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Wang Qian was very curious about her uncle, whom she had never met. Her memories of him were quite vague, and she wanted to know what kind of man would marry someone like Wang Mei.
Today was Sunday, and after lunch, she persuaded her elder sister to visit their uncle’s house. Initially, Wang Xuan was reluctant, but after some persuasion, she agreed to accompany her.
As they entered their uncle’s courtyard, they overheard conversations inside, mostly filled with mutual flattery. Their second uncle’s words were particularly smooth and flattering, as if he were trying to win someone over.
Wang Qian was surprised by her second uncle’s eloquence. However, the last few sentences made her realize his true intentions. “Brother-in-law, do well in the city, get a government position. When my son grows up, he can benefit from his uncle’s connections and find a good job in the city,” he said.
Huang Youcai’s voice was then heard from inside, “Second brother, I appreciate your kind words. Let’s talk about this when the children are older.”
Hearing this, Wang Qian felt that her uncle wasn’t a fool. Her second uncle’s words had managed to smoothly pass over Huang Youcai.
Peeking through the window, she saw a man sitting on the heated brick bed, whose appearance was unremarkable and unrecognizable even when surrounded by people.
Finally seeing her uncle’s appearance, Wang Qian felt that he was a suitable match for Wang Mei.
The thought of such a robust physique paired with this man made Wang Qian’s mind wander into some wicked thoughts.
Just as she was about to leave with her sister, the conversation inside the house made her stop in her tracks.
“Mom, we have another matter to discuss today. There’s a leader from a state-owned unit who wants to arrange a marriage between his son and a girl from the village. He has promised to pay two hundred yuan as a betrothal gift. I think the conditions at Third Brother’s house aren’t very good, and they have suffered from famine. Why not arrange it for Wang Xuan?” Huang Youcai said.
Wang Zhenjiang was quite interested in this topic, and his eyes immediately lit up. He looked at Wang Mei curiously and asked, “Sister, do you think the boy’s family has poor conditions, or is there something wrong with the boy?”
Wang Mei gave Wang Zhenjiang a look. “What are you saying, Second Brother? The boy is fine, and his family conditions are good. They even live in a small apartment. They just want to find a rural girl who can adapt to City life. That’s why they have this idea.”
“Is their condition really that good? How old is the boy?” Wang Zhenjiang asked.
“He’s fifteen. They’re not in a hurry to get married; they just want to make the arrangement,” Wang Mei replied.
Wang Qian was initially indifferent to her uncle, but after hearing the conversation, she realized that this couple was equally matched. Wang Xuan, who was about to leave with her sister, became agitated upon hearing the conversation. She held her sister’s hand tightly, feeling a bit distressed.
“Don’t worry, sis. I’m here. No one should dare to harm you. Even if someone kills, I won’t let them target you,” Wang Qian reassured her.
Wang Qian was not just venting her anger. She hadn’t expected this wolf-hearted couple to target their family. “Sis, don’t be afraid. You still have us. Let’s listen to what Dad has to say,” she said. The two continued to crouch under the window, listening to the conversation.
If Wang Zhenhe didn’t understand the situation, he would be a fool. It seemed that his sister had targeted their children. He would never agree to this. He could tolerate being scolded or beaten, but not when it involved his own family.
Now that his family had been targeted, his anger flared up, and his voice turned cold. “Big sister, why didn’t you introduce this good opportunity to your brother-in-law’s niece? After all, that’s a good match. Our children don’t have the luxury of living in a small apartment,” he said.
Seeing his anger, Wang Mei continued to persuade him. “Third brother, I only offered this opportunity to our side because we are relatives. Besides, your daughter will eventually get married. Whether it’s early or late, it’s the same thing. Look at the good conditions they are offering. Two hundred yuan is more than enough to cover your deprivation,” she said.
Wang Zhenhe couldn’t contain himself any longer. He stood up, pointed at his sister, and said, “Wang Mei, I’m telling you, I will never sell my children, no matter how poor we are. Remember that.”
He then stormed out of the room, with Huang Youcai following behind, trying to calm him down. “Third brother, don’t be angry. Let’s discuss this properly,” he said.
Wang Qian and her sister stood up from under the window and saw a bamboo broom and a small broom nearby. She handed the large one to her sister and took the small one. She wanted the larger one, as the bamboo broom was particularly painful when used for hitting, but she was too weak.
“Sis, let’s do it,” Wang Qian said.
The two sisters then used the brooms to hit Huang Youcai, who was still arguing with their father, while scolding him. “What’s there to discuss? You heartless creature! How dare you target my sister! Today, if I don’t hit you, my surname isn’t Wang. I’m telling you, from now on, our family doesn’t have relatives like you.”
Huang Youcai was caught off guard and received a good beating from the two sisters. When he finally reacted, he quickly dodged the blows. Wang Qian spat at him and dropped the broom, then turned and left with Wang Zhenhe and Wang Xuan.
No one in the house expected the youngest daughter of the Wang family to act this way. The patriarch scolded his daughter, “Wang Mei, why didn’t you discuss this matter with us? You see, you deserved to be beaten.”
The matriarch was dissatisfied and complained, “Deserved to be beaten? My daughter didn’t say anything. This little brat is getting out of control. She’s been spoiled by the third son. She dares to hit her elders. If I had known, I would have strangled her when she was born.”
The eldest son, Wang Zhenhai, couldn’t stand it anymore. “Mom, you’re going too far. What Wang Mei hasn’t said anything? You can see clearly that the man is definitely problematic. Yet you’re targeting the children of the third son. You have no conscience. They are your own granddaughter and nephew.”
After saying this, Wang Zhenhai didn’t even look at anyone’s expression and left the house, feeling fed up with it.
Wang Zhenhe was pulled by his daughter, and his anger was still difficult to calm. He walked angrily, and Wang Qian and Wang Xuan led him to the edge of the reservoir.
The sisters didn’t say a word, allowing their father to calm down slowly. Some things needed him to figure out on his own.
When they saw their father had calmed down and was staring at the water, Wang Qian spoke slowly, “Dad, do you know why Aunt dared to target our family? Uncle and Second Uncle both have daughters. Why did she only choose our family? The problem lies with you. You are too compliant with their wishes. Whatever they want, you never hesitate. You treat them as family, but today you saw that they are not as good as outsiders. At least outsiders wouldn’t use the family name to scheme against us.”
Wang Zhenhe sighed and said, “Daughter, I understand what you’re saying. I just didn’t expect your aunt to become like this. She’s no longer the big sister I remember.”
After saying this, he angrily tossed the string of frog eggs he had found in the reservoir onto the bank.
Wang Qian couldn’t bear to watch. How many frogs were in that string of eggs, and yet her father had treated them so carelessly.
“Dad, stop fussing with the frog eggs. I hate to say this, but everyone is changing, except you. Everyone present today should have spoken up. You treat them as family, but they might not see you the same way. Let’s talk about your Mom. You might not like what I’m about to say, cause she’s your biological mother. But Look at her actions; they don’t reflect a mother’s behavior. She’s not respectable. But every time something happens, she thinks of you. Why? Because you’re obedient. Uncle and the others wouldn’t agree if they knew it was wrong. Even Aunt and Uncle’s children are grown-ups. It seems like they’re leaning towards Aunt’s side. To put it bluntly, Aunt wants to sell my sister to please Uncle’s leader, to secure a better future for herself. But who has ever thought about my sister’s life? She’s just an eleven-year-old child. If these heartless people try this again, I’ll take a knife to them.”
“Dad, even if you’re thinking about the lives of your so-called relatives, don’t provoke us. I’m putting it out there today. I’m willing to risk my life to protect those I care about. Think about it.”
Without waiting for Wang Zhenhe to respond, Wang Qian pulled Wang Xuan and headed home. Today, Wang Xuan truly began to admire her younger sister. Despite her young age, she dared to act.
“Sister, you were amazing today. I can’t believe we actually fought our uncle,” Wang Xuan said.
At this point, Wang Xuan felt a bit scared. Wang Qian held her hand and said, “Sister, we need to be strong from now on. The more you fear, the more trouble you’ll attract. We won’t cause trouble, but we won’t fear it either. If anyone dares to provoke us, we’ll fight back. Let’s see who’s afraid of death.”
Wang Qian now understood that the Wang family bullies the weak. The kinder you are to them, the more they see you as weak and easy to bully. They are disrespectful people.
Wang Xuan was still worried about the situation. “Sister, what if Grandma causes trouble? Will Dad sell me?”
Wang Qian felt sorry for her sister. She was too young to bear this burden. As they walked, she comforted her, “Sister, I won’t let you be sold. Mom and I will protect you.”
After returning home, the sisters repeated the conversation they had heard at lunch to their mother. Some things needed to be known by their mother to be prepared for those people.
Upon hearing this, Zhang Lan became anxious. She could tolerate mistreatment from her in-laws, but she had a limit, and that was her children.
Today, Wang Mei’s actions had become unbearable for her. She hugged her two daughters. “Xuan, don’t worry. Mom’s here. I’ll go settle the score with those jerks.”
Zhang Lan never used foul language, but today Wang Qian heard it for the first time. The sisters quickly stopped her. “Mom, calm down. We fought our uncle, and Wang Qian even scolded him. We’ve decided to cut ties with them from now on.”