Back to 1984: Earning Money, Raising Kids, and Keeping the Household Busy

Chapter 11 Seeking a solution from Liu Yongming

Lin Qin nodded emphatically and accused Liu Li's second sister-in-law, "Back then, Liu Li's second brother, Liu Yongming, couldn't afford to go to high school. Knowing that I had a dowry of one hundred yuan, he came to propose marriage. After I married into the Liu family, the Liu family took one hundred yuan from me for various reasons!"

For years, I've been a slave to the Liu family, six years, six years! I haven't even dared to buy her a new piece of clothing. Look at what she wears and what she uses!
I have done my best for the Liu family. Now that Liu Yongming is about to graduate from junior college, his family looks down on me for being uneducated and having given birth to a daughter. They want to kick my daughter and me out!

About two weeks ago, their whole family ganged up on me, knocked me unconscious, and falsely accused me of having an affair. It was my dad who called the police, and only after the police intervened did they admit their crimes.

I was recuperating at my parents' home when they sent someone to tell me that Liu Yongming had returned and that my daughter and I should go back. When we got back, we didn't see Liu Yongming, but my child was rushed to the hospital by Liu Li with a ladle of boiling water!

Afterwards, they said it was my child who was naughty and bumped into my sister-in-law, causing her and herself to get hurt!
But the actual situation is not like that at all! My mother-in-law Liu Cuihua and sister-in-law Xu Manzhi dragged me from the left and right, and Liu Li poured hot water on me. My child knocked Xu Manzhi down while trying to save me, which is why the hot water was poured on my child and Xu Manzhi's backs!

Liu Li did all of this! She's a vicious, heartless, and ungrateful wretch!

I swear to God, everything I've said today is true, but if I utter a single lie, may I be struck by lightning and die a horrible death!

Looking at the hysterical Lin Qin and the dazed Liu Li with her head down, Zhang Hua's heart sank to the bottom.

Liu Li was a student she had taught from the first year of junior high to the third year. She was a promising student who was usually sweet-talking and sensible and got along well with her classmates. How could she do such a thing?
She didn't want to believe it. Looking at Liu Yaya lying on the stretcher, Zhang Hua squatted down and asked gently, "Little girl, tell Auntie, who hurt you?"

Liu Yaya looked up at Liu Li and said, "It's her! She's a bad woman. She hit my mother, kicked me, cursed my mother, and poured hot water on her. She's really, really, really bad."

"You're lying! I didn't!" Liu Li cried out in anger, her vision blurred with tears.

Lin Qin retorted loudly, "There are many children from our neighborhood studying at this school. Whether Liu Li did these things or not is easy to find out! The day my daughter was injured, I went door to door begging my neighbors to lend me money for her medical treatment. Everyone knows that! You can't just say you don't have the money and then deny it!"
And the police station still has my criminal record. It says all the reasons why the Liu family ganged up on me!
Liu Li, how can your heart be so cruel! Your second brother was able to continue his studies only because he married me. Not only do your family not know how to be grateful, but you also want to poison us. Aren't you afraid of retribution?

Seeing that Lin Qin was so emotional, Zhang Hua immediately ran to the next room and asked a few students who lived in the same neighborhood as Liu Li.

After investigation by several class teachers, the results were almost exactly as Lin Qin had described.

The crowd erupted in uproar, pointing and whispering about Liu Li.

For the first time, Liu Li felt terrified, helpless, and at a loss. It was clearly that bitch Lin Qin who splashed water on her first. She was just retaliating in kind, so why was everyone cursing her?

Zhang Hua shook his head in disappointment and explained apologetically to Lin Qin, "Comrade Lin Qin, we know the general situation, but this is ultimately a matter of personal morality and does not constitute a violation of school rules and regulations. I have no right to punish her; I can only ask her to apologize to you. Is that alright?"

"No need!" Lin Qin said coldly, her face stern. "I came here to expose Liu Li's hypocritical mask and let everyone know what kind of person she is. Her apology is too cheap. I don't want it! I'll just wait and see what kind of good end such a vicious woman can have!"

After saying that, Lin Qin bowed to Zhang Hua and said, "I'm sorry, teacher, I apologize for disturbing your class. I'll leave with my child now."

This made Zhang Hua and the students feel even more sympathy and pity for her.

After Lin Qin left, everyone subtly observed Liu Li, while those who had previously been on good terms with her turned their heads away and ignored her.

Zhang Hua didn't say anything and continued teaching. It was as if nothing had happened. Only Liu Li knew that from today onwards, she was infamous, notorious. She was no longer the sister of the college student brother that everyone envied, nor was she a promising student in the eyes of her teachers.

Lin Qin! It's all her fault!

Liu Ling watched a great show and ran home from school faster than Liu Li, the person involved.

When she got home, she couldn't wait to tell her family about Lin Qin's heroic act.

Grandma Liu was stunned. "With Lin Qin causing such a ruckus, do you think Ma Cuihua's family will let her off the hook? Oh no! Something terrible is about to happen!"

Liu Li is Ma Cuihua's youngest daughter, whom Ma Cuihua dotes on like the apple of her eye. She can't bear to see Liu Li suffer any grievances. Lin Qin has really stirred up a hornet's nest this time.

Sure enough, as soon as Granny Liu arrived at her doorstep, she heard Liu Li crying and Ma Cuihua cursing angrily.

"That bitch Lin Qin really went to your school and complained to your teachers and classmates?"

Liu Li was so anxious that she stamped her feet, her face covered in tears and snot. "Now the teacher is looking at me strangely, my classmates won't play with me anymore, and they're even talking about me behind my back, pointing and whispering about me. Mom! What should I do? What should I do?"

Ma Cuihua's eyes darted around, and she decisively pulled Liu Li outside, saying, "Go find your second brother. Only your second brother can help you now!"

The mother and daughter inquired their way to Liu Yongming's internship unit.

"Mom, little sister, what brings you here?" Liu Yongming frowned involuntarily when he saw Liu Li's dirty appearance.

Ma Cuihua was furious and launched into a tirade of complaints, "You still dare to talk back! If it weren't for your future, your sister wouldn't have targeted Lin Qin. I never expected that bitch to be so bold. She went to your sister's school and caused trouble, telling the teachers and classmates about our family's affairs. Now your sister can barely stay at school! What are you going to do about this?"

Liu Yongming was utterly shocked. "How is this possible! If Lin Qin had such audacity, she wouldn't have been suppressed by you all these years!"

"You still dare to talk back!" Ma Cuihua glared angrily.

Liu Yongming quickly changed his tune, "Okay, okay, Mom, you take my little sister back first. I'll go to Shanglin Village in a bit. As long as Lin Qin goes to the school to explain, everything will be fine. It's not a big problem."

Ma Cuihua calmed down a bit, "She's getting more and more outrageous. If she keeps causing trouble like this, we can't take it anymore. If it doesn't work, just get a divorce!"

"Mom! I want to too! But I can't find a reason! If I get divorced for no reason, what will happen to my reputation? This involves my conduct and will affect my job assignments. I can't just do something like that." Liu Yongming stood with his hands on his hips, trying to come up with a solution.

No matter what, that woman Lin Qin must be dealt with; Liu Yongming's wife can only be a highly educated woman like Fang Ying.

(End of this chapter)