Chapter 55: Aunt’s Ordeal

How did Jing Xi know?

Because all these dramatic situations always unfolded in the same way.

A distant aunt and a cousin…

Seeing that Jing Xi didn’t respond, Zhao Qin continued speaking, “That’s true, but that was something that happened later. In between, a lot more went on.”

“When the distant aunt and cousin arrived, her mother-in-law’s health did improve significantly. She was able to go outside, started smiling more, and even ate more than usual. The cousin took care of her well. In that household, from the elders to the children, anyone unaware of the situation would have thought she was the new daughter-in-law.”

“But the cousin wasn’t stupid. Taking care of an entire household every day—how could she do that without expecting something in return? Slowly, the aunt and cousin began asking for money. At first, they only requested small amounts, claiming they needed snacks or household necessities. But over time, they started asking for more—three yuan for this, five yuan for that. Your aunt’s ex-husband would hand over nearly all his earnings to the cousin.”

“That old woman even said, ‘As an older brother, he should act like one. Spending a little money is nothing—we can afford it.’ Your aunt waited for her husband to come fetch her for a long time, but he never did. So, she decided to go back and check. And when she arrived, she saw her own husband handing money to the cousin—with the cousin looking all shy and delicate. That made your aunt furious.”

“She had never even spent a cent of the money her husband earned. Every month, he would hand over his entire salary to his parents, and sometimes your aunt even had to pitch in from her own pocket. But now, this distant cousin arrived and could take as much money as she pleased? Who wouldn’t be angry?”

Jing Xi understood. “Did they fight?”

Zhao Qin nodded. “Yes, not only did they argue, but they even got physical. Your aunt’s ex-husband claimed that the cousin had worked hard taking care of his mother and that giving her a little money wasn’t a big deal. But your aunt wasn’t willing to let it go—she asked how much he had given. After doing the math, she realized that in just two months, he had given away over two hundred yuan. That enraged her. She directly questioned him, asking if he had feelings for the cousin. He denied it, but the cousin started crying. That infuriated the old woman! She immediately began stirring up trouble, badmouthing your aunt.”

“They were both young and hot-headed. In the end, the argument escalated, and they started fighting because of that wretched old woman. Your aunt was small and thin—how could she stand a chance against a man? And with his parents backing him up, she ended up getting beaten black and blue and had to return to the village in disgrace.”

“That cousin was full of schemes. She even secretly bought gifts and brought them over to your aunt, but your aunt threw them all out. Honestly, if you ask me, she shouldn’t have! She should’ve kept them and eaten them all out of spite!”

“But giving gifts wasn’t enough. The cousin came back twice more, pretending to be pitiful and crying at the doorstep. She claimed there was nothing between her and her cousin, that she only spent money to buy nice food for her aunt to help her recover. She insisted she would be leaving Nanzhen soon and begged your aunt not to misunderstand.”

“When she started crying, your grandaunt actually felt guilty, thinking she was the one in the wrong. She was just too soft-hearted, believing whatever others said. Later, that cousin did leave, and once she was gone, the whole family was left without someone to take care of them. That was when your grandaunt’s ex-husband finally remembered that his wife was still living in the village. So, he brought a few apples, admitted his mistake, apologized, and took her back.”

“As soon as she returned, she had to endure her mother-in-law’s cold attitude again, take care of the entire household, and bear all the gossip from outsiders. It was miserable. And then, two months later, that cousin wrote again—this time to borrow money. She asked for 300 yuan, saying her family had an urgent matter. So, the whole family scrimped and saved for a few months and mailed the money to her.

The worst part? The mother-in-law made the decision on her own. She had Yuzhu write and send the letter, and her son didn’t even know about it. The old woman even told Yuzhu not to tell him!”

“So, the money was gone. Later, your grandaunt’s ex-husband started noticing that the family was eating plain food every day—just potatoes, no real meals. His mother had just recovered from a serious illness and needed proper nutrition, so he asked her why she wasn’t giving Yuzhu more money to buy eggs and meat.”

Zhao Qin let out a mocking laugh. “Do you know what that old woman said? She claimed she wasn’t in charge of the money anymore! She said all the money from the past few months had been managed by Yuzhu! She even acted clueless about where the money had gone and told her foolish son to go ask Yuzhu! And guess what? That idiot actually believed her!”

Jing Xi was getting angrier by the second. “Figures! Evil people always act like this!”

Zhao Qin nodded. “That’s exactly what I told your grandaunt. That old woman was rotten to the core. Anyway, the man went to confront Yuzhu about the money, and of course, she denied it. He didn’t fully trust his mother, but he still found the situation suspicious. So, he dragged both his mother and Yuzhu into a confrontation. No matter what, the old woman kept insisting she had given the money to Yuzhu and refused to admit that she had sent it to the cousin instead!”

“Your grandaunt was too soft, always letting people take advantage of her. Even the two younger brothers she had taken such good care of were somehow convinced to lie, saying they saw the mother give the money to their sister-in-law and that she was the one who sent the letter. Later, when Yuzhu explained that the money was actually sent to the cousin, her husband refused to believe her. And once again, a fight broke out over money…”

Jing Xi clenched the teacup in her hands.

Zhao Qin, visibly agitated, got up to pour herself a drink. She gulped down the water before letting out a long sigh. “This time, your grandaunt was beaten so badly that she ended up in the hospital. She told me—her leg was broken, her nose was fractured, a huge chunk of her hair was pulled out, and she nearly lost an eye. And that was when she finally made up her mind to leave that man for good.”

“While she was in the hospital, no one came to take care of her. It was the nurses who helped her through it. After she was discharged, she packed up her things and went back to the village. Since they never had a marriage certificate, the marriage was as good as over.

Then, about a month later, that man showed up at her door again.”

“For what?”

“His mother was sick again. This time, it was a terminal illness. There were four men in the house, yet not a single one could take care of her. That’s when they suddenly remembered your grandaunt!

And the cousin? No one knew what she was up to at that point, but she kept coming back to borrow money every now and then. Eventually, the man realized all the missing money had been going to her.”

“But what could he do at that point? It was too late to fix things. Your grandaunt had hardened her heart and refused to go back. She stayed in the village, and the man didn’t dare force her. In the end, he actually went to the cousin and gave her two choices—either pay back the money or come and take care of his mother.

The cousin couldn’t handle the pressure, so she agreed to take care of the old woman. But instead of nursing her back to health, she ended up taking care of her right into the grave.”

“The moment the old hag died, the cousin saw her chance to move in. By then, the two younger brothers had stable jobs with salaries, and the father had been rehired at the mine. The whole family was making money, and she was the only one who got to enjoy it all. So, she and your grandaunt’s ex-husband got together, eventually had a wedding, and even got legally married.”

“After that, your grandaunt stayed in the village alone and never remarried. Many people tried to set her up with new partners, but she refused them all.”

“At first, I didn’t understand why she chose to stay single for the rest of her life. But later, I finally realized—she was just too traumatized by it all.”

By this point, Jing Xi completely understood why Yuzhu had always been so quiet and reserved.

And perhaps Zhao Qin was telling her all this because, as she got older, she had finally found someone to confide in. She just needed to let out all the pain that had been bottled up for years.