No wonder Chen Ning was whispering to Zhou Xiaoyan earlier; so that's what she was planning!
After the village head finished speaking, he gave his two daughters-in-law a wink. The two understood and immediately stepped forward to grab Liang Damei's arm, snorting, "Go and tell the county magistrate what you have to say!"
"No, no, no! Don't report this to the authorities! Village head, Aunt Feng, elder brothers and sisters-in-law, let's talk this out."
Liang Damei was being held by the arms by Qian Yulan and Wang Chunmei, and kept begging for mercy. She just wanted more dowry money, not to go to the yamen.
How could ordinary people like them easily enter the government office? Even if they didn't die, they would be skinned alive.
Besides, once she enters the government office, her reputation will be ruined, and how will her son find a wife then!
"Speak properly? Why couldn't you speak properly just now? Are you scared now?"
"Ha! It's too late to say anything! You almost caused a death in my house. If I don't teach you a lesson, who knows if you'll do it again!"
After Qian Yulan and the other woman finished speaking, they escorted Liang Damei out of the courtyard.
"No, no! I'll never do it again! Sister-in-law! I was wrong, please forgive me! I don't want the betrothal gifts, and I don't want any job!"
"Since Xiaoyan came to your house, I promise I won't come back again, really, I promise! I absolutely won't cause any more trouble!"
Liang Damei didn't want to be dragged away, so she cried and begged for mercy while changing her position to sit on the ground, scraping her feet against the ground to resist.
Cheng Yue found it laughable; how come all these villains begged for mercy in the same way?
Li Manying is like this, Cheng Chengen is like this, and Liang Damei is the same; they won't shed tears until they see the coffin, and they won't turn back until they hit a wall.
Qian Yulan spat, "Too late! Why weren't you scared when you were abusing Xiao Yan before?"
"Where were you when you were shamelessly threatening us? Why are you begging for mercy now?"
Zhang Dashan said, "Let's go, don't waste time talking to her!"
Why say so much? She can't understand human language anyway. She's a coward who bullies the weak and fears the strong!
Cheng Yue whispered to the village head and Madam Feng, "Uncle Village Head, Aunt Feng, the key is to get Xiao Yan to break off her marriage. If the county magistrate makes the decision himself, there will be no more worries!"
The village head nodded solemnly; this was the best solution.
Madam Feng said worriedly, "Xiao Yan's parents are both gone. If she loses all her ties, she'll have no family to rely on in the future. I don't know if she'll be willing to..."
Cheng Yue glanced at Zhou Xiaoyan and saw her nod firmly, so she knew that Chen Ning had told her most of what she needed to know, and then said:
"Aunt Feng, don't worry, Xiao Yan isn't stupid, she knows what to do."
One is the kind and gentle future husband's family, the other is the vicious and ruthless wife's family. Anyone would know which to choose.
Constantly kissing someone not only means being drained of their lifeblood, but also means being unable to shake them off for life, and even dragging others down with you.
If you keep getting entangled with such a so-called maternal family, it's hard to say whether you can even survive. Why would you care about having a maternal family to rely on?
Compared to one's own life, those are all trivial matters.
She called Chen Ning over to discuss this matter, and judging from Zhou Xiaoyan's reaction, she clearly listened and made up her mind.
She orchestrated this whole thing to make a big fuss. If it weren't for going to the authorities, the relatives in Bear Ridge would never have agreed to Zhou Xiaoyan severing ties with her family.
After the incident with the startled horse in the marketplace, she was certain that the county magistrate was a man of action and would not disregard human life. Once he saw the wounds on Zhou Xiaoyan's body, he would definitely stand up for her.
"Okay! Cheng Yue, thank you for today."
Cheng Yue shook her head and smiled faintly, "Uncle Village Head, Aunt Feng, we can talk about it when you get back. Let's resolve this matter first."
"Alright!" The village head and Madam Feng nodded gratefully, then called to their two sisters-in-law and beckoned to Zhou Xiaoyan, "Xiaoyan, let's go together, don't be afraid!"
Zhou Xiaoyan stood up, took a deep breath, and thought, "What's there to be afraid of going to the yamen? What's there to be afraid of being separated from my family? What's there to be afraid of having no family of my own?"
Since her grandparents and parents passed away, she has no family to rely on. What good are her uncles and aunts? She is still all alone.
She had never thought that severing ties with her relatives was an option. Not to mention anything else, her uncles and aunts would not agree, and her relatives would certainly not agree either.
Everyone in the village knows how badly she was beaten. But who has ever spoken a word of justice for her?
Instead, they advised her to be patient, saying that the debt of gratitude for raising her was greater than heaven.
Such a maternal family and such relatives are not reliable at all.
Zhou Xiaoyan looked at Cheng Yue and the Chen Tong and Chen Ning sisters with gratitude, then strode out of the courtyard.
She was so cared for and helped by complete strangers; she was determined to prove them wrong!
Cheng Yue added, "Uncle Village Head, hurry up and drive the oxcart. Xiao Lin, give the reins to Uncle Dashan!"
The village head and the others did not refuse. It was getting late, and the oxcart was indeed faster. They could settle the fare when they returned.
As soon as the group left, the crowd gathered at the door dispersed, and they were still talking about it on their way home. It was so satisfying!
Cheng Yue pulled the two sisters along, saying, "Let's go home too. We're all tired after all this commotion this morning."
Chen Tong pouted, "Sister Xiaoyan is so pitiful. Fortunately, Grandpa Village Chief's family is all good. Even though they've lost their kinship, they still have a place to belong."
What if we encounter a bad family? Wouldn't that be a dead end?
Chen Ning squeezed Cheng Yue's hand and pouted, "Mom, I don't want to get married in the future. What if I run into a bad person like that? Wouldn't that ruin my life?"
Cheng Yue comforted her, saying, "There's always a solution to everything. As long as you're willing to try, you can definitely solve it."
Besides, even if you end up in a dead end, you can always turn around and start over!
Of course, if you don't want to get married, that's fine too; your parents will always be your support.
Even if your parents can't be relied on anymore, you still have yourselves. As long as you can stand on your own two feet, everything will be alright.
Chen An nodded in agreement, and the sisters' anxious hearts finally calmed down.
They didn't know why they thought so far ahead, but they felt sorry for women in the world and empathized with them.
Not everyone is like them, with the love of their parents and older brother. Too many girls have neither the support of their own family nor the care of their husband's family. They are like drifting duckweed, without roots.
Chen Tong said worriedly, "What will happen to Sister Xiaoyan if she breaks off her marriage? She definitely won't be able to go home."
Cheng Yue tapped her little head, "Why are you so worried? This is your village head's family's business, we won't interfere."
It's clear that the village head's family is very satisfied with Zhou Xiaoyan. Even with Liang Damei causing trouble at their door, they didn't have any complaints about Zhou Xiaoyan.
Not being able to go home is no big deal; the village head and the others will definitely make proper arrangements. But in her opinion, there's a high chance that good news is on the horizon.
At this time, people generally got married at the age of fifteen or sixteen, and Zhang Shaowen was also of that age.
Although she found it somewhat difficult to accept, she could only manage her own life; she had no right to interfere in other people's lives.
With the matter resolved, Cheng Yue picked up where she left off and asked Chen An, "When we were talking about Changyong, I thought Uncle Lizheng seemed to be about to say something. What was it?"
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