Both of them were no match for Song Yitang, and Zhou Chunlan directly went to get scissors.
"Don't blame me if this hurts you."
Before the scissors could come down, someone knocked on the door.
Frightened, Zhou Chunlan's hand trembled, and the scissors stabbed Liang Xiulian's hand.
Liang Xiulian cursed under her breath in pain and told Zhou Chunlan to hurry up and open the door.
Thinking it might be those two coming back to ask her for money again.
Zhou Chunlan, without any sense of alert, opened the door.
Outside the door, Li Qianjin and Zhao Shouzhong were holding down the two men from before, and it was Uncle Li from the ox cart who had knocked.
Seeing that the door was open, Zhao Shouzhong and Li Qianjin took the opportunity to rush in.
"Hey, who are you guys, how can you just barge in like this!" Zhou Chunlan anxiously followed behind the two men.
"It really is you!"
Li Qianjin kicked Liang Xiulian aside and hurriedly went forward to untie Song Yitang.
"Ouch! You..."
Liang Xiulian, upon recognizing Li Qianjin, instantly lost all her bravado.
"Secretary Zhao, report to the police, I want to sue her for trafficking women and abduction!"
The gag in Song Yitang's mouth was removed, and she immediately shouted loudly.
Hearing Song Yitang call out for the secretary, Zhou Chunlan and Liang Xiulian were so scared they dared not even breathe loudly.
But Liang Xiulian quickly composed herself.
"They are just two people, what are you afraid of!"
Liang Xiulian called for the two outside to come in.
"This is our Huilong Brigade, how dare you make a scene here?"
Liang Xiulian was extremely confident, not putting the law in her eyes at all.
She only knew the principle that a strong dragon does not suppress the local snake.
Zhao Shouzhong and Li Qianjin struggled with those two, and after Song Yitang was freed, she stepped forward and kicked Zhou Chunlan away.
Zhou Chunlan groaned as she fell to the ground.
Although Liang Xiulian was a meter seventy, half a head taller than Song Yitang and much stronger than her.
As soon as Song Yitang's bracelet shone, Liang Xiulian couldn't move her body.
She could only be pinned to the ground by Song Yitang and beaten up; Song Yitang had been holding in her anger for a while, with nowhere to vent.
She straddled Liang Xiulian and slapped her face left and right.
She continued slapping until her hand was in pain and numb, but she still mechanically repeated the action.
After Li Qianjin and Zhao Shouzhong subdued the two individuals, they saw Liang Xiulian's face beaten to a pulp and quickly went to pull Song Yitang off.
Fearing that the girl would beat someone to death.
Then Captain Zhang arrived with the main troop, and the Yao Family's dam was filled with people.
Seeing this, Zhou Chunlan knelt on the ground, continuously kowtowing and begging for mercy.
Song Yitang let out her anger and kept shaking her numb hands, trying to ease the pain.
"How about this matter..." After understanding the causes and consequences, Zhao Shouzhong asked Song Yitang.
After all, the person opposite was her maternal aunt.
Seven or eight people came, but not one from Song's house.
Song Yitang felt utterly disheartened.
"Report to the police, whatever should be done, do it!"
Song Yitang was very resolute, and Zhao Shouzhong supported her, decisively reporting the incident to the police.
Liang Xiulian, with her swollen, bruised face, knelt in front of Song Yitang, clutching her legs and begging piteously.
"Don't, we are family after all, I am your maternal aunt."
Song Yitang shook her off with disgust.
In the middle of the night, the police, upon receiving the call and seeing the injured parties, instinctively prepared to handcuff Song Yitang and Zhao Shouzhong.
"It's them, what are you looking at us for?" Zhao Shouzhong said irritably.
He was also injured, just not as severely.
The two public security officers were skeptical, so they went to investigate further. Liang Xiulian was trying to take advantage of the situation to play the victim and twist the facts.
But with a kick from Song Yitang, she had no choice but to confess.
"Comrade, please don't use force!"
Upon confirming Zhao Shouzhong's identity, the two officers ignored Zhou Chunlan and Liang Xiulian's attempt to gain sympathy and directly handcuffed the criminal.
Song Yitang and Li Qianjin asked a few simple questions, took notes, and then left with the detainee.
On the way back, Song Yitang informed Zhao Shouzhong about the information she had gathered from the casual conversation with the three of them.
"Secretary Zhao, the data from Jixiang Village might be falsified. You might want to check it."
Liang Xiulian, thinking she was holding all the cards, had spoken to the two officers about the grain levy and the brigade's falsification of data during the trip.
Thinking that Song Yitang would be on the same side as herself in the future, she had openly discussed it without avoidance in their presence.
"What?"
Data fabrication is a serious crime, and if the higher-ups found out, several officials from one village could all be in trouble.
Song Yitang reported everything she had heard to Zhao Shouzhong.
Zhao Shouzhong didn't speak, just listened quietly.
This girl really surprised him every time, always able to help him out.
He had thought that by rescuing her this time he would repay the favor he owed her from before, but she had given him yet another piece of significant good news.
This would be immensely helpful for his return to the imperial capital.
Zhao Shouzhong also thought that Song Yitang's lodging was too dangerous and found her a safe place to stay overnight, telling her to rest first and move her belongings the next day.
Song Yitang was very grateful in her heart, and decided she must find a way to properly repay Li Qianjin and Zhao Shouzhong in the future.
Song Jianguo still couldn't swallow his pride to join the crowd seeking justice and was restlessly tossing and turning in bed, unable to sleep.
Song Chenghao, who inherited Song Jianguo's prideful genes, quietly snuck out and carefully followed behind the crowd.
After seeing that Song Yitang was safe, he silently made his way back home.
Liang Shaofen was very anxious inside, but Captain Zhang felt she was too slow and had her wait at Song Yitang's living quarters.
So she sat there all night, her eyes desperately searching, waiting for Song Yitang to return.
Unwittingly, she fell asleep leaning against the door.
After such a tribulation, Song Yitang had no intention of sleeping.
When morning finally arrived, she went back to get her things and move out.
Not far away, she saw someone sitting at her front door, and as she approached, she recognized the person.
She didn't call out to wake Liang Shaofen but her light footsteps betrayed her inner feelings.
Upon hearing the noise, Liang Shaofen woke up and burst into tears of joy upon seeing Song Yitang safely returning.
"Tangtang, I'm so glad you're all right."
Song Yitang responded coldly.
"I'm still alive. If there's nothing else, you can go back first."
Though she wanted to confront Liang Shaofen and ask why she hadn't joined in searching for her—since even people unrelated to her were outraged on her behalf and went to argue for her—her own parents had not only agreed to this absurd marriage but also turned a blind eye to everything.
Was it because she was not their biological child, or simply because she was not a son?
In this feudal era, she could not change the thinking that valued sons over daughters, but she would not be a stepping stone for her brother as she had been in her previous life!
"Mom never thought that your aunt would be so brazen. Listen to mom's explanation..."
"You don't need to say anything, I have nothing to do with you anymore."
Song Yitang fought the urge to cry, increased the pace of her movements, wanting only to flee from her.
Liang Shaofen also knew Song Yitang didn't want to see her.
She reached into her pocket, took out a sheet of paper, and placed it on the table, saying, "This is your page from the household register. With this, you don't have to worry about your dad forcing you to drop out of school."
Song Yitang's grip on the basin grew firmer, her heart stirred.
"Mom knows you hate me, and knows she's useless," Liang Shaofen said tearfully, choking up. "Take care of yourself. Mom will come to see you often."
"Have you thought about the consequences of stealing this?"
Song Yitang truly had not expected Liang Shaofen to steal the household register for her.
(In that era, the household register was in loose-leaf form, so pages could be removed for convenience.)