Song Hui was so frightened that she buried herself in Wei Yao’s arms, wailing loudly. Song Yang’s small frame desperately hid behind Wei Yao, his entire body trembling with fear.
“Mother, since you’ve said so, then let Song Mingrui and I take the children and move out to live separately. In the future, not only will Liping come home for meals, but even if she stays long-term, my husband and I won’t say a word. I dare not hope for a big house—just give us this side room.”
“What did you say? You want to move out and live separately? Impossible! If you want to leave, go by yourself. My son, grandson, and granddaughter all bear the Song surname—they can’t go with you.”
Chang Yongqin snorted coldly and threw the cabbage stalk in her hand into the winnowing basket.
“You worthless thing, still thinking about moving out separately? I’m telling you, there’s no way. The family has only one son, the eldest. He’s the one who will take care of my parents in their old age and see them off. We worked hard to raise him, so you two should toil like oxen and horses for the Song Family. Hmph, I heard from Xiao Chun yesterday—you reeked of meat. Not only did you secretly buy egg cakes, but you also went out to eat alone. Selfish, mean, shameless, ungrateful wretch!”
“So what if I went out to eat? Your son and daughter were locked in the room, and the children were crying from hunger. Huihui has eaten nothing but rice flour sent from my family since she was born. During my postpartum confinement, I didn’t see a single meat coupon mailed over. I’m selfish? Then what about you? Snatching food from a new mother, and even taking things mailed from my family!”
Just thinking about the past made Wei Yao’s heart ache. She couldn’t understand how she had been so bewitched back then, enduring such grievances without leaving sooner.
“Enough! Always bringing up these old, trivial matters—what are you trying to do? I’m telling you, moving out to live separately is impossible. My Mingrui bears the Song surname. If you think you can take him away, that’s not going to happen. If anyone’s going to leave, it’s you. Petty-minded, vulgar, and utterly lacking in upbringing—our Song Family can’t afford a daughter-in-law like you. You’d better go back to wherever you came from as soon as possible.”
Wei Yao didn’t even need to pinch her thigh. Just thinking about her past life, tears streamed down her face.
Before she could say anything, Deputy Director Liu, who had been listening outside for a while, strode in angrily. In her hand was Wei Yao’s medical record. Although she was furious at the Song Family’s actions, she still thought that since they were family, they deserved at least one chance.
What Wei Yao had said when she entered clearly carried that intention, but she never expected the Song Family to be so unreasonable—they were practically pushing Wei Yao to her death!
“What a bold tone, Chang Yongqin! Your family prides itself on being high-class, but I’ve never heard what official household your family belongs to.”
Chang Yongqin and Song Liping were startled by the reprimand. They often argued fiercely at home, but when faced with someone in a leadership position, they immediately fell silent.
“Director Liu, what brings you here? Please come inside and sit down. Do you have any instructions for us?”
She glanced at Liu Chunling, then at the few people following her. Two were from the neighborhood office, whom she recognized, but the other man and woman were unfamiliar.
“What are you looking at? These two are police officers. They came with me after receiving Comrade Wei Yao’s report.”
“What? A report? How could this be reported? It’s just a small family quarrel—we’ve already resolved it ourselves. There’s really no need to trouble Director Liu and the two officers.”
"You think saying 'don't trouble us' means we won't? Enough nonsense, bring out the one who caused the disturbance by hitting people."
Chang Yongqin was nearly scolded into a faint, then turned a vicious glare toward Wei Yao.
"Xiao Wei, didn't we agree when I was at the hospital? Hurry up and explain clearly to the comrades from the Public Security Bureau—the injury on your head was from you accidentally bumping into something. How can someone your age still, still pin it on a child, huh?"
"Wei… sister-in-law, say something quickly!"
Wei Yao and her two children stood to the side like quails, trembling with fear, making the on-site police officers and Deputy Director Liu feel deep sympathy. Deputy Director Liu even felt somewhat ashamed—their neighborhood actually had a family that tormented their daughter-in-law and young children, utterly devoid of conscience.
"Xiao Wei, don't be afraid. Say whatever you need to say; we're all here to help you."
"Deputy Director Liu, it wasn't me, really it wasn't me. My head, my body—everywhere is covered in injuries. Do I have some kind of problem, hitting myself? Sob… Mingrui and I aren't unfilial people. Ever since I married into the Song Family, our salaries have been handed over. I went back to work before even finishing my postpartum confinement. Mingrui is rarely home all year round. Yangyang and I eat wild vegetable buns and cabbage stems day in and day out. Just look at the three of us, then look at my parents-in-law and Liping and her children. Li Ying and the other kids often threaten to beat or curse me and Yangyang, even saying they want to kill me. If we don't separate and live on our own, will the few of us even survive? Sob…"
"Shut up! Are you trying to ruin our old Song Family?"
"Wei Yao, if you dare slander my son again… He's just a child saying a few harsh words, and you take it seriously?"
Chang Yongqin and Song Liping stamped their feet in rage, their fierce gazes making Wei Yao stagger backward. With her head still injured, she looked as if she might faint at any moment. Two police officers immediately stepped in front of her.
"What are you doing? Trying to lay hands on her right in front of us? Hand over Li Ying now, or if we have to go to the school, it won't sound good for anyone."
Under the stern gazes of the two officers, Song Liping finally felt fear. She swallowed hard and hurriedly ran outside. Though she desperately didn't want to hand over her son, she knew that if the police really went to the school, the child would lose all reputation and might even be expelled!
"Xiao Wei, broken bones are still connected by sinews. Are you really so heartless as to send your nephew to the Public Security Bureau? Don't you think about how you'll explain this to Mingrui when he comes back?"
Wei Yao sobbed, "My child and I are about to lose our lives. What does heartless or not matter anymore? Please, don't say any more. If Song Mingrui blames me, then we'll divorce. I'm desperate—I have to let my child live."
When someone who has always been strong suddenly breaks down in tears, it’s especially heartbreaking. Having lived as neighbors for so many years, everyone knows each other's dirty laundry.
The onlookers whispered incessantly. Chang Yongqin stood alone in the courtyard, feeling a panic she had never known before. It seemed as if a huge monster were looming before her, baring its teeth and opening its mouth, as if it might devour her in the next instant.
She quickly composed herself and waved her hand, saying, "Fine, if you want to split the family, then we'll split it. You can have the side room to live in. But all the wages you've handed over before were for household expenses—food and drink for the whole family cost money. I won’t ask for your wages this month either. Go pack up and move in there!"
As soon as she finished speaking, everyone’s faces filled with contempt. What a silver-tongued, shameless creature! So much money spent in a single month—truly like a dung beetle burrowing into a latrine, utterly without shame.