Everyone turned to look in the direction of the voice and saw a tall, straight young man standing at the gate, dressed in a green military uniform.
He had a stern face, sharp, sword‑like eyebrows, and bright, clear eyes—his features were exceptionally handsome and striking. Though his expression was completely unreadable, his eyes burned with barely contained fury.
When Xie Mingzhu saw who it was, her face lit up with delight, and she hurried forward to greet him. “Second Brother!”
Xie Shaoqian’s gaze settled on her face, and the tight, icy look on his features softened slightly. He raised a hand and gently patted the top of her head, speaking in an apologetic tone. “I’m sorry, Little Sister—I’m late!”
It had taken him quite some time to travel all the way back from his military post; at least he had managed to arrive in time for her wedding. But he had never imagined that the very first thing he would see upon entering was such a “spectacular” scene!
With that thought, his eyes shifted again to Zhang Zenglan and her two children, and his expression hardened once more.
“Your Qin family is truly impressive! We Xie family raised our precious daughter like a treasure, and this is how you treat her after she marries into your home?” He then fixed his gaze directly on Qin Haoyu. “Qin Haoyu, this is nothing like the promise you made to my father back then!”
Qin Haoyu had always been intimidated by members of the Xie family. Now, facing Xie Shaoqian’s cold, unyielding demeanor, he did not dare even breathe heavily, let alone utter a single word.
Zhang Zenglan, however, was far more shrewd and quick‑witted. She knew this matter had to be handled carefully right away—otherwise, there would be no peace for anyone in the future.
Thinking quickly, she let go of Qin Qing’s arm, hurried over to Xie Shaoqian, and forced a wide, ingratiating smile. “Brother‑in‑law, you must be exhausted from your journey. Let’s not discuss this right now—please come inside, rest for a moment, and have some tea. We will certainly give you a proper explanation for everything!”
“No need for tea,” Xie Shaoqian replied coldly. “From a family like yours, I doubt the tea is even clean. I’m afraid it would only make me sick!”
Hearing those words, Xie Mingzhu could not help but press her lips together to hide a smile. That was exactly how her Second Brother spoke—always sharp and to the point, never holding back or sparing anyone’s feelings.
Zhang Zenglan’s face twisted into a scowl. “Brother‑in‑law, we are relatives after all—there’s no need to speak so harshly!”
Xie Shaoqian pinned her with a piercing, unwavering stare. “Is what I say any uglier than what you people have done?”
With her brother standing beside her, Xie Mingzhu finally felt she could breathe a little easier.
“Look at Qin Haoyu—such a spineless, useless man! At the first sign of trouble, he hides behind his mother like a frightened turtle. What future could anyone have with someone like him? Even being a widow would be better than being married to him!”
Could any decent woman ever be happy in such a family?
Xie Mingzhu’s eyes reddened with emotion.
Xie Shaoqian showed no mercy in his words, and Zhang Zenglan, fiercely protective of her son, could no longer keep up her false courtesy. Her face hardened. “Brother‑in‑law, we have been patient with you only out of respect for you as Mingzhu’s family. If you continue to stir up trouble and make unreasonable demands, then I’m afraid our family cannot afford to keep your sister here. You may take her and find a better match elsewhere!”
It was a clever move—using retreat as a way to advance. By now, the wedding ceremony was almost complete, and only the final part remained. In the eyes of the village, Xie Mingzhu was already considered a member of the Qin family. In those days, reputation was everything. If she left now, she would be labeled a second‑time bride, and finding another good family would be nearly impossible.
Zhang Zenglan was gambling—sure that, true to her character, Xie Mingzhu would choose to look the other way and pretend nothing had happened, all for the sake of preserving her marriage.
But her clever plan fell apart instantly.
The moment she finished speaking, Xie Mingzhu stared straight at her, her expression showing not the slightest trace of concern.
Seeing this, Zhang Zenglan’s heart skipped a beat.
Before she could think further, Xie Shaoqian’s voice rang out again. “We will not let this matter rest so easily!”
He turned his head to look at a small boy standing nearby, pulled a handful of candies from his pocket, and held them out. “Little one, go fetch the village party secretary. I want to ask him how such indecent conduct should be handled—and whether the public security bureau needs to be called in!”
His words sent a murmur of shock through the crowd.
In the village, improper relations between a man and a woman usually only brought shame and loss of face. But if the matter was taken to the police, it would be far worse—they could actually be charged with the crime of licentious behavior, which carried a prison sentence!
Zhang Zenglan panicked immediately. With a loud thud, she dropped to her knees before Xie Shaoqian, kowtowing repeatedly and begging for mercy. “Brother‑in‑law, I beg you! Please, for the sake of our families being related, give them one more chance! Who among young people has never made a mistake? I swear they will never dare do anything like this again!”
She quickly turned to Qin Haoyu and Qin Qing, who stood frozen in confusion, and snapped at them. “What are you two standing there for? Get down on your knees and beg Brother Xie for forgiveness right now!”
Only then did Qin Haoyu snap back to his senses. He fell to his knees before Xie Shaoqian, tears and snot streaming down his face as he sobbed out his confession. “Brother, I know I was foolish and blinded by desire! I’d had too much to drink and lost my mind—that’s the only reason I did such a stupid thing!”
“Even if you were out of your mind, there is no excuse for this!” one of the older women, unable to stay silent any longer, spoke up. “Qing is supposed to be your own sister!”
At those words, Qin Qing’s eyes darted quickly from side to side, and she began to weep loudly. “This is all my fault! I just recently found out from my mother that I am not her real daughter. I was feeling so hurt and confused, and then…”
Before she could finish making up her story, Xie Mingzhu cut her off sharply. “Brother, come inside and sit for a moment.”
Without giving Xie Shaoqian a chance to respond, she pulled him into the room, cutting off any further opportunity for them to make excuses or lie their way out.
Seeing the determined look on his sister’s face, Xie Shaoqian understood exactly what she intended. He followed her inside, leaving the crowd in the courtyard staring at one another in bewilderment.
Before long, the little boy, bribed with candies, returned with the village party secretary. The secretary had assumed he was being called to the Qin home for the wedding feast—but upon seeing the tense atmosphere in the yard, he realized at once that this was no celebration.
“What is going on here?” he asked in a stern, authoritative voice.
The people in the courtyard began talking all at once, each adding their own version of events. Though the accounts were messy and overlapping, the secretary quickly pieced together the critical details.
His face turned ashen. For years, their production brigade had been recognized as a model unit by both the commune and the county. If such a scandal came to light, their chances of keeping that honor this year would be completely ruined!
His first thought was to suppress the incident as quickly as possible.
“Where is Comrade Xie Mingzhu?” he asked aloud.
The most urgent task now was to calm her down. As long as she agreed not to press the matter, everything could be smoothed over. At worst, there would be some gossip in the village, but nothing serious would come of it.
When he stepped into the room and saw Xie Shaoqian sitting there, his expression darkened even further.
Xie Shaoqian stood up to greet him, his voice low and steady. “Secretary Chen, our demand is simple: we want these two shameless creatures put behind bars.”
Before Secretary Chen could reply, he continued, “Of course, you may choose to pretend none of this ever happened. But in that case, I will report you as well. Even if you are not charged with covering up a crime, you can be sure you will face disciplinary action.”
It was a clear, unmistakeable threat.