Chapter 31 Jinjiang's Exclusive Jump into the River
The girls suddenly stood up and looked at each other in bewilderment.
Wang Huiting exclaimed excitedly, "Did you hear that? I heard someone jump into the river!"
“I heard that too!” Zhang Sisi quickly chimed in.
Su Ruyi: "Let's go, let's go see what happened."
The girls didn't even bother to count the money and all ran out. Just as they reached the door, Tong Dahua stopped them.
"Don't go over there, the two girls from the Yao family jumped into the river."
The girls were all shocked, especially Su Ruyi and Wang Huiting, who had just met Yao Sanmei.
Wang Huiting: "Auntie, the Yao sisters you mentioned, you wouldn't happen to be Yao Sanmei, would you?"
“It’s the third and fourth sisters,” Tong Dahua said sadly.
The two girls were about the same age as her two daughters. They were born one after the other, and both were girls. Some villagers even said that they had children at the wrong time, which is why they only had daughters.
These two girls were so young, how could they jump into the river like that!
Jiang Xiaotao exclaimed incredulously, "No way, Third Sister doesn't seem like the type to commit suicide. She's always tried so hard to live."
Everyone has seen the life the Yao family girls lead.
Although many families inevitably favor sons over daughters, few would treat their daughters like animals.
Jiang Xiaotao sometimes felt very tired when she looked at Yao Sanmei.
They have endless work to do every day, and despite being so diligent and capable, they are still constantly being beaten and scolded.
Her mother had previously said that if she were half as capable as Yao Sanmei, she would be burning incense in gratitude.
Jiang Xiaotao hated it when adults compared her to other girls, but when they talked about Yao Sanmei, she didn't object at all.
Unlike her two older sisters who only knew how to work hard, Yao Sanmei was often hungry at home, so she would find food for herself.
She secretly picked wild fruits, collected wild eggs, and caught rabbits quite a few times.
Jiang Xiaotao saw it by chance. She used to think that she was an honest person, but it turns out that she also knows how to plan for herself. No wonder she is the tallest among her sisters.
Although she is still very thin, she is in slightly better condition.
At the time, Yao Sanmei was roasting a pheasant, and to keep her from telling anyone, Yao Sanmei even gave her a chicken leg.
Jiang Xiaotao was too embarrassed to accept it at the time. Her family was doing quite well, especially in recent years, they had no shortage of meat to eat. But Yao Sanmei was different.
But Yao Sanmei insisted on giving it to her. Jiang Xiaotao knew what she meant, so she accepted it to put her mind at ease, but gave her some of the candy in her pocket.
Back home, Jiang Xiaotao couldn't keep it a secret any longer and told her mother about it.
Her mother also told her not to talk about it, otherwise Yao Sanmei would have no way to survive.
That family not only made the girls start working early, but also didn't give them a full meal.
Life is much better now than before. Nowadays, some children don't eat properly and have to be chased around and fed. This never happened before. People would grab any food they could find, or they would go hungry.
It's not easy to eat well, but it's not hard to be full. Not to mention white rice, so many sweet potatoes can fill up several girls.
But the Yao family felt it was a waste to give the food to the girl, and they were even stingy with a sweet potato.
There were also those who couldn't stand it, but the Yao family was not to be trifled with. Not only were they themselves scolded mercilessly, but they would also implicate the Yao sisters, who would think that they were betraying their own family and seeking outsiders to support them, thus bringing shame upon their family.
Over time, people couldn't bear to do anything about it and dared not do anything. They would give them food secretly, otherwise the Yao family would come to their door and verbally abuse them.
Yao Sanmei lived a very hard life, and she was also particularly diligent and eager to learn. Jiang Xiaotao once saw her secretly listening to classes at the village primary school.
Although compulsory education is now in place, there are still some children in the village who are unable to attend school, including Yao Sanmei.
Although it was compulsory education, some tuition and textbook fees still had to be paid, and once she went to class, she couldn't work. So the Yao family never thought of letting their daughter go to school.
Later, it was only because the village was under strict supervision from above that Yao Simei was allowed to go to school, and the village party secretary forced her to do so.
The Yao family refused to pay a single penny, and they didn't care whether the school accepted the fees or not.
Yao Simei was able to go to school thanks to the money raised by her two married sisters, and even then, she was scolded by her grandmother for a long time.
Liu Meizi often said that raising daughters is no good; they're all mentally challenged. What's the use of giving money to a younger sister if you don't give it to your brother?
If she is bullied at her husband's house in the future, won't it be her younger brother who will stand up for her? What use is her younger sister?
Jiang Xiaotao: "My mom said that the tuition fee was probably not sent by Sister Yao and Sister Yao. Sister Yao's husband is particularly fierce. Before, when Sister Yao stole some things to take back to her parents' home, she was beaten half to death. It's impossible for her to take money back to her parents' home. Sister Yao married very far away and has hardly come back since she got married."
It's possible that they might give you some money as a token gesture during the first semester.
After supporting her for several years, the eldest and second eldest sisters were struggling to support themselves and had no energy left to help Yao Simei.
"Does your mother think it's Yao Sanmei?"
Jiang Xiaotao nodded: "My mom used to cook for people at a construction site in the provincial capital. When she went to the morning market to buy vegetables, she saw her selling eggs at a stall. But the Yao family never mentioned that they were selling eggs in the provincial capital."
The morning market isn't a proper market; it's mostly small vendors or local farmers who bring their own vegetables to sell. They all have to leave around nine or ten o'clock.
The vegetables there are fresh and cheaper than at the market, so Aunt Liu often goes there to buy vegetables.
Wang Huiting exclaimed, "She's so capable!"
Although she had always wanted to do business, she wouldn't have dared to go to the provincial capital alone if Su Ruyi hadn't taken her along.
Su Ruyi also felt a strong liking for this girl. Despite being brainwashed since childhood, she still had a clear understanding of herself and knew how to fight for herself, which was very rare. She was naturally clear-headed and intelligent.
"Yes, if her family hadn't stopped her, she would have gone to work in the south long ago."
A girl from the village went to work in the south and disappeared without a trace, so the Yao family gave up hope.
They could tell that Yao Sanmei was smart and capable; if they really sent her to work, they figured it would be very difficult to find someone to help her. They had raised her with great difficulty, and with the bride price almost in their hands, how could they possibly let her go?
"How could someone who strives so hard to live suddenly have the idea to jump into the river? I just can't believe it."
After Jiang Xiaotao and Yao Sanmei developed a special bond over chicken legs, Jiang Xiaotao would unconsciously pay attention to Yao Sanmei and even covered for her several times.
The Yao family never discovered Yao Sanmei's secret actions. It wasn't that no one in the village noticed, but everyone chose to ignore it.
Wang Huiting recounted what had happened that day, and everyone was shocked.
Zhang Qiaoqiao: "How could they have such parents! No, how could anyone spread such rumors about Sister Ruyi! That's so malicious!"
No wonder she felt the villagers were looking at her strangely today. She thought she was just imagining things, or that they knew she was selling things and that's why they were paying extra attention to her. She never expected there to be such a hidden story!
Jiang Xiaotao was also furious, as she had always had a good relationship with Yao Sanmei.
“How could this be? No wonder someone as strong and ambitious as Third Sister would be so despondent. Isn’t this forcing someone to die? Sister Ruyi, don’t worry. Not everyone in the village believes these things. They’re just made up by gossipy people. Everyone has spread rumors before, and no one believes them anymore.”
Yao Sanmei had been looking for an opportunity to escape this family, but she couldn't let go of Simei, so she kept putting it off.
Because of this, Yao Sanmei often ran around, and the Yao family was not worried that she would run away secretly, since they had Yao Simei under their control.
Yao Simei was raised by Yao Sanmei. When she was still a little girl, she would carry her sister on her back to work. The two sisters depended on each other for survival.
But when faced with something like this, no one can remain calm. If she runs away alone, Yao Si Mei will definitely be sold to a filthy place.
There are quite a few families who use their daughters to exchange for dowries, and Jiang Xiaotao knows quite a few who marry their daughters off to mediocre families for money.
But the Yao family is a real oddity; they openly sell their daughter, treating her like she's no human being at all.
Wang Huiting: "I don't know how it is now, whether they've pulled the person out or not. Aunt, please let us go, we won't run around. If they haven't pulled them out, we can still help. We can't let someone die in vain. As long as they're alive, there's hope."
Tong Dahua: "You guys shouldn't go. The Yao family are all unreasonable. The Yao family's mother you met this year was already the one who was easy to talk to in their family. If you go there, they'll just scold you later."
Wang Huiting pointed to herself incredulously: "Me? What does that have to do with us?"
Jiang Xiaotao: "Sister Tingting, you're not from our village, you don't understand. The Yao family are just that kind of scoundrels. Before, Granny Yang took pity on Fourth Sister and gave her an egg. But when that old lady from the Yao family found out, she came straight to their house and snatched a basket of eggs, saying it was all because she gave Fourth Sister eggs that their Yaozu saw them and got hungry, crying so hard he almost collapsed. So they have to compensate them with a basket of eggs, otherwise if Yaozu's health deteriorates because of crying, she'll have to pay for his medical expenses!"
"This is so unreasonable!"
"Yes, that family is just so unreasonable. My third sister's mother and my mother are from the same village, and they're even related, but they usually act like they don't know each other. Getting involved with this family will only make them look bad."
Zhang Qiaoqiao also said, "They came to you today, but you didn't agree. If you were there, they would definitely blame it on you."
Su Ruyi was also greatly surprised. She thought she was quite knowledgeable, after all, her previous life had been very complicated.
She was still shocked by this family's bizarre behavior; her expression must be contorted right now.
“It’s getting late. You’ve all had a busy day, so you should all get some rest. It’s not safe for girls like you to go out so late. I’ll take your brother Stone to find someone later. You guys stay home and keep an eye on the door.”
In the village, no matter what conflicts there are, if someone in a family encounters trouble, each family has to send a representative to lend a hand, otherwise no one will come to their aid if something happens to them later.
Although there are a few rogue individuals, most people will still abide by this rule.
The originally cheerful atmosphere turned somber because of this incident.
Su Ruyi raised her voice and said, "What's done is done, and there's nothing we can do to help here. Let's calculate the money and see how much everyone has earned today."
The girls finally calmed down, but they weren't as excited as before.
After all, if they can't be saved, it would mean two lives lost.
The final calculation shows that the Zhang sisters earned more today than yesterday, a total of 21.4 yuan.
Jiang Xiaotao had little experience selling for the first time, so her earnings were much lower. However, she still made 3.8 yuan a day, which made her very happy, as she had earned it herself!
As for Su Ruyi and Wang Huiting, after deducting costs, Wang Huiting earned 103 yuan in two days, while Su Ruyi, because of her large investment and the fact that she also went to sell goods today, earned more, totaling 287 yuan.
Although Su Ruyi received a lot, the cost she paid was ten times that of Wang Huiting, so in the end, it wasn't much.
Wang Huiting knew that Su Ruyi was being lenient with her, and she was very grateful. She secretly wanted to buy Su Ruyi a gift.
Earned over a hundred in two days!
Who would have dared to imagine this before!
You should know that her mother's monthly salary is about the same, and she still has to worry about whether it will be delayed.
Wage arrears are no longer a novelty. Many factories are not doing well, so they either delay paying wages or only pay half of them upfront.
In the past, people weren't worried about the factory not paying the outstanding wages, but now they're not so sure.
"Sister, doing business is so profitable!" Wang Huiting exclaimed for the umpteenth time. "Let's go buy more goods tomorrow. The provincial capital is so good at selling them. If we can make more money and reduce our costs, we can buy more goods. Otherwise, if we buy too little, the costs will be too high if we go to the provincial capital again."
Wang Huiting was a little worried about what would happen if she couldn't sell them. The county wasn't that big, could there be that many people buying them?
Now that I have experience, those worries have lessened considerably.
If it sells this well in a small town, it must do well in the county as well.
Although their county's economic level is probably not as high as that of the towns here, it is still a county, which means that people are more likely to find the things they bring back rare and beautiful, and thus more likely to like them.
Su Ruyi nodded: "Let's stock up more tomorrow. We'll stay here for at least three more days, so let's not waste these three days."
She still had a funding gap, which is why she was so eager to return to her old profession and encouraged Wang Huiting to sell goods together in the provincial capital.
Business is really easy these days. As long as you find the right approach, the rewards are truly astonishing. Unless you're an insider, you simply can't imagine making so much money.
When she used to sell them, business wasn't this good.
The next morning, Su Ruyi was woken up by shouting and cursing.
"You despicable bastards! My granddaughter is gone! It's all your fault! If those two prostitutes had agreed yesterday, my granddaughter wouldn't have jumped into the river in despair. It's all your fault that my granddaughter died! Those two bastards must give the Yao family an explanation!"
A sharp, high-pitched voice pierced the sky, filled with disgusting profanities.
Zhang Qiaoqiao jumped out of bed with a start, looking nervous, and said:
"Oh no, it's Grandma Yao! That old woman is so difficult to deal with! If we get involved with her, we'll definitely be skinned alive."
Zhang Sisi also looked terrified: "She's even scarier than the old witch! She's a scoundrel who has been running rampant in the village because she has several sons and grandsons."
Wang Huiting was also wary of such an old lady. Ever since her stepfather passed away, Grandma Tong had frequently come to cause trouble.
She wanted to yell back, but her mother stopped her.
If someone calls her an elder and then insults her back, her reputation will be ruined.
However, simply giving in doesn't earn you a better attitude from the other party; instead, they become even more aggressive, gradually escalating from verbal abuse to physical violence.
Some families have more boys, so girls are more rare.
The Yao family is different. Because they have many male members, people are afraid to offend them, so they prefer boys to girls.
The door was pounded on loudly, and a rough male voice roared:
"Zhang Ban Deng, open the door! I know you're home. Don't think you can get away with hiding. You dare to mess with the Yao family? You're tired of living!"
Su Ruyi quickly dressed and rushed out of the room, stopping Tong Dahua, who had gone to the kitchen to get a cleaver and looked like she was going to her death.
Tong Dahua's lips were white, and her hand holding the knife trembled slightly, but her eyes were resolute.
"Ruyi, don't be afraid. Your aunt is here. Your aunt won't let you be bullied."
Zhang Dagui was also extremely anxious: "Dahua, don't do anything rash. There are so many of them, you can't possibly beat them. Go and take out the money we've saved. They just want money, once we give them the money, everything will be fine."
The cursing and swearing outside had stopped focusing on the two girls jumping into the river and started with all sorts of personal attacks, with the words becoming increasingly offensive.
The rumors that Zhang Dagui was born without legs because of his immoral character, and that his family was cursed and thus suffered retribution, resulting in a mentally challenged child and the extinction of their lineage, are all unfounded.
Not only are there all sorts of swear words at a censored level, but they are also particularly vicious, specifically designed to stab people in the heart.
Zhang Dagui and Tong Dahua felt as if they had been brutally trampled and crushed on the ground, filled with pain and anger.
"Aunt, do the Yao family have guns? Like shotguns or anything like that."
Tong Dahua was puzzled, but she still answered honestly:
"They're gone. They were all taken away by the higher-ups."
There is no complete ban on guns yet, but it has been implemented gradually, especially in places like Xinghua Village, which is relatively close to the provincial capital, where the crackdown is more stringent.
"If they come to someone's door demanding an explanation, will they bring a knife?"
"That shouldn't be the case either."
They're all from the same village. If it really comes to the point of violence, it'll be a huge commotion, something serious, not just a simple neighborhood dispute. The village secretary can't just ignore it; he has to come and take charge.
So most of them were unarmed, maybe with a wooden stick or something, but they usually didn't even have hoes; they were fighting to the death.
"Aunt, Uncle, are you afraid of going against this family? Or are you thinking of keeping the peace?"
Tong Dahua said angrily, "They're bullying us too much. It's one thing to spread rumors, but they're also blaming us for something that happened to our child. If we back down today, we'll definitely be bullied to death later."
After she started acting crazy in the last two years, she tasted the sweetness of success and no longer wanted to swallow her anger.
They've come to bully us right at our doorstep. If we still act meekly, they'll be able to bully anyone in the village from now on.
And if we really investigated, they should have come knocking on her door and heard what they were saying! It was so insulting. She didn't go yesterday, and she's been feeling uneasy ever since. If she keeps holding back, she'll never have the face to see her brother again.
Zhang Dagui remained silent. His family had been bullied for so long, which had robbed him of his courage.
He was afraid he couldn't win, and he was also afraid of retaliation.
He's a useless person, and to make matters worse, he has three children at home.
Su Ruyi looked at him, surrounded by all sorts of curses and insults, portraying her as promiscuous and spewing all sorts of disgusting dirty jokes at him. The courtyard gate was about to be kicked open, but she wasn't in a hurry.
"The child's father..." Tong Dahua said anxiously.
Zhang Qiaoqiao and Zhang Sisi also ran over; both girls had red eyes.
Zhang Sisi: "Dad, they can't bully us like this. I'll run to town to find the police officers as soon as the door opens. We're not afraid of them!"
Zhang Qiaoqiao: "Dad, we can't give in. If we give them the money today, we'll only be bullied more in the future."
The Yao family may be arrogant, but they are not without their limits. They never dare to provoke the village secretary and are as obedient as can be in front of him.
They were also wary of the Jiang family, especially since Jiang Xiaotao's father had become a foreman in recent years, with many people under his command and extensive connections. They dared to say sarcastic things behind her back, but dared not confront her directly.
It is weak when facing the strong, and strong when facing the weak.
Zhang Shitou was already pacing back and forth in the yard, holding a wooden stick. He wasn't very bright, but he wasn't completely clueless. Someone had come to bully them!
But his mother stopped him, which is why he didn't hit her.
Zhang Dagui took a deep breath and said, "If they hit me while I'm up ahead, I'll sue the government for abusing disabled people!"
Previously, the county disabled persons' federation visited his village to check on his situation, and also gave him rice and flour, and helped him obtain a disability certificate. He will be able to receive a subsidy every month, although it is not much, but it moved Zhang Dagui very much, and he felt that he had not been abandoned by the country.
Having received an affirmative answer, Su Ruyi turned to Zhang Shitou and said:
"Stone, come on, let's go open the door."
Zhang Shitou really likes Su Ruyi because his mother told him that the meat they eat now is all brought by Su Ruyi, and that she is the smartest and most capable person in the family.
Zhang Shitou immediately ran to Su Ruyi's side. He had been waiting for a long time. His mother had told him that he should listen to Su Ruyi from now on, so opening the door was not disobeying his mother.
Zhang Shitou was perfectly clear-headed at that moment and opened the door with a cheerful smile.
As soon as the door opened, a leg kicked in, but Su Ruyi, who was prepared, pulled Zhang Shitou back to avoid the kick.
Caught off guard, Yao Daqiang couldn't retract his leg in time and landed with his legs wide open, falling in a split and screaming in alarm.
The onlookers burst into laughter, and some people in the crowd started to jeer:
"Yao Daqiang, you've really messed things up now."
"Which bastard dared to talk so foul? I'll tear you apart in a minute, ouch, ouch, ouch."
When the Yao family members around him tried to help him up, Yao Daqiang kept screaming.
Of the Yao family, Yao Daqiang was the most reckless and unruly, but unexpectedly, he was killed before the game even started.
Grandma Yao was heartbroken; this was her favorite grandson!
"You stupid idiot who should have died long ago! Why did you dodge? If anything happens to my precious grandson, I'll break your legs! Zhang Meitui, you #￥￥%, I'll skin you alive today! You bunch of #$# sluts, you should rot in the brothel!"
Zhang Shitou was sprayed in the face. He clenched his fists in anger, his eyes turning red, but he didn't dare to make a move.
His mother constantly told him not to hit anyone, so he was very angry, but he could only endure it.
The old lady tried to rush in, but Su Ruyi blocked her with a piece of wood. Before the old lady could launch a sonic attack, Su Ruyi lifted Yao Daqiang, who was still doing a split on the ground and couldn't recover for a long time.
Yao Daqiang was thrown seven or eight meters away as he passed through the crowd.
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