Lu Zhenping, troubled by heavy thoughts, walked toward the old courtyard and along the way encountered Sun Shanzi, who had always been on good terms with Lu Jiaxuan. The commotion that erupted at Lu Family’s home at noon had already spread wildly throughout Lu Family Village. Some believed Lu Zhenping was right; how could a father-in-law raise a hand to his daughter-in-law? It was absurd.
Others thought when Lu Zhenping returned, he immediately showed a stern face to his own parents—it was downright unfilial. Could a daughter-in-law even compare to one’s parents? In the countryside, countless women were beaten by their in-laws; without a beating, they wouldn’t behave. Frequent beatings would make them obedient. Shen Meng went to the county, bought a bicycle, and even managed to get a job at the brick factory. If there weren’t something fishy about it, who would believe it?
Previously, Sun Shanzi greatly admired Lu Zhenping, but today, he walked past him without a word, seething with anger. He was furious that Lu Zhenping, for the sake of that woman Shen Meng, had put Jiaojiao, his sister-in-law, in such an embarrassing position in front of so many people. How could his heart be so harsh?
Lu Zhenping did not even remember what dish Sun Shanzi was; he did not glance sideways but went straight to the Lu Family home.
Watching his back, Sun Shanzi snorted coldly: "A man bewitched will surely face retribution sooner or later."
Liu Sanjin was lying on the kang, her body trembling. Alongside her, Lu Changzhu was smoking his pipe, his gaze distant as he looked outside.
"Did he really ask you that?"
"What else could it be? He asked about the Duanwu Festival the year Shuyu returned. What should we do? Old man, do you think he knows?"
Lu Changzhu clenched his teeth and said sternly to the person lying on the kang: "So what if he knows? I’m still his biological father. After so many years of peace, what can he do? Overthrow the heavens?"
Liu Sanjin threw off the blanket, her eyes filled with resentment looking at Lu Changzhu—it was all his wrongdoing. If not for him, she wouldn’t have had to feel so guilty every time she saw her eldest son over the years.
"I’m not his biological mother, am I? If only you had let Bai Shuyun take him away back then, it would have spared me so much heartache over the years, eating up our food just to side with his wife and bully me. I’ve raised an ingrate," she wept.
"Shut your mouth, keep it down, are you afraid people won’t hear? Let Bai Shuyun take him away? She has been sending us money for years, why don’t you mention that? Thanks to her, both your daughters could marry into the county and live comfortably, even your youngest son could become a store manager in the production team. You think it’s all thanks to your children’s capabilities? All this time, Shuyun has been helping. After these many good years with me, you should be content," he scolded.
Liu Sanjin, feeling guilty from the scolding, quickly shut her mouth and stealthily glanced toward the door, afraid that someone might overhear their conversation. Mentioning "Bai Shuyun" unsettled both of them, though many years had passed, they could still instantly recall the way she looked when she first arrived.
Back then, Bai Shuyun was a young, city-bred lady assigned to work in Lu Family Village. She was unable to carry heavy loads, and even drinking coarse grain porridge seemed to tear her throat, extremely delicate to say the least.
This dainty lady’s arrival stirred the whole Lu Family Village. Whether it was the male youths from the city or the young men from the village, everyone had eyes for her.
She was kind-hearted and devoid of arrogance, knowledgeable about many things unknown to others. She knew how to treat minor ailments with herbs gathered from the mountains.
There were village girls who had never been to school and could not recognize a single character; Bai Shuyun did not disdain them. If anyone asked her about reading and writing, she would be even more excited than the inquirer themselves.
Liu Sanjin was the girl from the neighboring village, who had been engaged to Lu Changzhu early on. She often visited Lu Family Village, and initially, she liked Bai Shuyun very much. Once, when she fell seriously ill, it was Bai Shuyun who went up the mountain to gather herbs to save her, and she was truly grateful to Bai Shuyun at that time.
However, gradually, these feelings changed. When Lu Changzhu’s eyes frequently lingered on Bai Shuyun, and when she felt insecure and fearful of losing him, her feelings began to warp.
Bai Shuyun was too outstanding. In the Educated Youth spot, around the village, many people wanted to matchmake for her, dreaming of having such a daughter-in-law. But how could a white swan settle in a foul ditch?
Bai Shuyun was leaving. She was too outstanding, and her family had connections, just as the city was recruiting workers. She was about to return to the big city.
In the village, many people were grateful to her. They pooled together food and drink to hold a farewell feast for her. That evening, several people’s eyes glowed green as they looked at her. Liu Sanjin still remembered it clearly, and even thinking about it now felt terrifying.
After dinner, Bai Shuyun was heading back to the Educated Youth spot. She didn’t see that a few people were following her. Liu Sanjin saw, but she didn’t say anything. Her heart was torn like a cat scratching inside, and later when she saw Lu Changzhu following too, her confused feelings gradually turned into jealousy. She thought, let Lu Changzhu go and see how this young lady gets ruined. It would be best if Bai Shuyun left with her reputation spoiled, leading a miserable life.
But she had never imagined that Bai Shuyun would end up together with Lu Changzhu. Countless times, she regretted not stopping Lu Changzhu, wondering why her nightmare had come true.
When Bai Shuyun woke up, Lu Changzhu was kneeling on the ground. Liu Sanjin didn’t know what the two of them said to each other.
She only knew that a year later, Bai Shuyun’s family sent them a child. By then, she had already married Lu Changzhu. Even though he wasn’t very good to her, she finally married the man she loved and felt extremely happy, happy enough that she was willing to raise his child.
The peaceful days didn’t last for long. Bai Shuyun returned, still the gentle and composed young lady, but the look in her eyes was full of disdain. Liu Sanjin felt like a clown, trash, a lump of dirt in front of her.
This time, she came to take Lu Zhenping away. Lu Changzhu disagreed, and she disagreed too. She had raised the boy for five years. Although she was sometimes harsh to him, despite his existence constantly reminding her that he was her husband’s child with another woman, she still didn’t want to give him back to Bai Shuyun. She felt that as long as the child was with her, she had won.
Bai Shuyun and Lu Changzhu spoke privately for a long time. She couldn’t even try to listen, as Bai Shuyun had brought two bodyguards, and she couldn’t even get close.
Fortunately, Bai Shuyun agreed to leave the child and was willing to provide twenty yuan a month in child support, as long as they took good care of the child.
She was overjoyed when she heard this news; nobody knew that at that time, she was already pregnant, and their household was soon running out of food. At that moment, Lu Zhenping wasn’t just eating her son’s portion, but was also her god of wealth. She was incredibly happy, smiling brightly as she saw Bai Shuyun into the car.
If her memories ended here, it would have been fine. But just as Bai Shuyun was closing the car door, she leaned over and whispered in her ear: "Good and evil will have their retribution in the end."
She didn’t understand, but she knew it probably meant she would face retribution. Before she could respond, she saw the small figure of Lu Zhenping standing behind the door, his eyes fixed on the woman in the car, a look that filled her with trepidation.