Chapter 4: I want to live

Qiao Mai cried while rolling up her sleeves, revealing her arms, which were covered in bruises.

"Village Head, look, these were all beaten by Mother-in-law and the sisters-in-law."

The village head didn't dare to look directly; men and women should not touch, but many villagers saw it.

Qiao Mai was afraid they wouldn't believe her, so she rolled up the pants on her legs.

"You all look, these were all kicked by them. I don't dare to go back to such a home. I beg the Village Head to make the decision for me."

The Tian family didn't expect Qiao Mai to do this. They had tormented her however they wanted, and she hadn't made a sound. Could it be because she lost the child that she was like this?

The village head looked at Old Tian Head. "Brother Tian, your family doesn't live poorly, why treat Sanzhuang's wife like this? She is quite capable!"

Tian Laoshi's face turned red. "Regarding family affairs, we men never interfere. I didn't know about these things. Perhaps there was some misunderstanding?"

Tian Li Shi pointed at Qiao Mai with her finger. "What misunderstanding? A broken goods, Sanzhuang left, and she got pregnant the next day. That child definitely isn't our Sanzhuang's."

Qiao Mai naturally wouldn't let her splash dirty water on her head.

"Mother-in-law, I was married to Sanzhuang for two months before he went to serve in the military. I got pregnant half a month after he left. No matter how you calculate the days, it's his child.

You keep saying I stole men. I ask you, who did I steal? I've been tormented by you until I'm just a pile of bones. Who would want me? Going out at night could scare people to death.

Today everyone heard it. Mother-in-law said I stole men. Please, Mother-in-law, say who I stole? If you can't say it, I will go to the town mayor to complain about you.

I will risk this life of mine to accuse you of the crime of framing. And you tormented your daughter-in-law, deliberately kicking my pregnant belly and causing my child to be born prematurely and die.

It's all you, you are a murderer. Village Head, if you don't care, I will go to the town mayor's house. If that doesn't work, I will go to the county office. I don't believe it. The family isn't poor, and there's a scholar, why are they so vicious?"

The village head was helpless. He looked at the Tian family. "What do you think should be done?"

Tian Laoshi gave Tian Li Shi a look, and Tian Li Shi gave the eldest daughter-in-law and second daughter-in-law a look, and the three of them were about to go up and drag Qiao Mai back.

"I'm not going, I'm not going. Village Head, you are an unfair village head, you don't care about the lives of the people. Tian family, you are vicious, killing my child. If I, Qiao Mai, don't die, I will definitely go to the county office to accuse your whole family. Even if I, Qiao Mai, die, as a ghost, I won't let your whole family go."

Qiao Mai risked her life and fought with these three women. She didn't move anyone else, just targeted Tian Li Shi, grabbing her hair and pulling hard, refusing to let go.

Tian Li Shi screamed in pain. "Oh my, you bitch, let go, let go!"

At this point, the village head couldn't fence-sit anymore. He shouted loudly.

"Tian Li Shi, stop, all of you stop!"

Hearing the village head's anger, the Tian family mother-in-law and daughters-in-law stopped. Qiao Mai also hurriedly let go of her hands.

He walked up to Qiao Mai and said helplessly:

"Qiao Shi, stop making a scene. As long as you don't go to town, don't go to the county office, whatever you say, I'll make the decision for you."

Tian Laoshi pulled his sleeve. "Village Head, this isn't according to the rules."

The village head glared. "If you want the whole town to know about this, then continue. When the time comes, whether your grandson can study in town is hard to say.

I just don't understand, why does your family torment her so viciously? Did she offend your family or what? Can't you live a good life? Why must you force people to a dead end?

Now it's good, people want to leave, and if you don't let them, they'll accuse you. Regarding this matter, no matter where you say it, you're in the wrong. You must know, you don't have Qiao Shi's sale contract. If you beat someone to death, you'll face a lawsuit, regardless of whether she's your daughter-in-law or not."

Hearing these words, Tian Laoshi fell silent. He retreated to the side and stopped asking about the matter.

The village head looked at Qiao Mai. "Tell me, what are your demands?"

"I don't want to return to the Tian family, I want to separate the family!"

"What? Parents are alive, the family cannot be separated. My Sanzhuang is serving in the military, life or death unknown, and you dare to mention separating the family? You little bitch, you want to separate the family so no one will manage you, so you can continue stealing men?" Tian Li Shi got anxious as soon as she heard it.

"Do you want me to continue being tormented to death by you?"

"You jinx, if you make a scene again, I'll divorce you!"

Qiao Mai cursed inwardly. After all the trouble, finally, they had spat it out.

"If you dare to divorce me, I will go to the government office to accuse you, accuse your whole family of being reincarnated beasts, all of you are man-eating evil ghosts!"

"You, you!"

Although the villagers pointed fingers in secret, they didn't blame the Tian family to their faces.

Even so, Tian Laoshi couldn't take it. The Tian family was supporting a scholar, so they could be considered a farming and reading family.

If this matter spread, they didn't want their faces, but their eldest grandson still had to want his face, right?

Even if Qiao Shi didn't accuse their family, the fact that they abused their daughter-in-law and kicked a pregnant daughter-in-law into premature labor would spread. Not only would it affect the village, but the village head wouldn't let their family go, and it would be hard to explain to the eldest grandson.

If the teacher at the school heard it, and the eldest grandson's classmates and friends knew, how would the eldest grandson conduct himself? The eldest grandson was smart and studied well, and the Tian family was counting on him to bring glory to their ancestors. They couldn't let this matter affect the eldest grandson.

Thinking of these, he suppressed his anger and said: "Sanzhuang's wife, separating the family is impossible, say something else."

"Then write a divorce letter. I absolutely cannot stay in your family. I want to live."

Tian Laoshi gritted his teeth. "You must know, your maiden home won't let you go back. Leaving the Tian family means death."

"Death is death. If I beg for food outside, I don't have to work, and people won't beat or scold me. Kind people will even give me a bite to eat. But in your family?

You abuse me, only making me work without giving me food. The villagers, let alone a bite to eat. If I hadn't eaten wild vegetables and chewed on grass roots, I wouldn't have survived until now. I must leave your Tian family! Leave this village!"

The villagers' faces turned red from Qiao Mai's words. Many people lowered their heads one after another. Who couldn't say they were living a hard life? They all knew Qiao Mai didn't have enough to eat every day, hungry as a bamboo pole, yet they didn't help her. Their conscience was a bit...

"Fine, a divorce letter. I will give it to you on behalf of Sanzhuang. But there is one point you must promise me."

"Say it!"

"Once you leave this door, you cannot say a word against the Tian family in the future. Can you promise?"

Qiao Mai thought to herself, truly deceiving oneself. Everyone knew about this matter. Could those gossiping women and long-tongued women not tell their relatives? It would spread outside sooner or later.

"Fine, I promise you. After getting the divorce letter, I will keep my mouth shut."

"You swear!"

"After the separation, as long as the Tian family doesn't cause me trouble, I, Qiao Mai, will not say a word against the Tian family after I go out, otherwise, let me die a horrible death."

"Fine! Remember what you said."

Tian Laoshi looked at the village head. "Then please ask your Second Child to help write two divorce letters, is that okay? My grandson is not at home."

The village head looked at Qiao Mai. This girl was diligent and didn't like to talk. If she hadn't been tormented too hard by the Tian family and had her child killed, she wouldn't have made such a scene.

"Qiao Shi, do you really not regret it?"

"Haha, being able to leave the Tian family, I want to sing a big opera, jump for days and nights, I won't regret it even if I die!"

It seemed she was truly determined to leave. The village head turned to his second son behind him.

"Second, go write two divorce letters."

"Yes, Father!"

The village head's surname was Liu, and he had three sons and two daughters. The eldest son used a bullock cart to pull loads in the village, the second son was a scholar and happened to be on break today, the third son was learning a craft in town, and the two daughters hadn't married yet. His family lived the best in the village.

Just as the village head's son went back to write the divorce letters, Tian Li Shi pointed at Qiao Mai and cursed loudly.

"Ah pui, you jinx, you stinking bitch, I was truly blind to let Sanzhuang marry you into the door, blinding my family's grain, bitch, bitch, bitch!"

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 5 =====