Chapter 113 : No Good Intentions  

Zheng Lanhua realized she wouldn’t be able to give away the silver bracelet today. She glared at Fang Xiaoluo and said, “If you want to wear gold and silver when you’re 70, go find yourself a husband. I only make a few dollars a year, I can’t save enough for you.”  

Fang Xiaoluo widened her eyes in mock indignation. “You dare give away the silver bracelet? What if I turn around and get tired of you, kick you out, and leave you to fend for yourself? How would you live then? Would you go out begging for food?”  

Zheng Lanhua couldn’t help but laugh, feeling much lighter after Fang Xiaoluo’s playful banter.  

Rewrapping the silver bracelet carefully, she stood up. “I can’t argue with you. Fine, I won’t give it to you anymore.”  

As Zheng Lanhua walked away, Fang Xiaoluo turned to Yu Xiaopang, who stood nearby. “Did you come to play with Xiaxia?”  

Yu Xiaopang nodded, then shook his head. “I came to check if second brother is feeling better first.”  

Shen Haiping, who had been eating quietly, looked up and said, “I feel much better.”  

Yu Xiaopang’s eyes widened in shock. “Second brother, you… you spoke?”  

He was astonished, almost flustered.  

Shen Haiping, a bit shy, lowered his head and resumed drinking his porridge.  

Shen Jinxia jumped off her chair, proudly declaring, “My mother cured my second brother!”  

Yu Xiaopang looked at Fang Xiaoluo with wide-eyed admiration. “Auntie, you’re amazing!”  

Fang Xiaoluo waved her hand, laughing. “Alright, you kids go play now.”  

—

At noon, as Xu Yaqiu left the factory after work, she saw Xu Chengwen waiting at the gate.  

The morning had been chaotic for Xu Chengwen. Previously, Xu Zhigang had always managed the family woodworking factory. While Xu Chengwen showed up every day, he’d only half-heartedly listen to Xu Zhigang’s instructions, often doing as little as possible.  

But now that Xu Zhigang was detained, everything had fallen apart. There was barely any work left at the factory, and this morning alone, they had already lost a customer.  

With the factory in disarray and family life in shambles, Xu Chengwen was panicking. He anxiously awaited news from Xu Yaqiu, who had promised the night before that Zhou Ping would step in to help.  

As soon as he saw her, he hurried over. “Yaqiu!”  

Yaqiu greeted him with a heavy heart. “Brother.”  

Pulling her aside, Xu Chengwen asked, “What did your father-in-law say? Did he inquire about it?”  

Reluctantly, Xu Yaqiu recounted Zhou Ping’s response.  

“All excuses!” Xu Chengwen exclaimed angrily, punching the wall. “He’s a factory director, he has connections everywhere. People like him are on friendly terms with Public Security Bureau officials, so how can he claim to have no say? This is absurd!”  

Xu Yaqiu silently agreed but had no counterargument. Zhou Ping had been firm about not being able to help.  

Looking her up and down, Xu Chengwen sneered, “Yaqiu, you’ve really let us down. Our parents brought you back from the countryside, yet you can’t even handle something this small. How do you even manage to stay in the Zhou family?”  

“You were the one who promised last night that it would be sorted out today. Turns out, you’re all talk. The truth is, the Zhou family doesn’t value you at all! We can’t count on you for anything!”  

Without giving her a chance to respond, Xu Chengwen stormed off, leaving her standing there.  

Feeling both humiliated and furious, Yaqiu clutched her stomach as a dull ache began to spread.  

She couldn’t return to her parents’ home, so she had no choice but to head back to her own house at noon.  

When she arrived, she discovered that Zhou Ping and Qian Haixia weren’t there, they were clearly avoiding her.  

What made matters worse was that Zhou Yanwen wasn’t home either, leaving her with no outlet for her anger.  

Taking it out on Zhou Yanwen’s younger siblings didn’t seem like a good idea.  

Xu Yaqiu felt as though her anger was stuck in her chest, refusing to subside. Her stomach was full of frustration, and she went to work in the afternoon without eating.  

Later in the afternoon, she found time to look for Zhou Ping again, only to discover that Zhou Ping wasn’t at the factory at all.  

Finally, as work ended, she walked out of the factory gates and unexpectedly saw Wang Hongfang.  

The last time Wang Hongfang was kicked into the river by Fang Xiaoluo, she had become a laughingstock in the village.  

She had no idea how to deal with Fang Xiaoluo. Worse still, after what Fang Xiaoluo said last time, Wang Hongfang didn’t dare approach the Fang family anymore. Anytime she got close, the villagers would start gossiping unpleasantly about her, which made her furious.  

Today, she had come out for three reasons: to clear her head, complain to Xu Yaqiu, and share some news.  

As soon as she saw Xu Yaqiu exiting, Wang Hongfang jumped up and waved, “Yaqiu, Yaqiu!”  

Xu Yaqiu walked over and asked, “Why are you here?”  

It was then that Wang Hongfang noticed Xu Yaqiu’s poor state. Her complexion looked pale, and she seemed worse off than she had been in Honghe Village.  

“Yaqiu, are you feeling unwell?”  

Xu Yaqiu shook her head. “I’m fine. Maybe it’s just the pregnancy.”  

“It’s tough being pregnant,” Wang Hongfang said. “You should take better care of yourself. After all, you’re from a well-off family, and you’ve married a good man, so be kind to yourself.”  

Xu Yaqiu enjoyed hearing praise about her good life, so she would never admit her troubles. “Have you eaten yet? Come on, let me treat you to a meal at the restaurant.”  

Wang Hongfang beamed. “Thank you, Yaqiu. You’re so generous!”  

The two entered a state-owned restaurant and ordered two dishes.  

As they ate, Wang Hongfang said, “Yaqiu, I came here to tell you something. You and your family need to be careful. Someone from the Jiangcheng Court came to our village, asking the villagers about you trespassing into the Fang household and insulting Fang Xiaoluo. A lot of villagers testified against you. I think they’re planning something.”  

Xu Yaqiu stabbed angrily at her rice with her chopsticks. “I don’t know what kind of spell Fang Xiaoluo has cast on them. I’ve lived in that village for more than ten years. How long has she even been in Honghe Village?”  

“Exactly!” Wang Hongfang chimed in. “Yaqiu, you don’t know when Fang Xiaoluo came back to visit her family last time, she was afraid I’d marry Fang Qiang, so she kicked me into the river! Then she turned the tables on me, claiming I was depressed and tried to kill myself. It made me so angry I fell ill. Look at how much weight I’ve lost!”  

Xu Yaqiu, consumed by her own problems, hadn’t been keeping up with the goings-on in Honghe Village. She considered herself a city dweller now and didn’t see the point in paying attention to village matters.  

“You really do look thinner. Fang Xiaoluo just doesn’t want anyone to live a good life!” After ranting about Fang Xiaoluo, Xu Yaqiu leaned in and whispered, “I’ve got an idea for you. Want to hear it?”  

Wang Hongfang immediately perked up. “Go ahead!”  

“Are you still in touch with Yan Mingyi from Liulin Village?” Xu Yaqiu asked.  

“Not recently,” Wang Hongfang replied. “I’ve been focused on trying to marry Fang Qiang. Yan Mingyi isn’t good-looking anyway.”  

“Well, you can’t marry Fang Qiang now,” Xu Yaqiu said. “But hasn’t Yan Mingyi always liked you? Go to him, cry, and tell him how Fang Xiaoluo bullied you. Ask him to help you get revenge. He’s a bit of a thug, isn’t he? He has connections with other gangsters…”  

Wang Hongfang considered the suggestion and nodded. “But what if Yan Mingyi wants me to marry him? I don’t want to end up with someone like that.”  

“Revenge comes first,” Xu Yaqiu said. “Besides, just because you cry to him doesn’t mean you’re promising to marry him. If he wants to stand up for you, that’s his decision.”  

Wang Hongfang nodded again. “Alright, I’ll take your advice and go see him tomorrow.”