Chapter 437 Escaping the Sea of Suffering
No one expected that Danniang would actually say she wanted a divorce, and that she would take several maids with her.
Just as everyone was dumbfounded, Sun's mother stopped struggling with Erlang's wife and turned to look at Danniang, who was holding Daya, with an incredulous question: "You want a divorce?"
Do you dare to get a divorce?
"How dare you divorce my eldest son!"
Then came another round of chaotic insults and abuse. Dan Niang held Daya tightly, head down, thinking about the method Mr. He had told her, wondering how to say these words in order to truly get rid of the Sun family.
"Shut up!"
The village chief's stern shout stopped Sun's mother, who was about to continue her tantrum.
The village chief and several village elders, especially the fifth uncle, exchanged glances. Without saying a word, their attitude was that they disagreed with Dan Niang's suggestion to divorce and take the girl away.
After all, if Danniang, a woman who married into the village from outside, succeeds today, wouldn't all the outsiders in the village have something to think about in the future?
The village chief was somewhat annoyed, feeling that Dan Niang was really making trouble out of nothing. They had just finished paying respects to their ancestors and were about to have a good meal when Dan Niang caused this mess.
However, the village chief naturally wouldn't show his impatience. Instead, he looked at Dan Niang with a cautious and gentle expression and said, "Dan Niang, how can there be no quarrels in daily life?"
Okay, we understand your grievances. I believe your mother-in-law will never dare to do such a thing again!
As he spoke, the village chief stood up, glared at Sun's parents, and then pretended to be righteous and said, "Dan Niang, don't worry, there's no way that children will be sold in our Sun Family Village!"
We are all law-abiding citizens, honest and decent people, how could we do such a thing?
"Alright, Danniang, get up quickly and take Daya back to rest."
Dan Niang lowered her head, thinking to herself, "Just as Mr. He said, they will never agree to a divorce."
Dan Niang didn't need to pinch herself; just thinking about the inability to divorce and the fact that she would have to continue to live a hard life with Daya and the others in the Sun family brought tears streaming down her face like rain.
Dan Niang's crying came so quickly and so urgently that the women who had initially come to watch the spectacle felt a pang of sympathy and began to speak up for her.
"Alas, it's pitiful. That Sun Dalang is never home, and Danniang does all the work herself."
"Oh dear, you don't know, Danniang doesn't even have enough to eat at home."
"We do so much work every day, and yet we don't even get a decent meal."
"Hey, how did you know? Did you see it?"
The woman pursed her lips, "Do I need to go see for myself? My Shuanzhu and his second son, Fugui, are always playing together, aren't they?"
It was Fu Gui'er who said that Dan Niang was just a dog of the Sun family, doing whatever they were told.
"If their own son said so, how could it be false?"
"Oh God, this is terrible, truly terrible."
Even if this little girl isn't good, she's still our family's child. It's good that she's married off when she grows up.
Where would you sell your child to a dirty place for money?
Isn't this ruining the child's life?
She's not even eight years old yet, what a tragedy!
The village chief's face darkened; he felt his authority as village chief had been challenged.
However, putting on a show is what hypocritical people like this do best. In just a few breaths, the village chief transformed back into the upright and just-in-charge Bao Gong. Just as he was about to speak, Dan Niang preempted him.
"It's not that I'm lying, but my mother-in-law has already asked a broker about the price!"
They're just waiting to get rid of me so they can sell Daya.
Then, with tears still wet on her face, Dan Niang told everyone the name of the human trafficker and what he looked like.
A buzz of discussion erupted in the crowd.
"Isn't Dan Niang talking about that heartless old woman named Pear Blossom who's missing a front tooth?"
"Good heavens, this old woman is not easy to deal with. She bought a little girl from my family's side."
I heard it was sold in Pingkangfang!
Seeing that the atmosphere had built up enough, Dan Niang turned to the village chief and said, "I want a divorce!"
If the Sun family doesn't agree, then they have the ability to kill us four, or I'll go to the Jingzhao Prefecture to file a complaint!
I want to sue Granny Sun for forcibly buying up innocent people!
The law stipulates that kidnapping a lawful citizen, especially one's own granddaughter, is punishable by three years in prison!
With a sudden burst of chatter, the women around them, who had been gossiping, started talking about what Dan Niang had said as soon as she finished speaking. Even the men, young and old, who had been silent until now, began to chatter in small groups about what Dan Niang had mentioned.
The village chief's face darkened even more; this time, he simply couldn't pretend to be a good person anymore.
If Danniang really reports it to higher authorities, and the matter is investigated level by level, the village chief will be the first to suffer the consequences.
The village chief never expected that Dan Niang, a woman from the village who was so illiterate and had been bullied to the point of near death, would actually know about laws and regulations.
"Okay, so that explains why you had to cause trouble on this particular day."
So they had already found out beforehand; this idea probably came from someone knowledgeable about the law.
The village chief sat back down in his chair, and he and the other village elders looked at each other with some embarrassment and displeasure.
The surrounding villagers, regardless of gender or age, were all discussing this matter enthusiastically.
The area where the village chief and his group were staying seemed to be in a vacuum; no one spoke.
Dan Niang knew that they must be furious.
Dan Niang understood that this was her only chance, and she had to succeed in getting a divorce; otherwise, the road ahead would truly be a dead end for her and her three children!
"Oh God, the four of us can't survive! We can't survive! I want to go to the capital, I want to go to Chang'an! There are no natural disasters, it's all man-made disasters!"
Even law-abiding citizens can't survive!
Even good people can't survive under the feet of a sage!
While crying and shouting, she carried Daya and walked out. Just as Danniang was about to walk out of the area in front of the ancestral hall, the village chief gave his wife a wink.
Only then did two strong women step forward and block Dan Niang's path.
Finally, after another round of procrastination, the village chief and elders, still hungry, just wanted to resolve this matter as quickly as possible.
Therefore, under the authority of the law, the Sun family had no choice but to agree to Dan Niang's request to take her daughter and divorce her. However, in order to take her daughter and divorce her, Dan Niang also had to agree to the Sun family's conditions.
The Sun family's condition was that they could take their four young daughters with them, but every year thereafter, according to their ages, from the eldest to the fifth daughter, they would have to give the Sun family a certain amount of money until they had paid off all the money the daughters had spent on the Sun family over the years.
For example, Da Ya is almost eight years old, so we have to pay for her food for at least eight more years before it's all over.
Dan Niang didn't want to agree to these outrageous conditions, but the Sun family insisted on it, preferring to let Dan Niang go to the Jingzhao Prefecture to file a complaint rather than change their mind.
Having no other choice, Dan Niang could only agree for now and ask Mr. He for advice later.
Dan Niang was illiterate, and no one in the Sun family could read either. However, Dan Niang thought that no matter what, the divorce agreement would have to be sent to the Jingzhao Prefecture to be formally signed, so the village chief would not forge it.
Holding the divorce papers with her fingerprints already pressed on them, Dan Niang packed only a tattered bundle. Just before leaving the Sun family's house, Sun's mother pulled the bundle off and examined it carefully, only to find that it contained some old clothes before letting Dan Niang and her four maids leave.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com