Chapter 20: Li Sanfa Arrives

“Here, here, take it! Get out, take it!” Qiao Jiuwang’s head was spinning.

His eyes were filled with anger.  He cursed inwardly.  He would beat her to death once she came out. Thirty yuan? He’d almost kill her.

Qiao Youfu and his brother stared dumbfounded. Liu Afang’s eyes were full of worry. Her father-in-law was never this easygoing.

Jiangxin, you’ve caused trouble.

This won’t end well. Even if she gets the money, Qiao Jiuwang and Lei Honghua will settle the score later.

The family needs to split up quickly, but she had no idea how.

Lei Honghua, having slept with Qiao Jiuwang for years, knew how to read his face. Although she’d been slapped, she knew he was genuinely angry and didn’t dare to act up.

First, she was afraid Qiao Jiangxin would really kill the pigs, and second, she was afraid Qiao Jiuwang’s anger would be directed at her.

The pigs were Jianguo’s dowry, and they couldn’t be harmed.

Qiao Jiuwang wanted to coax Qiao Jiangxin out quickly. He grabbed the handkerchief from Lei Honghua.

“Aaaaaah, my money” Lei Honghua wailed.

Qiao Jiuwang ignored her, holding up the handkerchief, “Come out, I’ll give you the money.”

Qiao Jiangxin’s eyes flickered. She stepped into the pigsty. Qiao Jiuwang breathed a sigh of relief, a sharp glint in his eyes.

Liu Haimou, the only outsider, thought inwardly, what a pity.

Qiao Daya was brave but reckless. She would suffer a great loss, but it was their family matter, so he couldn’t interfere.

Qiao Jiangxin slowly climbed out of the pigsty, her eyes never leaving Qiao Jiuwang, who hadn’t moved his hand holding the handkerchief.

Finally, Qiao Jiangxin came out. She slowly walked towards Qiao Jiuwang, who had a smug smile on his face, “Here, here you go.”

Once he grabbed the girl, he would beat her to death.

“Grandpa? All of it?”

“Yes, to buy you clothes.”

Liu Afang spoke, “Jiangxin, quickly apologize to your grandpa…”

Qiao Jiangxin stopped her, “Mom, Grandpa is the head of the family, his words aren’t empty.”

Qiao Jiangxin stepped towards Qiao Jiuwang, who was pleased.

Before he could act, Qiao Jiangxin smiled, and with lightning speed, grabbed the handkerchief with one hand and raised the cleaver with the other.

Qiao Jiuwang, seeing the knife, instinctively took a step back, his heart almost leaping out of his throat, his back drenched in cold sweat.

Qiao Jiangxin also took a step back, handkerchief in hand, saying, “Thank you, Grandpa.  Blood relatives are different from outsiders.”

She deliberately glanced at Lei Honghua.

Lei Honghua had been watching Qiao Jiuwang. She knew he wouldn’t give the money to Qiao Jiangxin, he would trick her out and beat her.

But in the blink of an eye, the handkerchief with the money was in Qiao Jiangxin’s hands.  She lunged at Qiao Jiangxin, “Aaaaaah, my money”

Qiao Jiangxin casually raised the cleaver, and Lei Honghua slammed on the brakes, her shoes almost smoking against the ground.

“Grandpa gave this to me. Do you want to grab it too?”

Lei Honghua looked warily at the cleaver, slapped Qiao Jiuwang’s arm, then did her classic move sitting on the ground and slapping the ground while wailing.

“That’s all our money! You gave it to that bitch! Woo woo woo, I don’t want to live! Give me back my money! That’s the money for Jianguo’s grandson! That’s the money for Jianguo’s wedding!”

Qiao Jiuwang clenched his fists. He hadn’t expected Qiao Jiangxin to be so clever, she’d outsmarted him.

“Big Sister, you have the money now, can you put down the knife?”

Qiao Jiangxin shook her head, holding the knife in one hand and offering the handkerchief to Liu Haimou, “Here you go, Uncle Haimou, the medical fees.”

She didn’t put down the cleaver.

Liu Haimou tried to suppress his laughter, took a one-yuan bill and a ten-cent coin from the handkerchief, and gave a bottle of medicine to Liu Afang, “Don’t get it wet, change it once a day.”

Lei Honghua’s wailing made Qiao Jiuwang’s temples throb. He roared, “Stop wailing, I’m not dead yet!”

Lei Honghua choked back a sob.

“Come, Big Sister, that’s dangerous. Give me the knife,” Qiao Jiuwang forced a kind smile and held out his hand.

Qiao Jiangxin stepped aside, putting the handkerchief in her pocket, “No.”

She listened to the voices outside, “Grandpa, we’ll need this later. I’ll keep it. Don’t worry, no one will bully us.”

Qiao Jiuwang gritted his teeth, “Need it for what? I have so many sons, who dares to bully…”

“BANG!!!”

Before he finished, the door was kicked open.

The door slammed against the wall, bounced off the threshold, and then back against the wall several times, the old wooden door creaking loudly.

Everyone looked towards the door, where Li Sanfa and his wife stood, their faces grim, along with Qiao Jianhua and his wife, their eyes red, Li Sanfa’s son Li Xiaobing, and a crowd of onlookers.

Qiao Youfu looked anxiously at Qiao Jiangxin, his eyes filled with apprehension. It’s over, they’ve come to fight.

“Father-in-law…”

Lei Honghua had just started speaking when Qiao Jiangxin excitedly shouted,

“Grandpa, see? I told you we’d need it. They’re here to cause trouble.”

Li Sanfa’s face was grim.  On his way into the village, he’d overheard the women at the village entrance gossiping about the Qiao family.

He’d met Qiao Jianhua and his wife, and the women had subtly criticized Qiao Jianhua and Li Sanfa.

After a few polite inquiries, he learned that the whole village of Gaoshi knew Qiao Jiuwang wanted to adopt Xiaoping’s child to Qiao Youfu.