Chapter 4 : Han Zhenyu’s wife fainted from fear from her mother-in-law

Su Xieqiu sneered inwardly.  

A mere team leader flaunting his authority and distorting the truth, how impressive he thought he was.  

She discreetly pinched her thigh, causing her eyes to well up with tears, and then adopted the demeanor of a wronged young wife.  

“Team Leader Han, I’m the eldest daughter-in-law in this family, and I always do whatever my mother-in-law tells me. If she denies me food, I starve. I work in the fields during the day to earn work points, and when I come home, I rush to do the dirty chores without letting my sister-in-law or brother’s wife lift a finger. I even wash their clothes, and when they beat or scold me, I dare not fight back.”  

Her voice rose with emotion, and she fixed a sharp gaze on Han Baoqiang.  

“Team Leader Han, isn’t that enough? What more do you expect from me? How exactly should I set an example for them? You speak of a new society, but is this the life of someone in a new society? And you, as a leader, judge me without knowing the facts. Is this the behavior of a cadre in a new society? If so, then I do not accept it!”  

She brushed aside her disheveled hair to reveal the gash on her forehead. Her tone turned sarcastic.  

“Take a good look at my head, and you’ll know why I haven’t been to work these past few days. A few days ago, after coming home from work and helping the family wash clothes late into the night, my sister-in-law complained to my mother-in-law that her clothes weren’t clean. My mother-in-law punished me by denying me food for three days. Yet I still had to work in the fields during the day and do housework at night. I was so hungry one night that I secretly ate a piece of steamed bread. They almost beat me to death for it. Is this the ‘new society’ you’re talking about?”  

Han Baoqiang’s face turned pale, then flushed with embarrassment. He was at a loss for words.  

The villagers began murmuring among themselves, criticizing Yang Lanhua as a cruel stepmother.  

Just then, Han Baoguo and Yang Lanhua appeared, carrying hoes.  

Seeing the crowd, they assumed something exciting was happening.  

Yang Lanhua handed her hoe to Han Baoguo and walked over to investigate.  

Su Xieqiu saw them approaching and started devising a strategy to deal with her vicious mother-in-law.  

Suddenly, a tall, slender figure appeared in the distance, walking toward her.  

She stared at the man and realized he looked familiar.  

It was her husband, Han Zhenyu.  

According to the original owner’s memory, he had been away for more than ten days, his longest absence since their marriage.  

Su Xieqiu’s mind raced. Glancing at the approaching Yang Lanhua, she suddenly let out a desperate scream.  

“Mother-in-law, please don’t hit me anymore! I’ll listen to you from now on…”  

Before finishing her words, she collapsed dramatically to the ground.  

The crowd gasped in alarm. Two young women rushed over to support her, shouting anxiously, “Sister-in-law, what’s wrong? Sister-in-law!”

“Hurry and find a cart to take her to the health center,” an elderly woman said, pinching Su Xieqiu’s philtrum with her fingers.  

Su Xieqiu felt almost suffocated from the pinch, but she endured it without moving.  

At that moment, a young man shouted loudly, “Han Zhenyu’s wife fainted from fear of her mother-in-law!”  

Yang Lanhua, who had yet to reach the scene, froze in shock.  

“…”  

What the hell? Which little brat was tarnishing her name like this?  

She turned her head and saw it was Han Lei, a young troublemaker who often hung out with that scoundrel at home.  

Yang Lanhua slapped her thigh in fury and cursed loudly, “If you dare talk nonsense again, I’ll go straight to your father!”  

Han Lei laughed and replied, “Auntie, why drag my father into this? You should ask my mother first and see if she agrees!”  

The crowd erupted in laughter at his quick retort.  

Yang Lanhua was so enraged she nearly fainted. She pulled off one of her cloth shoes and hurled it at him.  

Han Lei easily dodged and, pinching his nose, teased, “Auntie, your shoes smell awful! Haven’t you washed your feet in days? How does Uncle Han even stand you?”  

Su Xieqiu, who had just managed to suppress her pain, nearly burst into laughter. She thought to herself that this guy was quite entertaining.  

The young wife supporting her scolded, “Han Lei, stop joking around and go find a cart to take my sister-in-law to the health station!”  

“Alright, alright, I’m going!” Han Lei said, finally taking her seriously.  

Meanwhile, Han Zhenyu, who had heard the commotion from afar, was about to avoid the crowd when his friend Han Lei ran over to him.  

Han Lei was surprised to see him and quickly pulled him aside. “Brother Zhenyu, you’re finally back!”  

Han Zhenyu asked in a low voice, “Leizi, what’s going on?”  

“What else? If you hadn’t returned, your wife might’ve been beaten to death by the Han family!” Han Lei shouted loudly, making sure everyone nearby heard.  

The crowd perked up even more when they saw the infamous little rascal of the Han family had returned. They stood at a distance, eager to see the drama unfold.  

Han Zhenyu frowned, his voice deep and commanding, “Leizi, explain.”  

Han Lei recounted everything he’d heard and added his own suspicion.  

“My sister-in-law fainted as soon as she heard your stepmother’s voice. I think she was terrified of her. My wife and Dashu’s wife are staying with her, and they told me to get a cart to take her to the health station.”  

Han Zhenyu was taken aback after hearing the story.  

From the sound of it, Su Xieqiu wasn’t as spineless as he’d assumed. But if she had this kind of spirit, why had she let herself be bullied so badly?  

With a cold, unreadable expression, he glanced at Yang Lanhua and Han Baoguo before saying to Han Lei, “Go get a cart now. I’ll go check on her…your sister-in-law.”  

Su Xieqiu listened as the footsteps grew closer and closer, her nerves on edge with a tinge of repulsion.  

She knew these feelings weren’t her own but rather an instinctive reaction of the body she now inhabited.  

From this, Su Xieqiu deduced that the original owner of this body must have deeply disliked the man named Han Zhenyu.  

After all, the original owner’s boyfriend back in the city had been the son of a factory director.  

In that era, a match like that was considered excellent, far beyond anything a rural man like Han Zhenyu could offer.  

Moreover, Han Zhenyu had a reputation as a notorious village thug lazy, ill-tempered, and unwilling to work.  

In her fragmented memories, the original owner’s city boyfriend had been a gentle man with glasses, a stark contrast to Han Zhenyu, and someone the original owner had genuinely liked.  

Even after that man betrayed her, the original owner couldn’t fully forget him.  

As Han Zhenyu approached and saw the gaping cut on Su Xieqiu’s head, his expression darkened.  

Though he held no affection for his wife, he understood that she still carried feelings for someone else.  

Nevertheless, since they were married, he believed it was his duty as a man to shoulder his responsibilities.  

From the beginning of their marriage, Han Zhenyu had given her three dollars in pocket money each month, along with various ration coupons.  

In theory, with this allowance, Su Xieqiu didn’t need to be at the mercy of the Han family’s whims.  

If she had quietly bought food and daily essentials for herself, her life could have been much easier.  

Yet, seeing her in such a pitiful state now, Han Zhenyu couldn’t comprehend how this woman had managed to live like this.  

Originally, he had planned to find an opportunity to take her back to the city and divorce her there, avoiding the daily irritation of her presence.  

Her mere presence disrupted his nights, as he worried he might accidentally brush against her and be mistaken for a lecher.  

Given his already poor reputation in the village, he wasn’t particularly concerned about others’ opinions. However, he did not want to add the label of “scoundrel” to his name, as he still hoped to find a proper wife in the future.  

But now, his plans were derailed by this new fiasco.  

Han Zhenyu scowled, feeling that these people were truly testing his patience. Perhaps he had been too lenient with them.  

Han Lei’s wife, noticing his grim expression, softly suggested, “Brother Zhenyu, I think the cut on my sister-in-law’s head is quite deep. The village clinic doesn’t have much in terms of medicine. How about taking her to the commune health center for a proper checkup?”  

Han Zhenyu nodded. “Once Lei Zi gets the cart, I’ll take her there. Thank you both for your help.”  

“It’s nothing, really. We didn’t do much,” Han Lei’s wife and Sun Dashu’s wife replied hurriedly.