Chapter 39: Catching the Cheaters (Part 1)

From the moment Huo Chuchun spoke, Chi Wan knew what she was about to say.

For Huo Chuchun to willingly speak these words, it was undoubtedly a start in a positive direction.

Chi Wan didn’t interrupt the young girl’s hard-earned courage.

She listened quietly and attentively.

“Sister-in-law, I’m actually not a child of this family. My mother picked me up from the fields…”

“It was a snowy winter. I was placed in a bamboo basket, covered with a small blanket…”

“From my mother to my older brother and second brother, everyone kept this a secret from me. But there are so many people in the village, and those gossipy aunties… I knew my true identity from the age of five…”

Huo Chuchun’s voice didn’t carry much sadness as she spoke.

Over the long ten years, she had completely accepted the fact that she was abandoned by her biological parents.

She was just a little nervous…

Because this was the first time she wanted to confide her deepest secrets to someone.

This nervous and fearful, yet irresistible intimate feeling was something she had never experienced before.

Meanwhile.

As Huo Chuchun spoke, she gently touched the dark red birthmark on her right cheek.

Her fingertips felt the moisture of the cold cream and the smooth skin.

There was no ugly bulge, but in Huo Chuchun’s heart, it left a wound that was still bleeding.

Perhaps her biological parents abandoned her because of this birthmark, a mark she was born with.

After saying all this, Huo Chuchun paused slightly, waiting for Chi Wan’s reaction.

Chi Wan appeared calm.

She didn’t show the slightest surprise.

“Sister-in-law, why aren’t you surprised at all… Could it be… you already knew?”

Huo Chuchun was the one who was surprised.

She turned slightly in the darkness, her clear eyes looking at Chi Wan in disbelief.

This “know”.

It wasn’t just knowing that Huo Chuchun was adopted.

It was also knowing that they couldn’t hide it from her, that she already knew her true identity.

It had a double meaning.

“Yes, I know a little,” Chi Wan’s gentle voice sounded. “Chuchun, not only do I know, but your brother, or rather, everyone in this family who loves you, knows this.”

Huo Chuchun was shocked once again.

The whole family…

They all knew…

Her mind buzzed, like a tangled ball of yarn, chaotic and disordered.

But Chi Wan understood the predicament of this family.

Huo Chuchun clearly knew her true identity, yet she never mentioned it in ten years, pretending to know nothing. This was because she didn’t want Huo Nanchuan and Zhang Yue’e to worry.

Huo Nanchuan and Zhang Yue’e, seeing that Huo Chuchun knew her true identity, but seeing her trying to pretend like nothing was wrong, couldn’t bear to see her sad, so they played along.

They all lied to each other for the sake of the other.

In reality, however, they left each other with an unbreakable knot in their hearts.

The longer it went on, the bigger the knot became.

It was possible that they would never be able to unravel it in a lifetime.

“How could… If Big Brother knew… why didn’t he tell me directly…”

Huo Chuchun was lost and helpless. Even lying in bed, she felt a slight chill in her limbs.

Chi Wan slowly reached out from under the blanket.

She gently grasped Huo Chuchun’s wrist, soothingly stroking her back.

“Chuchun, let’s not think about that right now. Sister-in-law has a question for you. Do you think I’m family with you?”

“Of course!”

Huo Chuchun nodded without hesitation.

She was like a gentle lamb, led by Chi Wan, following her changing consciousness.

“Sister-in-law, you’re Big Brother’s wife, and you two are so close, of course you’re family.”

Huo Chuchun said confidently.

She even worried that Chi Wan might think they didn’t consider her family.

But Chi Wan directly countered, “But there’s no blood relationship between me and you, or between me and your brother.”

“What does blood have to do with it? We live together as a family, we live together, we’re all good to each other. Whatever good food or drink there is, we share as a family, you share with me, I share with you…”

Suddenly.

Huo Chuchun’s words stopped abruptly.

Her thoughts were swirling, and she seemed to understand something.

Seeing this, Chi Wan smiled silently.

She continued where Huo Chuchun left off.

“Chuchun, you’re right. We are a family.”

“What makes a family has nothing to do with blood, it’s the feelings we have for each other.”

“I’ve only been married for a month, and I’m family. You’ve lived in this family for fifteen years, and you’re even more family, truly family.”

Similar words, spoken by Huo Chuchun herself, then heard from Chi Wan’s mouth, felt completely different.

Huo Chuchun’s heart felt like it was being pounded by something.

One after another.

Beating so fast.

Actually, she understood all of this.

She just couldn’t believe it.

She couldn’t believe that in addition to the cold-blooded parents who abandoned their biological child, there were also parents who treated their adopted child as their own.

And they even treated her better than their biological child.

“But… I… I…”

Huo Chuchun’s lips trembled, and even her eyes flickered.

“Chuchun, there are no buts, you and we are family.”

“Family members love each other, but they also argue and get angry. Look, you and your brother, didn’t we have a fight?”

“So you don’t have to restrain yourself. When you’re happy, laugh. When you’re unhappy, you can get angry. If Huo Dongzhi annoys you, you can yell at him.”

At this point.

Huo Chuchun couldn’t help but burst out laughing.

Instantly.

The tense atmosphere in the room dissipated, becoming relaxed and intimate.

Huo Chuchun’s eyes sparkled with a faint glimmer of water, but she held back her smile.

She said, “Second Brother takes good care of me, I don’t find him annoying.”

In the dim light, Chi Wan saw the girl’s crying and laughing expression, and she was completely reassured.

She had also fulfilled Huo Nanchuan’s request.

She had not let Huo Nanchuan down, even though he felt sour and bitter, yet he still gave up his bed.

The night.

Getting deeper and deeper.

The sound of talking in the small house continued.

“Chuchun, do you know how Huo Dongzhi got his name?”

“Mother said that Second Brother’s birthday is on the Winter Solstice, so Father named him after the twenty-four solar terms.”

“But when Mother picked you up, it was also winter, but she named you Chuchun, do you know why?”

“…”

“Chuchun, Chuchun. After the beginning of spring, it’s the real spring. Spring is when you can plant crops, and the mountains will be full of flowers. What a good season.”

Now.

It was spring.

…

The next morning.

For the Huo family, it was a normal morning.

Some chopped firewood and cooked, some washed clothes and swept the floor, and some set up the small table, put down bowls and chopsticks, and called everyone out to eat.

When Huo Chuchun walked up to everyone, she made people stop and stare.

Huo Chuchun used the red headband that Chi Wan had given her the day before.

The red elastic band tied her thick, dark hair into a neat ponytail.

The braid swayed behind her head.

All the hair on her forehead was neatly combed back, revealing her clear and beautiful face.

The morning sun shone on her face.

You could clearly see the dark red birthmark on her right cheek, but you could also see her clear and bright eyes shining.

Huo Chuchun touched her braid awkwardly, but a bright smile remained on her face.

She walked up to Zhang Yue’e and leaned in to ask.

“Mother, look, this is the red headband Sister-in-law gave me yesterday. Does it look good on me?”

“… It looks good! It looks good! Our Chuchun is so pretty, she looks good in anything!”

Zhang Yue’e was stunned for a moment, then she excitedly replied.

She looked at Huo Chuchun up and down, carefully and repeatedly, and couldn’t help but reach out her rough palm and touch her forehead.

Huo Chuchun heard the affirmative answer and turned around happily.

At this time.

Zhang Yue’e lowered her head, grabbed her apron, and wiped the tears of excitement from the corner of her eyes.

A real family doesn’t need to say anything, they can understand each other’s hearts.

Chi Wan watched this scene from the side, and she was silently moved, feeling both sour and sweet.

She also felt a little satisfied.

After all, it was all her doing.

Huo Nanchuan silently walked up to Chi Wan.

The man said in a low voice, “Xiao Wan, thank you.”

Chi Wan raised her eyebrows, “Just a thank you?”

For a man as taciturn as Huo Nanchuan, he obviously couldn’t understand the ambiguous and suggestive topics that could be brought up after these two simple words.

Chi Wan didn’t think about it that way either.

She raised a bright and proud smile, emphasizing her request, “I want to eat red-braised pork again, the kind you make yourself.”

“Okay.”

The man’s magnetic voice agreed in a low voice.

…

After breakfast.

Chi Wan originally wanted to help Huo Nanchuan go to the family’s fields to take a look.

She had been here for so long, but she hadn’t even figured out which fields belonged to the family.

It was time to get to know them properly.

Along the way, she could also think about whether there was a way to combine it with the Spirit Treasure Space to improve the family’s food and clothing.

But plans don’t always go as planned.

Just as Chi Wan was about to go out, the village loudspeaker sounded.

The village loudspeaker usually did two things: one was to notify all villagers to attend a meeting, and the other was to notify people from the production brigade to attend a meeting.

It was always a meeting, one after another.

In any case, Chi Wan couldn’t escape it.

Her original day off was just like that, gone.

Before going to the commune for the meeting, Chi Wan went to Ye Siling’s house.

Ye Siling was quick with information, she must know why they were suddenly having a meeting.

But she was out.

Not only was there a meeting in the village, but there was also a meeting in the county. Ye Siling, as the women’s director, had gone to the county for a meeting early this morning.

Chi Wan didn’t see Ye Siling, but she did meet Qiao Xin’an on the road.

The last time Huo Dongzhi and Huo Chuchun were in danger, it was thanks to Qiao Xin’an’s tip-off.

Now the two of them were truly friends.

Chi Wan and Qiao Xin’an went to the commune together.

There were already quite a few people sitting in the commune.

Chi Wan looked around and found that there were not only people from the production brigade, but also many people from the village, even the village chief and the deputy village chief were there.

Chi Wan and Qiao Xin’an sat in the back row.

Qiao Xin’an grabbed a handful of melon seeds from her pocket and stuffed them into Chi Wan’s hand.

Small figures like them, at such a large meeting, no one would pay attention, so they secretly nibbled on melon seeds while listening to the people around them talking.

During this time.

Qiao Xin’an suddenly said, “Xiao Wan, I’ve seen Xu Jing walking very close to a girl in the village recently. I think I recognize that girl, her name is Xiangxiang, and she has something to do with your husband. I’m afraid they’re up to no good, be careful.”

Chi Wan was stunned when she heard this.

She could tell that Lu Xiangxiang and Xu Jing were in cahoots because of the magical ability of the Spirit Treasure Space.

But this Qiao Xin’an…

She was just an ordinary woman, but she always seemed to encounter strange things.

Did she have some ability?

Even if it was a sixth sense, it was still an incredible sixth sense.

“Thank you for reminding me.” Chi Wan quickly regained her composure and said with a smile, “I could easily beat up Song Jing, I’m not afraid of one more Lu Xiangxiang.”

Qiao Xin’an nodded repeatedly, “That’s right, Xiao Wan, you’re amazing.”

It was really as if you were talking about Cao Cao, and Cao Cao would arrive.

Just as they mentioned Song Jing, Song Jing walked in swaggeringly.

He was wearing his signature white shirt today, which was very clean, without even any yellowing, and it was ironed perfectly flat.

Not only that.

Song Jing was meticulously dressed from head to toe.

His hair was combed neatly, a simple and refreshing hairstyle that revealed his proud and scholarly face.

He wore black work trousers, black and white colors, simple and neat.

He also carried a notebook and a pen.

At first glance.

It looked like a poet from somewhere.

He attracted a lot of attention from the people around him.

“Song Jing, today is a production brigade meeting, not some kind of social gathering. You’re dressed like this, you think you’re here for a blind date?”

Someone couldn’t help but tease him.

Song Jing replied, “You don’t understand, appearance is also part of a person. I’m not like you rough people, who are surprised by everything.”

As he spoke, he scanned the surroundings with his eyes.

In the crowd of people at the commune, he found Chi Wan’s figure and walked towards her.

When Chi Wan saw Song Jing approaching, she felt a wave of disgust.

This hypocritical and cunning man, even looking at him made her uncomfortable.

But…

She recalled what she had overheard last night, and a sense of anticipation for a good show filled her heart.

Chi Wan was also curious, how would Song Jing make her eat that bag of powder? How would he carry out his plan with Lu Xiangxiang?