Chapter 21: Grandpa, Don’t Be Afraid

Qiao Jiuwang was the first to react, greeting them, “Oh, father-in-law, why are you here? Come in, come in, Jianhua, what are you standing there for? Quickly invite…”

Li Sanfa waved his hand, “No need to sit. Your Qiao family is too precious, I, Li Sanfa, am not worthy of stepping onto your land.”

His tone was clearly angry. The smile on Qiao Jiuwang’s face faded. He turned to his son, Qiao Jianhua.

“Jianhua, what’s going on? Did you anger your father-in-law?”

Qiao Jianhua’s eyes were red, “Dad, are you still my father? Why are you doing this to me? What good does ruining my reputation do you? Didn’t you say I shouldn’t worry about the family and should learn from my father-in-law? Now you…”

Li Xiaoping sobbed, covering her mouth.

Gao Cuilan pushed Qiao Jianhua aside, strode to Qiao Jiuwang, and spat, “Don’t pretend to be clueless! What’s going on? Don’t you know? Do you think we’re easy to bully? Do you think that because Xiaoping is carrying your Qiao family’s child, she’s bound to you?”

“Before the baby is even born, you dare to treat Xiaoping like this. What will happen after the birth? I tell you, we, the Li family, can raise a child. If things get worse, we’ll just separate!”

Seeing the situation, Lei Honghua stepped forward with a forced smile, “Father-in-law, what are you saying? Xiaoping is pregnant…”

Gao Cuilan retorted, “So what if she’s pregnant?  It’s better for her to go to my family than to be treated like this in your Qiao family!!”

The forced smile on Lei Honghua’s face faltered, “Heaven and earth are my witness, I treat Xiaoping like my own daughter, what are you saying, Sister Gao?”

“Don’t fool us anymore!  Are you going to adopt Xiaoping’s child to your widowed eldest son?”

“Who said that!!!”

“Who? Your eldest son went to see his son today! The whole village knows! Now you deny it? This is outrageous!  You’re not fit to be parents…”

While Lei Honghua and Gao Cuilan were arguing, Qiao Jiangxin quickly counted the money, “One, two, seven, seventeen, twenty-seven… forty-seven… forty-nine yuan and seventy-three cents.”

She finally had the money, the capital for her venture.

Liu Afang observed the situation at the door, puzzled, “What’s going on? Why are the Li family here? They say they want to give the third son’s child to the eldest son? Where did they hear this?”

Qiao Youfu stammered, “I… I and Jiangxin… spread… spread the rumor.

Qiao Youcai and Liu Afang turned to Qiao Youfu, puzzled.

Qiao Jiangxin finished counting the money, put the handkerchief back in her pocket, and walked forward, kicking the half-dead Qiao Jianguo on the bench.

The motionless Qiao Jianguo, spurred by the kick, tensed up and yelled.

Ignoring him, Qiao Jiangxin charged towards the door, shoving Gao Cuilan, who was being held by Lei Honghua, aside.

“Grandpa and Grandma, why are you explaining?  The child in Third Aunt’s belly is my uncle’s son. They’ll find out sooner or later, so why not tell them?”

Li Xiaobing helped Gao Cuilan up and glared at Lei Honghua. Lei Honghua angrily tried to hit Qiao Jiangxin, “You bitch, what nonsense are you talking about?”

Qiao Jiangxin leaned aside, unafraid, “What are we afraid of? Grandpa has four sons, they only have one. No matter how they fight, we can overpower them.

Besides, Third Aunt is pregnant, can they really take her back? They’re just bluffing.”

“Besides, didn’t you say you wanted to adopt the child to my uncle? You said my mother’s child wasn’t a son, and you wanted Third Aunt to have a son for my father. The whole family knows, you said it yesterday!”

Then, Qiao Jiangxin said to Qiao Jiuwang, “Grandpa, didn’t you say so? Yesterday at noon, we were discussing how Third Uncle, that ungrateful wretch, only fawns over his father-in-law and doesn’t care about you.  If the child is raised there, he’ll only be close to the Li family. But he’s from the Qiao family! Why should he belong to the Li family?

Everyone in the village knows this. They’ll find out easily. We don’t need to hide it. What are we afraid of? Our village is bigger than theirs. Do they dare to cause trouble in our house?

If Third Aunt wasn’t going to give birth to a son for our family, would we treat her so well?  Chickens, eggs, letting her stay at her parents’ house. We’ve treated her well. She just needs to have some children!  She’s acting so high and mighty!!!

Which woman doesn’t have children?  Letting her have a child for Third Uncle is showing her respect.  With Third Uncle’s talent…”

“Shut up!!!”

“Shut up!!!”

Two angry shouts one from Qiao Jiuwang, one from Li Sanfa.

Qiao Jiangxin, seemingly oblivious, waved her hand, “Uncle, Dad, come on, let’s throw these riffraff out!”

Then she comforted Qiao Jiuwang, “Grandpa, don’t be afraid. If anyone dares to touch you today, they’ll have to step over my corpse!!!”