“Qin Hongmei! You shameless slut! Get out here!”
The roar from outside made the gate of the Qin family’s second branch courtyard tremble.
Immediately after, with a loud crash, the gate was violently pushed open from the outside, and seven or eight burly militiamen escorted two people inside.
Shoved forward by the militiamen at the very front were Qin Hongmei and Zhao Weijian, both disheveled and disgraced!
Their hair was messy, their clothes wrinkled, and their faces bore clear slap marks—clear signs they had just been through a fierce struggle.
When Qin Hongmei saw so many people in the courtyard, especially Qin Yao, any remaining urge to struggle and defend herself vanished instantly. She deflated like a punctured balloon, her entire demeanor wilting.
She trembled, her eyes darting around nervously, not daring to look up at Qin Yao.
Zhao Weijian, on the other hand, stiffened his neck, his gaze dark and sweeping. When he saw Qin Yao was also there, his pupils contracted sharply.
“Captain, this is the courtyard of the Qin family’s second branch.”
Militia Captain Qin Dewang pointed at Qin Hongmei and Zhao Weijian as he spoke to Village Chief Qin Jianguo beside him.
Village Chief Qin Jianguo was a well-meaning man who usually preferred smoothing things over. He immediately sensed the tense atmosphere in the courtyard and spotted the imposing figure of Old Master Huo.
He hurried forward, bowing and scraping to Old Master Huo.
“Old Master Huo, what brings you here? This… this is all a misunderstanding!”
“A misunderstanding?”
Old Master Huo angrily thumped his cane. Though his voice wasn’t loud, it carried an undeniable authority.
“Village Chief Qin, tell me, what exactly is a misunderstanding?”
“My granddaughter-in-law was subjected to ‘substituting a civet cat for the crown prince,’ her reputation utterly ruined. Is that what you call a misunderstanding?”
Village Chief Qin Jianguo was left speechless by Old Master Huo’s words.
He glanced at Qin Hongmei and Zhao Weijian, held by the militiamen, then at Qin Yao, realizing the situation had escalated badly.
He cleared his throat, attempting to mediate.
“Old Master Huo, look at this matter. We’re all from the same village. If this blows up, it won’t be good for anyone.”
“Why don’t we sit down and talk properly, see if we can… settle this privately?”
As soon as he said this, Qin Li and Lin Fen immediately latched onto it like a lifeline.
“Yes, yes! Settle privately! Settle privately!”
Lin Fen quickly stepped forward, tugging at the village chief’s sleeve.
“Village Chief, this is all my Hongmei’s fault for not knowing better. She and Wei Jian are truly in love, they just… just took a wrong step.”
“Qin Yao married into the Huo family and is living a life of luxury now. Can’t we just let this go?”
“Settle privately?”
Qin Yao’s voice rang out again, carrying a chill that could not be ignored.
Her gaze was clear and direct as she looked straight at Village Chief Qin Jianguo.
“Village Chief, as the village’s official, you should know what crimes drugging and abduction, as well as sabotaging a military marriage, constitute, right?”
With each word she spoke, Village Chief Qin Jianguo’s face grew paler.
“I, Qin Yao, will make myself clear here today.”
“This matter cannot be settled privately!”
“Drugging and abduction is a criminal offense! Sabotaging a military marriage is an even more serious crime!”
Qin Yao’s tone was resolute and firm, each word ringing with conviction.
“I firmly demand that they be handed over to the Public Security Bureau and dealt with according to the law!”
Qin Yao’s words left everyone present stunned.
No one expected that this usually gentle and soft-spoken girl would utter such words.
This was no longer the naive and pampered young lady; this was clearly a sharp and ruthless iron lady who knew the law!
Upon hearing that they were to be sent to the public security bureau, Qin Li and Lin Fen immediately panicked.
“No! You can’t send us to the public security bureau!”
Lin Fen fell to her knees with a thud, clutching Qin Yao’s leg as she wailed.
“Yao Yao, Yao Yao! Please spare Hongmei! She’s your cousin!”
“If she ends up in the public security bureau, her life will be ruined!”
Qin Yao looked coldly at Lin Fen, her expression unmoved.
“When she schemed against me, did she ever consider whether my life would be ruined?”
She kicked Lin Fen away, her eyes filled with mockery.
“Now you’re scared? It’s too late!”
Hearing Qin Yao’s words, Qin Hongmei completely broke down.
She struggled free from the militia’s grip and rushed toward Qin Yao, crying out.
“Qin Yao! Why are you doing this to me!”
“Are you happy that I’m marrying Huo Jingshen, that man with no heirs?!”
She pointed at Qin Yao’s nose, her eyes filled with venom.
“You’re just jealous! Jealous that someone loves me, jealous that I can escape this poor mountain village!”
“Let me tell you, don’t think you’ll have it easy! Huo Jingshen can’t even have children. If you marry him, you’ll just be a living widow!”
Qin Hongmei’s words were like pouring oil on the fire.
The Huo family’s faces darkened upon hearing this.
Old Master Huo trembled with rage, pointing at Qin Hongmei, unable to speak.
Qin Guoqiang was even more furious, ready to charge forward and hit her again.
Just then, another shrill scream came from outside the courtyard gate!
“Qin Hongmei! You bitch! Get out here!”
A young woman wearing a floral-patterned jacket and two long braids rushed in like a madwoman.
She was holding a fire poker, her eyes red, clearly having cried.
“Zhang Xiaocui?!”
Seeing the newcomer, Zhao Weijian’s face instantly turned pale.
This Zhang Xiaocui was his officially betrothed fiancée!
As soon as Zhang Xiaocui rushed into the courtyard and saw the disheveled Qin Hongmei and Zhao Weijian, she understood everything.
The fire poker in her hand clattered to the ground, and tears instantly streamed down her face.
“Fine! Zhao Weijian! You heartless man!”
“You told me you were going to town on business, but instead, you were fooling around with this bitch here!”
With a furious roar, she lunged at Qin Hongmei.
“Qin Hongmei! You seductress! You stole my man! Today, I’m going to scratch your face to shreds!”
Zhang Xiaocui attacked viciously, grabbing Qin Hongmei’s hair and clawing wildly at her face.
Caught off guard by the sudden assault, Qin Hongmei screamed and struggled desperately.
“Ah! Help! Murder!”
The two instantly tangled into a brawl, rolling on the ground.
Zhang Xiaocui cursed as she fought, her voice shrill.
“Today, I’ll make you pay for stealing my man!”
Scratches soon appeared on Qin Hongmei’s face, and she cried out in agony.
“Let go of me! You crazy woman!”
The militiamen hurriedly stepped in to break up the fight, but Zhang Xiaocui seemed to have gone mad and couldn’t be restrained.
She clung tightly to Qin Hongmei’s hair, cursing nonstop.
Qin Yao stood to the side, watching the commotion coldly, her eyes devoid of any sympathy.
She was no saint, and she felt no pity for someone who had brought this upon themselves.
The villagers watching the spectacle were thoroughly entertained, pointing and commenting.
“Serves her right! Someone like her deserves to be taught a lesson!”
“Shameless, seducing a married man!”
“I’d say the Qin family’s second branch has completely lost face this time!”
Under Zhang Xiaocui’s assault, Qin Hongmei quickly found herself unable to hold her ground.
She was beaten black and blue by Zhang Xiaocui, looking utterly disheveled.
Suddenly, she broke free from Zhang Xiaocui’s grip, dashed to the well at the corner of the yard, and made as if to jump in.
“I don’t want to live anymore! You’re all bullying me! I might as well die!”
She wailed, about to leap into the well.
This sudden turn of events startled everyone present.
“Hongmei! What are you doing!”
Lin Fen screamed, trying to rush over and pull her back.
But the militiamen reacted faster. Several of them swiftly rushed over and grabbed Qin Hongmei by her clothes.
“You wretched woman! Trying to kill yourself? It won’t be that easy!”
“We haven’t even interrogated you yet. Wouldn’t dying be letting you off too lightly?”
The militiamen dragged Qin Hongmei back from the well like a chicken, throwing her heavily onto the ground.
Qin Hongmei lay on the ground, sobbing uncontrollably, looking like a heap of mud.
All her pretenses, all her pride, were utterly torn to shreds in that moment.
Her parents, Qin Li and Lin Fen, seeing their daughter in such a pitiful state, could only wail helplessly on the side, not daring to say anything more.
Village Chief Qin Jianguo watched everything unfold, cold sweat dripping from his forehead.
This matter was completely beyond his control now.
He glanced at Qin Yao, then at the Huo family, knowing that the Qin family’s second branch had truly fallen this time.
The farce finally subsided, and the militiamen escorted Qin Hongmei and Zhao Weijian on either side, preparing to take them to the commune.
Village Chief Qin Jianguo had no choice but to brace himself and follow the militiamen.
In the yard, only the Qin and Huo families remained, along with a few lingering villagers who hadn’t yet dispersed.
Seeing that the excitement was mostly over, the villagers gradually left, leaving only the Huo and Qin families behind.
Old Master Huo looked at the chaotic yard and the joyous atmosphere utterly ruined by the farce, letting out a deep sigh.
He turned around and walked solemnly toward Qin Yao.
He knew that this young woman had endured far too much injustice.
The Huo family had to give her an explanation.