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After reaching a consensus on building the house, the grandfather and granddaughter leisurely headed back for a meal. The children at home were already up, and Zhang Hua had cooked the crabs. Yang Jian and Cong Fei were seated in the courtyard, relishing the freshly caught crabs. The new crabs were a delicacy they couldn’t resist, having previously only admired them at the market without being able to afford them. Now, they were determined to enjoy them.
“Auntie, finish your meal and take some crabs back home. You have things to attend to there. We’ll stay here with Grandpa. I’ll have my brother go back and inform Dad. I’ll stay here to keep an eye on things,” Wang Qian suggested.
Zhang Hua felt a sense of relief with her young niece overseeing things. With her around, she wasn’t worried about any trouble from Qu Zhaodi and the others. This girl was resourceful and could handle any situation better than her.
“Alright, I’ll head back later this morning. If there’s anything, inform Auntie,” Wang Qian replied.
After breakfast, Mingcheng stayed behind while Mingyuan and the others went home to relay the news. He was concerned about his sister managing alone amidst potential troublemakers.
Zhang Wanyou sat contentedly in his newly tidied home, appreciating the cleanliness. Mingcheng and his sister sat in the courtyard, snacking on crabs. Zhang Wei entered looking disheveled.
“Dad, can you talk to the police and have them release Zhou Ping? She hasn’t done anything wrong. Being taken away like that is embarrassing. Aren’t you worried about rumors spreading?” Zhang Wei pleaded.
Wang Qian sneered, “Uncle, you’re quite the dutiful one, aren’t you? Do you forget about the fertilizer in Grandpa’s room? Aren’t you afraid of karma catching up? You have the nerve to worry about gossip now? How convenient that you weren’t afraid back then. You didn’t bat an eye when your wife was throwing the fertilizer in your father’s house. Get out of this yard now, or I’ll have the police arrest you along with Zhou Ping. You think you can come here and cause trouble? Why didn’t you step in when your wife was struggling? Get lost.”
Zhang Wei glared with bloodshot eyes, “You little brat, the affairs of our Zhang family don’t concern you. Who do you think you are? You’re just a waste of space.”
Upon hearing this, Mingcheng swiftly intervened, unbuckling his belt and approaching Zhang Wei, “How dare you speak to my sister like that? You’re asking for a beating. I’ll teach you a lesson today on behalf of Grandpa.”
After receiving a thrashing, Zhang Wei fled in fear. Seeing this, Zhang Wanyou picked up a stick and approached his son, enraged. “You ungrateful scoundrel! Your mother nearly died because of you. I should’ve disowned you long ago.”
Furious at his son’s behavior, Zhang Wanyou couldn’t contain his anger. He remembered how his neighbors had helped when he was gravely ill, but his son had been absent, seemingly waiting for his demise to seize the house for himself.
Despite the chaos, Zhang Wei refused to leave the premises, prompting Wang Qian to issue a final warning, “Uncle, I advise you to leave now. Otherwise, be prepared to be taken away. You and your wife can keep each other company in prison.”
Zhang Wei couldn’t care less about the advice he received; his priority was to bring back his wife. Enduring a beating was a small price to pay compared to the prospect of his family falling apart due to his actions. He realized that reconciling with his wife was crucial to his well-being and restoring peace in his household.
“Dad, please don’t be angry. Zhou Ping made a mistake, but let’s not stoop to her level. After this incident, she won’t dare again. Show some compassion and bring her back. You can’t bear to see your son’s family torn apart,” Zhang Wei pleaded, hoping his father would heed his words.
Zhang Wanyou, feeling defeated, dropped the stick. He had lost all desire to continue the confrontation. However, Wang Qian persisted.
“Uncle, if you want her back, you and your wife will have to sleep in the room full of fertilizer for a week. If you think you can handle it, try two days first. Once we bring your wife back, you can make up for lost time. What do you say?” Wang Qian proposed, adding a condition to their reconciliation.
Zhang Wei vehemently shook his head, “That’s unacceptable. I can’t bear even a day of that. Dad, you won’t want to see me suffer, right? After all, I’m your son.”
Wang Qian was taken aback by her uncle’s shamelessness. She had never interacted with him closely before, always seeing Zhou Ping as the one in charge. Zhang Wei typically hid behind his wife. This encounter revealed their true colors – they were equally culpable. Before marrying Zhou Ping, Zhang Wei might have been different, but years of living with her had transformed him into someone she no longer recognized.
Zhang Wanyou couldn’t contain his anger when reminded of the incident involving ammonium sulfate. Tears streamed down his face as he expressed his frustration, feeling deeply hurt by his son’s actions. This outburst was a rare display of emotion from him, leaving Wang Qian and Mingcheng astonished.
Mingcheng approached his grandfather, trying to console him, “Grandpa, shedding tears for someone like him isn’t worth it. Let’s not cry over him.”
Zhang Wanyou wasn’t crying for anyone else but himself. After years of hard work raising his son, seeing him turn out this way was a source of immense disappointment.
“For the Zhang family, not having a morsel of food, your mother worked tirelessly to feed you. Her feet were bloody and bruised from the effort. Do you remember what you said back then? You promised to take care of her and cook for her when you grew up. Do you still remember those words? Your mother almost died recently. Do you have any conscience left? Reflect on your actions. Have we ever wronged you? If your elder sister hadn’t gone to such lengths to feed you, would she have died? Are you living up to your deceased sister’s memory?” Zhang Wanyou’s voice trembled as he spoke of his eldest daughter, the one he felt the most regret for.
Zhang Wei, possibly moved by his father’s words, showed a hint of complex emotions in his eyes. Although he seemed to want to say something, his lips trembled in silence, leaving Wang Qian and the others unaware of his thoughts.
Zhang Wei glanced at his father, then at his two furious nephews, feeling lost and conflicted. He had followed his wife’s instructions for so many years that he now seemed unsure of what to do next. Qu Zhaodi, hiding in Zhang Wei’s yard, couldn’t bear to listen any longer. He grabbed his grandson and hurried over to the other yard.
“Old Zhang, can you speak with some conscience? What did my daughter do to you? Why are you so bent on punishing her? She kindly brought you a bag of ammonium sulfate for your vegetable garden. Couldn’t you spare a bit for her? Are you intentionally making life difficult for your son? If you persist in being so heartless, my daughter will face endless misfortune. If you don’t resolve my daughter’s situation, I’ll come here every day to confront you. You won’t have a moment’s peace,” Qu Zhaodi demanded forcefully, her frustration evident.
Wang Qian observed the fierce demeanor of the elderly woman and understood why her daughter was the way she was. This mother was certainly not someone to be trifled with.
Sitting beside her grandfather, Wang Qian shot a disdainful glance at Qu Zhaodi, “Fine. Come and make a scene every day if you want. We’ll sit here and watch you cause a ruckus. Big brother, go fetch the captain to witness the show. Today, I’ll treat them to a live crying performance. Oh, I forgot to tell you, this house was purchased by a high-ranking official in town. Keep causing trouble, the more you stir, the higher the chance you’ll end up inside. Let’s see who’s really powerful here. Dare to disturb someone else’s property? You’re asking for trouble.”
Clearly, Qu Zhaodi was unfazed by Wang Qian’s words. Her resilience and reputation in the village were well known, and she wasn’t one to be easily intimidated.
Narrowing her eyes at the young girl in front of her, Qu Zhaodi sneered, “Do you think I’m easily frightened? If you don’t release my daughter, I will stand against your family.”
With a firm grip on Zhang Jiabao, Qu Zhaodi sat on the ground and began wailing loudly. Wang Qian wasn’t bothered by the crying, knowing that tears would eventually subside. While she enjoyed watching the commotion, her grandfather couldn’t tolerate such disruptions. He was a simple and honest farmer who detested unnecessary drama.
“Brother, help Grandpa walk by the seaside to relax. I’ll stay here,” Wang Qian suggested to Mingcheng, concerned about the situation unfolding before them, especially with Zhang Wei’s passive stance.
Mingcheng glanced at the scene on the ground and then at Zhang Wei standing motionless nearby. “Little sister, can you handle this on your own?” he inquired.
Wang Qian nodded reassuringly and whispered, “No problem. Let them cry all they want. I’ll do my own thing and ignore them. Let them cry, but there’s no audience here. Who are they performing for?”
As the commotion attracted neighbors, Wang Qian greeted them, “Dear neighbors, today I offer you a free show. Watch how this elderly lady performs. Feel free to share your thoughts on her acting skills.”