Chapter 175

Lu Qiao stared at the second-floor window.

Behind the woman, several people tried to pull her back, but the woman pushed them away with a slap and continued to curse: "Why are you still picking up that trash? It reeks of filth. I don't know what shameless things you did in the countryside that you didn't dare to go back. Now you've stirred up the family so we can't live. If I were you, I would have hit my head and died long ago. You..."

Lu Qiao pointed at the second floor: "Shut your mouth!"

The woman widened her eyes, and someone shouted: "That's Mediator Lu Qiao from the neighborhood office."

It must be said that Lu Qiao was quite a famous person in the residential compound.

Many old ladies knew her.

The woman didn't know Lu Qiao, but upon hearing she was a neighborhood cadre, she stopped shouting loudly, though she still muttered under her breath.

Just then, the girl hugged her things and looked at Lu Qiao, murmuring, "Thank you."

Then she ran toward the road.

Lu Qiao grabbed her; the girl's eyes were filled with despair, clearly intending to take her own life.

Lu Qiao sneered: "You're truly kind, looking for an empty place to die?"

At this moment, Lu Qiao saw Aunt Wang from the residents' committee walking over.

Lu Qiao: "Aunt Wang, whose daughter is this?"

Aunt Wang pointed to the second floor and said in a low voice: "It's the youngest daughter of the Fan family, Fan Xiaoyu. Old Mrs. Fan has two sons and one daughter. The one standing there cursing is the second daughter-in-law of Old Mrs. Fan. This old woman favors boys over girls, and she isn't good to her only daughter either.

Do you know? After Old Mrs. Fan retired, she let her second daughter-in-law take her job, and then sent the unemployed Fan Xiaoyu to the countryside. This girl stayed in the countryside for several years and just came back last week. Since the house is small, she lives in the same room as her parents. The second daughter-in-law is not a kind person, and every single day it's either arguing or making a scene..."

Lu Qiao said: "Let's go, to the Fan family."

Aunt Wang nodded, pulling the pale-faced Fan Xiaoyu, and said in a low voice: "You don't know her yet, right? This is the new mediator from our neighborhood office. With her here, she will definitely get justice for you. Your second sister-in-law is too much, and your mother is too biased; she will definitely regret it when she's old."

Lu Qiao thought to herself, how many people could think about what life would be like twenty years later?

Fan Xiaoyu gritted her teeth. She really wanted to die. If she went to Red Star Lake, they wouldn't even be able to fish her out, and death would end everything.

But her wrist was held by Lu Qiao. This young cadre was younger than her, but her grip was quite strong.

Just like that, she was pulled up to the second floor.

Standing in front of the tightly closed door, Aunt Wang was a bit angry: "Open the door! You know we're here and you still close the door. Old Mrs. Fan, what do you mean by this?"

Lu Qiao: "..."

This Aunt Wang was quite interesting.

Aunt Wang whispered to Lu Qiao: "Old Man Fan is the most cunning; he just likes to pretend to be a good person."

The Fan family's door was opened.

Lu Qiao pulled Fan Xiaoyu inside. There were quite a few people in the room.

The second daughter-in-law said unpleasantly: "What are you doing in the middle of the day? Can't you let people eat?"

Lu Qiao: "Who threw the things?"

Everyone in the room looked at the second daughter-in-law. She widened her eyes: "I threw them, so what? You're a mediator, you're going to manage this too?"

Lu Qiao sneered: "Don't you know about the public security regulations issued by the factory office last month? Residents above the second floor are not allowed to throw things out of the window. Violators will be fined five yuan. If the circumstances are serious and cause severe consequences, they will be handed over to the public security bureau."

She didn't give the second daughter-in-law a chance to speak: "You are Fan Xiaoyu's sister-in-law. Even if you don't want Fan Xiaoyu to live at home, you can go to the neighborhood office, and we will solve this problem for you. But what right do you have to throw her things? This is a new society, not the old one. Don't act arrogant and domineering, disregarding laws and regulations!"

Aunt Wang was very excited and stepped forward, saying: "Old Man Fan, Old Mrs. Fan, why aren't you two saying anything? Xiaoyu is your own daughter. Your second daughter-in-law is cursing her like that, and you're just listening? Are you two sick?"

Old Mrs. Fan curled her lips: "The second daughter-in-law doesn't have bad intentions; she was just angry for a moment, she'll be fine in a while."

Aunt Wang was left speechless.

She was an activist preparing to run for the residents' committee group leader in the autumn.

She had come to persuade them once about this matter, but no one took her words seriously.

Now it seemed it wasn't that they didn't take it seriously; these two were truly sick.

How could anyone protect their daughter-in-law so much while abusing their own daughter?

Lu Qiao looked at the environment in the room. The house wasn't big; although there weren't more than ten people, there were seven, and with Fan Xiaoyu, it was eight.

It was indeed very inconvenient to live there.

But in fact, families like this would still despise their daughters even if they lived in a villa; they would just find other excuses.

Lu Qiao said to Fan Xiaoyu: "Our staff hospital admitted an eleven-year-old boy who was injured today. He was just rescued, and the neighborhood office has arranged for Aunt Lin to take care of him. I'm thinking of arranging for you to work the night shift there. The room is a single room, so you will have a place to stay for the time being. As for the future, we'll talk about it after the child is discharged. What do you think?"

Fan Xiaoyu widened her eyes in excitement and said without thinking: "I agree, I agree."

Never mind a single room, she would be willing to live in a bathroom.

Anything was better than being despised by the so-called relatives in this house.

Fan Xiaoyu's tears fell drop by drop.

Aunt Wang said pointedly: "Xiaoyu, you have to believe that there are still many good people in this world."

Those with black hearts and rotten guts were, after all, in the minority.

Fan Xiaoyu's things were dirty, but she wiped away her tears and gathered them together. Soon, they were all packed into a worn-out canvas bag; she didn't want to stay for even another minute.

Lu Qiao glanced sideways at the triumphant second daughter-in-law of the Fan family and asked: "Aunt, which unit and department are you from?"

Fan second daughter-in-law: "What do you want to do? I'll tell you, this is a family matter. Fan Xiaoyu is my sister-in-law, this has nothing to do with the unit."

Lu Qiao said impatiently: "Requesting the unit to educate you not to throw things around. If everyone living in buildings acted like you, wouldn't the pedestrians walking downstairs be unlucky? Also, are you going to pay the fine to the residents' committee voluntarily, or should I go to your unit and ask your leaders for it?"

People like this wouldn't repent and turn over a new leaf just because of a few words from you.

She had her own set of survival rules.

Not to mention having Old Man Fan and the others backing her up.

Fan second daughter-in-law didn't expect Lu Qiao to be serious. For some reason, Lu Qiao's impatient expression made her feel afraid.

But she didn't want to pay the fine either.

Suddenly, she pointed at Fan Xiaoyu, who was carrying the canvas bag: "Isn't she going to the hospital to serve the patient? You have to pay her wages, just deduct it from there."

Lu Qiao and Aunt Wang couldn't help but look at Fan Xiaoyu.

They couldn't step in for a matter like this; what if Fan Xiaoyu agreed?

That's why they say family matters are the hardest to deal with.