Chapter 10: Another 888?

Moreover, the coffin contained a pregnant woman, and the child was stuck in the birth canal, resulting in two lives lost.

At that time, some superstitious beliefs spread among the villagers, thinking that everyone around would face misfortune.

To appease them, Zhang Yuanxiu stayed in place and performed rituals for seven days.

After that, business picked up, so he sent his eldest son, Zhang Tingyi, to handle it.

That’s when the trouble started.

It had rained the night before, making the roads slippery, and he slipped and fell into a ditch.

The ditch wasn’t deep; the soil was soft, and normally a fall wouldn’t be fatal.

Unfortunately, he fell in headfirst, breaking his neck and dying on the spot.

It could be called a coincidence or an accident, but the villagers’ superstitions insisted that Zhang Yuanxiu’s family was doomed, that they would be haunted by the pregnant woman’s corpse, and that the family would fall apart.

With rumors spreading like this, who would dare marry their daughter into their family?

Even the eldest daughter-in-law was scared off.

Putting superstition aside, Zhang Tingyuan’s mute nephew was a burden they couldn’t shake off.

The Zhang family had told the matchmaker that no matter whose daughter it was, she had to accept Zhang Jianguo.

With all kinds of disadvantages stacked against them, only Lin Bingwei, raised by wild parents, would consider marrying into their family.

Thinking about this made Lin Bingwei feel uneasy.

If it were a coincidence… if the original storyline were followed, Zhang Tingyuan would die, and the family would really fall apart.

And even now, she wasn’t sure if Zhang Tingyuan could survive.

If he couldn’t, what would happen to her in-laws?

They were good people and truly didn’t deserve such an ending.

…

The 888 they had in hand was gone, and Lin Wangsheng and his wife couldn’t swallow this anger.

Even though the police had advised them that day and the villagers had said to let it go, they still couldn’t get over it.

After two days of calm, the couple decided to cause a scene in Zhangjia Village.

They didn’t go directly to find Lin Bingwei at home but instead looked for Zhang Yuanxiu at the fields.

“Zhang Yuanxiu, I just want to ask you one thing: do you still recognize us as in-laws?”

Zhang Yuanxiu stopped his work, leaned on his hoe, and looked at them mockingly, “Are you my in-laws?”

After being enlightened by his daughter-in-law last time, he had come to understand some things.

Some troubles couldn’t be avoided just by showing weakness.

These people were also amusing; they usually thought he brought bad luck and wouldn’t want to team up with him even to dig a ditch.

But after a death in the family, they all came with smiles, offering cigarettes and alcohol, hoping to arrange a good burial for their elder and choose a feng shui site that would bless their descendants.

After so many years, he had become accustomed to it.

Lin Wangsheng said, “What do you mean? What do you mean we’re not your in-laws? Are you saying you don’t want to recognize us as in-laws anymore?”

“And what if I do recognize you? What if I don’t?”

“Hmph, as long as you still recognize us, you have to give us the 888 yuan you promised. If you don’t recognize us, I’ll have them divorce and take my daughter back. You’ve ruined a good young lady for your son; you owe us compensation.”

“Hah, take them away after divorce? They have a military marriage certificate; do you think you can just take them away? I’m telling you, even if you go to the judge in town, he wouldn’t dare rule for their divorce.”

Lin Wangsheng stared wide-eyed at Zhang Yuanxiu, circling around him before saying, “Oh, remarkable! I never knew you, Zhang the Taoist, were so overbearing. Do you realize you’re committing marriage fraud?”

Zhang Yuanxiu replied, “If you’re going to say that, then I might as well not recognize this marriage.”

“What? You won’t recognize us?” Bihua shouted.

Zhang Yuanxiu said, “Since Weiwei doesn’t recognize you anymore, why should we still be in-laws? Forget it; in the future, unless someone from your family dies, don’t come seeking me.”

“How can you talk like that? If I had known you’d be this way, I wouldn’t have married my daughter to your family.”

“Just right; I can’t afford to be your in-law anyway. Please step aside and don’t waste my time working.”

Lin Wangsheng and Bihua were stunned.

At this moment, Bihua, pulling her flabby face, shouted, “You know how to do business, taking my daughter away under false pretenses, and now you won’t recognize us. Let everyone judge this; is there really such a person?”

Her voice was both sharp and loud, attracting those working in the distance.

The villagers usually had no entertainment activities and loved to gather around for excitement.

With her shout, everyone surrounded them.

Li Yurong dropped her shovel and ran over, “Old man, what happened?”

Zhang Yuanxiu said, “It’s nothing serious; they just want to come and get the 888 yuan from us.”

“Ah? The 888 yuan that Weiwei brought back?”

“Yes.”

At this time, Bihua said, “As long as you admit it, everyone, now you’ve all heard it, right? Tell me, is there such a principle in this world? We only married Weiwei to their family’s Zhang Tingyuan after agreeing to pay the 888 yuan as dowry. Who would have thought that after she married on the first day, they would come to take the money the next day? Isn’t this just taking something for nothing? How can there be such a principle?”

Zhang Yuanxiu said, “Anyway, the 888 we promised was given to your family. My son Tingyuan personally handed it over to you, Bihua, and many people from your Lin family village witnessed it that day.”

Bihua replied, “Yes, it was taken, but it was also snatched back. Everyone in our village saw it. Since it was taken and then snatched back, it’s like it was never taken.”

As a man, Zhang Yuanxiu couldn’t match a woman’s verbal skills; he was barely holding on until his wife arrived.

Li Yurong stood in front of Zhang Yuanxiu and shouted back at Bihua, “What do you mean we took it back? Wasn’t that given to Weiwei by you? I heard Weiwei say you planned to use that money to buy her a three-turn-once-off, and since you didn’t have industrial tickets, you just gave her the money so she could buy it herself, right?”

This…

It was impossible to take both face and money, and when weighing the two, face meant nothing compared to money.

“When did we ever say that? It’s not true; that white-eyed wolf Lin Bingwei forcibly took it.”

“Right, she forcibly took it! Everyone in our village knows, and we even reported it to the police.”

Everyone knew the result of reporting to the police, and they all understood the situation.

Li Yurong chuckled, “Since you reported it to the police, isn’t that enough? What did the police say?”

Bihua, thick-skinned, forced herself to lie, “The police said there’s no such principle; taking money is illegal, and they ordered you to return it.”

“Oh, if that’s the case, call the police over. If they say this money is owed to you, then give it to you.”

Lin Wangsheng and his wife felt guilty.

It was impossible to call the police to help them claim it.

“This is so inappropriate; the police are very busy. How can they handle these small matters every day? Quickly give us the money to avoid trouble for everyone.”

“Get lost, you think too highly of yourself!” Li Yurong spat at her, coldly saying, “What are you pretending for? Acting like everyone is unaware. The police said, whoever from our Zhang family marries, the dowry belongs to them. You want to take it? Are you trying to marry into our Zhang family again?”