"You little slut, born a jinx and a worthless good-for-nothing, and you dare to threaten me with mutual destruction?"
Tang Min only felt that Shen Chunhua's voice was shrill and piercing.
She gritted her teeth, turned around, grabbed the hemp rope hanging on the courtyard wall, rushed to the front gate, tossed the rope over the beam, and swiftly tied a noose.
"Mother, if you don't give me the money today, I'll hang myself right at the front gate of the Qin family!"
Tang Min shrugged off her army coat, stepped onto the threshold, gripped the rope tightly with both hands, and placed her head inside the noose.
This was all taught to her by her daughter—from now on, she would only listen to her daughter.
"You worthless piece of trash, how dare you threaten Mother with death!" He Cuiyun immediately started cursing.
"Tang Min, get down from there!"
Shen Chunhua was so angry her chest felt tight. This pushover who could be kneaded and squeezed at will actually dared to defy her today?
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Qin Qing held the basin Qin Guangmei had just filled with water in her left hand, and with her right hand, she struck it hard with a wooden stick while shouting at the top of her lungs.
"The old hag of the Qin family has lost all conscience, forcing her daughter-in-law to remarry for 10 yuan!"
"He Cuiyun is an accomplice to evil, beating her sister-in-law viciously, blood is splashing everywhere and someone's going to die!"
"The wicked mother-in-law is blinded by greed, driving her daughter-in-law to hang herself. The Qin family's sins will surely bring heaven's punishment!"
Word by word, Qin Qing shouted with heart-wrenching intensity.
She spoke with great dramatic flair, repeating her cries at the top of her voice. Before long, all the villagers heard the commotion.
Even Village Chief Qin Wanguo was alarmed and brought people along to rush over.
"What's going on? What's going on? Old Madam Qin, what is your family making a fuss about?"
Qin Wanguo addressed Shen Chunhua with a measure of courtesy.
This was only because Shen Chunhua's second son—also Qin Qing's father, Qin Changyuan—had been the only teacher in the village.
He had died in a flood while trying to save people during a disaster.
Qin Wanguo had always been quite considerate toward the Qin family.
"Village Chief, there's just a little quarrel between the daughters-in-law at home. A small matter—please forgive the spectacle."
Shen Chunhua forced a stiff smile while signaling He Cuiyun with her eyes.
"Everyone, disperse! This is our family matter—no need for you all to watch the show!"
He Cuiyun reached out, trying to pull Tang Min down from the threshold.
Tang Min clung desperately to the rope, refusing to move, looking at the village chief with tearful eyes.
"Village Chief! Please seek justice for me! My mother-in-law sold me to Wang Mazhi of Hexi Village for 10 yuan."
"Everyone, take a look! The wicked mother-in-law is forcing her daughter-in-law to be sold! And my third aunt beat my mother until she was bloody!"
Qin Qing directly threw the dirty water onto He Cuiyun, infuriating her so much she hopped around in anger.
"In your Qin family, who carries the manure and chops the firewood? Who does all the heavy, dirty work? Isn't it all Tang Min? Selling a person for 10 yuan—are you even human?!"
"Wang Mazhi of Hexi Village is a notorious scoundrel! Isn't this just pushing someone straight into a pit of fire?"
"Even the Tang family didn't accept the bride price, yet your Qin family has the nerve to take it with a shameless face?"
"And you beat her this badly! He Cuiyun, you're not fierce enough to your own husband, so you beat your sister-in-law? You're truly shameless!"
The people of Hedong Village were not blind.
Everyone could see how hard Tang Min worked in the Qin family.
Which family wouldn't want to marry such a capable daughter-in-law? But the old Madam Qin looked at Tang Min with nothing but disdain—nose not a nose, eyes not eyes.
She resented Tang Min for "jinxing" her son to death, and resented Tang Min for giving birth to a daughter, unlike herself, who had borne three sons!
But no matter what, selling off one's daughter-in-law—how shameless must a person be to do such a thing?
"I didn't hit her! Those injuries weren't from me!"
He Cuiyun hurriedly tried to explain.
Qin Qing shot back, "If not you, then who? Did my grandmother do it?"
"You little slut! What nonsense is spewing out of that rotten mouth of yours!"
Shen Chunhua hurled a string of curses at Qin Qing.
He Cuiyun wanted to explain that the injuries were from Wang Mazhi!
But if she said that, it would only make them look even more guilty.
"Village chief, I don't want to marry again. I really don't! I'd rather be a widow for the rest of my life for Changyuan!"
Tang Min spoke with heartfelt sincerity, and with her body covered in bloody wounds.
Her frail frame shivered in the cold wind.
A few village women watching couldn't bear to see it any longer and stepped forward to help Tang Min down.
"Sister-in-law, if you say you won't marry, then you won't marry!"
"There's no such rule in this world where a mother-in-law forces her daughter-in-law to remarry."
"Teacher Qin is already gone. Staying with the Qin family is out of kindness. If you truly don't want to stay, that's your right too!"
The women chimed in one after another, growing more indignant with each word.
Their stares at Shen Chunhua were as sharp as knives, as if they wanted to stab holes right through her.
Shen Chunhua had always been a vicious shrew, relying on the fact that her second son had died in a flood rescue years ago, acting as if the whole village owed her something.
She was no stranger to bullying others and pilfering things on a daily basis.
"This is our Qin family's business. It's none of you women's place to meddle!" Shen Chunhua snarled back viciously.
"Auntie Qin, the state advocates freedom in marriage. If Tang Min doesn't want to remarry, you can't force her!"
Qin Wanguo couldn't stand it either and spoke up with a fair word.
"Even if she doesn't remarry, our Qin family won't keep her!"
Shen Chunhua hardened her heart. This little wretch had made her lose so much face—there was no way she'd let her stay in the Qin family!
"Then we won't stay with the Qin family either. Village chief, you make the call. We want to split from the family. My mother has worked all these years—asking for 10 yuan isn't too much, is it?"
Qin Qing seized the moment to state her demand.
Qin Wanguo let out a low grumble. Splitting the family was a domestic matter—as village chief, he really had no authority over it.
"Splitting the family is possible, but…"
Tang Min could see Qin Wanguo's hesitation and immediately twisted around, reaching for the hemp rope.
"Changyuan is dead, and I'm being forced to remarry. The Qin family wants to kick me out—I'll hang myself right at their doorstep!"
Seeing Tang Min make such a scene, Qin Wanguo quickly changed his tune.
"Auntie Qin, the money should be given. It has to be."
Seeing everyone side with Tang Min, Shen Chunhua found herself stuck between a rock and a hard place.
"Ten yuan? No way! Five at most!"
She gritted her teeth. Might as well kick these two burdens out of the house—at least she'd still save five yuan.
"No way. It has to be ten yuan, not a cent less!"
Qin Qing refused to budge.
"What's all the shouting about? What's all the shouting about!"
Qin Changbing pushed through the crowd from behind, holding his six-year-old son in his arms.
He was tall and burly, but with beady eyes and a flat nose, he exuded a sleazy air.
Qin Guangmei had inherited his looks, which was why she was so oddly ugly.
The moment Shen Chunhua saw Qin Changbing, it was like she'd spotted a savior. She pointed at Tang Min and Qin Qing, sobbing.
"Changbing! If you hadn't come back, your mother would've been bullied to death!"
The moment Qin Changbing laid eyes on Tang Min, his brows knitted into a tight knot. Without a word, he quickly pulled Shen Chunhua toward the inner room.
The two of them had no idea what was being whispered in the room, but when Shen Chunhua came out again, she changed her tune.
"You just want 10 bucks, don't you? Fine! I'll give it! But I have one condition!"