Liu Chunlan was sick.
She had been feeling unwell at home for several days.
She couldn't eat or drink.
She was in no mood to do anything.
She called Wang Hao, wanting to tell him not to transfer Wang Keke's household registration.
As long as the registration wasn't transferred, Lin Wanyi would come back to beg them.
Before the call went through, she saw Wang Jianguo.
Thinking of all the money he had spent on Widow Zhang, Liu Chunlan felt even more miserable.
Unable to swallow her anger, she grabbed a hoe, went to Widow Zhang's house, and hacked at the front door.
Hearing the noise, Zhang Cuihua laughed at her:
"Liu Chunlan, there's no one home. Who are you throwing a fit for?
"If you have the guts, go find them in the city."
Liu Chunlan was full of anger:
"Do you think I don't want to go? I don't even know where her son goes to college. Where am I supposed to look?"
Zhang Cuihua gave her an idea:
"You don't know, but your Wang Jianguo does.
"Liu Chunlan, I think you've gone stupid since Lin Wanyi left."
As she spoke, she remembered something else and leaned closer to Liu Chunlan:
"I heard your Meijuan got arrested. Is it true?"
"No, nothing of the sort. Zhang Cuihua, don't talk nonsense."
Liu Chunlan eagerly retorted:
"Who is gossiping and throwing dirty water on my daughter?
"She is doing perfectly fine making money in the city. Who said she got arrested?"
Zhang Cuihua sneered:
"Go home and see for yourself. Your good son-in-law has come to demand a divorce."
Liu Chunlan shuddered.
She immediately carried her hoe back home.
Sure enough, Li Jun was sitting in the yard with a cigarette in his mouth.
Unexpectedly, Wang Meijuan was standing behind him.
Seeing Wang Meijuan, Liu Chunlan was very happy:
"Juan'er, you're back? Did they let you out?
"I was planning to come back and raise money to pay your fine, but I couldn't get it together.
"You know, I'm just an old woman, I really didn't know what to do."
She thought for a moment and then looked at Li Jun:
"Li Jun, did you get Juan'er out?"
"Bah!"
Li Jun threw his cigarette butt at Liu Chunlan:
"You dead old woman, how could I spend money to bail her out?
"She was already a slut, and now she dared to commit a kidnapping crime.
"How could I still want her?
"I came today to divorce her, and to ask you for the 388,000 bride price back.
"When are you going to give it to me?"
Liu Chunlan stepped back several paces as if she had seen a ghost:
"Li Jun, is there something wrong with your head? You've been married for over ten years, and you're asking me to return the bride price.
"What on earth are you thinking?
"Trying to get my daughter for free? You're really dreaming."
Li Jun kicked a chair and turned to look at Wang Meijuan:
"You go ask for it. Let me tell you, if I don't get 400,000 today, I'll make you pay."
Wang Meijuan's body was trembling; looking closely, there were a few slap marks on her face.
She cried and looked for Liu Chunlan:
"Mom, Li Jun picked me up from the police station. He still has feelings for me.
"For the sake of my family and the happiness of the rest of my life, just give me those hundreds of thousands.
"I'm not asking for everything you have, I just want my bride price. Just give it to me.
"Haohao is already divorced. Do you really want to see me get divorced too?
"Mom, give it to me."
Liu Chunlan really thought Wang Meijuan was a fool. She pointed at her forehead:
"He's here to get a divorce and wants you to return the bride price.
"If I give you the money, won't it be like throwing meat buns at a dog—gone forever?
"Juan'er, can you be a little smarter?"
Wang Meijuan didn't care; it was like she was under some spell.
She just grabbed Liu Chunlan and demanded money, insisting on it.
"Mom, if you don't give me this money today, Li Jun and I will stay at your house every day.
"We will watch you every day, and I'll tell everyone that you're an evil mother-in-law who bullies her daughter-in-law.
"You didn't even give your daughter-in-law a penny of the bride price. I'd like to see how Haohao finds a wife then.
"I'd like to see how you'll ever hold a grandson."
"You!"
Liu Chunlan clutched her chest:
"Juan'er, I am your mother, and Haohao is your brother.
"How can you go out and ruin his reputation like this?
"What good does doing this do for you? Let me ask you, what benefit will you get?"
Wang Meijuan didn't care; she only wanted money:
"As long as you return my 388,000 to me, I'll leave immediately, and I'll never come looking for trouble with you for the rest of my life."
Liu Chunlan was furious.
She called Wang Hao:
"Haohao, hurry back. Your older sister and Li Jun are at home forcing me to give them money."
Hearing this, Wang Hao also became alert. Liu Chunlan had hundreds of thousands in her hands.
He couldn't let Wang Meijuan and Li Jun take it all.
Thinking of this, he quickly drove back to Wangjia Village.
Before he even reached home, he saw from a distance a circle of people gathered in the yard.
He honked the horn, but still no one moved out of the way.
He simply parked the car and walked into the yard. Before he even entered the door, he heard Wang Meijuan's voice:
"Are you giving me the money or not? Liu Chunlan, I'm asking you, are you going to give me my money?"
Wang Hao squeezed through the crowd. When Liu Chunlan saw him, it was as if she had seen a savior.
She frantically grabbed Wang Hao's clothes:
"Haohao, you're back, you're finally back.
"Hurry up and drive them all away, kick them all out for me."
After she finished speaking, she glared at Wang Meijuan:
"Get out! From now on, I, Liu Chunlan, no longer have you as a daughter. Never again."
Wang Hao glanced at Wang Meijuan and immediately slapped her across the face.
Wang Meijuan covered her cheek, her eyes full of disbelief:
"You hit me? Wang Hao, I'm your sister, your own flesh and blood.
"What right do you have to hit me?"
Wang Hao shook his hand:
"You have the nerve to say you're my flesh and blood? Then why did you kidnap my daughter?
"How did you get released? Huh?
"I don't accept this. How did a kidnapper like you get let out?"
"What kidnapper?"
Wang Meijuan retorted:
"The police said I was just playing around, and they let me out after locking me up for a few days.
"Besides, you personally delivered the child to me, so how does that count as kidnapping?
"Wang Hao, stop throwing dirty water on me."
Wang Hao raised his hand at her again:
"Get out. Didn't you hear what Mom said? She wants you to get out!"
"I should get out just because she tells me to? Wang Hao, what does she think she is?
"Let me tell you, I came here today ready to fight to the bitter end and tear off all pretenses.
"I just want to take back the bride price from back then.
"It's been over ten years, and I won't even charge you interest. I just want my principal.
"Now, immediately, at once, you must give it all to me!"
Wang Hao naturally wouldn't agree. In his heart, he always believed that all of Liu Chunlan's money was his.
So he wouldn't let Wang Meijuan, a married-out older sister, come back and snatch a single penny.
He grabbed Wang Meijuan and dragged her toward the front gate, but the doorway was full of people watching the spectacle.
He couldn't push her out.
Wang Meijuan took the opportunity to pry his fingers open and ran into Liu Chunlan's room.
Seeing her rummaging through the cabinets, Wang Jianguo tried to get up to chase her out.
But Wang Meijuan mercilessly slapped him back onto the bed.
Liu Chunlan screamed and rushed into the room.
She shrieked to stop Wang Meijuan:
"Don't touch that! You're not allowed to touch my things.
"Wang Meijuan, get out of here right now!"
The louder she yelled, the harder Wang Meijuan searched.
A minute later, she actually found Liu Chunlan's bankbook.
