CHAPTER 55: CHAPTER 054 SHARING THE SAME PRICE WITH ZHANG

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"Zhang Gou’er, come out, don’t hide behind others; I can see you! Or is it that in your house, a woman calls the shots?" Lin Aiguo’s face was stern, and after finishing the last cigarette in his hand, he mocked coldly.

"Ha, Lin Aiguo, you can only dream of having a woman be in charge!" Lin Zhaodi was the first to lose control of her sharp tongue, not waiting for Zhang Zhiguo to respond, she retorted immediately.

As if nobody knew, Lin Aiguo’s family situation was neither good nor bad, but the bad part was that he ruined his health when he was young. Even if his family’s foundations were still not bad now, no decent woman would take a liking to him.

Yet he still stubbornly wanted to marry a decent woman as his wife. Without a high bride price, who would want to look at his ugly face? Initially, her family wanted to arrange a marriage swap with him, solely targeting Lin Aimei, who had Zhang Dongliang so bewitched he almost couldn’t recognize his own parents!

"Stupid woman!" "Shut up!"

Two roars sounded at the same time; the former was Lin Aiguo’s angry voice provoked by Lin Zhaodi’s mocking, while the latter was Zhang Hongqiang’s voice.

Zhang Hongqiang was not young anymore; he had suffered hardships when he was young, and although his body still looked okay, his pace was not as quick as Zhang Zhiming’s.

Hearing that Lin Aiguo, accompanied by the Lin Family, was making a scene, the family of four, which was about to leave the house, had no choice but to turn back and hurry to Zhang Zhiguo’s house.

As for his three grandsons, they were still studying in their respective schools, usually only returning home at the end of the month, with the eldest sometimes taking two to three months to return. Considering every trip back home was not short and worrying about their safety, it was decided to limit their visits.

Unexpectedly, just as he turned the corner with his wooden crutch to his nephew’s front door, he heard those words from his good-for-nothing daughter-in-law, belittling his only son and even daring to provoke the displeasure of the other party, he immediately roared with full vigor.

Really, what was Lin Zhaodi thinking? People were already seeking trouble with farming tools in hand, and yet she dared to continually infuriate Lin Aiguo. Such stupidity made the watching villagers quite entertained.

"Old Uncle!" "Uncle, Aunt!"

Zhang Zhiguo and the Zhang sisters immediately looked as if they had seen their saviors, showing an unprecedentedly respectful demeanor.

The surrounding villagers had wanted to call someone when they saw the Old Village Chief and his wife arrive, but because Lin Zhaodi was again courting death and Zhang Hongqiang gestured with his hand, everyone stayed quiet and continued to watch the drama; who would have thought that Zhang Zhiguo’s family could be so brainless to this extent!

Hearing the old uncle’s scolding, Lin Zhaodi instinctively shrunk her shoulders and tightly closed her lips; although Zhang Hongqiang was not her father-in-law, he was the Old Village Chief of Shanglin Village, holding absolute leadership in both household and village affairs.

Moreover, Zhang Hongqiang and Zhang Honghan looked about sixty to seventy percent alike. In the first few years of her marriage, the domineering and decisive father-in-law had left her with a deep impression. Perhaps it was like a subconscious fear deep in her bones; each time she saw old uncle Zhang Hongqiang, she felt unreasonably short of breath and afraid.

"Old, Old Uncle!"

"Hmph!" Every time Zhang Hongqiang saw Lin Zhaodi, he would think of the hardships Zhang Shanni had endured at her end; having a good expression for her would be strange!

Although Zhang Shanni was not the only granddaughter in their branch, she was the most sensible girl! Out of favoritism for Zhang Shanni, his opinion of this mentally disturbed nephew and niece-in-law was particularly low.

Zhang Hongqiang’s scoff, not only embarrassed Zhang Zhiguo’s family but also made the middle-aged man from the Lin family, Lin Jianmin, lower his head.

"Jianmin, do you have any objections to our Old Zhang Family?" Zhang Hongqiang glanced at Lin Aiguo and spoke to the middle-aged man who was standing in a superior position.

"Uncle Qiangzi, how could I? Please don’t be angry. It’s just that my nephew and niece are disappointing. Their father passed away early, and as their closest uncle, I can’t help but stand up for them," Lin Jianmin bowed and apologized to Zhang Hongqiang, also making his stance clear.

Zhang Hongqiang’s seniority in Qing Mountain Team was immense; among the elders of his generation in Qing Mountain Team, very few remained. Hence, this lively old uncle was extremely popular in Qing Mountain Team.

"Well, tell me, bringing so many young people with you, there must be some rules. I, as an old man, will just listen," Zhang Hongqiang glanced at Zhang Zhiguo, sighing inwardly, unwilling to interfere. However, he couldn’t really ignore it as he was the only descendant of his older brother, and even Zhang Dongliang was his nephew’s only child.

As soon as the Old Village Chief arrived, the onlooking villagers, both men and women, respectfully stepped back, even stopping their whispering. On the one hand, they respected the Old Village Chief; after all, this was the Zhang Family’s private matter. However, they didn’t leave the spot, indicating to the Lin Family people that the Shanglin Village was still unified and wouldn’t let anyone get bullied lightly.

"Uncle Qiangzi, since this is Aiguo’s family matter, let him speak," Lin Jianmin’s dark face showed a naive smile, appearing harmless.

Prompted by him, Lin Aiguo stepped forward and said, "Uncle Zhang, I have nothing more to say than just one thing. My family and the Zhang Family initially agreed on an exchange marriage. Now, my sister has entered the Zhang family’s door, but I’m still left hanging. I don’t want to make it difficult for the Zhang clan. Just make my sister’s dowry equal to the price of Zhang daughters, that will suffice."

He spoke the last four words slowly, as if giving everyone time to adjust.

"Sss~~"

Hearing Lin Aiguo’s hoarse voice and understanding the implication of his words, the audience instinctively gasped!

Zhang Zhiguo’s family had sold their younger daughter for 300 yuan! Lin Aiguo was actually referring to dowries as the price of selling Zhang Shanni, which was no small sum!

Here in Qing Mountain Team, the most famous was the Captain’s eldest daughter, who received a dowry of 220 yuan, and that price was from six months ago, celebrated throughout the Qing Mountain Team for almost a year!

Now Lin Aiguo was asking for a dowry of 300 yuan—tsk, it’s like Zhang Zhiguo’s old women lifted a rock only to drop it on their own feet!

Back then, they heartlessly ended their daughter’s life path, publicly severing family ties, in exchange for 300 yuan as her selling price, and that money didn’t even stay overnight, as a future wife lured their son away! Truly a loss of both money and people!

"Shut your. damn. bloody. mouth!" Lin Zhaodi, having heard Lin Aiguo’s words clearly, cursed furiously.

Zhang Yunni and Zhang Baonni both turned pale, and took a frightened step back. The sisters exchanged looks, wishing they could immediately return to their husbands’ homes, never to interfere in their maternal family’s muddy waters again!

However, at this moment, not only was the Zhang’s courtyard filled with Lin Ai’s people, but the courtyard’s gate and mud walls were also crowded with villagers. Today’s matter couldn’t end amicably, and now they could only wait for what follows: wishing to leave, every exit was thoroughly blocked, they couldn’t escape even if they had wings!

"Quiet down, with Uncle here, what are you yelling about!" Zhang Zhiguo, feeling the peculiar stares around him, stiffly pulled his hysterically acting wife, and seeing her swatting him away, he disregarded her fierceness, and covered her mouth with a big hand, muffling the obscenities she was about to shout.

"Mmm!" Lin Zhaodi didn’t expect her husband to stand up, being restrained around the neck and with her mouth covered she couldn’t make a sound!

But Lin Zhaodi wasn’t mad enough to lose her senses, knowing her place wasn’t to step forward in the current situation, she could only stop struggling and wait for the matter to unfold.