Qin Sang remembered that the Original Body also disliked this second daughter very much. Although the Original Body herself was a woman and had suffered the hardships of being a daughter, she insisted on making her own children suffer those same hardships again.
This second daughter was married to the Butcher Hu in town when the third son took a wife. Butcher Hu's original wife couldn't endure his domestic violence and drowned herself in the river, leaving behind a son and a daughter with no one to care for them.
The Butcher Hu's family was one that no one in town dared to provoke. The Original Body sold her second daughter to him for the high price of ten taels of silver.
In her memory, the second daughter never returned home after getting married. Then, whenever there was a big market day, the Original Body would come to town to find her second daughter to buy meat, naturally, without paying.
After doing this twice, the second son-in-law found out. Butcher Hu threatened her with a knife, and after that, the Original Body stopped coming to buy meat.
Qin Sang had been to town several times and hadn't seen anyone at the meat stall. Today, she planned to buy more to distribute among the four of them, which reminded her of this matter.
Arriving at the meat stall, it was still empty. Qin Sang understood; the weather was very hot, so one had to go early to buy meat.
Qin Sang remembered Butcher Hu's home. The Original Body had received the ten taels of silver at Butcher Hu's house and personally brought her daughter there.
Finding the main door, Qin Sang knocked.
After a moment, the door opened. Tian Erfu saw her smiling Mother standing at the entrance and froze.
She instinctively looked back nervously at the inner room, then stepped out and closed the main door, lowering her voice, saying:
"Mother, why have you come?"
Qin Sang looked at her. Er Fu was fifteen this year, not tall, with a sallow and haggard complexion from malnutrition, completely lacking the innocence, youth, and vitality a fifteen-year-old should have.
Her eyes were full of fear, as if the person standing before her wasn't her Mother, but a jackal, and behind her, she stood helpless and weak, like a tiger or leopard.
"I want to buy a slab of meat. Do you still have any at home?"
Tian Erfu waved her hand tremblingly:
"No, there isn't any. The family hasn't slaughtered a pig for several days, Mother, please go back quickly."
As she waved her hand, Tian Erfu's sleeve fell down, revealing a section of her wrist. Qin Sang clearly saw crisscrossing purple and blue marks. Qin Sang grasped Er Fu's hand:
"He hit you?"
Tian Erfu nervously pulled her hand back, appearing flustered by Qin Sang's sudden concern:
"No, Mother, I'm fine, I fell."
As she spoke, Tian Erfu's eyes nervously glanced behind her, as if afraid someone inside the house might hear.
Qin Sang's heart tightened. She suddenly raised her voice:
"Why are you the only one coming out to greet me? Where's my son-in-law? Doesn't a Mother-in-law get invited inside to sit down?"
Tian Erfu's body trembled, and she stared at Qin Sang with frightened, wide eyes.
Indeed, there was someone in the courtyard. The door creaked open, and Butcher Hu, tall and burly, appeared at the doorway, almost as tall as the doorframe. He was only a few years younger than Qin Sang.
To sell her own daughter to such a fierce and evil man as a second wife.
The Original Body's heart was truly harder than a knife that had butchered fish for ten years at Darunfa.
Qin Sang was speechless.
Butcher Hu, as strong as an ox, with a fierce face and menacing eyes, saw Qin Sang and said with displeasure:
"Widow Tian? What are you doing at our house?"
Qin Sang wasn't intimidated:
"You're my second son-in-law, can't I come?"
Butcher Hu sneered:
"What son-in-law's house? Don't forget what was said back then."
Fortunately, Qin Sang had the memory of that time:
"I did say at the time that my daughter, marrying into your family, would certainly be obedient and sensible, help you raise your children well, and not cause you any worry. Has my daughter failed to do so?"
Since no deed of sale was signed, they were still daughter and son-in-law. Even if this were brought before the authorities, Qin Sang would be in the right.
Butcher Hu didn't know what Qin Sang was planning, but he knew what kind of person Qin Sang was:
"What, trying to go back on your word? Trying to scheme against our family? You probably don't know how sharp our knives are."
No sooner had Butcher Hu finished his threatening words than Tian Dazhuang, Tian Youdi, and the others behind Qin Sang stepped forward.
Although Butcher Hu was strong, Qin Sang had more people.
And her brother was carrying an axe and a bow and arrows, so Butcher Hu was perceptive:
"What, you even brought people? Our house has no water or food to entertain you."
Qin Sang said:
"Don't worry, I'm here today to take Er Fu home to work for a few days.
Our family needs to harvest grain, and her third sister-in-law is pregnant again. There's too much work at home, so she needs to go back and help."
Tian Dazhuang, standing beside her, didn't understand why Mother wanted Er Fu to come home to work. The family's fields had all been contracted out to Old Man Qiao. Was she calling Er Fu home to make mosquito coils?
He clamped his mouth shut. He had already said the wrong thing today and couldn't make Mother unhappy again.
There must be a reason for Mother to say this; Mother couldn't be wrong.
The others also had no intention of speaking out. Nowadays, Qin Sang's influence and authority in the eyes of Tianjia Village villagers were different from before.
People were instinctively willing to follow her arrangements.
Tian Erfu bit her lower lip and hid in the corner of the door.
Butcher Hu was unwilling:
"If she goes back, who will do the work in my house?"
Qin Sang had to get Tian Erfu back first:
"What work can be done in this dry weather?
Does your family even have water to wash clothes?
Besides, it won't be many days. If Er Fu is indispensable for work, you're still my son-in-law, aren't you? Then you, as the son-in-law, should go back and help your Mother-in-law for two days, alright?"
How could Butcher Hu agree? He initially thought this Widow Tian was here for pork, but it turned out she wasn't. Letting his wife go back to work for a few days wasn't a big deal; anyway, it was a drought now, and without water to scald the pigs, he couldn't slaughter them.
Taking her away was good; it would save a few days' rations and a few gulps of water. Maybe the heavens would send rain in a few days:
"Then for how many days are you taking her back?"
"Three days. I'll send her back after three days."
Qin Sang held up three fingers.
Butcher Hu then impatiently waved his hand:
"Take her, take her. All day long, she can't even fart loudly with a slap; just looking at her is annoying.
Widow Tian, three days! If you don't send her back, I'll come to your house with my pig-slaughtering knife."
Qin Sang narrowed her eyes, and the smile on her lips turned cold. She turned and pulled Tian Erfu's hand, walking away.
Tian Erfu showed no sign of resistance, silently following Qin Sang with her head down.
Qin Sang jumped onto the flatbed cart and saw Er Fu standing still.
"Why aren't you getting on the cart?"
Tian Erfu raised her head in bewilderment:
"Can... can I sit?"
Qin Sang looked at Butcher Hu, who was still standing at the doorway. She decided to get the person back first. Qin Sang said sternly:
"If you don't get on the cart, can those two legs of yours keep up?
Do you want all of us to take care of just you?"
Tian Erfu reluctantly got onto the flatbed cart, shrinking into a corner with red eyes.
Qin Sang told Hunter Xu and the others to get on the cart. In this scorching sun, it was best to return to the village as quickly as possible.
Qin Sang's carriage was a little behind, moving slowly, mainly because she was afraid Er Fu wouldn't sit steadily and would fall off.
Qin Sang took a biscuit from her bosom and handed her a water skin:
"Eat something."
Tian Erfu didn't dare to reach out and take it: "Mother, I... I'm not hungry."
Qin Sang
How could Tian Erfu dare? She was just scared. She had never eaten such a fragrant biscuit before.
Moreover, water was so scarce in town now, yet Mother had given her a water skin full of water.
She was afraid that Mother being suddenly so kind to her meant she wanted her to do something she dared not do.
Just like last time, Mother suddenly said she would take her to town, and then, she gave her away to her current husband.
Qin Sang saw her timid and submissive appearance and pursed her lips.
This whole family, they wouldn't listen to gentle words, but when Qin Sang got fierce, each one was easier to handle than the last.
Qin Sang simply said directly:
"I'm giving it to you to eat, and you're being picky?"