"Girl, say something! Tell them you didn't let the robbers abuse you!" Hao Caimei grabbed Zhang Yanni's sleeve and kept pulling her in front of her, trying to get her to prove her innocence so she could marry him peacefully and still receive the bride price.
When Zhang Yanni saw that the groom was bald and walked with a limp, she felt extremely disgusted. Why would she want to share a bed with such a man?
What kind of suffering have I endured? Looking at my adoptive parents' greedy attitude and how they treat me like a commodity, I really want to piss in their faces. If they want to push me into a pit of fire, I'd rather live a lonely life forever.
"Mom, when I came back from my ordeal, you didn't say a single word of concern. Instead, you were eager to push me away. Even if I'm a child you bought, we've lived together for so many years, shouldn't we have some family ties? Why don't you care about me at all? Is that dowry money more important than my life?"
Upon hearing about the child being bought, police officer Liang Jiaheng felt as if his mind had been struck by lightning. He had been a police officer for many years and had occasionally heard about the buying and selling of children in rural mountainous areas, but he always thought it was an exaggeration.
I never expected to run into him today!
Zhang Yanni stood there, looking aggrieved, and forced out a tear from the corner of her eye before speaking.
"I don't know anything after I was knocked unconscious. I was just lucky to survive and was rescued while I was still alive. I don't know anything else. I can't make up lies."
Hao Caimei never expected that her usually quiet and obedient daughter would not speak up for her today, but instead criticize her.
The villagers who had been watching for so many years had long been used to Hao Caimei's domineering and harsh way of raising her daughter at home. But after hearing what she said today, they felt that the child's life was really hard, and they began to whisper among themselves about Hao Caimei's faults.
"Hao Caimei, look at your daughter, she's more conscientious than you. You're just greedy for money, you don't care about your daughter's happiness at all."
"It seems that you don't care about children who aren't your own; you'd even abandon family ties for money."
When the groom's family heard that she was unconscious, they were convinced that she must have been violated. With everyone joining in the condemnation, they were even more confident.
Even though Hao Caimei was very agitated, she couldn't save face after hearing everyone's accusations, so she simply lay down on the ground and started throwing a tantrum.
"Oh my god, how could this heartless kidnapper do this to my family? What sins have I committed to deserve this? I'm so ashamed to face anyone. My ancestors, I can't live anymore! God, please strike me down!"
Zhang Yanni had never seen such a scene before. She stepped aside and watched her adoptive mother roll on the ground.
“No matter what you do, it’s no use. Hurry up and return the bride price. The police are here right now. If your family doesn’t return the bride price, it’s extortion and fraud. Officer, you have to help us. We can’t let our money be swindled away like this.”
Liang Jiaheng never expected that after rescuing and bringing the person back, he would encounter such a thing. He could only accept his bad luck.
“You haven’t had your wedding ceremony yet, and you haven’t lived together. So you’re not considered husband and wife yet. If the wedding is canceled, the bride price should be returned as required.”
"If it's not returned, that's illegal appropriation, and you'll go to jail," Liang Jiaheng said, his tone authoritative and cold.
If Jia Dongshan were to go to jail, he couldn't stand it anymore. He hadn't even gotten the bride price, and now he was facing imprisonment. His daughter's reputation was already ruined, and the bride price was mostly wasted. If he went to jail, his two sons would be left to remain bachelors. That wouldn't do.
"Officer, we'll back out. We don't want to go to jail. Since it's already a done deal, let's not go through with the marriage. We'll return the bride price now." Jia Dongshan said as he walked into the house, ignoring his wife's endless wailing on the floor.
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