Seeing Zhao Youcai and Wang Xuehong enter the courtyard, then looking at the crowd of villagers inside, outside, and peering over the wall, Old Su nearly fainted on the spot.
"What's going on here?" Zhao Youcai demanded, his face grim as he looked at Old Su. "Uncle Su, I heard you were trying to sell that girl, Su Qing?"
"No, no, that's not what's happening. It's a misunderstanding, all a misunderstanding," Old Su said hurriedly. "Village Chief, Party Secretary, everything today is just a big misunderstanding. You mustn't listen to just one side of the story."
Aunt Tao said angrily, "What misunderstanding? We heard it loud and clear."
Then, she turned to encourage Su Qing. "Don't be afraid. Tell the Village Chief and the Party Secretary everything."
With her eyes red-rimmed, Su Qing said to Zhao Youcai and Wang Xuehong, "Village Chief, Party Secretary, my grandparents were going to sell me. I heard them plain as day yesterday. When I tried to resist, they knocked me out, tied me up, and locked me in a room. They even tried to ruin my reputation, to saddle me with shame and force me to marry that fool."
As she spoke, Su Qing pointed to Su Tao's room.
At that moment, with so many people crowded inside and outside the room, Su Tao had no chance to get dressed. She was still in her undershirt and shorts, huddled under a blanket. Shitou, being a fool, had no sense of shame and didn't think anything of being seen in his underclothes.
When Zhao Youcai and Wang Xuehong saw the scene in Su Tao's room, they erupted in anger. "What is the meaning of this? Get dressed, both of you! Everyone is watching!"
A few young men perched on the wall snickered and let out a whistle when they heard Zhao Youcai's shout. Su Tao heard it and wished the earth would swallow her whole.
'It's over, it's all over. So many people in the village have seen this. What am I going to do now?'
Before Su Tao could figure out what to do, Tian Aixiang rushed over and slapped her hard across the face several times. "You shameless thing! Get your clothes on, now!"
With that, she shooed everyone out of Su Tao's room. She then snatched the clothes off the floor and threw them in Su Tao's face. Su Tao clutched the clothes, her knuckles turning white, but she had no other choice. She could only get herself dressed first and figure out a plan later.
Su Qing, Su Qing!
In her heart, Su Tao was consumed with a venomous hatred for Su Qing.
But Su Qing paid no mind to what Su Tao was thinking. She continued to play the part of the pitiful victim, her face streaked with tears as she spoke to Zhao Youcai and Wang Xuehong. "Village Chief, Party Secretary, I don't dare live with my grandparents anymore. I'm begging you to stand up for me. Please make my grandparents return my family's property to me. I'm sixteen now; I can support myself."
"You damn girl! Think your wings have hardened, do you? How could you have grown up without us? You heartless, ungrateful wretch!" When Old Su heard that Su Qing not only wanted to separate from the Old Su Family but also wanted her family's property back, she flew into a rage.
"Now, that's not right, Aunt Su," Aunt Cuihua said, looking at Old Su with disdain. "We villagers have all seen how your Old Su Family has tormented this girl for the past few years. You took over her family's house, her yard, and even her father's job. On top of that, you made her work like a dog in your home. Just look at her, and then look at your other grandchildren. How do you have the nerve to say you're the ones who raised her?"
"This is our Old Su Family's business! It's none of your concern! You..." Old Su was about to throw another tantrum.
"You're two separate households. Are you saying we can't speak a word of justice?" Aunt Cuihua retorted, pursing her lips. "And don't try to shut me up by bringing up how you tried to get other families to take her a couple of years ago. We're poor, sure, we couldn't afford another mouth to feed back then. But Su Qing's grown now and can support herself. For you to keep squatting on her family's property is just plain wrong."
"You..." Just as Old Su was about to make another scene, Zhao Youcai shouted, "All of you, be quiet!"
After they fell silent, Zhao Youcai turned to Old Su and his wife. "Uncle Su, Aunt Su, let's not dwell on the past. Right now, this girl Su Qing is demanding to live on her own. Besides, the brigade office still has the official document from when her mother separated her household from the Old Su Family. So, today, we're making the call. You will take stock of her family's things and return them to the girl. From now on, Su Qing and the Old Su Family will be two separate households."
"No!" Old Su refused out of reflex.
"No?" Zhao Youcai snorted, turning his gaze to Old Su. "Uncle Su, is that what you think as well?"
Old Su took a long drag from his pipe. "Village Chief, you know as well as I do. Back then, we only took the girl in out of the kindness of our hearts because she was too young to support herself..."
Before Old Su could finish, Zhao Youcai cut him off with a wave of his hand. "Uncle Su, you know full well why you took Su Qing back to the main house, and we villagers aren't fools either. In the past, the girl endured her suffering in silence, so it wasn't our place to interfere. But now that she has made a request, as the Village Chief, I have to ensure justice is served. Don't you agree, Uncle Su?"
Old Su was left speechless by Zhao Youcai's words and shot a venomous glare at Su Qing.
Su Qing pretended not to notice. 'My goal today is to completely sever ties with the Old Su Family. Then, I'll deal with this wretched bunch one by one.'
Seeing Old Su remain silent, Zhao Youcai continued, "Uncle Su, if you insist on refusing, if you think the words of your Village Chief and Party Secretary carry no weight, then my only choice is to report this to the higher-ups. These days, things like seizing property, child abuse, and arranging a marriage against a woman's will... those are all crimes that can land you in jail. If the police come to the Old Su Family to arrest someone, it'll be out of our hands."
The moment she heard the word "police," Old Su's mind went blank. She slapped her thighs and began to wail, "This is a family matter! How did the police get involved? Village Chief, don't you try to scare an old woman like me! I wasn't born yesterday!"
"Want to test that theory?" Wang Xuehong, who had been quiet until now, chimed in.
The Old Su Family: "..."
'Who the hell would dare to test that? What if "messing around" led to "finding out" the hard way?'
Meanwhile, when Shi's mother heard that selling someone into marriage could lead to jail time, she quickly pulled Shitou aside, not daring to make a peep for fear of being noticed by Zhao Youcai and Wang Xuehong.
"Fine, fine! We'll separate," Old Su sighed heavily. He couldn't understand how the eternally submissive Su Qing had suddenly demanded this. 'Could she really have been pushed over the edge by the thought of marrying a fool?'
Regardless, in front of the Village Chief, the Party Secretary, and so many villagers, he couldn't stubbornly refuse. For one, the separation agreement still existed. For another, what if the police really did get involved? Would several members of the Old Su Family end up in jail? That would be an even greater humiliation.
"Old man!" Old Su cried, still unwilling to concede.
Old Su shot his wife a glare, then said to Zhao Youcai and Wang Xuehong, "Fine. Let Erya have those two rooms from before."
Old Su stamped her foot. "That damn brat! What gives her the right to two rooms? She gets one, that's it!"