"That’s enough, shut up! Haven’t you caused enough of a scene?" He never should have accepted that thing.
The brigade captain glared at Bai Jiu. "You’ve hit them, and you’ve caused a ruckus. Can we talk properly now?" He wasn’t afraid of anything in the world except for the wife of the third son fighting for her life.
"No, we can’t! Captain, my life is so bitter. Since marrying into the Gao family, I’ve worked like a horse every single day. My husband only comes back once a year, and my mother-in-law and sisters-in-law torment me endlessly. My life is so miserable!"
Crying? She could do that too.
"My sister-in-law stays at home doing absolutely nothing, living like a princess! But my two poor children have had to help with chores since they learned to walk. They’re only four years old! Not only do they have to wash clothes and cook, but they also have to work to earn work points for the family. This isn’t a life fit for a human being!
"When my husband brings his wages home, I never see a single cent of it. Worse still, I don’t even get to eat a full meal. Every day, we only get the scraps they leave behind. You can’t bully people like this!
"First, they tried to sell my daughter, and now the Old Gao Family wants to kill both of my children! Captain, I really can’t go on living like this. Just let me die! Once I’m dead, my family can finally be reunited."
Bai Jiu’s weeping and wailing completely drowned out Old Mrs. Song’s voice. Naturally, no one dared to refute her words.
Hearing this, the onlookers outside began to point fingers at the Gao Family. However, Old Mrs. Song had built up a lot of authority over the years, and since this wasn’t their family’s business, they couldn’t say much. Just then, Aunt Peng ran into the yard.
She had heard every word Bai Jiu just said.
"There’s no justice anymore! Is there any law left? To think you’re bullying the family of a martyr! It seems our village needs a good cleaning up." Aunt Peng walked up to Bai Jiu and patted her shoulder. "Don’t cry, good child. We are both unfortunate souls. Without a man by our side, it’s true that we’re easily bullied. But don’t be afraid. The country will protect us, and we aren’t people just anyone can walk all over. Come on, your aunt will take you to someone who can give us justice."
Aunt Peng’s words instantly silenced many of the villagers. Having witnessed how formidable Aunt Peng could be during the events of the past, they knew that if things really escalated, many people in the village wouldn’t have a day of peace.
"Auntie, why is my life so bitter? I thought marrying a man would give me someone to rely on, but how could he be so cruel as to leave me and the children behind?" Bai Jiu was feeling genuinely wronged this time.
She had finally experienced the hardship of not having a man in the house in this era. Anyone dared to scold her, and anyone dared to gossip about her.
"Don’t cry. I’m here. I absolutely won’t let you suffer any grievances," Aunt Peng comforted Bai Jiu. Seeing her like this reminded Aunt Peng of her younger self.
She then turned to the captain with absolute confidence. "Captain, if you can’t handle this matter properly, then I’ll go to the higher-ups. It’s not my first time going there anyway; I know the way very well."
The brigade captain was nursing a massive headache. He looked at his wife with a bitter expression.
Mrs. Li knew her husband well; a single look was all it took for her to understand what he wanted. She stepped in smoothly. "Auntie, don’t blame him. He’s a rough and unrefined man who doesn’t understand much about all these gossips and disputes. He worries every day about the production work in the brigade. Rest assured about the third son’s wife, our brigade will definitely give her justice."
Mrs. Li certainly didn’t want her husband dragged down because of the Gao family’s mess.
"Bai Jiu, see if this works for you. Erzhu is just a child after all, so let his mother bear the punishment for this crime. Let’s not bother the higher-ups; the end of the year is approaching, and the leaders are busy too.
"We’ll have Lin Guihua work in the cowshed. When spring comes next year, we’ll make her carry manure and clean the pigsties while earning the minimum work points. What do you think about that?"
Mrs. Li was quite good at playing the peacemaker. Normally, when there were minor squabbles in the village, she was the one who stepped forward to mediate.
"Of course, we won’t skimp on the compensation you’re owed. We’ll have the Gao family give the two children a hundred yuan each so they can buy some nourishing food. The kids definitely won’t be able to work this year, so just let them rest at home, and the Old Gao Family will foot the bill."
This was the best solution Mrs. Li could come up with. After speaking, she looked at Bai Jiu expectantly, hoping the young woman would do her a favor and agree.
Before Bai Jiu could speak, the brigade captain took two sheets of paper from his chest pocket.
"This is your severance agreement. From now on, you and your children will live your own lives. I’m also helping you separate your household registration. It has the town leader’s official seal on it, so no one can deny it." He should have given this to her earlier, but he hadn’t expected such an incident to occur.
"The household registration will take a few more days. I’ll have your aunt bring it over to you then," the captain said weakly.
Old Man Gao wanted to argue about the household registration, but seeing the captain’s demeanor, he didn’t dare utter a single peep.
Mrs. Li took the papers and handed them over. "Hold onto this safely. You are two separate families from now on. If they dare to cause trouble for you again, you won’t even need to step in—I will personally help you send these people to prison."
What else could Bai Jiu say? She couldn’t actually beat them to death.
"Accept it, Jiu. The captain and his wife are good people." Aunt Peng was satisfied with this outcome. At the very least, there would be no more entanglements in the future, though she hadn’t expected the captain to go as far as separating Bai Jiu and her children’s household registration.
"SOB, SOB..." Bai Jiu cried as she took the papers. "I’ll trust the captain and Auntie this one time. If the Gao family ever does this again, I’ll drag them all to hell with me! No one will survive!"
Bai Jiu glared viciously at everyone in the Gao family.
Aside from Old Man Gao and Gao Zhishan, everyone in the Gao family had been thrashed by Bai Jiu. They wouldn’t be getting out of bed for at least a week or two. That was how ruthlessly she had struck them.
But compared to the harm her children had suffered, it was far too light.
With a long face, Old Man Gao accepted his copy of the severance agreement from the captain.
"We are two separate families from now on. Let’s just treat each other as strangers. I hope you don’t regret this." Severing family ties was a deeply shameful matter, and having it exposed in public made it even worse. It would be a miracle if Old Man Gao were happy about it.
"Even if I have to beg for rice, I’ll never show up at your door! I’d be too afraid that you’d slaughter me and my children for meat! Every single one of you is a cursed wretch destined for heavenly punishment. Who do you think cares about your family anyway?" Bai Jiu wiped away her tears and spat right back at Old Man Gao.
Old Man Gao was so furious he nearly coughed up blood.
"That’s enough. Bring out the money," the captain ordered.
Old Mrs. Song was truly terrified this time. But now that she was being told to hand over money, she didn’t dare voice the slightest objection.
She would just treat it as paying off God Wen.
Sprawled on the ground, she couldn’t even get up. It wasn’t until Mrs. Li had someone go over and help her up that she finally rose and went back into the house to fetch the money.
Two hundred yuan! It pained her so much she could die.
How long had it been since this cursed wretch married in, and she had already squeezed dry all the money she had on hand? Why had she ever thought it was a good idea to marry such a creature to her third son? If she had known things would turn out like this, she would have never let him marry her.
Sigh...
"Here." No matter how much her heart ached, Old Mrs. Song didn’t dare withhold the money. With a flick of her wrist, she tossed the cash directly onto the ground.
Bai Jiu’s hands started itching again. "Pick it up," she demanded sharply, almost scaring the people next to her to death. Let alone Old Mrs. Song, who was standing right in front of her.
"What are you yelling for? It’s not like I did it on purpose." Old Mrs. Song trembled and reluctantly squatted down to pick up the money.
"This is the last time. If you ever dare to bully me or my children again, then none of us will live. We’ll all go report to Yama Hall together. And it won’t just be your family here—even your second son’s family in the military compound won’t be able to escape!"
Speaking the most vicious words in the calmest, most gentle voice, Bai Jiu looked like an evil spirit straight out of the underworld. She seemed ready to drag them all into hell at a moment’s notice.
"You..."