Chapter 47: We Don’t Want This Daughter-in-Law

Deng Ming rushed forward, “Mom, Mom, calm down. Let’s go inside. Don’t let people see this.”

Lei Honghua slapped Deng Ming.  She hit his son because he hit her daughter!

“Who’s your mother, you useless thing? My daughter was mistreated, and I don’t care about onlookers!”

Deng Ming was stunned.

Deng’s mother rushed at Lei Honghua, “I wanted to spare you, but since you’re shameless, I won’t hold back.

I hit your daughter because we don’t want a daughter-in-law like her! We’re sending her back!”

Qiao Jiuwang came out and pulled Lei Honghua away, “Enough! Behave yourselves!”

He was speaking to both Lei Honghua and Deng’s mother.

Deng’s mother was furious.  Her daughter was almost sold by Qiao Fangfang, and the money went to her parents.

She came to seek justice, but her son was slapped.

“Yes, rules, you Qiao family are good at rules,” Deng’s mother said to Qiao Jiuwang, then scolded her son.

“You deserved that slap! First, I said not to marry a Qiao girl, but you did, ruining yourself and your family.

Second, I thought you’d support your sister, but you worried about her reputation.

She doesn’t appreciate you! Do you think that slap was unfair? You deserved it!”

Deng’s mother addressed the onlookers,

“My son tried to protect the Qiao family, but they didn’t appreciate it. Neither do I.

I’ll expose the Qiao family’s dirty deeds!  Should this daughter-in-law be beaten?”

Qiao Fangfang cried, begging Deng Ming.

Deng Ming pulled away his sleeve silently.

He was a man and needed face.

His mother-in-law slapped him in public, ruining his dignity.

His mother’s words increased his resentment towards Qiao Fangfang.

He liked Qiao Fangfang, but she had done wrong.

Why didn’t she apologize and give back the money? Why did she cause such a scene?

Hadn’t he been good to her?

Deng Ming looked coldly at Qiao Fangfang.

Deng’s mother said loudly,

“The Qiao girl sold my daughter without our permission, secretly taking the bride price! We only found out when they came to get her!”

The crowd was shocked. Everyone had daughters-in-law. If their daughters-in-law did this, they would beat them even worse.

Many eyes turned to Qiao Fangfang, and people immediately began to take up the Deng family’s cause.

“Fangfang’s only been married for half a year, right?  She’s awfully bold.”

“My goodness, this has never happened in these ten miles. A newlywed daughter-in-law selling her sister-in-law behind everyone’s back?”

“That’s too cruel!  Her in-laws are still young. If they can’t tolerate their daughter-in-law now, what will happen when the older generation is gone?”

Those who didn’t get along with Lei Honghua spoke even more bluntly, “Hey, what’s this?  It’s like what they say, ‘the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.’  Look at that old woman from the Lei family, what kind of person could she raise?  Maybe this was all Lei Honghua’s doing!”

Deng’s mother chimed in, “This sister is right! This really does have something to do with the Qiao family!  You don’t know, Qiao Fangfang sold my daughter for 300 kuai, and she sent 200 kuai back to her parents’ home!!!”

At this, many gasped.

“Goodness, this is outrageous!”

“Just now Qiao Jiuwang was criticizing others for being unruly, but their family’s actions are unheard of! Their daughter sold her sister-in-law to give money to her parents’ house…”

Qiao Jiuwang, hearing the whispers around him, could no longer stand still.

He lowered his voice, “Sister-in-law, what nonsense are you talking about? We know what kind of person our Fangfang is. She’s been working hard in your Deng family. You can’t slander her like this.

I know you’ve never liked our Fangfang, but your son was the one who begged to marry her! This is definitely a misunderstanding.

You’ve been a wife and you have a daughter yourself. You don’t need to push our Fangfang to her death!”

While Qiao Jiuwang reasoned with Deng’s mother, Lei Honghua, her face grim, pulled Qiao Fangfang aside and whispered,

“Fangfang, what’s going on? How could you be so bold? You dared to sell your sister-in-law? You’re usually so smart, why are you so foolish this time?

Even if you didn’t like that little vixen, you shouldn’t have done this now. Your father-in-law and mother-in-law are still young. Even if you’re in a hurry, you should wait until you’re pregnant before making trouble. You…”

Qiao Fangfang quickly interrupted Lei Honghua’s nagging, “Mom, what are you talking about? Don’t you know me? I’m not that stupid. I was tricked!”

“Wuwuwu, it was the Chen family. We told them it was Daya, but this morning they went to the Deng family to pick someone up and said they made a deal with me, not for Daya but for my sister-in-law.

Wuwuwu, Mom, I was set up! I can’t wash myself clean even if I jump into the Yellow River! Wuwuwu, I took the money, and I signed the agreement.

I didn’t notice there was no name on it. Wuwuwu, Mom, what should I do now? The Chen family said I either send the person over or pay them. Mom, save me! They’ll kill me…”

Lei Honghua’s eyes widened, “What did you say? Not Daya? How did it become your sister-in-law?”

While the mother and daughter whispered, Deng’s mother noticed and thought they were colluding. She pushed Qiao Jiuwang away, grabbed Qiao Fangfang’s hair, and threw her to the ground.

“Very good! A family of schemers!

They stall me over there, and they’re plotting something else here!”