Chapter 9, Chapter 9: Lament
Cheng Chunfu was quickly taken away by the county public security bureau. While the county leaders were still in the courtyard, Cheng Ying spoke in front of them: "Secretaries and leaders, I want to accuse Cheng Yiguo and his wife of favoring sons over daughters. Their eldest son and his wife, along with their second son's wife and their two granddaughters, have been abusing and mistreating their second daughter-in-law for years. Ten years ago, when my mother threatened suicide to force us to separate from them, the old couple didn't properly divide the property. They simply forced us into the two worst rooms in the Cheng family home, not even giving us a pot or pan. This is clearly banditry! What right do these stubborn old men have to enjoy the commune's preferential treatment for veterans?!"
Cheng Yiguo was originally there to see his eldest grandson, but because his eldest granddaughter, Cheng Ying, had been arrested, his life was ruined. He hadn't even settled accounts with her yet, and she dared to cause trouble for him. It was simply outrageous!
Enraged, Cheng Yiguo limped over to Cheng Ying and raised his hand to slap her face. "You lazy, good-for-nothing! You'll get married sooner or later and become someone else's wife. You're like water spilled from a cup, just like your barren mother. What right do you have to inherit the Cheng family's property? I should have had your grandmother drown you in a chamber pot back then, so you wouldn't become a menace to the family!"
Cheng Ying nimbly jumped back, easily dodging his slap, and looked at him with disdain, saying, "Cheng Yiguo, do you think I'm still that little girl who was often rationed and could be beaten and scolded by you? Open your eyes and take a good look at this military uniform I'm wearing. I've grown up. I'm not that little girl who could be beaten and scolded by you anymore. I am now a soldier of the Republic. I shed my blood for the country for four years. I have a military rank. Hitting me is slapping the leader in the face and going against the leader! Do you want to rebel?!"
These words left Cheng Yiguo speechless.
1977 was a special year. The ten-year turmoil had ended, and the once-respected Chairman and other important leaders had passed away one after another. The newly appointed Chairman and other important leaders were all eager to make great achievements and would never allow the things that had happened before to happen again in the country. Therefore, the situation in the country remained sensitive that year.
Cheng Ying was determined to take advantage of the fact that the county, commune, and village leaders were all present today to overthrow the Cheng family, who had oppressed her and her daughter for many years, and to seek justice for themselves. How could she possibly give Cheng Yiguo a chance to speak?
Cheng Yiguo was a man who cared a lot about his reputation. No matter how much his family had conflicts, he would not allow them to air their dirty laundry in public, for fear of losing face. Therefore, he would often do some face-saving things, such as lecturing Wan Shuhui on grand principles or giving her some money and small favors as a token of respect, so that she would not talk nonsense in the village.
At first, Wan Shuhui could tolerate it, but as the Cheng family members did increasingly outrageous things to her and her daughter, she couldn't help but feel sorry for her daughter and, despite her gentle nature, she had to find some familiar aunts in the village to complain.
Cheng Yiguo tried to argue that they couldn't stand being treated unfairly and hadn't asked for anything when they separated from the family.
Cheng Ying didn't give him a chance to speak at all, and continued, "I was on a mission in the army when I suddenly received an urgent telegram from my sister saying that my father had fallen off a cliff, with Cheng Chunfu accompanying him, and that my father's life was hanging by a thread. I originally wanted to ask for leave to go home, but then I thought, the Cheng family is good at putting on a show. When I'm home, Cheng Yiguo and his wife, the eldest branch of the Cheng family, and the third branch might just pretend to be nice because I'm a soldier, but they won't do anything. Once I leave, they'll bully me even more." My mother and sister are furious. My father was bullied by them again during the New Year; he's spineless and can't stand up for himself. Our second branch of the family is too honest and has always been bullied by them. My brief return won't make a difference, so I made a painful decision: I've decided to retire from the army and return home. I'll stay here and take over my father's postman job. With me here, no one can bully my mother and sister anymore. Anyone who doesn't know what's good for them shouldn't blame me for being ruthless. The training I received in the army these past four years was no joke!
Her words were laced with a chilling murderous intent.
Her cold gaze swept over each member of the Cheng family, then turned to the villagers watching the commotion outside Cheng Ying's courtyard, as if pondering how to strike them and deliver a fatal blow.
Those murderous eyes, that disdainful and contemptuous gaze that looked down on its prey, sent chills down the spines of everyone present.
They were all too familiar with that look; it was the ruthless look of someone who had killed. Many of the veterans in the village who had participated in the War of Resistance Against Japan had that look.
For example, Cheng Yiguo, who had served in the army, would stroll around the village. When he wasn't speaking, his eyes would look extremely sinister, making people feel terrified and afraid to look him in the eye. They would stay as far away from him as possible.
When Wan Shuhui heard Cheng Ying say this, she couldn't help but cover her face and cry. In front of everyone, she recounted the grievances she had suffered for many years. "When I gave birth to Xiao Ying, Jian Tong was still delivering mail in the mountains. When my father-in-law heard that I had given birth to a daughter, he didn't even come to see my daughter and turned away. My mother-in-law said disdainfully, 'How could you give birth to a money-losing child?' and left too. I was left alone in the clinic, a new mother, taking care of Xiao Ying who was crying loudly from hunger."
I bled a lot after giving birth, and I was very weak and unable to move. I was also very hungry, but no one took care of me or brought me food. I didn't even have breast milk, so Xiaoying went hungry for two whole days. Later, the doctor at the clinic couldn't bear to see me like that and notified my family to come and bring me food and other necessities, and take care of me during my postpartum period...
For so many years, Jiantong has been delivering mail outside, and he gives half of his salary to his parents-in-law. He told me that he is often away from home and cannot fulfill his filial duties to his parents, so he asked me to fulfill my filial duties to his parents on his behalf. Therefore, no matter how my parents-in-law beat or scold me or bully me, I do their laundry, cook for them, serve them tea and water, and take care of them when they are sick. I have never been negligent.
But they shouldn't have treated my two daughters so badly. I can go without food, but my children can't. My biased in-laws let their eldest grandson eat with his mouth full of oil, while my two daughters picked up the rotten vegetable leaves they didn't want. The two children were emaciated and sallow from a young age.
I came back from a long day working in the fields, and the dark bread they gave us wasn't even enough to fill one of my teeth. My two children had suffered hardships since they were little, but they didn't dare tell me, afraid I would worry. Until one night, I got up to use the toilet and saw my two daughters so hungry that they were scooping water from the water jar to drink. Their little bellies were round and full of water. I couldn't hold back my tears and started to argue about separating the family property...
We're all daughters-in-law, but just because I didn't give birth to a son and only had two daughters, my children and I suffered such cruelty and abuse in the Cheng family. If I hadn't threatened to kill myself ten years ago, forcing Jian Tong to separate from his parents-in-law, and my daughters and I would have starved to death in the Cheng family without anyone knowing.
I thought that as long as I was thrifty, worked hard, and raised my two children, my hardships would eventually be over and I could live a good life. I never imagined that Cheng Chunfu, that heartless beast, would actually kill Jiantong and try to take advantage of the family's poverty..."
Although Wan Shuhui was gentle and good-tempered, the grievances and injustices she suffered in the Cheng family over the past twenty years had long since hardened her character to an unyielding strength.
She had silently endured it all before, since no one had stood up for her. Now that her eldest daughter had returned, and her daughter wanted to support her, to expose the Cheng family's wrongdoings, and to seek justice for her and her daughter, she immediately joined in.
She was genuinely upset and cried, as was Cheng Xue. The mother and daughter were crying together, and next to them lay Cheng Jiantong, who was paralyzed on one side and covered in bandages and plaster. To outsiders, it was a complete tragedy!
"This Cheng Yiguo couple is really too much. No matter how many sons they didn't have, Wan Shuhui is still their daughter-in-law. How can they be so cruel and abusive to their daughter-in-law and granddaughter?" A villager couldn't stand it anymore and spoke up for Wan Shuhui and her daughter.
"That's right. No matter how much they favor sons over daughters, they can't treat their daughters-in-law and granddaughters like human beings. With how viciously they treat their daughters-in-law and granddaughters, who would dare to marry into the Cheng family in the future?" Other villagers chimed in.
Because Cheng Yiguo was concerned about his reputation and suppressed Wan Shuhui, the villagers vaguely heard some things about the Cheng family, but they didn't know whether they were true or false, so they didn't dare to discuss or judge.
After all, three generations of the Cheng family had served in the military, so they dared not casually discuss rumors about military families. If the Cheng family found out and reported them to the commune leaders, saying that they were smearing military families, they would be in big trouble.
Now that Cheng Ying, a female soldier, has returned from military service and is revealing the Cheng family's past, some villagers who had long disliked the rest of the Cheng family, after having their fill of gossip, began to criticize, "I was wondering why Xiao Ying and Xiao Xue were so thin and small since they were little. Huang Cuizhi said it was because their mother was in poor health and had been sick since birth. Turns out it was because they were cruel and abusive from a young age. These two girls are also stupid. They were always hungry when they were little, but they didn't know to tell outsiders or complain to their father. They just endured it like that."
“What could the two girls understand when they were little? Wan Shuhui’s temper made her look like a pushover, easy to bully. Their mother was starving, so who could they talk to or complain to? Their father was practically nonexistent; he only listened to his parents. His wife and daughters were being bullied by his parents, brother, and sister-in-law, but he acted like he was blind. What could the two girls possibly expect from him?”
"I never imagined that the Cheng sisters were so pitiful when they were young. Fortunately, Cheng Ying made it through. She is the only female soldier from our village to serve in the army in all these years. Even though she has retired now, with her strong personality, she will not have a bad life in the village. With a daughter like her as a support, Wan Shuhui can stand up straight and be proud in the future."
"What are Cheng Yiguo and Huang Cuizhi thinking? They are so sexist. Without women, would Cheng Yiguo have been born, married, and had children? They must be out of their minds! Huang Cuizhi is the same. She is a woman herself. How can she be so contemptuous of her daughter-in-law and granddaughter? Isn't that a slap in her own face?"
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