At this moment, Xu Qinghe decisively squeezed out of the crowd, leaped behind Grandma, and stood behind her in a protective posture. With a stern face, he asked Sun Youfang, "Mother, what drama are you putting on?"
Sun Youfang looked smug, as if her conspiracy had succeeded. She said to Xu Qinghe contemptuously, "You're getting married tomorrow. I just asked Jianguo to help you tidy up your room."
Hearing this, Xu Qinghe glanced around the room and his heart sank when he discovered that the small wooden boxes containing his precious memories were gone.
"So this is what you call tidying up?"
She smiled bitterly in her heart, her sharp eyes catching the strangeness in the room.
"A daughter who is married off is like spilled water. You will belong to someone else's family tomorrow, so these things should naturally be returned to your family. I am preparing them in advance so that you won't be in a rush when the time comes."
Sun Youfang spoke confidently, as if everything was natural.
Xu Jianguo stood aside with a sly smile on his face. He had always enjoyed bullying Xu Qinghe since he was a child, as if it had become a habit.
"Thank you for your trouble."
Xu Qinghe had a gentle smile on his face, but he actually had a plan in mind.
She took the opportunity to enter the room and cleverly transferred a piece of gold hidden on her body into an inconspicuous cloth bag at the door.
Then he closed the door as if nothing had happened, and gently helped his grandmother to sit in a quiet corner nearby.
Facing the crowd of onlookers, Xu Qinghe said in a gentle yet resolute tone, "Thank you all for your concern, uncles and aunts, but this is a private matter of my family. Please step back a little, maintain harmony, and don't hurt each other's feelings."
After she finished speaking, she seemed to inadvertently tighten her grip on the cane in her grandmother's hand. This action made Xu Jianguo take two steps back. Sun Youfang, who had suffered frequent setbacks in recent days, suddenly became alert: "You, what do you want to do?"
Xu Qinghe's lips curled up into a faint smile, and he responded, "Why? My brother is so 'considerate' to me, so naturally I have to repay him."
After saying that, she quickly swung her crutch, aiming directly at Xu Jianguo's strong calf.
"Ouch! Xu Qinghe, are you crazy?"
Xu Jianguo screamed in pain and the situation got out of control for a moment.
Xu Qinghe, on the other hand, displayed a strength and resistance that had not been revealed for a long time with a calm and resolute attitude.
Xu Jianguo was forced to dodge repeatedly by her sudden attack. When he reacted, he tried to snatch the stick from her hand, but not only did he fail, he also suffered several new injuries.
Xu Qinghe's movements were clean and powerful, leaving Xu Jianguo unable to defend himself for a moment, his heart filled with surprise.
In the past, no matter how he teased Xu Qinghe, she chose to endure it silently and never fought back.
Now, not only did she take the initiative, but she also attacked without mercy!
"Are you all blind? Can't you come and help?"
Xu Jianguo glared at the crowd watching the excitement, holding his breath.
Just now, he was just trying to move things out of Xu Qinghe's house, but he was blocked by many people. Now he was being beaten, and no one offered to help him.
Several women who had been about to step forward to mediate suddenly turned gloomy upon hearing this. They wished someone would sew up Xu Jianguo's unforgiving mouth! Such behavior deserved a beating!
"You said it yourself. This is your family affair. It's none of our business."
"Yes, yes, yes!" Voices echoed from all around.
Seeing that no one came to help, Sun Youfang wanted to step forward to protect her son, but unexpectedly Xu Qinghe "missed" and the stick swept across her calf, causing her to cry in pain.
"Oh, you little brat! You dare to hit me in public! Believe it or not, I will immediately ask the village chief to seek justice and make you humiliate yourself in front of everyone in the threshing floor!"
Sun Youfang looked at the audience around him and planned to take this opportunity to put on a good show and push Xu Qinghe into the hot seat.
Unexpectedly, Xu Qinghe was the first to say anything, tears welling up in her eyes. "Stepmother, I'm sorry, I really didn't mean to... But if you and Jianguo hadn't forced Grandma and me into a corner, how could I have done this? You said a long time ago that you didn't want to support Grandma, so I decided to stay here temporarily after we get married so I can take care of her. Big Brother Yin also agreed."
"Although it's not right for a married daughter to live in her parents' home all the time, this house was built brick by brick by my parents, so I have a share of it. I'm not greedy, I just want a small corner to keep Grandma company. I hope you and Jianguo can be more tolerant and stop making things difficult for Grandma and me. If you like the things in the house, feel free to take them. That's my sincere request, okay?"
Before she could finish her words, her eyes welled up with tears and she almost fell to her knees.
Zhu Yunxiu, unsure of the truth, sobbed as well, and the onlookers were all moved and rushed forward to support her. "Qinghe, you're a kind person, and everyone knows that. This house was built with the hard work of your parents. If you want to live here, feel free to do so. The village chief certainly understands your family's difficulties."
After saying this, the man glanced at Sun Youfang and her son, a hint of disdain curled up at the corner of his mouth, and said sternly: "Unlike that ungrateful mother and son, who are so unfilial and unfilial, it is simply intolerable to heaven and is condemned by both humans and gods!"
The sound penetrated the noisy crowd, as if carrying a sharp blade, piercing people's hearts.
Xu Qinghe and Zhu Yunxiu's faces were filled with sorrow and helplessness, like fallen leaves in the autumn wind, fragile and pitiable. This scene deeply touched the surrounding neighbors, and their heartstrings were invisibly plucked.
They all looked at them with sympathy and unconsciously stood on the side of the poor mother and daughter.
Hearing the harsh accusation, a murmur of approval rose in the crowd, and the emotions surged like a tide, converging into a force that could not be ignored.
Sun Youfang felt the waves of public opinion pressing down from all sides, anger surging in his chest, his body trembling slightly with anger, and a trace of panic flashed in his eyes.
Just as she was racking her brains, trying to find a chance to save face, Xu Qinghe's actions were like a gentle spring breeze, gently yet firmly calming the storm that was about to break out.
"Thank you, uncles and aunts, for speaking up for me. I will always remember your kindness. But no matter what, my stepmother and brother are still relatives, sharing the same blood. Even if they owe me something, the bond between us, the bond of blood thicker than water, is an unchangeable fact. I implore you to be more tolerant in your words and not let this dispute disturb my father, who rests in heaven, and cause him grief."
Xu Qinghe's words were like warm sunshine that penetrated the clouds and illuminated everyone's hearts.
At this moment, everyone forgot her previous brave image of defending her dignity at all costs, and replaced it with a sincere admiration and love.
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