The Husband I Snatched Is Not Right!-Chapter 186: You’re Truly Despicable!

The surroundings were deathly silent; who would have thought that Yu Tingwan was here to settle an old score?

Yu Tingwan knew that most human traffickers were heartless. They would sweet-talk, promising to send someone to work as a maid in a wealthy household, with wages and a good life. But once they bought someone, they would let them be exploited.

These human traffickers were all ruthless.

If someone disobeyed, they would beat them severely.

If someone tried to escape, they would first break a leg. Yet, this didn’t worry them about sales; lowering the price would only attract those old bachelors eager to marry.

This served as a deterrent for the other girls, quelling any thoughts of escape, making them obedient, which was valuable.

Yu Tingwan understood this. How could those families, who would rather accept less money and rice, not know? Yet, they were at the end of their rope, hoping that the traffickers might show some conscience.

But Mrs. Hu and Old Man Hu couldn’t wait to raise the price and send people away quickly.

Hu Dazhu felt as though his throat was blocked with a cloth, unable to speak.

Back then, lady Yu looked at him with the same indifference Yu Tingwan had.

But he really had no other way out.

His parents were elders; how could he ignore them? As the backbone of the family, how could he let anything happen?

Isn’t this a dead end?

Yu Tingwan sneered, "Say something!"

"Why aren’t you speaking?"

Hu Dalang was confused and was about to intervene when Mrs. Xiao pulled him back.

He scolded, "What are you doing?"

Mrs. Xiao gestured for him to look at the thoughtful Hu Yaozu and whispered, "Why make a scene? Did Erlang say anything?"

Yu Tingwan’s gaze at Mrs. Wang was like a blade of ice.

"The Hu Family treated my mother like a commodity, bargaining with human traffickers. You thought the money was too little and insisted on getting involved."

Mrs. Wang was greedy.

Seeing the opportunity, she just wanted to squeeze something out of the trafficker.

At that time, she shouted at the trafficker.

——"This price isn’t enough, at least double it. My sister-in-law is beautiful and a sought-after gem everywhere."

——"We’re in a famine here, but not elsewhere. Don’t think you can fool us just because we’re country folk. The profit here is huge, buy her and resell her, you don’t know how much you could make."

The trafficker became anxious.

That was indeed accurate.

But elsewhere?

Shangjing or Jiangnan?

Did they really have to cross mountains and waters, shuttling back and forth?

Such talk was too easy!

What did Mrs. Wang understand?

The world was unequal and far from the Imperial City, with too many mountain bandits.

Even the Government Office was ineffectual; just east of Ze County was Black Horn Village, where the bandits were murderous.

It wasn’t worth it!

Seeing the trafficker’s reluctance, Mrs. Wang’s face sank.

She suggested to the two elders of the Hu Family.

——"Parents, some words may offend, but seeing our family’s situation, I must say."

——"In my village, there’s a widow, her in-laws are gone, and she has a son. She and her son are still living well."

In those small-thumbprint-sized villages, anything in a household, if not kept in check, would become common knowledge.

When Mrs. Wang mentioned it, the two elders of the Hu Family fell silent.

The widow’s son was too young, and she didn’t want to abandon him and remarry. With no other option, to survive, she had to resort to prostitution.

As long as there was grain, she would take clients.

She wasn’t afraid of contracting diseases.

Families counted their days with thumb and forefinger, eating nutrient clay soil was common. Yet, one by one, men would sneak into her house for a small handful of rice, just to ease their minds.

Mrs. Hu and Old Man Hu looked down on that widow.

But at least she wasn’t starving.

The couple was tempted, but feared losing face.

Seeing their wavering, Mrs. Wang knew this could work, and quickly said.

——"Being sold by the trafficker would most likely end up in a brothel. Since we’d all be serving men, why not keep her right under our noses?"

——"With my sister-in-law’s beauty, not just a handful, even a bowl of rice would be brought to her eagerly by someone."

She calculated that selling would be a one-time deal, but keeping her home would be a long-term business.

——"My sister-in-law doesn’t need to suffer much. A woman just needs to lie on a bed and spread her legs. If ever she falls ill with fever or cold, we can feel sorry for her and let her rest for a few days."

She spoke with a smile, but her words were malicious to the extreme.

Even the trafficker was stunned. On leaving, he cursed the family to suffer retribution.

The two elders of the Hu Family hesitated as well.

——"Isn’t this bad?"

Mrs. Wang responded.

——"Our rice jar is empty; there’s nothing left but a small handful of wild vegetables and tree roots. After this meal, there’s nothing for the next. But there’s no more wild vegetables on the mountains, while eating nutrient clay soil can stave off hunger, too much will kill you. People outside are desperate enough to kill and cook their wives; what shameful acts aren’t happening? Can we afford to be so particular? What’s more important than being full?"

She reasoned gradually.

——"Such a thing indeed isn’t glorious, but households are all struggling to survive. Who would care about us? The Village Chief can’t manage, not even the Government Office."

——"After the famine is over and life improves, if Yuniang can’t marry off, then we’ll keep her at home for Dalang to take care of."

The two elders of the Hu Family deemed it feasible.

Life was hard, and Yuniang ought to understand them.

Having raised her all these years, it was only right she made some sacrifice for the family.

Mrs. Wang was proactive and brought people over from outside that very night.

————

Yu Tingwan gripped her hands tightly, letting her nails dig into her flesh, yet she seemed oblivious to the pain.

"Mrs. Hu and Old Man Hu suffered retribution within two years. One succumbed to a strange illness in less than half a month, the other fell into a sewage ditch and drowned."

The clients who visited Hu Yuniang’s room mostly died during the famine. Those who lived were dealt with by Yu’s father later.

"It seems Heaven still has eyes, not allowing my mother to suffer in misery."

"I just don’t understand why you are still living well."

At the doorway, Mrs. Wang’s eyes darted around, but her voice was loud.

"Why are you pointing at me?"

As if the louder one was, the more justified they were.

"Instead of letting the whole family starve, what’s wrong with putting your mother out there?"

"She supported the entire family with her body, how else would she have survived?"

"In a sense, we did it for her own good too."

Saying this, she straightened her back.

Shameless as always.

Yu Tingwan strode forward, cold as ice: "Say that again?"

Mrs. Wang: "I..."

All that was heard was a slap.

The girl raised her hand and slapped Mrs. Wang hard.

Her strength was great, and her movement too swift; Mrs. Wang didn’t react in time and was hit so hard that her head turned, causing her to stagger back several steps.

Mrs. Wang felt a ringing in her ears.

"You..."

Yu Tingwan couldn’t hide the fury in her eyes, her voice squeezed out as if through clenched teeth.

"Ordinarily, I don’t want to lay a hand on animals, but you’re just too vile!"