Chapter 6: Men and Women’s Marriages Don’t Interfere With Each Other

Xu Qingmo commanded, “Now apologize to me….”

She couldn’t bring herself to say “mom.” The word felt impossible to speak. Xu Qingmo tried to force herself but couldn’t, so she simply pointed at Wang Jing.

Wang Xiuzhi brushed the dust off her clothes and quickly walked to the village chief, crying and demanding him to intervene.

“Village Chief, you must deal with Xu Qingmo! After all, I am her grandmother. She dared to defy me and hit me in front of so many people. If you don’t help me, I might as well die now—there’s nothing worth holding onto in this world!” Wang Xiuzhi cried and shouted.

The village chief was in a dilemma. If Shen Jiang weren’t there, he would have sided with Wang Xiuzhi. But Shen Jiang stood like a statue beside Xu Qingmo, making it impossible for him to take sides.

Xu Qingmo warned, “Since you’re so eager to die, there’s a river at the village entrance—you can drown. There are willows by the river—you can hang yourself. If neither works for you, tie up your hands and feet and go starve in the cattle shed.”

If she could make Wang Xiuzhi furious enough to die, there would be one less villain in the world against her and her mother.

Wang Xiuzhi slapped her legs, crying, “Oh, why is my life so bitter? So young and already widowed, raising three children alone. I finally see them married and having children of their own. I thought I could enjoy my old age, but now the eldest daughter-in-law gave birth to a monster, cursing me, the grandmother, to die at such a young age!”

Xu Qingmo, holding a broom taller than herself, walked toward Wang Xiuzhi and asked coldly, “Who did you call a monster?”

Wang Xiuzhi was intimidated by Xu Qingmo’s imposing presence and forgot to cry or shout.

Wang Jing hugged Xu Qingmo tightly and shot back at Wang Xiuzhi, “Qingmo is not a monster! It’s clearly you who threw the two of us into the cattle shed, trying to starve us to death. We just returned the favor. And now you can’t handle it?”

Wang Xiuzhi panicked. On one side was the village chief, on the other was Shen Jiang. Wang Jing had just exposed all their wrongdoing. If the village chief investigated, it would definitely go against their family.

“Stop talking nonsense! Our family treated you so well. How could we throw you in the cattle shed?” Wang Xiuzhi denied.

Last night, it had already been late when they threw the mother and daughter there. Everyone around was asleep, so no one noticed. As long as she refused to admit it, the village chief would never find out.

Shen Jiang stepped forward. “I can testify. I saw the Xu family throw Wang Jing and her daughter into the cattle shed.”

Last night, Shen Jiang went out for a cigarette and noticed a man sneaking toward the cattle shed. His military instincts told him something was wrong. He stubbed out the cigarette and followed the man, tailing him all the way to the shed. The man was staring at the shed with ill intentions. After the Xu family left, the man tried to do something, but Shen Jiang grabbed him by the shoulder and dragged him into the grass.

After dealing with him, Shen Jiang realized Wang Jing was missing. When he went looking, he overheard people talking about Wang Jing’s daughter being in serious condition, so he went to the barefoot doctor’s house.

Wang Xiuzhi stomped, “Don’t lie! I know you’re close to Wang Jing. You just want to help her!”

Shen Jiang scanned around and noticed someone trying to flee. He rushed over, grabbed the man’s arm, and pinned it behind his back. The man screamed as Shen Jiang pushed him into the yard.

The man was a village bachelor, lazy and poor, unable to afford a wife. He had been eyeing Wang Jing for a long time but couldn’t act on it. Yesterday, he happened to be near the Xu Yuanlong house and overheard that Wang Jing and Xu Qingmo were going to be thrown out.

Ergou’s eyes lit up. He hid in the shadows, waiting for the Xu family to leave, unaware he was about to get caught.

“Stop, it hurts!” Ergou cried. He was already injured from two falls the night before.

When he heard Xu family wanted to divorce Wang Jing, he ignored his pain and came, hoping to have a matchmaker introduce Wang Jing to him.

Shen Jiang questioned, “Did you also see the Xu family throw Wang Jing and her daughter into the cattle shed last night?”

Ergou, feeling guilty, confessed. “Yes! The Xu family did throw them into the shed, trying to seize all her property. I thought Wang Jing was beautiful, so I wanted to take her home and make her my woman…”

“Get lost!” Shen Jiang shouted. Ergou shut his mouth immediately and fled, not daring to stay.

Wang Jing took a deep breath and looked at the village chief. “Village Chief, you heard it. None of the Xu family are decent. Xu Yuanlong and I never had a marriage certificate. Please issue a ruling proving our relationship is completely over.”

“I won’t agree!” Xu Yuanlong shouted. “You say it’s over just like that? You’re my wife, Qingmo is my daughter. If you really want to sever ties, you can leave—but the child stays.”

Xu Yuanlong knew Wang Jing loved Xu Qingmo most. As long as the child stayed, she would never leave him.

“Qingmo cannot stay with you. She’s my daughter. No one in your family truly cares for her. I must take her with me!” Wang Jing said anxiously. Xu Qingmo was her life. Xu Qingmo gave her the courage to take this step.

Xu Qingmo looked at Xu Yuanlong and asked, “If I stay here, will you agree to let her go?”

Xu Yuanlong was stunned. He didn’t expect Xu Qingmo to negotiate calmly without crying or yelling. In front of the villagers, he had to appear firm, even if he regretted it inside.

He nodded, “Yes. If you stay, I agree to completely sever ties with Wang Jing.”

Xu Qingmo nodded for Wang Jing. “Fine, I’ll stay. Village Chief, please help my… mom write a ruling proving she is completely done with him.”

Wang Jing was reluctant. “No, I must take you with me. This family is cruel. If you stay, you’ll be bullied.”

Xu Qingmo whispered to her mother a few words. Wang Jing hesitated, but Xu Qingmo assured her—if the Xu family wanted to keep her, she would make them regret it. Wang Jing finally agreed.

The village chief quickly wrote a letter. Wang Jing signed it, and Xu Yuanlong pressed his fingerprint.

Under the village chief’s witness, Wang Jing and Xu Yuanlong’s ‘marriage’ was officially over. From now on, men’s and women’s marriages would not interfere with each other.