Chapter 190: Soothing the Child

Upon hearing the news, Zhang Lan’s legs felt weak. If this matter was confirmed, it would be difficult for Xiu Li to hold her head high in the village. Being a widow was already challenging, and with a child to care for, the future would be even more difficult.

While she sympathized with Xiu Li, Zhang Lan couldn’t show it. Wang Qian understood what was going through Zhang Lan’s mind, but she couldn’t help the woman. Some things were destined to have a certain outcome. Perhaps if she had seen them that day and separated them, today’s situation might not have occurred.

However, infidelity can be addictive. Men often have the mentality that a mistress is better than a wife, and stealing is better than having a mistress. This man had initially promised well, so why did he still pay attention to Xiu Li? Now that trouble had arisen, he had disappeared, leaving a woman to face this embarrassing situation alone. Fortunately, she hadn’t married him yet. But thinking about what would happen next, Wang Qian felt overwhelmed.

“Mom, should we go back or go see what’s happening?” Wang Qian asked.

Zhang Lan wanted to go back to see what was happening, but she didn’t want to further embarrass Xiu Li. So, she slowly led her daughter back home.

“Wang Qian, we can’t help her. She’ll have to rely on herself from now on,” Zhang Lan said.

“Mom, do you think she’ll be able to get through this?” Wang Qian asked.

Zhang Lan wasn’t Xiu Li, but she was a mother. No matter what hardships she faced, she would live on and take good care of her child. She believed that Xiu Li would think the same way, because there was a child waiting for her to take care of. After the separation, she didn’t think Xiu Li’s sisters-in-law would willingly take the child in, especially at this time.

At noon, when Wang Zhenhe returned, he looked very serious. “Wife, Xiu Li is in trouble. There will be a meeting this afternoon. How could something like this happen?” Xiu Li’s husband was Wang Zhenhe’s childhood playmate. He felt genuine sympathy for the woman who had lost her husband, especially since she was the wife of his friend. Now that such a thing had happened, they felt powerless to help.

Zhang Lan understood her husband’s feelings. “Zhenhe, there’s really nothing we can do about this. They caught her red-handed. What else can we do? She was caught on the spot. All we can do is advise her to accept it and move on. It’s just a small matter, isn’t it? But Xiu Li, she should have just married a decent man. How could this have happened?”

“Zhenhe, let’s not go this afternoon. It will surely be embarrassing for her. Xiu Li is a strong person. We can’t help her with this, but we shouldn’t just stand by and watch the commotion,” Zhang Lan said.

The neighbor, Liu Hui, also brought news that there would be a meeting in the village this afternoon.

“Auntie, do you think Xiu Li has lost her mind? How could she do such a thing? You know what we rural women hate the most? It’s stealing someone else’s man. I bet she won’t be able to live it down this afternoon. With the reputation of being a mistress, she won’t be able to hold her head up in the village. It’s as if she’s drowning in her own spit. It’s a shame to see a decent young woman do something so foolish,” Liu Hui said.

Wang Qian also knew that whether in ancient times or modern times, women despised mistresses. If Xiu Li had done this in ancient times, she would have been punished severely. However, in this era, experiencing some trials and tribulations was inevitable. Making a mistake always comes with a price. She just didn’t know if the young widow had the capacity to bear that price.

Hao Lianchun sighed and remained silent, helping Zhang Lan with cooking. The atmosphere became heavy for a while.

Suddenly, Wang Qian remembered something. “Mom, what about Xiu Li’s child? How will she manage alone at home?”

Wang Qian felt sorry for the child. With the mother being taken away, the innocent child would be the one to suffer. She didn’t have a compassionate heart for all beings, but she believed that helping in such a situation would accumulate good karma for her family.

Hao Lianchun also considered this. “Lan, I don’t think her in-laws would be willing to help her at this time. Let’s not talk about her mother-in-law, but at least the child is pitiful. Isn’t the child younger than Qian Qian?”

Zhang Lan nodded. “Yes, she’s only five years old, and she’s a girl. Her in-laws are not on good terms with her because she didn’t leave a household registration for her son. Otherwise, she wouldn’t be in this situation.”

Hao Lianchun pondered for a moment and said, “Lan, it’s not appropriate for us to intervene in this matter. Let Qian Qian take some food to see the child. Qian Qian, go and look after the little sister. When Xiu Li comes back, you can return. I’m afraid that if there’s no one to take care of the child at home and something else happens, this woman might lose the will to live.”

Wang Qian also thought about this. Although she refrained from judging or blaming Xiu Li for her actions, she couldn’t ignore the fact that the child was still young and in need of care.

Zhang Lan took out two pancakes from the pot and fetched two eggs from the basket.

“Wang Qian, take these things with you. You can cook for her or give her water to drink. Take good care of the little sister. It’s really inconvenient for me to go over there,” Zhang Lan said.

Wang Qian, not being a real child, understood her mother’s predicament. She knew that it would be difficult for her mother to go over there at this time. Their family had already faced many troubles, so she would rather go herself than let her mother expose herself to criticism.

Carrying the items given by Zhang Lan, Wang Qian arrived at Xiu Li’s home. Inside, she heard the sound of a child crying and someone trying to comfort her. To her surprise, it was Xiu Li’s neighbor, an elderly woman named Hou, who was consoling the child. Wang Qian called her “Grandma Hou.”

“Wang Qian, why have you come? Please help Grandma Hou comfort Xiaoping. She’s been frightened after seeing her mother being taken away. I’ve tried everything, but I can’t calm her down,” Grandma Hou said.

Wang Qian took a look at the frail little girl, her face red from crying, and sighed.

“Xiaoping, don’t cry. Listen to your sister. Your mom will be back in the evening. If she sees you crying like this, she’ll feel sad too,” Wang Qian said.

Amidst her tears, Xiaoping looked at Wang Qian and said, “Sister, the bad people took my mom away. They said my mom is a mistress, but she’s not. My mom is a good person. I want my mom to come back.”

Wang Qian understood the child’s thoughts. In her world, things were either good or bad, and she didn’t understand the meaning of “mistress.” She knew that her mother was the best to her, so she was certain that her mother couldn’t be a bad person.

“Wang Qian, of course. Xiaoping’s mom is the best, so she will definitely come back. Let’s go cook together. After eating, you can take a nap, and your mom will be back,” Wang Qian said, gently patting the little girl’s dry hair.

Seeing that Wang Qian was able to comfort the poor child, Grandma Hou decided to leave to prepare dinner at her own home.

“Wang Qian, I need to go home and prepare dinner. You stay here and look after Xiaoping. I’ll bring the food over when it’s ready,” Grandma Hou said.

Wang Qian quickly waved her hand. “Grandma, it’s okay. My mom brought some food for us. Look, we have eggs and pancakes. I’ll make some scrambled eggs for Xiaoping to eat. You can go and take care of your own matters. I’ll manage here.”

As Grandma Hou left, Wang Qian assessed the situation in Xiu Li’s home. It was furnished with just a few simple pieces, but it was tidy and clean, indicating that the owner was an organized person.

“Xiaoping, come and help me start the fire. I’ll make some eggs for you,” Wang Qian said.

The temptation of the eggs quickly distracted Xiaoping from her thoughts of her mother. Seeing Wang Qian take out the eggs, the little girl’s mouth began to water.

“Sister, is this for me to eat?” Xiaoping asked.

Wang Qian paused for a moment upon hearing Xiaoping’s question. She realized that Xiu Li and her daughter relied on each other. Even if they had eggs, they would likely save them to sell for money or for daily expenses. It was probably a rare treat for the child.

Wang Qian gently touched the little girl’s cheek and said, “Of course, I’ll have it ready in a moment. Xiaoping, would you like to help me start the fire?”

Xiaoping obediently sat by the stove, pulling the bellows with all her might. Wang Qian hastened her actions, and before long, a bowl of scrambled eggs was placed in front of Xiaoping, emitting a tempting aroma.

Xiaoping, being very sensible, scooped up a spoonful and offered it to Wang Qian. However, Wang Qian only took a symbolic taste and said, “Xiaoping, be a good girl and finish it all. Later, I’ll take you to bed.”

After finishing a bowl of scrambled eggs and half a pancake, Xiaoping’s hunger was finally satisfied. Wang Qian wiped her hands and the tear-streaked face of the little girl, then led her to the kang to lie down. She told her a story, and as she continued, Xiaoping gradually fell asleep, still holding onto Wang Qian’s hand.

Meanwhile, back at home, Zhang Lan was also worried. She brought her siblings over since they had no classes in the afternoon. They coincidentally met Grandma Hou, who was also concerned about leaving the two children alone. Seeing Zhang Lan, they exchanged smiles. Grandma Hou knew that Zhang Lan was a kind-hearted daughter-in-law and probably didn’t want the children to be alone, so she came to check on them.

“Dear daughter-in-law, you’re a good person. Let’s go inside and see how the two children are doing,” Grandma Hou said.

Although Grandma Hou was worried, Zhang Lan had confidence in her own daughter, but she was still concerned about Xiu Li’s child. When they entered the house, they found the little girl already asleep on the kang, with Zhang Lan’s daughter watching over her.

“Wang Qian, you should go home and have dinner. I’ll stay here and look after them. Xiaoping, did you make dinner for her?” Zhang Lan asked.

Wang Qian nodded and said, “She had two servings of scrambled eggs and most of the pancake. I also had some, so I’m not hungry for now. Mom, when will Xiaoping’s mom come back?”

Wang Qian had promised the little girl that her mom would return when she woke up, but she didn’t have a definite answer. She didn’t know how long this situation would last or if there would be any further developments.

Grandma Hou sighed and said, “No one can say for sure. Who knows when she’ll be back? Even if she does return, Xiu Li will probably have to endure a lot.”

“Can’t we find another way? It’s not easy for Xiu Li to take care of a child. If something bad happens to her, this family will fall apart, especially with such a young child,” Wang Qian said.

Grandma Hou sighed, “Xiu Li is confused. How could she do such a thing and get caught? It’s really difficult.”