Doctor and His Glamorous Sister-in-Law

Needless to say, she must have lost everything again.

Damn it! Degenerate gamblers really deserve to die!

When Zhang Cuifen remained silent, the others assumed she wasn't even willing to part with the remaining 100,000 yuan.

Lu Hongda, who had been quiet until now, couldn't help but speak up. "You know, Cuifen, we're not trying to make things difficult for you. Look, the law is clear on this, and we can't go against it, can we? Let's just say you spent the 400,000 yuan and only have 100,000 left. Fine. You can pay the rest back slowly. But can't you give them the remaining 100,000 first? Don't just clutch onto it and refuse to let go! We can't do anything illegal. Surely we don't have to see each other in court over this?"

As soon as Lu Hongda spoke, Zhang Cuifen lowered her head even further.

Liu Jingming, who had been watching coldly from the sidelines, finally spoke. "Give them the 100,000 yuan and pay back the remaining 300,000 slowly. I'm the village chief, and what I say goes. Everyone here will show me that much respect! I believe Liu Er Gou will, too!"

Upon hearing this, Liu Er Gou immediately nodded. Although he and Liu Jingming had their personal grievances, he knew not to cause trouble over important matters.

Seeing that everyone had spoken out, Zhang Cuifen could no longer withstand the pressure and burst into tears.

"It's all gone, really all gone!" she wailed. "I don't have a single penny left on me now! I used the 300,000 yuan to pay off loan sharks, and I lost the remaining 100,000 gambling! Where would I get any money now!"

As soon as she said this, Liu Yunxi, Lu Hongda, and even Liu Jingming stared wide-eyed at the sobbing Zhang Cuifen, their faces etched with disbelief. Er Lv and Xiaorou were so shocked their jaws nearly hit the floor.

What?! She'd used 300,000 to pay off loan sharks and gambled away the last 100,000? What in the world was going on?

Zhang Cuifen's confession stunned everyone into silence for a full minute before they could process it.

At this moment, the look in Er Lv's eyes as he gazed at Xiaorou lost its initial anticipation, replaced by sheer horror.

Er Lv was no fool. He knew that if he married Xiaorou, while he might get to enjoy her charms, what would be waiting for him down the line…

Er Lv shuddered at the thought.

Liu Yunxi, sitting in the main seat, was so furious he slammed his hand on the table. He said angrily, "Zhang Cuifen! Do you have any idea that gambling is illegal? It's bad enough that you gamble, but you even ran up such a massive debt! And you thought you could sell your daughter to pay it off!"

By this point, Liu Yunxi was too enraged to know what else to say. Liu Jingming and Lu Hongda, on the other hand, closed their mouths, settling in to watch the drama unfold.

Sobbing, Zhang Cuifen rushed to Xiaorou and dropped to her knees with a thud. She clutched Xiaorou's leg, snot and tears streaming down her face as she cried, "Xiaorou, Mom is begging you! I'm on my knees for you, please just marry Er Lv! You can't just stand by and watch your mother be driven to her death, can you?"

Seeing Zhang Cuifen clinging to her leg and crying, Xiaorou began to soften. But before she could speak, Liu Er Gou pulled her behind him.

Er Gou knew Xiaorou was soft-hearted. Hearing Zhang Cuifen cry like this, she might very well agree!

"Auntie Zhang," Liu Er Gou said, "I'm not trying to be disrespectful, but the whole village has seen how you've treated Xiaorou in the past! You either beat her or yelled at her, and she did all the chores! Putting all that aside, I can't believe you actually tried to sell your own daughter. Now that you're in trouble, you suddenly know how to come begging to her!"

Liu Er Gou had long despised Zhang Cuifen's behavior. If Xiaorou hadn't shown such promise, managing to pass her exams and win a scholarship to leave, she would have been married off years ago.

Hearing Liu Er Gou's words, Zhang Cuifen's face turned livid. She shot back irritably, "Liu Er Gou, this is my family's business! What does it have to do with you? Xiaorou is my daughter! I can do whatever I want with her! Even if I marry her to a beggar on the street, it's none of your damn business! Besides, she's just a worthless money pit. Why are you sticking your nose in this?"

At these words, Xiaorou, who had started to feel a flicker of pity, went pale. She never imagined that all her life, she was nothing more than a worthless money pit in her mother's eyes.

"Mom, you…" Xiaorou began to say, but Zhang Cuifen cut her off with a vicious glare.

"You shut your mouth! How did I give birth to a cheap little hussy like you, flirting with every man you see? I went through all this trouble to find you such a good marriage, and you don't even want it! If you marry him, you'll never have to worry about food or clothing again! And I'll finally have money to spend!"

Zhang Cuifen paused, taking two heavy breaths. "I'm telling you, if you don't marry him, I'll die right here! Then we'll see what the villagers say about you for driving your own mother to her death!"

The more Zhang Cuifen spoke, the more worked up she became, as if she could already see Xiaorou yielding to her demands. Xiaorou, meanwhile, just stood there, her eyes welling with tears, on the verge of crying.

Seeing this unfold, Liu Er Gou could no longer stand by and watch. He looked at Zhang Cuifen and said something completely out of the blue.

"Auntie Zhang, after all that talking, you must be hungry. How about I cook you a couple of ears of corn?"

Hearing the word "corn," Zhang Cuifen instantly fell silent. She knew exactly what Liu Er Gou was implying. Only now did she remember that he had leverage over her. If that secret got out, she would truly have no place left in this village.

The others were baffled by Liu Er Gou's random comment. Liu Yunxi was the most confused and was just about to ask what was going on when Liu Er Gou cut him off.

"Alright, let's put the corn aside for now. Let's first figure out how to handle Xiaorou's situation!"

As soon as he spoke, the elderly man on the phone addressed the matter. "How else can this be handled? Obviously, the marriage agreement is void. As for the 400,000 yuan bride price, whoever owes it must pay it back! And don't worry about her being unable to repay it. As long as the debtor is not incapacitated, she is legally obligated to return the 400,000 yuan, no matter what! That's the law! If you have any doubts, you can look it up. I can even tell you which legal statutes to consult!"

Hearing the old man's words, Zhang Cuifen couldn't hold herself up any longer and collapsed to the floor.

400,000 yuan… that was 400,000 yuan! It was so easy to spend, but earning it back? The rest of her life might not be enough!

At this realization, Zhang Cuifen's heart filled with utter despair.