"Your family didn't spend a penny, and you just picked up a wife for nothing. Now your mother is going around saying that I took two hundred yuan from her to marry into the family. I think it's clearly a conspiracy by all of you to bully a helpless girl like me. I don't want to live anymore. I'm going to find my parents right now. I'm going to report you to the King of Hell and send you to the eighteenth level of hell..."
Xia Lan's sudden action stunned everyone.
Qin Yu felt no force at all as he was hit, and stood there letting Xia Lan 'hit' him.
Everyone watched as Qin Yu stood obediently being beaten by Xia Lan, and then listened to Xia Lan recount the truth, word by word, revealing her deep grievance and despair...
The aunties couldn't stand it anymore and started criticizing Qin's mother.
"Look what you've done to that young girl! Are you trying to drive her to her death?"
"Qin family, you've really gone too far. Everyone in the village knows how you treat Shitou. You'd spend two hundred to get him a wife? Who would believe that?"
"With your tantrum and the way you're trying to pinch me, do you think we're blind? Can't we see your vicious hand? You've even bruised the stone!"
"..."
Facing the accusations from those around her, Qin's mother gritted her teeth and glared at Xia Lan, "What are you saying, you vixen! If you dare to spout nonsense again, I'll tear you apart..."
"What, you want to lay a hand on a girl right in front of us?" The aunties hid Xia Lan behind their backs so that Qin's mother wouldn't see her. No matter how fierce Qin's mother was, she couldn't deal with these women in the village.
"I didn't lay a hand on her. I paid two hundred to marry her. I'm her mother-in-law. What's wrong with disciplining her?" Qin's mother said, pursing her lips in resentment.
"You know perfectly well whether you spent that two hundred or not. The girl said she didn't receive that two hundred. Who knows if what you're saying is true!" the aunties sneered.
I simply don’t believe that someone as stingy as Qin’s mother would be willing to spend two hundred yuan to get Qin Yu married. If she were really that good to him, would she have kicked him out of the house and only given him this dilapidated house?
"Pah!" The aunties spat in disgust. "Given how you treat Qin Yu, no one would believe you gave him two hundred as a bride price! If you really did, you'd make his family spit it out and even give you a bicycle as compensation!"
"I gave it! I definitely gave it!" Qin's mother resolutely refused to admit that she hadn't given a bride price; she couldn't bear to lose face like that.
If she causes the Qin family to lose face in the village, her father will definitely beat her to death when she gets home.
"You said you gave it to her, but where is the money?" Xia Lan came out with red eyes. Qin's mother was about to say that she had given it to her uncle.
Xia Lan immediately stopped her. "Giving it to my uncle is useless. You have to give it to me. My dad and my uncle separated their family and signed a letter of severance. He has no right to take anything from my family, let alone make decisions for me."
"And my uncle kicked me out of the house just to seize my family's property. That's illegal and he'll go to jail!" Xia Lan threatened, and Qin's mother was instantly speechless. "I...I can't go to jail."
"Then give me the two hundred! Otherwise I'll sue you for marriage fraud! Marriage fraud not only means going to jail but also getting shot!" Xia Lan stretched out her hand to Qin's mother.
Qin's mother gritted her teeth, and upon hearing that she might be shot, she clutched her pockets tightly in fear. "I...where would I get any money right now!"
"Fine, then let the village chief call the police. I want the police to stand up for me!" Xia Lan looked determined, and Qin's mother couldn't help but feel a little scared when she saw her like this. "No, no, no, I'll give it to you, I'll give it to you."
"So many aunties are here to stand up for me! Don't try to fool me!" Xia Lan looked at the aunties.
She had large, almond-shaped eyes that were misty and watery, and her skin was sickly pale. She looked frail and weak, as if she might collapse at any moment.
Looking at Xia Lan's pitiful, red, and tear-filled eyes, filled with dependence and grievance towards them, as if her cub was seeking protection, the aunts felt their maternal instincts surge and they stood in front of Xia Lan to protect her.
"That's right, hurry up and hand over the money, or things will get ugly when the police come," the aunties said, staring at Qin's mother.
“Give it to her now, in front of us, or I’ll go out and tell everyone in the village about what you did, and let them know what a despicable thing you did.”
"You have the nerve to swallow someone else's dowry money!"
"I knew you were stingy, but I didn't know you even deducted the bride price from other people's children."
Under the angry glares of her aunts, Qin's mother reluctantly took out money from the hidden pockets on her body, turning them over and over until she had two hundred yuan in four or five pockets.
Xia Lan couldn't help but sigh, she really understood the saying "don't put all your eggs in one basket".
She secretly glanced back at Qin Yu, who was still standing there blankly. When he saw Xia Lan turn to look at him, his gaze lingered on her.
Xia Lan winked at Qin Yu, a single wink that stunned him.
Why...why was she flirting with him?
Qin Yu blushed and turned his face away, not daring to look at Xia Lan.
Xia Lan saw Qin Yu's face turn red just because she had given him a wink, and a smile played on her lips. Men in this era are so simple and cute; they can't resist a wink.
"Here's two hundred. You can't say that the Qin family didn't give you a bride price..." Qin's mother stepped forward reluctantly and placed two hundred yuan in Xia Lan's hand. Xia Lan narrowed her eyes.
No one would carry two hundred dollars on them unless the money... is something that can't be brought to light.
Is it possible that... the Qin family really intended to give her two hundred as a dowry, but Qin's mother embezzled it halfway through? She didn't dare keep the money at home, so she had to carry it with her at all times?
Xia Lan clutched the money in her hands, slumped to the ground, and suddenly burst into tears. "Waaah..."
She seemed to be crying out all the grievances in her heart, which made the older women present feel even more sorry for her when they saw her sad appearance.
First, her parents passed away one after another, and she suddenly became an orphan. Then, her uncle seized her family property and forced her to marry Qin Yu. How could an ordinary person bear such a series of changes?
Besides, she's just a child who's barely grown up...
"Girl, don't cry. Live a good life with Shi Tou from now on. Shi Tou is a good person, he will treat you well." The aunts all advised, but seeing that Qin Yu was still standing there in a daze, they didn't know to go forward and comfort Xia Lan.
"Stone, don't just stand there! Hurry up and coax your wife!" The aunties quickly waved to Qin Yu.
Qin Yu was unsure whether he should obey and go over there. He looked at Xia Lan 'crying' so sadly, and although he knew it was fake, he still felt a little sad.
After thinking for a moment, he listened to his aunts and stepped forward to pick Xia Lan up from the ground, coaxing her in a stiff tone, "Don't cry, I'm here for you! I won't let you suffer anymore."
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