“Captain, I think this has become far too complicated. We should report it to the police. Not only that—we should bring the matchmakers from both sides here and have them confront each other.”
Lin Yi spoke with a troubled expression.
“That’s right! Call the police! Let the comrades from the Public Security Bureau decide how this should be handled. They can’t just beat someone half to death and get away with it!”
someone nearby echoed.
“Didn’t the Niu family bring their matchmaker? We had one too, didn’t we? Where’s Matchmaker Liu? Where did she run off to? Wasn’t she the one who caused such a huge uproar a few days ago when she arranged a match for Aunt Wu’s daughter?”
“Exactly! Bring Matchmaker Liu along too! A few days ago we thought Granny Wu had gone a little too far scolding her, but now it looks like she didn’t scold her enough! Is this what a matchmaker does? This is human trafficking! Just look at what the Niu family did to Feng’er! It’s bad enough that they tricked her into marriage, but Feng’er didn’t immediately run away or cut ties with them. Who would’ve thought they’d even beat her?”
“We absolutely can’t let this go! Do they think Xiao Guan Village has no one to stand up for its people?”
The crowd erupted in righteous anger, shouting one after another.
At this point, it was no longer about the bride price.
It had become a matter of outsiders bullying someone from Xiao Guan Village.
Niu Lidong and his mother’s faces instantly changed.
They could throw their weight around at home all they wanted, and no one cared. But if this really ended up at the police station…
“Captain, say something! Aren’t you going to stand up for us?”
Only then did Zhao Lanfen remember Niu Laoliu and hurriedly pulled him into the conversation. By family relations, Niu Laoliu was actually their distant uncle.
Niu Laoliu was an upright man. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been such close friends with Liu Dalong.
“I can’t help you with this. Your family was in the wrong from the very beginning. Let’s not even talk about how you deceived people over the bride price. After bringing her home, you didn’t even treat her properly. You beat her until she ended up like this, and instead of reflecting on yourselves and admitting your mistakes, you’re still thinking about demanding the bride price back? What are you mother and son even thinking?”
Zhao Lanfen was dumbfounded.
She had expected Niu Laoliu to help them.
Who would’ve thought he’d side with outsiders instead?
Did that mean the sixty yuan in bride price and the red headscarf had all been for nothing?
Just then, Bai Feng’er walked out of the house and threw a red scarf at them. Then she hurled the bundle of clothes she had brought back from the Niu family straight into their faces.
Liu Dalong said, “Forget about returning the money. They can’t beat someone and expect there to be no consequences. The fact that we’re not making them pay compensation is already letting them off easy.”
Niu Lidong and Zhao Lanfen stood frozen in place, clutching the bundle of clothes and the red headscarf. They forced bitter smiles that looked even worse than crying.
The villagers watching the spectacle pointed at them and whispered among themselves.
The Niu family wished they could crawl into a hole and disappear.
Before, they could still shamelessly deny everything.
Now, with the production team leaders from both villages speaking out, their guilt had been completely confirmed.
Lin Yi asked, “Should we call the police? Zhuzi has already left the village.”
“Don’t call the police! I’ll divorce her! I’ll divorce her!”
Niu Lidong, limping on his other injured leg, nearly dropped to his knees.
“We don’t want the bride price anymore! We don’t want it!”
Zhao Lanfen no longer cared about losing face.
If they were taken to the police station and everything their family had done came to light, they’d be in serious trouble.
Nearby, Bai Feng’er had been hanging on by sheer willpower, waiting to hear those exact words.
The moment she heard them, her body went limp, and she collapsed to the ground, unable to stand.
“Feng’er! Feng’er!”
Lin Yi patted her cheeks, trying to keep her conscious.
Only then did the Bai family realize just how weak Bai Feng’er had become.
It was obvious that the Niu family had tormented her to this state.
Wasn’t it all thanks to Lin Yi?
If Lin Yi hadn’t stopped them, they would have believed that Niu Lidong and Zhao Lanfen had sincerely come to apologize.
Bai Jingmin and Liu Yue’e had even been persuading Bai Feng’er to return and live peacefully with her husband.
Just imagine…
If she had really gone back, she might not have survived.
“Lin Yi, thank goodness for you!”
“Lin Yi, you saved Feng’er’s life!”
Bai Jingmin and Liu Yue’e were so grateful that they didn’t even know what to say.
On the Niu family’s side, seeing Bai Feng’er faint actually made them a little happy.
Although Niu Lidong looked somewhat nervous, a glimmer of hope flashed through his eyes.
“How about… we don’t get divorced today? Let Feng’er recover first, then we can—”
“No!”
“We’re getting divorced today! Harness the cart and take me to the town!”
Bai Feng’er gritted her teeth, her eyes filled with unwavering determination.
The crowd fell silent.
Only now did everyone truly believe that Bai Feng’er would rather risk her life than stay married to Niu Lidong.
What had happened between them was clearly far more than just a fraudulent marriage.
Liu Dalong immediately told someone to prepare the cart.
Everyone hurried together to lift Bai Feng’er onto it, while several men grabbed hold of Niu Lidong, and the large group set off for the town.
This time, almost no one believed the Niu family had any good intentions left.
Instead, they were even more thankful that Lin Yi had been there.
Otherwise, they too would have encouraged Bai Feng’er to return with the Niu family.
Looking at things now, if she really had gone back, who knew what would’ve happened to her?
The villagers escorted Bai Feng’er to town with the determination of soldiers heading into battle.
When someone from their own village was bullied by another village, it was no different from being bullied themselves.
The imposing scene frightened Niu Lidong’s family so badly that their faces turned waxy yellow.
It felt as though saying even one more word would earn them a brutal beating.
Niu Lijun followed along at the edge of the crowd, his sallow, gaunt face lowered, occasionally stealing glances at Lin Yi.
At first, whenever he looked at Lin Yi, his eyes had been full of infatuation.
After all, he was a bachelor and she was a widow. A bachelor marrying a widow seemed like a perfect match.
But now, whenever he looked at Lin Yi, his eyes were filled only with fear and timidity.
It was as though Lin Yi’s gaze could see straight through his entire family.
She was terrifying.
Once they arrived at the Civil Affairs Bureau, everything went smoothly.
The production team leaders from both villages personally accompanied their villagers to process the divorce.
It was the first time anyone had ever seen such a scene.
With officials personally serving as witnesses, every required document and certification was readily available.
If an official seal was needed, Liu Dalong could produce one immediately.
Niu Lidong obediently pressed his thumbprint onto the divorce papers.
Bai Feng’er had recovered somewhat by then. She signed her name and pressed her thumbprint as well.
The moment she received the divorce certificate, her eyes welled up with tears.
Niu Lidong’s legs trembled so badly that he collapsed into a squat, unable to get back up.
His wife was gone.
He didn’t have a wife anymore!
Zhao Lanfen also dropped onto the ground with a thud, unable to stand.
How were they supposed to live now?
With Bai Feng’er gone, who would cook for them, wash their clothes, feed the chickens and pigs? Who would bear them a grandson? And after today’s fiasco, how could they possibly trick another woman into marrying into their family? Their reputation was completely ruined!
Niu Laoliu cleared his throat.
“What are you doing? Stop playing dead. Now you know what it feels like to suffer? Where was this remorse before? When the girl came to your family, you should’ve treated her well. Instead, all you did was torment your daughter-in-law day after day. Even now you refuse to repent. Stop embarrassing yourselves here. When you leave, don’t tell anyone you’re from Niu Village, and don’t say I’m your production team leader.”
Niu Lidong wanted to say something, but Niu Laoliu ignored him completely. He turned to Liu Dalong instead.
“Captain Liu, what do you think about all this?”
Liu Dalong couldn’t very well take his frustration out on Niu Laoliu. After all, the man had been fair and upright, refusing to shield his own villagers.
“Thanks for your help today. I’ll treat you to a drink another day.”
Niu Laoliu lowered his voice and asked quietly,
“That young daughter-in-law from your village… whose family is she from? She’s really something.”
Liu Dalong glanced at Lin Yi.
…