Chapter 40: Being a Stepmother 7
Ye Zhiqiu started to act like a scumbag. She didn't go to work every day, overturned the table if she wasn't given food, and ran away when she was beaten, crying loudly as she ran, successfully attracting the neighbors to come out and watch the fun.
It was common to beat children in rural areas, but it was unusual for teenage girls to be beaten, especially if they were famously obedient. Everyone stopped Huang Lamei and told her to talk things over and not beat children without thinking, as it would cost money to treat the children if they were injured.
"Why treat her? Just beat her to death." Huang Lamei was speaking from the heart, but everyone thought she was just mad. Some people hurried to call the captain, while others hid Ye Zhiqiu behind them, fearing that she would really be beaten.
The other members of the Ye family were also stopped by everyone and asked to persuade Huang Lamei to be less violent. A grown-up girl was still beaten by her family, so how could she have the face to get married in the future?
Huang Lamei slapped her thigh and complained: "Why should she marry? I arranged a marriage for her, but she didn't want to, and she even hated me. Who would want a debt collector like me?"
Ye Zhiqiu lowered her head and pretended to cry. She was waiting for the captain to come. She didn't want to say the same thing twice. If she said it too much, people would not only lose sympathy for her, but would be annoyed by her, just like Xianglin Sao.
Knowing how to reveal wounds is an art. She knew that the villagers’ sympathy would not help her, but she also did not want the Ye family to have a bad reputation.
The family has a bad reputation for favoring boys over girls and abusing granddaughters. If Tiandao's daughters Ye Rong and Ye Zhu find good men in the future, their in-laws will also have to consider whether the Ye family is a leech that they can't get rid of once they get involved.
The captain was called over in the middle of his meal. He was in a bad mood. Seeing Huang Lamei standing in the crowd crying, the other Ye family members didn't care and were naturally rude: "Why are you making a fuss here without eating? Are you too idle during the day? I will give you more tasks tomorrow. If you can't do it, you can all go carry manure for me."
Huang Lamei paused, and could only swallow the rest of her words. The other members of the Ye family also admitted their mistakes, tried to please the captain, and tried to escape the fate of carrying manure.
The others didn't want the Ye family to succeed. No one wanted to be assigned to carry manure. If the Ye family carried it, they could avoid it. So they openly and secretly complained to the captain, saying that Huang Lamei's beating of Ye Zhiqiu was very serious, as if someone would die if they didn't stop it.
The captain was even angrier: "I saw that she was not feeling well and asked her to rest at home. Do you guys dislike me too?" Of course he knew that Huang Lamei didn't dare to really beat anyone to death, but if she chose a good time to cause trouble and insisted on disturbing his meal, don't blame him for being rude.
Besides, if he didn't take stricter measures, other families would follow suit and who knows how many things would happen. He was tired of managing farm work every day, and he didn't want to be involved in the trivial matters of every household.
Huang Lamei cursed the captain in her heart, but she still had to say something nice: "Captain, I don't dislike you, it's this damn girl who doesn't listen. I gave birth to them and raised them, so what's wrong with deciding my granddaughter's marriage?"
Ye Zhiqiu had been waiting for a long time: "Captain, I am not yet eighteen, I don't want to get married, and I don't want to marry a fool."
"what?"
"Fool?"
"Whose fool is this?"
"Didn't Huang Lamei always praise her for loving her granddaughter? How could she be willing to marry Qiu girl to a fool?"
"You believe that. If they are to love someone, they should love the girls of the eldest and fourth sons. The two girls of Erniu's family have never been to school for a day. How can they love their girls?"
"That's right. All the children in our village go to school. It doesn't cost much to send them to primary school. It's just that their family can't bear to spend the money and won't let their children go."
"What do you mean by reluctant to spend money? Isn't their Zhuzhu going to school? I think you are just being partial."
"That's right. If everyone goes to school, who will help with the housework? Feeding the chickens, cutting grass for the pigs, cleaning, washing clothes and cooking are all tasks that need to be done. Not to mention that Qiu is known for her willingness to work. She has been helping the adults with work since she was a child."
"Well, it seems that Qiu Yatou always plays with their younger children. I wish my children were half as obedient as hers. Then I can worry less."
The villagers didn't care whether the Ye family was there or not, and they all started chatting loudly. However, their words were a bit unpleasant to the ear. Not only did Huang Lamei feel uncomfortable listening to them, but the other people in the Ye family also felt uncomfortable.
Is it really like what everyone says? No, it's not their fault that Zhiqiu doesn't go to school. The second brother didn't send her, saying that it's useless for a girl to go to school and it's just a waste of money.
"Okay, shut up!" The captain felt that the group of people was noisier than a hundred ducks, so for the sake of his ears, he quickly stopped them. He pointed at Ye Zhiqiu and said, "Tell me what's going on."
Ye Zhiqiu told the story in the shortest language, without any emotion, and at the same time did not forget to show how pitiful he was.
The captain was overwhelmed by what he heard. It was not his turn to manage the marriages of unmarried men and women of marriageable age in the village, but it was indeed too much for the Ye family to marry their granddaughter to a fool. He was also surnamed Ye, and if the news got out, he didn't know how the people in the nearby villages would look at him. This matter must be stopped.
"Everyone go away. Ye Erniu, if you have anything to say, let's go to your house." Family scandals should be discussed behind closed doors. People from other families in the village should not be allowed to see the fun of the Ye family.
The villagers didn't want to leave. They hadn't seen enough of the fun, and they were halfway through eating the melon. It was only when the team leader threatened to deduct work points if they didn't obey that everyone left reluctantly.
Even so, there are people who live in the neighboring houses on the left and right of Ye's house. If they can't go to Ye's house, are they not allowed to go to the two next door? They can't see the scene, but it's not bad to be able to listen to the corner.
Ye Zhiqiu followed behind the captain, looking quite obedient, and the captain was relieved, for he was afraid that she would make a scene and not go home. It would be easy if she could listen to him, it was just an engagement, not a marriage, so there was still hope.
Ye Zhiqiu didn't know what the captain was thinking. She didn't make a fuss because she felt it was unnecessary. The news had already spread in the village. Her goal had been achieved. She might as well listen to what the captain had to say.
Ye Erniu glared at Ye Zhiqiu fiercely, he was really a debt collector, if he had known, he shouldn't have given birth to her. Other people's daughters were so obedient, they would marry whoever their family told them to, and they could even help their parents' family after they got married.
Ye Zhiqiu sat in the corner of the yard tactfully, waiting to see what the captain would do. Those who are barefoot are not afraid of those who wear shoes. This is just her first move. If the Ye family can't stand it, won't the rest of the things make them even more angry?
"Okay, stop giving me such a shameless look. I don't owe you anything, and I don't want to get involved in your business. Just tell me how to solve it." He regretted being the captain. Not only was there no benefit, but it also brought him a lot of trouble.
Huang Lamei was the first to speak: "What are we solving? It's our own business. What's wrong with a fool? He's a fool from the city. Isn't he better than a village boy?"
The captain refused the filter cigarette handed over by Ye Changtian and waved his hand: "You have no say. Marriage is free now. Zhiqiu doesn't want to get married. What can you do?"