Chapter 44: Treating Her Like a Fool

Chapter 44: Chapter 44: Treating Her Like a Fool

"Talk to you? Who do you think you are to her? Do you have any say over her?" Fu Xiaoxiao looked at Old Mrs. Liu, sizing her up, and sneered.

"Yes, I do have a say. Her sister is my daughter-in-law, which makes her part of the Liu Family." Old Mrs. Liu said proudly, "That girl eats from the Liu Family’s table! I certainly can make decisions for her."

Lin Qiu’s face stiffened, and she looked at her husband. Liu Qiang was smiling, nodding in agreement with his mother’s words.

Seeing that her husband shared the same thoughts, Lin Qiu sheltered Lin Xue behind her, and through gritted teeth, she addressed Old Mrs. Liu, "Mom, although you’re my mother-in-law, Lin Xue’s marriage is my responsibility."

"Hello, I am Lin Xue’s sister, Lin Qiu. As you can see, I don’t have anything to offer Lin Xue. If you can treat her well, I won’t ask for any bride price; you can give it to Lin Xue." Lin Qiu walked up to Fu Xiaoxiao and Wang Lu, speaking earnestly.

Lin Xue’s eyes reddened; at all times, her sister cared most about her.

"Who do you think you are? That’s five hundred yuan, how dare you make decisions! Who gave you the nerve? If it weren’t for our Liu Family, you two would have starved to death outside long ago, raising a thankless wretch." Old Mrs. Liu was furious, cursing Lin Qiu, and not done with words, she intended to slap Lin Qiu’s face.

Lin Qiu closed her eyes to brace for the slap, while Lin Xue instead protected Lin Qiu behind herself, pointing at Old Mrs. Liu and cursing, "What are you doing!"

"You ungrateful wretch, you’re no good either. I shouldn’t have agreed for your sister to raise you back then, a thing born but not raised by a mother." Old Mrs. Liu pushed her back when Lin Xue dared to resist, pointing at her and cursing.

"Qiangzi, strip off her skin. If I don’t teach her a lesson today, she gets more unruly." Old Mrs. Liu looked at the nearby Liu Qiang, who immediately attempted to grab Lin Qiu’s hair without a word.

Seeing his intentions, Fu Xiaoxiao glanced at Wang Lu, signaling him to quickly go save the person.

Wang Lu couldn’t hold back long ago, waiting for Fu Xiaoxiao’s signal, and once indicated, he promptly rushed forward, grabbing Liu Qiang’s wrist and twisting it backward.

"You dare touch my fiancée’s sister as if I don’t exist?" Wang Lu’s sudden ferocity startled Old Mrs. Liu and Liu Qiang.

They were inherently bullies who feared tough opposition, and with Wang Lu showing true colors, Liu Qiang was no match for him, they became frightened.

"What a joke! I didn’t realize marrying a wife also meant taking the sister-in-law as your own?" Fu Xiaoxiao slowly stood up, looking at the mother and son pair.

"The bride price can be waived, just let go of my son." Old Mrs. Liu was pained for her son, rushing over wanting to hit Wang Lu and demanding he release her son.

Seeing Wang Lu unmoved, Old Mrs. Liu turned toward Lin Qiu, viciously saying, "Useless thing, tell him to release your man, are you dead? Don’t you see we’re being bullied by outsiders? I shouldn’t have let Qiangzi marry you, the jinx; you haven’t even laid an egg in these years! What use are you?"

Old Mrs. Liu was extremely vexed, as she tried to hit Wang Lu, Wang Lu grasped Liu Qiang’s hand even tighter, making Liu Qiang scream in agony.

Seeing Lin Qiu unmoved beside them, Old Mrs. Liu pointed at her angrily, "I’m putting this here, if you don’t listen to our terms for the bride price today, then you’ll leave with your sister, get out! The Liu Family doesn’t want a wife like you!"

"Before leaving, return all the money sent to your sister over the years!" Old Mrs. Liu gritted her teeth, "All ungrateful dogs, feeding off us, using our things, asking us for money each time to send to your sister, and now pushing us away."

Lin Qiu’s face was pale, while Lin Xue was stunned. "What money? I’ve never received any money."

"It was me, I told Liu Qiang to put five yuan in every letter he sent you." Lin Qiu said somberly.

"Sis, what are you saying? Every time I received just your reply, there wasn’t any money inside! My tuition was all earned by working part-time at school." Lin Xue grabbed Lin Qiu, and spoke earnestly.

Lin Qiu knew Lin Xue wouldn’t lie to her, so if she hadn’t received the money...

Lin Qiu turned to Liu Qiang, who was previously screaming in pain, suddenly went quiet.

The guilty expression, Lin Qiu was all too familiar with.

"Liu Qiang, where’s the money? I’m asking, where’s the money!" Lin Qiu roared.

Wang Lu eased up, picking Liu Qiang up, who avoided Lin Qiu’s gaze, turning his head.

"Who knows where your sister used it, I am sure I sent it!" Liu Qiang outright denied it.

He stubbornly insisted he sent the money, blaming Lin Xue for not admitting it.

"Liu Qiang, others may not know you, but I’ve been with you for ten years, haven’t I learned who you are? Did you give the money meant for my sister to Widow Zhang at the village entrance?" Lin Qiu’s face darkened, flames burned in her chest, knowing too well the face of the man before her.

If he really sent the money, he would be condescendingly accusing her, but now he’s evasive.

"What’s your meaning? Embarrassing me in front of everyone, is that it?" Liu Qiang glared at Lin Qiu, eyes filled with malice, raising his voice, pitch changing, "So what if I didn’t send it? Why should I support a burden? You haven’t even laid an egg all these years, who are you to question me?"

Lin Qiu saw his rage and knew he was angry out of shame.

"You promised me! You agreed to send money to Xiao Xue so I would take care of your family, never complaining! How could you treat me this way?" Lin Qiu screamed at Liu Qiang.

Lin Qiu couldn’t believe, she trusted them all these years, he never sent the money, yet she toiled, suffered, never complaining, even when bullied and harassed, working late into the night without blaming anyone.

Only now realizing, he never fulfilled his promise to her.

"He’s only avoiding responsibility, using the money to satisfy his desires. You said he got close to the village widow, he made promises just to keep you working at home, naive thinking he really sent the money to Xiao Xue, you devotedly worked at home, cared for family affairs. He’s self-centered, impossible otherwise." Fu Xiaoxiao bluntly revealed Liu Qiang’s intentions; with his thinking exposed, Liu Qiang stopped denying.

"So what? It’s my money, I use it how I want, give it to whom I want. You non-laying hen, if you weren’t of some use, I’d have divorced you long ago, pathetic." Liu Qiang sneered, no longer pretending.

"Sis... come with me! This family never treated you as one of their own." Lin Xue listened to their vile words, filled with demeaning insults for her sister, never having treated Lin Qiu as someone of value.