Chapter 45: Either Give Us the Girl or Pay Up

Mother Chen yelled, “Your family received 300 yuan in bride price from us.  It’s real money, with a signed receipt.”

Deng’s mother charged at Mother Chen, “Bullshit, you’ll be struck by lightning for lying.”

Mother Chen circled Qiao Fangfang, dodging Deng’s mother, and took out a receipt, “Your daughter-in-law received it. I gave it to her personally.

She proposed marriage herself, took 300 yuan, and said we could come get her this morning!”

Mother Chen pushed Qiao Fangfang.

Qiao Fangfang was stunned, then waved at Deng’s mother, “Mom, it’s a misunderstanding! I took 300 yuan, but I wasn’t talking about my younger sister…”

Deng’s mother, hearing her admit to taking the money, slapped her.

Qiao Fangfang spun around and fell to the ground.

This was Qiao Fangfang’s doing!

Deng Ming, hearing his wife’s screams, left his sister and ran to Qiao Fangfang.

“Fangfang, Fangfang, are you okay?”

Seeing Qiao Fangfang bleeding, he yelled at Deng’s mother, “Mom, what are you doing? Why did you hit Fangfang? She’s my wife!!!

You believed them without explanation?  They said Xiangcui was their daughter-in-law, would you believe that?

Do you think I don’t know what kind of person Fangfang is? You’re doing this on purpose! If you hate us, let us leave!”

Deng’s mother hadn’t cried when they were bullied or when Mother Chen was hitting her.

But her son’s words made her cry.

Onlookers ran to call for help.  Someone shouted,

“The village chief is here! Stop fighting!”

The Deng house fell silent.

The Chens and Dengs filled the living room.  Deng Mingjun, the village chief, was Deng’s uncle.

He wanted to favor his family, but the Chens were from town, and they were from a village. He was wary.

“What happened? Tell me clearly.”

Deng Mingjun, with a serious face, lectured them,

“You came to grab a girl this early in the morning? Are you bandits or troublemakers?

Our party and ancestors paid a bloody price for our peaceful lives.

You came to grab someone. Do you think there’s no law?

You’re disrupting the peace and order! Do you want us to live in fear again?

If you don’t explain, I’ll ask your village chief if your village is dissatisfied with our party!”

Everyone was silent.

The Dengs, feeling empowered, looked down on the Chens.

Chen Sheng was furious. He didn’t care about the lecture. He had a reason.

“Village chief, don’t lecture me. I’m not afraid of the police.  Debts must be repaid, and marriage is natural.

You say our village is dissatisfied with the party. I say yours is!

You use your daughter to scam people.  What’s the difference between you and the capitalists who exploited the poor?”

Mother Chen joined in,

“Yes, my son is right. Don’t bully us.  The authorities will support us.”

Deng Mingjun looked at the Chens and softened his tone.

“Alright, tell me what happened.”

Mother Chen recounted the story, saying Qiao Fangfang came to them, claiming her younger sister liked Chen Sheng and wanted to marry him.

Qiao Fangfang denied it, but the Chens showed the signed receipt with her fingerprint, clearly stating she received 300 yuan in bride price.

Qiao Fangfang argued that she was arranging the marriage for her niece, not her sister-in-law.  The Chens were twisting things.

The Chens disagreed.  A married sister-in-law wouldn’t arrange her niece’s marriage while her parents and grandparents were still alive.

But a sister-in-law arranging a marriage for her sister-in-law was plausible.

Deng’s mother glared at Qiao Fangfang, “My husband and I are still alive!  How can an outsider decide on our daughter’s marriage?

Da Ming, look at the wife you married! I said she wasn’t suitable! She’s a flirt! You didn’t listen to me.

Now she’s trying to sell your sister! She’ll even chew our bones!”

Deng Ming coldly looked at Qiao Fangfang, “Did you do this?”

Qiao Fangfang was caught red-handed.

She cried, begging her husband, “Da Ming, believe me, I didn’t, it’s not true, they tricked me…”

Chen Sheng didn’t care, “It’s clear now. Solve your family problems. We gave you 300 yuan.

He stared at Deng Xiangcui, “Either give us Xiangcui, or pay us back the bride price, and set off firecrackers according to our customs!”

The Chens left, not wanting to push them too hard.

“We won’t force you to answer today. We’ll come back tomorrow. Solve your family problems.”

After the Chens left, Deng Xiangcui, pale, cried, “Mom, Mom, I don’t want to marry into the Chen family! Save me! Qiao Fangfang took the money! Make her go!”

Deng’s mother hugged her daughter and cried.

Deng’s father smoked silently.

Deng Ming slapped Qiao Fangfang, “Idiot, give back the money!!!”

Deng’s mother grabbed Qiao Fangfang’s hair and dragged her into her son’s room.  She had wanted to hit Qiao Fangfang for a long time.

“Shameless bitch, give me the money! If anything happens to Xiangcui, I’ll skin you alive!”

Qiao Fangfang screamed for help. Deng Ming looked away.

Deng’s mother found ten yuan notes in Qiao Fangfang’s cabinet.

“Where’s the rest? Where did you hide it?” Deng’s mother hit and kicked Qiao Fangfang.

Qiao Fangfang protected her head, “Mom, stop! I’ll tell you!  Two hundred yuan… with… with my mother!”

Deng’s mother went crazy, hitting Qiao Fangfang, “I’ll kill you! You used the money to help your poor family!”

“Husband, Da Ming, call people! Let’s go to Gaoshi Village!

I’ve endured Lei Honghua for too long!!!”