Detention is not an option!
Wu Cuihua panicked. Even a month of detention would leave a criminal record, making it difficult to find a job later. This would affect her son's entire life!
But she had already realized that Shen Qingqing was not to be trifled with, so she turned her attention to her daughter.
"No, Xiaotao, you can't bully your brother like this, and you can't stand by and watch others bully him. You have to help him!"
Zhang Xiaotao looked at her disappointedly, "Are you so protective of him that you completely disregard my feelings?"
"What feelings?" Wu Cuihua didn't even consider it, feeling impatient. "From childhood to adulthood, you always let your brother have his way. What's wrong this time? Why are you so heartless?"
"I'm heartless?"
"Yes, you are heartless!" Wu Cuihua walked over, grabbed her, and pulled hard. "You must save your brother, do you hear me?!"
"If you don't save him, you're inhumane, and I will never forgive you!"
For many years, she had threatened her this way, and Zhang Xiaotao, out of concern for her family, had always compromised. Wu Cuihua believed this time would be no different.
But, Zhang Xiaotao had had enough. "I want to disown you!"
Wu Cuihua's eyes widened. "What did you say?"
"Disown you," Zhang Xiaotao said word by word, pain in her eyes but her stance firm. "I can no longer tolerate your exploitation."
Wu Cuihua couldn't stand her obedient daughter speaking such rebellious words. She raised her hand to strike.
Someone grabbed her wrist. She looked closer and saw it was Shen Qingqing. She tried to pull away, but for some reason, the woman's hand was like an iron clamp.
Her struggles were futile. Instead, her wrist turned red. The pain made her dare not move.
"What are you doing?"
Shen Qingqing released her hand. Wu Cuihua immediately clutched her wrist and retreated, turning to the nearby police officers. "Are you all blind? You're just standing there watching her bully me? Is this how you serve the people as police officers?"
Unfortunately, no one paid her any attention.
The lawyer next to her narrowed his eyes behind his glasses. "There are cameras here. You attempted to assault my client, and after being stopped, you resorted to verbal abuse. It has all been recorded. According to the law, my client has the right to seek compensation from you."
Compensation meant money.
Wu Cuihua valued money more than her life. "I have no money. I'll give my life, but I have no money!"
The lawyer glanced at Shen Qingqing. She nodded slightly, and the lawyer said, "It's not impossible to resolve this. As long as you satisfy my client, the compensation can be discussed."
Wu Cuihua gritted her teeth. This meant disowning her to avoid compensation. "If you want to disown me, fine, but I have a condition: I want money! This is not blackmail. She is my daughter. It's normal to get my old-age support in advance, isn't it?"
She had learned to be smart, understanding how to approach it from a legal perspective.
Her words did sound plausible. The lawyer said, "Of course, no problem. How much do you want?"
"Five hundred thousand!"
Wu Cuihua held up her hand, her face full of smugness and greed.
Whether Zhang Xiaotao could afford it or not, she wouldn't lose. If she couldn't, she would continue to be her daughter, exploited for all her worth.
If she could afford it, five hundred thousand! That was enough for her to buy her son a house!
The lawyer turned to Zhang Xiaotao and said gently, "Miss Zhang, what do you say?"
Zhang Xiaotao's face turned ashen, her hope completely extinguished. "I... I can't afford that much money. All the money I earned before was for my brother's medical treatment."
Her current savings were only four figures, barely enough to cover her and her brother's expenses.
Let alone five hundred thousand, she didn't even have fifty thousand.
Beside her, Shen Qingqing had already taken out a check and quickly wrote something on it. She tossed it lightly to Wu Cuihua. The paper almost fell to the ground, but Wu Cuihua quickly picked it up and examined it closely.
When she confirmed there were indeed five hundred thousand on it, she grinned, a bright smile spreading across her face.
"Get lost."
Shen Qingqing's voice was cold.
Wu Cuihua didn't care at all. She quickly put the check away. She wasn't even worried about her son, who was supposed to be detained for a month. After saying a few comforting words, she hurried away, afraid Zhang Xiaotao would go back on her word.
As she left, she didn't even glance at Zhang Xiaotao.
It was as if she didn't have such a daughter.
After Wu Cuihua left, Shen Qingqing and the others also left the police station. As soon as they were outside, Zhang Xiaotao burst into tears. She covered her face and squatted on the roadside, sobbing uncontrollably.
Shen Qingqing remained silent. Crying would make her feel better.
After about ten minutes, Zhang Xiaotao's crying gradually subsided. She had been squatting for too long, and her legs were numb. She stumbled and fell forward.
But she didn't fall. She was supported by a pair of soft hands.
"Are you alright?"
Hearing Shen Qingqing's voice, Zhang Xiaotao suddenly calmed down. She shook her head. "Thank you, Miss Shen. If it weren't for your help, I really don't know how I could have left that exploitative family."
"I'm helping you, and I'm helping myself."
In fact, seeing Zhang Xiaotao reminded Shen Qingqing of herself, and seeing Wu Cuihua reminded her of Shen Zhizhong, both parents.
Their greed and favoritism were all too obvious and nauseating.
Zhang Xiaotao wiped the tears from her face, her voice still a little choked. "Regardless, you are my benefactor. You've helped me so much. I will repay you in the future. The money I owe you, I will also repay. I'll work my fingers to the bone to pay you back!"
Shen Qingqing neither agreed nor disagreed. "That's for the future. But for now, you should go back, wash your face, and get some rest."
Zhang Xiaotao nodded vigorously, filled with renewed energy. Now that she was free from that family, she could finally start a happy life.
...
Wu Cuihua had never held so much money before. She was nervous, afraid of being seen and robbed. She clutched the money tightly to her chest, not daring to take a taxi, and cautiously walked home.
The more people there were, the more she was afraid, always feeling like everyone was looking at her.
So, as she walked, she ended up in an alley. With no one around, she felt more at ease. She patted her chest and quickened her pace.
As she rounded a corner, her vision suddenly darkened, and a sack was thrown over her head.
Before she could react, she was pushed to the ground, and a barrage of punches and kicks rained down on her. She only managed to protect her vital areas and the check in her heart.
Pain, so much pain.
Wu Cuihua had never felt such pain. Although her living conditions had not been good since childhood, she had never been beaten like this.
Time seemed to stretch on endlessly. She didn't know how long it lasted. From being able to cry out at first, to no longer being able to make a sound.
The places on her body that still felt pain became fewer and fewer, as if she had become numb from the beating.
At some point, the surroundings became quiet. Only then did she realize that they had stopped. She tried to get up, but as soon as she moved, she fell back down.
She finally couldn't help but sob on the ground.
The attackers left the alley and used their phones to make a call. "Master Fu, everything is ok."