After watching the commotion for a while, and seeing the crowd of onlookers growing, Su Xiaoqi slipped into the courtyard and closed the door.
Zhao Xiaomei and Yu Jiansheng had cried enough.
Heavy tear tracks were etched on both their faces.
Su Xiaoqi expressed understanding; in this era where one believed they had a 'throne' to inherit, giving birth and continuing the lineage was an unavoidable duty.
The devastating blow was that Yu Jiansheng suddenly discovered he couldn't have children.
Such news was too shocking; it needed time to digest.
"Grandmother, Third Aunt, we're leaving," Zhao Xiaomei wiped away her tears and helped Yu Jiansheng walk out.
"Ah, take your time," Madam Zhao said reluctantly.
Shen Yun volunteered to escort them home.
Su Xiaoqi leaned against the doorway, unmoved. After a moment's thought, she took out another three jin of grain seeds from her怀.
Though she hadn't opened the door to look, the battle outside was fierce.
The elder Yu couple, although two people, were no match for Madam Qian in terms of combat strength. The grain seeds would likely be snatched away.
Despite her reluctance, thinking of the pitiable Zhao Xiaomei, Su Xiaoqi pressed the grain seeds into her hand.
Zhao Xiaomei understood Su Xiaoqi's intentions and thanked her with a choked sob.
Shen Yun took the seeds and cast an appreciative glance at Su Xiaoqi. This girl had more thoughts than an ordinary person. She had prepared the seeds but deliberately didn't produce them, leading to a heated quarrel between the two families, who were originally in-laws. But they deserved it; who told them to be so greedy for advantage?
The farce outside concluded with Madam Qian's victory. The elder Yu couple sat on the ground, throwing a tantrum and cursing. One moment they cursed Madam Qian for being vulgar and unreasonable, the next they cursed the Zhao family for their shamelessness. Mostly, they cursed Zhao Xiaomei for being a slut...
Su Xiaoqi's blood boiled upon hearing this; wasn't this clearly bullying the weak? She rushed forward, snatched the grain seeds from Shen Yun, and threw them at Madam Huang. Madam Huang recognized the seeds immediately, stopped crying, quickly wiped her tears, and stood up. This reaction... Su Xiaoqi snorted coldly and turned back, grabbing a back basket and slinging it over her shoulder. She followed Shen Yun; she wanted to escort them home with him. She hadn't intended to get involved, but now she wanted to.
Along the way, the three young people walked ahead. Su Xiaoqi took the opportunity to tell Yu Jiansheng many things about how men should cherish their wives. Before Yu Jiansheng could say anything, the "pig teammate" Zhao Xiaomei murmured, "But, but, everyone in the village gets by like this." Whenever the in-laws or husbands in the village had bad tempers, they would beat and scold their wives. She thought the whole world was like this, so she had long since gotten used to it. She had even secretly rejoiced because other men beat their wives severely, while her husband had never touched her.
Su Xiaoqi was heartbroken. What kind of messed-up thoughts were these? She retorted with emotion, "Who said that? Where we come from, it's not like that. If in-laws or husbands beat their wives, it's called domestic violence. You can report it to the authorities, and they'll be imprisoned."
"Xiaoqi, your place is truly wonderful," Zhao Xiaomei said, looking at Su Xiaoqi with envy, her lips bruised and purple.
"You have to learn to protect yourself, learn to resist," Su Xiaoqi said to Zhao Xiaomei, looking at Yu Jiansheng. "If their family beats you again, divorce him and come home. If you have nowhere to go, come find me." Su Xiaoqi took charge. Her abilities were limited now, and she couldn't help too many people. But she had to extend a hand to those around her. She couldn't just watch them drive Zhao Xiaomei to her death.
Zhao Xiaomei's face flushed red. She looked at Su Xiaoqi with a mixture of excitement and disbelief. No one had ever spoken to her like this before. Her own family, including her mother, had always told her to obey her in-laws and serve her husband well. If she were divorced, she shouldn't come home; she might as well drown herself in the river to avoid ruining the reputation of the Zhao family. This was the first time she realized that besides obedience and endurance, she had other choices.
Fearing she wouldn't believe her, Su Xiaoqi made solemn promises and even brought up Zhao Xiaozhu, saying that the two sisters together would have someone to talk to. Zhao Xiaomei knew Su Xiaoqi was telling the truth; her own sister, Zhao Xiaozhu, was proof. She couldn't help it and started crying again, her lips trembling. This time, it was tears of emotion.
Shen Yun listened silently to Su Xiaoqi's shocking words, wondering where "their place" was. It was certainly not Mianzhou City, nor Da Liang. He had read Da Liang's laws extensively and had never encountered any statutes concerning domestic violence. He thought this, but when Yu Jiansheng looked at him inquiringly, he firmly told him, "Yes, there are such laws in Da Liang now." He hoped not to see Yu Jiansheng's parents in prison the next time they met.
Yu Jiansheng was also dissatisfied with his parents always hitting his wife, but he was too timid to mention it. Now that there was a legal basis, he secretly took note, so he would have a way to stop them next time.
Upon arriving at the Yu family's home, Su Xiaoqi followed Zhao Xiaomei into a room. She took twenty jin of white rice and ten fish from the back basket and gave them to her. Zhao Xiaomei's mouth remained agape in surprise. On the way, the back basket on Su Xiaoqi's person looked very light. How did so many things come out all at once? Su Xiaoqi quickly changed the subject, teaching her to hide the items well so Madam Huang wouldn't find them. She advised her to take a little out each day to eat and recover her health.
Zhao Xiaomei was so touched she didn't know what to say, only shedding silent tears. Su Xiaoqi couldn't bear her tears and pointed towards the main hall. Shen Yun was there, negotiating with the elder Yu couple in the capacity of Zhao Xiaomei's maternal family. He said many things about not hitting daughters-in-law. The most serious statement he made was that the inability to have children was a problem for the Yu family, not his cousin. If they dared to hit anyone again, it would result in a divorce, and he would let everyone know, ensuring their son would never be able to marry again.
"Stop, stop," Madam Huang, who hadn't recovered from the shock of her son's infertility, was startled by Shen Yun's words and quickly waved her hands to stop him.
"That depends on your attitude," Shen Yun said, his voice low and cold, sending a shiver down the spines of the elder couple. They kept nodding in agreement, vowing they would never dare to lay hands on Zhao Xiaomei again. Shen Yun saw their eyes darting around like rats' eyes and knew they were just humoring him. However, it didn't matter. He had been indifferent to this matter before, but now that his wife was concerned, he should show his resolve.
Su Xiaoqi chuckled upon hearing that Shen Yun was mostly reiterating what she had told Zhao Xiaomei. He was learning quickly, adapting what he heard.
On the way back to the village, the two walked along the country path. The back basket had been transferred to Shen Yun's shoulders. Su Xiaoqi walked ahead, examining the grass, picking useful medicinal herbs. Shen Yun asked her the names of the herbs. Seeing his eagerness to learn, Su Xiaoqi was happy to teach him. The two walked and stopped, chatting incessantly, and soon arrived at the village entrance.
Shen Yun still felt a sense of lingering interest. The young girl in front of him had a face the size of a palm. She hadn't fully developed yet, but she was already delicate and lovely. If she grew a little more, she would surely blossom into a great beauty. Her appearance was secondary; the key was her spirit, which was truly interesting. She knew many things others didn't, could do many things others couldn't, and her cooking was superb. Since she had been by his side, the bad luck that had plagued him for over twenty years had vanished without a trace. Heaven had not treated him unfairly.
Lost in thought, Shen Yun didn't notice Su Xiaoqi, who was walking ahead, suddenly stop. He bumped into her.
"Hey, you're not watching where you're going," Su Xiaoqi complained, rubbing her back. As soon as she spoke, she saw the man behind her reach out and encircle her completely from behind.
"Oh my..." Su Xiaoqi's heart skipped a beat, her emotions in turmoil.