Jiang Datiao had never seen Shen Qing so decisive and efficient.

At this moment, he found her to be extraordinarily heroic!

He watched as his four nephews dashed out, so fast that he couldn’t even tell them that there was no need to notify his family.

Then, he thought that it might be better this way—his father would understand the attitude of his sister-in-law.

As the village chief, he would naturally rally the villagers to go along.

He watched his niece, Jiang Shui, who had initially looked like she couldn’t wait to rush to Tenli Village, now calmly and steadily pick up a wooden basin and head into the house to scoop up flour.

Guan Li and the lame Guan Xiaoshan also stood up to help.

His sister-in-law followed suit, turning around and entering the house.

When she came out again, she was holding a shovel and hoe.

“Let’s go!” Shen Qing urged.

“Sister-in-law, Xiao Yu is at the Liu family’s place.”

Shen Qing interrupted, “Once everyone is gathered, we’ll talk. We’ll discuss it while walking! Don’t waste a single minute.”

Jiang Datiao knew that if he ran back so quickly, it meant that Jiang Yu’s situation at the Liu family was unbearable, and the longer they waited, the more suffering she would endure!

“Alright, alright!” Jiang Datiao instinctively obeyed.

He had only dared to say that Xiao Yu had been hurt, but to Shen Qing, it was as if she was almost beaten to death.

But when he thought about it, he realized she was right; it should be said that way!

After a short while, dozens of men gathered at the village entrance.

The Jiang family arrived first, including everyone from the second, third, and fifth uncles.

Next, the Qin, Feng, Guan, Zhao, and Hong families, each bringing men in their prime, with the Feng family in particular known for their strong and muscular men skilled in martial arts, who looked formidable.

Jiang Dalang quickly checked how many people had come from each family and ran up to report: “Father, Sister-in-law, only the Wang and Zhang families haven’t sent anyone. Should we wait for them?”

“No waiting!” Two voices rang out simultaneously.

It was Jiang Datiao and Shen Qing.

The shouting had been heard throughout the village, and the doors had been knocked on one by one.

If the Wang and Zhang families didn’t send anyone, it was because they didn’t want to come, not because they didn’t know.

Since that was the case, there was no need to insist.

Moreover, Wang family was led by Sun Xiaomai, and Zhang family was led by Zhao Chuncao.

The reasons for their absence were already clear.

Jiang Datiao spoke to the group of men: “This time, we’re not just going to fight, the most important thing is to bring Jiang Yu back. Our good daughter was married off, and now Liu Sheng has brought back a wild woman from outside and is humiliating our daughter! A divorce is the only solution. We can’t allow the Liu family to have it both ways!”

“The Liu family, a mere farmer, wants to take a concubine! This is a violation of the law! They don’t even know their own place, daring to act like officials with a concubine house!”

“Even in rich families, concubines are served by maids and servants, but never have I heard of a concubine being served by the wife!”

“This is really going too far!”

“Let’s go! Our village’s daughters shouldn’t be treated like cattle and horses in his village, suffering humiliation!”

…

Dozens of men shouted in unison, their voices deafening and full of momentum.

Shen Qing suddenly realized why it was important to move in a group—it had such a strong deterrent effect!

Jiang Datiao, San Ye, and Wu Ye took the lead and guided the way.

Jiang Xiangdong, Jiang Xiangnan, Jiang Dato, and Jiang Dalang followed closely behind—these were the people closest to Jiang Yu.

Only by leading the charge could the men who had come to help have the motivation to follow!

If they hesitated or shrank back, no one else would be willing to take the lead.

The men marched forward with great momentum, while Shen Qing was called by someone.

She turned around and saw her third aunt, Zhao Mingyue, running over with more than ten strong women, gasping for breath.

Among them, she recognized Jiang Ying, Fifth Aunt Xu Hongmei, Feng family’s sisters-in-law, and Qin’s Grandma, while the rest seemed to be from the Hong and Zhao families.

She approached them with gratitude, saying, “Thank you. When Xiao Yu comes back, I’ll personally take her to thank all of you!”

Zhao Mingyue responded, “Right, it’s our own people, so helping Jiang Yu is the right thing to do. When she’s back, she must go thank these aunties properly!”

“Especially Grandma Qin, at her age, she still has to run around for her.”

Grandma Qin angrily added, “I may be old, but if anyone tries to bully me when we get there, you all step aside! Let me take care of them!”

Shen Qing’s heart warmed.

No matter whether they were close relatives or just neighbors, everyone was coming together to help bring Jiang Yu back.

She forced a smile, “Alright, let’s go bring Xiao Yu home.”

---

Dozens of people walked quickly, the group stretching out into a long line, quite an imposing sight.

Sun Xiaomai was snacking on fried beans, spitting out the shells while eating.

Her husband, Wang Fugui, looked worried and asked, “Xiaomai, what if we don’t go? All the other families are going, and we’ll look bad if we don’t.”

Sun Xiaomai spat and sneered, “Aren’t the Zhang family not going either? It’s not just us, what’s there to be ashamed of?”

Wang Fugui quietly thought, isn’t that because you and Zhao Chuncao are close, and when Jiang Dalang came to call, you two had already agreed not to send anyone?

“Going there is just to fight! Shen Qing used to send us yellow perch to eat, but now she’s selling them all for money. We can’t even eat anything, and she expects us to help? She has a big face.”

Moreover, even if Jiang Yu returns, she’s a divorced woman.

What good is there to help her?

Our village’s girls’ reputation is already tarnished, what good is there in helping someone who has been discarded?”

Sun Xiaomai became more agitated the more she spoke.

Wang Fugui silently thought that in these times, it’s rare for a poor family to marry off a daughter, and even widows get married.

Who cares if a woman has been divorced and her reputation is ruined?

He didn’t dare to speak out, but timidly said, “But Jiang Yu is the village chief’s niece…”

Sun Xiaomai paused, then snorted, “What’s so special about being the niece? Our family won’t send anyone. Let’s see what they can do! We won’t gain anything from helping. You’ll see, those who go to help today won’t even get a meal when they come back. They’ll have to go home hungry, just a waste of energy.”

Wang Fugui secretly agreed with his wife’s words.

He had just counted, there must be at least seventy or eighty people.

If they each get a bowl of porridge, that’s a few dozen kilograms of grain gone, right?

The Shen Qing family will be eaten into bankruptcy.

“You’re so clever, wife. You’ve calculated it all.”

Sun Xiaomai smiled triumphantly, and when those who went to help came back without a hot meal, she would go door to door the next day to laugh at them.

Liu Sheng stormed out of the house, aimed a kick at Jiang Yu’s leg when Zhou Yan wasn’t paying attention, and knocked her down.

Jiang Yu fell to the muddy ground, her hands pressed into the dirt, her clothes covered in mud.

Zhou Yan reacted and stretched her arm to block Jiang Yu, glaring at Liu Sheng and shouting, “What kind of man sneaks up like that!”

Liu Sheng, seeing the Zhou brothers staring from outside, dared not lay a hand on Zhou Yan, but he cursed, “I’m beating my own wife, it’s my right! Even if the King of Heaven came, he couldn’t stop me!”

“Jiang Yu, come here! Let me see if I can beat you to death!”