Chapter 486 - 474: The Beaten-up Father-in-law

Zhou Feng’er was set to marry Zhang Da on the eighteenth of the last lunar month. Gu’er had said she wouldn’t get involved, but she couldn’t help but worry. She told Lin Shuying to let her know if anything happened, mainly because she was afraid some trouble would break out.

On the sixteenth, Lin Shuying returned and told Gu’er that Zhou Mazi had shown up. He’d heard from someone that Zhou Feng’er was marrying Zhang Da, so he came to demand money from him. At first, Zhang Da had even invited Zhou Mazi for a drink. The two had quite a history, spending their days gambling and drinking together. Zhang Da had originally taken a fancy to Gu’er and wanted to be Zhou Mazi’s son-in-law, but that hadn’t worked out. Now that he was with Zhou Feng’er, Zhou Mazi was still his father-in-law, which Zhang Da thought must be fate.

But Zhou Mazi opened his mouth and demanded two hundred yuan. Naturally, Zhang Da refused. He had already spent a fair bit of money on Zhou Feng’er recently. She was pregnant with his child, and he’d actually been a little happy about it, but he had pretty much squandered all the money he had. He was the one who needed to ask for money; how could he possibly give any to Zhou Mazi?

When Zhou Mazi heard his refusal, he flew into a rage. The two of them started trading insults and cursing each other out, and it soon came to blows.

Both men were thin and neither was a good person, but Zhang Da was younger. In the end, Zhang Da won the fight. He hadn’t even married Zhou Feng’er yet, and he was already beating up his future father-in-law. When the fight was over, he still wasn’t satisfied, so he kicked Zhou Mazi a few more times and tossed him onto the roadside. He warned Zhou Mazi that if he ever dared to show his face again, he’d beat him to death. Then, humming a little tune, Zhang Da walked away.

Unwilling to accept defeat, Zhou Mazi endured the pain and went looking for Li Hua, intending to take his anger out on her. But Qin Dali happened to be there with Li Hua. Seeing Zhou Mazi cursing and about to strike her, Qin Dali didn’t hesitate. He knocked Zhou Mazi to the ground and warned him that if he ever dared to bother Li Hua again, he would beat him to a pulp.

Zhou Mazi never expected Li Hua to have a man by her side. He was utterly stunned. He tried to cause a scene, but no one paid him any mind. He wasn’t even allowed in the door of Li Hua’s building, as Qin Dali was standing guard.

Zhou Duo’er and Zhou Cai ignored him too. He couldn’t just sleep on the street, so in the end, he had no choice but to limp back to the village. His trip to the city had earned him two beatings and not a single advantage.

Hearing this, Gu’er felt a great sense of satisfaction. ’In the past, Zhou Mazi acted like he was the lord of the household, the master of everyone’s fate. And now? No one even takes him seriously.’

’It seems Qin Dali really is a good man,’ Gu’er thought. ’He’s always helping my mother and staying by her side. If he hadn’t been there when Zhou Mazi showed up, who knows what would have happened. With Qin Dali around, my mother has a backbone; she can finally stand on her own.’

’And as for Zhang Da, he and Zhou Mazi are cut from the same cloth. If they want to fight like dogs, let them. I’m happy to just watch the show.’

"Auntie, please tell Master Qin he did a great job. That’s exactly how it should be. Right now it’s just Zhou Mazi, but after Zhou Feng’er is married off and he marries my mom after the New Year, he should treat Zhang Da and Zhou Feng’er the same way—don’t let them in the house."

Gu’er instructed Lin Shuying, still very pleased with Qin Dali’s performance.

"I know, don’t you worry. Master Qin knows what he’s doing," Lin Shuying replied. "Gu’er, having a man around really makes a difference. In the past, whenever that Zhou Mazi came looking for your mom, she’d be miserable, or he’d just beat her. But this time, he didn’t get to lay a single finger on her. With Master Qin protecting her, your mom said she doesn’t feel scared anymore. I think they should really make it official after the New Year."

Lin Shuying was genuinely happy for Li Hua. With a man to rely on, the rest of Li Hua’s life could be a little easier.

Gu’er nodded. ’Many women prefer to live in dependence on a man,’ she mused. ’To them, their husband is their whole world. Take my mother, for instance. No matter how badly Zhou Mazi treated her, even if he beat her half to death, she still felt he was *her* man and that she should accept whatever he did. She wouldn’t resist. She thought it was her fate.’

’If it weren’t for that time she was hospitalized after an injury, when I found people to force a divorce, my mother would have never left him. Even though life was easier after the divorce, she always felt adrift. Without a man, she felt she couldn’t handle responsibility and had no one to lean on when things got tough.’

’Now, with Qin Dali in the picture, if they get married, my mother will listen to him. She’ll give her heart to him. She’ll hand Zhou Cai over to Zhou Mazi and see Zhou Duo’er married off. Even if Qin Dali forbids Zhang Da and Zhou Feng’er from entering their home, she might have some reservations but won’t say much. Over time, her feelings for Zhou Feng’er and Zhou Duo’er will fade, and she’ll focus completely on Qin Dali.’

’This was why I’m not against her remarrying. I can provide for her material needs, but I can’t give her that emotional support. If Qin Dali can treat her well and she can live a good life for her remaining years, then I can finally be at ease.’

When the wedding day arrived, Gu’er didn’t go. For one, it was too cold to take her child out. For another, she just didn’t feel it was necessary.

Lin Shuying went to help and returned in the evening to tell Gu’er all about it. Hardly anyone had attended Zhou Feng’er’s wedding. Naturally, no one from the Zhou family showed up, and no one from the Li Family came either. A few of Li Hua’s friends from the department store bought some small things as wedding gifts.

Zhang Da had no relatives to speak of either. He had to ask a few acquaintances to act as the groom’s party just to make a decent showing.

The midday reception was held at a tiny restaurant near where Zhang Da lived. He’d booked two tables, but they weren’t even full, and the food was nothing special. In the middle of it all, Zhou Mazi showed up to cause trouble again, and another fight broke out. But the surprising part was Zhou Feng’er. She actually stood up and declared that as a married woman, she was now part of the Zhang Family. She said she had no more ties to the Zhou family, was no longer Zhou Mazi’s daughter, and that her life and death were none of their concern. She told Zhou Mazi to stay far away from them.

Zhang Da was delighted. Zhou Mazi was so angry he nearly had a stroke. He had come looking for a handout, but instead he’d gotten beaten up several times and disowned by his own daughter. And Zhang Da was just as much of a scoundrel as he was. He thought about going after Li Hua, but with the towering Qin Dali by her side, he knew he couldn’t win. In the end, helpless, he could only slink away in defeat.

Gu’er felt not a shred of pity for him. As for Zhou Feng’er, her actions weren’t surprising either. ’Zhou Feng’er was willing to testify against Zhou Mazi before,’ Gu’er recalled. ’And after he beat her so badly, it would be a miracle if she *didn’t* hate him.’

’It’s good that Zhou Feng’er said that. In the future, if she comes looking for my mother and Qin Dali, they can use her own words against her: "Since you’re part of the Zhang Family now and your life and death are no longer our concern, then you don’t need your mother’s family. Don’t come back." Perfect.’

"Well, that’s one big thing off Hua’er’s plate. Her life should be a bit easier from now on."

Lin Shuying let out a sigh of relief.

’I hope so,’ Gu’er thought. ’But Zhou Cai is still a problem. The plan is to give him to Zhou Mazi, but I think Zhou Mazi dies in a few years. Won’t Zhou Cai just end up coming back to my mother then? Still, he won’t be a child by that time. When it happens, I’ll have Master Qin persuade her not to get involved and just let Zhou Cai fend for himself in the village.’

As Gu’er considered this, she felt a weight lift from her shoulders. Zhou Feng’er was married to Zhang Da now. Whatever her fate might be, it had nothing to do with her anymore.

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