It was already the end of the year when Zhang Weicun returned home. Ever since he left home, Lingling's life had become increasingly difficult, and Mao Tu took out all his resentment towards him on the child.
When Mao Tu saw Zhang Weicun coming back, he beat him up without saying a word. Lingling was also implicated by him and was beaten up again.
The rabbit pulled Lingling's ear hard, and tore a crack in the ear with one force. Blood dripped down, instantly dyeing the child's neck and shoulders red.
This sudden change stunned the two people present. Zhang Weicun rushed out holding Lingling. On the way to the hospital, the blood on the child's body frightened passers-by. Everyone fled in all directions, and some even called the police.
The doctor skillfully treated and bandaged Lingling's wound. After a while, the bleeding stopped. However, because she had just lost too much blood, Lingling was still very weak and her face was frighteningly pale.
Lingling was lying on the hospital bed, her face pale, her body skin and bones, with a broken feeling as if she was about to die.
Zhang Weicun felt heartbroken and blamed himself very much. His Lingling was almost ten years old, but now she was as thin as a five or six-year-old child. There was no light in her eyes, as if she had lost hope in this world.
The police arrived quickly and got straight to the point:
"Is this your child? What happened to her injury?"
Zhang Weicun stood up, wiped his face quickly, and said as calmly as possible:
"Comrade police officer, she is my daughter. This injury was an accident, really."
Of course, the police would not believe his one-sided statement. He turned his head and looked at the little girl on the bed:
"Don't be afraid, kid. Tell your uncle what happened to your injury."
Lingling looked up at the policeman, a glimmer of light in her eyes, but soon the light faded away and she said nothing.
Because she knew that the police could not interfere in her family affairs. She was still young and could not be without a guardian. If she told the police, she didn't know if she could survive.
When the police saw the changes in the child, they knew there was something fishy going on, so they teamed up with comrades from the Women's Federation to go to the house to investigate.
By visiting the surrounding neighbors, the police had a general understanding of the family's situation and knew that Lingling was often beaten and bullied. However, no one had any conclusive evidence that Lingling was injured.
At the same time, comrades from the Women's Federation also came to Mao Tu's home to criticize and educate her, asking her to cherish the flowers of the motherland and not to beat or scold children.
Although Maotu was domineering, she did not dare to go against the government, so she kept her head down and did not speak, and no one could see her expression clearly.
The police even went to Zhang Weiren and Zhang Weifang's home to find out more about the situation. Zhang Weiren was extremely disgusted with Zhang Weicun and his wife and was unwilling to talk more about them, so he knew nothing about anything they asked.
Zhang Weifang had no worries. She told everything she knew, mainly to make Lingling's life easier in the future.
Finally, after mediation by the police and the Women's Federation, Mao Tu promised never to beat her child again and signed a letter of commitment, stating that she would actively learn correct educational methods and improve her relationship with her child. The matter came to a temporary end, but Mao Tu also received special attention from community staff.
The aunties from the neighborhood committee often visit the homes of children to understand their living conditions and provide them with necessary help.
At the same time, they also organized some parent-child activities and invited the Maotu family to participate, hoping to enhance the relationship between family members through these activities.
After this series of arrangements, it seemed that the relationship between Maotu and Lingling had improved a lot, and Lingling was rarely beaten.
However, at home, she suffered cold violence and even more severe verbal abuse from Maotu. Lingling also became more and more silent, and there was often a hint of melancholy in her big eyes.
After this incident, Zhang Weicun's family became famous, and he began to keep a low profile. He also learned to care about Lingling's situation at school at home.
During the Chinese New Year, Lu Shi drove his newly bought car back to his hometown.
This brand new car attracted the attention and curiosity of the villagers. They came to see it and praised it highly.
After all, in that era, owning a car of your own was a very rare thing, and this also made the villagers look at Lu Shi with admiration.
"Wow! Whose car is this? It's so beautiful!" A child said in surprise, pointing at the car when it landed.
"That was driven back by Mrs. Zhang's eldest son-in-law. How awesome!" another villager echoed.
"It seems that young people nowadays are really promising!" an old man sighed.
Everyone's attention was attracted by Lu Shi's car, and their eyes were shining with envy and admiration.
Originally they thought that only Zhang Weiren could afford a car, but now they find that even ordinary people like Lu Shi can realize this dream. This change surprised people.
Zhang Weifang was also surrounded by everyone, who gathered together to compliment her. Some people also asked what kind of job Lu Shi did and how she could afford a car.
Zhang Qiao Na was so happy that she couldn't stop smiling. Her daughter and son both had promising futures, and she felt extremely proud.
The turmoil caused by Zhang Weicun selling cabbages also dissipated. After all, everyone admires the strong and no one wants to offend capable people.
Gou Xiao was also watching with envy. He has now been promoted to team leader and is also ambitious in his career.
Among his younger brothers and sisters, apart from Hu Zi, he is the one who has developed the best, and Hu Zi is several years older than him, so Gou Xiao is unwilling to admit defeat.
Zhang Weifang sat on the kang, listening to her two sisters complaining about their men selling cabbages in the cold winter. Only then did she realize that Zhang Weicun was capable of such a bold move.
Zhang Weifang was speechless after hearing this, and then she told them everything Zhang Weicun had done in the city before.
When Zhang Weishuang and Zhang Weifen heard that they had broken up, they both widened their eyes and opened their mouths in surprise.
"What?" Zhang Weishuang exclaimed, "You two actually broke up? How is that possible?"
"Yeah, I didn't expect this to happen." Zhang Weifang sighed helplessly.
"How is Lingling now?" Zhang Weifen asked with concern.
"I have no idea."
Zhang Weifang shook her head and continued, "But with the intervention of the police and the Women's Federation, she shouldn't be beaten again."
Zhang Weishuang was so angry that he burst into tears:
"Alas, I told Weicun at the time that I could adopt Lingling, but he refused to agree. Look at what's become of the child now that he's with her."
Zhang Weifang didn't know what to say, so he patted Zhang Weishuang on the shoulder:
"Second sister, don't cry. Everyone has his own destiny."
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