Perhaps someone gave him courage. Without a word, he strode forward, grabbed the stunned Wang Zhenzhu, and at the courtyard entrance, threw her out like discarded refuse over the heads of the onlookers.
He only heard a splash and a wail, sounds that pierced his ears.
"Everyone go back now, stop watching." As a natural follow-up, Fan Zehao closed the courtyard gate, blocking the view of the curious crowd outside.
Inside the courtyard, only the three of them remained.
One was furious, the mother-in-law dared not speak, and the remaining one, somewhat at a loss, stole glances at her.
She couldn't speak to the mother-in-law, but this man before her was her husband, the person she would live with. If he was domineering at home and weak outside, how could that work!
Zhao Jiaqi pointed her small hand at Fan Zehao: "You... come in with me. I have something to say to you."
He was obedient and followed her into the room.
Inside, neither spoke first. The silence in the room was so profound that one could hear a pin drop.
After a long while, Zhao Jiaqi calmed her anger and said placidly, "Fan Zehao, I don't care what kind of people you were before, but now, you are the pillar of this family, the person my mother-in-law and I will rely on in the future. If you cannot protect me, cannot give me a stable home, then..."
Fan Zehao stared at her tensely, his gaze fixed on her lips, eager to know what she would say next.
"Then... let's get a divorce. I will not live with a coward. That five taels of betrothal gift, I will return it when I earn the money, or, we will divorce when I earn money. You choose."
"No, I choose neither. You are my wife," the stubborn Fan Zehao retorted angrily.
Suddenly, Zhao Jiaqi stood up from the bed and, tilting her head back, questioned him: "Then what exactly do you want? As a husband, when your second aunt and I were fighting outside, what were you doing? You're big and strong, is all this strength only for dealing with me?"
He lowered his head aggrievedly, and mumbled an explanation: "I don't hit women. She's a woman."
She was so angry she laughed, her smile not reaching her eyes. "Oh, so you just watched her bully me?"
He was simple, but not stupid. Sensing his wife's displeasure, he immediately apologized: "I... was wrong. Don't worry, I won't let them bully you again."
"Then what if this situation happens again next time?" she asked tentatively.
He thought for a moment and replied, "If Second Aunt hits you, I'll stand in front of you, and she won't be able to hit you!" He even nodded, thinking it made perfect sense.
Zhao Jiaqi: "... What if she hits you?"
On this point, Fan Zehao chuckled, raised his arm, and his firm biceps bulged. He said with a smile, "My flesh is strong. I'm not afraid of being hit. It doesn't hurt."
"Then... then what if a man hits you?"
Fan Zehao swung his arm and said fiercely, "Then I'll definitely fight back. I'll beat him to death!"
Zhao Jiaqi: "..."
What kind of man had she married?
In this life, and even in her past life, she had never been so speechless.
No, she had to change his mindset. But through their conversation, she discovered that Fan Zehao wasn't stupid, just single-minded.
She began to guide him gradually: "Look, you don't feel pain when your second aunt hits you, but have you ever thought about my feelings? After all, you're taking the blows for me."
"... If I dodged and she hit you, I would feel heartache."
This conversation was going nowhere. She had only started the first sentence of guidance, and he was already flirting with her!
Crucially, she was rather moved.
"She hits me and you feel heartache, but when she hits you, I feel heartache too!"
Hearing this, Fan Zehao became a little excited. He grabbed her hand, smiled foolishly, and pondered for a moment before saying, "Then... I'll just push her away. That way, she can't hit me, and she can't hit you either."
Outside the door, her mother-in-law Zhang Cuihua heard the young couple's conversation and a relieved smile spread across her face. She also breathed a secret sigh of relief.
She felt at ease entrusting this family to her daughter-in-law and turned to tidy up the dishes in the kitchen.