Chapter 44: Severing Ties
Grandma Su and Su Guilan refused to give in and were unwilling to compromise.
The Village Head had a headache.
Although Zhang Shi was tricked into pressing her handprint, she had agreed to that deed, which was solid evidence. If this case went to the government office, she might not win.
Each side had their own reasoning, which really worried him.
“Grandma, Aunt, how about we invite Grandpa and Second Uncle and Second Aunt Su over to talk? We’re all family. I don’t believe they would be so heartless.”
“Don’t talk about inviting your grandpa, Second Uncle and Second Aunt Su. Even if the King of Heaven came, the result would be the same,” Su Guilan said. “Do you think if we call your grandpa and them over, they would also say to sell the farmland to us and marry you to Mutou, and then you mother and daughter follow the deed?”
“I don’t believe Grandpa, Second Uncle and Second Aunt Su would be so ruthless to us mother and daughter. We’re family! My dad joined the army for Second Uncle, otherwise I wouldn’t be without a dad.”
Su Yaoguang cried sadly.
Zhang Zhaodi held her and cried even more desperately.
“Your dad was the eldest, for the matter of joining the army, not let him go, should we let the younger brother go instead? What substitute for the second son, bah, how long do we have to talk about this trivial matter?” Grandma Su said. “You want to listen to your grandpa and Second Uncle and Second Aunt Su’s opinion, right? Fine, I’ll call them over right now. To tell you the truth, this is the whole family’s decision.”
Grandpa Su and Second Uncle Su and Second Aunt Su came over quickly.
Su Yaoguang rushed over, knelt in front of Grandpa Su, and cried, “Grandpa, you have to stand up for us! Grandma wants to force-buy our farmland and also wants to marry me to Mutou.”
Grandpa Su was always the image of a kind old man to outsiders. Now with Su Yaoguang kneeling in front of him and everyone watching, he was in a difficult position and looked uncomfortable.
“Well, Yaoguang girl, Mutou is your cousin. Marrying your cousin is great for close family ties. Since your mom has already signed the deed, just go along with it!”
Second Aunt Su pursed her lips and said, “Yaoguang, could your aunt mistreat you? In the future, that family will still be yours to manage.”
Second Uncle Su put on a hypocritical face: “We’re also doing this for your own good. This one you bought has unclear origins, fine as a little servant, but marrying him is absolutely not allowed.”
“Cousin Mutou is an idiot. If I marry him, what if I give birth to a little idiot?” Su Yaoguang said unwillingly. “Don’t you consider me at all?”
“Nonsense, our Mutou is not stupid. Su Yaoguang, don’t you look at yourself? A little disaster star who killed your father, it’s already good if someone is willing to marry you.” Su Guilan hated others scolding her son the most, and upon hearing Su Yaoguang say that, she immediately cursed back. “Village Head, there’s nothing to discuss about this matter. It’s a family affair, handle it like this.”
“If you force me to marry Mutou today, I’ll never recognize you as grandpa, grandma, second uncle, and second aunt again.” Su Yaoguang said angrily.
“Right, we want to sever ties.” Zhang Zhaodi said loudly. “If you dare force us mother and daughter, we’ll sever our relationship.”
“Oh, such big talk.” Zhong Lanhua said sarcastically from the crowd. “These mother and daughter must have been scared silly, their brains full of bean curd dregs, threatening people like this.”
Grandpa Su, Grandma Su, Second Uncle Su, Second Aunt Su, and Su Guilan all had disdainful expressions.
Sever ties?
Did they even have kinship between them?
Zhang Zhaodi gave birth to a girl, who couldn’t carry on the Su family lineage, so what was there to care about?
Besides, no matter how she severed ties, she still had to marry Mutou.
“Alright, not afraid of people laughing.” Grandma Su didn’t take it seriously. “Continuing to make a fuss has no meaning.”
“Village Head Uncle, you’ve seen it. My grandpa, grandma, second uncle, second aunt, and aunt all want to force my mom and me to death. We don’t need such relatives. Everyone present can witness that us mother and daughter have no relationship with them anymore. Today, I’ll write a deed of severance of kinship. If they sign it, I’ll sell the farmland to them.”
“Besides the farmland, you have to marry into our family.” Su Guilan said.
“Let me ask you first, do you still want to continue forcing us mother and daughter, are you willing to sever ties with us rather than back down?”
“That’s right.” Su Guilan said smugly. “Who do you think you are? You dare play such little tricks in front of us, who can you threaten?”
Su Yaoguang stood up and strode into the courtyard.
Everyone wondered what she was doing.
Seeing the atmosphere suddenly cool down, Zhang Zhaodi cried even louder.
Zhou Wangshu brought honey water and handed it to Zhang Zhaodi: “Drink some water to moisten your throat.”
Zhang Zhaodi drank the honey water in one gulp, then continued to wail loudly.
Everyone: “…”
It felt weird, but they couldn’t say where.
Su Yaoguang ran back, holding a note in her hand, and said to the Village Head, “Uncle, this is a deed of severance of kinship. Please witness it. Us mother and daughter want to sever ties with them.”
The villagers were shocked.
“This girl is literate?”
“When did she become literate?”
“Not important, what’s important is she not only reads but also writes. This little girl is impressive!”
Su Guilan frowned.
This stinky girl really wants to sever ties!
She thought it was just a threat to them.
These orphan and widow, if they severed ties with them, they would be even more isolated in the village.
Is she stupid? Anyway, she has to marry Mutou, why sever ties?
The Village Head looked at the content on the paper, looked at Su Yaoguang with sympathy, and said, “This is indeed a deed of severance of kinship. You elders forcing orphan and widow like this is really unkind. It’s not too late to change your minds now. You’re family, you should support each other, not scheme against each other.”
“Threatening who?” Grandma Su said disdainfully. “We just want the farmland. Who cares about being related to them mother and daughter?”
Grandma Su wanted to press her handprint but didn’t want to cut her finger, hesitating for a moment.
Zhou Wangshu grabbed Grandma Su’s finger and cut it with the cleaver he had prepared.
“Ahhh…”
Zhou Wangshu let go of her hand and looked at Grandpa Su beside her.
Grandpa Su quickly said, “No need, I’ll do it myself.”
He dipped some blood from Grandma Su’s finger and pressed his handprint.
Second Uncle Su and Second Aunt Su also acted immediately when Zhou Wangshu looked over, dipping Grandma Su’s blood to press their fingerprints. As for Su Guilan, as a married-out daughter she wasn’t that important; even without signing the deed of severance of kinship, Su Yaoguang and her mother wouldn’t pay her any attention.
“Alright, the deed of severance of kinship is signed. It’s time to sell the farmland to us.”
“We’ll sell the farmland to you, but you have to hand over forty taels of silver to us first.” Su Yaoguang wiped her tears.
“What forty taels, isn’t it twenty taels?” Second Aunt Su widened her eyes.
“Take out the deed and show everyone whether it says forty or twenty?”
Grandma Su took out the deed she had just put away.
The Village Head took it and looked; there was a bloodstain on the price spot of the deed, exactly covering the amount of silver, making the number completely illegible.
He raised his eyebrow and looked at Zhang Zhaodi.
