Li Xiaohua thought for a moment, but still couldn't bear to leave her beloved daughter of many years. She slowly led Niu Niu outside. Old Mrs. Bao panicked at the sight and said sternly, "You come back here! If you don't, I'll have my husband, Guo Jun, divorce you. Don't even think about ever setting foot in my house again!"
Niu Niu was led outside by Li Xiaohua. She looked back at the stern-faced Old Mrs. Bao, then at Li Xiaohua who looked aggrieved, and finally shook off her hand. She ran to Old Mrs. Bao's side and said, "Grandma, I'm not leaving. Grandma, I'm a member of the Bao family. I'm not leaving!"
Li Xiaohua saw Niu Niu holding Grandma Bao, and Grandma Bao looking at her like a victorious general, as if holding the child meant holding her lifeline. Her heart ached, but she still tried to walk away.
Niu Niu cried out, "Mom, come back! Don't go to Grandpa's house anymore. No matter how long you stay here, that soldier uncle won't come back, and he won't want you. You've already been married!"
Upon hearing this, Qian Duoduo gave Niu Niu a deep look. This little girl, who was almost 10 years old, was quite shrewd. There were only two people in the entire Beian Village who hadn't returned from the army, namely her own eldest and second eldest brothers. With just one sentence, she not only pinned a blame on her mother but also implicated her own family.
She smiled and stepped forward: "Niu Niu, do you know that what you said is wrong?"
Niu Niu was taken aback. She looked at Qian Duoduo and asked, "Huh? What do you mean?"
Qian Duoduo laughed: "What you just said not only didn't save your mother, but it actually harmed her. That soldier uncle you mentioned, is he still in the military?" Seeing Niu Niu nod, she continued: "Military marriages are protected by law. Breaking up a military marriage will get you arrested, you know that?"
Niu Niu's face turned pale instantly; she didn't know that!
Qian Duoduo continued, "If someone with ulterior motives hears what you just said, regardless of whether your mother intended it or not, you are indeed suspected of defamation, and you will be going to the police station, understand?"
After saying this, Niu Niu not only turned pale, but her body also started trembling. She burst into tears, crying, "No, I don't want to go to the police station, I don't want to go to the police station!"
Qian Duoduo asked gently, "Niu Niu, since you don't want to go to the police station, why did you say such things to ruin your mother's reputation? You need to know that a person's reputation is a very important thing. It only takes one word to ruin it, but it takes a lifetime to protect it."
Niu Niu sobbed, "That's what my dad said. He said that before my mother got married, she had someone she liked, but he didn't like her. Later, he went to join the army and never came back. That's why he doesn't like my mother or me!"
Qian Duoduo glanced at Li Xiaohua and sighed: "Your dad is wrong. He simply doesn't like you because you're a girl! You're the kind of girl your grandma calls a money-loser, understand?"
We're different. I was pampered by my parents and spoiled by my older brother. Growing up in that kind of family, look, I got into university, I get paid every month, and I was even assigned a job after graduation. With someone like me, who dares to say I'm a money-loser?
Niu Niu looked at Qian Duoduo, then at herself, and realized how big the gap was between them! If only that soldier uncle were her father, she could have a better life. She looked up at Li Xiaohua again and said, "Why didn't you marry that soldier uncle? Then I could have gone to school and taken the college entrance exam."
When Li Xiaohua heard Niu Niu's words, her eyes immediately reddened. She had carried the child for ten months, painstakingly given birth to the child, and cherished her for many years. Now, the child was being spoken to like this. Tears welled up in her eyes, and she turned and ran out.
When Wang Qiaofen saw Li Xiaohua run out, she immediately followed. Oh dear, her youngest son is about to get married. If there is a divorced aunt in this family, what decent family's daughter would agree to marry into the family!
Qian Duoduo looked at Niu Niu in surprise: "You think this is your mother's fault?"
Niu Niu glared at Qian Duoduo: "Isn't it her fault?"
Qian Duoduo sighed and said, "You're wrong. The one who's wrong is your Bao family. And the only one who's been wronged is Li Xiaohua, whom you consider an outsider."
Niu Niu snorted: "She's just a woman surnamed Li, married into our Bao family, eating and drinking our food. What's wrong with asking her to pay some money?"
Qian Duoduo glanced at Li Dafa, whose face was ashen, and said, "Hey, hey! Uncle Li, when Sister Xiaohua was at home, she was such a cheerful girl. Ten years of her youth were spent raising this thing. Do you think it was worth it?"
Li Dafa looked at Bao Guojun, who was lying on the ground groaning, and said, "You said you would take good care of my Xiaohua, but you broke your promise. Don't treat me like I'm made of clay. I have a temper too."
After saying that, Li Dafa spat at Bao Guojun and turned to leave.
Qian Duoduo said, "Grandma, your family matters are over, and the parties involved have left. Now let's talk about our lawsuit."
Grandma Bao was stunned: "You hit us, and you still think you're right!"
Qian Duoduo said, "What? You broke something and you don't want to pay for it? Or should we go to the police station?"
Grandma Bao had heard the words "police station" so many times that they were on her mind. She shook her head and said, "No, I'm not going!"
Qian Duoduo: "Pay up!" After saying that, she glanced at Qian Sheng.
Qian Sheng and Qian Duoduo, father and daughter for nearly twenty years, understood each other's meaning with just one look. He stepped forward and said, "You and your son came to our Beian Village tofu shop to cause trouble and damaged our equipment, causing losses to our tofu shop. Now you have two choices: go to the police station or settle the matter privately by paying compensation."
Grandma Bao immediately clutched the pocket containing the ten ten-yuan bills and said, "I won't choose any of them."
Qian Sheng snorted: "If you don't choose, I'll choose for you." He said to Qian Rao beside him: "Fourth brother, ride your bike to the commune and take this troublesome mother and daughter to the police station. Judging from the damage they caused, they'll probably be in there for ten days or half a month."
Grandma Bao was stunned. Ten days or half a month, was that a place for a human to stay? Bao Guojun stopped snorting and immediately said, "Liang, give it to him, get him in there!"
After hesitating for a moment, Grandma Bao finally took out the large sums of money amidst Bao Guojun's desperate cries.
Qian Xiang readily accepted it. Even though Old Lady Bao didn't want to let go, Qian Xiang pried her hand open one by one and handed the ten-yuan note to Qian Sheng. Qian Sheng said, "Bao Guojun, although you are Li Dafa's son-in-law, Beian Village is not a place where people from Taihe Village can come and go as they please, or cause trouble as they please. I will talk to your old man Bao about this matter."
Just as Bao Guojun was about to speak, a sharp pain shot through his lip from the blow: "Captain!"
Qian Sheng said, "You can leave now. This is a one-time thing. If it happens again, we'll take you straight to the police station!"
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