The three women rolled up their sleeves and charged toward Zhang Qiulian and Old Madam Zhang.
“Oh, no! The Zhang family is attacking people!”
“Quick, go get the village chief and Party secretary! Tell them to call the police!”
Lin Xiulan and Guan Guiying kicked the attackers to the ground, then scratched and clawed at them.
Lin Xiulan even straddled Old Madam Zhang, slapping her while hurling a string of insults.
Hu Yan went straight for Zhang Qiulian.
After everything that had happened in both her past and present lives, there was no way she was going to hold back.
She grabbed Zhang Qiulian by the hair and pinched every tender spot she could reach.
Zhang Qiulian and Old Madam Zhang screamed in pain.
They were no match for the three sisters-in-law.
Even while being beaten, Old Madam Zhang refused to stop causing trouble.
“You shameless women! How dare you hit me! I’m not letting this go!”
Lin Xiulan spat on the ground.
“Yeah, we hit you. So what?”
Seeing the fight break out, the thugs took the cue from Zhang Qiulian and joined in.
The Chen brothers faced more than a dozen men by themselves, yet surprisingly, they weren’t at a disadvantage.
The fight gradually moved from inside the house into the courtyard.
Just as the two sides were fighting fiercely, hurried footsteps could be heard outside.
The village chief and Party secretary had probably arrived with some people.
Teacher Bai gave Old Man Chen a look.
He immediately turned to his sons.
“Someone’s here.”
The brothers understood their father’s signal.
They all silently dropped the sticks and hoes in their hands.
Then, one after another, they collapsed to the ground and began groaning in pain.
Although they hadn’t lost the fight, they hadn’t exactly won either.
They had all suffered some cuts and bruises and were bleeding.
Hu Yan and the other women followed their example, dropping to the ground and pretending to be in pain, clutching their waists or legs.
When the village chief and Party secretary entered, they saw the Chen family sprawled all over the place as though they had been attacked at home.
Everyone was down on the ground.
They couldn’t even tell whether anyone had been seriously injured or killed.
Their expressions immediately changed.
They hurried forward to check on everyone and shouted to the young men behind them,
“Go get the tractor! Hurry!”
One of the young men took off running.
The villagers of Willow Bay surrounded the intruders.
Party secretary Tang Jianguo was furious.
“What are you people trying to do?
“How dare you come into someone’s home and attack them in broad daylight?”
The village leaders all had the same thought.
If this matter wasn’t handled properly, people would start thinking Willow Bay was an easy target.
Most of the villagers in Willow Bay were either from the Tang or Chen families.
Tang Jianguo looked at the dozen or so men Zhang Qiulian had brought.
These men weren’t villagers.
The police absolutely had to be called.
Otherwise, they might keep coming back to the village and causing trouble.
That would only create endless problems.
Seeing the villagers surround them and realizing her side had no chance of winning, Old Madam Zhang immediately threw herself into a tantrum.
“Officials! Help us! The Chen family is bullying and beating us!”
Lin Xiulan pointed at Old Madam Zhang and the others.
“Village Chief, Party Secretary, these people are lawless!
“They came here threatening to beat and kill us.
“They brought a bunch of thugs to cause trouble.
“We were only defending ourselves!”
Both sides insisted they were in the right, and neither would back down.
Just then, a police car and the village tractor arrived at the Chen residence at the same time.
Several police officers stepped out of the car and were shocked by the chaotic scene.
They quickly separated the people and began checking on the injured.
Tang Jianguo immediately explained everything that had happened from beginning to end.
The officers became even more displeased when they saw the thugs.
These men were regulars at the police station.
Old Madam Zhang stubbornly insisted that they had only come to visit her daughter’s in-laws.
The police weren’t fooled by her theatrics.
They began questioning everyone at the scene.
The Chen family repeatedly stated that the men had trespassed into their home, violated their property rights, and unlawfully restricted their freedom.
Teacher Bai firmly insisted that they pursue all three charges.
After understanding the situation, the police sternly told Old Madam Zhang and Zhang Qiulian,
“You’re suspected of disturbing the peace and causing a public disturbance.
“Come with us to the station for questioning.”
The moment Old Madam Zhang heard that she was being taken to the police station, she immediately stopped making a scene.
She began crying and begging for mercy instead.
Zhang Qiulian panicked as well.
Her eyes darted around nervously.
Those people had been brought there by her.
She had thought intimidating the Chen family would force them to hand over the houses.
Instead, things had gotten completely out of control.
If those men testified against her, her situation would become even worse.
The dozen or so thugs were also taken into custody by the police.
Meanwhile, the Chen family members were loaded onto the tractor and taken to the hospital.
Hu Yan wasn’t injured, so she went along with them.
Chen Ergen and Teacher Bai went to the police station.
Although the four Chen brothers looked badly injured, most of their wounds were superficial.
The person who caused everyone the most concern was Tang Lijuan.
The fight had triggered contractions.
Her face was deathly pale, and she had fainted from the pain.
As soon as they arrived at the hospital, Tang Lijuan was rushed into the emergency room.
The Chen brothers went to a ward to have their wounds bandaged.
Lin Xiulan and Guan Guiying had scratches all over their faces.
They also went to the ward to have their injuries treated.
Only Hu Yan remained waiting outside the emergency room.
Tang Lijuan still hadn’t come out.
Her in-laws arrived at the hospital after coming from the police station.
Teacher Bai looked exhausted.
She was getting older, and all the rushing around had left her with a terrible headache.
Hu Yan helped the elderly couple sit down on a bench.
Teacher Bai rubbed her forehead and asked,
“Fifth daughter-in-law, how is everyone?”
Hu Yan was just about to answer when Chen Guangyao came stumbling over.
“Sister-in-law, how’s Lijuan?”
Hu Yan couldn’t help finding his appearance a little amusing.
His head was wrapped in thick bandages, and one arm was hanging in a sling around his neck.
“I don’t know yet. She hasn’t come out.”
Chen Guangyao was frantic, pacing back and forth.
After what seemed like an eternity, the light above the emergency room finally went out.
A female doctor in her late thirties walked out.
Everyone immediately surrounded her.
“Don’t worry. We managed to save the baby.
“She’s only a little over seven months pregnant, so she’ll need to stay in bed and rest for the remainder of the pregnancy.
“Otherwise, there’s a high risk of premature birth.”
As soon as Chen Guangyao heard the doctor, his legs gave out and he collapsed onto the floor.
Tears welled up in his eyes.
Chen Ergen and Teacher Bai also looked relieved that the worst had been avoided.
Tang Lijuan was pushed into the ward by a nurse.
The Chen family had practically taken over the entire room.
Everywhere they looked were injured family members.
The funniest sight was Lin Xiulan and Guan Guiying.
They had only been scratched a few times on the face.
At most, they had a handful of nail marks.
But after the hospital disinfected the wounds, applied gentian violet, and the swelling set in, their faces looked ridiculous.
They looked like two big cats with painted faces.
The two women glanced at each other’s faces.
Everyone around them was trying hard not to laugh.
Then the two of them suddenly burst out laughing.
“You look like you’ve got a painted face. Like someone performing in an opera.”
Guan Guiying immediately shot back,
“You don’t look any better. You look like a ghost!”
Everyone in the ward burst into laughter.
Even Tang Lijuan laughed between coughs.
The tense atmosphere finally eased.
Chen Guangyao poured some water for Tang Lijuan before saying to Teacher Bai,
“Mom, Sister-in-law has gone too far.
“Whether it’s the houses, farmland, or money, don’t give her any of it.
“Everything belonging to the eldest branch should be left to the three nephews.”
Chen Guangming had been hit in the corner of his mouth, making it difficult for him to speak clearly.
“Mom, Fourth brother is right.
“We really wasted all our kindness on that vicious woman.”
Teacher Bai glared fiercely at her two sons.
“Is the family property really the problem right now?
“Zhang Qiulian’s brother works in the city, and she can even order around those thugs.
“Even though we’re in the right this time, who knows what dirty tricks they might pull next?”
Hu Yan nodded.
Teacher Bai really did have foresight.
Zhang Qiulian’s lover definitely had connections with people in the underworld.
If they didn’t deal with this properly, the Chen family would never have peace again.