Chapter 29 Justice
◎Do you want her to take you to court?◎
Seeing that he couldn't escape, Zhao Chenyang had to stand up and come out, standing under the eaves, shoulder to shoulder with Qian Shufen.
Zhao Chenyang was dressed very fashionably, standing out among a group of country folk wearing homespun cotton jackets. She looked awkward, tilted her head and refused to call anyone, and the arrogance between her eyebrows made the villagers of Zhaojiagou who were watching the excitement very unhappy.
"Who are you looking at? What's the point of being pretty? It's nothing more than an embroidered pillow!"
"When I was little, I was like that. I said I was learning embroidery from Aunt Gui, but in reality I just held an embroidery band and poked it from time to time. I learned for several years but never embroidered a single piece of silk. I was just pretending to be so pretentious."
"That's right. She keeps saying that she has to embroider and can't hurt her hands. Even her underwear is washed by Zhao Xiangwan. She is responsible for feeding the chickens and pigs, washing clothes and cleaning the house. A biological child is a treasure, while an adopted child is a weed."
"If you look closely, Zhao Chenyang is actually not as good-looking as Zhao Xiangwan. He is short and has a flat nose. How can he be good-looking?"
The more Zhao Chenyang listened, the uglier her face became. She wanted to curse back, but she couldn't find any excuse to refute. She could only pout and mutter softly, "I, I didn't mean it."
As soon as these words came out, Zhao Qingyun's expression softened a lot. Yes, Zhao Chenyang didn't know about it, and she was also troubled by Qian Shufen's selfishness. If anyone is to blame, it can only be Qian Shufen.
"No, Zhao Chenyang, you did it on purpose!"
Amid the buzz of discussion, Zhao Xiangwan finally spoke.
Her voice was like icicles falling onto bluestone from the eaves, cold, hard, and clear.
"Zhao Chenyang, Qian Shufen, Zhao Erfu, you three had discussed this. I remember it clearly. On January 25th eight years ago, I was struck by lightning while I was out picking pig grass during a thunderstorm. I heard you planning while I was unconscious..."
For the first time in his life, Zhao Xiangwan spoke so much.
For the first time in his life, Zhao Xiangwan revealed his past in public.
Zhao Chenyang said: Zhao Xiangwan and I drank the same mother's milk and ate from the same pot. Why can Zhao Xiangwan get a city hukou and eat the state-distributed grain, while I can only dig for food in the fields and work around the stove? You can switch me over, and I will definitely repay you when I have a promising future.
Qian Shufen said: You are right! My fourth sister was raised by me. She is smart, sweet and the closest to me. If she goes to the city and lives a good life in the future, she will definitely be filial to me. The third sister has been a quiet person since she was a child. She has a long face all day long. If she leaves, she will never come back. I raised her in vain. She will never come back.
Zhao Erfu made a decision: Change it! Fourth sister is right, is it true that girls from the city are phoenixes, and girls from the countryside are chickens? I still don't believe it! Send Fourth sister to the city, and chickens can become phoenixes.
On the morning of the 26th, Zhao Erfu waited for Zhao Qingyun at the entrance of the village before dawn. Zhao Xiangwan drank the tranquilizing soup and fell asleep in the inner room, not knowing anything. Zhao Qingyun came in a hurry, without communicating with other people in the village. She didn't even know that Zhao Erfu had two daughters, and took Zhao Chenyang, who she thought was her biological daughter, back to the city.
Hearing this, everyone got angry.
Zhao Dacui was so angry that she spat on the ground: "You are worse than pigs and dogs! What's the difference between a chicken with feathers on its head and living in a golden house? It's still a chicken. Even if a phoenix falls into trouble, it can still fly out of the grass nest and become a phoenix!"
Zhao Bowen stamped his feet in anger: "Dad, Mom, you are so confused! No matter how good someone else's things are, they are still theirs! You just robbed my third sister's parents like this, don't you feel guilty? How can you sleep well?"
Zhao Zhongwu laughed sarcastically, "You expect the fourth sister to be filial? You are dreaming. She is lazy and greedy, cruel and evil. She is so arrogant when she gets the upper hand. She has been gone for eight years without a single letter. If she hadn't been found and sent back, I'm afraid she wouldn't have been there at all. You expect an ungrateful and snobbish person to repay you? How funny!"
Qian Shufen felt so embarrassed that she didn't care about the taboo against crying during the New Year. She sat down on the ground, slapping her thigh and crying loudly.
"I have a miserable life. When something happened, the son did not protect his mother, but instead scolded others. Is there any conscience in this? Is there any reason? During the New Year, my elder sister-in-law brought people back to scold and quarrel. How can I live like this?"
Qian Shufen was a fierce person. When she sat down, her aura was fully released. Her howling echoed throughout the old house and made people's ears hurt.
Zhao Dacui was so angry that her chest heaved up and down. She raised her finger and pointed at her, and she couldn't say anything for a long time. She was so old, her children were all grown up, and she sat on the ground and cried. It was embarrassing! It was so embarrassing!
Fan Qiuhan sneered, "It's no use crying or howling. You did something wrong, and you deserve to be scolded! You know you are wrong, and you feel guilty, right? You took the initiative to cry and howl. You are crying and shouting like this on New Year's Day. Aren't you afraid of bringing trouble?"
When Zhao Erfu heard Fan Qiuhan say "bringing bad luck", the superstitious man hurriedly pulled Qian Shufen up and said, "Don't make a fuss, don't cry, talk it over nicely, today is the Little New Year."
Facing this farce, Zhao Xiangwan kept pursing her lips and keeping a cold face, as if she were the audience in front of the movie screen. Whether the characters in the play were crying or laughing, it could not touch her soul.
Fan Qiuhan glanced at Zhao Xiangwan, and a feeling of distress surged up. Her voice rose twice: "You guys swapped the child, don't you feel any guilt at all? What if you were a little bit nicer to Zhao Xiangwan? Think about what you did after Zhao Chenyang left, I'm ashamed for you!"
When the people nearby heard this, they all started to speak out.
"Zhao Xiangwan is a good student, and she always gets first place. Every time she brings home a certificate of honor, Qian Shufen scolds her, saying that studying is too expensive and that it is useless for girls to study. If studying is useless, why did you send Chenyang to the city?"
"I remember that Xiang Wan invited the school teacher, Uncle Hai, and Aunt Gui to come to attend junior high school. If Uncle Hai hadn't used the village rules to make it happen, I'm afraid the couple would never let Xiang Wan go to school."
"Xiang Wan went to the pond to wash clothes in the middle of winter. Her hands got frostbite. One time, the road was icy and she fell down and got her clothes dirty. Qian Shufen hit her in the face with a bamboo broom. What a sin."
"It wasn't just a fight, was it? I heard Qian Shufen tore up Xiang Wan's homework and textbooks and burned them as firewood."
Fan Qiuhan exposed the truth in one sentence: "You are afraid that Xiang Wan will take revenge in the future, right? Otherwise, why do you suppress her like this? But Xiang Wan got into college, which pissed you off!"
Even the best-tempered old man in the village couldn't help but sigh: "Alas, be a man and leave some room for us to meet again in the future."
Village Committee Director Zhao Changxing had just been sitting at the table eating the meal prepared by Qian Shufen. Now he felt uncomfortable all over. He coughed and said seriously, "Zhao Erfu, the impact of your family's incident is too bad. Your top priority now is to win Zhao Xiangwan's forgiveness. Otherwise... the village rules are not for show."
Zhao Erfu and Zhao Changxing are of the same generation and usually have a good relationship. Now he was very upset when he saw his cousin talking with a stern face. He has lived in Zhaojiagou all his life and has a deep affection for every tree and grass here. What he fears most is being excluded.
Because the child-exchange incident caused public outrage, the village would definitely punish him. Fines of money and grain would be fine, but if his contracted land was taken back, he was not allowed to participate in village affairs, and villagers were not allowed to associate with him, wouldn't that be more terrible than killing him?
Zhao Erfu was so flustered that he even stuttered: "Chang, Changxing, don't be like this. Everyone, stop talking. I didn't do this well. I was wrong. It's my fault! I apologize, I apologize!"
After saying this, Zhao Erfu walked up to Zhao Xiangwan, hunched over, and said in a very humble manner: "Third sister, I did something wrong. Please be magnanimous and forgive me."
Zhao Xiangwan looked up and saw Zhao Erfu wearing a gray padded jacket, with his gray hair fluttering in the cold wind, looking very old. Her father, who used to put his hoe in the corner after work and sit on a chair to ask her to pour him tea, was now old.
Zhao Xiangwan asked what had been hidden in his heart: "Dad, do you remember? You told me before that I was just a country girl and I shouldn't always compare myself with my fourth sister. My fourth sister was fostered in our home, and her parents are both educated people in the city. We can't compare. You also said that rural people should stick to their duties, and it's enough to be able to farm and work, and not always think about studying."
"I..." Zhao Erfu lowered his head with a look of shame on his face.
Fan Qiuhan spat, "You are really good at talking! You told Xiang Wan to accept her fate and stop studying, but you yourself refused to accept it and insisted on sending your own daughter to the city to attend the best school and read the best books!"
Zhao Erfu had to admit that it was his selfishness, cowardice and incompetence that harmed his two children. Zhao Xiangwan hated him for being hypocritical, and Zhao Chenyang disliked him for being rustic, so he was not pleasing to both sides.
The wrinkles on Zhao Erfu's face spread out like autumn chrysanthemums, and his cloudy eyes were filled with tears: "Third sister, you are still willing to call me dad, I feel guilty. I was selfish, thinking that my own sister could live a good life in the city, but I didn't treat you well. I am sorry for you, I am so ashamed, so ashamed... Alas!"
Qian Shufen assessed the situation and knew that today's incident was a big deal. If she didn't let Zhao Xiangwan calm down, she might not be tolerated in the village. She could only force an ugly smile and get in front of Zhao Xiangwan.
"Third sister, this matter...I was wrong. I shouldn't have forced you to work and shouldn't have stopped you from studying. But fortunately, you worked hard and got into such a good school. You will definitely have a bright future. So, please forgive me."
Zhao Xiangwan glanced at her, and all the past events came to his mind.
Qian Shufen never used her hands to hit people, but used the bamboo sticks from a bamboo broom, which were very fine and dense, and were particularly painful. Other mothers would not hit their daughters in the face, but Qian Shufen did not have this concern. She was hit on the cheek before she could dodge. The stinging pain was followed by a burning sensation, and her cheeks swelled up instantly.
Zhao Xiangwan opened his lips slightly and let out a long sigh: "Do you know why I like studying so much?"
Qian Shufen looked up at Zhao Xiangwan. The child was growing taller and taller. She was much shorter than Zhao Xiangwan when standing in front of him.
Qian Shufen narrowed her triangular eyes, with a hint of doubt in her eyes: "Yeah, how come your sister is so determined to study?" She was also very confused. Why was Zhao Xiangwan so obsessed with studying? No matter how she was beaten or scolded, she insisted on doing it.
Zhao Xiangwan's voice was clear and slow, revealing a tenacity that refused to admit defeat.
"Since I was little, you have been telling me that the fourth sister is prettier than me, has a sweeter mouth, and can earn work points by learning embroidery from Aunt Gui. I have rough hands and am good at embroidery, and I am honest and dumb, so I am destined to be a farmer. In your eyes, no matter how hard I try, I can never be as likable as Zhao Chenyang.
Only studying will never let my hard work go to waste.
If I listen carefully and complete my homework on time, the teacher will praise me; if I complete my study tasks meticulously, I can get good grades; if I take every exam seriously, I can go to junior high school, high school, and college step by step. There is a reward for every effort, and studying can give me positive feedback. But you, you are never fair to me. "
Qian Shufen stumbled back a few steps and only stopped when her back hit the wall.
So that's how it is.
Her opposition, her curses, and her attacks all paved the way for Zhao Xiangwan's desire to learn, and made her outstanding step by step.
"Hahahaha..." Qian Shufen suddenly laughed, and her laughter was filled with deep regret. If she had known earlier, she would have been nicer to Zhao Xiangwan and forced her to study all day long. Maybe she would stop studying if she rebelled.
Zhao Bowen and Zhao Zhongwu looked at each other, and were a little scared when they saw their mother laughing like crazy. They came over and hugged Qian Shufen from both sides, complaining, "Okay, stop laughing, it scares me."
Qian Shufen seemed not to have heard her son's words, and was still immersed in regret. Blame her, blame her, blame her for not knowing how to handle things properly, forcing Zhao Xiangwan to become a top student, and forcing her to become an excellent and powerful person with a stick.
"Fourth sister, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have listened to you. I'm guilty! I'm guilty! I was wrong, I was wrong..." Qian Shufen started babbling like crazy. The brothers Zhao Bowen and Zhao Zhongwu desperately pressed her down on the chair to stop her from banging her head against the wall.
Qian Shufen finally calmed down and sat in a chair, breathing heavily. Her harsh face looked haggard and old.
Zhao Bowen and his brother saw that she was out of breath and pale, and they were angry and hurt. They helped her sit down in a chair and looked at Zhao Xiangwan with pleading eyes. After all, she was their mother, no matter how many mistakes she made, she was still their mother.
Zhao Xiangwan still watched all this calmly.
Facing Zhao Xiangwan's eyes that seemed to see through everything, Zhao Bowen smiled bitterly and said, "Third sister, I know you have always wanted to be recognized by your parents, but they are not fair to you. I'm sorry, I'm really sorry."
Zhao Zhongwu stood up and bowed deeply to Zhao Xiangwan: "Third sister, I am also wrong. Before, my parents scolded you, and I thought they favored boys over girls, and I was a little complacent because I was a son. Alas! I bow to you, and from now on I will do whatever you want me to do, and I promise to listen to you."
After saying this, without waiting for Zhao Xiangwan to react, Zhao Zhongwu straightened up, with a firm look on his face: "Don't worry, in my heart you are my real sister. Compared with you, Chenyang is nothing!"
Zhao Bowen also nodded and said, "Yes, I only recognize you as my sister."
Fan Qiuhan pulled the corner of Zhao Xiangwan's clothes and said, "Xiangwan, I only recognize you as my cousin. In my eyes, you are a hundred times prettier and a hundred times smarter than Zhao Chenyang, and a thousand times, ten thousand times stronger! Even if Zhao Chenyang went to the city in your place and took up all your resources, he would still be an embroidered pillow, useless."
Zhao Chenyang didn't care about Zhao Bowen, Zhao Zhongwu and Fan Qiuhan at first. In her eyes, these three were useless people who were not worthy of standing with her. But... when she heard them belittle themselves and praise Zhao Xiangwan, openly standing on the same front with Zhao Xiangwan and completely disregarding blood ties, she felt sour in her heart.
It’s so sour that my teeth hurt, my head aches, and my throat and mouth are filled with sourness.
Zhao Chenyang glared at his two brothers and said, "If you don't want to recognize me, then don't recognize me. Is that a big deal? You don't want to recognize me, but I'm too lazy to recognize you. Humph!"
She turned her head and looked at Fan Qiuhan, curling her lips: "Fan Qiuhan, your mouth is still as annoying as when you were a child. I haven't offended you, why do you say such bad things about me?"
Seeing that she still had no apology at this point, Fan Qiuhan felt that Zhao Chenyang was not a good person, and said unhappily: "You have been sneaky and cunning since you were a child, coaxing your parents to favor you, and leaving all the dirty and tiring work to Zhao Xiangwan. You only knew how to persuade your parents to send you to the city when you were only ten years old. You are so evil! No matter how beautiful and fashionable you dress up, it's useless. You have a wicked heart!"
Everyone looked at Zhao Chenyang, their eyes filled with contempt and criticism.
Zhao Chenyang could not bear the contempt of these villagers. He jumped up on the spot, waved his hands, and shouted: "What's wrong with me? What's wrong with me? What do you people who have stayed in the ravines for years know? Even dandelions know to let the wind carry their seeds farther. Don't you want your children to live a good life?"
Fan Qiuhan sneered: "If you want to live a good life, why don't you work hard yourself? Why do you have to steal other people's things?"
Zhao Chenyang suddenly burst into tears: "What do you know? What do you know? Do you think I'm going to the city to enjoy life? I still have to endure hardships and work hard, okay?"
Zhao Qingyun suddenly felt guilty.
He actually had selfish motives when he brought Zhao Chenyang back to the city.
Zhao Qingyun was just a deputy director at the time. He had no money and no power, and was not noticeable among the young and promising cadres of the provincial party committee. He knew that it was difficult for a single tree to make a forest, so in order to find a strong ally, he deliberately made friends with Xu Juncai.
Like him, Xu Juncai is capable and ambitious. Relying on his father-in-law's family connections, he becomes the deputy director of the Hunan Provincial Engineering Bureau. The same experience makes the two of them gradually develop a sense of mutual appreciation.
After Wei Meihua gave birth to Zhao Chengzu, Xu Juncai and Zhou Jingrong came to congratulate her, and their conversation was full of envy. Zhou Jingrong was weak and had been married for many years without a child. Seeing the lovely Zhao Chengzu, she had an idea and wanted to adopt a child, preferably a girl, good-looking, around ten years old, so that after raising her for ten years, she could find a son-in-law to live with, so that she would have someone to rely on when she was old, and someone to inherit the Xu family business.
At this time, Zhao Qingyun suddenly remembered that he had a daughter left in the Zhao family ditch, who was exactly ten years old. As for her appearance, both he and Meihua were good-looking, so the child must be good-looking too.
After hearing what Zhao Qingyun said, Zhou Jingrong immediately smiled and urged him to hurry up and bring the child back to the city. Zhao Qingyun held on to a glimmer of hope and followed the address he had sent money to before: Zhaojiagou, Huangtian Township. Unexpectedly, everything went surprisingly smoothly and he soon brought Zhao Chenyang back to the city.
Ten-year-old Zhao Chenyang stayed with Zhao Qingyun for only three days before being sent to Zhou Jingrong. It was not until two years later, when Xu Jun brought home his son Xu Qingxi, who was born to his ex-wife, that Zhao Chenyang returned to Zhao Qingyun. Zhao Qingyun was usually busy with work and did not pay much attention to her. Although he provided her with food, clothing, shelter and transportation and sent her to the best school, he did not really love her.
Qian Shufen suddenly came to her senses when she saw her daughter crying. She stood up from her chair and hugged Zhao Chenyang distressedly: "My sister, you have suffered a lot out there. I told you that life in the city is not necessarily good, and you should stay with your parents to be at ease, but you just didn't believe it and insisted on following Zhao Qingyun. I can't bear it, I can't bear it."
Qian Shufen's motherly look was completely different from her usual harsh attitude towards Zhao Xiangwan. It hurt Fan Qiuhan's eyes a little and he snorted, "How shameless! She is so good to her own daughter, but so cruel to Zhao Xiangwan!"
Zhao Dacui and other villagers couldn't help but curse.
"You still have the nerve to cry? Even if you have to suffer, it's all your own fault. How disgusting!"
"If you hadn't been discovered, I don't think you would have shed a single tear. Why didn't you cry when you sent your own daughter to the city to enjoy a good life? Why didn't you cry when you abused Zhao Xiangwan? Pah!"
"It's a disgrace to our Zhao Jiagou. I've never seen such a heartless person."
"Baby swapping and child abuse are both enough to send them to prison! People like them don't deserve to stay in the Zhao family ditch. Get them out—"
Amid the noisy scolding, village committee director Zhao Changxing raised his hand to calm everyone down, asking them to calm down their excited emotions.
When everyone calmed down, Zhao Changxing turned around and asked Zhao Xiangwan: "Xiangwan, look, your adoptive parents have realized their mistakes and sincerely apologized to you. What do you want? Are you willing to accept their apology?"
What do you want? Zhao Xiangwan has thought about this question countless times.
She wanted to ask them why they were so harsh on her.
She wanted everyone to know their shameless behavior and wanted everyone to spit on them.
She wanted everything to return to normal, let her biological parents know the truth, and drive Chen Yang away.
——She wants to feel the true love of her parents.
Now, the truth has been told.
Facing their own questioning, Qian Shufen and Zhao Erfu apologized in person.
My aunt, cousin, brother, villagers... everyone was scolding them.
Zhao Qingyun sent Zhao Chenyang back to the countryside as she requested.
Everything achieved her goal.
Except for true parental love.
However, this is no longer important. My eldest brother, second brother, eldest aunt, and Fan Qiuhan, they all stood by me and gave me warmth during my growth.
Zhao Xiangwan's thin figure stood tall in the cold wind, like a young pine tree that had just grown up. Although its trunk was thin, it stretched straight upward with its branches spread out, unafraid of the severe winter.
Zhao Qingyun's mind was suddenly touched. He admitted that he abandoned Zhao Xiangwan because she was a burden, and took her back because he thought she was useful. Everything was a balance of interests, not true love. Compared with the simplicity and sincerity of these villagers, what he gave to his daughter was far from enough.
Zhao Qingyun sighed and raised his hand to gently pat his daughter's back to comfort her, but as soon as he moved his hand, Zhao Xiangwan took a step back, raised her arms and moved away.
Seeing his daughter's aloof look, Zhao Qingyun felt guilty and said in a gentle tone, "Xiang Wan, you've suffered. I didn't know you had suffered so much in the countryside, otherwise I would have comforted you and made up for you."
Zhao Xiangwan, however, was not moved at all. He raised his shoulders as if to shake off all his breath.
Zhao Qingyun felt deeply frustrated by her biological daughter's attitude of avoiding him. Why was she still dissatisfied even after she made her position clear, personally sent Zhao Chenyang back to the countryside, and explained the truth?
His daughter is so sharp and will not tolerate any hypocrisy. Zhao Qingyun loves and hates her, but he can do nothing about it.
Seeing the tenderness in Zhao Qingyun's eyes, Zhao Chenyang felt a surge of grievances in his heart, and his tears could not stop falling: "Dad, I didn't mean to deceive you, I... I envy Zhao Xiangwan for having a good father like you, and envy her for being able to live in the city with you."
Zhao Qingyun sighed, looked at Zhao Chenyang gently, turned to Zhao Xiangwan and said, "Xiangwan, the matter is clear now. Since they have apologized, let the past be the past. You come back with me, and Chenyang will stay at home."
[Let me show my attitude first to make Zhao Xiangwan feel better. Anyway, Zhao Chenyang will return to Xing City after school starts, and I can still use her then. Zhao Chenyang's family is not happy with her now, and the Zhao family is not a place for her to stay for long. As long as I show a little kindness, she will be grateful. Can't I still control Xu's Construction Company through her? ]
After hearing Zhao Qingyun's thoughts, Zhao Xiangwan was disappointed with his selfishness and ambition, and rejected him decisively: "No, I grew up in Zhaojiagou, this is my home."
Zhao Qingyun never thought that he had made a special trip to send Zhao Chenyang back to his hometown and did everything according to Zhao Xiangwan's wishes, but she didn't appreciate it. His face turned red and white, and he felt like he was slapped in the face by his daughter. He couldn't speak for a long time.
Zhao Changxing nodded repeatedly, and after discussing with the village committee leaders and several respected elders in the village, he raised his right hand and said, "Fellow villagers, please listen to me."
The villagers who were talking loudly all quieted down, stood on the ground in front of the old house, and looked up at the director of the village committee.
"Xiang Wan has a conscience and remembers the kindness of our Zhao Jiagou. Since she is kind and loyal and still recognizes our village, I will come to make a decision for her today--"
Zhao Changxing turned and looked at Zhao Erfu and his wife.
"Zhao Erfu, Qian Shufen, you raised Zhao Xiangwan for 18 years. Although you beat and scolded her, you never deprived her of food. Although you tried every means to prevent her from studying, you still supported her to go to college. If the replacement had not happened eight years ago, Zhao Xiangwan should have assumed the obligation of raising her even if she was not your biological child.
However, you concealed Zhao Xiangwan's life experience and let Zhao Chenyang replace her to go to the city, causing her to be separated from her biological parents. The merits and demerits will offset each other. In the future, she will not give you a dowry when she gets married. When you are old, no matter how promising Zhao Xiangwan is, she will not need to support you in your old age. Do you agree with this?"
Zhao Erfu and Qian Shufen lowered their heads and remained silent.
Why do rural areas favor boys over girls? It is because after raising a daughter with great difficulty, she becomes someone else’s laborer after marriage and can no longer work at home or support the elderly. So when the Zhao family married off their daughter, they would ask the man to give a dowry, and the daughter and son-in-law would visit the elderly during festivals, buy new clothes and shoes, and prepare bedding.
Now, after all their hard work in raising Zhao Xiangwan, they have received nothing in return. Zhao Erfu and Qian Shufen feel very upset and feel that they have raised their daughter in vain.
Zhao Bowen and Zhao Zhongwu answered in unison: "Okay, let's do as you say, Uncle Changxing. We brothers will take care of our parents in their old age, and we will definitely not trouble our third sister."
Zhao Changxing nodded: "Okay, Bowen, since you two brothers have agreed, then this point is settled. The second point..."
Qian Shufen raised her head abruptly. Raising a daughter for nothing wasn't tragic enough, but there was another point?
"Secondly, Zhao Erfu and Qian Shufen secretly swapped the children, causing Zhao Xiangwan to be separated from her parents and letting Zhao Chenyang enjoy a good life in the city instead of her. This kind of behavior has never happened in our Zhao family before and they must be punished!"
Zhao Erfu drooped his head and sighed. He finally realized that the village had been protecting Zhao Xiangwan, and he could not escape the punishment.
Zhao Bowen felt a heavy burden on his shoulders, and he stood up and said loudly: "Uncle Changxing, please tell us. We will accept any punishment."
Zhao Changxing said: "Although Xiangwan's household registration was moved to Xing City after she was admitted to the university, since Xiangwan said that Zhaojiagou is her home, we, the elders and villagers of Zhaojiagou, must not let her down. So, the village will provide bricks and land, and you will contribute money and labor to build a new house for Xiangwan to the east of the old house. It will have red brick walls, a small green tile roof, and floor tiles. This new house will be for Xiangwan to live in when she comes home during the winter and summer vacations!"
Zhao Erfu raised his head in disbelief, his lips trembling for a long time: "Chang, Changxing, are you kidding?"
A new house built specifically for the girl? Or a house for the girl whose household registration is no longer in the village? There has never been such a rule in the village!
Zhao Changxing glared at him fiercely: "You! You did something wrong, and the village has to bear the consequences for you. If it weren't for the fact that you are an old resident of the village and have two children who are doing well, I wouldn't bother to care about you. Xiang Wan has been treated badly by you. If you don't comfort her, do you want her to be alienated from everyone else and sue you in court?"
Zhao Dacui was immediately excited when she heard this and wiped the tears from her face: "Okay, okay, Director, this is a very good idea. Xiangwan will have a place to stay when she goes home for the New Year, so she won't have to suffer from other people's anger."
Zhao Bowen and Zhao Zhongwu looked at each other and nodded at the same time: "Okay. We will contribute money and manpower to build a new house for the third sister!"
No one else in the village had any objection. Although it was unprecedented, Zhao Xiangwan had grown up in everyone's eyes. She was obviously the daughter of an official, but she had been bullied by Zhao Erfu and Qian Shufen for so many years. Building a new house for her could be considered a kind of compensation.
Zhao Changxing had built a brick factory in the village and helped the villagers get rich. He was very prestigious and had a lot of support. How could Zhao Erfu and Qian Shufen dare not agree? They lowered their heads and said in a low voice, "Okay..."
Qian Shufen's heart was bleeding. How much would it cost to build a new house with red bricks and green tiles in the east? Even if the village had red bricks, she would have to go to the county to buy the rest of the materials. Plus hiring someone to lay the foundation, build the walls, paint the walls, put up the beams, and lay the floor tiles... It would cost at least a thousand yuan, right? She had saved money for so many years to build a new house for her son's wedding, but she didn't expect to spend it all here.
Who in the countryside doesn't want to build a new house? But building a house just for a daughter is unheard of.
Zhao Erfu felt his face burning, so he closed his eyes and prayed for forgiveness from his ancestors. If I build a new house for my daughter, I will be too embarrassed to see my ancestors after I die. But who made them do the wrong thing in the first place? There was nothing he could do.
"The third one..." As soon as Zhao Changxing opened his mouth, even Zhao Bowen and Zhao Zhongwu shuddered. What, there's another one?
"Third, although Zhao Chenyang is your biological daughter, her household registration is no longer in the village. If she comes, she will be your guest. Before she gets married, we, the Zhao family, will not give her any land."
The farmland in the village is allocated according to the number of family members. Zhao Changxing said this specifically because he was worried that Qian Shufen would be nagging.
Zhao Chenyang snatched it and snorted: "I don't care about that little piece of land!" What's so good about the countryside? She never wanted to come back in her life.
Zhao Changxing glanced at her with condemnation in his eyes: "After the child was replaced, Zhao Chenyang was the beneficiary. He must sincerely and seriously apologize to Zhao Xiangwan! He must compensate! As for the amount of compensation, it is up to Zhao Xiangwan to decide."
Zhao Chenyang rolled his eyes and snorted again. Apologize? What apology! Still want compensation? What kind of joke is this!
Seeing Zhao Chenyang's arrogant resistance, Zhao Changxing was no longer polite: "If you don't agree, then our village committee will write a certificate and send someone to hand it over to the school where you study, and let the teacher and the school educate you."
Hearing this, Zhao Qingyun looked at Zhao Changxing seriously for the first time. This village cadre is a talent. When they had dinner together just now, he looked so friendly and thought he was a fool. Unexpectedly, he did things in an orderly and methodical manner, and was brave and resourceful. He even knew to threaten Zhao Chenyang's reputation and future?
Zhao Chenyang secretly glanced at Zhao Qingyun, and seeing that he did not defend himself, he could only mutter: "Okay, okay, I apologize and I will compensate."
After that, Zhao Chenyang looked at Zhao Xiangwan reluctantly, his voice as small as a mosquito: "Zhao Xiangwan, I'm sorry. I did something wrong, I will compensate you, okay?"
[I have clearly taken all of Zhao Xiangwan's resources, attended the best school, and received the best education, but why am I still not as good as her? Damn it, one or two of them are all snobs, and they flatter Zhao Xiangwan because she has a future in the Public Security University. Humph! When I become successful in the future, I will make you regret it.]
Zhao Xiangwan was very tall, more than half a head taller than the petite Zhao Chenyang. She wore a simple blue cotton jacket and had a serious look on her face. In the gray winter sunlight, her amber eyes shone with colorful lights, causing Zhao Chenyang to lower his head involuntarily, not daring to look her in the eye.
During the eight years of his life being replaced, Zhao Xiangwan has been thinking about how to expose Zhao Chenyang's conspiracy and how to make her receive the punishment she deserves. Even if the stolen life cannot be returned, even if there is no way to go back to the past, Zhao Xiangwan will seek justice for himself.
Zhao Xiangwan's biological parents had never given him justice, but today, in front of the old house in Zhaojiagou, a group of people who had no blood relationship with him gave it.
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