Sold into a ghost marriage? Four-year-old and his thuggish father go on a killing spree.

"A letter severing ties?"

The moment those three words were uttered, everyone in the courtyard was stunned.

In this era, kinship is the most important bond that maintains a person's social identity.

"Severing ties with relatives" is an extremely serious term, even carrying a hint of treason.

Zhao stopped crying, raised her face, which was covered with tears and dirt, and looked at Cheng Tiezhu in astonishment.

The commune's civil affairs officer frowned: "Secretary Cheng, this... a letter of severance of kinship is not legally valid. The obligation of children to support their parents, and the obligation of younger generations to support their elders, cannot be terminated by a piece of paper."

"I understand."

Cheng Tiezhu nodded, but his gaze was unusually firm.

"It's useless in the law. But in our rural areas, in the hearts of us ordinary people, it's more effective than the law!"

His gaze swept over every villager present.

"Today, in front of the commune cadres and dozens of villagers from Chengjiawan, we wrote it down in black and white and had her put her fingerprint on it! This is tantamount to telling everyone that the Zhao family doesn't want this granddaughter anymore!"

"From now on, if she tries to use 'family ties' or her status as 'grandmother' to argue her way out of trouble, who in our village will still acknowledge her? Who will listen to her?"

"If she dares to cause trouble again, it won't be a domestic dispute anymore; it'll be an outsider provoking trouble! Our team has the right to have her tied up and sent to the police station!"

These words were reasonable, logical, and impactful.

The civil affairs officer pondered for a moment and nodded.

This is indeed the best way to solve the problem once and for all under the current circumstances, while also providing the greatest protection for Gu Yanqiu and his daughter.

"Okay! Let's do it this way!"

Accountant Lao Sun immediately brought over paper, pen, and a box of bright red inkpad.

Gu Yanqiu took the pen; he didn't know many characters, and his hand trembled slightly.

Cheng Tiezhu walked over and pressed down on his shoulder: "I'll talk, you write."

Gu Yanqiu nodded heavily.

"The person who wrote the letter personally: Gu Niannian; the person who wrote it on his behalf: Father, Gu Yanqiu."

Cheng Tiezhu's voice echoed in the courtyard. Gu Yanqiu, stroke by stroke, used all his strength to carve these words onto the paper.

"Because my maternal grandmother, Zhao, disregarded the bond between grandmother and granddaughter and was wicked, she sold her four-year-old granddaughter, Gu Niannian, to the Wang family for a ghost marriage for only two hundred yuan while my deceased mother, Song Wanqing, was still warm in her body. She was utterly devoid of conscience."

"Now they've come to our door again, using family ties as a pretext to extort money from us."

"Therefore, Gu Niannian here and in public sever all kinship ties with her maternal grandmother Zhao, her uncle Song Jianguo, her aunt Sun Fenglan, and other members of the Song family."

"From this day forward, we shall have no connection whatsoever regarding weddings, funerals, or other important matters; we shall have no ties whatsoever regarding wealth, poverty, status, or social standing. You go your way, and I'll go mine. Anyone who comes to harass or pester us again shall be considered an enemy and dealt with according to the law!"

"Words are meaningless; let's have a written agreement!"

Witnesses: Cheng Tiezhu, Party Secretary of Chengjiawan Brigade, Qinghe County; Civil Affairs Officer…

A brief letter severing ties, every word dripping with blood, every sentence piercing the heart.

After finishing writing, Gu Yanqiu spread the paper on the ground, looked at Zhao Shi, and spoke in a cold voice.

"Please leave your handprint."

Zhao collapsed to the ground, staring at the paper as if it were a death warrant.

She knew that once she pressed the button, she would have no reason or excuse to squeeze even a single penny out of Gu Yanqiu.

Her son, a factory worker, her youngest son, who was in debt from gambling... all her hopes would vanish.

"No... I won't press it!" she suddenly screamed. "You're forcing me! You're trying to kill me!"

The civil affairs officer looked at her coldly: "Comrade Zhao, let me remind you. If you comply, this matter ends here, and you can leave peacefully. If you don't, I'll send someone right now, along with you, to the county public security bureau to prove that you're involved in child trafficking!"

This sentence was the last straw that broke the camel's back.

Zhao's body trembled violently, and all her arrogance vanished instantly.

She knew she had no other choice.

Under the villagers' disdainful gazes, Song Jianguo walked forward shakily, helped his mother up from the ground, and dragged her to the letter severing ties with his mother.

Looking at the box of bright red inkpad, Zhao's eyes were filled with resentment, bitterness, and the madness of having failed at the last moment.

She stretched out her trembling right index finger and pressed it hard into the inkpad.

Then, as if using the last of his strength, he pressed the bright red fingerprint heavily below the two characters "Zhao Shi".

At that moment, she seemed to age ten years.

All his energy and spirit were drained away with that handprint.

Gu Yanqiu picked up the paper, blew on the ink and inkpad, carefully folded it, and put it in his pocket.

This piece of paper will be the greatest guarantee for his and Niannian's future stable life.

"Get lost."

Gu Yanqiu uttered two words.

Amidst the disdainful gazes of the entire village, the Zhao family slunk away towards the village entrance.

Song Jianguo and Sun Fenglan supported the distraught Zhao Shi, their steps unsteady, like stray dogs.

Halfway there, Sun Fenglan suddenly turned around, stared venomously at Niannian in the crowd, and said in a low voice.

"Little girl, don't push things too far! Leave a way out for others, so you can meet again in the future! You've embarrassed your grandmother like this today; you'll regret it later!"

Niannian just looked at her quietly, a faint smile even appearing on her lips.

There was no fear in that smile, only disdain.

Regret?

These two words were never in Gu Niannian's dictionary.

As the three figures finally disappeared around the corner at the village entrance, everyone in the courtyard breathed a long sigh of relief.

Aunt Wang came over, patted Niannian's head, and her eyes were red.

"Alright, alright, it's all over now. Finally, some peace and quiet."

Cheng Tiezhu also came over, patted Gu Yanqiu on the shoulder, and had a serious look on his face.

He glanced into the distance, sighed, and said meaningfully.

"Yes, it's finally peaceful."

"But in this world, greedy people are like weeds in the field. Once you cut one crop, another one might sprout up from somewhere else before long."

Upon hearing this, Gu Yanqiu felt a chill run down his spine.

He understood what Uncle Cheng meant: Zhao was gone, but the world wouldn't become smooth sailing just because of that.

To truly protect Nian Nian, he must become stronger!