Seeking justice!

 

The convoy stopped at the entrance of the Zhu family, with Lin’s father and the village chief in the front, supporting two clan elders, and Lin’s Mother and Jing Yi standing beside them.

 

In Zhu’s yard, the preparations for the ceremony were in full swing when they heard a deafening roar from outside.

 

“Zhu Qun! You scoundrel! Your Zhu family has mistreated my daughter, conspired against her, took a lively young girl and, within two or three years, turned her into a withered and frail figure! Do you have any shame left?”

 

Lin’s father shouted loudly, the first to break the silence.

 

Jing Yi followed closely, speaking angrily alongside Lin’s father and the village chief.

 

“Zhu Qun! Do you have any sense of morality left? You took a concubine without your lawful wife’s consent; this is one crime. You married a woman who attempted murder; this is the second crime! What punishment do you deserve?”

 

Jing Yi’s words had a greater impact. After Lin’s father spoke, the villagers surrounding them had a somewhat voyeuristic attitude. However, when Jing Yi finished speaking and the issue became a legal one, involving attempted murder, the crowd suddenly erupted.

 

The crowd reacted as if a pot of boiling water had been poured over them. In Zhu’s courtyard, the Zhu family members couldn’t sit still any longer. Who was this person? Their words were so powerful, causing chaos.

 

People from the Zhu family quickly rushed outside to see what was happening. Fortunately, the village chief was also present at the ceremony, so he followed suit.

 

“You, stop spouting nonsense! In our Dongkuan Village, spreading false accusations and defamation, do you still want to leave this village?”

 

The Dongkuan Village chief took the lead in rebuking them, as they couldn’t afford to let these accusations spread; otherwise, their reputation would be ruined.

 

“You dare to come to our house and speak nonsense! That old hen who can’t lay eggs has long been divorced by my son! We’re just remarrying, what’s it to you?”

 

This voice was from Zhu’s mother. Her words, however, made even the Dongkuan Village chief, who had a clear stance, frown.

 

“Shut your mouth!”

 

Zhu’s father could see the situation clearly. When he saw Zhu’s mother speaking and agitating the Wang family villagers to the point where they wanted to take action, he quickly reprimanded her.

 

“Divorce? Where did the divorce come from? What reason did he have to divorce her? My eldest sister has been diligent and hardworking since she married into your family. She not only takes care of her parents-in-law and husband but also has to serve your niece on her mother’s side. Is there a more shameless family in the world? My eldest sister had just been married for two or three months when she moved into someone else’s house and was acting intimately with a married man. Have you no shame? Everyone in Dongkuan Village should be familiar with her! She’s none other than the bride in the courtyard today!”

 

Just as Jing Yi finished speaking, the people of Dongkuan Village began to murmur and discuss the situation in hushed tones. They expressed their disapproval, commented on how disgraceful the situation had become, and discussed various aspects of the case.

 

“When they married my elder sister, everything sounded so beautiful, ‘a lifetime together.’ Let me ask you, uncles, aunts, brothers, and sisters, would you feel at ease if your daughters or brothers married into such a family?”

 

At this moment, Jing Yi seemed to transform into a skilled actor, delivering his speech with a mix of sorrow and anger, making the villagers of Dongkuan Village believe he was the elder brother of the Wang family’s eldest daughter.

 

Continuing his speech, Jing Yi then shifted the focus to his father, who would speak with even more authority. “Dad! Why are you still hiding things and giving face to the Zhu family? Why should we forgive them just because they came to apologize? They are taking another wife, and she is in a legitimate wife’s position. This is a blatant insult to our family’s dignity! Dad, please talk to the uncles and aunts of Dongkuan Village! Uncles and aunts, can you allow my dad to say a few words?”

 

The villagers were easily swayed and emotional. If you confront me head-on, I might not listen, but if you play the victim, you’re sure to gain support. Furthermore, this was a lively event involving the Zhu family, and usually, they didn’t have much support in the village.

 

“Brother, please speak up quickly; don’t let your daughter suffer.”

 

“That’s right! We didn’t know that this bride had such a long-standing relationship with the Zhu family’s young man. Shame on us!”

 

People in the crowd expressed their opinions, ignoring the loud objections of Zhu’s parents. Even the village chief of Dongkuan Village, who had a clear stance, wanted to hear the whole story before making a decision. They couldn’t afford to lose face; their reputation was at stake.

 

Seeing the opportunity, Jing Yi immediately signaled to his father.

 

Suppressing his emotions, Lin’s father began to speak slowly, “Since my daughter married into the Zhu family not long ago, her mother-in-law’s niece moved in. That’s fine, but she constantly acts intimate with Zhu Qun. She spoke ill of my daughter, caused discord in their marriage, and made my daughter serve her! It’s only natural for my daughter to serve her in-laws, but why should she also serve her uncle’s niece, who has unclear relationships?”

 

“Two years ago, in early spring when the river hadn’t thawed completely, my obedient daughter tirelessly helped their family with laundry. But that wicked woman chased her to the riverbank, verbally abused her, and even pushed my daughter into the river, trying to drown her! Fortunately, three kind-hearted people helped her out. I remember them – they were Mrs Song, Mr. Liu, and Mr. Xie. I will forever be grateful to these three for saving my daughter’s life and will thank them in person someday!”

 

Coincidentally, the three people who had rescued the girl were present, and they were overwhelmed by this solemn gratitude. They insisted it was nothing and that they were just doing their duty.

 

With the testimony of these witnesses, the Dongkuan Village residents began to believe Lin’s father.

 

“She deliberately pushed my daughter into the water! I ask you all, does this not constitute attempted murder? Not only did the Zhu family shelter a murderer, but they also prevented my daughter from recovering properly. Due to their constant torment, she developed a lingering illness and became unable to conceive. My daughter endured silently, thinking that once she was well, everything would be fine. But who knew! The Zhu family wants to take another wife, and it’s that poisonous woman! They’re thinking beautifully! They truly think our Lin family has no one! They dare to mess with our Wangjiazhuang village!”

 

“Fellow villagers, today is not about our Wangjiazhuang village. We came here from the Lin family to resolve this matter because the Zhu family’s actions have become unbearable! We had no choice but to come and lodge a complaint with the authorities, even if it means we have to endure punishment. We will go to the yamen and sue this wicked woman!”

 

As Lin’s father continued to speak, his voice grew hoarse, and it was heart-wrenching for those who listened, with some even shedding tears. Even the men from Dongkuan Village were visibly moved, not to mention the women and husbands from Wangjiazhuang village who had come along. They cried out to hand over the wicked woman and go to the authorities.

 

Jing Yi was naturally aloof, finding it difficult to empathize with Lin’s elder sister’s ordeal. However, as he stood there with Lin’s father, watching the once cheerful and carefree man trembling with anger, tears welling up in the corners of his eyes, he couldn’t help but feel distressed.

 

The Zhu family members, seeing that public opinion was overwhelmingly against them, began to panic and consider their options. They knew that with the Wang family making such a scene, they needed to think carefully.

 

As for Zhu Qun, he saw the hostile gazes of the crowd and immediately began to retreat, hoping his parents would speak on his behalf.

 

Zhu’s father, who usually carried himself with some pride at home, couldn’t compare to Lin’s father in this situation. He had no choice but to point at Zhu’s mother, criticizing her for speaking crudely and embarrassing him. He had no other options.

 

“Phew! What nonsense you’re spouting! You claim my niece pushed yours into the water, but she clearly fell in herself, and my niece was trying to save her! So what if a young girl who married into a family does some chores? Should she sit idly and enjoy her life every day? She received medicine when she was sick, didn’t she? A girl with no virtues can’t be raised properly; who can we blame?”

 

“And besides, we’ve already divorced her! Why can’t we remarry? She’s just unfilial! She has no redeeming qualities! What have we said that’s incorrect?”

 

Before she could finish her statement, Lin’s mother took a swift step forward. Seizing Zhu’s mother by the collar with his left hand, he delivered three resounding slaps with his right hand. The sound echoed sharply and crisply, indicating that he had put all his strength into it. It was a release of pent-up frustration.

 

“Ahhhh! You wretch, how dare you hit me!”

 

Zhu’s mother’s face turned red and swollen, almost dazed by the slaps.

When Zhu’s mother attempted to raise her hand to strike Lin’s mother, Jing Yi reacted swiftly. He rushed over to shield Lin’s mother, and Zhu’s mother’s hand barely grazed his back, causing no harm.

 

At this point, Lin’s father also arrived on the other side of Lin’s mother, forming a protective barrier along with Jing Yi. The people from Wang family village who stood behind them took a few steps forward to emphasize the threat.

 

Jing Yi took the initiative and asked Dongkuan Village’s village chief, “Village Chief, do you endorse what Aunt Zhu has been saying? Is it a common practice in Dongkuan Village for a married woman to return and do household chores? Do you believe that if a married woman falls ill, she should fend for herself after taking medicine? Do you think women married into Dongkuan Village are all cursed with bad luck?”

 

The village chief of Dongkuan Village, who had a headache due to this situation, couldn’t avoid responding carefully, “Of course not. This young man, the Zhu family is just venting in anger. We in Dongkuan Village are known for our hospitality.”

 

At this point, he couldn’t feign ignorance any longer and cautiously inquired about Lin’s family’s stance.

 

Lin’s father exchanged glances with the clan elders and the village chief, then turned to Jing Yi and said, “Xiao Yi, it’s your turn.”

 

Jing Yi spoke loudly, “Dongkuan Village’s village chief, we don’t want much, just justice! First, send Honghua back, and we’ll report this matter to the authorities. Second, the Zhu family keeps saying they divorced her because she’s barren, but according to the laws of Dayuan, a wife can only be divorced if she is without pregnancy for five years. Our eldest daughter has been married into the Zhu family for less than three years. I’d like to ask, how can they divorce her? Third, since they can’t divorce her, according to Dayuan’s laws, anyone taking a concubine must have the consent of their legal wife, or they can be accused of favoring a concubine and harming the wife!”

 

This time, the people from Dongkuan Village realized that this young man was indeed not to be trifled with. He made valid points and argued persuasively, mentioning the laws of Dayuan. This was not an easy situation to handle. Who would want their village affairs to end up in the local authorities, especially when it didn’t involve loss of life?

 

Upon hearing that they might go to the authorities, the Zhu family members immediately backed down, tearfully asking the village chief to mediate on their behalf. They genuinely didn’t have any divorce documents, and they had just learned that divorcing their wife wasn’t as easy as they thought.

 

The village chief of Dongkuan Village was eager to leave and didn’t want to embarrass himself further, but he couldn’t ignore his villagers. “Everyone, let’s talk things over. We understand your love for your daughter. However, it won’t benefit either of our villages if we go to the authorities. It’ll tarnish our reputation and strain our relations. Even your own village might end up with a reputation of being ‘difficult to deal with.'”

 

He glanced at the village chief and elders from Wangjiazhuang village, who seemed to be considering his words. Then he proposed an idea that seemed far-fetched, “How about this? Let the Zhu family immediately break off this marriage, and Zhu Qun goes to Wangjiazhuang village to bring back Qiuying. The Zhu family should apologize to her. How does that sound? We promise to never let Honghua set foot in Zhu’s house again!”