Chapter 93: Family affairs
Chen Jinhua curled her lips. As a woman, she couldn't stand this. She clearly had an 'illegitimate child' and yet she pretended to be innocent. How disgusting! The thought of having someone like that by her side was heartbreaking.
She said angrily, "He is a good person. But it's hard for Meiyu and Pan'er. They have to bear the stigma for so long."
Jiang Mancheng comforted her, "Don't worry. While it's never too late to cultivate a relationship between father and daughter, it's not that easy. Think about it, there's Tian Jiaguang, that Phoenix man, standing in the way. He's counting on Qiu Pan'er to be his gigolo. How could he let Pan'er be won over by her parents? Just wait and see. Tian Jiaguang will definitely interfere. It's just a matter of seeing who has the greater power."
The four of them knew why Qiu Xiangdong came here, so they didn't even look at him and went downstairs directly.
On the way to the state-owned restaurant, Jiang Nan couldn't help but check Qiu Paner's channel and whispered, "Qiu Xiangdong was very nice to Qiu Paner last night. But when they were sleeping, Tian Jiaguang provoked them. Qiu Paner originally wanted to come with him to the department store this morning, but Tian Jiaguang messed it up."
Jiang Mancheng smiled, "Then let's wait and see. Qiu Pan'er will probably enjoy the feeling of being fought over. After all, her parents didn't take her seriously before. Now that Qiu Xiangdong has changed his mind, she should be able to take advantage of it."
Chen Jinhua snorted, "It's only natural for him to do that. This is what Qiu Xiangdong owes Pan'er, he deserves it."
Jiang Mancheng said, "Yes, Qiu Xiangdong deserves it. Wife, you are absolutely right."
Jiang Nan frowned and changed the subject, "But Wanhu's vitality is quite strong, so it's okay."
Jiang Mancheng was furious after hearing this. He and his wife had already scared the guy three times, but the guy had forgotten the pain even after the wound healed. He said bitterly, "Wife, I can't swallow this. Let's go scare him again tonight. I don't believe we can't scare this bastard to death."
Chen Jinhua also felt ashamed. She had attacked him so many times but still hadn't subdued him. She nodded heavily, "I must. This time I'll use more force. I'll make him get hurt. I have to teach him a lesson."
Jiang Nan started to offer suggestions: "Dad, Mom, how about I go with you? I have my own space, and then something suddenly disappears and scare him to death!"
Jiang Mancheng shook his head again and again: "No, this concerns the dignity of me and your mother. You and Zhou Zhixing should stay out of it. Humph, little bastard, I don't believe that Jinhua and I can't defeat this old guy together! If you want to fight Jinhua and me, I will crush him to pieces!"
Chen Jinhua nodded and clenched her fist: "That's right, crush him!"
Zhou Zhixing smiled, and the four of them quickly arrived at the State-Owned Restaurant. It was already past one o'clock, still quite busy, even before lunchtime. They waited a while before being seated.
As soon as he sat down, Jiang Mancheng started ordering: "Stir-fried pork cutlets, stir-fried pork intestines, mapo tofu, and four white flour buns."
The waitress was a woman in her thirties, short and stocky, with dead fish eyes. She spoke in a gruff voice, "We're sold out of Mapo Tofu. Change it."
Jiang Mancheng paused. He had been eyeing these three dishes while waiting, and now he was suddenly asked to change one of them. He really didn't know what to change to.
Jiang Nan spoke up immediately: "Then please change it to the three fresh vegetables, thank you."
The waiter still had those dead eyes and his voice was flat: "Three dollars and two cents, pay first, and you can get the food later."
Zhou Zhixing obediently took out the money from his pocket and handed it over.
The waiter glanced at him twice more, lingered on his hand for a second longer, and smiled, a rare sight: "We still have some rice left today, would you like some?"
Zhou Zhixing quickly withdrew his hand, coughed lightly, and said seriously: "No, thank you."
The waiter snorted heavily, turned around, and muttered, "Shame on you."
Jiang Nan suddenly remembered the classic line "These days, boys have to protect themselves when they are outside" and couldn't help but chuckle.
Jiang Mancheng was dissatisfied at first, thinking that Zhou Zhixing was too good at attracting women. But when he saw that his daughter didn't take it seriously, he didn't know what to say. He just snorted loudly, "He's a playboy."
Zhou Zhixing protested his innocence, "I didn't do that. She took advantage of me because I was good-looking. Xiaonan, you have to believe me, I..."
Jiang Nan raised his hand to stop him, and said with a smile: "Okay, I have eyes. It's so funny, I just thought of something else, let me tell you..."
She repeated what she had seen in her previous life, still laughing and looking carefree. Jiang Mancheng, the old father, didn't know what to say.
However, soon, everyone had no time to dwell on this little episode, because a man appeared at the entrance of the state-owned hotel.
Jiang Mancheng lowered his head quickly, his voice filled with surprise: "Dong Tingting is here."
Three pairs of big eyes shot over at once, and Jiang Nan sighed, "This place is quite busy."
Jiang Mancheng scolded in a low voice: "Keep a low profile! Stop looking quickly, she's about to find out."
The four of them sat relatively close to the corner, not too conspicuous, but the three of them looked so intensely at each other that Dong Tingting couldn't help but glance over. Fortunately, the three of them listened to Jiang Mancheng's reminder and quickly lowered their heads, otherwise they would have been exposed.
Dong Tingting didn't see anyone familiar and shrugged. She was pretty, and all too familiar with this kind of probing, scrutinizing gaze. She didn't feel the slightest bit embarrassed, only smug. Look, look, look, it's because she's pretty. She's used to it. She... Going out shopping and dining is also a benefit to the public.
She held her head high and chest puffed out, her proud eyes scanning the state-owned restaurant and then directed towards a table.
Jiang Mancheng glanced out of the corner of his eye and exclaimed, "Oh my god, it's Cheng Meijuan's dad!"
Jiang Nan covered his mouth, his big black eyes rolling around.
It’s a mess, too messy. This family is really a mess.
Let her sort it out. Yuan Jianshe and Dong Jiaojiao are married, and Dong Jiaojiao is having an affair with Fang Nanshan. Fang Nanshan's wife is Cheng Meijuan. Cheng Meijuan's father and her mother-in-law Sun Qiaolian had an affair, and Sun Qiaolian had an affair with Yuan Jianshe. Now Cheng Meijuan's father is having an affair with Dong Jiaojiao's sister Dong Tingting.
Jiang Nan felt like her brain wasn't enough. She thought about it again and again, but still couldn't figure out the relationship.
This is simply a mess.
Jiang Nan couldn't understand the relationship between the Dong family, the Fang family and the Cheng family for a moment, and his head was full of confusion.
Jiang Mancheng looked at her with amusement and whispered a reminder, "Don't forget, Cheng Meijuan's father is a widower, and Dong Tingting is also single now. No one can say anything if the two of them eat together. And Wan Hu is also single, and Dong Tingting is more cautious than Dong Jiaojiao."
Although everyone knew the two were not innocent, no one, no matter how old it was, kept harping on it. There was no need, there really was no need. There were so many major cases waiting to be investigated, who would focus on a matter between a man and a woman? Unless they had offended someone and someone was specifically watching them, there was really no need to dwell on it.
However, this incident really impacted the four people's outlook on life. They were even a little slow in serving the dishes. If Zhou Zhixing hadn't reacted in time, the freshly baked braised pork slices would have been taken away by someone else.
Jiang Mancheng was a carefree eater. Seeing the dishes arrive, he said softly, "Alright, forget about that. This braised pork cutlet is incredible. I can't make it taste this good. Jinhua, Xiaonan, try it. If it's good, we'll order another helping. Since we're out here to eat, just enjoy it. Just watch other people's business. Why are you staring at them? There's no need to do that."
Jiang Nan wasn't one to dwell on things. She picked up her chopsticks and said crisply, "Okay, I've heard from Gaigai too that the chefs here are amazing."
Zhou Zhixing and Chen Jinhua ignored everything else after hearing this. Eating was the most important thing. Just Dong Tingting and Cheng Meijuan's father alone couldn't affect their appetite.
Although there were only three dishes, the portions in state-owned restaurants these days are really huge. The four of them ate until their bellies were full, and they all leaned back in their chairs, sighing with satisfaction.
I had wanted to stay a little longer, but at 2:30, the state-owned restaurant started kicking people out! These days, state-owned restaurants aren't exactly impressive, but they're definitely one of the best. Jiang Nan followed the local customs and left timidly and tactfully.
Rubbing her belly as she came out, Jiang Nan suggested, "Dad, Mom, let's go the east way. We'll pass by the supply and marketing cooperative and go shopping there before heading back. Grandma Sui and Sui Qiang will definitely be having fun today, so we can't miss it."
Chen Jinhua nodded: "Okay, I'll go check out the pastries. I remember the shaqi ma is almost finished, so it's a good time to restock."
Walking home slowly, the May sky was clear and cloudless, with a gentle breeze on my face, making it comfortable and pleasant. Jiang Nan, who had eaten and drunk enough, naturally felt sleepy.
She yawned, and suddenly she exclaimed in a low voice: "Gai Gai and Jing Aihua!"
She's got a nasty habit of arguing. She'd see familiar faces on the street, and two of them were arguing. Aren't these two supposed to be getting married next month? Why were they arguing now?
Jiang Nan widened his eyes, bent down, and quietly hid behind a big tree. Then, with the cover of the big trees on both sides of the road, he scurried over.
Well, she has to listen carefully. If Gaigai has any problems, she can help.
Who says she is kind-hearted?
The other three people were not slow at all. Her father Jiang Mancheng was even ahead of her, with his ears standing up straight.
Jiang Nan was furious. Her father was so quick. He had promised not to know Kung Fu.
However, no matter how fast the four of them moved, they couldn't outstrip the two quarreling parties. Because, after the quarrel, the two of them left.
Jiang Nan said regretfully: "I don't know why they're arguing."
She suddenly covered her mouth and added in a low voice: "Could it be related to the incident with Secretary Jing last time?"
Zhou Zhixing immediately shook his head. "That shouldn't be the case. Secretary Jing did it in secret, so no one knows about it. But it's probably related to the Jing family. The Jing family used to be headed by the old lady, and she has such a strong personality. She personally raised her eldest son and grandson, so she must be a 'family head'-like figure, the kind who carries the whole family's weight on her shoulders."
Jiang Nan couldn't understand: "Isn't this asking for trouble?"
Jiang Mancheng said quietly, "What if Jing Aihua is willing?"
Looking at his daughter's confused eyes, he shook his head and said meaningfully, "My daughter, you have to understand that people who came from the old society have a very strong sense of family. Back then, the world was in chaos, and strength lay in numbers, so everyone worked together to survive. You may not understand, but think about Xihe'an and you'll understand. Everyone nominally separated, but that was for work. How many people really separated? Didn't they still eat and live together?"
He continued, "She's quite stubborn. Seeing the benefits of working together, she thinks this is the way to survive in any era and any society. With this mindset, is it strange that Jing Aihua developed this kind of personality?"
He looked into Jiang Nan's eyes and said, "You haven't seen enough. Jing Aihua should be very happy to be the head of the family. He is the eldest among his grandchildren, but his abilities are just so-so. I don't think he is a very capable person, and he can't compare with his uncle Jing Zhiyuan. But he is the 'head of the family', the eldest son and grandson. In terms of family identity, he thinks he is better than his uncle. People who have accepted favors from others since childhood and have a strong sense of self-esteem always want to compare themselves with the benefactors in their hearts. Now that he is finally a little better than Jing Zhiyuan, Jing Aihua must be very happy and how he enjoys the compliments of his relatives."
Jiang Nan scratched his head: "Do you enjoy the feeling of having your blood sucked by everyone?"
Jiang Mancheng tapped his daughter's head: "It's about enjoying being admired and worshipped by everyone! Do you understand?"
Jiang Nan covered his head and complained to Chen Jinhua: "Mom, look at my dad!"
Chen Jinhua glared at Jiang Mancheng, rubbed Jiang Nan's forehead, and said with a smile, "Okay, your dad is just joking with you. Let's go to the supply and marketing cooperative."
Cheng Gaigai and Jing Aihua were walking in the opposite direction of the other four. Jiang Nan looked back and whispered, "I wonder if Gaigai will regret it later."
"We're not married yet, so if you regret it, just break up." Jiang Mancheng didn't care. "Let's go, little housekeeper, to the supply and marketing cooperative."
Jiang Nan pouted and hurried to catch up. Yeah, they weren't married yet, and Cheng Gaigai was already eighteen, the age where she would be executed for murder. Why should she worry about it?
The four of them didn't encounter any problems along the way and arrived at the supply and marketing cooperative smoothly.
Seeing Cheng Meijuan again was a bit awkward for all four of them. They had just seen Cheng's father on a date with Dong Tingting, and now they were a bit unsure how to face Cheng Meijuan.
Fortunately, ever since Cheng Meijuan married into the Fang family, she has been indifferent to the four of them, not even saying hello when they meet. The four of them breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that not saying hello was a good idea, as it meant they wouldn't have to face each other, and there would be no awkwardness.
The four people, no longer embarrassed, started to visit the supply and marketing cooperative.
There were far more people at the supply and marketing cooperative than at the department store, and the pickle section had even stocked up on new soybean paste. Chen Jinhua bought five pounds of it, just in time to take home. There were so many ways to enjoy it, like scrambled eggs with soybean paste, fish stewed with soybean paste, and beef stewed with soybean paste. Although Jiang Nan had lived in Shanghai in her previous life, food knew no boundaries. She just couldn't understand those who favored sweet or salty foods. What was there to argue about? Of course, they were all delicious. You eat yours, he eats his, and they don't interfere with each other. What was there to argue about? When it came to food, she had no taboos and loved both sweet and salty food.
Chen Jinhua: "There's glutinous rice for sale. Let's buy some. The Dragon Boat Festival is at the end of the month, so it's perfect for making rice dumplings."
Of course, other people had no objection. If no one bought anything at the department store, of course the supply and marketing cooperative would do a lot of shopping.
Soybean paste, glutinous rice, pastries, and finally some dried chilies and garlic. Well, this last thing Jiang Mancheng wanted to buy. The meat sauce at home was finished, so he had to make some more.
When the four of them walked out of the supply and marketing cooperative, it was not yet four o'clock and the sun was still shining brightly in the sky.
Jiang Nan really couldn't have imagined that one day when she went out shopping, she would not buy clothes, shoes or bags, but instead bought a bunch of groceries and watched the excitement all day.
Think about it, today is much more exciting than buying bags and clothes.
She was filled with emotion, but she didn't expect that not long after she entered the family compound, another bustling scene would hit her.
The excitement was none other than Old Lady Sui and Sui Qiang, who had gone to the west bank of the river. They were both limping, and they hadn't returned alone, but with a woman they claimed was Sui Qiang's wife.
Jiang Nan was stunned. Was there some magical curse on West River Bank? Why did every bad guy who went there always bring back a bad girl as his wife?
Jiang Nan was shocked, puzzled, and bewildered.
This woman was none other than Qiu Sheng'er, the protagonist of the Qiu family's honey trap. How could Sui Qiang and Qiu Sheng'er, two people with no connection at all, be involved together?
This story starts with Qiu Sheng'er getting married.
She was indeed engaged and married, but she was unlucky. Less than half a year after her marriage, one winter day, her husband fell to his death while sweeping snow on the roof!
The young couple had been married for a short time and had no children, so the husband's family had no control over them. In ancient times, a daughter-in-law was her husband's property, and remarrying her could earn her a dowry. But now was a modern era, and the Qiu family was no pushover. If they dared to do so, the Qiu family would have a scene. Qiu Sheng'er's husband's family didn't dare to offend the Qiu family, so after the funeral, Qiu Sheng'er returned home safely.
But life back home wasn't going to be easy. The Qiu family was patriarchal, and when Qiu Sheng'er returned, she would definitely be remarried, and the bride price couldn't be low. Because it was her second marriage, the men her mother chose for her were all old widowers with children, which made Qiu Sheng'er very dissatisfied.
She was a bold person, otherwise she wouldn't have agreed to be a part of the honey trap. Seeing that her family didn't take her seriously, she started to think about it. If others didn't take her seriously, she would take it too. This thinking actually gave her a way out.
Let's not talk about anything else, just Ye Chunping, the educated youth, has actually carved out a path. What? They're staring at the outsiders coming to the West River! These outsiders specifically refer to those from the oil fields. These people don't know the villagers' backgrounds, so aren't they the biggest, easiest prey to cheat?
Qiu Sheng'er had an idea, but he didn't dare tell his parents. He carried a basket every day, pretending to go digging wild vegetables and mountain products, but in fact he secretly stayed in the mountains, silently observing the road into the village.
Opportunities are given to those who are prepared. Today, I happened to see Old Lady Sui and Sui Qiang.
Just looking at their attire—the man was wearing a half-new oil-producing suit, and the old man's clothes were barely patched—it was clear they were from the oil fields, where life had been easy. Furthermore, these two were sneaking around, definitely up to something nefarious. Qiu Sheng'er knew her chance had come, and she stared intently at them, afraid to miss a single moment.
Why are Old Lady Sui and Sui Qiang here?
Of course, we have to find a way to make it a fait accompli between Sui Qiang and Tang Xi.
Old Lady Sui kept giving instructions all the way. "Xiao Qiang, just listen to me. I've already bought some medicine from the centipede in Lihua Lane in the commune. It's guaranteed to work. And I've already felt around a bit, so I know which one is Tang Xi. I'll point it out to you. Give her the meat buns, and she'll definitely faint. I've found out everything. There's a mill on the west bank of the river. We'll move Tang Xi there. You can have sex with her there, and then I'll go outside and call for help. I'll definitely make her marry you!"
Sui Qiang was a little hesitant. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't because he felt guilty. He was just wondering, "What does Tang Xi look like? Grandma, have you seen her? I hope she's not good-looking, or I won't do it."
Old Lady Sui comforted her, "Don't worry. How could I possibly cheat you? I saw her from afar and she's prettier than Jiang Nan. I heard from Ye Chunping that her family is well-off, too. If it weren't for that, I'd think she wasn't worthy of you. You have a job! So, no matter how good-looking she is, if her family isn't well-off, it won't work. Now she has both. Even though she's an educated youth, I can barely accept her."
Sui Qiang nodded in agreement. She was even better looking than Jiang Nan, so he could give it a try. He asked, "So what should we do? Should I try to get close to her? But if I give her a meat bun out of nowhere, she won't eat it, right?"
Old Lady Sui thought about it and realized that this made sense. She rolled her eyes and said, "Let's go to the mountains. There's not much farm work right now, so the educated youth usually go up there to look for mountain products. We'll keep an eye on Tang Xi. If she's left alone, we'll knock her out and then move her to the mill. Once we get there, everything else will be easy."
Sui Qiang nodded with satisfaction, and the grandfather and grandson adjusted their direction and headed towards the mountain. This was a good opportunity for Qiu Sheng'er, as she had been following them all the way and had heard their plan clearly.
Qiu Sheng'er's eyes rolled. She knew Tang Xi and Tang Zhiqing, who often went up the mountain alone. She followed carefully behind them, but she was plotting something in her mind. Tang Zhiqing was often alone, so he was definitely no match for the two of them. So why not wait in the mill? When someone came in, she would knock them unconscious by surprise and then hide Tang Zhiqing. If the old lady made a scene, wouldn't she be the one marrying this man?
She heard it clearly. The man mentioned Jiang Nan and was wearing oil worker clothes. He must be from the oil field. Maybe he was a worker, because he had a job!
After figuring everything out, Qiu Sheng'er stopped following the two of them and ran towards the mill at the foot of the mountain.
You know what, Qiu Sheng'er was thinking in her heart while running, she and the mill really have a connection. Last time she set up a honey trap, she chose the mill. Today, with the godsend opportunity, the two people from the Sui family chose the mill again.
This time, she will never let go.
Qiu Sheng'er picked up a thick stick on the road and waited at the mill, waiting for the opportunity.
On the other side, Old Lady Sui and Sui Qiang finally met Tang Xi as they wished.
After the wild boar incident, Tang Xi's relationship with the other female educated youth eased a little, but she was a person hiding a big secret and often acted alone.
Now she is alone, standing on tiptoe to dig Ganoderma lucidum from the tree.
Or maybe Tang Xi was always alone, she was just incredibly lucky. If she were always with other people, wouldn't that arouse suspicion? Tang Xi was digging diligently, completely unaware that she was being targeted.
Sui Qiang saw Tang Xi from afar and felt very satisfied.
The young woman's face was rosy and tender, and her figure was amazing. Sui Qiang sighed, thankfully he'd come along. He hadn't expected his grandmother to come up with such a good idea this time.
He has decided to do this today.
Sui Qiang held the drug Old Lady Sui had bought in his right hand, and a stone tightly grasped in his left. He quietly approached Tang Xi. Seeing no one was paying attention, he quickly pounced on her, tightly covering her mouth and nose with his right hand while holding the stone high in his left hand. If the secret drug didn't work and Tang Xi resisted, the stone would fall.
Fortunately, the drug was effective and Tang Xi fainted without even struggling.
Sui Qiang was overjoyed. He picked the man up and ran down the mountain. Old Lady Sui carefully looked around and followed him. She pointed at the house at the foot of the mountain and whispered, "It's that little thatched house. Come on."
The two of them dodged other people along the way and quickly arrived at the courtyard where the mill was located. Old Mrs. Sui panted and whispered, "Xiao Qiang, go in quickly. I'll go to the village to call for help."
Sui Qiang laughed mischievously and warned, "Grandma, don't be so anxious. Wait a moment before you yell. I still want to have some fun."
Old Lady Sui heard the strange laughter. She had no reason to hesitate about her grandson taking advantage of her. She quickly nodded and said, "Okay, take a break before you yell. But don't be too greedy. Your health is more important..."
Sui Qiang turned around impatiently: "Okay, I know. Go ahead, walk slowly."
Seeing her grandson's impatience, Old Lady Sui stopped giving him instructions and said with a smile, "Okay, I'm leaving."
The two said goodbye in a hurry, Sui Qiang hummed a little tune and walked into the mill proudly. But he didn't expect that there was a "yellow bird" holding a stick in the mill.
Qiu Sheng'er looked at the man she had knocked unconscious with a stick, and her hands trembled unconsciously. Is he dead?
No bleeding, so he shouldn't be dead, right? She bent down, took a few deep breaths, and then, mustering courage, reached out her hand to feel his breath. Fortunately, fortunately, he wasn't dead.
Qiu Sheng'er didn't dare delay. She picked up Tang Xi and ran out the back door of the mill. She was a farm girl, used to farm work since childhood, so she was still very strong. She scurried towards the cowshed, even faster than Sui Qiang. Tang Xi and Ren Xiaozi from the cowshed were a couple, so she was doing a good deed by sending her there.
Fortunately, the mill was not far from the cowshed. Qiu Sheng'er put Tang Xi at the door of the cowshed and ran two steps away. Then he picked up a stone and smashed the door of the cowshed. Without waiting for the door to open, he turned around and ran back.
I hope Ren Xiaozi is here, Qiu Sheng'er thought as she ran. She couldn't care less because she was in a hurry to go back and wait for the opportunity.
Or maybe Tang Xi is the heroine. Ren Pinglan was really in the cowshed. When he came out, he saw Tang Xi lying on the ground. He was so scared that he hurriedly carried her back to the house. I won’t go into details about how he and his father woke Tang Xi up.
Qiu Sheng'er, who rushed back, was out of breath all the way and finally returned to the mill before Old Lady Sui brought people in. Hearing Old Lady Sui making a fuss outside, he gritted his teeth, hurriedly ripped off his clothes, and lay down with Sui Qiang in his arms.
Outside the mill, Old Lady Sui cried out, "Oh my, how can you educated youth from the west bank of the river be so shameless? My son Xiaoqiang came here looking for someone, but he was deceived by the educated youth from your village. How shameless! I'm not calling everyone here to play tricks. After all, my son Xiaoqiang is not married yet, so marrying an educated youth is nothing. But I just want everyone to know that it's not my family who is eager to marry the educated youth, it's this educated youth who is eager to get married. We are the ones who are at a disadvantage, so you have to bear witness for us."
She looked helpless. "My Xiaoqiang is a responsible person. The young woman said she was not feeling well and asked my Xiaoqiang to help her go to the mill to rest. My Xiaoqiang is such a naive child. He helped her go right away. I followed him, but who knew that she was so shameless that she took off her clothes in front of me. My Xiaoqiang is still a grown man. He had never seen such a thing before. He was almost scared to death. I wanted to take Xiaoqiang away, but he was a good person. He said that since he had seen the young woman's body, he had to take responsibility."
She added, "No matter how much I tried to persuade him, he wouldn't listen. I just couldn't stand it any longer, so I took the risk and asked everyone to come and see. My family can swallow this loss and marry this shameless educated youth. But everyone has to bear witness for my family. It's not that my family is unkind, it's that this educated youth is shameless! If anything goes wrong in the future, it won't be our fault. My Xiaoqiang is just too responsible."
She repeatedly emphasized her family's innocence, leaving everyone on the west bank of the river speechless.
Who doesn't know who? There are plenty of dramas in the countryside every day, so yours isn't exactly uncommon. And, old lady, the way your eyes roll around, I can tell you're not telling the truth.
However, the villagers did not expose the truth. They also wanted to know who this female educated youth was.
Someone with an impatient temper asked, "Why are you talking so much, old lady? Who is that female educated youth? There are quite a few female educated youth in our village."
Old Mrs. Sui looked reluctant: "How should I know? She just said she was Tang Zhiqing, but she didn't say her name. You can go and see for yourself. My Xiaoqiang is a well-behaved person. She is really eager to get married..."
"Tang Zhiqing? You got the wrong person, didn't you? Tang Zhiqing has a partner, that's impossible."
"That's right, Tang Zhiqing and Ren Xiaozi are a perfect match, a handsome man and a beautiful woman, how could they possibly fall for someone else?"
"Who knows? Although Ren is good-looking, he doesn't come from a good family. Who knows if Tang Zhiqing is a fickle person and has set his eyes on someone else?"
"Let's go and take a look."
"Let the old woman in. There might be something in there. It would be bad if the old man saw it."
"Isn't there a man in there? If an old woman goes in, won't she be naked?"
"Get lost, I've seen everything. I'm a grown man, and I won't die if I'm looked at! Why are you so nosy?"
"Stop talking nonsense, Aunt Sun, Aunt Zhang, you guys go in, everyone is waiting outside."
Everyone was moving so smoothly, but Old Lady Sui felt a sense of unease. Why hadn't she heard that Tang Xi had a partner? Could something have happened?
In the mill, Sui Qiang had already woken up, but before he could figure out what was going on, he was attracted by the screams of several old ladies.
"Qiu Sheng'er? Why are you here? Didn't you say it was Tang Zhiqing?"
"Oh my god, Qiu Sheng'er, hurry up and put on your clothes. You're already naked. Seriously, what are you doing? Are you pretending to be Tang Zhiqing to pick up someone?"
Qiu Sheng'er put on his clothes tremblingly, pursed his lips, looked very aggrieved, with tears in his eyes.
The older women didn't care about that. When they saw her dressed, they shouted, "Come in. Everyone is dressed. Come in."
Qiu Sheng'er seemed startled by the sound. Seeing so many people rushing in at once, she sobbed, "I... I don't know what happened. I ended up here for no apparent reason, and when I woke up... I'm innocent. Everyone, believe me. I'm from West River Bank. You can't help outsiders bully me."
She was very sad: "What should I do? I have to get married, and now a stranger has taken advantage of me. Oh, oh, oh, what should I do? Everyone, please help me. I am one of our own people in the village."
She kept calling them outsiders and her own people, her intentions were clear. Even if the villagers wanted to make a few sarcastic remarks, they were silenced.
That's right, they are all from the same village, they see each other every day. The Qiu family also has Qiu Xiangdong, who is the deputy captain of the drilling team, and he also has a relative who is the branch secretary. They can't afford to offend him.
The villagers were quiet, but Sui Qiang reacted. This bitch, he was being plotted against. He glared at Qiu Sheng'er with hatred, wishing he could eat her alive!
Qiu Sheng'er lowered her head and wiped her tears. She felt Sui Qiang's hateful gaze, but she didn't care. No matter how much he hated her, as long as they were husband and wife, they were one. They could fight at the head of the bed and make up at the foot of the bed. She had to marry him first!
She sobbed softly. Sui Qiang was so angry that he opened his mouth to refute her, but was interrupted by Old Lady Sui.
Old Lady Sui was so angry that she almost died. This shameless woman, who knew what scheme she had used, was harming her grandson. She was not stupid either. She knew that her plan would fail today, so she had to put the blame on this woman!
Old Mrs. Sui cursed loudly: "Okay, you deceitful vixen! What you said about being an educated youth turned out to be a lie. You are deliberately plotting to marry into our family. Everyone can see clearly that our Xiaoqiang did nothing wrong. His clothes are all well worn. He didn't do anything wrong. This matter today is all a misunderstanding..."
Qiu Sheng'er sobbed again: "I didn't do anything, but they stripped me naked. Oh my God, I can't live anymore. How am I going to live in the village from now on? I can't live anymore."
She stood up weakly and was about to hit the earthen wall, but was stopped by an old lady who was watching the fun.
The old lady wasn't a very kind person, but she couldn't bear to see the villagers being bullied by outsiders.
Since when did rural residents start sticking together? And it wasn't just rural residents; people in towns and cities all stuck together, to a certain degree. Without sticking together, survival in those chaotic times was impossible. Over time, it became a habit, ingrained in our bones. Even after so many years since the founding of the People's Republic of China, it hasn't changed.
The old lady grabbed Qiu Sheng'er and said, "Old lady, what you said is not right. What do you mean your grandson didn't do anything? He stripped the man naked, how can you say he didn't do anything? We saw it clearly when we came in. What, you don't want to admit it?"
The villagers were talking about it all at once. No matter what they said, they had seen it all: Qiu Sheng'er was disheveled when she came in, and the man was awake. They didn't understand what was going on, but the fact that the girl was naked was a real fact, and the grandfather and grandson couldn't deny it.
"Look, this lady, please stop yelling. Didn't you just say you were willing to marry an educated youth? Even though she's not an educated youth now, she's still a villager from our Xihe Riverbank, a local. Why, you're not willing to marry a local?"
"That's right, didn't we just agree on this? You want to go back on your word now? What? Do you look down on us villagers on the west bank of the river?"
"That's right. This guy named Xiaoqiang, isn't that his name? Don't act innocent. You've already seen her naked. You have to marry her home no matter what. Otherwise, the villagers on the west bank of the river won't agree."
"That's right, that's right. The girls in our village are not to be bullied casually."
Everyone chatted, and Sui Qiang's resentment and resentment gradually faded. He had to bow his head under someone else's eaves. Now that he was on the west bank of the river, he couldn't afford to provoke public anger.
Sui Qiang took another closer look at Qiu Sheng'er, who was crying bitterly. He still felt resentful, but he also knew that the situation was stronger than him. If he didn't give an explanation, he would never be able to go home today.
Sui Qiang glanced at Old Lady Sui again, and seeing that his grandmother was also at a loss, he knew that he could not rely on the old lady, so he could only speak reluctantly: "Everyone, please be quiet. I was knocked unconscious and sent here. I don't know what happened, but..."
He gritted his teeth and said, "But I'm a man who dares to take responsibility. Now that I've seen this woman's body and have had it all, I'm not irresponsible. I'll marry her. But I can't let this go unnoticed. Everyone saw when they came in that my clothes are fine. I just woke up. I was knocked unconscious before. I must have been murdered. If this woman's family wants to use this to blackmail me, I won't just accept it. At worst, we can go to the police station. I don't believe that in this new society, there's still no place to seek justice!"
Sui Qiang didn't want to be accused of hooliganism, but he also didn't want to be extorted for a high bride price. He figured it out: this woman was the one behind the mantis stalking the cicada, the oriole behind. She was definitely the one who did it. Knock him unconscious, then use his milk-calling as an excuse, leverage the villagers' public opinion, and force him to marry her. He could accept the loss, but he couldn't let the woman's family take advantage of the situation to get ahead!
This woman is so vicious, her family must not be easy to get along with, it is better to break up with her as soon as possible. If this woman is not satisfied, he will go to the police station!
Sui Qiang glared at Qiu Sheng'er viciously. Qiu Sheng'er received the signal and felt extremely angry.
How can this woman not have a family? If she doesn't have one, won't she be manipulated and bullied by her husband's family after she gets married?
Humph, she would pretend to agree to him first, and when she got her feet firmly on the ground, she would definitely resume contact with her family. Qiu Sheng'er's eyes rolled around, thinking about how to convince his family.
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