**
Xiaoxigou
Eventually, the truth couldn't be kept forever. Zhang Baozhu's parents heard from the villagers that their grandson had gotten into trouble, but they didn't know the specifics, though it was quite serious.
Miao Cuilan recalled that her son and daughter-in-law had indeed visited Yongning several times before the Lunar New Year.
They had never been so diligent in visiting their grandson before, especially since their son, Zhang Baozhu, was now the village chief, and he was responsible for all matters, big and small, in the village, so he rarely went out.
Why have you been going to Yongning so often lately? Even during the Spring Festival, your grandson Zhang Guohong didn't come back. When I asked your son, he said he was doing experiments with his teacher and wouldn't be coming home for the New Year.
Miao Cuilan, along with her husband Zhang Tieniu, went to their son's house in the backyard. Sitting on the kang (a heated brick bed), she pressed him about their grandson Guohong.
"Baozhu, say something! You're not saying a word when we ask you questions. You're going to drive your father and me crazy."
"Baozhu's wife, if your husband won't tell, then you will."
Miao Cuilan tapped her cane on the brick floor in front of Wang Yue'e, her tone urgent and fierce.
Wang Yue'e was most afraid of her mother-in-law. When she was young, she was often beaten by her mother-in-law with a broom at home, and her body was often covered in bruises.
Seeing Miao Cuilan's anger, he looked so eager to know the truth that he was about to devour himself.
Wang Yue'e nudged her husband and said, "Honey, just tell Mom and Dad. It's too late to hide it now."
Helpless, Zhang Baozhu sighed, turned around and went into the cabinet, where he found the court's judgment under his clothes.
Zhang Tieniu sat halfway on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed) with his opium pipe in hand, took two deep drags, and asked his son, puzzled, while watching his son's every move.
"Baozhu, what are you doing rummaging through the cabinet without saying a word?"
"Dad, I need the judgment."
"What the hell?"
Zhang Tieniu didn't know what a judgment was. In those days, when people in the village had disputes, they would ask the village chief or a respected elder in the village to mediate and resolve them. It was rare for them to report to the police.
The court's judgment documents are even less known.
"It's the court's judgment against Guo Hong."
"The court? What the hell is that? What gives them the right to issue a letter to my grandson?"
Zhang Tieniu was illiterate, and his son was the village chief, the highest-ranking official in the village. Who would dare to mess with his family?
Now, upon suddenly hearing about the court, he became even more disdainful, not knowing what this "court" meant.
"Dad, I'll read it to you once and you'll understand."
Holding the judgment, Zhang Baozhu read it aloud to his parents with a mournful face and a heavy tone, word by word.
Zhang Tieniu felt increasingly uneasy as he listened. His face turned ashen, and he stopped smoking his pipe, squinting at his son and daughter-in-law.
After Zhang Baozhu finished reading the judgment, Miao Cuilan was completely confused, as she couldn't understand any of the legal terms used in the judgment.
All she knew was that her grandson had arrested a woman surnamed Xia and bullied her. Xia? Miao Cuilan recognized the name immediately; it was so familiar.
"Baozhu, Guohong and the others have locked Xia Enruo up? Xia Enruo? Why does that name sound the same as your sister's adopted daughter's name?"
"Mom, it's her. That jinx is really lucky. She actually survived and started a business in Yongning."
"She must be holding a grudge against our family and deliberately framed Guohong."
Zhang Tieniu lowered his head and took two puffs of his pipe, remaining silent. To be honest, he didn't understand what it meant either, as his wife had always been the head of the household.
When Miao Cuilan heard that it was that wretched child, she realized that the woman was truly a persistent ghost, clinging to her people again.
Although Miao Cuilan is a woman, she has a deep-seated preference for sons over daughters.
After giving birth to Zhang Baozhu, she planned to have another son, but unexpectedly, the second child turned out to be a girl, who became Xia Enruo's adoptive mother.
Seeing that her wish had not been fulfilled, Miao Cuilan prepared to have another child, but unfortunately, she suffered a difficult childbirth when giving birth to her daughter, which damaged her body, and she could not conceive again.
She directed all her resentment at her daughter, believing her to be a jinx who had cursed her to be unable to have a son.
From a young age, Zhang Baozhu was given all the good food and drinks, while his daughter could only eat and wear leftovers, and was not even allowed to go to school.
Finally, Xia Enruo's adoptive mother grew up to marriageable age, and Miao Cuilan went to great lengths to use her daughter to make a fortune and get a wife for her son.
She deliberately invited the most well-off educated youth from the city who had been sent to the countryside to her home and got them drunk. Then she got her daughter drunk, stripped her clothes off, and put the two of them in the same bed.
Finally, the whole village was filled with wailing and howling, with people running around crying and causing a ruckus, saying that the educated youth had defiled their daughter's innocence.
Xia Enruo's adoptive father had no choice but to marry her adoptive mother, giving her a large dowry.
Fortunately, Xia Enruo's adoptive mother was beautiful. Although she was uneducated, she was very virtuous, and the two lived a happy and fulfilling life after their marriage.
Perhaps because Miao Cuilan often chased her to the river to wash clothes when she was a child, and the cold water damaged her health, Xia Enruo's adoptive mother was unable to conceive after marriage.
Miao Cuilan then set her sights on her daughter, suggesting that she adopt one of her brother Zhang Baozhu's children so that Zhang Baozhu could have another child.
However, Xia Enruo's adoptive father did not want to be controlled by his mother-in-law's family anymore, so he simply took his wife to the orphanage and adopted Xia Enruo as his daughter.
The orphanage director said that if Xia En had been abandoned at the door, besides the small blanket wrapped around her, she would only have a small jade pendant keychain in her arms.
Miao Cuilan was furious when she saw her plans fall through. She looked down on her daughter and gave her a hard time every time her daughter brought her child home.
She didn't dare hit him anymore, since her son-in-law wouldn't allow it, but she cursed him horribly, criticizing him for not being able to manage his family and for preferring to have an outsider's child rather than let his nephew enjoy a life of luxury.
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