Chapter 500: Bangeng

Seeing Shi Jiahong's brother wield an egg‑thick rolling pin, he cursed Bangeng's eight generations of ancestors with foul words and charged fiercely toward the house where the fight was happening.

The shrewd Qin Huairu immediately thought of something.

It was definitely not to help Bangeng deal with Shi Jiahong, nor to mediate; the rolling pin in his hand made that clear.

They are siblings; in their eyes, Bangeng has always been an outsider.

A gasp of cold air escaped Qin Huairu's lips uncontrollably; only now did she learn what kind of life Bangeng had been living in the countryside.

The reasons behind it.

It could no longer be described as merely tragic.

She resolved to bring Bangeng back to the city.

After about five or six minutes, Qin Huairu finally appeared inside the house, walking in slowly.

She also intended to use Shi Jiahong's brother to give Bangeng a lesson.

To make Bangeng realize his mistake—if he hadn't been idly flirting with other people's widows, he wouldn't have ended up like this.

Only the pain inflicted on his body could truly make him remember this for life.

Qin Huairu entered the house.

Qin Huairu watched the scene that unfolded before Bangeng's eyes.

She let out a cold snort.

All of this was both within and beyond Qin Huairu's expectations.

Bangeng was being fought back against by Shi Jiahong and her brother working together; Shi Jiahong swung her two claw‑like hands, aiming specifically at Bangeng's face, scratching him into a bloody mess like a tabby cat.

Covered in blood.

It looked a bit gruesome.

Shi Jiahong's brother Shi Jiahu, trying as much as possible to create an opportunity for his sister to beat Bangeng, pressed his knee into Bangeng's lower back, wrapped his arms around Bangeng's neck and wrists, and leaned back as far as he could to tilt Bangeng's body.

Shi Jiahong's mother stood nearby, saying something.

Seeing Qin Huairu come in.

Feeling embarrassed to strike someone's child in front of their mother, Shi Jiahong and Shi Jiahu each sensibly loosened their grip on Bangeng's body.

Qin Huairu walked over to Bangeng, examined him closely, and found that his face had more than ten bloody gashes and several visible palm‑print marks on his cheeks.

"Bangeng, let's go to the county hospital."

She grabbed Bangeng and started to head out.

Shi Jiahong's mother.

She seized Qin Huairu's hand.

"In‑laws, a couple's quarrel isn't a big deal—bedhead arguments end in bed‑side reconciliations. Don't get angry; there's a reason for it; it wasn't like this before."

"Don't call me in‑law; I couldn't bear to have you as my in‑laws."

Qin Huairu pointed at the scars on Bangeng's body, looked around at Shi Jiahong, Shi Jiahu, and Shi Zhangshi, and seethed with anger.

The act has gone this far.

One must now give an extraordinary performance.

Otherwise, one would be unworthy of the beating Bangeng just received.

"After a hundred years of cultivation we share the same pillow; without fate we would not meet face to face—that you two could marry is destiny. Look, look at how you have beaten my son Bangeng—I, his mother, stand right here, while Shi Jiahong is his wife, Shi Jiahu his brother, one wielding a rolling pin, the other brandishing claw‑like hands, joining forces to beat my son Bangeng. This is Shi Jiahong's man, not a little devil; I ask you, have you treated my son Bangeng as your son‑in‑law? Yet you bully him like this."

"In‑laws, I'm sorry, this is my fault."

Shi Zhangshi apologized earnestly.

Just now she had reached out and pulled.

But her words were hardly heeded by her daughter and son.

Qin Huairu also acknowledged that Shi Zhangshi was a decent person.

Too bad.

She has a soft temperament.

She is soft‑eared.

In household matters, she does not take charge.

Suddenly she thought of Yi dama, the wife of Yi Zhonghai who likewise does not manage household affairs; in some respects, Shi Zhangshi and Yi dama are on par.

"I just said we are not your in‑laws and dare not have you as our in‑laws; I'm not fleeing with my son, I have no introduction letter—how would I travel? I can't possibly walk all the way back to our hometown. I'm taking my son to the hospital to check his wounds, see if they're serious, and then go to the police station to ask the officers for help in seeking justice."

The preceding words.

Shi Jiahong and they could still accept that.

The following content.

But they could not accept it.

What nonsense.

A couple's quarrel is such a trivial matter—why drag it to the police station?

It's simply a joke.

Not to mention Shi Jiahong—even Shi Zhangshi has never heard of a couple's quarrel escalating to the police station.

Family disgrace should not be aired outside.

This isn't just meant to blacken our own family.

"Bangeng's mother, isn't this going too far? Why take it to the police station? Even if you do, what can happen? Can they even arrest Huzi?"

Pure legal ignorance.

Knows nothing at all.

Just like those neighbors in the siheyuan who intercept mailed money and think that even losing their heads is a trivial matter.

Qin Huairu felt she needed to popularize the law to them.

"Jiahong's mom, maybe you don't believe me, but I really need to tell you this: if the hospital issues a relevant certificate for Bangeng's scars, I'll take these certificates to the police station. Jiahong wouldn't dare say it, but your family's Huzhi would definitely have to go in. In these times, if you go in and come out, could there still be anything good? In the future, the child's employment, marrying a wife, all aspects will be restricted. This isn't me Qin Huairu spreading alarmist rumors; if you don't believe me, you can go ask around nearby to see if that's what I Qin Huairu said."

"Bangeng's mom, let's talk properly about whatever we have to say."

"What's there to say? My son married your daughter, and he gets beaten by your family all day long—I've never seen you bully people like this. I know your family calls the shots in the commune, so I went to the county; when the county didn't give me an explanation, I went to the city. I really don't believe the Stone family can cover the sky with one hand unless you kill us mother and daughter."

Shi Jiahong's face changed.

Shi Zhangshi also panicked.

Only Shi Jiahu remained stubborn, muttering a sentence at Qin Huairu.

"Who are you trying to scare? Do you really think I don't know what you're thinking? It's just wanting to divorce my sister and bring Bangeng back to the city, right? Why all this fuss?"

"Right, you didn't get it wrong." Qin Huairu did not deny her intention to have Bangeng divorce Shi Jiahong; she met Shi Jiahu's gaze: "At first I had the idea of letting them divorce, not wanting Bangeng to bring Shi Jiahong back to the city, but I've changed my mind—marriage is a lifelong matter, if they can stay together, that's their fate. I've decided to let Bangeng bring Shi Jiahong back to the city together."

Although her words carried no threat.

Yet they were full of threatening implication.

Thinking of something, Shi Zhangshi, Shi Jiahong, and Shi Jiahu all changed their faces.

Afraid of nothing.

Just fear that the tides of fortune will turn.

Now Shi Jiahong, relying on her brother Shi Jiahu's backing, beat up Bangeng and gave him a badly bruised face; damn, if Shi Jiahong goes back to the city with Bangeng, then she'll be the one getting beaten.

Just because of the grudge Shi Jiahong holds against Bangeng, she won't stop being beaten by him every day; Shi Jiahu, whose reach is too short, how can he travel far to rescue his own younger sister unless he rides a flying sword?

They became afraid.

The knife doesn't cut one's own body.

It never hurts.

Qin Huairu saw Shi Jiahong and them change expression, inwardly she let out a sigh of relief; the hanging heart could finally settle.

It's good that they're afraid.

Otherwise this play.

Really can't continue singing.

"Bangeng."

"Mom."

"In a moment we'll go to Team Captain Ma's house to get an introduction letter, bringing your wife Shi Jiahong back to the city; our Jia family, though in hardship, can still add another pair of chopsticks."

"Okay!" Bangeng responded, covering his face with his hand, letting out a little "aiyou", "aiyou, hiss!"

"Does it hurt?"

"It hurts!"

"Let's walk to the hospital to get the injury checked, and tomorrow go to the commune to get the certificate."

Qin Huairu pulled Bangeng's hand.

They walked outside.

Behind them was a frightened Shi Jiahong and Shi Jiahu, who looked at each other in dismay, feeling that disaster was imminent.

"Mom, my brother won't really go to jail, will he? It's just that he beat up Bangeng—what a small matter."

Shi Zhangshi, already full of worry.

Upon hearing Shi Jiahong say that.

She became anxious.

She hurriedly chased after them.

"Mom, don't bother with her, she's just trying to scare us." Shi Jiahu said, turning to Shi Jiahong: "Don't worry about me, brother; tomorrow I'll go to the commune to find our dad—if he doesn't sign and stamp, Bangeng will have to stay in the countryside forever; returning to the city depends on the word of our old Stone family."

Shi Jiahong glanced at Shi Jiahu.

What was said sounds better than sung.

Why not let Bangeng return to the city?

The reason Bangeng hasn't returned to the city to date is that he doesn't want to bring Shi Jiahong back; as long as Bangeng says he'll bring his wife Shi Jiahong back to the city, Shi Jiahong's father cannot refuse to sign that document; if it escalates to the county, only Shi Jiahong will suffer the bad luck—she suddenly felt the terror of having messed things up.

Originally it was just to get a handle on Bangeng.

Who would have thought that in the heat of the moment they'd grab Bangeng and give him a badly bruised face.

Previously, they didn't bring her.

Now they bring her, but Shi Jiahong panics; in the unfamiliar surroundings of the Capital City, she becomes the one who gets bullied.

"Brother, I want to calm down."

"Think it over: whether to go with them to the city or not; you've seen today's situation—if you go with them and they give you grief, you can only grit your teeth and bear it; moreover, Gou Dan and them, they also look down on you; my meaning is, rather than you someday follow Bangeng into the city to suffer beatings every day, it's better to stay in the countryside—our family can support you as a married-out daughter; the Jia family's circumstances, I've inquired: the person called Yan Jiekuang said the Jia family's conditions are poor, Bangeng's grandmother is lazy and fond of eating, and she's a wicked mother-in-law, just one room."

"What do you want to say?"

"Take advantage of Bangeng's need for us to demand a sum of money; with that money you'll have security."

"Can they give it?"

"It's up to people."

"Mom's back." Shi Jiahong went to meet Shi Zhangshi, glanced outside, saw no sign of Qin Huairu and her daughter, her heart skipped a beat: "Bangeng and them?"

"They went into the city overnight."

Shi Zhangshi looked at her own daughter, also angry: who let you beat someone's son right in front of their mother? If it were her, she'd have to fight you to the death.

This can't be blamed on Bangeng.

It's Shi Jiahong who schemed against them.

"Older brother, Mom has never really said anything to you all along, but now I have to talk to you about this—you handled it poorly; your mother-in-law, Mom saw, will surely hold a grudge; if you go along with them, they'll give you grief, and you'll just have to endure it."

"Do you want me to divorce him?"

"You won't divorce, you follow him into the city—do you dare to follow him into the city?"

"..."

In the blink of an eye, several days passed.

Qin Huairu obtained a certificate from the hospital and made a fuss over it.

It amounted to the dagger being revealed when the map was exhausted.

He directly revealed his identity to Shi Jiahong's father.

Either I hand the materials over to the police station, letting your son Shi Jiahua be detained for a few days, or you obediently sign and affix your seal on Bangeng's application to return to the city.

Jia Zhangshi, whose nature has always been gentle and weak.

She rarely displayed her authority, but this time she did.

She snapped at her husband, saying that if he didn't sign and let Bangeng return, she would die in the Stone Family.

Just like that.

Qin Huairu, at the cost of Bangeng enduring a brutal beating, succeeded in getting Bangeng divorced from Shi Jiahong and obtained his return-to-city certificate without spending a cent.

The only unsatisfactory aspect.

It was Bangeng's face, which Shi Jiahong had scratched.

Several scars appeared on his cheeks.

He looked frightful.

After obtaining some medicine at the county town, fearing that delays might bring other mishaps, Qin Huairu took Bangeng on a bus to the city, then another bus to the provincial capital, and finally a train back to the Capital City.

When Qin Huairu and Bangeng appeared at the Siheyuan gate, Qin Huairu's fifteen-day leave had already reached its last day.

Seeing Bangeng, pitch black and grim.

Jia Zhangshi burst into loud sobs.

She cried.

She asked.

"Bangeng, why are you so dark? Why are you so weak?"

Eyes filled with tears.

Staring fixedly at Bangeng.

Only then did she notice that Bangeng's face bore seven or eight ferocious scars.

Her heart ached terribly.

Her obedient grandson Bangeng had never suffered such bullying before; how did he suddenly end up like this?

"Bangeng, what happened to your face?"

Qin Huairu quietly explained the whole story to Jia Zhangshi, learning that Bangeng's face had been scratched by Shi Jiahong.

She spat out vulgarities without restraint.

What shameless bastards, what lacking virtue, what scum born of a father but untaught by a mother—all kinds of vicious profanity kept flying from Jia Zhangshi's mouth.

She cursed for over ten minutes.

She then blamed Qin Huairu, saying Qin Huairu was incapable and asking why she didn't protect Bangeng, letting him suffer such a great hardship.

Qin Huairu gave another lengthy explanation.

Upon hearing that no money had been spent, Jia Zhangshi's uneasy heart gradually calmed.

Suddenly seeing You Fengxia walk in from outside, she was talking with Shazhu's eldest son He Weiguo in the courtyard; she hurriedly pulled Bangeng over to the glass, pointed at You Fengxia, and whispered to Bangeng.

"Bangeng, Grandma's good grandson, have you seen that person? That woman, she is Dang Xianghong, a distant relative of Shazhu; her whole family died years ago, leaving only her. Three weeks ago she came to rely on Shazhu, and Shazhu arranged for her to stay in Shazhu's restaurant. The restaurant will open in a few days. In a moment, Grandma will take you to meet that woman; then you will marry her, she will bring a house as dowry, and Shazhu will arrange a livelihood for you."