The three of them made a full circle and returned to the doorstep.
The onlookers had already dispersed.
The Wang family was still standing there in the same positions as before. Only now, their earlier arrogance had turned into submissive caution.
Sun Jianjun saw Sun Jianguo standing beside Wang Xiaofeng, fawning and comforting her like a eunuch, and instantly his anger flared up.
He grabbed a brick from the wall and rushed toward Sun Jianguo.
“You ungrateful bastard! Even keeping a dog would be better than raising you! You actually brought people to bully Mom at our doorstep! Who gave you the guts? If I don’t smash your head open today, I don’t deserve to be your brother!”
“Hey—hey!”
“Brother, if you keep hitting me, I’m going to fight back! Don’t think just because you’re my brother I won’t hit you!”
“Look at you now! All you know is bullying your own family! A woman has made you lose your mind—you don’t even care about your own mother anymore! Don’t call me brother—I don’t have a brother like you!”
Sun Jianjun didn’t stop, venting all his rage.
The two brothers fought right at the gate.
“I want a split! I want to split the family! If we don’t divide the household, I’m going to be beaten to death by you people!”
Sun Jianjun finally snapped. It hurt too much.
If his wife beat him, he could endure it—that was “love beating love,” he could accept it.
But his own brother? Even his mother wasn’t on his side anymore, and she didn’t even try to stop the fight.
He couldn’t stay in this family another day.
“Fine! We’ll split! Jianjun, go call your grand-uncles over. We’re dividing the family! I’m cutting ties with Sun Jianjun!”
Liu Guiying dropped a bombshell on the spot.
Sun Jianjun froze, turning back in shock.
His mother had truly been hurt too deeply by the third son… she was even talking about severing ties.
“Go. Do as Mom says. And call the brigade leader and your uncle as well.”
Liu Guiying gave her eldest son a weak, deliberate glance.
Sun Jianjun nodded and left immediately.
..
“Dear in-laws, the children are young and don’t understand things. As mothers, we should be more tolerant. Look at what this situation has become—I just came to visit, and now it’s turned into this mess…”
Wu Xiuxiu forced a smile and tried to twist the narrative.
“This was all a misunderstanding. When you have time, please talk to your elder brother in law and get my Xiao Ming released. As for Jianguo, I’ll also discipline him later…”
Before she could finish, Liu Guiying cut in.
“Misunderstanding? Are you blind? Look at my head! Eight stitches! The doctor said I might even have a concussion—and you call this a misunderstanding?”
She pointed at her “mummy-wrapped” head and sprayed spit in Wu Xiuxiu’s face.
Wu Xiuxiu wiped her face and forced another smile, enduring it.
“Yes, yes, it’s all our Xiao Ming’s fault. He’s still young and ignorant. We’ll cover all medical expenses.”
She reluctantly pulled out ten yuan and shoved it into Liu Guiying’s hand.
“Take this and buy something good to nourish yourself. After all, we’re still in-laws.”
“Are you sending beggars away?” a woman nearby suddenly snapped.
“If you think ten isn’t enough, I’ll give you a hundred—let you smash her head ten or eight times and see if you’re still willing to call her in-laws afterward!”
The crowd erupted.
Wu Xiuxiu’s face darkened completely.
“Who are you? Mind your own business! Ten isn’t enough? You want a hundred? Do you think you’re some rich lady?”
“I’m not a rich lady,” the woman said coldly, “but I won’t agree to a settlement at the police station. Your precious son isn’t getting out.”
“You can choose—pay up or wait for him to rot inside.”
Wu Xiuxiu’s expression twisted.
“Five hundred? You might as well go rob someone! Five hundred can buy a life!”
“Then go home and think. One more word—another hundred.”
Liu Guiying looked completely unbothered, as if she was openly extorting them.
Wu Xiuxiu screamed, “You shameless old woman! You’re clearly trying to extort us! I don’t believe the police only listen to your elder brother!”
But Liu Guiying remained calm.
“Fine. Then let your son rot in there.”
Just then, Sun Jianjun returned.
“Mom! The brigade leader and the uncles are here. Uncle is interrogating Wang Xiaoming—he said he’ll be here soon!”
..
“Little sister-in-law, don’t be impulsive. The child is still young. It’s normal to make mistakes. Cutting ties over a temper tantrum isn’t something a mother should do.”
Sun Shengli’s elder brother, Sun Shengqian, tried to persuade her.
The brigade leader also spoke up tiredly:
“Yes, divorces and separations happen, but severing parent-child ties? That’s unheard of. Blood is thicker than water—talk it out.”
But Liu Guiying said firmly:
“I’ve already decided. I consider myself to have never given birth to this unfilial son.”
Sun Shengqian wanted to continue persuading—but then he heard the reason.
When he heard that the couple caused trouble just because meals were slightly late…
He fell silent.
When he heard they had driven away a pregnant sister seeking help…
He became speechless.
When he heard they had brought the mother-in-law’s family to beat their own mother until she was “bloodied and unconscious”…
He exploded in anger.
Only then did everyone notice Liu Guiying’s head wrapped like a giant dumpling.
No one could say a word.
The brigade leader stopped trying to mediate entirely.
“This isn’t my job anymore.”
“Jianjun, go get paper and pen.”
Liu Guiying instructed calmly and began counting the family assets:
“There are three main rooms and one hall. Four side rooms. Two toilet rooms. Kitchen plus storage shed.”
“When I married in, there wasn’t even a courtyard wall. Those side rooms were built with my own dowry, so they don’t count.”
Everyone nodded.
“As for grain, we still have about 900 jin until the next distribution.”
“The debt from Sun Jianguo’s marriage was nearly 200 yuan, and most of his wages these years went to repayment. Savings left: 110 yuan.”
Everyone again nodded silently.