Lin Fengxia snorted coldly and walked straight past him.
Wang Dazhuang hurried a few steps after her but was immediately restrained by the soldiers.
Helplessly, he pleaded, “Can you give me one more chance?”
“I definitely won’t hurt you again!”
Lin Fengxia stopped and turned to the two soldiers. “Comrades, his ideological education hasn’t gone deep enough. Should we keep him confined a little longer?”
Wang Dazhuang’s face immediately stiffened.
“I… I won’t dare again!”
“I’m sorry!”
Being in the military was unbearable for him. He would rather die than stay here any longer!
The soldiers escorted Wang Dazhuang away.
Lin Fengxia didn’t relax at all.
A tough battle was still ahead.
Whether it was Wang Dazhuang or the Lin family, they were all stubborn troublemakers.
After leaving the base, Wang Dazhuang first went on a feast to regain some strength and then immediately ran to the Lin family home.
“Old Lin Huan, come out here!”
Lin Huan, smoking in the west room, twitched at the sound of his name.
He looked at Zhang Landi.
Ever since Wang Dazhuang took Lin Fengxia away, there had been no news for days.
Even if the marriage was practically done, from his tone, it didn’t sound like good news.
Zhang Landi worried, “Could Lin Fengxia have caused some trouble?”
Lin Huan slammed his pipe onto the table. “This unfilial girl, even after marrying, can’t settle down!”
He lay back on the bed, exhaling smoke. “A daughter who marries out is like water spilled — let Wang Dazhuang make a fuss.”
Wang Dazhuang was still shouting outside. Through the door crack, Zhang Landi saw villagers gathering.
Her expression changed slightly. “I’d better go see.”
When she opened the door, she saw Wang Dazhuang, much thinner than before.
“This is…”
Zhang Landi couldn’t make sense of the situation.
Wang Dazhuang held out his hand. “Give me back the bride price!”
Zhang Landi’s face showed difficulty. “Brother Dazhuang, Fengxia is already married to you. Why do you want the bride price back?”
“If this spreads, it will bring shame to our village.”
The villagers nodded in agreement.
Wang Dazhuang’s neighbors advised, “We’re all one family now, why can’t we talk it out?”
“Talk it out my foot!”
“I didn’t even touch Lin Fengxia’s hand before being sent to the base!”
“I’ve suffered so much these past few days. Is it wrong to ask for the bride price back?”
The villagers were stunned. Zhang Landi was also shocked. “Wh-what base?”
Lin Huan squeezed out of the house.
“What base!”
He knew there was a garrison a few miles outside the village, but how was it connected to Lin Fengxia?
Wang Dazhuang exaggerated the story as he recounted it.
“Anyway, Lin Fengxia didn’t want to marry me, so I can’t let the bride price go to waste.”
“Isn’t it reasonable for you to return the bride price?”
Upon understanding the situation, the villagers all agreed.
Zhang Landi and Lin Huan’s faces both changed.
How could they possibly return the bride price?
Zhang Landi: “Brother Dazhuang, it’s not that we don’t want to return it, it’s just…”
“The bride price was taken by Fengxia!”
The villagers were the first not to believe it.
Especially the women who didn’t get along with Zhang Landi.
“Oh, if Fengxia had that kind of ability, could that black-hearted guy have bullied her into looking so pitiful?”
“Exactly!”
“A few days ago, Fengxia was almost bullied by Gou Dan. You’re lying, Dazhuang. The bride price must’ve been swallowed by that black-hearted woman!”
Zhang Landi turned red with embarrassment.
“Nonsense!”
“Fengxia went mad, hitting everyone she saw. Who could have bullied her?”
“The money? She took it, I have nothing at home anyway!”
Wang Dazhuang’s face darkened.
“I gave so much bride price — who actually has it!”
Lin Huan, looking simple and honest, said, “Brother Dazhuang, Fengxia did take it. If the bride price were with us, we’d be living in luxury.”
That was the truth. Lin Huan and Zhang Landi were both showy people.
If they really had Wang Dazhuang’s large bride price, they’d have flaunted it all over the village.
Now that everything was peaceful, they certainly had no money.
The villagers tried to calm Wang Dazhuang and suggested he ask again more carefully.
Wang Dazhuang couldn’t afford to make a scene in front of so many villagers, so he left in a huff.
Zhang Landi, however, was worried.
Without the bride price in hand, she felt uneasy.
Lin Huan thought clearly: “No money, no problem.”
“Even if he makes a fuss, nothing will come of it.”
Zhang Landi held her hands and frowned. “Now that Fengxia is in the army, this matter is hard to deal with.”
Zhang Gou Dan interjected, “She’s part of the Lin family. The military can’t hold her back.”
“Then we go make trouble ourselves.”
Lin Huan nodded. “Gou Dan’s thinking fast as usual.”
Zhang Landi hesitated, but said nothing. She still felt uneasy.
Three days passed.
Lin Fengxia finally had free time and took the midday break to go pick wild vegetables.
She stored the vegetables in her system space and also added some she had previously kept there.
It had rained recently, and many mushrooms had sprouted in the field. She put all she could see into the space.
Footsteps sounded behind her. “Lin Fengxia!”
She shivered and turned to see Wang Dazhuang, black-faced with anger.
She quickly composed herself. “Yes? What is it?”
Having been disciplined at the base before, Wang Dazhuang restrained himself and stood some distance away, staring at Lin Fengxia.
“I went to the Lin family for the bride price. Your father said you took it.”
Lin Fengxia laughed in disbelief. “Only you would believe them.”
She grabbed some wild vegetables and put them in her basket. “When I was kidnapped and carried away by you, did I have anything on me?”
Wang Dazhuang shook his head. Lin Fengxia continued, “So, how could I have taken the bride price?”
“Besides, they married me off to you just to get the bride price money.”
“Not long ago, Zhang Landi even said she wanted to use my bride price for Gou Dan’s marriage.”
“They lied to you just to buy time.”
Wang Dazhuang’s face darkened. “So all of you were playing me?”
Lin Fengxia: “Think carefully. When you took me away, did I have any money on me?”
“The only knife I had even fell to the ground!”
Wang Dazhuang thought for a long time and finally asked, “What if you hid it somewhere?”
“Then where could I possibly hide it?”
“My house must’ve been piled full of things.”
“If you think I hid it, feel free to go look.”
Lin Fengxia slung the basket over her shoulder and walked away.
Wang Dazhuang didn’t dare to grab her impulsively and could only run to the Lin family again.
The ones holding the bride price were Lin Huan and Zhang Landi; he had to get an explanation from them.
This time, Wang Dazhuang brought a few of his brothers along.
Lin Huan and Zhang Landi weren’t easy to deal with, and having a few brothers present was intimidating.
As Wang Dazhuang led his burly brothers out, they immediately attracted the attention of the villagers.
Lin Huan and Zhang Landi were eating in the yard. Seeing them, they all jumped up at once.