Chapter 32: Crying Too Soon

He also said he wanted to divorce her.

In this era, few people got divorced. Hu Yao couldn’t say she was heavy-hearted or sad, but rather, she was more bewildered.

If Jiang Han really wanted to divorce her, her current situation would be very troublesome. She was a woman, with no family to rely on and no other skills to support herself.

Hu Guifen had also found opportunities to visit her a few times recently. Her attitude towards Hu Yao remained the same as before, and she was even more resentful and cursed at her because she refused to give her money and speak well of her stepfather and Jiang Han.

If Jiang Han really didn’t want her anymore, she couldn’t go back to the Hu family, and Hu Guifen wouldn’t let her off easily.

She had taken things for granted. Jiang Han wouldn’t be lenient or kind to her just because she was Jiang Xiaochao’s mother.

Chaotic thoughts flooded in, and Hu Yao was in a mess.

Old people often said that a girl’s life is like a water lily, drifting aimlessly, a lifetime of hardship. What’s more, they were poor people.

Hu Yao had never had a good life. Only the short few years of her father’s affection in her childhood were probably the happiest days of her life in these ten or twenty years.

In the early years, every family was even poorer. Although Hu Guifen would often beat and scold her, she still raised her for so many years, allowing her to grow up.

She was her mother. Since she was young, she favored Hu Qiao and her younger brother Hu Yaoguo. Hu Yao wasn’t without grievances and anger, but after her father passed away, no one cared about her feelings anymore, no matter how wronged she was.

A child without love, what right did she have to be wronged?

Hu Guifen sold her to the old cripple after she became a fool. Hu Yao knew that Hu Qiao must have been involved. She was heartbroken.

In her heart, no matter how badly they treated her, she still considered them family.

All these years, she had only truly woken up now. The family affection she valued meant nothing to them.

Or rather, she was simply unimportant.

Other girls could at least rely on their families after marriage, making their lives in their husband’s family less miserable.

But Hu Guifen and the others were different. They wished Jiang Han would treat her even worse. If Jiang Han really didn’t want her anymore, and saw her living miserably, they might even clap their hands and cheer.

Hu Yao’s eyes were filled with a mist, and they turned red.

What girl wouldn’t look forward to and fantasize about her future husband? In the bloom of youth, Hu Yao had also shyly discussed it with her friends of similar age.

Hu Guifen was naturally good-looking, and she used this to find good families for Hu Yao, so she could ask for more money and wasn’t in a hurry to marry her off.

In the spring of that year, the call for educated youth to go to the countryside went out, and a young man with a bright and cheerful smile walked into her plain and barren world.

He taught her to read and write, discussed profound and broad principles and knowledge, and enriched her understanding with his insights.

He came from a good family, but he wasn’t arrogant. His smile was always gentle and bright, dazzling. Even when doing dirty and heavy farm work, he didn’t complain or feel sad.

He liked her. His obvious affection was hot, evident in his eyes and actions.

He was completely different from others. He was gentle and patient, close but respectful, well-mannered and dignified. The only time he lost his composure was when he blushed slightly with a smile and praised her beautiful smile, saying she was special and unique.

In his heart…

He told her about the taste of pastries in his hometown in Beicheng, how they were hot and sweet. He confessed his feelings to her, solemnly and sincerely asking for her opinion, wanting to marry her as his wife, to take her back to Beicheng to eat even sweeter and warmer fresh pastries.

Hu Yao had never been valued like this before. How could she not be moved?

But fate was not on their side. She couldn’t be his wife, and she couldn’t go to Beicheng.

Now, there was no news of him at all. He went home, and she was now considered married with a child.

She had been avoiding thinking about these things after she woke up. Now, four years had passed, and things had changed. What was there to say?

He should be married now.

Everything from the past was like a dream bubble, easily broken, unreal.

She shouldn’t be thinking about him now. She should be thinking about what to do in the future.

But when a person is lost and wandering, they will always uncontrollably seek warmth.

“Yaoyao, don’t cry.”

Jiang Xiaochao’s childish voice was lowered, his eyes were helpless and careful as he reached out to wipe her tears.

“I, I’ll grow up, and then Dad won’t bully you anymore.” After saying that, he pursed his small lips.

Hu Yao came to her senses, looked down at him, her heart sour and complex. She hugged him tightly without saying anything.

He was her greatest comfort now.

Gently blinking away the moisture in her eyes, Hu Yao calmed her emotions and spoke to him softly as she usually did.

After the morning incident, Jiang Han didn’t go home all day. He probably went to find her to settle the score at night, as he said.

But even after midnight, he still hadn’t come back.

Hu Yao was nervous and didn’t know when she fell asleep.

He said he wanted to divorce her. Although he usually disliked Jiang Xiaochao, he wouldn’t give him to her. She didn’t know if she would be able to see him later. She was reluctant and sad, so she stayed by Jiang Xiaochao’s side all day.

Jiang Xiaochao was still young and didn’t quite understand what divorce meant. He just thought it was a quarrel.

But this time, seeing Hu Yao so down and even crying, he was also unhappy. He said a lot of bad things about Jiang Han, and then carefully tried to cheer Hu Yao up.

He even took the initiative to ask Hu Yao to sleep with him tonight, and he told her stories to comfort her, looking like a little adult.

Hu Yao was amused by him, and her heart felt particularly warm.

It was hard to say who was comforting whom. The two of them talked for a long time before they fell asleep.

In the middle of the night, Hu Yao woke up again.

She was awakened by Jiang Han’s bite.

His hand went down, and he wanted to pull off her clothes.

Her scattered sleepiness was completely gone, and she  pressed his hand down.

Before, she hadn’t seen him, so she didn’t think too much about it. But today, seeing him with another woman, thinking about what he did with others, and then coming to touch her, she felt a sudden resistance and disgust.

So dirty.

Her slight force was nothing to Jiang Han. He easily grasped her wrist and held her captive, lowering his head to bite her lip again.

Hu Yao couldn’t break free from him. She didn’t know if it was anxiety or something else, but tears welled up in her eyes, gathering and falling.

“Crying too soon, I haven’t done anything to you yet!” Jiang Han frowned and let go of her. Seeing her tear-filled eyes and unreadable emotions, he was displeased. The fingertip that wiped away the tears from her eyes pressed harder, making the redness at the corner of her eyes even more pronounced.

He wiped her eyes so hard that they stung. Hu Yao couldn’t help but grab his hand again, shifting back and creating distance between them, her disgust obvious.

This action again displeased Jiang Han. He pulled her back and held her in his arms: “What do you mean?”

” … Aren’t you coming back tonight to divorce me?” Hu Yao said calmly in a low voice.

Jiang Han paused for a few seconds, as if remembering that he had indeed said something like that.