NOVPUBChapter 88: Chapter 88: Falling Out
Chapter 88 -88: Falling Out
“Hold it!” Liu Baoguo slammed the table, his anger reaching a boiling point.
The Han mother had intended to drop her words and hurry away, leaving the Liu Family to ponder on their own.
She hadn’t expected Liu Baoguo to lose his temper.
Thinking of her son’s future, the Han mother gritted her teeth, turned to face Liu Baoguo, and said, “Brother Liu, is there anything else you want to say? How come you’ve agreed to our family’s conditions now?” This was like pouring oil on fire.
“Are you deliberately trying to avoid becoming in-laws?” Liu Baoguo couldn’t stand to watch his own daughter be maligned like this. They were openly insulting Liu Hong to her face; if she really ended up marrying into their family, there’s no telling how much more they would torment her.
In a moment, Liu Baoguo had decided that this marriage was definitely not happening, but he also couldn’t let Han Dazhi get away with it so easily.
With a formidable toss of her handkerchief, the Han mother said: “Oh, Brother Liu, listen to yourself. Our family has come with sincere intentions to ask for your daughter’s hand in marriage, but if your family is unwilling, how can you accuse us of being deliberate? Even if argued in broad daylight, it wouldn’t look good on your family. It might seem to others that the Liu Family still values old maid’s pride, without considering that they’re nothing more than an old shoe. I’m not saying this to be mean, but if our Dazhi doesn’t marry Liu Hong, she might as well stay an old maid for life. If this were ancient times, such a daughter would be drowned in a pig cage.”
To this, Liu Baoguo didn’t dare further provoke a rupture with their family, for who would fear who then?
Liu Hong cried out, “Just leave, I will not marry into your family!”
Liu Baoguo, looking at Liu Hong crying profusely, said sternly, “Since your family looks down upon our Liu Hong, this marriage cannot proceed. But there has to be an explanation for the child in Liu Hong’s womb. Han Dazhi, thinking he can do wrong and just walk away, it won’t be that easy!”
The Han mother trembled inside; they had estimated that Liu Baoguo wouldn’t dare make a scene, but they couldn’t discount the possibility of it happening.
Her face full of wrinkles revealed her guilt, although Liu Baoguo and Li Chunmei failed to notice. What they saw was the Han family’s arrogance and shamelessness! They wanted to marry off a bride without spending a cent; if they let Liu Hong marry into such a family, how could the Liu family face anyone in the village ever again?
Not to mention how others would gossip about Liu Hong; even if people didn’t know the entire story, they could guess, and Liu Hong’s life would be effectively ruined.
Not to say that Liu Hong, with her stubborn nature, would agree, and as her parents, they wouldn’t agree either. Even though their daughter had been dishonored, having a child out of wedlock, it didn’t mean they should ruin Liu Hong’s entire life because of it.
“Brother Liu, what you’re saying isn’t right. Our Dazhi and Liu Hong are in love. Besides, we are not being irresponsible; it’s your own refusal. One should have a conscience, Brother Liu, and as the village chief, with your daughter doing something so shameful, others would usually cover it up, not you, looking to make it widely known. Dazhi has done nothing wrong.
How about this; we don’t even need a dowry, just take her home, since they already have a child together. Whether or not we hold a wedding feast doesn’t matter; we are all family after all. How does that sound?” The Han mother still had her limits; she couldn’t let the situation escalate too far, but threatening Liu Baoguo a bit was necessary. If Liu Baoguo caused a stir, it would obviously disadvantage Han Dazhi in the end.
Liu Hong stepped forward, pushing the Han mother towards the door, “Get out, I’m telling you, I’d rather marry a pig or a dog than marry Han Dazhi. A family like yours would be lucky to have a daughter-in-law in this lifetime, so just leave. Tell Han Dazhi, I never want to see him again in my life.” She was genuinely furious; Han Dazhi’s attitude that day had already broken her heart. Now, thinking about the Han mother’s actions was a direct slap to her own parents’ faces.
With such a family, what good could come if she married into it? The more Li Chunmei thought, the more she regretted everything. She shouldn’t have believed Han Dazhi’s sweet nothings. One wrong step led to another, and now she had put herself in such a situation.
“What’s so great about you? Liu Hong, I’m telling you, your aunt meant well by you. Marrying our Dazhi, you really entered a blessed nest, you… don’t be ungrateful!” Han’s mother feigned advice, but it only infuriated Liu Hong more.
Liu Baoguo stepped forward, shielding Liu Hong behind him, unwilling to let his precious daughter be bullied by an old woman.
“Fine, since my daughter has spoken, I’m also telling you, Han Dazhi had better not return to this village in his lifetime. I still have two sons at home, dealing with a Han Dazhi isn’t worrisome. Also, if you have the guts, hurry up and move away, or else if paths cross, you’ll find that I, Liu Baoguo, am not easy to bully.”
Han’s mother shuddered, “Village chief, in our socialist country, we are honest and decent people. You mustn’t oppress us too much, or everyone will die together, everyone will suffer together. I would like to see if your family’s daughter still wants her reputation.” In those times, if a woman acquired a bad reputation, the discriminative gazes and rumors alone could kill, the power of public opinion was unimaginable, strong enough that hardly anyone could resist.
It also restrained many people’s actions, never allowing them to act recklessly or freely.
Liu Baoguo sneered, “Don’t be smug. If any rumors spread about my daughter, I’m telling you, I can get your Han Dazhi a job in the factory, and I can also make him scurry back to the village to farm, disgraced. Don’t believe me? Try it. On my tiny piece of land, it’s very easy for your Han family to die!”
Han’s mother and father spat and then left.
Liu Baoguo pulled his daughter back and closed the front door.
Li Chunmei quickly pulled Liu Hong towards her, and Liu Hong immediately burst into tears in Li Chunmei’s arms. Things had escalated to this point, the marriage agreement definitely couldn’t proceed. Li Chunmei couldn’t bear to scold her daughter anymore, as the child was already too heartbroken.
Liu Baoguo kicked over a stool on the ground, “Cry, cry, what’s the use of crying! Instead of crying, you might as well go back to your room and think about what to do in the future!”
Liu Hong covered her face and rushed into her room, throwing herself on her bed to sob pitifully.
Liu Xuemei tugged at Liu Baoguo, and the couple sat on the threshold, worrying.
With things having turned out this way, what were they to do? Both were very confused and yet could not show it.
Liu Baoguo sighed.
Li Chunmei wiped her tears.
