Sun Hongmei was stunned when she heard Liu Zhishuang ask her to go back to her room to pack her things and go back to the Sun Family Village with her parents. The Sun family was stunned. The noise in the yard that had been suppressed by Liu Liqun's arrival suddenly became louder. Xia Juhua also looked at Liu Zhishuang in disbelief. She didn't expect him to make such a decision.
Liu Zhishuang knew why he said such things. What he said was from his heart. He was really scared - the Sun couple could now push Liu Zhiliang and Liu Hongjuan to the Red Team. If he and Sun Hongmei had children in the future, would they also be taken advantage of if something happened?
"What rights do you have to say that you don't want my daughter? Our beautiful daughter will marry you and become a member of your Liu family. She will grow up in your family. Don't even think of asking me to take her back no matter what!" Sun Hongmei's mother sat on the ground again, howling and refusing to get up.
Sun Hongmei also sat on the ground with her. When Liu Zhishuang said those words, she kept looking at him, and her eyes did not move away from Liu Zhishuang's face even when she sat on the ground.
Liu Zhishuang hadn't looked at Sun Hongmei since he entered the yard, not even when she went to help her mother - he was afraid that if he saw Sun Hongmei look pitiful, he would soften his heart.
When Sun Hongmei's mother said she didn't want to take Sun Hongmei back, Liu Zhishuang turned his eyes to Sun Hongmei for the first time. Sun Hongmei was completely wooden, and her face didn't show the pitiful look Liu Zhishuang imagined. It was as if she didn't hear what Liu Zhishuang said. She stared at Liu Zhishuang with her eyes straight, without any emotion.
To be honest, it looks a bit miserable.
Xia Juhua looked at Liu Zhishuang calmly and found that he started to feel numb after seeing Sun Hongmei. She sighed in her heart and said to Sun Hongmei's mother: "You said you would not take Sun Hongmei back, but our family can't stand your torture anymore." You are such a hindrance.
Sun Hongmei's father seemed to have grasped a life-saving straw and said quickly: "Let's go. We two will leave right away and will never come to your house again." He couldn't just take the daughter-in-law home. Putting his reputation aside, the Liu family had given a lot of betrothal gifts, and they had already subsidized their two sons and didn't want to give it up.
Liu Liqun was also in a difficult position. He was a cadre of the brigade and should have stepped forward to persuade them to reconcile, but he just couldn't bring himself to do so - Liu Zhishuang was right just now, the Sun family could now push Sun Guizhi's two children to the Red Team, and they might not show mercy to Sun Hongmei in the future.
After hearing her father's promise not to come to Liu's house again, the dull Sun Hongmei's face lit up a little and she called out again, "Zhishuang."
Liu Zhishuang closed his eyes, and the expression on his face returned. There was reluctance, but more of a determination: "Don't sit on the ground anymore, go back to the house and pack your things." After thinking for a while, he looked at Xia Juhua pleadingly: "Mom, I know I shouldn't say this, otherwise, otherwise, let's not ask for the betrothal gift back."
Wang Caifeng was happy for a moment when she heard Liu Zhishuang asked Sun Hongmei to go back to her parents' home. But she didn't expect that he actually told her mother-in-law that he didn't want to return the betrothal gift. She was upset all of a sudden: "Zhishuang, how can you not want the betrothal gift? This time it's their Sun family..." If he didn't want to return the betrothal gift, what would Liu Zhishuang give to his daughter-in-law?
Xia Juhua glared at her. This eldest daughter-in-law always fails to grasp the key points. It's really worrying. Wang Caifeng was glared at by her mother-in-law and dared not say anything. The expression on her face was still disapproving.
Xia Juhua felt that the most urgent thing was to understand Liu Zhishuang's intentions. She looked him in the eye and asked, "The gift is another matter. I just want to ask you, do you really want to divorce Sun Hongmei, or let her stay at her parents' home for a few days before coming back?"
"...Mom, I want to divorce her." Liu Zhishuang lowered his head, his voice was not loud but very strong.
"Liu Zhishuang, are you still a human being?" Sun Hongmei's hope was shattered again, and she finally revealed her true nature, crying as miserably as her mother: "How have I ever let you down? I dare not even say much at home, and I rush to do all the work, but it still can't warm your heart? If you don't like me, what would you have done long ago? Why did you have to hurt me like this before you said you wanted to divorce me?"
Xia Juhua shook her head, watching the reluctance on Liu Zhishuang's face disappear a little bit, but she didn't interrupt - Liu Zhishuang wanted to marry her, and he wanted to leave her. After all, Sun Hongmei was right in one thing, what had he been doing before? Now he deserved to be scolded by Sun Hongmei.
How big of a deal is it to marry a wife? If you don't listen to the elders' opinions, you have to ask about the people of the grandson's family? When people buy pigs, they check the pigpen first. When you, Liu Zhishuang, wanted to marry Sun Hongmei, didn't you think about why my mother didn't agree? If you want to marry, you must marry her. If you don't think she's good enough, you can divorce her. What's wrong with that?
Xia Juhua's silence does not mean Liu Zhishuang will not speak. He did not say anything when Sun Hongmei started to complain about him. But when Sun Hongmei started to accuse Xia Juhua of being partial to her and not treating her as a daughter-in-law, he spoke:
"How is my mother partial? Didn't she say at the beginning that you and your elder sister-in-law should work for a day? It was you who said that your sister-in-law was pregnant and didn't need her to work. And as for the production team's dividends, you insisted on dividing my earnings with those of your elder brother and sister-in-law. Do you think my mother is partial if she doesn't agree? Don't forget that my elder brother and sister-in-law earn work points, and your work points stay in Sunjiazhuang!"
"You said you didn't dare to speak at home and rushed to work, why don't you know what's going on?" Liu Zhishuang pointed at Sun Hongmei with a shaking finger: "Every day you either complain that my mother is partial to you, or that my sister-in-law is playing tricks on you, and you want to go back to your parents' home when I say a few words to you. If I really want to send you back, you're afraid that you'll just go back to Sun's house and continue to drink porridge, so you won't leave again, that's why you pretend to be honest and capable every day."
"Second brother!" Xia Juhua was really angry. What's wrong with Liu Zhishuang? If he can't live together, just divorce him. Is it useful to say such harsh words?
"Mom, don't hold me back. Since she brought this up today, I'll tell you all why I had to marry her in the first place. Mom, do you remember one day when I came home late and got soaked? I told you that I fell into the ditch, but actually she saw me coming over and pretended to sprain her ankle and jumped into the ditch."
"I knew she was Sun Guizhi's niece, so I usually avoided her when I was doing things. But my mother always taught us to lend a hand when we see someone in trouble. It was a life, and I saw it, so of course I had to save her."
"Who knew that after she was rescued, she started crying and said that I hugged her and that she had no innocence and could not survive. She also said that if I didn't marry her, she would go to the brigade and report me for being a hooligan. I had no choice but to agree to date her first. When we were dating, she said every day that she would be filial to her mother in the future, and that she would never let her mother go hungry no matter when she had a bite to eat. Only then did I..."
Liu Zhishuang took a deep breath and continued, "Mom, I know I am a coward. I was afraid that the brigade would label me a bad element, so I didn't dare tell anyone that I had her. But she said nice things, so I believed her. That's why you have been angry for so long. But she has been trying to stir up trouble since she got married, and now she's accusing you of being partial. Why?!"
Everyone in the yard was stunned, including the Sun family, who had never expected their daughter to be so outrageous. Sun Hongmei's face was covered with spices, and she was speechless after hearing what Liu Zhishuang said.
"I was wondering why Zhishuang suddenly became disobedient. It turns out that he was a child who listened to Mrs. Liu." The first person in Li Changwang's family to react was: "It turns out that she tricked him."
"It would be fine if she could really live an honest life after marriage, but she makes trouble every day. No wonder Zhishuang doesn't want her anymore." For the first time, Li Changman's family agreed with her sister-in-law's words.
Xia Juhua finally understood why Liu Zhishuang was so upset and said such harsh words that she could not hold back several times. It would be better to say it in front of others. Xia Juhua had known the disadvantages of keeping things to herself in her life, so she let Liu Zhishuang finish his words. But she was a little puzzled. Since Sun Hongmei married Liu Zhishuang in this way, what had Liu Zhishuang done in his previous life to obey Sun Hongmei? Is there really such a thing as love after a long time in the world?
I can't figure it out.
No matter how confused she was, Xia Juhua still had to say after hearing what Liu Zhishuang said: "Silly son, why didn't you tell your mother the truth at the beginning." If she had told him, she would never agree to let Sun Hongmei marry into the family.
"Mom, our family has had a very hard life. You have been very careful these past few years, and I have seen it all. If you knew, you would be worried again. I thought, since I have married her, she has to listen to me, and I just need to keep an eye on her."
What kind of theory is this? Xia Juhua shook her head in disapproval: "She is a person, not an object. Can you look at her for a moment or for a lifetime?" If someone keeps nagging you and brainwashing you every day, won't you betray her in the end?
Liu Zhishuang lowered his head and was speechless, but Sun Hongmei found a topic to talk about: "Liu Zhishuang, I'm going to report you to the commune for molesting women."
Xia Juhua looked at Sun Hongmei like she was a fool: "How did he tease you? Saving people is teasing you? How about you jump into the canal again, and I will tell him to stop teasing you and watch you drown?"
Liu Liqun couldn't listen any longer: "Liu Zhishuang saved you without caring about his own safety, how can this be considered teasing you?"
"He, he hugged me, so I am no longer innocent." Sun Hongmei brought out her own theory again.
Xia Juhua was amused: "If he hadn't carried you up, you would have drowned long ago. Why are you still shouting here? I'm telling you this. Who will dare to save others next time? It's better to watch people die than to cause trouble to yourself. My son is a hero for saving people, and he is kind and righteous for marrying you and for tolerating you. He is the best person in the world. You are saying that my son is teasing you. Let's go to the commune to seek justice."
“劉隊長，麻煩你跟我們一起去趟公社，我還不信了，我兒了救人還救出錯來了。他就是有錯，也錯在心太軟，耳朵根子不硬，讓孫紅梅三兩句話給吓唬住了。我兒子就是受害者，應該讓老孫家賠償我兒子的損失。”
夏菊花一着急，把上輩子聽到過的詞都說出來了，院子裏的人聽着新鮮，細想竟覺得她說得即貼切又合理，一個個撺掇着劉力群跟夏菊花一起去公社。
大家都想上公社求個公道，孫家兩口和孫紅梅卻不敢去。夏菊花說的沒錯，雖然按農村的說法，他跟孫紅梅處對象前抱了孫紅梅，是讓她不清白了。可那是為了救人才抱的！這也算是調戲婦女的話，下回真沒人敢救人了。
此時的人們還是很樸實的，沒有經歷過“不是你撞的你為什麽扶”等毀人三觀的觀念沖擊，單純的認為救人的都是英雄，孫紅梅非得說成調戲婦女，那就是污蔑英雄。
劉力群這個退伍軍人更看不得英雄流血又流淚，沉着臉對孫家人說：“都跟我走，咱們和夏菊花娘兩個一起去公社說道說道去。”
“娘，誰，誰上咱們家欺負你了？”劉志全這個時候回來了。修渠的地方離村子遠，劉志全直到下工後才聽人說有人來家裏欺負他娘，跑回來先問的就是這句話。
王彩鳳忙拉住他，向孫紅梅努了努嘴，小聲說：“孫紅梅的爹娘來家裏鬧，老二說不想跟她過了，還跟娘說彩禮不要了。”
“那不行。”劉志全這一點上跟王彩鳳出奇的一致：“娘同意了？”
“剛才只說彩禮另算，現在我看娘得要回來。”王彩鳳說的有點幸災樂禍。
夏菊花的确在跟孫家人說彩禮的事兒：“剛才志雙覺得孫紅梅好歹嫁他一回，就算離婚了也不把彩禮要回來了。可是你們好象不同意，那咱們就一起到公社評完理，由公社斷一斷我們家該不該收回彩禮吧。”
連孫紅梅的爹也不裝通情達理了：“我閨女清清白白嫁給劉志雙，你們說離婚就離婚，把我閨女扔到半路上，還想要回彩禮，沒門！”
孫紅梅她娘的聲音更尖：“當初是你兒子死活要娶我閨女的，彩禮我們也沒多要，憑什麽現在兩人要離婚了，還想把彩禮要回去。我家紅梅一個黃花大閨女，就白讓劉志雙糟蹋了？”
孫紅梅雖然已經對劉志雙失望透頂，可聽了她娘的話，還是恨不得一頭碰死。聽聽這叫什麽話，能當着這麽多人說出口嗎？沒見院外頭因為下工，圍着的人越來越多了，她娘這麽說，她日後能有什麽好名聲，以後再嫁不嫁人了。
夏菊花說完之後，就不再多說，只盯着孫家幾個人，把三人的表情都看在眼裏。不得不說，比起厚顏無恥的孫家兩口，孫紅梅還是有一些羞恥心的，否則臉上不會帶出懊悔的神情。
可惜懊悔的晚了。夏菊花心裏嘆一口氣。她不是不知道現在離婚對女人的傷害有多大，可她不能不同意劉志雙的決定。
正是因為知道離婚對女人的傷害，所以上次夏菊花把是不是送孫紅梅回娘家的決定權，交給了劉志雙，就是想着如果兩人有感情的話，自己不能做了打散鴛鴦的棒子。
現在劉志雙對孫紅梅明顯沒有感情了，那麽兩個人也不必強扭在一起。
“孫紅梅，你能不能要點臉。”劉志雙聽着孫家口口聲聲說着清白，聯想起來的就是自己為啥不得不答應跟孫紅梅處處看。
剛才聽娘和民兵隊長說的話，劉志雙才知道自己當時是多麽愚蠢，本來是救人做好事卻被人訛上，全平安莊都找不出自己這麽蠢的人來。
不行，他不能再蠢下去，那彩禮可是他們一家子省吃儉用湊出來的，憑什麽便宜了訛人的孫紅梅。所以他沖着孫紅梅大聲問：“你們孫家收了彩禮，給了兩包紅糖當陪嫁，你還拿着當寶貝一樣結婚第二天就挑事。行，想留彩禮是吧，我也不要臉了，咱們一起去公社說清楚。”
孫家的人哪敢去公社，紅小隊可還關着劉四壯一家子呢。因此孫紅梅她爹又通情達禮起來了：“志雙，志雙，就算你要跟紅梅離婚，可一日夫妻百日恩，也不能真讓紅梅出了平安莊就一頭紮進河裏不是。”
“她要是再紮進河裏，可沒人敢再救她上來了。”李常旺家的突然來了這麽一句，把看熱鬧的都逗笑了。
別說孫家人跟着笑不起來，夏菊花一家子也笑不出來——提起這件事，不僅會讓人想起孫紅梅的奸，還會想起劉志雙的傻。
李常旺家的見夏菊花瞪自己一眼，知道自己說錯了話，一縮脖躲到了人後頭，不敢吱聲了。
“反正彩禮我們家收了，紅梅也嫁進劉家了，想退彩禮我們紅梅就不離婚。”孫紅梅的娘負責唱白臉，用的仍是胡攪蠻纏的招數。
孫紅梅不說話，夏菊花得讓她說：“孫紅梅，你進門以後我覺得自己對你和彩鳳都是一樣的，就算你一次次挑事，我也都讓志雙你們兩個解決。可你哪次都是前腳說改，後腳就接着犯，你想想這些天過的日子，你自己心裏真痛快嗎？”
能痛快嗎？孫紅梅看着平靜跟自己說話的夏菊花，突然發現進門這麽長時間，自己竟然一點兒也不了解這個婆婆。是，夏菊花的話不多，可她說的句句都讓人沒法反駁。
說起來劉家的事兒，夏菊花都會叫兒子兒媳婦一起商量，實際上呢，因為夏菊花一開始劃好的底線就兼顧了兩個兒子的利益，孫紅梅幾次想挑戰都以失敗告終，還落了個夾着尾巴做人都不讨好的處境。
這樣的日子跟孫紅梅出嫁前想的不一樣，一點兒也不痛快。
過日子不就是圖個順心嗎，孫紅梅咬了咬牙，啞着破洋鐵片嗓子說：“我不痛快，你們也沒痛快到哪兒去。”
聽到孫紅梅說話的人都呆了，這是娶的兒媳婦嗎，怕是個仇人吧。說出來的話哪兒象正經過日子的，分明是來報仇的。
夏菊花倒沒跟着發呆，平靜的看着孫紅梅說：“所以現在我們不想不痛快下去了，你和志雙得離婚。”
“夏菊花，”孫紅梅連娘都不叫了，對着夏菊花指名道姓：“你不就是自己守寡，所以看不得兒子跟兒媳婦好，才撺掇着我跟劉志雙離婚嗎。呸，不要臉。”
“啪——”劉志雙一個沒忍住，終于打了孫紅梅一個嘴巴，這次可沒有夏菊花從旁邊喝止，嘴巴打的結結實實。打完嘴巴還不算，劉志雙眼裏出火的看着孫紅梅說：
“你要是再胡說八道，行，老子不跟你離婚，老子一天打你八遍，打到你不敢滿嘴噴糞為止！”
孫紅梅被打愣了，她娘可沒愣，上前就想撕扯劉志雙。夏菊花雖然不贊成劉志雙打人，也不能眼見着他吃虧，直接把孫紅梅的娘給攔下了。
“咋着，你們孫家莊的人是真想在平安莊鬧事是不是？”劉力群這個時候發話了，拿出民兵隊長的氣勢來，向人群喊了一聲：“基幹民兵呢，基幹民兵站出來，把這兩個鬧事的綁了，送到公社紅小隊去。”
看熱鬧的人裏站出來幾個人，一個個面色不善的揪住孫家兩口，到孫紅梅那兒不知道應不應該一起綁，就看向劉力群，等着他的進一步命令。
孫家兩口吓傻了，剛才還嚣張的咬定不退彩禮的孫紅梅她娘，鼻涕眼淚都下來了：“親家，親家你快跟隊長說說，離婚就離婚，退彩禮就退彩禮，我們這就帶着紅梅回家，千萬別綁我們去公社呀親家。”
“娘，我剛才是順嘴胡說的娘，我爹娘都這麽大歲數了，進了紅小隊他們受不了那個罪呀娘。”孫紅梅見她爹娘被綁也慌了，知道劉志雙現在說不通，忙跪下向夏菊花求饒。
劉力群心想自己這個大隊民兵隊長是不是太不被人放在眼裏了，咋孫家的人都不求他反而求夏菊花呢。
不過一想也明白了，畢竟夏菊花是個婦女，歷來就心軟，孫家人又沒跟自己打過交道，求自己還真沒有求夏菊花管用。
看着孫紅梅求到自己頭上，夏菊花并沒有什麽揚眉吐氣的感覺，不是她有多好心，而是同為女人她知道孫紅梅以後的路沒那麽好走。
“劉隊長，你看……”基幹民兵是劉力群招呼出來的，夏菊花只能征求他的意見。
劉力群當然不願意再帶着人去紅小隊讓毛孩子們嘲笑一回，沖着夏菊花點了點頭，意思是讓她看着辦。夏菊花心裏有數了，對着孫紅梅問：“你同意跟志雙離婚嗎？”
Sun Hongmei was speechless. Of course, she didn't want to get divorced. But Xia Juhua's question to her was still ringing in her ears. She would definitely be even more unhappy if she stayed. The slap Liu Zhishuang had just given her and the words he said with hatred also made Sun Hongmei afraid that she would be beaten even harder in the future.
She didn't say anything, but her mother nodded anxiously: "Divorce, of course divorce. Speak quickly, you silly girl, do you want your father and I to be locked up in a small dark room?"
Wang Caifeng quietly approached Xia Juhua and reminded her in a low voice: "Mom, there is still the betrothal gift."
Xia Juhua was a little helpless. She glared at her and asked Wang Caifeng to step back. She then looked at Liu Zhishuang and said, "Zhishuang, I'll ask you again, do you really have to get a divorce?"
Liu Zhishuang nodded without hesitation and said in a buzzing voice: "Mom, just because she said that about you, I can't live with her anymore."
Sun Hongmei heard Liu Zhishuang's answer without hesitation and spat at him: "You don't want to live with me, but I don't want to live with you either. A grown man in his twenties, you listen to your mother in everything. You can't even make decisions with the money you earn. You'll be single for the rest of your life!"
Oh, Xia Juhua, who was not easily angered, also lost her temper: "Sun Hongmei, you don't have to worry about whether my son will remain single or not. But as for the betrothal gift, I thought it was not easy for you to move in and out of the family, so I wanted to leave some for you. Now it seems that it is not necessary."