3
A Little Wife Fell Down from Next Door
Lin Jianchun dressed and stepped out of bed. Seeing a crowd gathered by the window, she abruptly opened it and found herself face-to-face with a group of women.
The women from the Courtyard, caught eavesdropping, flushed with embarrassment. “Well, we were just passing by, merely passing by.”
Lin Jianchun’s eyes reddened. “Sisters and aunties, please stay. Could you help me fetch the property manager?”
According to the book, this was originally a Siheyuan belonging to a high-ranking official. Later, it was renovated into a Courtyard, divided into front, middle, and rear sections, housing twenty families in total.
To facilitate management, the neighborhood committee had appointed a property manager for each section. Grandpa Sun, the manager of their rear courtyard, was an orthopedic doctor at City Third Hospital, with a family legacy of medical skills and a sixth-grade salary.
Before Grandpa Sun arrived, he had already heard snippets of the situation. He tried to persuade the stubborn Song family, “We all live in the same Courtyard. Where you can show mercy, do so. If Ah Zhou is sent to face the firing squad, the Lu family will be ruined, and our Courtyard’s reputation will suffer too. Since the Lu family is willing to compensate, just name a price.”
The Song family demanded five thousand yuan outright.
After some haggling, the Song family stood firm. “Two thousand yuan, not a cent less. Otherwise, we’ll have to call the police.”
“Call the police? Perfect, please report for me as well.”
A clear, crisp voice rang out from the doorway.
Lin Jianchun leaned against the doorframe, sweeping a glance over the two families with their varied expressions.
Song’s Mother looked pleased. With Lin Jianchun stepping forward to report the matter, the Lu family would surely pay the two thousand yuan. If she had known Lin Jianchun was willing to testify, she should have held out for five thousand.
Feigning sympathy, she grasped Lin Jianchun’s hand. “Good child, you’ve suffered. Mother will surely seek justice for you.”
Lin Jianchun clasped Song’s Mother’s hand in return, a slight smile curling her lips.
She then turned excitedly to Mother Lu. “Aunt Lu, please help me call the police. I’ve caught a human trafficker.”
The Song family: …???
The Lu family: …!!!
Lin Jianchun’s shout about catching a human trafficker threw Song’s Mother into a panic.
“Good child, isn’t there some misunderstanding here?”
Song’s Mother struggled to free her hand, but Lin Jianchun’s grip was surprisingly strong.
Lin Jianchun held on tightly. “You deliberately prevented me from registering my marriage with Song Zhian, saying we should move in first and register later. It turns out you were plotting to extort an innocent family. Aunt Lu is just too kind-hearted to have fallen for such a deceitful scheme!”
“I did no such thing! Don’t talk nonsense.”
Lin Jianchun declared righteously, “Whether I’m talking nonsense or not, the police will take you to the hospital for a checkup once I report this. If you fainted on purpose last night, you’re a human trafficker—not only deceiving an innocent woman like me but also extorting the Lu family. Your whole family are accomplices and should all be arrested to face the firing squad.”
Song’s Mother insisted stubbornly, “What nonsense are you spouting, child? How could I have faked fainting?”
“Whether you faked it or not, we’ll find out at the hospital. Grandpa Sun, I’ve heard that hospitals nowadays have advanced equipment that can detect feigned fainting.”
Grandpa Sun paused, then concurred, “Indeed, it’s possible.”
“Call the police! Take her to the hospital for a check! I don’t want compensation—I want to rid society of this scourge and send the entire Song family to face the firing squad!”
Lin Jianchun spoke clearly and shouted her slogans so forcefully that she instantly stunned the entire room.
Seizing the opportunity, Lu Xuanzhou noticed the panic in Song’s Mother’s eyes and whispered to Little Lu, “Go call the police.”
“You can’t go!”
Song’s Mother screamed and blocked Little Lu.
Song Zhian said fiercely, “Mom, let them call the police. Let the police decide who should face the firing squad! Lu Xuanzhou slept with my wife, and he still thinks he’s in the right?”
Song’s Mother’s legs went weak, unable to stand steadily. She tightly gripped her son Song Zhian’s hand, repeatedly insisting they couldn’t call the police or go to the hospital. Even a fool could tell something was wrong.
Song Zhian struggled to open his mouth: “Mom, did you… did you really fake fainting?”
“Anzi, don’t blame your mother. I didn’t fake it on purpose. I was just afraid you’d forget your mother after getting a wife, just wanted to put your wife in her place. I never really meant for you to lose your wife…”
The neighbors in the Courtyard outside erupted in uproar.
“I always said you shouldn’t marry a widow’s son. This kind of woman treats her son like a husband, especially possessive.”
“Does this Song widow really have those kinds of feelings for her son? Is that why she’s trying to harm her daughter-in-law?”
“Who knows? Anyway, competing with a daughter-in-law for her son’s attention doesn’t look proper no matter how you see it.”
Song’s Mother was so ashamed and angry she wished she could die. Her eyes rolled back and she completely fainted.
This time, it was real.
Song Zhian and Song Caiwei urgently tried to take her to the hospital, but Grandpa Sun stopped them.
“Your mother just fainted from rage. She’ll wake up soon.”
Mother Lu desperately pressed Song’s Mother’s philtrum until she finally revived her.
Granddo Sun also disliked how Song’s Mother could cause trouble but couldn’t handle the consequences: “Don’t be in such a hurry to faint. Are you still accepting this daughter-in-law into your family or not?”
Song Zhian hung his head and didn’t speak.
Song’s Mother hardened her heart. Since her reputation was already ruined, she could play the villain one more time for her son.
“Lin Jianchun has already been slept with by Lu Xuanzhou. Our family temple is too small for such a grand Buddha.”
“Pah! A blessed woman shouldn’t enter an unblessed home. This daughter-in-law – our family has claimed her!”
Mother Lu instead looked at Lin Jianchun with shining eyes. She never expected her daughter-in-law to be so capable, turning the battle around with just a few words!
This was exactly the daughter-in-law she had been dreaming of day and night! If she were to unfortunately pass away like that dead old man someday, the Lu family would still have someone to uphold their honor.
The Song family tried to slink away in disgrace, but Lin Jianchun stopped them.
“You’ve wronged me like this, and you think you can just leave? You should at least pay five thousand yuan!”
Song’s Mother exploded upon hearing this: “You might as well kill me! I can’t come up with that much money.”
Lin Jianchun: “Weren’t you quite happy extorting money just now? I’d like to taste that happiness too.”
Mother Lu also scolded: “Heartless woman! So you know five thousand yuan is a lot? Then why did your family demand we compensate five thousand yuan earlier!”
Finally, through Grandpa Sun’s mediation, the Song family compensated Lin Jianchun two hundred yuan, and the hundred yuan betrothal gift didn’t need to be returned.
Mother Lu kicked Lu Xuanzhou: “Aren’t you going to help your wife move her dowry over? Remember, not a single cent of the two hundred yuan can be missing.”
“Sister-in-law, I’ll help you move things too.” Little Lu said eagerly.
Lin Jianchun nodded reservedly. Little Lu’s eyes looked at her like an adoring fan – she couldn’t refuse such sincere bootlicking.
“Ahem, when I get the compensation money, I’ll buy you roast duck.”
“Thank you, sister-in-law.”
Lu Xuanzhou turned away, unable to watch. He often brought back food when driving his truck, so how did his brother end up with such bootlicking manners?
When they reached the Song family’s wedding room, their eyes met with festive red decorations everywhere.
Lu Xuanzhou pressed his lips together and glanced at Lin Jianchun: “Which of these are your dowry items?”
“My family gave me four eight-catty cotton quilts, two mattresses, a bed, two bedside tables, a large wardrobe, a half-height cabinet, a square table, four chairs, and two wooden sofas as dowry.”
Lu Xuanzhou paused, “I’ll call some people to help move them.”
Soon after, Lu Xuanzhou gathered his close childhood friends to move Lin Jianchun’s dowry away.
Neighbors who came to watch the excitement couldn’t help but count the “legs” of the dowry items.
“One, two… 48 legs! The Song family only gave 100 yuan as bride price, yet his wife’s family actually provided a dowry with 48 legs. If it were me, I wouldn’t make such a fuss—I’d happily welcome the bride into my home.”
“But I heard these were actually purchased by the Song family themselves? I initially thought the Song family valued this rural daughter-in-law quite highly.”
“Don’t be silly. If the Song family had bought these themselves, would they let others take them away? That boast has been completely exposed.”
Song Zhian listened to the mocking voices outside and looked at the emptied house before slamming the door shut as he entered his room.
Outside, Song’s Mother wept bitterly. Having been a widow for so many years, she cared most about maintaining dignity, and today she had lost all face.
Just next door, the Lu family was joyfully welcoming their new daughter-in-law.
In front of the neighbors, Mother Lu prepared a red envelope for Lin Jianchun to ward off bad luck.
Lin Jianchun smiled with curved eyes and said cheerfully, “Thank you, Mom.”
“Yes, yes, good daughter-in-law. This is the ‘address-changing’ red envelope.”
Lin Jianchun was handed another red envelope.
At that moment, all the neighbors in the Courtyard understood that Mother Lu was very satisfied with this daughter-in-law who had unexpectedly come from next door.