564 Locked Up
Qiao Yu ran home dejectedly. As soon as she stepped into the house, Qiao Zhuang threw a tea jar filled with water towards her. The boiling hot water inside splashed down onto Qiao Yu’s feet, making her cry out in pain.
“Ah! It hurts!” Qiao Yu fell to the ground and held her feet as tears streamed down her face.
“I heard that you want to ruin this marriage with the Guo family?” Qiao Zhuang’s faint voice came from above Qiao Yu’s head.
Qiao Yu was so frightened that she ignored the pain and hurriedly knelt on the ground to beg for mercy. “Father! I don’t have that intention! I don’t have that intention at all!”
“You don’t? If you don’t, then why would you embarrass yourself by going to Qiao Mei’s place to complain to her! Have we raised you for so many years for nothing! Have we raised you to become a traitor!” Qiao Zhuang said angrily.
“No! No! I just went to chat with Qiao Mei! I didn’t say anything else!” Qiao Yu said with a guilty conscience.
Qiao Zhuang raised his stick and hit Qiao Yu on the back ruthlessly.
“You’re still spouting nonsense! Your sister-in-law saw it! That shrew from the Dong family had been shouting at Qiao Mei’s door! How dare you quibble!” Qiao Zhuang said.
As usual, good news did not travel far, but bad news spread far and wide. They found out about it so quickly.
Qiao Zhuang was about to hit her again when Wang Qin stopped him. She smiled and said, “Father, calm down. What can that girl, Qiao Mei, do? The Guo family wants to be in-laws with us because of you. So what if that little girl, Qiao Mei, has any tricks up her sleeves?”
Qiao Zhuang was still furious. He just could not let it go!
“Father, if you cause Qiao Yu to suffer any injuries, what if we cannot answer to the Guo family later? Calm down and don’t let your anger affect your health. Leave the rest to Wang Qin and me,” Liu Ying said.
At this moment, if she protected Qiao Yu, it would mean that she protected her Xiao Hua as well. Before Qiao Yu married Old Guo, she would not let Qiao Yu escape.
“Qiao Gui, bring Qiao Yu to the woodshed next door. Qiao Yu would have to bear with it for this period of time,” Wang Qin said.
Qiao Gui approached Qiao Yu slowly. The woodshed was cold and damp and there was only one door. Once it was locked, she would not be able to get out unless she dug three feet into the ground.
“Second Brother! Don’t listen to Second Sister-in-law! Second Brother, I don’t want to go to the woodshed!” Qiao Yu begged.
Qiao Gui pretended not to hear anything, grabbed Qiao Yu and dragged her out to the woodshed. He locked the door with a long chain to make sure she could not leave the woodshed at all.
Qiao Yu banged on the door frantically and shouted, “I don’t want to be here! Let me out! Please! Let me out! I didn’t say anything, I didn’t do anything! Let me out!”
Qiao Yu’s heart-wrenching screams made the women in the house feel uncomfortable, but there was nothing they could do. If Qiao Yu did not get married, their daughters would be the ones who had to suffer!
“We must get this matter settled. Otherwise, what if Qiao Mei comes here to ask for Qiao Yu?” Qiao Zhuang said.
“I’ll go and ask Qiao Mei about it tomorrow morning. Father, don’t worry,” Wang Qin promised.
At this moment, Liu Ying also came forward and said, “I’ll go too!”
Qiao Zhuang nodded in satisfaction. With two daughters-in-law like that in this family, he had nothing to worry about.
The next morning, Wang Qin and Liu Ying came looking for trouble early in the morning. Along the way, they caused a ruckus and woke all the villagers up, as if they were afraid that no one else would know about this matter.
They were just short of beating gongs and drums and setting off firecrackers.
Wang Qin stood at Qiao Mei’s door with her hands on her hips and shouted, “Qiao Mei, come out!”
“Come out! If you dare to do something, then admit it! Come out!” Liu Ying shouted.
Qiao Mei frowned and stuck her head out from under the blanket to look around. She already expected that Qiao Zhuang would come looking for trouble today but it was really way too early.
Even the roosters at home had not even crowed yet!
Xia Zhe patted Qiao Mei’s head and said, “Go back to sleep. I’ll go out and take a look.”
Qiao Mei nodded obediently and crawled back under the blanket.
Xia Zhe tidied up his clothes and walked into the courtyard with a murderous look. He did not have much of a morning temper, but he also did not like so much noise so early in the morning.
Waking him up was a small matter, but waking Qiao Mei up was a big deal.
“Who are you?” Xia Zhe asked with a frown.
Wang Qin could tell at a glance that this was Qiao Mei’s handsome and rich husband. She pointed at Xia Zhe and scolded, “Your family is heartless! You go about ruining someone else’s happiness!”
“That’s right! What can’t you just mind your own business and not get involved in other people’s marriages!” Liu Ying chipped in.
