contorted with rage, and his fierce and menacing appearance startled everyone around him.
Turning his head, he saw Liu Xiangyang beside him, and Mr. Shen felt as if he had caught someone red-handed. He roared at the top of his lungs, "So it was you, my ex-son-in-law, who was behind this! Have you been having an affair with my wife all along? You even sleep with your brother-in-law's wife, are you even human?!"
This statement contained a huge amount of information, like a depth charge, instantly stunning the onlookers.
Former son-in-law? Brother-in-law's wife?
The eyes of those around them were like needles piercing the two of them; some looked down on them, some jeering, and all were filled with malicious speculation.
Liu Xiangyang was so anxious that his face turned red, and Zhang buried her head in her chest, her hands trembling. To onlookers, their inability to defend themselves made it seem as if they were guilty and admitting guilt.
Liu Zhixia laughed angrily and said loudly, "Sister Zhang is efficient at her job in the factory, impeccable in her dealings with people, and takes excellent care of her child. If your daughter were half as virtuous as her, would my brother have divorced her?"
Her intention was to help Zhang out of a predicament and, incidentally, to satirize Shen Hongmei. However, to the uninformed onlookers, her words were completely misinterpreted.
"Huh! Judging from this, this man divorced his first wife for his sister-in-law?"
"What a scumbag! He's such a scumbag! And his sister's no better; she's even helping her brother bash the original wife!"
"This old couple is so pitiful. Their daughter was divorced, and their daughter-in-law was kidnapped. How are they going to live?"
...
Hearing the discussions around them, the two elders of the Shen family instantly straightened their backs.
Chen's mother pointed at Liu Xiangyang, tears streaming down her face: "My daughter gave birth to your son and served you like a slave, and now that you've made money, you want to kick her to the curb? It turns out you were just trying to seduce your sister-in-law!"
Mr. Shen added insult to injury: "No wonder they were exchanging flirtatious glances when they came to my house before, turns out they'd been hooking up all along! My poor daughter is now a divorcee, and my son is being cheated on. How are we supposed to face anyone now?"
Liu Xiangyang was so anxious that his veins bulged: "You're talking nonsense! It's clearly because of Hongmei..."
"Hongmei, what? What other dirty tricks are you trying to throw on my daughter?" Mother Chen sat down on the ground and wailed, "My poor daughter! The Liu family is heartless. They abandoned their wives who had shared their hardships as soon as they got rich. They're trying to drive us to our deaths!"
The onlookers were in an uproar upon hearing this.
"So money corrupts! This kind of heartless man deserves to be drowned in a pig cage!"
No matter how Liu Xiangyang explained, the two elders of the Shen family threw a tantrum and wouldn't give him a chance to speak.
Liu Zhixia, however, remained unusually calm. She pushed through the crowd, walked up to Chen's mother, looked down at her, and sneered, "Alright, enough acting. Auntie, you've had your fun. Just name your price. How much are you trying to extort this time?"
Upon hearing this, Mother Shen stopped crying abruptly, quickly got up from the ground, and pointed at Liu Xiangyang: "He abandoned his wife and children, causing my daughter to be unable to get married. He must pay compensation!"
Liu Zhixia raised an eyebrow: "Oh? How much do you want? Name your price."
The Shen elders were surprised by the other party's promptness and their eyes greedily glanced at the empty basket. They had just witnessed the Liu family settle the payment.
The elderly couple huddled together and whispered. Liu Zhixia, with her good hearing, vaguely heard Shen's father say, "They spent all their money on road repairs before, and they probably don't have much left this time. Should we go with the same amount?"
Mother Shen nodded: "Okay! Let's do it this way!"
After discussing it, the elderly couple returned with full confidence. Chen's mother held up her hand and said, "Five hundred! Give me five hundred yuan, and we'll call it even!"
"five hundred?!"
The onlookers gasped in shock.
These days, ordinary families can't save much money even after a year. Asking for 500 yuan right off the bat is robbery!
Someone couldn't help but advise, "Auntie, isn't that too cruel? Even if he's a heartless man, who could come up with so much cash?"
Mother Chen retorted, "Nonsense! They just sold their goods; they definitely have money!"
Liu Xiangyang said with a bitter face, "This money isn't all ours! We have to go back and distribute it to the villagers, so we'll only get a small fraction of it!"
Mother Shen waved her hand arrogantly and said, "I don't care! What do I care if those peasants don't get their money? It's all your fault, Liu Xiangyang, you have to pay for it!"
A barely perceptible sneer curled at the corner of Liu Zhixia's lips.
Explaining to these uninformed passersby is useless; they'll only sympathize with the "vulnerable" elderly. To turn the tide, these two old geezers have to tear off their disguises and reveal their man-eating fangs.
She composed herself, walked up to the two elderly people in the Shen family, and said in a humble tone, "Auntie, this five hundred yuan is the hard-earned money of the whole village. Everyone is counting on it to celebrate the New Year. Please be merciful and take less, okay?"
Upon hearing this, the two elders of the Shen family's eyes lit up instantly.
They didn't care about the villagers' lives or deaths; as long as they knew the Liu family really had five hundred yuan, that was enough!
Zhang also knelt down with a thud, pleading tearfully, "Father, Mother, please spare the Liu family! My brother-in-law has always been good to us, bringing home all sorts of good things. If this money is gone, they won't be able to face us when they go back!"
Upon hearing this, Mother Shen became even angrier and grabbed Zhang's hair, yelling, "You treacherous slut! You dare to plead for your lover? Once I get the money, I'll skin you alive!"
With that, he slapped her hard across the face!
"mother!"
The big dog rushed over crying and hugged Chen's mother's leg: "Grandma! Don't hit my mother!"
Without even glancing at it, Mother Shen kicked the big dog away, yelling, "Get out of here! You're all ungrateful wretches! Who am I doing this for? Isn't it all for the Shen family?"
"ah!"
A gasp of surprise erupted from the surrounding crowd.
Several kind-hearted women rushed over to help the big dog up. When they lifted the dog's clothes, they saw a red and swollen footprint on the child's stomach, a shocking sight.
This kick completely ignited the anger of the masses.
"That's too cruel! They even hit their own grandson?"
"They'd abandon their children for money? This isn't a pitiful old woman, she's a vicious wolf!"
"I think the Liu family is the real sucker; they've been entangled with this family of bloodsuckers!"
Public opinion shifted instantly.
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