bayedsolid Chapter 18 The eggs were stolen, the rabbit was killed.
Chapter 18 The eggs were stolen, the rabbit was killed.
There's still a while before Shenshi (3-5 PM).
Lu Qingqing and Shi Tou arrived at the oxcart they had agreed upon.
There were already several people waiting there.
Everyone carried their own purchases, some with baskets.
Some were carrying bags and chatting idly.
Lu Qingqing found an open space and put down her basket.
The basket now only contains cornmeal; everything else has been stored in Lu Qingqing's spatial storage.
Lu Qingqing and Shi Tou sat down together on a nearby rock to rest.
Stone looked around, his little head turning constantly, curiously observing the people around him.
Time passed second by second, but the people in the oxcart had not yet all arrived.
"Hey, what time is it? Why isn't everyone here yet?" someone couldn't help but complain.
"Let's wait a little longer, maybe there's been a delay on the way," another person comforted.
Finally, just before Shenshi (3-5 PM), the last two people rushed over, shouting as they ran:
"Wait for us, wait for us!"
The people on the oxcart have finally all arrived!
Everyone loaded their things onto the oxcart and found seats.
Lu Qingqing and Shi Tou also squeezed into a corner, sitting close together.
"Walk"
With a shout from Grandpa Zhang, he cracked his whip.
The old ox pulled the fully loaded cart slowly toward the village.
Sitting next to Lu Qingqing, Aunt Li asked her warmly:
"Qingqing, what did you buy today?"
Lu Qingqing replied with a hint of bitterness on her face:
"Aunt Li, we just bought some cornmeal."
Upon hearing this, the woman's eyes widened in confusion, and she raised her voice, saying:
"Oh, Qingqing, didn't your family just buy grain not long ago?"
Why are you buying grain again now?
Lu Qingqing thought to herself,
This is a good opportunity to let the aunt know about their family situation.
So he sighed and said to the aunt:
"Aunt Li, you don't know, in our family, my sister-in-law and mother-in-law are the ones who manage the household."
The eldest sister-in-law usually manages the kitchen.
Now all the kitchen cabinet doors are locked.
My mother-in-law told me and the children to cook for ourselves.
So, yesterday I went up the mountain to pick some herbs.
Luckily, I made some money, just enough to buy these few kilograms of cornmeal.
Upon hearing this, Aunt Li's mouth gaped open, her face filled with disbelief, and she exclaimed:
"What? Such a thing happened? This is outrageous!"
How could your sister-in-law and mother-in-law be so heartless? They don't even feed the children!
Lu Qingqing shook her head helplessly, her eyes slightly reddening, and said:
"Auntie, I had no choice."
I just hope things will get a little easier from now on, and that my children won't have to suffer because of me.
The older woman patted Lu Qingqing on the shoulder and comforted her:
"Qingqing, don't be too sad. Things will get better."
Lu Qingqing looked at the auntie gratefully and said, "Thank you, Auntie. I appreciate your kind words."
Lu Qingqing said, pretending to be casual:
"Actually, you can't blame my mother-in-law. The head of our third branch is now lying in bed."
No filial piety money was handed over.
So it's only right that my mother-in-law treats us this way; it's not her or my sister-in-law's fault.
Upon hearing this, the crowd erupted in uproar.
An old man tapped his pipe, frowned, and said:
"That's ridiculous!"
Even if the head of the household is ill, they shouldn't treat an orphan and widow so cruelly.
An older woman nearby chimed in:
"That's right, that's right. I'd only ever heard that Lu Qingqing had a bad reputation."
I never expected their family to be in this situation.
"That mother-in-law and sister-in-law are going too far; how can they not even give the child a bite to eat?"
"Absolutely! That's so inhumane."
A young wife chimed in,
"Qingqing is such a poor child, to have such a troubled situation."
Another middle-aged man shook his head:
"Sigh, it's all because of poverty."
However, it's really unreasonable to ignore the well-being of the family members just because the head of the household is sick.
Everyone chimed in, expressing their indignation on Lu Qingqing's behalf.
As Lu Qingqing listened to everyone's discussion, tears welled up in her eyes, but she forced them back and said:
"Thank you all for your concern. Maybe it will get better in a while."
Seeing her pitiful state, the crowd became even more indignant.
So Liu Cuihua had been lying to them all along.
Liu Cuihua had always said that Lu Qingqing was a gluttonous, lazy, and shrewish woman.
It's not good for the child either.
But today they saw that Lu Qingqing treated Shi Tou quite well.
He seemed polite, and didn't seem like what Liu Cuihua described.
Furthermore, Liu Cuihua locked the cupboard doors and refused to feed the children, which is a bit unreasonable.
With everyone's minds racing, they arrived at the village in no time.
Seeing that everyone had bought things, Grandpa Zhang said he would take everyone to their doorsteps.
The oxcart passed by Lu Qingqing's house first.
The kind-hearted Mr. Zhang first escorted Lu Qingqing to her doorstep.
Before we even got close, we heard the heart-wrenching cries of several children.
Lu Qingqing carried the basket on her back, feeling extremely anxious.
He jumped off the oxcart in an instant and ran home like the wind.
As soon as I got home, I saw several children crying their eyes out.
Er Mao sobbed as he said:
"Mother, Aunt killed and ate our rabbit."
They even snatched the basket of eggs that Aunt Liu had given them!
Lu Qingqing looked at the children who were crying uncontrollably.
He held them tightly in his arms.
Her eyes were filled with heartache and self-blame.
Tears welled up in her eyes, and she said in a trembling voice:
"Don't be afraid, children. Your mother is here. I will never let you suffer such injustice again."
The children were sobbing in her arms.
The small body was still trembling with fear and grievance.
Lu Qingqing gently patted their backs.
It was as if they wanted to pass on all their warmth and comfort to them.
"It's all my fault, I failed to protect you."
Lu Qingqing bit her lip, her heart filled with guilt.
Those who returned with Lu Qingqing happened to have overheard Er Mao's entire conversation.
Those who were just now doubting what Lu Qingqing said on the oxcart,
This has now been completely confirmed.
Grandpa Zhang was so angry that he stopped the oxcart and shouted:
"This Liu Cuihua is absolutely outrageous!"
An older woman also spoke up angrily:
"Oh dear, I knew it! Qingqing looks so honest."
How could it be that bad reputation? It turns out you were wronged all along!
Another young woman stood with her hands on her hips, indignant:
"That Liu Cuihua is too domineering! How can she bully people like this!"
Everyone chimed in, offering their opinions on Lu Qingqing's case.
"Qingqing, don't be afraid, we can't let her bully us like this!"
"That's right, we absolutely have to get an explanation from her!"
Lu Qingqing looked at the crowd who were standing up for her.
Moved to tears, she choked out, "I was so touched that tears welled up in my eyes."
"I'm sorry everyone, I've made a fool of myself in front of you."
Lu Qingqing's face was streaked with tears, and her voice trembled as she spoke.
"Now that everyone knows, I don't care about my reputation anymore."
What you all don't know is, every time I come back from a trip,
My sister-in-law either hits or scolds the children.
Those sounds of beatings and scolding were like knives stabbing into my heart!
At this point, Lu Qingqing was already sobbing uncontrollably.
Her hands were clenched into fists, and her body trembled slightly with anger and pain.
"The children are so young, not only are they not being fed, but..."
They still make them do chores, and they either beat or verbally abuse them. The child is innocent.
Why endure such torment?
Lu Qingqing's eyes were filled with pain and despair.
Tears streamed down her face like beads from a broken string.
"As a mother, I can't protect them all the time. I'm so useless!"
She suddenly pounded her chest, a sight that tugged at the heartstrings.
"Today, I would like to ask everyone to be my witness."
Lu Qingqing took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down, but her voice still trembled with tears.
"For the sake of the children, even if it means sacrificing my reputation..."
I also want to ask the village chief to come and mediate the division of the family property.
I can no longer let my children live in such fear and pain.
No matter the cost, I'm willing to pay it!
Lu Qingqing looked at everyone with a firm gaze, as if she had made up her mind to burn her bridges.
At this moment, all was silent; everyone was deeply moved by Lu Qingqing's words.