After achieving her goal, Shuzhen didn’t linger for a moment. She cheerfully bid farewell to everyone, leaving a handful of onlookers, who were waiting to see her fall from grace and end up in a pitiful state after "flying up to become a phoenix," quite disappointed: Wasn’t she supposed to cry her eyes out and even jump into the river?
How does she seem like a completely different person?
Look at her vibrant and spirited demeanor, it’s as if she wasn’t abandoned by Dai Weiguo, but rather she was the one who rejected Dai Weiguo.
This notion seemed unreliable but was indeed the genuine thought of most of the onlookers.
But that’s how it is; after dealing with a scoundrel like that for so long, how can she not find a way to move on?
Despite the Dai family’s relatives boasting about how Dai Weiguo and Bai Jing are rare soulmates supporting each other through thick and thin, it actually had no effect at all.
In the eyes of the villagers, the boy from the Dai family is like the infamous scoundrel Chen Shimei, who abandons his wife after achieving success, without a hint of embellishment! Poor Liu Shuzhen, who married into the family for four or five years, suffered hardships for them, bringing along her dowry, only to end up with a bad reputation.
Heh, just a matter of a few years, everyone saw how the entire Dai family endured so much trouble from the two brothers of the Liu family to bring Shuzhen, the so-called "scourge," into their home!
It’s just that folks can’t meddle in the affairs of couples, and besides, they are hindered by the fact that Lin Zhiyuan, now the leader of the Liu family village team, is overseeing major village issues like distributing work credits, labor, and grain money. No one dares to offend him easily.
Unaware that her little performance didn’t achieve the intended goal but instead added another dirty layer to her cousin’s reputation, Dai Honghua stared with wide almond-shaped eyes, filled with confusion and fear. She didn’t understand how, in just a few days, Liu Shuzhen, who couldn’t even utter a word, suddenly became so assertive, nor how the secret she had hidden for years suddenly leaked.
Now, with this leverage in Liu Shuzhen’s hands, won’t she end up becoming putty in Shuzhen’s hands?
Dai Honghua gritted her teeth: No, she has to find a proper way to completely eliminate this problem to prevent Liu Shuzhen from becoming a dominant force over her!
Forced to write an introduction letter, Lin Yuanzhi pondered: Should he send a telegraph to inform his accomplished cousin-in-law about Liu Shuzhen’s significant change?
If he doesn’t inform, he’s worried that something big might happen and he’ll bear the consequences!
If he does speak up, he’s afraid that Bai Jing might think he’s making a mountain out of a molehill and despise him.
Having obtained the position of production team leader of Liu family village with the help of the Dai family, he thought about advancing further! However difficult it may be, he had to serve Dai Honghua, Dai Weiguo, and Bai Jing well. Just thinking about his future filled with limitless opportunities made Lin Yuanzhi even find Dai Honghua’s high cheekbones and almond-shaped eyes incredibly charming.
Calling her "wife" sweetly and showering her with insincere praises, she willingly took over the responsibility of whether or not to write a letter to Dai Weiguo, and how to write it, this hot potato.
From this morning’s second sister-in-law’s behavior, Shuzhen knew that secretly going to the provincial hospital to have the trouble in her belly removed was probably hopeless. But if she admits openly, she would face strong opposition from her elder brothers, right?
After all, in her brothers’ eyes, nothing is more important than her health. Without full assurance, they would rather she give birth to the brat and treat him as their son than agree to a hasty abortion. But Shuzhen had no interest whatsoever in raising the brat to recognize a thief as a mother!
As Shuzhen walked, lost in thought, she almost bumped into Lianshan, who was rushing over with the wind at his feet.
"Shu, Shuzhen sister, are you alright? I’m really sorry, I was in such a rush and almost bumped into you!" He quickly helped steady her, apologizing and showing his concern, afraid that his fluster might have harmed or scared her in any way. After all, Shuzhen sister wasn’t very robust, and after going through so much, her mind couldn’t rest easy. Pregnant women are delicate to begin with, and if she were really startled into any harm...
Seeing the sincere man’s forehead full of sweat, Shuzhen couldn’t bear to scare him.
She quickly smiled to reassure, "Luckily, you were swift, I’m perfectly fine. But it’s you, where are you rushing to so quickly?"
Seeing that Shuzhen truly seemed fine, Lianshan’s worried heart settled down.
After wiping the sweat off his face with his arm, his face filled with worry, he said, "Well, I’m heading to team leader Lin Yuanzhi’s house. I need him to write an introduction letter and discuss advancing some money and grain tickets. My second brother Lian Hai’s eldest son was being mischievous and fell from a tree and broke his leg. The barefoot doctor said he needs to be sent to the provincial city hospital, only there do they have the doctors, equipment, and medication to perform surgery on children. If no surgery is done, not only will the child’s life be at risk, but he will also certainly end up disabled.
Shuzhen sister, I won’t talk much now, be careful on your way, I must hurry!"
Watching him halfway jogging towards the Lin family, Shuzhen shook her head helplessly, thinking even if he went, it would be in vain. That new official Lin Yuanzhi wanted to show his authority right away, and their brothers were precisely the old debtors owing money to the production team that they’re targeting. He’s ready to see how they pay during the autumn harvest, and now they want to borrow more? That’s even harder than reaching for the stars!
Though the timing is moved up, something indeed happened in her last life. Lin Yuanzhi, convinced of the village’s poverty, could only offer two pounds of millet in his private capacity and sent Lianshan away.
With no choice, Lianshan and Lian Hai brothers asked everyone they knew, barely scraping together the fare to the provincial city but could not pay for the medical bills. Young Lian Jie died of wound infection in the cold hospital bed in the provincial city. Wu Xia, along with a bunch of Dai family’s old friends and relatives, spread rumors saying that the reason Lin Yuanzhi refused to lend money to Lian Hai was solely because Lianshan married Liu Shuzhen.
Even if she was a "scourge," she was the Dai family’s scourge, and wasn’t something to be picked up by just anyone? Being the cheap father to a cadre’s son, he must’ve prepared for backlash!
The slander spread vividly and not only damaged her already tarnished reputation further but also caused the grief-stricken Lian Hai couple to leave and never return to this sad place.
In the previous life, her foolish husband regretted this for his entire life.
In this life, Shuzhen will never let this tragedy replay!