Thinking she could take this chance to set things right and then make a graceful exit?
Nice dream.
Zhou Sinian raised an eyebrow at Meng Yu.
“Ahem!” Meng Yu coughed awkwardly and innocently shot him a glance.
Really, why bother disturbing her fun of going completely mad?
Luckily, the Meng family was too terrified by her frenzied appearance to notice the silent exchange of glances between the two of them.
Especially Meng Laoda, who was now completely scared out of his wits. When it came to his beloved daughter and her life, he could still figure out which was more important!
“Swap! Swap immediately! Jixiang! Hurry up and go home with your husband!”
Meng Jixiang was stunned.
How could this happen!
“No! Dad, if I go back with him, I’ll be beaten to death!”
“If you don’t go back, our whole family will die!”
Meng Laoda spun around, yelling at Meng Jixiang.
Can’t you see?
This wretched girl, Meng Doyu, has gone completely mad!
The notched cleaver in her hand isn’t just for show!
Meng Jixiang’s face turned pale.
“No! No! Dad, you have to save me! You must save me!”
There was pulling, tugging, shouting, and fighting.
The commotion nearly tore off the earthen roof of their rural house, and a crowd of onlookers gathered outside.
The neighbors knew the Meng family had recently married off a daughter, but the Meng family was so stingy they wouldn’t even give a sip of water to anyone. Naturally, nobody came to help or interfere; they just stood in the corners, gossiping.
“What’s happening at the Meng house?”
“No idea. Isn’t today the day the new son-in-law visits?”
“What? Did Meng Laoda get beaten by the new son-in-law?”
“What are you talking about! Can’t you tell from the shouting inside? That’s Meng Laoda’s voice the loudest!”
“Then the new son-in-law must be beating the father-in-law!”
“Yeah, yeah! Must be!”
Outside, the gossip was hot, and inside, the noise was dizzying.
“Enough!”
Bang!
The notched cleaver slammed down onto the edge of the kang.
Rural kangs are made of wood, and because Meng Yu was so skinny and lacked strength, the cleaver didn’t land with a fierce, imposing impact.
It just lay there, like an uncooperative lazy fish.
Meng Yu frowned at the unresponsive cleaver.
Zhou Sinian took a deep breath, stepped forward, and lifted it. Without using much force, he drove the cleaver firmly into the edge of the kang.
Thud—
Meng Laoda was even more terrified.
“W-what… what are you two planning?”
Even if he wasn’t the sharpest, watching these two cooperate so smoothly, he could see something was brewing.
Meng Yu moved her gaze from the cleaver to Meng Laoda.
“The dowry from the Zhou family… were you happy when you received it?”
Meng Laoda’s heart skipped a beat.
“W-what are you doing? Meng Doyu! That money… it’s all spent! Not a single cent left!”
His mind worked fast—he guessed what Meng Yu meant.
But Meng Yu just let out a cold snort.
“Spent? You, Meng Laoda, so stingy to the bone… you actually spent the money?”
She didn’t believe it.
Meng Laoda wanted to argue, but Meng Yu didn’t give him the chance.
“Two choices.”
She raised two slender fingers, calm as ever, and faced the Meng family.
“First, hand over the dowry money. Even if I get beaten to death by the Zhou family, that’s my fate. From now on, I won’t come back to you crying, even if I starve outside, I won’t beg at the Meng family gate!”
“Second.” Meng Yu’s smile widened, carrying a faintly unhinged edge as she looked at Meng Laoda’s wide-eyed panic. “Then all of us… perish together!”
With that, she rested her thin hand on the cleaver, gripping it tight.
Pull.
Nothing.
Meng Yu: …
Her momentum faltered in an instant.
Zhou Sinian sighed.
He stepped forward, and with a fluid motion, pulled the cleaver from the kang edge and placed it firmly back in Meng Yu’s hand.
“Should I step outside?”
It wasn’t appropriate for him to stay during what looked like a family battle.
“No! No! Let’s talk this through! Husband, you can’t leave!”
Meng Laoda lunged, grabbing Zhou Sinian’s arm to stop him from walking away.
This third daughter of theirs seemed a little unhinged—Meng Laoda wasn’t confident she wouldn’t strike!
Meng Yu looked at the cleaver in her hand and at the frightened Meng Laoda.
“If you don’t want to die, hand over the dowry.”
“No!”
Meng Laoda’s response was firm.
He had no money to give, but he wasn’t about to sacrifice his miserable life either.
“Duoyu, you know how we live! That little dowry was all spent—so many mouths to feed! You’re trying to force me, a father, to death?”
“The Zhou family is respectable. I even checked on them for your sake. I only married you off to protect you—it was a lucky nest! Don’t be ungrateful!”
The same old speech.
The original character had been trapped step by step by these words.
Meng Yu didn’t listen.
She raised the notched cleaver, pointing it at Meng Laoda. In his terrified gaze, she slowly spoke:
“No money, everyone dies together.”
Then Meng Yu suddenly charged out!
“Ah!”
Screams echoed.
Meng Laoda froze in shock.
A strong stench of urine spread through the room.
Zhou Sinian grabbed the violent Meng Yu, taking the cleaver from her hands.
“Were you really going to slash?!”
“Are you crazy?!”
Zhou Sinian shouted sharply.
“Ah! Ah! I’m going to die! I’m going to die!”
The screams rang in the air, but Meng Yu turned her gaze to Meng Laoda.
“Give it. The money.”
Meng Laoda reluctantly turned, seeing his precious daughter clutching her arm, screaming and rolling on the kang.
He swallowed hard.
“I’ll… I’ll give it to you!”
Trembling, he shuffled to the west room and returned shortly after with a handful of money.
Meng Yu broke free from Zhou Sinian’s hold and snatched the money.
After checking it, she threw the extra cash onto the kang.
“The Zhou family dowry was 36 yuan. I didn’t take a cent more. This,” she shook her hand, “is what I’m owed. Understand?”
No one in the Meng family dared speak. Meng Laoda’s eyes were full of anguish and reluctance, but he stayed silent.
Just now, Meng Yu had struck his precious daughter’s arm with the back of the cleaver. Luckily, their tools were blunt; otherwise, his daughter’s arm might not have been spared!
She didn’t look at anyone in the Meng family and turned to leave.
Zhou Sinian looked at the chaotic scene, feeling a headache coming on.
Meng Yaozu was still rolling on the kang, clutching his arm.
“She only hit you with the back of the cleaver—you’re not dead. Stop screaming,” Zhou Sinian said, then looked at Meng Laoda.
“Since Meng Doyu is married to me, she’s my responsibility. From now on, I won’t let anyone bully her again. I hope you remember that.”