Chapter 45: We Don't Want to Sever the Family Anymore

Qiao Shicheng's eyes were all red; it's from anger.

"What? I'm her father; if we have a Divorce by Mutual Consent, I'm also severed. Why can't I come looking for her?"

"Yo, that's pretty bold. When the Tian family bullied her back then, why didn't you cause a ruckus at the Tian family?"

"I... I didn't even know about this." Instantly feeling guilty.

"After you found out, what then? Did you go?"

"She already has a Divorce by Mutual Consent; why would I still go?"

"You Qiao family members are all bullies who fear the strong and bully the weak, the tyrant in the nest, only hurting your own kin."

"This loss-making thing would rather adopt others than support its own natal family, would rather give money to outsiders than to its own, so why can't I come settle accounts with her?"

"Those two children I bought, placed them by her side for her to raise; giving money to beggars was my way of accumulating virtue, letting her give it—my money, none of your Qiao family's business?"

"I, your mother, find you unsightly; what's wrong if I don't let her give? She loses money? I remember she earned a hundred catties of wheat for your Qiao family, working as a beast of burden in your house,"

"From when she learned to work, up to age fourteen, just recently she sold her for Ten Taels of Silver. How could she be losing money? Huh? At that time the mayor himself testified,"

"You still want to shirk, huh? Once sold, it's no longer yours. You old corpse, don't plot against my people, lest I make your whole family face lawsuits."

Lu Sanniang bombarded in one breath, leaving the Qiao family with stunned faces, no longer the overbearing demeanor they had before.

"Me, me, you are being unreasonable!"

That sentence almost made everyone present laugh in anger, as Lu Sanniang pointed at Qiao Shicheng's nose.

"Everyone, look! This shameless old hag sold her daughter, severed ties with her, now gets jealous seeing her set up a stall, wants the daughter to give her money—on what grounds? Everyone judge the reason, on what grounds? Whose stall is this? It's mine; even tax collection is done through me. How did it become the Qiao family's? Huh?"

"Exactly, you Qiao family are too shameless. A Family Severance is a severance; thereafter it's a stranger road. How can you still cling to the daughter's money? This stall belongs to Boss Lu; the earnings belong to Boss Lu, nothing to do with your family?"

"Exactly, even if this stall truly belonged to Qiao Niang, it has nothing to do with your family now; why are you so obstinate?"

"Exactly, exactly, why is the Qiao family so unreasonable? They take advantage then act innocent; the daughter marries, no longer a Qiao family member. Being filial is their duty; being unfilial they can't even say. You have a son you don't rely on, always sucking the daughter's blood, what kind of talk is that?"

"You, you!"

Qiao Shicheng's eyes went black, about to faint; at that moment Qiao Jiang and Qiao He, the two brothers, gave a signal to their wives, and the two immediately urged the children to kneel before Qiao Mai.

"Aunt, aunt, please, don't ignore the Qiao family; we can barely afford food. You have great ability, just help us a bit." This line sounded like something taught the day before.

Before Qiao Mai and Lu Sanniang could speak, the crowd was full of accusatory voices.

"What 'can't afford food'? Last time you came, not a single patch on your clothes, and you still wore a Silver Hairpin on your head."

"Exactly, we all saw it. Stop pretending to be poor; if you can't afford food, don't shout poverty here. It's your father who lacks ability, your aunt sold herself, now you're eating others' food."

"Truly, I've never seen such a shameless family."

The Qiao family's faces were roasted by the people of Tianshui Town, yet they only cared about getting money for themselves, forced to endure.

At that moment the mayor arrived, his guards clearing the way, and the old man stepped out of the crowd.

"Bold Qiao Shicheng, you have caused trouble in the town three or five times. This mayor will tolerate you once, but not a second time. Guards, bind him and take him to the County Yamen for trial."

The words frightened the Qiao family, who hurriedly knelt, "Sir, we are wronged!"

"Family Severance is a severance; the mayor's testimony stands, you also took the silver—do you intend to deny the account?"

"We don't want to sever the family anymore; we don't want to sever it for us."

"Contradictory? Fine. Shopkeeper Lu spent twenty taels on her, plus the ten taels she gave you, return them to Shopkeeper Lu; the Sale Contract and loan note can be returned to you, the person you take away, how about that?"

"We have no money."

"You think you're being a scoundrel, right? Guards, take them away!"

"Sir, we're wronged. Even if we sever the family, we are still her kin; how can she give the money to others and not support her natal family?"

The mayor also laughed at their absurd argument, "The money belongs to Shopkeeper Lu; giving it to others was also allowed by Shopkeeper Lu, what does that have to do with Qiao Niang?"

Qiao Shicheng pointed at the stall, "This isn't Shopkeeper Lu's, it's hers."

Qiao Mai laughed, "Even if this stall were mine, does it have any relation to you?"

"You are my daughter; the money you earn belongs to the Qiao family."

"Spit, truly shameless, get out quickly, otherwise I'll sue you for harming my business and demand compensation for my losses."

"You unfilial thing."

The mayor could no longer stand it, waved his hand at the guards, and the guards rushed at the Qiao family, binding the troublemaker Qiao Shicheng.

Qiao He and Qiao Jiang didn't even dare to fart, watching helplessly as the guards took Qiao Shicheng away.

Terrified, Qiao Lvshi knelt on the ground and kowtowed to the mayor.

"Sorry, we were wrong, we won't come again, please spare my Xianggong?"

"If we don't give him a lesson, he'll think the law is a decoration; Family Severance is a severance; unless she herself consents, no one can force her."

Seeing the mayor not agree, Qiao Lvshi turned and shouted at the Qiao family.

"All of you, let your sister kneel."

Qiao Mai looked at the kneeling Qiao family, sneered, "Family Severance is a severance; today you kneel to death, I won't say a single good word for him, get out!"

"You, you stone-hearted woman, he's your father, right?"

"In my heart, all Qiao family members are dead; I have no parents, no brothers or sisters."

"You, you, I will fight you!"

War was about to erupt, Lu Sanniang shouted at the mayor.

"Old man, stop watching the spectacle? Hurry up and help!"

The mayor smiled and said, "If you don't speak up, I won't help! Since you spoke, I'll help a little."

He waved the guards again, and the Qiao family were subdued within moments.

To uphold the law's authority, the mayor didn't send them to the County Yamen, but dealt with them in front of the townsfolk.

He beat Qiao Shicheng with Twenty Big Boards, sparing the child; the others received Ten Big Boards, all dragged to the north side of the town plaque, and the guards warned them that they could come to Tianshui Town again, but any further trouble would not be a beating but imprisonment.

The ox cart stopped in front of Qiao Shicheng, "Brother Qiao, still driving the cart?"

"Sit, sit, brother, lend us a hand, get me onto the cart."

The others were better off, able to get on the cart themselves; Qiao Shicheng lay on the ox cart, the driver sat in front, and the cart set off.

"Pay the money, twenty Ten Wen round trip; if you don't, get off and walk back yourself."

The driver was also quite angry, couldn't stand the Qiao Family's actions, so he said those words.

Having no choice, Qiao Lvshi counted out twenty Ten Wen from the money pouch at his waist and handed them to the driver.

"I told you, Brother Qiao, when we arrived I warned you, you were single‑minded about going, and now it's like this, right?"

Qiao Shicheng endured the pain in his body; even now his neck was still stiff.

"I am her father!"

"You still know you're her father? Which parents don't love their children? Which parents would suck their own daughter's blood? Now you've already sold her; could it be that you sold your family's land and still expect to harvest wheat in someone else's field?"

"Hmph!"

"If you won't listen to advice, then suffer the losses yourself later. We're all from the same village; I'm only trying to warn you. Your whole family should take care of yourselves. You really don't understand anything, treating the law as a joke. Don't you get beaten and fly?"

The driver nagged all the way, though in fact he had long been unable to stand it.

"

(End of chapter)