049
“Ah~~~”
A scream accompanied by a child's cry pierced the silent night sky, echoing throughout the family quarters, and then lights came on throughout the entire family quarters.
"What's wrong? What happened!" Xiao Li, who was closest to the sound, was woken up from his sleep. He almost instinctively picked up the clothes beside the bed and put them on quickly, then put on Tara's shoes and ran out quickly.
Wang Xuemei patted the little boy who was a little restless because of the noise, and waited until the little boy finally fell asleep again under her gentle caress before she put on her clothes and went out.
When Xiao Li ran out of the yard, he happened to see Dong Shiyi who also came out of the house. The two of them greeted each other briefly and ran quickly towards Qian Dafu's house in the direction where the sound came from.
In the courtyard of Qian Dafu's house, Mrs. Qian was holding a cane and hitting the big girl on the ground with a fierce look on her face. As a mother, Song Zhaodi restrained Niuniu who wanted to rush forward with one hand, and begged for mercy loudly to Mrs. Qian with a terrified face: "Mother, mother, please stop hitting her. If you keep hitting her, she will kill her! Mother, I beg you, please stop!"
"Big girl, you should apologize to grandma quickly and tell her that you won't make mistakes again and that you will listen to her from now on." Long-term oppression has made Song Zhaodi have no desire to resist. As a mother, she can swallow her anger for her children, but she cannot resist her mother-in-law for them. When there is a conflict between her mother-in-law and the children, she always thinks of enduring it. No matter whether the children are wrong or not, she always lets the children bow their heads first, but she never thinks about whether this is really good for the children.
The big girl looked at her mother with disappointment. Her father was away from home all year round and she had always depended on her mother. She had a very deep affection for her mother and had always relied on her mother. The big girl looked at Song Zhaodi with gritted teeth and said loudly with a stubborn face: "No, I'm not wrong. Why should I apologize? You asked me to listen to her. Did grandma ask me to go home and get married, and you agreed?"
Song Zhaodi's eyes unconsciously drifted away. She didn't know if she had something to hide that made her afraid to look into the girl's eyes. She stumbled over her explanation, "No...no, you're still young."
"Mom, you disappoint me so much." As soon as she finished speaking, the girl's thin face was visibly lonely. Her mother actually agreed with her grandmother's idea of marrying her off.
The girl lost her will to resist after seeing her mother's behavior. She curled up her thin body, gritted her teeth to prevent herself from making any sound, and let the cane fall on her again and again.
She hated herself, hated why she was a girl!
When she was little, she watched her mother compromise for her and her sister, doing the most work and eating the least at home. After being wronged, she would hug her and cry, saying, "Big girl, why aren't you a boy? It would be so great if you were a boy."
After she grew up, she had cried silently in her quilt on countless quiet nights: Why wasn't I a boy who could carry on the family line, but a girl who would only waste food? How great it would be if I were a boy, then they wouldn't have to suffer so much!
Xiao Li and the other man came over and saw the little girl curled up on the ground, gritting her teeth and not making a sound. The clothes the girl was wearing had been torn by the rattan, which showed how ruthless Old Lady Qian was this time.
Watching the cane falling on the girl again and again, Xiao Li even had the illusion that she was going to beat her to death. He took a few steps to the old lady's side, grabbed Old Lady Qian's hand that was about to fall again, and said in a deep voice: "Okay, let's stop here for now. You can take a break. There's no rush to beat her after you've explained clearly."
Although Da Niu is quiet, she is a good child. She often helps Song Zhaodi with some work within her ability. When she is free, she will also help them, Guaiguai. Guaiguai likes this sister very much. Xiao Li does not think that such a sensible little girl will make any big mistakes.
Dong Shiyi took the opportunity to go over and pick up the girl who was still on the ground. In the dim light, he could vaguely see her torn clothes and streaks of blood. Seeing the child clutching his clothes in fear, Dong Shiyi glanced at Song Zhaodi who was standing nearby and said to Xiao Li, "I'll take the child home first."
When Niu Niu saw her sister being taken away by Uncle Dong, she broke free from her mother's hand and chased after him while crying.
Wang Xuemei just came over and saw Dong Shiyi being carried out of the yard. She said with a look of disbelief, "Hey, this... I have some regular medicine at home. Bring the child home."
Guaiguai has often fallen since she started learning to walk, and her knees were bruised every now and then. Wang Xuemei and Xiaoli did not restrict her movements for fear of her falling, but they just kept some common medicines at home from that day on. Dong Shiyi thought about it, nodded, and carried the girl to Xiaoli's house.
The child was taken away right before her eyes, and Mrs. Qian was immediately unhappy. She looked at the man holding her wrist with a mean look on her face. She was a little scared of this handsome but imposing soldier. But when she thought about her son, who had made it big enough to drive a car and must be much more capable than this young man, she felt more confident. She puffed out her shriveled chest and said in a shrill voice, "What? Just because you're a soldier, you think you can bully me! Do you know who my son is? Be careful! When he comes back and finds out you bullied me, I'll make you pack up and leave!"
His son is the most powerful man in the area, so driving away a soldier should be no big deal.
"Mom~~" Song Zhaodi was about to say something when she was scared back by Xiao Li's cold look. She shrank into the corner and dared not make any sound. She was also afraid that the old lady would say something else and offend Xiao Li, which would have an impact on Qian Dafu. She felt as if countless ants were crawling in her heart and she was very uncomfortable.
Xiao Li had no good feelings towards Old Lady Qian, who started causing trouble as soon as she arrived. If Qian Dafu were present at this moment, he would not even be able to control himself and would kick her.
Listening to the old lady's arrogant and domineering words to him, Xiao Li's face was full of smiles. "You'd better stay here until Qian Dafu comes back. If you cause any trouble again, I can make you and your family pack up and leave without waiting for Qian Dafu to drive me away."
"What's wrong with me educating my granddaughter? What's the matter? She made a mistake and I shouldn't let her educate me? Who are you? You are so bored that you meddle in other people's affairs. Aren't you afraid of running into ghosts when you go out?" In the village, Old Lady Qian was used to being arrogant. Besides, the girls in the village were not worth much. Many of them were thrown into the mountains to fend for themselves at birth. Their Qian family raised a little girl to this age, which was considered a very kind and righteous family. It was appropriate that Old Lady Qian did not think she had done anything wrong.
Thinking of that disobedient girl Da Niu and the ten dollars that were about to be in her hands, Old Lady Qian's face became more gloomy: No, for the sake of the ten dollars, that damn girl Da Niu must get married!
"I'm such a fucking idiot!" Who likes to meddle in other people's affairs? If she hadn't made such a big noise late at night, Xiao Li wouldn't have run into her even if he stayed in the army all day. Xiao Li didn't want to waste time arguing with the old lady late at night. He looked at the people gathered around the wall and said, "Where's the instructor of the third company of the first battalion?"
"Xiao... Xiao Tuan." The political commissar of the first battalion and the instructor of the third company walked in from outside. They lived a little far from here. As soon as they came, they heard Xiao Li looking for the instructor. Qian Dafu was the company commander of the third company of the first battalion. The battalion commander of the first battalion, Liu Tutu, had gone home to visit his relatives. The political commissar had to take care of some life matters, so when Xiao Li called people, he followed him into the yard.
"I'll leave the old lady to you." Talking to an unreasonable old lady would only make people more and more tired. Xiao Li didn't want to do such a thankless task. He walked out of the Qian family's yard slowly. Seeing the people eavesdropping outside the yard, he said in a faint voice: "We don't allow beating children like this in our group."
The women around were so scared that they nodded quickly. They were their own mothers, and even if they beat their children after they made mistakes, they would not be like this old lady, who wanted to beat them to death.
Looking at the way the old lady beat people, those who didn’t know would think that the girl was not from their Qian family.
When Xiao Li returned home with a gloomy face, Da Niu was sitting in the living room holding Niu Niu. Wang Xuemei had helped to treat the wounds on her body and changed her into a set of clothes that didn't fit her well. The loose clothes made her look even thinner. With the bruises on her face and the dull eyes, Da Niu looked a bit like the heroine in a TV drama.
Xiao Li raised his eyebrows, "Tell me, what's going on."
Xiao Li's face was serious and his voice was harsh, which frightened Da Niu so much that she shrank her neck and held Niu Niu's hands tighter. Wang Xuemei saw the child's reaction and secretly kicked Xiao Li, then went over and touched Da Niu's head: "Dan Niu, if you can, can you tell me why grandma hit you?"
No matter what Wang Xuemei said, the older girl kept gritting her teeth and refused to speak. Niuniu, still in her arms, thought about what her sister had told her to tell Uncle Xiao if she was bullied. She raised her head timidly and said, "Grandma wanted to marry me off, so we ran away and she beat me at night."
Niu Niu is young and speaks a little slowly, but she explained things very well.
"Get married!" Wang Xuemei looked at the skinny girl under the light. She was only ten years old and still had a childish look on her face. Her shriveled figure made her look only about seven or eight years old. It was hard to imagine that such a little girl had reached the stage of getting married in the eyes of the old lady. "This...this..." She is still a child. What is old lady Qian thinking!
Letting a ten-year-old child get married completely refreshed Xiao Li's three views. Thinking of Song Zhaodi who was standing by when the old lady beat people, Xiao Li was filled with chills.
No one expected that Song Zhaodi, who usually seemed to be a peaceful person, always willing to help others when something happened, would actually be so soft-tempered that she watched her daughter being beaten and forced to marry, and she didn't even dare to say a word. Is such a person really worthy of being a mother?
"You two stay here today. We can talk about it tomorrow if there is anything." There is a small room prepared for Guaiguai in his house. When Guaiguai grows up, he will sleep in a separate room from his parents. Now it is just right to be cleaned up for the two little sisters to live in.
"Uncle Xiao." When Xiao Li was about to return to the bedroom, the girl who had been silent all this time suddenly called out to him, "I'm not a princess!"
Uncle Xiao, you are wrong. I will never become a princess.
When she knew that she was also a princess, she mustered up the courage to take her sister to say no to her grandmother for the first time, and then she was almost beaten to death that night. The big girl thought that maybe Uncle Xiao was wrong. She did not love her parents, and she would never become a little princess like Guaiguai.
"Do Da Niu and Niu Niu have famous names?"
"No." Xiao Li's sudden question made Da Niu obviously stunned. She didn't have a real name, only the nickname Da Niu. Her parents had never thought of letting them go to school and giving them academic names. When asked suddenly, Da Niu felt a little inferior and buried her face in Niu Niu embarrassedly.
"How about the names Xiaoyu and Xiaoyi?" Xiao Li took a pen from the table and wrote them down stroke by stroke on the notebook, handing it to the bewildered Niuniu. "These are the academic names your uncle gave you on behalf of your father: Qian Xiaoyu and Qian Xiaoyi."
"Life is hard. No one's life is smooth sailing. Even princesses in fairy tales have to go through hardships before they can meet their princes. Not all princesses can live happily and peacefully in castles. To get the life they want, they have to work hard in secret, where no one can see."
"Girl, you are a princess. Even if no one else knows, as long as you live freely and the way you want, you will always be the princess in your own heart."
"So, my little princess, please hold your noble head high and face life with a smile." Xiao Li stroked the big girl's dry hair and continued to pour chicken soup into her little milk bag: "Uncle likes your smile, big girl. I hope that one day you can change the world with your smile, instead of letting the world change your smile. Okay?"
With tears in her eyes, the big girl grinned at Xiao Li and said with a sob, "Uncle, my name is not Big Girl, my name is Qian Xiaoyu."
"Okay, Qian Xiaoyu."
When Qian Dafu returned from his mission, he learned that Xiao Tuan had given his two daughters scientific names without his knowledge and had expressed his affection for them. "Third Company Commander, my daughter Guaiguai really likes your two children and is clamoring for her mother to give them a sister. I thought having one child like this was enough for my whole life and didn't want Comrade Wang to have a second child. Since Guaiguai likes your two children, would you mind giving one to my family for adoption?"
Qian Dafu didn't react for a moment, "Xiao Tuan... stop teasing me." People in this era didn't really use contraception, and contraceptive measures were not perfect. Xiao Tuan and his wife were still young, and they might have a baby at any time. It's not that they can't have a baby, so they need to adopt a child from someone else's family, or a girl.
"I'm not kidding. I really like your two kids. Just give me one of them. I promise to raise her plump and white, and I won't beat or scold her, and I'll even support her education."
"That won't do." Qian Dafu is still alive. It's not like he can't afford to raise a child, so how can he just give the child away? Qian Dafu was so troubled by Xiao Li that he even forgot about Xiao Tuan giving her two daughters academic names. He said he wanted to go home and hurried to the staff quarters.
He had to go back and see what it was about the two children that Xiao Tuan liked.
"Look how scared you are." After Qian Dafu left, Dong Shiyi patted Xiao Li on the shoulder and said with a gossipy look on his face, "What do you think his reaction will be when he finds out that I'm going to marry off my ten-year-old daughter when he gets home?"
"What kind of reaction can there be if he can just bring his mother back? I'll be thankful if he can get her back." Ever since she knew that Xiao Li was in charge of her sons and was a leader, Old Lady Qian's attitude immediately changed. She became nicer to the two little sisters. At least, no one could tell from the outside that there was anything wrong with her, and her temper was much calmer.
After completing the mission, there will be a few days of rest. Qian Dafu ran all the way back to the family compound. Staring at the puzzled looks of the military wives, he returned to his own yard in confusion. When he entered the yard, he saw his old mother directing the girl to wash clothes in the yard.
"Mom, I'm back." Qian Dafu had no problem with the big girl washing clothes. He first went to greet his old mother and then looked carefully at the big girl who was working. He looked left and right but couldn't find any advantages of this child. He didn't know why Xiao Tuan said that.
"My son, you're back! I missed you so much." Old Mrs. Qian grabbed Qian Dafu's hand and rubbed him all over, fearing that her precious son had been hurt. She kept saying, "You've lost weight! You've lost weight!"
"Son, let me tell you, people here look down on me because I'm an old country lady, and they don't treat me well. If I hadn't missed you, I would have returned to my hometown long ago and wouldn't have suffered here anymore." What she meant was that I have suffered a lot for you, and you may have to be unfilial and be an ungrateful person in the future.
The girl who was washing clothes secretly rolled her eyes: Here it comes, her grandmother’s ultimate move - complaining.
Every time her grandma sees her dad, she behaves like this, and it has been the same for many years. Her dad is also stupid and never thinks too much about it. He just foolishly takes out his mother's anger. In the past, he took out his anger on the three of them, mother and daughter. This time, she wants to see how her father will vent his anger on her grandma.
Qian Dafu was a little dumbfounded. He felt that it was impossible for the people in the compound to collectively reject an old lady. However, he had always been obedient to the old lady since he was a child, so he believed her words a little. After comforting her, he sat in the yard and asked Da Niu, "What's wrong, Da Niu? How could you let people bully your grandma?"
The girl curled her lips, raised her head and stared at Qian Dafu motionlessly, then said: "My grandma is so powerful, who can bully her?"
Qian Dafu was a little angry at the girl's tone, and he said in a harsher tone, "How can you talk like that!"
"Dad, when you came back, did everyone in the compound look at you strangely? Do you know why?" The girl didn't wait for Qian Dafu to speak before continuing, "It's because my grandma wants to marry me to this idiot from the next village who's twenty years older than me. If I don't marry her, she's going to beat me to death!"
"This...is impossible." In Qian Dafu's impression, his mother is the kindest person. After what the girl said, he instinctively wanted to refute.
"If you don't believe me, go ask Uncle Xiao and Uncle Dong. I'm alive thanks to them. Dad, remember to give them some gifts to thank them later." After saying that, the big girl lowered her head and continued washing clothes, but her heart was hanging high, fearing that Qian Dafu would slap her.
Looking at the child in front of him who was washing clothes with her head down, Qian Dafu felt that what she said might be true, and finally understood why Xiao Tuan said such words about adoption. His throat was a little dry and he couldn't believe that his kind old mother would do such a thing, but he still went out to inquire.
After returning, Qian Dafu sat in the yard thinking about what Xiaotuan said, and then said to Da Niu: "You are ten years old this year, it is time for you to go to school. I will send you to school tomorrow, and you will study with me from now on."
"What kind of book is a girl reading?"
"Don't worry about it, Mom. It's settled. Tomorrow, the eldest daughter will go to elementary school, and Niuniu will go to preschool." Qian Dafu opposed his mother's opinion for the first time. The next day, he sent the two children to school despite his mother's objection.
Da Niu held Niu Niu's hand and, carrying the small cloth bag given by Wang Xuemei, stepped into the campus. From then on, a new world unfolded before her eyes.
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