Separation from Family

"No, I must kill this wretched girl today." Li Cuihua, who was in her fifties, combed her hair that was white around her temples. There was some meat on her face, and her eyes were sharp and fierce.

"Lin Laosan, this wretched girl is a jinx. If she doesn't die, the Lin Family will die. Do you want us to die?" Li Cuihua roared at a man who was a bit thinner than her. He was in his sixties, and his sideburns were completely silver.

Almost everyone was in the courtyard except Zhu Dazhong, who was still in school. There were Zhu Daniu and his wife, Zhu Erniu and his wife, Lin Siniu, and Lin Sanniu's family.

"Father, mother is right." Lin Daniu glared at Lin Yuelan, who was squatting in the corner of the courtyard with a blank look in her eyes. "Father, do you remember this spring's county examination? Zong 'Er didn't pass the county examination because of her. She is the reason Zong 'Er failed."

"No wonder I've been suffering from endless headaches these few years. It's all because of this jinx. Old man, let me tell you," Li Cuihua said fiercely, "We have to deal with this jinx today! It's either her or me!"

"Mother... Lan 'Er is just a child. Father, mother, please let her go!" Lin Yuelan's mother cried and pleaded for her daughter.

"Shut up!" Li Cuihua glared at Chen Xiaoqing. "I knew that a jinx like you is going to give birth to a jinx. If you say one more word, I will get San 'Er to divorce you!"

In ancient times, women valued honor. Once a woman was divorced, it was a fate worse than death. Even if she died, no one would be there to clean up her body. She would not be buried in a grave and left to wander the world as a ghost. For ancient people, having no peace after death was the most terrifying thing. 

Chen Xiaoqing immediately stopped talking. She did not dare to say anything else. She just lowered her head and started to sob.

Lin Laosan was holding a copper pipe.

Lin Laosan did not have many hobbies, but he liked to smoke. When he was free, he would sit on the doorstep and smoke.

This copper pipe had cost half a year of the Lin family's savings to buy. Li Cuihua didn't want to waste this money, but Lin Laosan was the head of the family. He normally didn't have any hobby, so this was the only luxury his wife allowed him.

As he listened to his wife and son making a ruckus, he held the pipe and sucked on it. His eyelids drooped and his expression darkened. No one knew what he was thinking.

Seeing that their father didn't say anything, Lin Daniu, Lin Erniu, and Lin Siniu looked at each other before Lin Siniu said angrily, "Father, why are you hesitating? I'm 20 this year, and I still can't get a wife. Gou Wazi, who is the same age as me, already has a son who is four years old. His youngest son has just celebrated his full moon.

"We've talked to a few families, but the marriage didn't go through in the end. In the past, I thought it was because they didn't like our family or they didn't like me. But now I understand it's because of this jinx!

"Dad, as long as this jinx is still alive, I'll not be able to marry!"

Lin Laosan moved his pipe and raised his head. He looked at his granddaughter, who was squatting in the corner with listless eyes, and furrowed his brows tightly.

Lin Erniu's daughter-in-law, Zhou Guixiang, glared at Lin Yuelan with a face full of anger. She pointed angrily at Lin Yuelan and said loudly to Lin Laosan, "Father, this jinx caused me to have a miscarriage. I will never let her stay in this house. Father, I'm on the same line as mother. If she stays, then I'm not staying!"

Lin Yuelan still had a bruise on her forehead. Her eyes were listless as she squatted in a corner numbly.

The nine-year-old Lin Yuelan never thought that in just three days, she would become everyone's hated and despised jinx. She was beaten by everyone who saw her. She knew that once she was chased out of the house, she would be bullied. However, if she stayed, her grandmother, uncles, and aunties would kill her.

Lin Yuelan knew that she had to escape, but she was too frightened.

Lin Laosan took another drag of the pipe. His aged voice asked as he turned to Lin Sanniu, "Third son, this is your daughter. What do you say? Do you think we should kill her?"

"Hmph, Lin Sanniu, if you dare to speak up for that wretched girl, don't acknowledge me as your mother." Before Lin Sanniu could speak, Li Cuihua had already taken the initiative to attack. "I don't have a useless son like you.

"Lin Sanniu, why don't you look at your wife? She's black and thin, and she can't get out of bed from the pain. This must be the curse of that wretched girl. This wretched girl wants to destroy the entire Lin family. Only then will she be satisfied!"

Li Cuihua was filled with hatred. In her mind, the girl was the reason behind all the tragedies that befell the Lin Family.

"Let me tell you, Old Man. As long as this wretched girl is in the Lin family, the Lin family will not be able to live in peace. Therefore, this wretched girl must be dealt with today!" Li Cuihua shouted loudly. She meant the girl had to be killed.

"Shut up!" Lin Laosan yelled at Li Cuihua sharply, "You're shouting so loudly. Do you want the entire village to know about our family's dirty laundry? What kind of woman goes around shouting for murder?"

After Lin Laosan reprimanded Li Cuihua, he asked Lin Sanniu again, "Third son, what do you think?"

"Don't let them kill Lan 'Er." Chen Xiaoqing, who had been keeping quiet all this time, immediately begged Lin Sanniu. She wanted to use her last strength to save her eldest daughter.

"Slap!"

Li Cuihua went up and slapped Chen Xiaoqing, scolding, "Are you deliberately trying to kill the Lin family? If you say one more word, I'll ask Sannui to divorce you right now."

Chen Xiaoqing covered half of her reddened face. She lowered her head and wept quietly, not daring to make another sound.

Compared to her daughter, she was more afraid of being divorced.

Lin Sanniu's eyes were also somewhat numb. He looked filial and obedient. He answered. "I'll follow Dad's arrangements!"

Lin Sanniu smacked his pipe a few times and seemed to have finally made up his mind, "Alright, San 'Er. In a while, you will catch the girl and press her into the water tank. When she runs out of breath, we'll tell the village chief that the girl has died in an accident!"