Chapter 17: Force Me to Die

At some point, the limping old man broke free from the man restraining him. When he saw Ye Yunzhou coming out of his wife’s room, his eyes turned blood-red. It was as if he’d just been cuckolded, and in a fit of rage, he lost all rationality and charged at Ye Yunzhou.

His fists pounded heavily on Ye Yunzhou. “I knew it! I knew something was off when you kicked me out earlier. Turns out you wanted to sleep with my wife!”

“I paid a hundred yuan for that woman! I haven’t even touched her, and you got to her first!”

“If I don’t beat you to death tonight, I’ll take your surname!”

Although the limping man had some strength, he was no match for Ye Yunzhou, a trained soldier.

Ye Yunzhou quickly turned the tables, pinning him down. Furious after hearing his words, he snapped, “What hundred yuan? Who’s your wife?”

Pinned to the ground, the limping man struggled with all his might, but couldn’t break free. Enraged, he shouted, “The eldest daughter of the Zheng family! Her mother came to me yesterday and offered her to me in marriage. I even gave her a hundred yuan today. She told me to come pick up my wife tonight. She said her daughter might resist, and wanted me to get things done while still in her house once it was a done deal, the girl would have no choice but to accept it.”

“It was you! You’re the one who kicked me out at the door, only to sneak in and sleep with my woman! Let me go! I’m telling you, my woman isn’t for just anyone to touch!”

His words stunned everyone present. No one could believe such a heartless mother existed in this world.

The daughter had already been promised to someone else. She was already expected to have a hard life marrying into the Ye family, yet her parents were still willing to push her further into hell.

Ye Yunzhou had never imagined things would turn out like this. No wonder, the moment he entered, Jiaojiao had pulled him into the room and clung to him without restraint. No matter how he tried to resist or reason with her, she wouldn’t listen.

It was because she had been drugged.

Ye Yunzhou looked toward Zheng Qingning.

They’d eaten at the same table why was she the only one unaffected?

Noticing Ye Yunzhou’s suspicious gaze, Zheng Qingning looked up and met his eyes coldly, devoid of any emotion, as if she were merely a bystander rather than part of this chaotic scene.

Just as Ye Yunzhou tried to find some trace of guilt any guilt in her expression, she suddenly changed her expression dramatically and threw herself into the arms of a nearby auntie.

“I don’t want to live anymore. What’s the point of going on?”

“Ever since my younger sister was sent to the countryside, my brother has treated me with cold indifference. One snowy day, he pushed me into a frozen river just because I didn’t give candy to my sister.”

“I had to write my homework on my hands every day and only dared to wash them after the teacher checked it afraid I couldn’t hand it in, afraid my parents would stop me from going to school. Even so, my brother still tried to stop me from attending school because my grades were better than my sister’s, and that made her upset.”

“My teacher told us we should say ‘mom and dad’ instead of ‘father and mother,’ but because my sister didn’t like it and wanted me to be like our cousin from the countryside, they forbade me from changing how I addressed them.”

“I thought my life would always be full of darkness. But then the Ye family came to propose marriage. I thought I could finally escape this loveless home and start a new life. But…”

“But my sister still wouldn’t let me go. She already has everything my parents’ love, my brother’s affection, my grandparents’ favoritism why does she still have to steal my fiancé? Sob…”

Zheng Qingning cried bitterly, not as an act, but from the pain of her tragic past.

Some in the audience murmured online comments:

“She really has had a rough life.”

“What rough life? If her father hadn’t brought her back, she would’ve died in the wild.”

“So what? She got a few beatings and didn’t eat well. She’s being dramatic.”

The aunties present wiped away tears. They had seen what kind of life Zheng Qingning lived in the compound over the years. Even her teacher once came to their homes to ask about her homework situation.

The next day, she’d show up at school with a swollen face.

Back then, everyone thought it was normal girls weren’t as important as boys. Getting scolded, hit, and doing chores was just part of being a girl.

But now, seeing how differently the Zhengs treated their other daughter, they realized Zheng Qingning was never treated like a real daughter.

Ye Yunzhou stood frozen, as if hearing about Zheng Qingning’s suffering for the first time.

No it wasn’t that he didn’t know. He just didn’t want to think about it.

Their families lived close. He’d heard things as a child. Later, Jiaojiao would bad-mouth Zheng Qingning in front of him.

Maybe he didn’t want to think badly of Jiaojiao, so he deliberately ignored what he knew about Zheng Qingning’s life.

The Zheng parents, now disheveled, with signs of intimacy still visible on them, had heard every word both from the limping man and from Zheng Qingning.

They wished time could rewind, undo everything.

Zheng’s father looked at Zheng Qingning with cold, hateful eyes. If the situation weren’t so dire, he might’ve killed her on the spot.

If he’d known she’d cause such trouble, he would never have brought her home back then.

Zheng’s mother’s legs went weak. She couldn’t understand how everything had spiraled so far out of control.

They had planned everything so perfectly.

Tonight was supposed to be the night Zheng Qingning’s reputation was destroyed, when she’d become known as “damaged goods” and be forced to leave with the limping old man.

Why?

Why had it all fallen apart?

Zheng Jiaojiao was still hiding in the room, too afraid to come out. She was terrified that tomorrow she would be paraded through the streets or sent to a labor farm.

She didn’t want that…

All she wanted was to be with Brother Ye. Why had things turned out like this?

It was all Zheng Qingning’s fault. She was supposed to drink the drugged soda right in front of her why didn’t she?

Why was it them who got drugged instead?

Jiaojiao’s eyes were full of unresolved hatred. Coupled with the pain in her body, she couldn’t stop crying.

The limping old man spotted Zheng’s mother and immediately started cursing. “You whore! Where’s my wife? You took my money and now won’t give me my wife? I’ll kill you!”

“Calm down!” Ye Yunzhou shoved the man aside and turned to Zheng’s mother. “Auntie, is what he said true?”

“You promised me just this morning that Qingning and I would hold a banquet the day after tomorrow. Why would you lie to me?”

Zheng’s mother frantically waved her hands, trying to explain. But with the truth laid bare, no excuse would suffice.

“It’s not like that… it’s not… I…”

Ye Yunzhou closed his eyes.

It was all over.

All his plans were ruined.

At that moment, Zheng Qingning knelt before the crowd and, with tears in her eyes, said, “Uncles, aunties, please give me justice. I’ve suffered in the Zheng household for years. As a daughter, I never complained about hard work or pain.”

“But… but Yunzhou is my fiancé!”

“My own family schemed against me, stole my engagement, and sold me to a cripple. They’re trying to force me to die!”

“I beg you, please give me a way to live. I’m only eighteen. I still want to serve my country. I don’t want to die. Please, help me!”

The crowd was deeply moved. Many had tears in their eyes as they turned their fury toward Zheng’s parents.

“Are you even human? Look what you’ve done to this girl!”

“You’re worse than animals!”

“Qingning, get up. We’ll stand with you. Say what you want we’ll support you.”

“We’ve seen your suffering over the years. But what’s done is done. Blood is thicker than water, and no matter how awful they are, they’re still your parents.”

Zheng Qingning knew they were trying to stop her from going too far.

But she wasn’t their daughter. She might not even share their surname. So no, blood wasn’t thicker than water in her case.

She straightened her back and, with unwavering resolve, declared: “I want to sever all ties.”