After Rebirth, I Chased After My Cinnabar Mole.
After Rebirth, I Chased After My Cinnabar Mole. Chapter 45

Chapter 45

Zhang’s Commotion

Xia Wanyao opened her three letters: one from her family, one from her second sister-in-law Liu Yue, and one from her mother.

The family letter told her that everyone was doing well and reminded her to take care of herself. Liu Yue’s letter expressed how much she missed her and mentioned that she had secretly sent her some delicious food, asking her to come pick it up when she had time.

The letter from her mother was longer. It first congratulated her for meeting and being with Zhang Shiye. Then, it advised her not to share any secrets with him until after they were married, as her mother feared that people could change. Given the extraordinary nature of the situation, she was particularly concerned about Xia Wanyao being hurt. The letter also mentioned the downfall of the Xu family, with Xia Qing Shan constantly lamenting how much his daughter had done for him, even though he had sent her to the countryside, making her suffer.

After reading the letters, Xia Wanyao began writing her replies. She also packed some small items that girls liked, though Liu Yue used to be her close friend, now they were family, and it was important to maintain a give-and-take relationship between family members.

She finished packing and took a short nap. When she woke up, it was already noon. As she looked at herself in the mirror, she realized she had gained weight. While others in the countryside were losing weight, she felt like she was turning into a pig.

It was time for Zhang Shiye to bring her lunch, but he didn’t come. Xia Wanyao, feeling disappointed, went to the space to have a big bowl of cold noodles and a plate of spicy radish strips. She was getting tired of the pig liver and carrots she had been eating lately.

Still no sign of Zhang Shiye after lunch, and Xia Wanyao started to worry. That silly man, always so concerned about her health, would never miss feeding her unless something serious had happened.

Xia Wanyao changed into a pink blouse, white cloth shoes, tied her hair into a high ponytail, and grabbed a small bag before heading out. She quickly arrived at Zhang Shiye’s house.

But when she got there, she saw a huge crowd gathered in front of the house, with people standing in layers. Xia Wanyao tiptoed and could hear crying and see many heads, all blackened by the crowd.

She became anxious! Thinking quickly, she saw that everyone’s attention was on the yard, so she took a few steps to the side, ran to the wall, and climbed over. She dusted her hands and boldly walked into the house.

In the main room, a woman was kneeling on the floor, crying with tears and snot, clinging to Zhang Shijing’s leg. Li Shanya was holding Zhang Xiaohua, saying something. Li Dafu squatted on the side, smoking a dry cigarette and blocking the door. Zhang Heping and Aunt Qiao were sitting at the dining table, and Zhang Shiye stood nearby, impatiently checking his watch. His sister-in-law, Liu Fang, stood in the corner, watching the scene with an expression as if she was enjoying a show.

Seeing the situation, Xia Wanyao thought about sneaking out through the wall again. After all, she wasn’t married yet and understood the principle of keeping family matters private.

However, Li Shanya, with her sneaky eyes, immediately spotted her. “Xia Zhiying, stop right there!”

Hearing this, Li Ling quickly let go of Zhang Shijing’s leg and rushed out, kneeling to try and hug Xia Wanyao’s leg.

Xia Wanyao, who had never encountered such a scene, was frightened and yelled as she stepped backward, “Ah, what are you doing?”

Zhang Shiye pushed aside Li Dafu, who was blocking him, and pulled Xia Wanyao into his arms, gently patting her back while soothing, “Don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid, I’m here!”

Despite his gentle words, his eyes were full of anger as he shot a look at Li Ling, as if hundreds of sharp knives were aimed at her.

Li Ling was so scared by the glare that she immediately fell silent.

Xia Wanyao calmed down, still frightened. It wasn’t her being overly dramatic—Li Ling had only been locked up for a few days, and now she looked like a mess: tears and snot all over her face, a strange smell about her, messy hair, blood stains on her clothes, and dirt on her pants. She was even wearing only one shoe.

Xia Wanyao signaled Zhang Shiye to let go of her. There were still too many onlookers at the door, and holding her like this wasn’t ideal, even though it was understandable. People would inevitably talk.

Zhang Shiye looked at her worriedly, but Xia Wanyao smiled and said, “I just came to check on you because I was worried something had happened. Since you’re fine, I’ll head back. I’ve already eaten, so don’t worry.”

As Xia Wanyao was about to leave, Li Ling suddenly kneeled in front of her, crying, “Xia Zhiying, please forgive me! I was blinded by greed and harmed the fourth brother. I have two children. I can’t get a divorce!”

Xia Wanyao looked at Zhang Shiye with confusion, then turned her gaze back to Li Ling, “What does whether you get divorced or not have to do with me?”

Li Ling clenched her fists secretly, her eyes flashing with a hint of resentment, like a poisonous snake’s glare. But she quickly returned to her pitiful expression, though Xia Wanyao caught the shift.

“Trying to play both sides, huh? I’ve seen it all before,” Xia Wanyao thought to herself.

She moved closer to Zhang Shiye and pretended to be scared, “Shiye gege, her stare is so terrifying.”

Zhang Shiye was stunned by her calling him “Shiye gege” and couldn’t react immediately, his heart racing like a group of rabbits hopping around. Xia Wanyao looked up at him with a pitiful expression and secretly squeezed his hand. Only then did Zhang Shiye snap out of it.

He turned around, his presence immediately dominating the hot, stuffy yard as if the temperature had dropped several degrees. “If you don’t want your eyes anymore, I can help you gouge them out!” he snapped.

Xia Wanyao hid behind Zhang Shiye, sticking her little head out and making a face at Li Ling.

Zhang Xiaohua jumped off Li Shanya’s lap and ran over to Xia Wanyao, pushing her hard. “You bad woman! It’s because of you that my dad doesn’t want my mom! You’re confusing fourth uncle! You’re a fox spirit!”

Xia Wanyao was dumbfounded. Did a 3 or 4-year-old really say something like that? She remembered that when she was 3 or 4, she was still peeing in her pants and playing in the dirt. How could a child so young understand words like “confusing” or “fox spirit”?

Zhang Shiye’s face darkened, and he turned to pat Xia Wanyao’s head, saying, “Yao Yao, go back to the youth station first. I’ll come find you after I take care of things at home.”

Xia Wanyao nodded, but when Li Shanya tried to stop her, Zhang Shiye snapped, “I’ll see who dares touch her!”

As Xia Wanyao left the yard, the crowd parted to give her room. A few gossipy women, including Wang Aunt, Ding Aunt, and Cai Aunt, expressed their concern for her, and Xia Wanyao smiled, responding to each of them before heading back to the youth station.

Once inside, she changed out of her pink blouse and noticed she had picked up a lot of dirt when climbing the wall. She quickly went to the space to take a bath and change clothes, then gently washed her wound with some creek water.

After tidying herself up, Xia Wanyao lay down on the heated bed, thinking to herself. Honestly, she did feel a little sympathy for Zhang Shijing. If they divorced, the children would be affected, but if they didn’t, it still felt uncomfortable.

Over an hour later, Zhang Shiye rushed in, grabbed a cup of water from the table, and gulped it down.

“Yao Yao, are you okay? Third Brother is already with her to handle the divorce. Mom and Dad are firm about it, they definitely won’t let such a poisonous woman stay in the house.”

Xia Wanyao sat up, looking at him in disbelief. “Why are you saying that? Whether she divorces your third brother or not, I really don’t care!”

Zhang Shiye grinned playfully. “Then, when you marry me, can we live under the same roof and be sisters-in-law?”

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