The He family was in complete chaos.
Qiu Yu's face was also pale. If He Donglai really had a problem, they would be in big trouble.
Taking advantage of the chaos, He Zifeng led Qiu Yu away. Qiu Yu's fingers were ice-cold. He Zifeng warmed them and asked, "Why did you come?"
Qiu Yu looked at He Zifeng as if she were seeing him for the first time. He had no idea that a huge conspiracy had taken place on their wedding day; thankfully, He Zifeng was there, otherwise…
He Zifeng hugged Qiu Yu and said, "Why are you crying all of a sudden?" Then he whispered comforting words in her ear, "It's alright, it's all over now, don't be afraid."
Qiu Yu didn't even realize he was crying. He hurriedly wiped away his tears. It was dinnertime, and there was hardly anyone outside. He said, "Let's go back." He was still a little uneasy.
When they got back, Gou'er and Xiao Heran were in the room. Gou'er breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the two adults return: "Uncle He, I'm going back. My family has already called me for dinner." After saying that, he quickly left.
Little He Ran held a small rabbit woven from wild grass in his hand, his eyes red and swollen from crying. Qiu Yu felt sorry for the child. Little He Ran had always been an extremely smart and sensible child, rarely crying, let alone crying like this.
He Ran glanced at He Zifeng and sobbed, "I only want my father, I don't want to be Uncle's son. He scolds me and hits me."
He Zifeng immediately took the child into his arms, and the little guy, like a frightened rabbit, kept burrowing into his embrace, as if afraid the two of them would abandon him.
When Qiu Yu gave birth, Xiao Wanshi probably still harbored resentment about the failed attempt to switch partners at the wedding, so she didn't hire a midwife. He Zifeng had no money, and after much difficulty, he managed to find someone with experience in childbirth to come and take a look, but Xiao Wanshi sent him away. In the end, He Zifeng disregarded the rules and personally helped his wife deliver the child.
Little He Ran was brought into this world by his two fathers who had done everything they could. Seeing his son crying like this, his heart felt like it had been stabbed several times.
He Zifeng said, "Tell your father how your third uncle bullied you." As he spoke, he took out a handkerchief and wiped the child's face.
A child's delicate skin turns red after being soaked in tears. Crying for a long time can cause chapped skin, and the tears sting as they flow.
Little He Ran sobbed occasionally, looking extremely pitiful. She wrapped her little arms around He Zifeng's neck and said, "Third Uncle always kicks me, pinches my legs, hits my back, and says I'm a good-for-nothing."
Upon hearing this, He Zifeng immediately asked Qiu Yu to examine him. Sure enough, Xiao He Ran had several red and swollen scars on his body.
Qiu Yu trembled with anger: "That beast, what kind of skill is it to bully a child?"
He Zifeng's eyes also turned cold. He said, "Ranran is still young. Dad can support you. It's your third uncle who's a grown man who does nothing. He's the one who's just eating for free. If anyone bullies you in the future, fight back. Dad will back you up."
Xiao Heran seemed hesitant, yet he wouldn't refute He Zifeng either.
He Zifeng said, "Ranran, remember, you must not let anyone see the parts of your body that are covered by your clothes, and you must never be beaten. If anyone bullies you, tell me or your little daddy! You are my precious baby, and I will never give you away to someone else."
"Really?" Little He Ran's eyelashes were still glistening with moisture, as if seeking comfort.
“Really,” He Zifeng said.
The little guy was relieved: "I can gather firewood, and when I grow up I can do more chores for Daddy."
He Zifeng said, "You'll sleep in the big bed with us tonight." The little guy has been sleeping in his own bed since he was a little over one year old. He was very happy to hear this news, and he was also a little tired from the emotional fluctuations earlier, so he insisted on lying in the middle of the bed.
Qiu Yu felt guilty after seeing his child's injuries. He didn't know his son had been bullied; the child wouldn't have said anything if he wasn't afraid of being sent away.
He Zifeng looked at the sleeping child with icy eyes, and no one knew what he was thinking.
The next day arrived in the blink of an eye.
The He family didn't sleep a wink all night.
Last night, the scumbag father, He Donglai, woke up after only fifteen minutes of unconsciousness and started ranting and raving about He Zifeng, causing a huge commotion in the family.
He Zifeng used to be completely obedient to his father, but now he's stirred up a hornet's nest.
The eldest brother, Wan Hai, had three sons. Two of them were sent to school, and the youngest son was only three years old. Although he could only eat meat a few times a month, he could eat eggs as much as he wanted.
Besides the eldest son, Wan Hai, who was brought by Xiao Wan Shi, there are two other sons. He Tong is disabled, and He Fan is only eighteen years old. Only He Zifeng and his wife work like slaves in the family. Everyone is used to it. Now, He Zifeng is not only rebelling against his father, but also bringing up the hidden conflicts in the family.
The scumbag father, He Donglai, said, "Why bother raising such an unfilial son? Just beat him to death." He was full of anger and didn't know how to vent it. He was unhappy with everyone and said to Xiao Wanshi, "You have such a terrible idea. What's so special about a boy? Let He Xiaobao be adopted." He still held onto his old-fashioned thinking that only by having a son could he stand tall in the village.
Wan Hai was not as good-tempered as He Zifeng, and He Tong was not easy to deal with either. Xiao Wanshi said, "Our eldest daughter-in-law is the village chief's son. It's not good to offend both families. Besides, He Sanbao is lively and active. Boys are not as careful as sons. How can he take care of the third son?"
Xu Li, who lived nearby, argued with Wan Hai for half the night after hearing this.
They were all under the same roof, and the disabled He Tong overheard a few words. In the middle of the night, he started smashing things in his house, alarming half of the He family.
That night, the He family cried and made a scene, without a moment's peace.
The next day, just as dawn was breaking, Xu Li went back to see his village chief father. He told him what had happened the day before and cried quite a bit.
Village Chief Xu, whose temper was already short-tempered, was furious after hearing this: "So, they've even tried to scheme against you. I'll go talk to He Dong later and tell him that when he proposed to you, he said he would treat you like his own son, and now he's paving the way for his disabled son. With me here, let's see who dares to steal my grandson."
The village chief's wife went with them. With her family backing her up, He Donglai had been up all night before finally getting some sleep. When the village chief and his wife arrived, he had no choice but to put on a smiling face and greet them.
"In-law, what brings you here?" The scumbag father glanced at Xu Li. He inwardly scolded him for making a fuss over nothing, creating such a big commotion when things were barely even started.
The village chief's wife asked, "I heard you're going to adopt He Xiaobao to your third son, is that true?"
Before He Donglai could speak, Village Chief Xu said, "Make it clear first, I won't agree to this."
The village chief's wife blurted out everything like a torrent of beans. She said, "Wan Hai has been a filial son since he was little, otherwise we wouldn't have married our precious darling into your family. Although Wan Hai isn't your biological child, he's closer to you than your own. Besides, your three grandsons have all changed their surname to He and call you Grandpa. Da Bao and Er Bao are studying at a private school in the county. The teacher says they're very talented and will become high-ranking officials in the future. If they come back and find their younger brother is gone, the two children will cry and cause trouble, which will disrupt their studies. I'm telling you, in-law, please don't make any rash arrangements."
There were many things that Xu Li, as a junior, couldn't say. But the village chief's wife didn't care about those things; she and He Donglai were of the same generation.
Xiao Wan was of one mind with them. She was extremely unwilling to let her grandson be adopted by the third son, and hurriedly said with a smile, "This is a misunderstanding. Originally, it was He Zifeng's son who was to be adopted. Who knew... Sigh, everyone says that family scandals should not be aired in public, but you are not outsiders. Being a stepmother is not easy. I have a bellyful of grievances and I don't know who to tell. Yesterday, He the Second made his father sick with anger."
Upon hearing this, the two realized there was more to the story than they knew and quickly asked, "What happened?"
Xiao Wan embellished the story of yesterday.
He Donglai's anger had subsided, but the mention of his unfilial son reignited his rage, and he joined in the cursing.
Upon hearing this, Village Chief Xu hurriedly said, "Brother He, what's the point of keeping such an unfaithful and unfilial person around?"
Xiao Wan said, "Village chief, does the village have any regulations for people who beat and curse their parents like this? Parents all over the world are heartbroken, and we don't know what to do. But the country has its laws, and the village has its rules. If we can't control it, let's leave it to the village."
Village Chief Xu said, "Yes, we do have some, but I'm afraid you won't be willing to part with them. An unfilial son will be punished with fifty strokes of the rod." That would basically mean he'd lost half his life.
Even the scumbag father, He Donglai, felt extremely relieved upon hearing this, saying, "That's settled then. I want to see how he'll stand up to me now." Anyway, he had other sons.
Xiao Wan's eyes flickered slightly. It would be quite satisfying to kill He Zifeng.
Wan Hai and Xu Li, who were present, also breathed a sigh of relief. As long as they didn't take his son away, it was fine. As for what others did, it was none of his business.
Soon, the village chief and He Donglai went to discuss which elder in the village should take charge, while Xu Li and his mother went back to talk. Wan Hai didn't want to get involved in this matter and went out under the pretext of selling sauce. The fourth brother, He Fan, had disappeared sometime during the day.
Madam Wan went to her third son He Tong's room. Seeing the mess on the floor, she felt a pang of heartache, but then she looked at her son's pale face and said, "You, how can you not understand your mother's heart? Mother will definitely find a way to make sure you have someone to rely on!"
"Mother... I hate that I'm a cripple." He Tong said, suppressing his pain. He was not only born with a missing leg, but he was also born a eunuch.
Seeing her own son so self-destructive, Madam Wan felt heartbroken. While helping him clean up the mess on the floor, she said, "Qiuyu is beautiful and gentle. She'll definitely be able to take good care of you." As a mother, how could she not understand her son's thoughts?
Back then, they plotted to marry Qiu Yu to the third brother, but He Zifeng found out beforehand and ruined their plans. Qiu Yu went with He Zifeng, and from that day on, He Tong seemed to be possessed.
Xiao Wan saw this and harbored resentment, so this time she used someone else to do her dirty work.
After appeasing the third son, she returned to the main house to hear Village Chief Xu's arrangements for the matter. She killed the hen she had been raising. Early in the morning, she prepared a sumptuous meal, and by noon, they were all full and satisfied.
Village Chief Xu narrowed his eyes and said, "Let's get down to business."
The scumbag father, He Donglai, also got up and took Xiao Wanshi to invite the clan elders. He was determined to deal with He Zifeng today.
After noon, a large group of people came to the dilapidated house where Qiu Yu and the others lived. The commotion in the village alerted half of the village. Although Qiu Yu's sister-in-law did not know what had happened, she saw that something was wrong and quickly came over to warn them.
Qiu Yu's face was a little pale.
The sister-in-law who came to deliver the news didn't see He Zifeng and said, "Something must have happened. Where is He Zifeng?"
Qiu Yu didn't answer this directly, but said, "He had something to do and left last night."
Just then, they heard a series of footsteps outside, and then half the village came over.
The scumbag father, He Donglai, took the lead, saying, "Let that beast He Zifeng come out here. He even dares to hit his own father. I think he's got a death wish."
An uproar erupted around them.
"That can't be right."
"What happened?"
“He Zifeng is not that kind of person.”
The older generation frowned and said, "He Donglai has gone mad. He doesn't need to invite the clan elders to discipline his son." The older generation all knew that this matter was likely to escalate.
Qiu Yu was usually a respectable person, and he rarely spoke his mind. They were the ones who had driven him to menopause and still weren't satisfied. Since that was the case, he wouldn't hold back anymore. Since things were going to escalate, he had one more thing he wanted everyone to judge: "Everyone has seen how filial He Zifeng is. You have four sons, and only my wife and I are working. That's one thing, but you've gone too far."
"You tried to trick me into marrying He Laosan, and now you want to give our only son to him for adoption. He Laosan beats my son all the time when no one's around, and we haven't even settled accounts with you yet. Your whole family are cannibals! I'm telling you, you'll never take my child away, even if you die!"
The second son and his wife, who are usually so quiet they wouldn't utter a sound, are suddenly rebelling today. They've now revealed all their family matters.
As expected, everyone was shocked as soon as he finished speaking.
"How shameless! There's even more to the story. I knew it! Why did He Zifeng change? It's truly disheartening!"
"How much more can you bully someone?"
Xiao Wan was both anxious and angry, saying, "Stop trying to smear my family. He Ran is our He family's child. What business is it of yours whose name we raise him under? If you want to die, then hurry up and die. I'm afraid you won't be able to bear to part with him."
Village Chief Xu said, "Someone, gag him. It's clear he's not respectful to his mother-in-law. Mother-in-law, just slap him a few times and he'll shut up."
The village chief usually acts like a local tyrant in the village, his word is law. This time, he's in cahoots with He Donglai, so naturally he'll stand up for them.
Qiu Yu had a three-edged sword hidden in his sleeve, a legacy from his father, a hunter. A person stabbed with this sword would bleed uncontrollably, so Qiu Yu was prepared to risk it.
At the critical moment, someone said, "Don't move! He Zifeng has reported to the authorities!"
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