Boss Zheng clutched his still-bleeding waist and staggered backward. Although the madwoman was laughing, her eyes were chilling.
He cautiously retreated to the doorway. " Laosi... have you thought this through? Whether you give the land deed or the son, I'm definitely taking one."
"You beast... you beast, I'm going to kill you..." Old Woman Zheng suddenly came to her senses, grabbed the knife from the ground, and slashed at Boss Zheng.
Boss Zheng was wary of Jin Shanyao and dared not make a move, so he could only cover his wound and hurriedly flee.
As soon as he left, Old Woman Zheng slapped Zheng Laosi hard across the face.
She gritted her teeth and said, "You beast... you're a beast too. How could I have given birth to such a coward like you?"
Are you just going to stand by and watch your wife get bullied? You're really good at pretending, you've convinced the whole family...
Old Woman Zheng grew angrier and angrier as she spoke, and slashed at the door with her knife, the blade embedding itself in the door and making a buzzing sound.
She wanted to hold her grandson, but when she remembered that he was Boss Zheng's child, her steps faltered in mid-air. Finally, she steeled herself and turned to leave the house.
Old Man Zheng silently pulled out his knife, didn't even glance at Zheng Laosi, and walked out as well.
Only Jin Shanyao, Meng Anzhi, and the Zheng Household couple remained in the room.
Chen Maimiao was pale and weak from excessive blood loss. She looked at Zheng Laosi with eyes full of unbearable pain and despair.
Ever since she was bullied, she hasn't been able to sleep for nights on end. She wanted to report it to the authorities, to tell Zheng Laosi and her in-laws, but she didn't dare... This world is so unfair to women.
If she were to reveal this, she'd be in deep trouble, if not dead... Besides, her in-laws and husband have been so good to her; she can't bear to leave this family.
After becoming pregnant, she wanted to secretly abort the child... but her observant mother-in-law discovered it and saw the whole family's joy and anticipation.
Chen Maimiao dared not reveal the truth; burdened by this guilt, she could neither eat nor sleep day and night.
She felt guilty towards Zheng Laosi, so she tried her best to be good to him, her mother-in-law, and her father-in-law. But she never expected that Zheng Laosi knew all of this.
He watched her struggle in agony as if it were a grand spectacle.
"Fourth Brother, why didn't you save me that day? You could have rushed in, why didn't you?"
" Maimiao... Stop talking, Fourth Brother is a beast," Zheng Laosi knelt down in front of Chen Maimiao with a thud, finally speaking out the pain that had been buried in his heart for many years.
"In the second year of our marriage, I secretly consulted a doctor, who said I couldn't have children; I was born a eunuch... a eunuch."
As Zheng Laosi uttered those two words, despair filled his eyes.
" Maimiao, do you know how humiliating it is for a man to be unable to have children?"
From that day on, I felt everyone's gaze towards me changed; every word they spoke felt like a mockery. This kind of life was worse than death, a daily torment.
Zheng Laosi looked at Chen Maimiao anxiously, "I can't be childless, I can't let anyone find out I'm impotent... Maimiao, you understand me, right?"
Chen Maimiao laughed angrily, "I don't understand. I've been drinking bitter medicine for three whole years and tried all sorts of folk remedies. Do you know what incense ash tastes like?"
Do you know what sheep's gallbladder or pig's gallbladder tastes like? You don't, because I eat those things myself. Now, I feel like vomiting just from the smell of herbal medicine.
But you did nothing, just watched as I swallowed all that junk. You watched as I was ridiculed by the villagers, even being called a barren hen.
Putting aside the rumors and gossip, every medicine has its side effects; didn't you even consider my life or death?
Chen Maimiao gave a bitter laugh, tears streaming down her face. " Zheng Laosi, you actually watched me being bullied by Boss Zheng just so you could have a child... It's ridiculous! Married for years, and I never knew the man beside me was a ghost..."
"Zheng Laosi, let's get a divorce."
When Chen Maimiao said this, she used all her strength, turning her face away so she wouldn't look at Zheng Laosi.
Upon hearing about the divorce, Zheng Laosi panicked.
He said anxiously, "No... we can't get a divorce. Maimiao, I can't live without you. Please forgive me." As he spoke, he reached for Chen Maimiao's hand, but she shook him off.
Zheng Laosi knelt on the ground, sobbing uncontrollably, " Maimiao... I beg you, don't leave me. Think about how good I've been to you, how your parents treat you like their own daughter, how can you bear to leave us?"
Maimiao, I promise I'll protect you and the child next time and won't let anyone bully you.
The child... Chen Maimiao forced a mocking smile. Even now, he was still thinking about the child. She silently closed her eyes, tears sliding down her cheeks and into her collar.
After Zheng Laosi's tearful pleas went unanswered, his attitude changed drastically. He stood up and pointed at Chen Maimiao.
" Chen Maimiao, how could you do this to me? I've been so good to you, you're all I think about, and you want a divorce just because of this one thing."
Besides, didn't you want a child too? Now that you have one, why are you so hung up on how it came to be? I'm a man, and I'm not afraid of being cheated on, so what are you being so high and mighty about?"
"And what happened that day, you didn't tell me either... If I hadn't caught you, you would have still put this child on my head."
Now that things have been exposed, you're putting all the blame on me. Chen Maimiao, you vicious woman, how dare you mention divorce? No way... I don't agree to a divorce."
If they get a divorce, wouldn't that confirm his inability to perform?
Chen Maimiao looked at Zheng Laosi with disbelief, as if she were seeing him for the first time. " Zheng Laosi... what are you saying? Get out of here!"
Zheng Laosi regretted his words as soon as they left his mouth, but Chen Maimiao shouldn't have mentioned divorce in the first place... He almost killed someone for her sake, how could she just say divorce like that?
"My wife... my wife, I was wrong. I spoke without thinking. Please forgive me," he said, slapping himself as he tried to soften Chen Maimiao's heart and make her give up the idea of divorce.
At this moment, Old Woman Zheng walked in, snatched the child from Jin Shanyao's arms, and stuffed a bag of copper coins into her hands.
" Shopkeeper Jin, thank you so much for saving my daughter-in-law. I have a lot to do at home today, so I won't keep you any longer."
Without saying a word, she pushed Jin Shanyao and Meng Anzhi out.
Meng Anzhi hurriedly shouted, "If there are any signs of bleeding, you must go and get a doctor. Don't delay, or someone will die!"
Old Woman Zheng agreed verbally, but her hands kept moving.
Bang... The courtyard gate slammed shut.
Jin Shanyao, and Meng Anzhi and her companion stood outside the door, looking at each other in bewilderment.
On the way back, Meng Anzhi was still thinking about her relationship with the Zheng Household.
"Auntie... Boss Zheng... not Zheng Laosi..." She thought for a long time, not knowing what to say.
Meng Anzhi's newly established values were shattered; it seemed that only Chen Maimiao was hurt in the whole incident.
Jin Shanyao tossed the copper coin to Meng Anzhi, lay down on the oxcart, rested her head on Meng Anzhi's lap, and said leisurely, "I guess Zheng Laosi has long been thinking about using someone else's seed."
But before he could take any action, Boss Zheng beat him to it, so he hid outside the door and didn't go in to stop him.
To put it bluntly, he's selfish... He's afraid of Boss Zheng, afraid of not having children, afraid of what people around him will say, but he's not afraid of Chen Maimiao.
Meng Anzhi shielded her from the glaring sunlight with her sleeve. "Auntie, do you think things would have been different if Chen Maimiao hadn't been bullied by Boss Zheng... or if Zheng Laosi had adopted a child?"
Jin Shanyao mumbled, "Maybe..." She seemed to think of something, opened her eyes, and said seriously to Meng Anzhi, "People have strong personalities and weak personalities."
But you can't bully someone just because they're weak, understand?
Meng Anzhi quickly patted her shoulder, reassuring her, "Auntie, Anci and I are such good girls, when have we ever bullied anyone... Don't worry, don't worry..."