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墨書 Inktalez
"Zhou Xiaoying, I want a divorce!" Ma Lianfa's roar echoed through the Ma family courtyard.
"You’re bullying me too much; I can’t go on living!" Before anyone in the yard could react, Zhou Xiaoying rushed out of the house.
"Xiaoying, what’s going on? Did they lay hands on you?" Aunt Zhao stepped forward to ask.
Zhou Xiaoying looked up and saw the neighbors gathered in the big courtyard. The men stood back, watching, while Aunt Zhao, Aunt Guihua, and Aunt Wang all moved closer.
"Xiaoying, what happened? Speak up!" Aunt Guihua pressed when she noticed Zhou Xiaoying was silent.
Seeing the concerned expressions on their faces, Zhou Xiaoying burst into tears. "Aunt Guihua, Lianfa wants a divorce! I can’t live anymore!"
"What? Old Ma wants a divorce? Why? This is so sudden!" Aunt Guihua exclaimed in shock.
"Yes, Xiaoying, what’s going on? What happened?" Aunt Zhao looked at Zhou Xiaoying, who was in a disheveled state.
"Aunt Zhao, I can’t live like this anymore. My mother-in-law wants us to adopt my brother-in-law's son. I disagreed, and then they all beat me," Zhou Xiaoying cried out.
"What? They laid hands on you? That’s unacceptable! I’ll go confront him," Aunt Guihua said as she handed her daughter over to her husband.
"Exactly! What kind of times are we living in where a man beats his wife? Aunt Guihua, you must do something about this."
"Yes, this matter needs to be addressed properly."
Ma Lianfa’s actions were indeed outrageous; he already had three daughters. Why would he want to adopt his nephew?
It’s all about preferring sons over daughters. There’s no throne to inherit in their family; why insist on having a son?
"Hey, it’s easy for you to say that since you have two sons," someone in the crowd remarked.
The discussion grew louder, and Ma Lianfa inside the house could hear it all.
Seeing everyone rally around Zhou Xiaoying, Old Lady Ma immediately grabbed her hair in frustration.
She followed them outside and sat down at the entrance, pounding her thighs as she began to cry. "Oh heavens! There’s no justice left; my daughter-in-law is beating me!"
"I can't go on living like this! At my age, being hit by my daughter-in-law is just too much to bear. How can there be a daughter-in-law who strikes her mother-in-law? I can't take it anymore!"
Old Lady Ma, who was probably used to throwing tantrums back in her hometown, seemed quite adept at the whole performance. Although she was only in her teens, she had been widowed early and had to toil away every day, making her appear much older than her actual age. Now, sitting on the ground with her hair in disarray, she looked utterly pitiful.
Everyone around was at a loss for words. They were familiar with Old Lady Ma; she visited several times a year, always bringing something from her garden. When she left, she would be laden with bags and bundles. Little Ying had complained about this countless times in the courtyard.
Seeing Old Lady Ma's miserable state, the crowd couldn't help but sigh in sympathy.
"Xiao Ying, did you really hit your mother-in-law?" Aunt Zhao asked.
"Yes, Xiao Ying, is what your mother-in-law said true?" Everyone awaited Zhou Xiao Ying's response.
Xiao Ying knew that fighting with her mother-in-law was indeed wrong. After all, the old lady was her elder; even if they argued, it was unreasonable for her to retaliate. So when faced with everyone's questions, she found herself unable to answer.
As they noticed Xiao Ying's wandering gaze, they realized that Old Lady Ma was not lying; she was speaking the truth.
"Did Old Ma hit you because you fought with his mother?" Aunt Wang quickly caught on to the point.
The others nodded in agreement. "That's what we thought!"
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