Chapter 25: Brother Xu Huaiguo’s past love affairs

At that moment, Xu Huaian returned, carrying bricks. As soon as he stepped into the yard, he saw everyone’s faces lit up with smiles, and he was a little puzzled. “What’s going on? What’s the good news that has everyone so happy?”

Shi Qingqian greeted him with a smile, handing him the certificate, cash prize, and marriage registration certificate, and relayed what Xu’s parents had said.

“Too bad you came back too late today; you missed meeting Comrade Wang.”

“No rush. Whether I meet him or not doesn’t matter. What’s most important now is that we go get our marriage certificate first thing tomorrow morning.”

The atmosphere between Xu Huaian and Shi Qingqian was warm and tender. In stark contrast, Xu Huaiguo and Li Guifang were having a completely different scene. Xu Huaiguo was forcefully dragging Li Guifang back toward her home village. Along the way, Li Guifang cried and begged constantly.

“Huaiguo, I know I was wrong. Please don’t send me back to my parents’ house. I promise I won’t cause trouble again. I’ll get along with Shi Qingqian properly and won’t meddle anymore. Just trust me this one time,” Li Guifang sobbed, clutching Xu Huaiguo’s arm tightly.

Xu Huaiguo’s face was iron-gray, unmoved. “Where were you before? Look at what mess you’ve made in this house. If you keep causing trouble, not only me and the third brother, but sooner or later, the second and third brothers and even our parents will be disrupted by you.”

“I was just momentarily confused,” Li Guifang sniffled. “When have our parents ever been biased toward me? Why do they treat Shi Qingqian so well, giving money and building a house for her? They could have treated me as their daughter-in-law and you as their son!”

Hearing this, Xu Huaiguo’s anger flared. “How many times do I have to tell you? The dowry for the third brother’s wife is from her own money; it has nothing to do with our parents. You just saw mother give some money to the third brother, and mother already said it was for him to buy a watch for his wife.”

“All these years, the third brother risked his life in the army while we enjoyed the money he sent back. The house he built, even your bride price, was all provided by him. Over the years, he paid for the eldest child’s tuition as well. After all that, does his wife not even deserve a single watch? Li Guifang, you need to have some conscience.”

“Mother’s right. Since you don’t want to behave in our family, go back to your parents’ house. Once you learn to behave, you may return; if not, never come back.”

Li Guifang was stunned by Xu Huaiguo’s words. She stared at him blankly, tears streaming down her face. “Huaiguo, how dare you treat me like this? Don’t forget, I gave birth to two sons for you! What right do you have to send me back? I’m telling you, if you leave me here today, I’ll smash my head against the door and die.”

Seeing Li Guifang throwing a tantrum, Xu Huaiguo suddenly recalled the day she married him. She had said the same thing then, and he had given in, enduring nearly ten years of chaos. His gaze became complicated. “Li Guifang, this time I cannot be soft. Over the years, my repeated compromises have made our lives more chaotic. You have never truly reflected on your actions and keep making the same mistakes.”

Li Guifang widened her eyes in disbelief. “Huaiguo, are you really going to be so cruel? After all these years of marriage, you don’t care about us?”

“I know you’re still thinking about that wretched woman, aren’t you? Ten years, I’ve been married to you, borne two sons, and you still think of her.”

Hearing this, Xu Huaiguo was furious. “What nonsense are you spouting? When have I ever thought of anyone else? Stop making baseless accusations!”

Li Guifang refused to relent. “You say you haven’t. If not, why are you so angry? Why are you so cruel to me? It’s her, it’s her, that wretch! Wretch!”

“Shut your mouth!”

“What? You care now? Hmph, the more you care, the more I’ll curse her. She’s not only a wretch but a slut, dangling you while sleeping with other men. Has it been so long you’ve forgotten? Today, I’ll help you remember properly…”

“Smack!” Xu Huaiguo, unable to bear it any longer, slapped Li Guifang across the face. She froze, covering her face, tears welling in her eyes.

“You hit me?”

“I am your husband, yet you hit me for the sake of that woman? Ha…” Xu Huaiguo’s anger boiled over. “Li Guifang, you’re utterly unreasonable.”

“I am unreasonable? And what about you, Huaiguo? You don’t treat your wife properly and still think about other women!”

“I’ll tell you, even if I thought of her, do you know what she went through while I held you and slept with you, bearing your children? That woman, in the dead of winter, lay naked in a pigsty, her child inside her frozen to death, and she had to watch it all, ha…”

Xu Huaiguo was shocked, eyes wide in disbelief. “Impossible… that’s impossible… she…”

“She said she married a rich city man, right? She lied to you. The day after our marriage, her drunken father sold her to the mountains.”

Li Guifang wiped her tears and sneered. “How is it? Feeling sympathy now? Knowing she suffered, you want to take her back? As long as I’m alive, don’t even think about it, Huaiguo.”

Xu Huaiguo stood there, stunned, turmoil and guilt for Ah Yue pressing on his chest. He had always thought Ah Yue had deceived and abandoned him; the real deceiver had been the woman lying beside him for ten years. He had once truly wanted a good life with Li Guifang. Now, recalling it, he slapped himself hard across the face.

Li Guifang was startled by Xu Huaiguo’s sudden action. He looked pained. “I’ve been blind, deceived by you all these years. I always thought Ah Yue betrayed me, but it was you behind the scenes. How could you… how dare you…”

Li Guifang, seeing Xu Huaiguo’s suffering, panicked inwardly but could not admit her wrongdoing. “Huaiguo, what did I do wrong? I only loved you too much. I met you first, liked you first, and that wretch took you away. I’m just taking back what’s mine—what’s wrong with that?”