This was the first time that Su Laosan hit his daughter, and the pain in his heart was far greater than the strength of his hands.
"Things have already gotten to this point, and you still have the nerve to say no? Where can you put the Su family's face?"
Su Laosan's tone was cold, but he was filled with regret and self-blame in his heart. Why did he have such a daughter?
Su Qifen covered her burning cheeks with her hands, tears silently sliding down her cheeks. She knew in her heart that this must be a trap set by Sun Youfang and Xu Qinghe, and her reputation was completely ruined.
Amidst the chaos, Xie Di seized the opportunity to display her pride and shrewdness. "At first, we came here sincerely to propose marriage, and it would have been fine if you had disagreed. But now you have secretly done this to my Xiang Yang, causing him to bear an unjust accusation. I won't hide it anymore. We won't contribute a cent to the betrothal gift. On the contrary, your family will have to increase the dowry to compensate our Xiang Yang for the loss of reputation!"
Su's mother was shocked by Xie Di's shamelessness. She pointed at her with trembling hands. After a long while, she only uttered a few broken syllables and watched in disbelief as the farce in front of her escalated.
At this time, Old Lady Yin slowly spoke, "What my eldest daughter-in-law said is absolutely true. In the past, our two families did consider an alliance, but it was your Su family who politely declined the offer, so we had no choice but to give up. Now, your daughter has been caught up in such a disgraceful situation. Besides our Yin family, which other family in this area would be so tolerant as to be willing to accept her into our family? Honestly, if it weren't for Xiangyang's infatuation, our Yin family wouldn't have let this disgrace our family by accepting a woman with such a tarnished reputation. Therefore, when it comes to the dowry, the Su family should demonstrate sufficient sincerity and a willingness to make amends!"
After the Yin family said this, they were firm in their attitude. Not only did they not give in, but they also asked the Su family to increase the dowry. This undoubtedly put Su Qifen in an extremely embarrassing situation, as if she had become a laughing stock.
Upon hearing this, Su Lao San and Su's mother were furious. Their chests seemed to be filled with frustration and resentment, which was almost unbearable.
Xie Yun, who was observing silently from the side, witnessed all this and the dissatisfaction in his heart began to boil like boiling water - why should his family pay compensation for his sister's marriage?
The Su family's reputation was already damaged, and Xie Yun simply stirred the muddy waters even more. "What sin did I commit in my past life that I have to live in the same room with such a shameless sister-in-law in this life! Mom and Dad, I'm putting this out there. If you really want to lose money by marrying off your daughter, then we'll break up and go our separate ways. I absolutely don't want my reputation and that of my children to be affected because of her! She can be shameless and do whatever she wants, but my children are still young and ignorant. How will they face such an unbearable thing when they grow up? If we don't sever this relationship, I would rather divorce with the children and find another way out in life!"
Su Laosan and his wife were already extremely anxious about their daughter's affairs, and now their daughter-in-law came to add to the trouble. The depression in their hearts was like a huge rock, making it difficult for them to breathe.
The old village chief and his wife were watching from the side. Seeing that Su Laosan and the other man were about to fall, they hurried forward to steady them, avoiding a possible stumble.
"Xiaogang's wife, you should just say less!"
The village head's wife looked at Xie Yun with a reproachful look, obviously quite dissatisfied with her impulsive behavior.
This girl, why doesn't she know how to restrain herself? She still cares about these trivial matters at this critical moment. If she has something to say, why not go back to the house and talk it out behind closed doors? Why is she so flamboyant in public? Isn't she afraid of being laughed at by the neighbors?
Xie Yun was already somewhat wary of the village head's wife. After being scolded, although she immediately shut her mouth, her unwilling eyes and repeated rolls of the eyes towards Su Qifen revealed her inner dissatisfaction.
The old village chief felt that the Yin family's demands were a bit excessive. Even if Su Qifen had made some mistakes, she was still his daughter after all. How could he be so cruel as to force her into a desperate situation? What would he do if something really got out of control?
Therefore, he stepped forward and tried to mediate the dispute: "I think it should be like this. Both sides should make a concession and forgo the gift and dowry at the wedding. We just hope that the two children can get married smoothly. In the future, the two families will be one family. Why make a fuss and make people laugh at each other? Besides, Qifen is a scorekeeper in the village and has a fixed monthly income. Xiangyang will have to rely on her in the future. Let's show some mercy and be considerate of each other!"
According to common sense, Su Qifen should have been removed from her position as the village chief immediately for doing such a shameful thing. However, she was conscientious and responsible in her work. Moreover, if a girl's reputation was damaged and she lost her job, she would probably have no way to survive.
Based on this, the village chief decided to retain her position temporarily and make a decision after observing her subsequent performance.
A glint of shrewdness flashed in Old Lady Yin's eyes. She knew very well that it was not a wise move to make enemies with a village party secretary like Su Laosan.
After all, there is still a long way to go, and there is no need to make the relationship between the two families irreconcilable just because of a momentary impulse.
Thinking of this, she stroked her chin with feigned embarrassment, pretending to be deeply thoughtful. Then she displayed an open-minded attitude, her voice tinged with a bit of feigned magnanimity: "Village Chief, you are right. Our Yin family has always been reasonable. Since Xiangyang has made up his mind, let's also go along with the child's wishes. Let's schedule it for tomorrow. We'll take them to the city to get a marriage certificate. The two families can find a nice place and have a lively dinner. The marriage will then be considered complete. What do you think?"
As she spoke, Old Lady Yin's eyes were sharp, locked tightly on Old Third Su and his wife. Her expression seemed to silently declare that the Su family had gained a huge advantage, while the Yin family had made a huge sacrifice.
This subtle atmosphere allowed everyone present to feel the slight coolness in the air.
Su Laosan and his mother had mixed feelings. Although they were unwilling to accept the Yin family's behavior of taking advantage of them, they found it difficult to refute due to the pressure of public opinion in the village.
Especially when he thought of his daughter Su Qifen's initiative, the grievance and helplessness were like a thorn in his throat. He could only silently endure this injustice, and only he knew the pain in his heart.
Following the order from the village chief, the crowd gradually dispersed and returned home, but the whispers and speculations behind them were like invisible undercurrents, surging in the small village, making it difficult for people to calm down.
Su's mother held Su Qifen's hand, walked hurriedly, and remained silent all the way. Her face was gloomy, and all her emotions were obvious without words.
The moment she stepped into the house, Su's mother could no longer suppress her anger. She slapped Su Qifen loudly in the face, and the air froze in an instant.
Su Qifen was caught off guard and her mind was in a mess.
Her lifelong event was decided so hastily, and what she got in return was not happiness, but a marriage with a mentally retarded man.
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