The Sea Queen of 1985

Chapter 34: Chapter 34: Rather Go to Jail Than Die

Granny Cai fell to the ground in slow motion. She even made sure to carefully set down the basin of small yellow croakers first, but her face was a mask of excruciating pain.

”Ouch! Zhang Xiufang is hitting me! She’s trying to kill me! My heart hurts, my lungs hurt, my stomach... Police! Someone call the police for me!”

This whole performance thoroughly spooked Zhang Xiufang, who hastily took two steps back.

Zhang Xiufang’s round, plump face flushed beet red. ”Granny Cai, you’re trying to scam me!”

”You pushed me first! Neighbors, hurry and call the police for me! My whole body hurts. I need to go to the hospital for a check-up. I need to be admitted!” Granny Cai was not afraid of Zhang Xiufang in the slightest. In the past, Zhang Xiufang had constantly called her grandson a little fool, even saying it right to her face!

Zhang Xiufang had made her cry several times in the past, but by watching Han Xiaorui, she had finally found a way to deal with her.

’If Zhang Xiufang has the guts to hit me, I’ll call the police and bleed her dry.’

A neighbor from next door, who had also fought with Zhang Xiufang in the past, saw a chance to get back at her and immediately called the police.

Even after Zhang Xiufang stomped her foot in frustration, turned, and ran off, Granny Cai refused to get up, remaining sprawled on her own doorstep.

Half an hour later, Officer Li arrived. After some questioning, he learned that Zhang Xiufang had pushed the woman.

Granny Cai was no pushover. Though it was clear nothing was seriously wrong with her, she refused to get up, dead set on extorting Zhang Xiufang.

Being an older woman, she insisted that she ached all over.

In the end, after Officer Li mediated the situation, Zhang Xiufang had to apologize and pay for Granny Cai’s hospital check-up.

The full examination cost over a hundred yuan, and the only thing it revealed was that Granny Cai had athlete’s foot. They prescribed her a box of antifungal cream.

Granny Cai had set an example for everyone else in Jinshan Bay. The next time Zhang Xiufang acted up, they knew not to fight with her. Just wait for her to make the first move—it was a guaranteed payday!

Song Sixth’s wife, Zhang Xiuxiu, made a special trip to tell Han Xiaorui and Liang Xiaoyu about Granny Cai’s magnificent feat.

”Xiao Yu, your mother-in-law really had her moment of triumph today. She used to be the one crying after Zhang Xiufang’s tirades, but today, Zhang Xiufang had to personally apologize to her and even pay for her check-up.”

Han Xiaorui and Liang Xiaoyu exchanged a look. Granny Cai was really something else!

They had figured Granny Cai would just spread some rumors about Zhang Xiufang and the Yang Family, and that would be the end of it. They never expected her to go straight for a finishing move and nearly land Zhang Xiufang in a holding cell.

Although Zhang Xiufang didn’t end up in a cell, Granny Cai still managed to get a full physical out of the deal.

”My mother-in-law finally got some satisfaction today. Zhang Xiufang made her cry more than a few times in the past,” Liang Xiaoyu said with a laugh. ”It’s just karma. What goes around, comes around, right?”

Zhang Xiuxiu lowered her voice. ”A mouth like hers is bound to make enemies. Do you know who called the police today?”

”That’s right! My mother-in-law was the one on the ground, so who called for her?” Liang Xiaoyu was very curious.

Zhang Xiuxiu answered, ”Your neighbor, Aunt Tang. Last year, her daughter-in-law was about to give birth. But because Zhang Xiufang had a grudge against Aunt Tang, she reported the family for violating the birth limit. The woman was already seven months pregnant, and they forced her to have an abortion.”

It dawned on Liang Xiaoyu. ”My mother-in-law and Aunt Tang bicker from time to time, but there’s no real animosity between them. That Zhang Xiufang, though... she’s truly wicked to the core!”

Han Xiaorui had always known her ex-mother-in-law was a terror in the village, but she never realized just how depraved she was. ’If I were still in that family, people would probably have said my daughters’ muteness was karma for Zhang Xiufang’s sins.’

’Getting divorced was definitely the right call!’

If she hadn’t, Han Xiaorui would have been tempted to beat the woman eight times a day!

”Xiao Rui, thanks so much for the small yellow croakers. I already fried them up, and they’re so fragrant and crispy,” Zhang Xiuxiu said with a smile. ”The whole village despises Zhang Xiufang now. Don’t you worry, Xiao Rui. If she ever dares to bully you again, we’ll all give her a piece of our mind.”

Han Xiaorui smiled. ”Thank you, Auntie.”

Worried about her mother-in-law, Liang Xiaoyu took Cai Wenjun and headed home.

Zhang Xiuxiu chatted for a little while longer before she too left, feeling a bit closer to Han Xiaorui now.

Once they were all gone, Han Xiaoqing couldn’t help but snicker. ”Sis, your ex-mother-in-law is down, and now everyone’s kicking her. She used to be so tyrannical, and now people are just scamming her outright.”

”Serves her right!” Han Xiaorui laughed. She had just finished speaking when Wu Cuicui arrived with a plate of freshly fried lotus root patties. ”Sister Cuicui, what brings you here?”

”I made some lotus root patties first, before I started on the yellow croakers,” Wu Cuicui said with a smile. ”These fish can sell for a good price. Why did you give me so many?”

”Those are just the small ones that won’t fetch a good price, so they’re better for us to eat at home,” Han Xiaorui explained with a smile. ”Pingping, An’an, your auntie is here!”

”Hi, Auntie!” The two sisters ran over to greet her, their eyes glued to the lotus root patties in her hands. Their little noses twitched as they took in the delicious smell.

Wu Cuicui beamed. ”Hello, you two! Go wash your hands and come have some patties.”

”Okay!” Pingping and An’an nodded and turned to wash their hands.

Watching Pingping and An’an happily munching on the patties, Wu Cuicui smiled. ”Good, they’re so much better now. Xiao Rui, did you hear my aunt almost got into trouble again today?”

Han Xiaorui nodded. ”I heard. She tried to throw her weight around again, but Granny Cai put her in her place.”

”Sigh, having a relative like that makes things so difficult for us. When my uncle is out at sea, people come to our house to complain,” Wu Cuicui said with a wry smile. ”Today, Jianguo had to plead and reason with Granny Cai alongside Officer Li just to get her to let my aunt off the hook.”

’Han Xiaorui had dodged a bullet by getting a divorce.’

Unlike her, Wu Cuicui had no problems with her husband, Yang Jianguo. Without a divorce, there was no escaping this kind of family nonsense.

Han Xiaorui couldn’t resist stirring the pot. ”Sister Cuicui, are you and Brother Jianguo being silly? The next time Zhang Xiufang causes trouble, just tell the villagers to go find Yang Jianming at his university. That’ll be way more effective than them coming to you.”

Wu Cuicui’s eyes lit up. She realized Han Xiaorui was right. ”Yes! Next time, I’ll tell them to call him. We can’t be the ones dealing with all her messes. It drives me crazy day in and day out!”

After Wu Cuicui left, Han Xiaorui had the crispy small yellow croakers for dinner. They were absolutely delicious.

She ate her fill of the fish alone, and paired with some rice porridge, the meal was simply to die for.

In the middle of the night, two shadowy figures crept into the peach orchard next to Han Xiaorui’s house.

Under the cover of darkness, they began spraying the peach trees with a chemical herbicide.

They were well-equipped, even wearing gas masks as they worked quickly.

In the grass below, insects that caught the pungent chemical scent quickly fled. Even the mosquitoes kept their distance.

Just then, several stout Short-tailed Vipers slithered rapidly toward the source of the commotion and began to ”act on their orders.”

They slithered up to the two figures, but their fangs couldn’t pierce their rubber boots. So, they crawled up their legs instead and sank their fangs into their thighs.

Even through their pants—which were thin, it being early summer—the vipers’ venomous fangs bit deep into their flesh.

”Aaargh!” one of the figures cried out in pain, his voice frantic. ”Brother Wolf, I’ve been bitten by a snake!”

The man called Brother Wolf had also been bitten. He switched on his headlamp, and one look at the wound told him it was from a venomous snake—specifically, the notorious local Short-tailed Viper.

He threw down his sprayer, stumbled out onto the road, and started yelling, ”Help! Help me...!”

He didn’t dare move around any more, fearing it would quicken his circulation and spread the poison through his body.

When the other man saw even Brother Wolf crying for help, he was shocked. ”Brother Wolf, if you yell for help, won’t everyone know we’re up to no good?”

Brother Wolf’s face was grim. ”If we don’t, we’ll pass out soon. No one will find us out here in the dead of night. We’ll be as good as dead.”

Hearing this, the other man started shouting too. He’d rather get arrested and go to jail than die.