Chapter 6

Sun Taohua’s heart flared with sudden anger. Qin Hongying also sprang to her feet, pointing at Yan Qingqing and cursing:

“You shameless little slut! You hit your own mother, and now your own sister! Even animals are better than you! May heaven strike you dead with five bolts of lightning!”

Yan Qingqing looked at her coldly, and a sudden doubt welled up in her heart.

Was she really Qin Hongying’s biological daughter?

Could there really be a mother in this world who would send away her own newborn daughter without a shred of guilt — even wish her dead?

The Sun family had three daughters. Why was she the only one given away?

Holding back her anger, Sun Taohua shot Qin Hongying a look, then moved closer to Yan Qingqing and said:

“Third Sister, I know you’re upset. I’m your elder sister — if you hit me, I won’t hold it against you. But our mother only scolded you because she cares about you! Come on, let me take you inside to talk!”

She’d already made up her mind: once inside, she’d find a chance to knock Yan Qingqing out, give her a brutal beating, and then sell her off!

But Yan Qingqing wasn’t so easy to fool anymore. Sun Taohua had barely finished speaking when Yan Qingqing raised her hand again and slapped Sun Taohua across the other cheek!

Smack!

Now her face was perfectly symmetrical.

Sun Taohua was furious:

“What’s wrong with you?! I was being kind, and you treat me like dirt! It was our mother who cursed you — why hit me?! No wonder she doesn’t like you! No wonder she wants to beat you whenever she sees you!”

Yan Qingqing sneered:

“Finally showing your true face? No more pretending? Fine, I don’t feel like wasting words with you!”

With that, she strode outside to the Sun family gate and cried out loudly:

“Come and see, everyone! The Sun family sold me when I wasn’t even a month old! Now that I’m grown, they keep bleeding me dry — over and over they come asking for money! That shameless Sun Taohua and her mother Qin Hongying have been scheming together to cheat me!

I barely scraped by with my adoptive parents, yet they used my birth as an excuse to squeeze money out of me again and again! Over the years they’ve borrowed more than seventy yuan — every cent I saved with backbreaking effort!

Then, when I was married off to ward off bad luck, Sun Taohua tricked me out of another four hundred yuan, saying her mother Qin Hongying had cancer! I gave them the money, but last night, on my wedding night, Qin Hongying came and beat me senseless — because she thought the bride price was too small!

Is there any justice left? Do they want to drive me to my death?! Everyone come judge this! The Sun family is a pack of bloodsuckers — won’t heaven strike them down with thunder?!”

People in the countryside care deeply about saving face — whoever dares to throw it away is the one you can’t mess with.

In her previous life, Yan Qingqing had been starved for affection, always timid, never daring to cause a scene.

But now, she saw everything clearly. Forget about saving face — she only wanted to make a huge uproar and show everyone the Sun family’s true colors!

Sure enough, Qin Hongying panicked. She grabbed a broom and charged at Yan Qingqing:

“You damned brat! What nonsense are you shouting?!”

Yan Qingqing seized the chance to cry even louder to the gathering crowd:

“Everyone, look! This woman sold her own child for cash, then came back to bleed me dry — and when I didn’t give enough, she beat me! I can’t live like this anymore! Bear witness today: if I die, it’s because the Sun family drove me to it!”

More and more people crowded around, alarmed as Yan Qingqing suddenly hurled herself toward the river!

The onlookers rushed to stop her, pulling her back, pleading with her:

“Qingqing, don’t take it to heart! Life is the most precious thing! This Sun family really is rotten — who sells their own child and then has the nerve to demand money back?!”

“Sun Dagen and Qin Hongying look decent enough on the outside, but to be like this… disgraceful! Spit!”

“Tsk tsk tsk, who’d dare marry Sun family’s eldest or second daughter now? What a family of bad character!”

Qin Hongying nearly fainted with rage. Sun Taohua tried to explain to the crowd:

“No, don’t believe her! I never borrowed money from Yan Qingqing — she’s lying! We didn’t take her bride price either — she stole it!”

But Yan Qingqing clung to the villagers and sobbed:

“The money’s all with Sun Taohua! Go search her room if you don’t believe me! Either they return every last cent today, or I’ll throw myself into the river and die right here at the Sun family gate!”

Tears streamed down her beautiful face, heartbreaking to see.

And everyone knew Yan Qingqing’s background was already pitiful.

The villagers couldn’t stand it anymore and began to scold Qin Hongying.

The women’s director of the village hurried over:

“Qin Hongying! How could you treat your own daughter this way? You gave her away — that’s your debt to her! And now you ask her for money? Sun Taohua’s room has cash? Search it! If you find it, return it all to Yan Qingqing!”

Qin Hongying was at a loss for words and plopped to the ground, slapping her thighs and wailing:

“I’m the one who deserves to die! If I hadn’t wanted her to have a better life, would I have given her away? I labored in agony for days to bear her — is that not love? What parents are ever truly wrong? A couple of scoldings, a few beatings — all for the child’s own good! And what do I get? A thankless wretch!”

But Yan Qingqing’s outburst had already caused a big scene. Soon Qin Hongying’s husband Sun Dagen came home.

Seeing the crowd pointing and whispering at his gate, Sun Dagen’s head throbbed with anger.

Face flushed, he roared:

“Qin Hongying! Give the money back!”

Sun Taohua was still stubborn:

“Dad! We didn’t take Qingqing’s money — she’s making it all up!”

Yan Qingqing, still sobbing in an old woman’s arms, cried out:

“Look at my patched clothes! Now look at Sun Taohua’s brand-new jacket! She’s definitely hiding money — it’s all my blood and sweat! If I can’t get it back today, I’d rather be dead!”

Sun Taohua’s lips trembled — she couldn’t understand why Yan Qingqing, who used to be so easy to placate, was suddenly so defiant.

The women’s director lost patience:

“Inside! Search!”

Sun Taohua tried desperately to block them, but in the end, she failed.

Hidden in her quilt were four hundred yuan — plus the dozens she’d tricked from Yan Qingqing before.

She’d planned to buy new clothes and a new watch — now it was all gone.

Sun Taohua’s eyes brimmed with tears.

Seeing things going badly and fearing total humiliation, Qin Hongying viciously slapped Sun Taohua:

“This is your fault! Who told you to take her money?!”

The women’s director glared at Sun Dagen, and Sun Dagen, red with shame, finally lost it and slapped Qin Hongying hard:

“I told you not to give the child away! We could’ve gritted our teeth and raised her ourselves, but you insisted on sending her off! Now look — the Sun family’s face is ruined because of you!”

Qin Hongying, burning with rage, grappled with Sun Dagen on the spot. Sun Taohua crouched to the side, clutching her stinging face and sobbing bitterly.

Her new clothes were gone, she’d been slapped three times, and her pride was in tatters.

It was all that damned Yan Qingqing’s fault! That wretched brat!

Sun Taohua shot Yan Qingqing a hateful glare.

Yan Qingqing counted the money, still crying pitifully:

“This isn’t enough — only four hundred twenty-five yuan! The bride price was four hundred, plus over seventy yuan Sun Taohua cheated out of me before! I won’t even count all the food and drink — but this money has to be paid back! If I don’t get it, I’ll kill myself!”

She made to throw herself into the river again.

Qin Hongying was livid, almost insane with fury, while the women’s director cursed the Sun family loudly for their shameless behavior.

In the end, Qin Hongying reluctantly brought out more money to make up the difference. Only then did Yan Qingqing accept it, thanking the villagers tearfully before leaving.

The crowd dispersed, satisfied they’d defended a helpless young girl.

But the Sun household was in turmoil. Sun Dagen felt utterly disgraced and fought violently with Qin Hongying. Sun Taohua got caught in the middle, and they even called their second daughter Sun Juhua home from high school to calm things down.

Qin Hongying seethed with hatred, her face black with fury:

“That Yan Qingqing — if she’s still alive by the end of the year, I’ll admit defeat!”

Yan Qingqing didn’t care. She went home, handed the four hundred yuan to Madam Gu.

Madam Gu was shocked at such a large sum:

“Girl, where did you get this money? I can’t take it from you!”