Li Ling listened to her aunt’s words and cautiously tugged at her sleeve, trying to stop her from continuing.
“Xiao Ling, don’t stop me. This kid Zhugen is just unthinking. As his mother, I can’t help but speak my mind. A good daughter-in-law like you is hard to find even with a lantern.”
Her aunt didn’t feel her son was superior just because Zhang Zhugen had taken a temporary job at a state-owned factory.
She only remembered that over the years, every time a matchmaker introduced someone, they would shake their heads upon seeing their family’s poor circumstances.
Only Li Ling, this girl, had taken a liking to her son and never scorned their poverty.
Of course, Li Ling’s speech impediment was also a deterrent for many. Country folk, their education levels weren’t very high.
Many feared that if they married this girl, their future children would also be unable to speak.
In the countryside, continuing the family line was of utmost importance. Otherwise, why would so many people have seven or eight daughters and still stubbornly insist on having a son?
Therefore, after much thought, no one had the courage to truly marry Li Ling.
It was the same in her past life. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have waited until her uncle and aunt passed away, and Li Ling would eventually marry Zhang Zhugen, becoming the mute sister-in-law in Chen Yang’s memory.
Actually, if one were to speak of it, Zhang Zhugen and Li Ling were truly a couple who supported each other through thick and thin. From meeting to marriage, to having children, and then the children growing up, the two of them had never argued.
This was not an easy feat!
“Dad, Mom, my brother is fighting with someone outside.”
Just then, Zhang Shugen rushed in from outside.
Hearing his words, Li Ling wanted to rush out. This girl, she was truly dependable. Zhang Shugen had a problem, and she dared to help.
“What happened? Out of nowhere, during the New Year, you’re fighting with people?”
Upon hearing this, her aunt also became anxious.
“I don’t know. I was with Uncle and the others making the dragon lantern. I don’t know what happened, but my brother started fighting with someone, and they couldn’t pull him away.”
“Neither side could stop him. So, Uncle sent me to call you over. Zhang Laotie’s son Halah couldn’t do anything. He even backed down, but my brother still wouldn’t let go of the person.”
Zhang Shugen wasn’t in a hurry. After all, it wasn’t him who was being beaten.
If Zhang Zhugen couldn’t win, he definitely wouldn’t have come back to find his parents but would have rolled up his sleeves and joined in.
Brothers fight together, fathers and sons fight on the battlefield. If his brother was being beaten, could he stand by and do nothing?
“This brat, always causing trouble for me. The girl came to the house wanting to have a good relationship with him, and look at him.”
“It’s one thing that he’s not at home, but he’s also fighting with people. I won’t spare him.”
Upon hearing Zhang Shugen’s words, his uncle was furious. He grabbed the ox-herding whip and ran towards the village headquarters. The dragon lantern was being made at the entrance of the village headquarters.
Because the entrance to the village headquarters was next to the largest pond in the village, the dragon dance was performed around the pond. Therefore, the dragon lantern was naturally being made by the pond.
“You stubborn old man, wait for me.”
Seeing her husband rush out with the whip, her aunt also ran out anxiously. Li Ling followed suit.
Chen Yang and Chen Yu, on the other hand, were a bit stunned. They had agreed to watch the dragon dance, but before they could even see it, they were going to watch their elder cousin fight.
Her aunt and the others had all gone. Zhang Shugen also took Chen Yang and Chen Yu towards the village entrance. When they arrived, Chen Yang realized.
Good heavens, layers upon layers, a dense crowd was gathered.
“Good lad, you’ve even got blood on your nose, and you still won’t let go.”
An old man, sleeves rolled up, was watching with great interest.
Fights among young people in the village were not uncommon. Who among them hadn’t had a few scuffles when they were young? They treated it as entertainment during the New Year.
Except for the relatives of the people involved who were trying to break up the fight, most other people were just watching the show.
“Move aside, move aside.”
“Zhang Zhugen, you scoundrel, I told you to come and fight.”
The uncle pushed through the crowd, yelling, and rushed forward with the whip.
Good heavens, Zhang Laotie’s son, Halah, had already been pinned to the ground by Zhang Zhugen and was beaten with a bloody face.
“Hurry up and let go of him. Do you really want to kill someone?”
Seeing this, the uncle was filled with anger. This scoundrel had beaten someone to this state. How much would he have to pay in medical expenses later?
Fighting a bit in the village, while it might not lead to the police station, injuring someone and not compensating them would be unreasonable, no matter how right you were.
This was how parents, accustomed to poverty, behaved. When they saw their child cause trouble, they didn’t bother to think about the reasons behind it. All they could think about was cleaning up the mess and how to compensate the parents of the injured child.
Poverty is a sin.
“You brat, why aren’t you letting go?”
Seeing that Zhang Zhugen hadn’t moved, the uncle, furious, kicked him in the backside.
Just as he was about to whip someone, Li Ling, who had been following behind her aunt, directly blocked him.
“Girl, get out of the way. This little bastard is out of control, fighting with people during the New Year. Such a big person, and so thoughtless.”
The uncle didn’t care that this was his future daughter-in-law, whom he had been quite pleased with. Zhang Zhugen didn’t listen to them and was causing trouble, so how could he not be angry?
But unexpectedly, when Li Ling saw that her uncle was determined to hit Zhang Zhugen, she directly protected Zhang Zhugen and lay on top of him.
She couldn’t speak and couldn’t persuade her uncle.
She could only use her frail body to protect the man she felt she liked.
She felt this family was good; no one looked down on her for being mute. Although Zhang Zhugen always avoided her, she could see that the way he looked at her was different from others.
There was no disdain in his eyes; his gaze towards her was clear and pure.
For this reason alone, she felt this man was good.
“You girl, sigh!”
Seeing Li Ling like this, the uncle sighed, and the raised whip hit the ground heavily.
No matter how angry he was, he couldn’t swing the whip at the girl.
Meanwhile, Zhang Zhugen, who had been beating Zhang Halah, stopped his fists when he saw Li Ling protecting him.
“Pfft!”
“Zhang Zhugen, this is your quality. You’re destined to marry a mute woman your whole life.”
“I’m not even allowed to say it? Look how devoted this mute is to you, protecting you. Look at you, useless. At twenty-six, you can’t find a wife and can only marry a mute.”
“Are you going to hit me again? What’s the use of hitting me? A bunch of poor people, can’t even afford a wife, and you’re eyeing a free mute. I think you want to be a live-in son-in-law at the mute’s house.”
“Marry a mute, have a mute, and your whole family will be mute in the future.”
But unexpectedly, as soon as Zhang Zhugen stopped, Zhang Halah, whose face was covered in blood from being beaten, became emboldened.
Hearing his words, Li Ling’s expression suddenly stiffened.
Being unable to speak was indeed what she feared being mocked for the most. Now, Zhang Halah so coldly and heartlessly saying that she was mute and that mute people would have mute children, Li Ling’s tears began to fall.