"That's great! Anyway, we're not related by blood, so if you try to extort money for your retirement, it won't be my problem."
Jiang Yu knew this person's temperament; he wouldn't listen to reason, only force could solve the problem. She thought for a moment:
"I heard that you arranged a marriage for Jiang Meier, and the other party even gave two thousand yuan as a bride price, but you squandered it all."
"Why don't we go to Shicun and talk to them? Let's see what you're going to use to pay off your debts now that Jiang Meier has run away."
It is said that the family Jiang Chun arranged for Jiang Meier to marry was a carpenter who was not only well-known in the surrounding area, but also very generous.
Unfortunately, the family's only son suffered from encephalitis as a child and became mentally impaired. Apart from being able to take care of himself occasionally, he would be unreachable for several days at a time when he had an attack.
The family is thinking of finding a marriage partner for him, hoping that he will have a son or daughter, so that if their son is ever lost, he will still have an heir.
Although people were poor in those days, most families didn't want their daughters to marry a mentally challenged man. The carpenter's family searched for a long time, even raising the bride price to two or three times the local amount, and specifically hired matchmakers to spread the word everywhere to see if it would have any effect.
By the time the news reached Jiang Chun's ears, Jiang Meier and Lu Yi's affair had just been exposed.
Jiang Chun thought that since her daughter's reputation was already ruined, she might as well marry her off to the family and make some money. In a couple of years, when the old carpenter and his wife could no longer work, Jiang Meier would be in charge of the household, and the family property would obediently be handed over to her.
Jiang Chun had a well-thought-out plan, but in the end, his daughter ran away, and he lost all the dowry money he had received through gambling. The old carpenter sent the matchmaker to come every few days to demand the girl back. Having no other choice, he thought of going to Jiang Yu's house to see if he could extort some money to return the dowry and ask for a two-day extension.
Unfortunately, the carpenter's family didn't want the money. They had spent so much time finding a wife for their son, how could they just give her away like that? They gave Jiang Chun three days to send his daughter over, and today was the last day, but there was still no sign of Jiang Meier.
Left with no other choice, they set their sights on Jiang Yu.
"Speaking of that brat, I have to ask you something. You two sisters are very close, but you're always up to no good. Is it because you don't want her to get married, that you instigated her to run away? If you can't hand her over, I'll have them come to you demanding her back."
Not only you, but your mother-in-law and sister-in-law, none of them will escape.
Seeing that Jiang Yu had guessed correctly, Jiang Chun, in a fit of anger, began to fabricate false accusations.
Hearing this, the onlookers' gossip only intensified. They'd never heard of anyone taking money and then not handing over the person before.
Jiang Yu was amused by the old man's words. She and Jiang Meier had a deep relationship? What nonsense!
"That's right. Over the years, your second daughter has been coming to Shenjiazhuang all the time. She stays locked up all day. I don't know where two girls like you have so many secrets to talk about."
Zhang Xinhua fanned the flames, and the others echoed her sentiments. Regarding the two daughters, they would react immediately to anything detrimental to Jiang Chun, insisting she knew the inside story and demanding Jiang Yu hand them over.
"You saw it?"
Jiang Yu listened to the group of people talking in a very detailed and convincing way, as if they always followed Jiang Meier into the house whenever she came.
“If you don’t tell me where she is today, I’m not leaving. You still want to build a house? When those workers come this afternoon, none of them will be allowed inside.”
It was lunchtime, and many of the workers were from neighboring villages, not far away. They often went home for lunch and then came back to work. Jiang Chun seized this time and made a ruckus.
"If you don't leave, don't blame me for being impolite."
Shen Ying, who had been silent all along, spoke calmly. In such arguments, he usually didn't argue his point, but instead used force to resolve the issue.
Seeing the man's displeasure, Jiang Chun worried about being at a disadvantage if a fight broke out, and felt a pang of guilt. But this concern didn't last long; in his view, beating his father-in-law in front of so many people would have a significant impact on the military if word got back to him.
"Fine, try touching me."
Jiang Chun spoke arrogantly, and Shen Ying, not one to tolerate him, took two steps forward, ready to use force to call for help. The woman, sensing something was wrong, quickly stopped her, fearing things would escalate.
"At least you have a conscience."
Jiang Chun noticed Jiang Yu's subtle movements, and her anxiety gradually subsided. This brat, she's actually quite useful in a pinch.
"You're overthinking it. I'm just worried you'll get beaten to death. It's bad luck if someone dies on my doorstep."
Jiang Yu snorted coldly. If anyone's going to die, it'll be in his house; she shouldn't be tainted by his bad luck.
"You little brat..."
Jiang Chun wanted to continue cursing, but the woman beat him to it:
"How about this, since you can't find Jiang Meier, I'll go home with you and see if she's left any clues. If we find her, it'll be better for everyone."
Shen Ying instinctively refused upon hearing her solution, but was stopped by Jiang Yu.
She said this with ulterior motives. Under the guise of finding Jiang Meier, she wanted to go back and look for the peace lock, otherwise it would be difficult to return.
Jiang Chun readily agreed. Although he didn't know her purpose, he figured that if he could trick her into going back, the trip wouldn't be a complete waste.
"No problem, but I have a condition: you are the only one allowed to go, and no one else is allowed to follow you."
The old man glanced at Shen Ying as he spoke, worried that his plans would be disrupted. He also harbored an innate fear of strong, muscular men.
"dream."
Shen Ying knew the old man was up to no good, so she refused him directly.
"Then I'll have to stay here."
After saying this, Jiang Chun sat back down by the willow tree, cross-legged, intending to wage a protracted battle with this family. He was unemployed to begin with, and now there was no work to be done in the fields, so he could afford to wait.
Jiang Yu knew the man was worried about her, and felt a small surge of emotion. She leaned close to his ear and whispered something.
"Don't worry, it's just a delaying tactic. I'll be back before dark. If something really happens, you can have a backup plan at home."
She exuded a fragrance that he couldn't tell if it was shampoo or body lotion, filling the air with a sweet aroma that completely captivated Shen Ying. He couldn't care less what she was saying at that moment; he was simply watching her small, opening and closing lips, and couldn't help but nod involuntarily.
It wasn't until the woman left with Jiang Chun that she realized what had happened.
Seeing that the main character had left, the gossipy women, worried that the men would take their anger out on them, went somewhere else to chatter.
All afternoon, the man sat in front of the clock, timing his wait for her. The woman had said that if he hadn't seen her by sunset, he would immediately go to Jiang Village to demand her return.
......
Jiang Chun cursed Jiang Meier for being heartless the whole way. In order to keep Jiang Yu calm, she implied that her eldest daughter was good, that she should listen to her parents and wait obediently to get married, and that she should also give her family a living allowance.
It implies to her that even if she is an adopted daughter, she is still part of her maternal family and should take her father's surname after death.
Jiang Yu was too lazy to listen to his low-level PUA. As soon as she entered the courtyard, she saw bright red silk hanging high in the house and the character "囍" (double happiness) pasted everywhere on the windows and doors. It looked like a wedding was about to take place, and she was confused.
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