“Eldest Sister-in-law!” Xia Dajun was shocked.

Although he had grown disappointed with Xia Xiaolan, he had never imagined sending her to jail.

Zhang Cui had always been the most level-headed person in the family. Wasn’t saying something like that just dragging Xiaolan into trouble?

Zhang Cui realized she had spoken too quickly in her excitement.

Looking somewhat embarrassed, she said, “I was just worried Zhang Erlai would start spreading nonsense. Xiaolan has absolutely nothing to do with that hooligan.”

But the villagers of Shipopo Village didn’t believe it. Everyone knew the Xia family were spineless. Even when their daughter was bullied, they didn’t dare settle the score with Zhang Erlai.

The three Xia brothers were all strong and healthy, yet they let Zhang Erlai swagger around freely.

Instead, they pressured their own daughter at home until she smashed her head against the wall… what kind of family was that?

Someone who wanted to mock Xia Dajun and his brothers deliberately said with a grin...

“Zhang Erlai was arrested for breaking into someone’s house and stealing.”

“Yesterday the county held a public crackdown parade. He was paraded through the streets with a big sign around his neck listing his crimes. That scoundrel’s definitely going to get a heavy sentence. The whole village hates him. At least this time we’ve gotten rid of a menace.”

As long as Zhang Erlai wasn’t wandering around the village anymore, time would pass and people would forget those rumors.

In that sense, it was like saving the Xia family’s daughter’s life.

Once the fuss died down, they could simply marry her off to a husband from a faraway village, and the matter would fade away.

Xia Dajun watched coldly, not fully grasping the deeper implications. Still he was certainly happy that Zhang Erlai had been arrested.

Zhang Cui’s smile was strained.

Wang Jingui’s expression kept shifting, as if she were calculating something.

So this was the Xia family that had produced a female college student?

The people of Shipou Village secretly shook their heads.

Xia Dajun didn’t pay them any mind.

“Xiaolan and the others probably haven’t heard yet. I should go tell them the news.”

After taking a couple of steps, he suddenly remembered that he had just divorced Liu Fen. Earlier, the mother and daughter had watched him get beaten by the men from Qijing Village with complete indifference.

Xia Dajun’s earlier happiness instantly vanished. Dragging his heavy feet, he walked back toward the Xia household.

Zhang Cui had a stomach full of words she wanted to say, and Wang Jingui also seemed to have something on her mind.

Old Madam Xia saw that only three people had returned and immediately understood... they hadn’t brought Liu Fen and Xiaolan back.

Xia Xiaolan, that little tramp, had quite the temper.

“What’s the matter? Those two are still putting on airs, waiting for this old woman to go fetch them myself?”

Xia Dajun shook his head.

Wang Jingui spoke bluntly, “Mother, Second Sister-in-law and Second Brother are divorced now. Liu Yong brought a bunch of people from Qijing Village, beat Second Brother up, and forced him to press his thumbprint on some written agreement.”

The Xia family refused to believe it.

But Xia Dajun still had injuries on him, and the three of them wouldn’t lie about something like this.

Old Madam Xia immediately began wailing, clutching her chest. She cursed Liu Fen and her daughter loudly—calling Xia Xiaolan a shameless tramp and Liu Fen an even worse slut.

“How could your sister-in-law possibly ask for a divorce? The Liu family must have forced her.”

Xia Changzheng tried to salvage a little dignity, but Wang Jingui foolishly refuted him:

But Wang Jingui foolishly retorted, “Oh no, Liu Fen was the one who brought it up herself! She kept a cold face the whole time, like the Xia family owed her money and never paid it back!”

Wang Jingui simply couldn’t understand Liu Fen’s behavior. She hoped someone would explain it.

Old Madam Xia felt like her head was about to explode.

Ever since Xia Ziyu had been admitted to university, she had felt that the Xia family’s status had risen above everyone else.

She had always despised Liu Fen for failing to give birth to a son and had planned to throw her out eventually. But that was supposed to happen on the Xia family’s terms!

How dare that wretched woman Liu Fen bring up divorce?

Old Madam Xia’s loud curses could be heard across half the village. It quickly became a hot piece of gossip.

Xia Dajun’s wife had run back to her parents’ house for more than ten days. Before dawn that morning, Xia Dajun had gone to fetch her.

Not only did he fail to bring her back! She divorced him instead!

The Xia family’s scandal this year would be talked about for the entire year.

Xia Dajun felt dazed. His pride as a man had been badly wounded. He silently swore that if Liu Fen ever regretted it and wanted to come back, no matter how pitifully she cried, he would never soften his heart.

News of Liu Fen asking for a divorce turned the Xia household upside down, and the entire Dahe Village buzzed with discussion.

Xia Changzheng offered a few dry words of comfort to Xia Dajun, but privately asked Zhang Cui to recount everything that had happened.

“They’re really divorced?”

“Of course. They wrote three identical agreements. Dajun and Liu Fen both pressed their thumbprints on them. The village head from Qijing Village even said he would submit the document to the county Civil Affairs Bureau.”

Zhang Cui looked worried.

“On the way back I also heard that Zhang Erlai had been arrested for burglary and would probably receive a heavy sentence. Do you think we should send Ziyu a telegram?”

Zhang Erlai hadn’t been arrested for messing around with women after all. That meant Xia Xiaolan could no longer be implicated in the scandal. The plan they had relied on was useless now.

Before Xia Ziyu left for Beijing, she had instructed them to keep a close watch on Xia Xiaolan.

No one had expected Liu Fen to divorce Xia Dajun.

How could they keep watch on Xia Xiaolan now?

She wasn’t even coming back to the Xia family.

Xia Xiaolan had completely slipped out of their control.

Zhang Cui couldn’t handle the situation, and Xia Changzheng had no ideas either.

“Tomorrow I’ll find an excuse to go to the county seat. I’ll send Ziyu a telegram and ask around about Zhang Erlai.”

The Xia household was in total chaos.

Meanwhile, at the Liu family home in Qijing Village, Li Fengmei with the help of neighbors, had prepared three full banquet tables to treat everyone who had helped them that day.

Naturally, the invitation wasn’t just for the men, their wives were welcome too. Everyone had the tacit understanding not to bring children.

The family planning policy had only been implemented for a couple of years, and most families still had multiple children. If everyone brought their kids, three tables wouldn’t be nearly enough.

One table was set in the main hall, with Chen Wangda sitting in the seat of honor.

He hadn’t brought many people with him, just his wife and his grandson, Chen Qing.

The guests were astonished at how lavish the meal was.

Braised potatoes with pork ribs, scrambled eggs with chives, dry-fried loaches, crucian carp soup, tofu soup, stir-fried pork liver with scallions, garlic stir-fried greens, and in the middle of the table a huge basin of lamb stewed noodles as the main dish.

Liu Yong hadn’t been able to buy good pork, so he simply bought lamb instead. The noodles were piled high, with thick slices of lamb throughout.

Even during the New Year festival, meals weren’t this extravagant.

Liu Yong had also placed cigarettes and liquor on every table. The villagers he had invited clicked their tongues in amazement.

“Brother Yong, you’ve really spent a lot today.”

“This spread is incredible!”

Chen Wangda didn’t spoil the mood and joked that Liu Yong was wasting money now that he had earned a bit.

Liu Yong raised his glass.

“Uncle Da, I’m truly happy today! A-Fen is my younger sister. She’s used to quietly enduring everything. It’s also my fault for being such a bastard when I was young. I didn’t understand anything back then. I had no ability and couldn’t stand up for her… You know, my parents died early. Both my sisters didn’t marry well. I was a useless jerk!”

Before the wine had even been drunk, Liu Yong had already started criticizing himself.

He wasn’t lying either. Chen Wangda nodded in agreement.

“You really were quite a rascal when you were young. But after getting married, you matured. Your wife has worried a lot for this family.”

Li Fengmei was still wearing her apron and felt embarrassed hearing the village head’s praise.

Before marrying Liu Yong, she had been married once before. Her former in-laws despised her for failing to have children after ten years of marriage and drove her out of the house.

Later she remarried into the Liu family through a matchmaker. At that time Liu Yong was already over thirty and still immature. Li Fengmei had cried under her blanket many nights.

Fortunately, after their son was born, Liu Yong began to feel responsibility. In the past two years their life had improved, and he had become more considerate toward her.

Liu Yong quickly thanked his wife for managing the household so well.

He knew how kindly Li Fengmei treated his younger sister and niece, and he was grateful.

Chen Wangda then brought up the matter of Liu Fen and Xia Xiaolan’s household registration.

“I’ll go to the county with you in the next couple of days and help transfer their household registration back here. The sooner it’s done, the better.”

Liu Fen looked a little uneasy, but Xia Xiaolan poured her a cup of wine and she took a small sip.

The guests were tactful enough not to say anything unpleasant. Whatever they thought privately, they all congratulated Liu Fen, saying that her hardships were finally over and good days lay ahead.

Xia Xiaolan sat beside her mother. On her other side happened to be Chen Qing.

An idea suddenly came to her.

“Brother Chen Qing, there’s something I’d like to ask you later.”

Chen Qing held his chopsticks but didn’t dare pick up any food. It wasn’t that he had never interacted with girls his own age. His classmates were about Xia Xiaolan’s age too, but none of them looked like her…

Sitting beside her, his face turned red. Fortunately, years of farm work had tanned his skin so much that it wasn’t obvious.

When he heard she wanted to ask him something, he hurriedly answered “Okay,” his voice barely louder than a mosquito.

“Xiaolan, come over and chat with the uncles and elders!”

Liu Yong called out to her.

Xia Xiaolan happily ran over. Watching her back, Chen Qing felt his heart pounding wildly.

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