Zhang Qing followed suit and also asked for a dowry of 60,000 yuan. Is she setting an example for herself?
Ever since I asked for a dowry of 60,000 yuan, all the other sisters in this family, my sons, my cousins, and my sisters-in-law have followed the same standard. This has really set a bad precedent.
The dishes I cooked for dinner tonight were prepared by future chef Liu Kai. The food was set out, but the old man still hadn't returned. My mother-in-law made several phone calls, but no one answered.
When Tangbao woke up, she wanted to drink milk. After feeding her, Jiang Shuya saw that it was getting late and Liu Kai and the others had to go back, so she didn't wait for them and ate together first. After eating, she saw them off at the door. Her mother-in-law gave each of them a red envelope, saying that it was a must to give them the first time they visited. They did not refuse, after all, they had brought gifts.
Zhang Qing, turning back three times as he spoke, said he would come again next month to pick some grapes as gifts. Before his mother-in-law could speak, Jiang Shuya interjected:
"Don't worry, we'll definitely have grapes, and we'll give you a reasonable price."
Zhang Qing chuckled and nodded, "Okay." Her mother-in-law glared at Jiang Shuya, then handed the baby, Tangbao, to Shuya, saying she was tidying up the kitchen.
Seeing that it wasn't dark yet, Jiang Shuya took Tangbao to the vineyard for a walk to digest their food.
The vineyard was not overgrown with weeds, and the grapevines were lush and verdant. There was no visible wire mesh, and the clusters of grapevines could be seen through the crack in the door. The bunches of green and purple grapes were as clear and translucent as emerald pearls and agates, and their growth was exceptionally pleasing, making one's mouth water.
After standing there for a while, I was worried there might be bugs inside, and it would be inconvenient to hold Tangbao, so I didn't open it and go inside.
Feeling utterly bored, I strolled along the riverside path with Tangtang in my arms, trying to help her digest. We reached the end and were about to turn back.
There, in front of a house without a courtyard wall, a man was pulling a woman by the hair, and the woman was screaming in pain.
Some of the neighbors were eating at home, while others were busy in the fields. There were no onlookers. Several terrified children stood there, and one boy cried until his eyes were red. The woman was helped to the ground, but the man seemed unsatisfied and began to punch and kick her again. Blood gushed from the woman's mouth and nostrils.
Seeing that someone was about to die, Jiang Shuya stepped forward, grabbed a wooden stick from the pile of firewood, and said to the man, "If you don't stop, I'll call the police."
When the man saw that Shuya was still holding the child, he yelled, "Mind your own business and get out of my way."
The woman was crying out for help, sobbing in pain.
Shuya picked up the phone and dialed 110. "Hello, is this Jiangzhou Police Station?... This is Xixia Village. There's a fight and trouble in Household 211. Please come quickly, someone is about to be beaten to death."
Seeing that Jiang Shuya was actually making the call, the man lunged at her with a face full of rage, swearing and pointing. Shuya gripped the wooden stick in her hand and took a few steps back. Suddenly, the boy with red, tear-filled eyes grabbed his leg and murmured, "Dad! Please save Mom! She's dying, you've beaten her to death!"
The man kicked the boy away, grabbed a stick from the woodpile, and started wildly hitting Jiang Shuya. Jiang Shuya instinctively protected Tangbao in her arms, but was barely able to defend herself. She turned her back, but a woman holding a child was no match for a man. A blow to Jiang Shuya's back nearly knocked her unconscious.
Tang Bao burst into tears. Seeing that the man was about to attack again, her neighbor, Grandpa Pan, ran out and pulled the man away.
Grandpa Pan pushed the man and cursed, "Are you fucking crazy? You're going to die. You dare to hit anyone. You hit Huang's wife today. When Hao Hao comes back, see if he'll deal with you."
It implies that Huang Minghao is the number one fighter on the island, and that he's incredibly ruthless. Uncle Pan witnessed firsthand how he beat his cousin Huang Tao to death.
Only then did a few people come over to watch. When they saw Wang Hongjuan, she looked at them with curious eyes and was holding a bundle of freshly cut grapevines. She walked up to Shuya and asked what had happened.
At this moment, no one paid attention to the conversation between Shuya and Wang Hongjuan. Everyone was focused on the woman who had been beaten to the point of near death. Seeing that there was blood all over her body and on the ground, and that the woman seemed to have fainted, some shouted to call 120 for an ambulance, while others suggested taking her directly to the hospital. The woman could only lie bent on the ground, unable to get up.
At this moment, two police cars pulled up at the door, and several police officers walked over sternly to inquire about what had happened. One asked questions, one took notes, and two others checked the woman's injuries. After a quick glance, the two officers nervously lifted the woman and put her in the car. One of the officers told the other two that saving lives was the priority. The two officers then drove the woman directly to the hospital, and the boy also got into the car.
The police officer who was questioning the man walked over and gave him a verbal reprimand. The person taking notes asked, "Who called the police just now?"
Jiang Shuya stepped over the wooden stick on the ground and walked over: "It's me."
The police officer walked over and said sternly, "Do you know why you fought?" Jiang Shuya shook her head.
The police officer taking notes asked Jiang Shuya for her ID card and what her relationship was with the people who fought.
Jiang Shuya truthfully recounted what she had seen and how she had been beaten.
The police officer taking notes nodded and praised, "You did a great job, you were very courageous, and you are a good citizen."
Having said that, he raised his hand, and the two police officers together escorted the man into the police car. The police car drove through the crowd and sped away.
Grandpa Pan walked over and said, "You must be Huang Guohua's wife! ... Hey! It's common for the couple to fight. If we could handle it, we would have done so already. We're all neighbors, and even an upright official can't settle family disputes. Please don't get involved with this family next time."
Wang Hongjuan looked at Jiang Shuya and agreed with what the old neighbor said, indicating that she shouldn't get involved in such matters in the future.
He helped Jiang Shuya up, who hadn't said a word, thanked her, and walked back.
Along the way, Wang Hongjuan told me that the man in that family was a petty thief who did nothing but steal and had been imprisoned a few years ago. Now he liked to play slot machines. The woman's name was Zhang Xiaohui. She had been married to this family for ten years. Her family was from out of town, quite far away, requiring two days by high-speed train. No one knew how she had been lured here by this man. Her son was eight years old. The man was never home, and Zhang Xiaohui usually took care of the child by herself. The family also had a few acres of vineyards. Zhang Xiaohui didn't talk to anyone much, and people at the door called her a silent gourd.
Jiang Shuya dug into the woman's memories. Zhang Xiaohui married into this place 10 years ago. After the demolition, she was allocated two houses (one of which belonged to her husband). One was large and the other was small. Before she could even take possession of the large house, her husband gambled it away in Macau.
If you sell your housing voucher before you can take possession of the property, you'll be homeless.
Later, Zhang Xiaohui and her son lived in a small house.
The man would cause trouble every few days. Zhang Xiaohui, unwilling to be bothered, mustered up the courage to divorce him. However, the man remained unrepentant, like a mangy dog, causing a ruckus at the house's door, demanding that Xiaohui's father sell the small house to help him pay off his debts. Zhang Xiaohui was miserable and sold the small house as well. She arranged for her son to attend a boarding school and went to work at an electronics factory in Jiangning, where room and board were provided. After that, she was never seen again.
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