MFBOWSBTMT Chapter 3

Qiao Ruifeng and Qin Yu exchanged glances and both saw the anger rising in each other’s eyes.  

 

Qin Yu was so enraged that he slammed the table with his right hand, sprang to his feet, and pointed at Lin Xiuhua and curse, “How shameless can you be?! Your nephew is nothing but a rotten gambler, lazing around all day without doing a proper thing, only coming home to get drunk and beat people. We’ve shown you respect as an elder, yet you—you actually have the nerve to propose this match! You black-hearted, rotten-gutted wretch, trying to drag our Xiao Man into a pit of fire!”

 

The Qiao family had never catered to her whims, and now they were glaring at her so fiercely that Lin Xiuhua felt a chill in her heart. As she’s already in a foul mood, being cursed at and having her family insulted ignited her rage. She stood up, slapped away Qin Yu’s pointing finger, and shouted, “You little whore! How dare you curse at me? You should be thanking me for proposing a match for you! A cheap goods sold off like trash, who do you think you are to point fingers at me? I’ll teach you some manners!” With that, she raised her hand to slap Qin Yu across the face.

 

Qin Yu’s legs had been bothering him lately, making it hard to move quickly. He couldn’t dodge in time, and the slap was about to land on his face—

 

However, a hand suddenly shot out from the side. Qiao Ruifeng stood up and grabbed Lin Xiuhua’s arm, flinging it away with force.

 

Qiao Ruifeng had a strong grip, and Lin Xiuhua staggered from the pull. The table was shoved out of place and the stools clattered loudly as they were knocked aside.  

 

Qiao Ruifeng’s face was dark, his eyes blazing with anger as he said coldly, “This is the Qiao family. Choose a right place if you want to throw a tantrum. As for your wonderful proposal, our family dares not aim so high.” He then sneered, “Hmph, my brother’s marriage is none of your concern.”  

 

Qiao Suiman’s room wasn’t far away, and the voices were loud enough for him to hear. With a frown, he opened the door and walked out. He stood beside Qin Yu with a worried expression. Qin Yu’s knees were injured, and they ached terribly whenever it rained. With so many rainy days in a row, he hadn’t been sleeping well at night, and now he was worked up with anger.

 

Qiao Suiman glared at Lin Xiuhua and his eyes were filled with anger and impatience. He was utterly sick of this woman.  

 

Lin Xiuhua was still spewing filth from her mouth, and when she saw Qiao Suiman, she cursed even louder: “You cursed jinx[mfn]丧门星 – literally “Mourning gate star”; A superstitious term for someone who brings misfortune, death, or ruin to a family (like a “harbinger of bad luck”). Can also be literally translated as “You unlucky star!”[/mfn]! With that fox-spirit look[mfn]狐媚子樣 In Chinese culture, “fox spirits” (狐狸精) are often associated with seduction, deceit, and bringing misfortune. By calling someone “狐媚子樣,” the speaker is accusing them of having a sly, alluring appearance that invites trouble or ruin.[/mfn] of yours, you were born to bring ruin to your family!” Midway through her tirade, she spat on the ground. “And you dare to pick and choose? When someone’s willing to take you, you should be scrambling to accept! Pah! Just wait! After rejecting this match, who else would ever propose to you? You’ll end up marrying a widower!”  

 

“You old shrew! Your conscience has been eaten by dogs[mfn]良心都叫狗吃了 – a common Chinese idiom accusing someone of being heartless, shameless, or morally rotten[/mfn], and your foul mouth reeks of dung[mfn]一張臭嘴吃了糞 – spreading rumors, insults, or lies[/mfn]!” Qiao Ruifeng was livid. “Do you think we don’t know all the gossip you’ve spread? Qiao Ruifeng was livid. “And now you dare come here to stir trouble? Do you really think we’re easy to bully?”

 

“You goddamned pauper! When a match is offered, you should be falling over yourselves to accept! What’s wrong with my nephew? If he weren’t older, do you think my family would even glance at your pathetic Qiao family? A wild boar can’t appreciate fine grain[mfn]山豬吃不了細糠 – a metaphor for a person who does not know how to enjoy a good life[/mfn]. You’re destined to stay poor forever!”  

 

Still not satisfied, Lin Xiuhua grabbed a bowl from the table and hurled it at Qiao Ruifeng’s head. It hit his forehead hard, taking him by surprise. The bowl shattered on the ground with a clang, and his fingers were bloody as he touched his forehead.

 

“Ah!” Qin Yu cried out and he immediately leaned over to check Qiao Ruifeng’s wound. Blood was still flowing, and Qin Yu instinctively raised his sleeve to wipe it, but Qiao Ruifeng stopped him.

 

“You shameless old hag! Why don’t you take a piss and look at yourself[mfn]撒泡尿照照 – a rude way of telling someone that they should take a look at themselves in the mirror.[/mfn]? Is there not enough trouble in your home? How dare you come barking in my house? I’ll smash your mouth in!” The fury in Qiao Ruifeng’s chest felt like it would burst through. He glanced around, searching for something to use as a weapon.

 

Qiao Suiman saw this and circled to the right wall of the main room where three brooms stood. Without hesitation, he grabbed the sturdiest of the lot, which was also the newest and one that was woven just days ago.

 

Qiao Ruifeng took the broom and swung it at Lin Xiuhua, roaring, “Get out, you old crone! I never knew Old Man Wang had such intentions and trying to push Xiao Man into a pit of fire! I’ll go ask him myself where we’ve wronged him!”

 

Each swing carried full force and Lin Xiuhua couldn’t dodge them all.  

 

After taking several hits to her calves, Lin Xiuhua realized things had gone south. This scheme was her own idea and if her husband found out, she’d be in deep trouble. When she was forced back to the Qiao family’s gate, she screamed, “Murder! The Qiao family is trying to kill me!”

 

Qin Yu wasn’t about to back down either. He grabbed a fire poker from the kitchen and joined in beating Lin Xiuhua, cursing all the while, “Shut your stinking mouth! Spouting filth like that, aren’t you afraid of choking others with the stench?”

 

Once outside the gate, Lin Xiuhua flailed her arms and screamed even louder: “You little whore! Who gave you the right to speak? I’m your elder! How dare you hit me? Help! Murder! Someone save me!”

 

It was mealtime, and most villagers were home eating. The commotion drew the attention of nearby households, and soon, a crowd had gathered to watch the spectacle.  

 

Seeing the onlookers, Qiao Ruifeng and Qin Yu lowered their weapons. Qin Yu switched to tugging at Lin Xiuhua’s sleeve while Qiao Ruifeng helped shove her toward the Wang residence.  

 

The neighboring Chen family had also heard the ruckus. Zhou Shuifen, who had been at her gate, was stunned to see the two confronting Lin Xiuhua with curses and blows. When she got closer and noticed the blood on Qiao Ruifeng’s forehead, she covered her mouth in shock. “Rui-xiaozi, what happened to your head? Quick, go stop the bleeding! What’s going on here?”  

 

Though some in the village disliked Lin Xiuhua, Qin Yu, an outsider and ge’r, manhandling an elder was unacceptable. Someone spoke up to mediate: “Qin Yu, what are you doing? If there’s an issue, talk it out properly. What kind of behavior is this, pulling and shoving like that? You’re an outsider. Now that you’re in Xiahe Village, you should rein in your old ways. Don’t be so unreasonable with your elders.”

 

The speaker was Li Da’s mother, a distant relative of Lin Xiuhua’s. The two loved gossiping together, and two years prior, she had tried to take advantage of the Qiao family, only to be scolded by Qin Yu. Since then, she has never missed a chance to badmouth them.  

 

“Hmph, Auntie Li, are you saying I don’t belong in Xiahe Village?” Qin Yu fired back. “My husband is from Xiahe Village. Since I married into the Qiao family, doesn’t that make me one of you? With words like that, you’re making all the wives and fulang who came from outside feel like outsiders!”  

 

He continued sharply, “Auntie, you married in from another village too. Why look down on the rest of us?”  

 

“Li’s wife, what kind of talk is that?” Zhou Shuifen chimed in. “We’ve been in Xiahe Village for years, raising children and managing households. And now, with one sentence, we’re outsiders again?”  

 

“Exactly! I’ve borne three sons and two daughters for the Liang family, and now you’re saying I’m still an outsider? So all these years in the village have been for nothing?”  

 

“Li’s wife, you really shouldn’t say such things. You also married into the village. Why are you targeting us?”

 

Most of the onlookers were women and fulang. Xiahe Village wasn’t large, and marriages often involved neighboring villages, so there were plenty of outsiders among them. Li’s words had struck a nerve, and soon many joined in the criticism.

 

“You… you’re twisting my words! That’s not what I meant!” Flustered, Li’s wife pointed at Qin Yu and cursed, “Cheap goods[mfn]便宜貨 – when used as a derogatory, implies that someone is worthless/low-status[/mfn]! You’ve got no good intentions!”

 

Lin Xiuhua became more angry after seeing her ally get dismissed. She grabbed Qin Yu’s hair, yanking hard as she spat, “Pah! You are a bitch who was sold here. You didn’t even have a proper wedding feast, yet you call yourself married? Little whore! Even your parents didn’t want you. Only dirt-poor men who can’t get wives would take you in. You really think you’re the same as everyone else?”  

 

Qin Yu’s scalp burned from the pull, but he wasn’t one to take things lying down. He dropped the fire poker and grabbed Lin Xiuhua’s hair, yanking her sideways. His grip was strong, forcing Lin Xiuhua to stagger and loosen her hold.  

 

Just as Qin Yu was about to retort, Qiao Ruifeng shoved Lin Xiuhua aside with the broom, then planted it firmly on the ground. He turned to Li’s wife, his voice icy. “Auntie, do you think it’s acceptable to curse at my fulang right in front of me? Are you bullying the Qiao family for being few in number?”

 

Then he turned around and said to the villagers who were watching the excitement on both sides, “Uncles, aunties, elders, you all know I’m not one for quarrels. But today, Auntie Lin has gone too far. She barged into my home, threw a tantrum, and even attacked my family. Now, I’m just sending her back. I’ll be asking Uncle Wang myself how we’ve offended him, to make Auntie Lin treat our family like this!”

 

“Rui-xiaozi, your head… did she do that?” someone asked.  

 

Anyone could see it had to be Lin Xiuhua’s doing. Qiao Ruifeng never bullied others, but he wasn’t a pushover either. Lin Xiuhua has definitely hit a brick wall.

 

Qin Yu lowered his eyes and said mournfully, “That’s right. Auntie Lin took one of our bowls and smashed it against my husband’s head. Since when is that acceptable? We just want an explanation!”  

 

Qiao Suiman, who had been standing quietly behind them, suddenly wiped his eyes as if holding back tears. It’s the very picture of a frightened, weeping victim.  

 

“This—this, ah! Who goes to someone’s house to hit people? Mrs. Wang, what kind of behavior is this?”

 

“Exactly! This is just shameful.”  

 

“If everyone acted like her, suddenly storming into homes to attack people, how would anyone live peacefully? We’d spend every day worrying about who might barge in next.”  

 

“Right, right.”  

 

“You—you ungrateful wretches! I went out of my way to propose a match, but you still have the nerve to find fault. Pah! You little brats, born poor and lowly. With Man-ge’r’s jinxed fate, I was doing you a favor by making the connection! Worthless trash!”  

 

Lin Xiuhua saw that everyone was speaking for the Qiao brothers, some of whom were not on good terms with her, and she became even more furious. She rolled up her sleeves and prepared to fight again as her curses became more offensive. Her words made even some of the onlookers shake their heads in disapproval.  

 

Qiao Ruifeng shoved Lin Xiuhua hard on the back, then turned to Zhou Shuifen, who looked ready to jump into the fray. “Auntie Shuifen, could you please take Xiao Man home first? A-Yu and I will go to the Wang family and ask them outright what kind of intentions do they have, proposing such a match for Xiao Man.”  

 

Qiao Suiman stood there blankly. When he heard his brother calling his name, he slowly raised his head. Tears filled his eyes. In the blink of an eye, two lines of tears came out, and he sobbed softly.

 

Zhou Shuifen, who was about to curse, swallowed her words. With an aching heart, she quickly agreed, “Yes, yes, of course.” Then she shot a glare at Lin Xiuhua, and added, “This shrew deserves a lesson. Make sure you get justice.”  

 

“That’s for sure.” Qiao Ruifeng said in a deep voice.

 

“These two brothers are so miserable. They had no elders to stand up for them, so people think they can bully them.”  

 

“Did I hear right? Lin Xiuhua proposed a match for Man-ge‘r? With her stingy nature, would she ever offer a good match to others?”  

 

“Tch, of course it’s a bad one. Why else would they be so furious? She probably took bribes. Poor Man-ge’r. He lost his mother at birth, and his father was just a drunk who beat him. He’s suffered so much without complaint. My heart is breaking with the way he looked just now, let alone his brother and brother-in-law.”  

 

“We’re all parents here. If my daughter were wronged, I’d fight tooth and nail for her[mfn]跟人拚命 “fight someone with my life”[/mfn].”  

 

Qiao Suiman’s tears were truly pitiful, Qiao Ruifeng’s bleeding head was alarming, and Lin Xiuhua’s foul mouth kept spewing curses. The onlookers all began pointing fingers at her.  

 

And she called herself an elder? Hitting people, cursing them and with such vile language! She made plenty of enemies over the years, so no one was willing to speak up for her now.  

 

With an increasing number of people around them, Qiao Ruifeng and Qin Yu kept driving Lin Xiuhua in the direction of the Wang residence. Some even carried their rice bowls, eating as they walked. Country folks had little entertainment, and such a spectacle was too good to miss.  

 

This was also why Qiao Suiman had stayed silent. An unmarried ge’r had no place to publicly scold an elder, regardless of right or wrong, especially when it involved his marriage. The world was unkind to women and ge’r; and those awaiting marriage had no say in such matters.  

 

Forget it, better to avoid trouble, Qiao Suiman thought indifferently. He blinked, letting a few more tears fall.  

 

 

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