Flip the table and divide the family property! Take his wife and daughter into the mountains and eat

The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, there was commotion in the Zhao family's courtyard.

The sounds of snow sweeping, doors opening, and voices mingled together.

Li Cuihua's voice was louder than usual, conveying a genuine and enthusiastic warmth, as if welcoming the God of Wealth.

"Oh dear, since you're already here, why bring anything?"

"The snow is heavy and the roads are slippery. Please come inside and sit down."

"This girl had a moment of weakness yesterday and acted out, making a huge scene. I got so angry that I hit her twice, and that's when she calmed down."

Inside the room, Zhao Xiaoyu huddled in the corner of the kang (a heated brick bed), her face gradually turning pale.

She barely slept all night; half her face was still swollen, and her lip was cut. The broken coarse porcelain bowl was still lying at the base of the wall, with shards of porcelain, vegetable soup, and a few pieces of cold meat stuck together, making her feel nauseous.

She glanced down at the shard of porcelain hidden in her sleeve, her palms sweating profusely.

It's really coming.

A man's laughing voice soon rang out from outside.

"Oh, we can't hit her anymore. Her face is delicate; it would be such a waste if she got hurt."

Zhao Xiaoyu froze instantly.

The voice wasn't loud, and even carried a hint of gentleness, but to her ears it felt like a cold, slippery snake crawling up her spine.

The man outside chuckled again.

"Besides, it's normal for a young girl to not understand right away. Once she's inside, she'll gradually learn her lesson."

The door lock clicked.

"Click".

The door was pushed open from the outside, and a blast of cold air rushed in.

Li Cuihua stood at the door, a smile still on her face, but her eyes were as cold as ice.

"come out."

Zhao Xiaoyu gripped the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed) tightly, shaking her head desperately, tears welling up in her eyes.

"I won't go out... I won't let him see... Mom, I beg you..."

The smile on Li Cuihua's face gradually faded. She glanced back into the courtyard, and as if afraid that people were getting impatient, she lowered her voice and scolded:

"Have you no shame? People are already here, and you're still trying to play dead?"

Zhao Xiaoyu's face was covered in tears, and she desperately shrank into the corner of the kang (a heated brick bed).

"I'm not going... I'm not going..."

"Shut up!"

Li Cuihua's face suddenly darkened. She rushed forward, grabbed her arm, and pulled her down hard.

Zhao Xiaoyu screamed in pain, and instinctively reached out with her other hand to grab the door frame.

But the entrance was already blocked by people.

The third brother, Zhao Shanlin, stood there limping, his face terrifyingly grim. Seeing her reach out, he forcefully pried her fingers open, gritting his teeth and cursing under his breath:

"Behave yourself! If you keep causing trouble, I'll really break your legs today!"

Zhao Xiaoyu was trembling all over, her face covered in tears and snot, and she was dragged out by two people, one on each side.

Zhao Laizi was standing in the courtyard.

He had dressed up specially today, his hair was slicked back, he wore a slightly worn cotton-padded jacket, and a pair of shiny cotton shoes. He was also carrying two packets of brown sugar and a pack of cigarettes. At first glance, he really looked like a respectable person visiting someone's home.

But once those eyes fell on Zhao Xiaoyu, they were glued to her.

From her disheveled hair to her swollen half-face, and then to her thin, straight shoulders and figure, every inch of her face was scrutinized, sticky as if weighing something that had been acquired.

Zhao Xiaoyu lowered her head, her body trembling violently, clutching the broken porcelain shards in her sleeve so tightly that her fingertips turned white.

Li Cuihua put on a smile again and quickly apologized.

"Look at this child... I've spoiled her since she was little. She's stubborn and argumentative. Lai Zi, don't mind her. She's a girl, you'll see. Once she's married, she'll learn to be good and bad."

Zhao Laizi grinned, revealing a set of teeth stained yellow from smoking.

"It's okay. I just like having a bit of a temper."

He pointed at Zhao Xiaoyu with the finger holding the cigarette, his tone slow and deliberate, exuding a sense of entitlement and lewdness.

"Women are like newly bought livestock. When you first harness them to the plow, they're bound to buck and kick. It's okay if they're stubborn. Just marry them, close the door, and slowly work them down."

"I've already paid eighty dollars. I have plenty of time to wear her down. Once she gets to my place, I'll let her go hungry for a couple of meals, endure a few sleepless nights, and get her pregnant. Even the toughest bone will soften into a lump of mud. At that point, you can chase her out with a stick, and she won't take her with her."

As he spoke, he squinted and glanced at Zhao Xiaoyu's face twice, then suddenly frowned.

"Tsk, how did this face get so badly slapped?"

He took half a step forward, tilted his head to look at Zhao Xiaoyu's swollen half-face, and his tone carried a hint of resentment.

"You went too far. Your face is all swollen now; what will people think when they see this?"

Li Cuihua's smile froze for a moment, and she quickly apologized.

"She was so aggressive yesterday, I got angry and couldn't control myself..."

Zhao Laizi waved his hand, but his eyes were still fixed on Zhao Xiaoyu's face.

"You can be playful as you like, but you can't let your face get dirty. A young lady's appearance matters first. You can teach her slowly after she's married."

As he spoke, he stretched out two fingers and pinched Zhao Xiaoyu's chin.

"Come on, lift your face and let me see—"

"ah--!"

A piercing scream suddenly tore open the entire courtyard!

To everyone's surprise, a shard of porcelain suddenly slid out from Zhao Xiaoyu's sleeve and slashed viciously at the back of Zhao Laizi's outstretched hand!

The porcelain edge was thin and sharp, and the strike was swift and ruthless.

A bloody gash appeared on the back of Zhao Laizi's hand, and blood gushed out, flowing down his wrist.

He felt like he'd been branded with a hot iron, and suddenly jumped back, clutching the back of his hand in pain, his face contorted in agony.

"Fuck your mother! You bitch, how dare you scratch me?!"

The courtyard was quiet for a moment.

Immediately afterwards, Li Cuihua screamed.

"Are you crazy! You good-for-nothing, are you out of your mind?!"

The third brother, Zhao Shanlin, also suddenly came to his senses and limped forward.

But Zhao Xiaoyu didn't give anyone time to react.

She turned and ran!

He didn't stop running even after losing a shoe on the spot. He rushed out of the courtyard barefoot, his hair disheveled, his face swollen, and he was still clutching the bloody shard of porcelain tightly in his hand.

"Grab her!"

Li Cuihua screamed in a shrill voice, "Catch this good-for-nothing! Don't let her get away!"

Zhao Laizi clutched his bleeding hand, his face contorted in pain, and cursed angrily.

"Catch her, you bastard! We'll skin her alive today!"

Zhao Shanlin gritted his teeth and limped after him.

Zhao Xiaoyu didn't care about anything else.

The snow was icy cold. Barefoot, she stumbled and rushed toward the village road, tears streaming down her face in the wind, her voice hoarse from shouting.

"Help—! Help me—!"

"Li Cuihua took eighty yuan from Zhao Laizi! She's going to sell me to that old bachelor like livestock!"

"I won't marry him! I won't marry him! Even if my third brother broke my legs, he'd still push me into a pit of fire—!"

"Folks, help! Zhao Laizi is trying to kidnap my bride! They're going to sell me to buy cigarettes and medicine!"

In the early morning, people in the village are already shoveling snow, carrying water, and opening doors.

As soon as these cries rang out, the gates of the courtyards along the road creaked and groaned as heads popped out.

"What's wrong?"

"Who's shouting?"

"Isn't that Xiaoyu from Old Zhao's family?"

Zhao Xiaoyu was sobbing uncontrollably, her hair plastered to her face, looking like a little wild animal that had just escaped from a wolf's den, running and screaming desperately:

"Someone, please save me—!"

I'm begging you—!

That shout seemed to wake the entire village up.