Chapter 407: A Shameless Family

"Pah!" Third Grandma heard this and trembled with anger, pointing at He Cui’er’s mother and scolding: "You really are shameless! Saying such unconscionable words, aren’t you afraid your tongue will rot? When did my Brother Ping ever hold your daughter He Cui’er? Which eye of yours saw that? Spouting nonsense about things you didn’t see, thinking our families are easy to bully, aren’t you?"

Third Grandma, a peasant woman, had spent her whole life in the countryside and knew that some women there had ill intentions. Yet, she never imagined He Cui’er’s mother could be so vile, truly shameless to the extreme.

Hearing this, He Cui’er’s mother immediately started crying: "Third Old Lady Gu, you can’t say such things. You’re putting my daughter Cui’er in an impossible position. She’s still an unmarried maiden; the only man who has ever held her is your Brother Ping. If your family doesn’t acknowledge it, what should Cui’er do in the future? How can she even continue living?"

"What should she do? How to live? If she can’t live, then let her die!" Third Grandma roared and then spoke to He Cui’er, who was hiding behind her sister-in-law, "He Cui’er, one should have a conscience. Why spread lies when nothing happened? By framing my Brother Ping like this, apart from tarnishing your own reputation, what else can you gain?"

He Cui’er didn’t speak, just covered her face and cried as if greatly wronged... In reality, she never thought of causing trouble at the Qi family’s home, she just hoped to find another opportunity to pursue Qi Kangping later. But when her family returned from the feast and learned of the situation, they immediately decided to escalate the issue to force the Qi family to marry her.

Her second brother said, in just over two months it would be October, and they would have to perform mandatory labor service. She must cling to the Qi family, pry Silver from them, otherwise a male in their family would have to serve.

The labor service was hard and exhausting; one stint sometimes cost half a life. Her family couldn’t miss this opportunity, they had to seize it, insist that Qi Kangping had held her, and get her married into the Qi family in one fell swoop.

"Sister, don’t cry anymore, your sister-in-law understands your difficulty. But since Brother Ping from the Qi family has held you, who else can you marry?" Mrs. Liu, though frail, said something quite sinister. She told Qi Kangping, "Brother Qi, our family isn’t here to force you to marry Cui’er, but think about it, isn’t it fate arranged by God that you saved Cui’er from drowning?"

With a heartfelt tone, she said: "Since it’s a match arranged by God, Brother Qi, you should talk to your parents, pick a good day, and have a matchmaker come to propose."

Mrs. Liu had long harbored resentment towards He Cui’er and originally didn’t want to help her. However, He Liangzi promised her that once He Cui’er was betrothed to the Qi family, five taels of silver would be given to her to take back to her maiden home.

Five taels of silver, enough for her family to build a mud-brick courtyard house. Mrs. Liu was immediately tempted.

Qi Kangping, frightened by the actions of He Cui’er’s family, regained his composure and hurriedly denied: "No, I have never held He Cui’er. The Mo family girl said the pond where He Cui’er fell was shallow, and she couldn’t have drowned. Seeing there was no danger to life, I didn’t save her..."

"Aiyo! Brother Ping Qi, are you trying to shirk responsibility? What should my daughter Cui’er do then? Do you really want her to die?" He Cui’er’s mother interrupted Qi Kangping, crying out loud.

Qi Kangping was dumbfounded. Normally easygoing, he felt a surge of anger and addressed He Cui’er’s mother: "Mrs. He, I never held your daughter; how can you wrong me like this?"

He Liangzi grew angry and pointed at Qi Kangping: "Qi Kangping, how can you speak like that? What do you mean my mother is wronging you? You clearly held my sister Cui’er and now you deny it; after taking advantage, you don’t want to own up; how can you be so heartless?!"

He Minzi also chimed in: "Qi Kangping, you looked honest, and we thought you were a decent man, never expected you’d be so irresponsible. It was you who held my sister Cui’er first, not my sister clinging to you. You must agree to this marriage, or else we, the He family people, will never let it rest!"

Even the He Family People were brought up.

Third Grandma almost died of rage and wanted to grab a broom to chase away He Cui’er’s family. However, seeing Gu Jinli and his group not far away, she suppressed her anger, glaring at He Cui’er’s family as they spoke.

He Minzi, seeing Third Grandma remain silent, thought she had no retort and immediately showed a smug expression: "Brother Qi, Third Old Lady Gu, you all came fleeing hardship, wanting to establish yourselves in the village, you need to marry into the He family. Just look at my daughter Cui’er, what a fine girl, not only beautiful but also hardworking. Marrying her would definitely be a good deal for the Qi family."

Third Grandma sneered, "A girl from your family, who jumps into the water and cries for help at the sight of a man, is someone the Qi family cannot afford."

He Minzi’s face darkened, angrily he retorted: "Third Old Lady Gu, don’t push away a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit. If you refuse..."

"Enough!" Village Chief He, truly embarrassed, couldn’t stand it any longer and rushed over, raising his cane and striking He Minzi’s body, "Have you no shame? An entire family, young and old, coming to force a marriage, can’t your daughter be married off normally? Desperately pushing her onto someone else’s doorstep. Your family might shamelessly do this, but other He Family People still want to maintain their dignity. You all are trying to ruin the entire He family!"

Today, Village Chief He invited the He Family People for a feast, and after finishing the meal, he sat in his own courtyard talking with several clan elders from the He family. Right when they were enjoying their chat, Gu Jinli showed up, reporting that He Cui’er’s family was causing a ruckus at Qi Kangping’s house and asked him to bear witness.

Bear witness?

When Village Chief He heard this, he panicked; it wasn’t a request for him to mediate, just to be a witness. Was the Gu Family planning to file a lawsuit?

Village Chief He felt like dying; their village had already seen government officers thrice this year, and if they came again, particularly to arrest He family members, then the village’s reputation would truly be destroyed.

After Village Chief He and the clan elders heard this, they all got up and rushed over, arriving just in time to hear He Cui’er’s family pressuring Qi Kangping to marry He Cui’er.

Hearing He Cui’er’s family’s words, Village Chief He’s face burned with shame. He had never seen such shamelessness; repeatedly speaking about how their daughter was held by a foreign man, did they not care at all about their daughter’s reputation?

Village Chief He wanted to charge in and scold He Cui’er’s family right then, but Gu Jinli stopped him, suggesting they watch a bit longer to see just how shameless He Cui’er’s family could be.

He and the clan elders could only stand with stern faces, listening as their faces grew increasingly heated. Seeing He Minzi’s smug look, Village Chief He could no longer hold back and rushed in to hit him.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Village Chief He’s cane landed on He Minzi, as he berated, "Lazy good-for-nothing, without any real skills, just bringing disgrace to the He family. Today, this old man will beat you to death!"

While dodging Village Chief He’s cane, He Minzi cried out: "Village Chief, you must seek justice for my Cui’er, she’s been held by Brother Ping from the Qi Family and now her innocence is ruined, but the Qi Family, heartless as wolves, don’t want to marry Cui’er. They want her to die."