Male Lead's Canon Fodder Wife - Chapter 1226

Chapter 1226: Forced Marriage ( 1 )
Standing in the middle of the road, Liu Pan stared at Lin Muai’s retreating figure, lost in thought.

Noticing his daze, Liu Geng patted his shoulder and asked, “Brother, what are you thinking about? Teacher Lin is already gone.”

Startled by the pat, Liu Pan shot his brother a glare and said with a frown, “Stop talking nonsense. We should hurry.”

As soon as he finished speaking, he strode off in a hurry. Watching his brother walk so fast, as if being chased by a ghost, Liu Geng shook his head and sighed.

His brother was good at everything, but when it came to matters of the heart, he was frustratingly dense. Maybe that was why his wife had turned into such a jealous and insecure woman.

Even he could see that his brother was drawn to Lin Muai—how could his ex-sister-in-law, who had shared a bed with him, not notice?

It would have been great if his brother had married someone like Lin Muai instead of Shi Qiwan. Unfortunately, fate hadn’t worked in their favor.

Since there was no point dwelling on it, Liu Geng pushed the thought to the back of his mind and hurried to catch up with his brother.

At six o’clock in the morning, Liu Fuyan, Dong Li, and the other children were walking toward the school when they saw a commotion at the junction not far from them.

“Mother, Brother, please! I don’t want to marry that man!”

Hearing the familiar voice, Liu Fuyan’s eyes widened, and she ran toward the commotion. As she approached the crowd, she pushed past the people in front of her while saying, “Let me through!”

Following closely behind, Dong Li did his best to help her move forward. When they finally reached the front, they saw Shi Qiwan tied up and being pushed into a bullock cart. A man in his fifties, wearing a red flower pin on his clothes, stood beside it while grinning at her lustfully.

The moment she saw this, Liu Fuyan knew her mother was being forced to marry that old man. Although she was never close to her, she couldn’t just stand by and do nothing when she saw her mother being bullied like this.

“Stop! Let go of my mother!” she shouted while rushing forward and shoving her grandmother and uncle aside.

Caught off guard, Mother Shi fell to the ground, while her son stumbled back, barely managing to keep his balance.

“Aiyoo! My waist!” Mother Shi cried out in pain as she lay on the ground.

Ignoring them, Liu Fuyan quickly untied her mother’s hands without saying a word. Seeing her daughter, Shi Qiwan’s eyes turned red as she asked, “Ah Yan, why are you here?”

Holding her mother’s hand, Liu Fuyan replied firmly, “Mother, if you don’t want to get married, no one can force you. Come with me—we will report them to the team leader!”

Hearing this, her uncle pointed at her and shouted, “You wretched girl! You have no right to speak here! Your mother’s marriage has already been settled. Whether she wants to or not, she must get married today!”

Before he could say anything more, Dong Li coldly retorted, “Forced marriage is a crime. Without consent from both parties, this marriage is illegal.”

His words caused murmurs among the crowd. Most of them had never heard of such a law before and were skeptical, thinking he might be bluffing.

However, the unmarried young women among them felt a glimmer of hope. Since childhood, they had been told that their marriages would be arranged by their families, and they had no right to refuse. Their only value is to pave the way for their brothers.

Now, hearing that their freedom was protected by law, how could they not feel joy?

On the other hand, the older women—especially those with unmarried daughters at home—were displeased by Dong Li’s words. If what he said was true, wouldn’t their families fall into chaos?

Since ancient times, marriages had been arranged by parents and facilitated by matchmakers. If their daughters suddenly gained the freedom to choose and refuse, what would they do then?

Before things got out of hand, one of the older women stepped forward and said, “Child, you are too young to understand the ways of the world. Don’t spout nonsense and stir up trouble. Since ancient times, marriages have been decided by parents and matchmakers.”

“This marriage was arranged by her parents and brothers. As a daughter, it’s her duty to obey her family’s arrangement. Do you think her family would harm her?” she added with a frown.

Liu Fuyan’s gaze turned cold as she replied, “Granny, this is a new era. Superstitions and outdated customs should be abolished. Our leaders have already said that women could hold up half the sky—we are no less capable than men.”

“If we are just as capable as men, why should we lower our heads and let others control our lives?” she continued.

Then, looking at the crowd, she declared firmly, “I believe I am no worse than any boy—perhaps even better than most of my peers. My future is in my hands, and I will decide my own life.”

“These so-called arranged marriages are nothing more than transactions where daughters are sold off to bring benefits for the sons. This patriarchal concept should be abandoned!”

As soon as she finished speaking, Chen Jianmin and the other children clapped their hands and cheered, “Well said!”

Seeing the children getting involved and even standing around Shi Qiwan to protect her, Mother Shi was so enraged she nearly fainted.

She pointed a trembling finger at Liu Fuyan and shrieked, “You ungrateful brat! You are just that bastard Liu Pan’s child! What right do you have to interfere in my family’s affairs?”

Liu Fuyan raised her voice in response without fear, “Because my mother’s blood runs through my veins, I have every right to get involved in her matters!”

She looked at her grandmother and said coldly, “Grandmother, just because you gave birth to my mother doesn’t give you the right to control her entire life.”