The onlookers turned to look at the source of the voice and were puzzled to see an unfamiliar face. Zhang Xinhua, however, adopted the air of a local bully, walking arrogantly through the crowd with her hands on her hips.
"Who are you? What kind of righteous person are you pretending to be here? Let me tell you, this is Shenjiazhuang, and you, an outsider, have no right to cause trouble here. Besides, we're talking about Shen Ying's family affairs. Shen Ying is a talent that even the military leaders value, do you know him?"
She sized Shi Shumei up and down, then paused, clearly surprised to see Shen Wan standing not far behind her. She hadn't expected that her gossip would lead her to the main character. But then she thought, "This brat has always been honest and simple-minded; what's wrong with saying a few words to her?"
Moreover, the old woman who claimed to be her aunt was lying on the ground making a scene, and no matter how Shen Wan explained, she could not verify the fact that her second sister-in-law Jiang Yu had crippled the old lady's leg.
"Comrade Shen Ying is my brother-in-law, do you think you don't know him? When did it become your place to mediate our family affairs? And you call yourself Shen Family Village? You're just a wife who married into the village from another village. You're acting all high and mighty here, thinking you're something special?"
Shi Shumei wasn't afraid of this woman at all. Years ago, when she was doing business with her parents, she'd encountered countless unreasonable people who liked to gossip behind others' backs. Someone like Zhang Xinhua was the lowest of the low.
"Comrade Shen Ying is your brother-in-law? Could it be that you are...?"
Some people were curious about her identity and understood the implication in her words. They learned that Shen Ying had an older brother who had married into the family, and they became interested immediately.
Didn't they say that Shen Ci had severed ties with the Shen family and had no further contact with them? What's going on now? It seems the rumors aren't very accurate.
"You...you're the eldest son's wife? Do you know who I am? If you don't, let me tell you. Your mother-in-law is my younger sister, Zhao Lan's sister. You have to call me Aunt. This has nothing to do with you. Don't meddle here. Go back to where you came from."
Zhao Lan, helped up by Wang Lai, stood up from the ground, her face contorted with malice, intending to lecture the woman before her. She didn't even respect Shen Wan, so why would she care about a complete stranger, the eldest daughter-in-law of the Shen family?
"Auntie, after all these years, how come you're still the same? It's one thing to spread rumors about others, but Wanwan is your own niece. You can say things that hurt her reputation. It's really laughable."
Shen Ci squeezed through the crowd to stand in front of Zhao Lan, his rebuke sounding somewhat helpless. Like Zhao Meiyun, he was concerned about saving face, so his words were rather bland and unconvincing.
"What? You, a son-in-law who married into the family, are lecturing my mother? Keep your wife in check, and if there's nothing else, get out of here."
Wang Lai sidled up behind Zhao Lan, looking smug and arrogant, making the Shen family members want to beat him up.
Shi Shumei pushed away Shen Ci's hand that was trying to stop her and rushed forward to argue with Zhang Xinhua. Ignoring Zhao Lan and her son for the moment, this woman, who had a sharp tongue and a condescending attitude, had unleashed her full potential for arguing.
Just as she was about to offer her condolences to the other party's relatives, Zhao Lan gave Wang Lai a wink. Taking advantage of his momentary lapse in attention, the man grabbed Shen Wan and tried to leave.
"What are you doing? Let me go."
His strength was immense, and Shen Wan was startled. Unable to break free, she was held tightly by Wang Lai. Shen Ci, whose attention had been diverted, tried to save his sister, but his arm missed its mark.
"Let you go? Didn't your mother promise our family that she would marry you off to me? Now you want to leave? No way."
When Wang Lai heard that Zhao Lan wanted to marry Shen Wan to him, he pretended to be disgusted, but he was secretly overjoyed. After all, he would not only get a beautiful young woman for free, but he also heard that she was now running a clothing store.
Once you're married, you'll have endless money. You can gamble or squander it as you please. In short, it's all beneficial and without any harm.
"You're talking nonsense, help me... help me."
Seeing that Shen Ci and Shi Shumei were being stopped by Zhang Xinhua and some people with ulterior motives, Wang Lai became even more emboldened. Seeing Shen Wan struggling fiercely, he was about to slap her across the face, intending to teach her a lesson.
His mother said that you have to be tough on women. If you don't beat them into submission, they can ride on you and poop on you later.
*Snap.*
A tall figure rushed over, swiftly blocking his arm and delivering a solid slap to Wang Lai's face. Afterward, five fingers were imprinted on his face, leaving a bright red mark.
Wang Lai was stunned by the beating. After recovering, he realized that the person who had stopped him was Shen Ying. And next to him was Jiang Yu, who had called the police.
His arrogance vanished instantly, and he hid behind Zhao Lan, not daring to speak.
"You dare to hit someone? Everyone saw how heartless this couple is. Last time, that damned woman, Shen Ying's wife, broke my leg, and this time she beat my son in front of everyone. This is outrageous! Is there no law anymore?"
Zhao Lan lay on the ground again, putting on a dramatic display of temper. She not only denounced the family's appalling actions but also claimed that her family didn't mind Shen Wan's infertility and inability to marry, and were willing to sacrifice their son's happiness by marrying her. She said the Shen family should be incredibly grateful.
In the end, she nearly spat a mouthful of phlegm onto Jiang Yu:
"If your mother-in-law hadn't begged me, do you think our family would have wanted Shen Wan, this barren hen?"
"First of all, you didn't break your leg, but fractured your toe. You know perfectly well why. When you asked us for money, and we refused, you tried to hit me, but you accidentally kicked the leg of our table, which injured you."
Even the police said there was no need for compensation, and they almost arrested you and your good-for-nothing son. How can you not remember it after only a few days?
Or is it that your mind isn't working well, and you have Alzheimer's and can't remember things?
Jiang Yu questioned her personally in front of everyone. Upon hearing this, Zhao Lan blushed, confirming the truth of her words. Before she could retort, Jiang Yu spoke again:
"How did you find out that my sister can't have children and has some serious illness? If you don't know that spreading rumors is illegal, we can still call the police."
Furthermore, even if that were the case, she would never marry that good-for-nothing son of yours. He can't even live a proper life; even the widow Wang from the next village wouldn't want him.”
Everyone who witnessed it knew that Widow Wang was a mentally challenged woman from the next village, unable to care for herself, and had married into a good family. Unfortunately, her husband later died in an accident.
"This... Shen Ying's wife, if your sister-in-law is really alright, then why is she still unmarried at such an advanced age? And we've never seen a matchmaker visit your home."
Someone questioned her, and just as she was about to give this group a proper talk about modern women, several vehicles drove up beside them. The last one, a tricycle, was loaded with chickens, ducks, geese, a pig, and two sheep.
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