The man's gaze swept over Yu Yao, a hint of amazement flashing in his eyes, before he showed displeasure at her mother hen protecting her chicks and questioned, "Who are you to her?"
Yu Yao looked straight ahead, "A person who would help those in need."
The man sneered, a hint of warning in his voice: "That's just a stranger. Do you know who I am? I'm her man. This is our family matter, and I advise you to mind your own business."
"Really? What if I insist on intervening today?"
Yu Yao's eyes were like knives as she looked at the man.
Sensing her menacing aura, the man, not wanting to provoke her, forced what he thought was a friendly smile and coaxed:
"Xiao Hong, don't be angry with me. Look, this well-meaning comrade has misunderstood. Come back with me, and we'll talk things out when we get back."
When he said "speak properly," the man deliberately emphasized the words, with a hint of warning.
Li Xiaohong trembled as if she had thought of something, cowering and clutching Yu Yao's hem tightly. Her voice was filled with fear and stammering, "No, no."
Yu Yao patted her head and comforted her, "Don't be afraid, I'm here, no one can take you away."
When the man realized that this method was not working, he simply changed his approach, putting on a pitiful expression and looking at the passersby who were watching.
"Everyone, please help me judge this. The woman behind this is my newlywed wife. She's upset with me and wants to go back to her parents' home. I chased after her, wanting to take her back. But this woman stopped me and wouldn't let me take her. Is this how you behave?"
At this time of day, it is the time for people to go to work or start their jobs, and most of the people around are women who have come to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy things.
Upon hearing this, the mother-in-law frowned.
"This lady, there's a saying, 'It's better to build ten temples than to break up one marriage.' This is a matter between the two of them, and it's best for outsiders not to interfere."
"Yes, you and this girl aren't really in a relationship. You can only manage for a while, not forever. Let the couple handle it themselves."
"This little girl is only sixteen years old, right? Her family is too cruel to marry her off to someone so much older than her. If it were me, I would definitely run away too."
...
Although some people disagreed and sympathized with Li Xiaohong's plight, no one felt that there was anything wrong with the man taking Li Xiaohong back.
Seeing that there were more people on his side, the man smiled and whispered to Li Xiaohong behind Yu Yao:
"Xiao Hong, come here quickly. Don't cause trouble for everyone. Can't we resolve our issues behind closed doors? If you have to make a scene, now that you've made enough, it's time to come back with me."
Li Xiaohong clung tightly to Yu Yao's clothes, trembling with fear as she refused, "I don't want to go back, I don't want to marry you, I'm not your wife."
Yu Yao looked at the man and said, "You heard it all. Xiao Hong doesn't want to marry you. If she doesn't want to, you can't force her."
Seeing that Yu Yao was unyielding, the man lost his patience. "You stinking woman, it's none of your business. Her father took my money, so she's my wife. Whether she likes it or not, I'm taking her back today. If you don't want to get beaten up, you'd better get out of here."
The man stopped pretending, waved the bamboo stick in his hand, looked at Li Xiaohong, and revealed a chilling smile.
"Xiao Hong, where can you run to? What man doesn't beat his wife? As long as you behave, you'll suffer less. Don't you like spicy food? Go back and eat as much as you want."
Upon hearing the word "chili pepper," Li Xiaohong's face contorted in terror, her mind went blank, and she instinctively turned and ran.
As she ran, she kept shouting, "No, no chili peppers, no chili peppers!"
He seemed to be caught in some immense terror, and had gone mad.
Yu Yao wanted to chase after her, but was accidentally bumped by a passerby and missed her chance.
The man was faster than her, strode after her, grabbed Li Xiaohong's wrist, and dragged her back.
Li Xiaohong screamed in terror, struggling wildly, "Let go of me, I won't go back!"
The man revealed a fierce glint in his eyes. "It's not up to you."
As soon as she finished speaking, her wrist was grabbed by a slender hand.
Yu Yao's voice rang out from beside her, "Let her go!"
Li Xiaohong only came to her senses when she heard Yu Yao's voice, and cried out loudly, "Sister, save me!"
Yu Yao looked pitiful, but her expression grew colder as she faced the man, saying each word clearly:
"I'll say it again, let her go!"
The man scoffed, swinging the bamboo stick at Yu Yao. "You think you can just let me go like that? Who do you think you are, interfering in my business? Watch out, or I'll make you regret it..."
The man had barely finished speaking when Yu Yao pinched him hard, causing him to let out a bloodcurdling scream.
"Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! You bitch, let go of me, damn it... Ah!"
The moment the man uttered the curse, he felt a sharp pain in his wrist and screamed in agony.
Yu Yao's gaze was icy. "I advise you to watch your mouth."
The man wept and begged for mercy, "I was wrong, I was really wrong, comrade, let me go, let me go."
Li Xiaohong was stunned, her doe-like eyes wide open, forgetting even her fear.
"Do you still dare to make a move?"
"I won't do it again, I won't do it again, comrade, I won't grab you anymore, okay? My hand is going to break, I won't do it again, I'll never do it again, please let me go."
Li Xiaohong's eyes widened even more as she looked at the man weeping bitterly, then at the hero-like Yu Yao, as if she had witnessed something unbelievable.
It turns out that not all women are like my mother, who can only be beaten when facing men.
At this moment, a different kind of light suddenly appeared in Li Xiaohong's hopeless world. It was very faint, but it really existed.
Yu Yao shook off the man's hand and took Li Xiaohong's hand. "You're from Huangniwan Brigade, which is next to Qingshuiwan Brigade. Your brigade should have a women's director, right? Do you know what it means to arrest her? It's illegal imprisonment. You'll be jailed, and if it gets serious, you could be shot."
The man gripped his wrist, his voice stern yet weak, and said, "Don't try to scare me. I'm not scared. Her father has already sold her to me; she's mine. If she runs away and I catch her and bring her back, what law have I broken?"
Some of the onlookers noticed Yu Yao's words and their eyes flickered.
The old woman who had spoken up for the man earlier said, "This woman looks so gentle and kind, but she lies without batting an eye. Don't be fooled by her; she's just trying to scare people. When someone comes to see their wife, she stops them and says they've broken the law. What law have they broken?"
Yu Yao looked at the young woman with rough hands and timid eyes beside the old woman, and then looked around. After noticing that there were mostly women and children, she deliberately raised her voice.
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