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Turning Off the Light
Lu Yuetang had originally been standing directly in front of Hu Ouhua. Perhaps not wanting her to see the trace of reluctance in his eyes, he moved behind her.
Hu Ouhua, oblivious, shifted her position again.
From the doorway, it looked as if she were half-leaning on Lu Yuetang’s lap…
Although Yang Jiaojiao was still an unmarried young woman, she wasn’t ignorant of such matters—her parents’ clandestine affairs had long since exposed her to the ways of the world.
So, she assumed Hu Ouhua was seducing Lu Yuetang and immediately exploded with rage, causing an uproar that alarmed the entire Lu family.
Liu Mei came out holding a kerosene lamp.
Grandmother Lu and Lu Jingjing got up from their beds and stepped into the courtyard.
Gu Wanyu originally had no intention of getting involved—she really didn’t want to see Yang Jiaojiao.
But in the end, she forced herself to endure it, throwing a jacket over her shoulders as she walked outside.
Once in the courtyard, she saw her son standing with his hands in his pockets, his face filled with barely suppressed anger.
Hu Ouhua stood far away, her face turned aside as if she had something to say but was holding back.
Only Yang Jiaojiao was jumping around in a fury.
“Hmph! I saw it with my own eyes! That wretched woman, Hu Ouhua, was doing that with Yuetang…” Yang Jiaojiao ranted, nearly out of breath.
“The moment I arrived, they pulled apart!”
She sounded so convinced, as if she had actually witnessed something.
For a moment, the women present turned pale—unsure whether to believe it or not.
“Mom! You have to stand up for me! Yuetang loves me! How could he treat me like this? Boohoo, I don’t want to live anymore—” Yang Jiaojiao dramatically lunged toward the wall, pretending to smash her head against it.
But no one tried to stop her.
Feeling awkward, she hesitated before resuming her tantrum. “I know people of your background keep multiple women outside, but it cannot be Hu Ouhua! I hate her! First, she was arranged to marry my brother and almost became my sister-in-law. Now she’s stealing my man?! That filthy woman—”
Smack!
A crisp slap echoed through the courtyard.
Everyone froze.
Especially Yang Jiaojiao, who clutched her face in shock, tears welling up in her eyes. “Lu Yuetang… You—you actually hit me!”
They weren’t even married yet, and he was already resorting to violence?
What would happen after marriage?
She immediately collapsed onto the ground, kicking and flailing. “Fine, fine! You want to hit me? Tomorrow, I’ll go to the military district and ask the leadership—are soldiers supposed to use their fists against their own fiancées?!”
Hearing this, Gu Wanyu knew she could no longer stay silent.
She scolded, “Yuetang! What’s the matter with you? No matter what, you shouldn’t hit someone.”
Then she turned to Yang Mei. “Go fetch the pearl necklace from my dowry dresser. It was meant for my daughter-in-law—I simply forgot to give it.”
Only when the pearl necklace was in her hands did Yang Jiaojiao stop crying. With Gu Wanyu’s support, she got up, still sobbing.
“Mom… If it weren’t for you, I would never forgive Yuetang… He didn’t even explain himself…”
Gu Wanyu stomped her foot. “Yuetang, say something! It’s the middle of the night—you’re disturbing the neighbors. What exactly happened?”
Causing such a ruckus at this hour would only make them a laughingstock.
Lu Yuetang let out a cold snort. “Hu Ouhua and I are completely innocent. But the moment she opens her mouth, it’s all nonsense. What, is a soldier’s reputation something that can be slandered at will?”
With that, he turned and went back inside without another word.
Hu Ouhua took a deep breath and said, “Yang Jiaojiao, even if no one wanted me, I still wouldn’t steal your man. You can rest assured—I’m not as lowly as you make me out to be.”
Then she turned and went into her room.
She couldn’t stay in this place another second.
Yang Jiaojiao’s mind was utterly filthy.
In her past life, she had suffered under Yang Jiaojiao’s torment while living in the Yang family. But since she was a married daughter, her visits were limited, and she had always been accompanied by her husband. This was the first time she had been so thoroughly disgusted by her.
Half an hour later, Yang Jiaojiao finally calmed down after receiving the pearl necklace and Gu Wanyu’s empty promises.
Exhausted, Gu Wanyu climbed the stairs and knocked on her son’s door.
“What were you thinking? You actually fell for that kind of woman?” she asked, exasperated.
Lu Yuetang sat in his chair, smoking.
Hearing his mother’s words, he exhaled a puff of smoke and said coolly, “At the time, I didn’t even see her face clearly. Who knew she was like that? I was sick and unconscious back then.”
“So is it possible… you never actually touched her?” Gu Wanyu asked.
Lu Yuetang exhaled another smoke ring.
On this point, he was certain.
When his mind had cleared, he had still been inside her.
“Alright then. If you plan to come home, let me know in advance. Otherwise, just stay at the dormitory.” Gu Wanyu instructed.
“Mm.”
Lu Yuetang felt conflicted.
He flicked the ash off his cigarette, but his mind kept replaying Hu Ouhua’s words:
“I’d rather die than fight you for a man…”
Was he that worthless of a man?
Had his value dropped that much?
Hu Ouhua packed all her belongings, said goodbye to the Lu family, and left without looking back.
This time, she didn’t let Shen Fubai escort her. Instead, she took the bus by herself.
After several transfers, she finally arrived at Grandma Chang’s house.
Chang Anning was the happiest of all.
He used to hate tutors and had driven many of them away by making mischief and reducing them to tears. In the end, they all quit, calling him unmanageable.
But having Hu Ouhua stay at his house gave him a great sense of security.
Once tutoring officially began, even though he and another child were studying together, Hu Ouhua made the lessons highly engaging. She created English flashcards by hand, teaching them phonics, pronunciation, and vocabulary. The children, once crushed by English, gradually regained their confidence.
In the afternoons, she taught advanced mathematics.
Grandma Chang often listened in from the door, smiling in satisfaction. She even went to the store to buy snacks for Hu Ouhua—strictly forbidding her grandson from touching them.
Life at the Chang family home was much more comfortable.
A couple of weeks later, Chang Anning’s English improved dramatically. He could now complete entire worksheets without difficulty, delighting the entire Chang family.
His mother, Li Suyun, couldn’t stop praising Hu Ouhua. She even pulled her aside to scrutinize her, growing more and more pleased.
“If my eldest son weren’t already engaged, I’d definitely keep such a fine girl in the family,” she joked.
Then she leaned in with a mysterious smile.
“Ouhua, this weekend, my workplace is hosting a ‘Summer Cooling’ event—there’ll be performances, free movies, and a matchmaking fair at the park! I’ll take you with me.”
Hu Ouhua hesitated. “Auntie Li, I… I’d rather not go.”
“Come on! Even if you don’t find anyone, at least help make up the numbers! There aren’t enough women attending.”
“…Alright then.”
She wasn’t interested in matchmaking.
But if it was just to help Auntie Li, she could barely tolerate it.