Perhaps she was a girl he had truly liked once, and even though Li Jinzhi had changed drastically from before, he still recognized her immediately.
For some reason, he just stood there, dumbfounded.
Li Jinzhi also paused when she saw Wang Yongping, especially remembering how Wang Yongzhu had insulted her, saying she had aged, and that standing next to Wang Yongping, she looked like his aunt.
That was something she could not tolerate; after all, she had been the belle of the village and had always taken pride in her beauty.
Someone as simple-minded as Wang Yongping had never caught her eye.
Upon seeing him today, she couldn’t help but take a few extra looks to see how the Wang family, which had gone through such a big ordeal, was probably struggling even to fill their stomachs. Now with only Wang Yongping, a man, to support the household, and with his simple-minded ways, he was likely worrying himself to the point of going grey, right?
To her surprise, upon looking, she realized Wang Yongzhu hadn’t lied!
Wang Yongping wasn’t going grey from worry; on the contrary, he looked lively and robust, with a healthier complexion than before, and even more of a man’s bearing.
How could this be? The Wang family! What on earth had happened to them? Why hadn’t they been affected at all?
She couldn’t accept it!
Li Jinzhi’s mind raced with questions.
Upon seeing the fleeting change of expression when Wang Yongping laid eyes on her, Li Jinzhi immediately had an idea.
Wang Yongping was the most gullible of all, so why not try to tease some words out of him.
Feigning fragility and innocence was something Li Jinzhi was good at, although she had never bothered to display this act in front of Wang Yongping before.
Now, she had no choice but to use it. She pinched herself hard to bring tears to her eyes, cast a steady look at Wang Yongping, then covered her face and turned away as if she couldn’t bear to face him.
She hadn’t walked two steps before stumbling; her whole body tilted crazily, threatening to fall to the ground.
When Wang Yongping saw Li Jinzhi, noticing her with a big belly, looking haggard despite being better dressed than before, he knew at a glance that her life was not going well.
He felt a conflicting emotion rise within him. On one hand, he felt a sense of schadenfreude, thinking she deserved it for being unfaithful, for finding a man, and for being pregnant with no proper status!
On the other hand, he felt that the girl he had once liked so much was now in such a state, he suspected the man she had desperately wanted to marry did not cherish her at all! The girl who he had once not even dared to speak loudly to, was now appearing before him in such a distressed state.
The man’s innate nature of compassion for the weak surfaced.
Especially after seeing Li Jinzhi look at him, tears forming in her eyes, wanting to say something but holding back, covering her face and turning to run, probably too ashamed to face him.
In her panic, she failed to watch her step and was about to fall down.
Without a second thought, Wang Yongping rushed forward and caught Li Jinzhi, feeling how terribly thin her arm was under the clothes.
But he remembered, after all, that although Li Jinzhi had not married He Dawei, she was still his woman. After catching her and ensuring she was steady, he quickly let go and stepped back.
Li Jinzhi’s tears fell like threaded beads, crying while shouting, "Why do you save me? Aren’t you here to laugh at me? I was so blind then, rejecting you and determined to follow He Dawei, and now I’ve ended up in such a state. Are you happy now?"
Wang Yongping had never seen Li Jinzhi cry before and was at a loss for words, stammering, "I... I didn’t..."
Li Jinzhi’s tears fell harder, "I know, I wronged you! The person I’ve wronged the most in my life is you! I was foolish, seduced by a few sweet words, some colorful clothes, and jewelry from He Dawei, and gave myself to him, and then I couldn’t leave him! Now, I regret it; he’s not worth a damn! Seeing that my natal family is gone, he’s reneging on me! He doesn’t even care about the child in my womb, just left me in their family, where his mother torments me."
"Every morning before dawn, I have to get up to clean their yard, wash the clothes, and cook! After all that, I still have to help out at the shop! My back hurts so much I can’t even straighten up, and He Dawei is outside fooling around with other women! If it weren’t for the child in my belly, I would’ve rather be dead!"
"Don’t... don’t die..." Wang Yongping was startled and hastily advised her.
"If I don’t die, what’s the point of living now? The whole town is laughing at me—" Li Jinzhi said this deliberately, pausing to give Wang Yongping a look filled with resentment.
Wang Yongping scratched his head, "Why would they laugh at you?"
Li Jinzhi pretended to be in a tough spot, biting her lip, "A few days ago, when your sister came to town to shop with Song Chongjin, I happened to see them and just asked an extra question. Who knew that it would anger your sister and she scolded me on the spot! Nobody in town knew about my affairs; I have my dignity, and I also think of the child in my belly. I can’t let it be born only to be laughed at!"
Under Li Jinzhi’s expectant gaze, Wang Yongping reluctantly nodded his head.
"But your sister, she didn’t hold back at all when she scolded me just for asking. And now, she has broadcasted the fact that I wronged you all over town, saying so many nasty things! I know your sister bears a grudge against me in her heart, and I don’t blame her, but, she made me lose all dignity. How am I supposed to live now—" She said and began to cry pitifully again.
Wang Yongping, being protective of his sister, naturally stood firmly on her side at this time, plus he didn’t really understand why Li Jinzhi was crying. He thought about it and said, "My sister didn’t say anything wrong! How about you avoid her when you see her from now on? She won’t bother to chase and scold you for no reason! You’re no match for her, so it’s better to stay away! Wait till the child in your belly grows up; by then, a few years will have passed, and people will probably have forgotten about it!"
This was the most sincere advice. In Wang Yongping’s heart, there was no one in this world who could stand against his sister.
Not only is she fierce with words, but most people can’t withstand her, and the most important thing is, when she doesn’t feel like scolding you, that’s terrifying! It means your life is in grave danger!
Seeing as they had at least known each other for some time, Wang Yongping kindly offered some advice.
Li Jinzhi’s crying suddenly stopped, and her face stiffened.
Something wasn’t right with how things were going. Wasn’t Wang Yongping supposed to comfort her and then say he would educate Wang Yongzhu properly when he got back?
After all, the Wang family should be depending on Wang Yongping now, right?
What a coward! Li Jinzhi thought angrily.
"Sigh, I never thought your family would be now, and even though you are the head of the household, you still treat your sister so well. It really makes people envious!" Li Jinzhi said through gritted teeth.
Wang Yongping was taken aback and hastily waved his hand, "No, no! It’s my sister who’s in charge of our family now! My sister is amazing. As her brother, if I don’t treat her well, who will I treat well?"
Li Jinzhi was shocked, "What? Your sister is in charge of your family? How can an unmarried girl be in charge of a household? Don’t you have you? How could it be her turn?"
Once Wang Yongping started on this topic, there was no end to his words. Now that he had finally found someone to talk to at length, he spoke of how Wang Yongzhu exchanged her life-saving deed for silver, used it to treat Old Wang and Wang Yongfu, and even convinced the big boss to let their family help with collecting mountain goods...