Lin Qin nodded heavily, her voice trembling as she laid out the accusations, word by word. "I am Liu Yongming's wife and Liu Li's second sister-in-law. When Liu Yongming got into high school, his family couldn't afford the tuition. Knowing I had a one-hundred-yuan dowry, they came to propose marriage. Once I married into the Liu family, they took that entire hundred yuan from me, one excuse after another!
"For six years, I’ve worked like a beast of burden for the Liu family! Six whole years! I haven't dared to buy a single new piece of clothing or a pair of trousers. Look at what she is wearing, look at what she uses!
"I have given everything to the Liu family, and now that Liu Yongming is about to graduate from college, they look down on me for being uneducated and giving birth to a daughter. They want to cast us aside!
"Over half a month ago, they ganged up on me, beat me unconscious, and framed me for adultery. It was my father who called the police; it wasn't until the police intervened that they finally admitted their crimes.
"While I was recovering at my parents' home, they sent word that Liu Yongming had returned and demanded we go back. But when we arrived, there was no sign of him. Instead, Liu Li scalded my child with a ladle of boiling water!
"Afterward, they claimed my child was being naughty and bumped into her eldest sister-in-law, causing both the sister-in-law and herself to be burned! But that isn't the truth at all! It was my mother-in-law, Ma Cuihua, and my sister-in-law, Xu Manzhi, who held me down on both sides so that Liu Li could pour the boiling water on me. My child rushed forward to save me and knocked into Xu Manzhi, which is how the water ended up hitting my child and Xu Man's backs!
"Liu Li did all of this! She is a vicious, heartless ingrate! I swear to the heavens that everything I’ve said today is true. If I have told a single lie, may I be struck by lightning and meet a miserable end!"
Zhang Hua looked at the hysterical Lin Qin, then at Liu Li, whose eyes were darting around and whose head was bowed low. Her heart sank. Liu Li had been her student from the first year of junior high; she had always seen her as a promising girl—sweet-tongued, sensible, and popular with her classmates. How could she have done such a thing?
Refusing to believe it, Zhang Hua crouched down in front of the stretcher and asked gently, "Little one, tell the teacher, who hurt you?"
Liu Yaya looked up at Liu Li. "It was her! She’s a bad woman. She hit my mommy, kicked her, cursed her, and poured boiling water on her. She’s really, really, really bad."
"You're lying! I didn't!" Liu Li burst into tears, her vision blurring.
Lin Qin retorted loudly, "There are plenty of children from our neighborhood attending this school. You only have to ask to find out if Liu Li did these things! The day my daughter was injured, I went door-to-door, kneeling and begging neighbors to lend me money for her medical care. Everyone knows! You can't just deny it and make it go away! And the police station still has the records. Everything about how your family ganged up to bully me is written down there! Liu Li, how can your heart be so poisonous? Your second brother was only able to continue his studies because he married me. Not only are you ungrateful, but you even try to poison us—aren't you afraid of retribution?"
Seeing Lin Qin's agitation, Zhang Hua went to the next classroom to ask several students who lived in the same neighborhood as Liu Li. The head teacher's investigation revealed facts that were largely consistent with what Lin Qin had claimed.
A murmur ran through the crowd, and people began to point at Liu Li.
For the first time in her life, Liu Li felt a wave of terror, helplessness, and confusion. It was that bitch Lin Qin who had splashed her first! She had only returned the favor; why was everyone scolding her?
Zhang Hua shook her head in disappointment and apologized to Lin Qin. "Comrade Lin Qin, we have an idea of the situation, but this is a matter of personal conduct. It doesn't violate school rules, so I don't have the authority to punish her. The most I can do is make her apologize to you. Would that be acceptable?"
"No need!" Lin Qin kept her face stony, staring coldly at Liu Li. "I came here to tear off Liu Li’s hypocritical mask and let everyone see what kind of person she really is. Her apology is too cheap; I don't want it, and I don't need it! I’ll just wait and see what kind of end a vicious woman like her meets!"
With that, Lin Qin bowed to Zhang Hua. "I am sorry, Teacher. I apologize for disrupting your class. I will take my child and leave now."
Her demeanor only made Zhang Hua and the students sympathize with her more. After Lin Qin left, everyone cast furtive, judgmental glances at Liu Li. Those who had been close to her previously turned away, ignoring her entirely.
Zhang Hua said nothing and resumed the lesson. It was as if nothing had happened, but Liu Li knew that from this day on, she was famous—infamously so. She was no longer the sister of the college student everyone envied, nor was she the promising student in her teacher's eyes. Lin Qin! This was all her fault!
Liu Ling had watched the drama unfold and sprinted home faster than Liu Li herself. Once home, she couldn't wait to tell her family about Lin Qin's bold display.
Granny Liu was stunned. "This... this... if Lin Qin causes such a scene, will Ma Cuihua's family let her off? Oh no! Something terrible is going to happen!"
Liu Li was Ma Cuihua’s child of her later years, and Ma Cuihua doted on her like the apple of her eye. She couldn't stand to see Liu Li suffer the slightest grievance. Lin Qin had truly poked a hornet's nest.
Sure enough, as soon as Granny Liu reached her doorstep, she heard Liu Li’s wailing and Ma Cuihua’s furious curses.
"That bitch Lin Qin really went to your school to complain to your teachers and classmates?"
Liu Li stamped her feet in frustration, her face covered in tears and snot. "The teacher looks at me differently now, and my classmates won't play with me. They’re mocking me behind my back, pointing at me! Mom, what do I do? What am I supposed to do?"
Ma Cuihua’s eyes darted wildly. She grabbed Liu Li and marched out. "We’re going to find your second brother. Only he can help you now!"
The mother and daughter went to Liu Yongming’s internship site.
"Mom, Little Sister, why are you here?" Liu Yongming frowned at the sight of Liu Li’s disheveled state.
Ma Cuihua was furious and launched into a stream of complaints. "Don't even ask! If it weren't for your future, your sister wouldn't have targeted Lin Qin. I never expected that bitch to be so bold. She went to your sister's school, caused a scene, and told the teachers and students everything about our family! Now your sister can't even stay in school! What are you going to do about this?"
Liu Yongming was shocked. "That’s impossible! If Lin Qin had that much courage, she wouldn't have been suppressed by you all these years!"
"Don't you talk back to me!" Ma Cuihua glared at him.
Liu Yongming quickly changed his tone. "Fine, fine. Mom, take Little Sister home. I’ll head to Shanglin Village in a bit. As long as I make Lin Qin go back to the school to explain herself, it’ll be fine. It’s not a big problem."
Ma Cuihua finally calmed down slightly. "She’s getting more and more lawless. If she keeps acting like this, we won't be able to stand it. If it comes to that, just divorce her!"
"Mom! I want to, don't I? But there's no excuse! If I divorce her for no reason, what will happen to my reputation? This involves a question of character and could affect my job assignment. I can't be reckless." Liu Yongming paced back and forth, trying to think of a strategy.
No matter what, that woman Lin Qin had to be dealt with. His wife, Liu Yongming’s wife, had to be someone like Fang Ying—a highly educated intellectual.