Chapter 79 ☆ Interrogation (Part 1)

Lin Ranran burst into tears, shouting, “I really didn’t! Grandma, I truly went home last night!”

Lin Wangshi slapped her mercilessly. “You are such a shameless girl. Who made you do such disgraceful things? The Lin family can’t tolerate you and can’t afford to keep you! Look, since everyone is here, Captain, come be a witness. This girl should either marry Zhao Hai or be thrown into the pig cage. We don’t want her anymore!”

The crowd murmured: “How can Old Lady Lin be even crueler than the landlord’s wife, dragging her own granddaughter to be thrown into the pig cage?”

Someone who knew the situation added, “Everyone knows Mrs. Lin’s eldest son was once the most promising. Now that he and his wife are dead, they left Lin Ranran and two burdens behind and don’t want to support them. How much money does Zhao Hai’s family have? I wonder how much they got by marrying off Lin Ranran!”

“Why don’t you speak fairly?” someone sneered.

The crowd grew louder and more chaotic. Cheng Yaoyao couldn’t hear anything. Her eyes were fixed on Lin Ranran, her mind blank.

She had been in this era for so long that she had forgotten she was in a book. But now that Lin Ranran appeared, would this bug still exist? When Xie Zhao saw her, would he…

At that moment, Zhao Hai stood up and vividly recounted how he and Lin Ranran had an affair the previous night. “She came to me, asking to meet her in the grove, and then…”

The men in the audience laughed strangely, and the women joined in with laughter and curses. Lin Dafu interrupted, “Enough! What are you talking about? We’re in a new era now. It’s no longer customary to put people in pig cages or anything like that. Since this matter has arisen, let’s resolve it internally. Aunt Lin, find your head of the family and discuss a resolution with the Zhao family.”

Lin Wangshi said, “My head of the family isn’t here, so I will make the decision. We don’t want this girl, so let her go to the Zhao family! Zhao Hai, do you have any objections?”

“No problem, no problem!” Zhao Hai grinned, determined to win.

Lin Dafu could not tolerate it and said, “Ranran is only fourteen years old. How can she get married so young? She should be at least eighteen!”

Lin Wangshi glared, stiffening her neck. “When I was her age, I was already working for my husband’s family. This girl has been living a life of luxury in the city for years. Look at her figure; people would believe she’s seventeen or eighteen! My family doesn’t provide free meals for such a shameless girl. If you want her, take her home and support her!”

As Lin Wangshi spoke, she pulled Lin Ranran’s arm and pushed her toward Lin Dafu and those supporting Lin Ranran. Overwhelmed with shame, Lin Ranran fell to the ground and refused to get up, unable to resist Lin Wangshi’s strength.

Lin Dafu and the other cadres quickly stepped back. They were wary. No one was rich these days. If Lin Ranran were a boy, it might be different. However, few would want a young girl, even if she was pretty. As Lin Wangshi said, they might consider marrying her off after raising her for a couple of years.

But with a grandmother like Lin Wangshi, no one in the village wanted to get involved with the Lin family. Thus, everyone watched with sympathy or glee, too intimidated to speak up for Lin Ranran.

Lin Ranran covered her face and cried in despair. Liu Min held her hand and spoke softly, “Zhao Hai is the younger brother of the deputy leader of Bashang Village. His family is well-off. You will have a good life if you marry him.”

Zhao Hai laughed and said, “Don’t worry, I’ll treat Ranran well.” He approached Lin Ranran and pretended to help her up. “Don’t cry. I’ll take good care of you when you come to our house.”

Zhao Hai was at least ten years older than Lin Ranran. He reached out his greasy hand. Lin Ranran recoiled in disgust, but Liu Min inadvertently blocked her. With no one intervening publicly, Lin Ranran’s eyes showed a flash of despair.

“Stop!” A sharp voice rang out as Cheng Yaoyao pulled Lin Ranran away, leaving Zhao Hai with nothing to grab.

Zhao Hai turned, irritated, and blinked in surprise. He had been focused on Lin Ranran and hadn’t noticed Cheng Yaoyao until now.

He compared Lin Ranran to Cheng Yaoyao, finding the latter much more appealing. If Lin Ranran was an unopened jasmine bud, Cheng Yaoyao was a stunning peony. Zhao Hai, mesmerized, stammered, “You… who are you?”

Cheng Yaoyao coldly curled her lips. “None of your business.”

“Of course it’s none of your business,” Zhao Hai said weakly, chuckling nervously. “You’re holding my wife. How is it none of my business?”

Lin Ranran, frightened, huddled behind Cheng Yaoyao and cried, “No, I’m not his wife! Sister Zhiqing, I… I…”

“Don’t be afraid.” Cheng Yaoyao gently patted Lin Ranran’s hand. Despite Lin Ranran’s cowardice and foolishness, she had remained loyal and hadn’t betrayed herself. Cheng Yaoyao couldn’t let a fourteen-year-old girl be overwhelmed.

Zhao Hai’s lecherous gaze made Cheng Yaoyao feel disgusted. She forced a smile at Zhao Hai, who was instantly mesmerized and moved closer to her.

“Slap!” Cheng Yaoyao struck Zhao Hai’s face with lightning speed, shouting, “You’re a hooligan!”

Cheng Yaoyao’s strike was so precise that Zhao Hai’s head spun. He glared and yelled, “Why did you hit me?”

Xie Zhao jumped onto the stage and rushed toward Zhao Hai. Lin Dafu quickly intervened. “Stop causing trouble. Do you hear me?”

Surrounded by a group of people, Zhao Hai shouted hoarsely, “What did I do? Is this woman crazy? She hit me without warning?! Don’t stop me!”

Xie Zhao, eyes red with anger, pointed at Zhao Hai. “Say that again!”

Zhao Hai fell silent, unable to meet Xie Zhao’s gaze.

Cheng Yaoyao seized the moment to pull Lin Ranran behind Xie Zhao and whispered in his ear, “It’s fake; I’m fine.”

Xie Zhao was stunned, then turned to Cheng Yaoyao, his stiff shoulders relaxing as he stopped focusing on Zhao Hai.

Zhao Hai, still enraged, continued to shout at those restraining him, “What did I do? Who is this guy? He dares to confront me! Let him handle it!”

The person holding him rolled their eyes. Do you not understand? We’re here to protect you!

Lin Dafu shouted hoarsely, “Stop causing trouble! Cheng Zhiqing, if you have something to say, please speak to me properly. It’s not acceptable to hit someone out of the blue.”

Cheng Yaoyao retorted, “He was the first to act like a hooligan! Didn’t anyone see that?”

Zhao Hai, a large and imposing man, looked menacing. With Cheng Yaoyao’s back to the crowd and the exchange happening quickly, all that was heard was Cheng Yaoyao’s scream and Zhao Hai rushing toward her, causing the onlookers to grow angry.

The educated youths rolled up their sleeves and shouted, “How dare you bully us educated youths!”

Zhao Hai defiantly replied, “You’re talking nonsense! When did I ever act rudely toward you? Just because you’re pretty doesn’t mean everyone will fall for you!”

At this moment, Jin Nier sneered, “Oh, you’re so arrogant. You even look down on Cheng Zhiqing? Then why are you still pursuing the eldest granddaughter of the Lin family?”

Zhao Hai was choked and his face turned red with frustration. Lin Wangshi rushed out, “What do you have to do with this? I can discipline my granddaughter. You little bitch, come here!”

Lin Wangshi reached out and pinched Lin Ranran. Cheng Yaoyao quickly intervened, trying to stop her. Lin Wangshi scratched Cheng Yaoyao mercilessly. Xie Zhao raised his hand to block her and shielded Cheng Yaoyao behind him.

Xie Zhao’s grip was like iron bars. Lin Wangshi screamed in pain, clutching her wrist and crying, “Xie San’er, you dare to hit me!”

Cheng Yaoyao shouted, “It was you who was beating people! You arranged a marriage, sold your granddaughter as a child bride, and abused her. Everyone saw it, right?!”

The crowd shouted in agreement, “Yes! We all saw it!”

Lin Wangshi, panicked, clapped her hands and jumped up and down. “You… you’re talking nonsense! I’m disciplining my granddaughter; it’s none of your business!”

“Okay, you admit it! You admit that you disciplined and beat your granddaughter!” Cheng Yaoyao said proudly.

Lin Wangshi, the old witch, had exploited her eldest son’s family and lived comfortably with the second and third wives. As soon as the eldest son and his wife died, she began to abuse the three children left behind. Cheng Yaoyao was so angry when she read about it that her teeth itched, and now Lin Wangshi was so furious that she was jumping around like a monkey.

Liu Min, the third daughter-in-law of the Lin family, hurriedly pulled Lin Wangshi aside and gently advised her: “Mom, don’t get excited. Your health isn’t good. Ranran, your grandma is doing this for your own good. If you marry into the Zhao family, you’ll have plenty to eat and wear, which is better than staying here. You can also help Xiaoqiu and Xiaojing.”

Lin Ranran shuddered suddenly. Liu Min’s eyes flashed with a hint of success, and she continued, “Don’t worry about your brother and sister. When you go to the Zhao family, your aunt and uncle will take good care of them.”

Xiaoqiu and Xiaojing are Lin Ranran’s siblings, and they are the two people she cares about the most in the world. Cheng Yaoyao noticed that Lin Ranran’s hand, which was holding her clothes, was slowly loosening, so she quickly grabbed her and whispered, “Don’t be foolish. The Lin family abused you while you were here, and when you marry into the Zhao family, your brothers and sisters will have no one to protect them, and you won’t have any way to survive!”

Hearing this, Lin Ranran’s pale lips trembled, and two lines of tears fell.

Cheng Yaoyao sighed with a headache and said to Liu Min, “Lin Ranran’s father’s pension is enough to support the three of them. Don’t act like you’ve suffered a great loss.”

“What! What pension? My father left a pension?” Lin Ranran was shocked.

At this moment, Zhang Aihua and Liu Min also reacted and shouted, “What pension! What pension! It was all used to send your parents away!”

“Xiao Qiu is a sickly girl. She came back with a medicine bottle in her arms. The money for her medicine was paid by our family!”

Some villagers added, “Your eldest brother and his wife were buried at the company’s expense!”

“That’s right. We braved the rain to help them send the gravedigger, and they didn’t even treat us to tofu rice! Old man Lin Wuxing is really stingy!”

Lin Wangshi sat on the ground, her hair disheveled, slapping her thigh and howling, “Oh my God! Boss, open your eyes and look! These people are going to torture your mother to death! The girl you gave birth to is disobedient!”

When Lin Ranran heard her mention her father, she couldn’t help but cry again. Xie Zhao stood in front of Cheng Yaoyao, frowning and wishing he could cover Cheng Yaoyao’s eyes. Cheng Yaoyao was very interested and leaned over to see Lin Wangshi throwing a tantrum and cursing.