Chapter 43

One Person’s Mistake, the Whole Family Suffers

In a moment of urgency, Old Lady Xu rushed over and grabbed the kitchen knife from her hand. “The one who’s wrong isn’t you. What are you thinking?

It’s his mistake, he should be the one to atone for it, not you innocent people!”

The secretary’s wife clung to Old Lady Xu’s leg, crying uncontrollably, “Wuu wuu wuu… that old bastard, how could he do such a thing? How will Hehua ever get married in the future? How will Huizai face Xiulan? Wuu wuu wuu…”

Old Lady Xu patted her shoulder, comforting her, “Stop crying. It’s not worth getting upset over someone like that.

This kind of thing has just happened, and everyone is talking about it.

In time, it will be forgotten.”

While Old Lady Xu was comforting the secretary’s wife, Xu Jiajia saw Hehua holding up a bottle of pesticide. She quickly rushed over and snatched it from her hand. “Are you crazy?”

Hehua was overwhelmed with sorrow, as if engulfed in a thick, dark cloud. “Wuu wuu wuu… How could I have such a father? Since I was thirteen, he started touching me. When I didn’t want it, he beat me…

At fifteen, he assaulted me. I’m eighteen now. Three years… three whole years.

I used to think about dying, but I was afraid my mother would be heartbroken. Now that she knows, I have nothing left to worry about.”

Xu Jiajia didn’t know Hehua well, but she had heard from the villagers that Hehua was shy, quiet, and didn’t like to play with others, always keeping to herself.

It wasn’t until this incident that Xu Jiajia realized that Hehua wasn’t just a loner because she liked to be alone; she was clearly suffering from low self-esteem and was too afraid to interact with others.

“Life only comes once. You don’t need to give it up for someone like that. The one who’s wrong is him, not you.”

These words sounded simple, but how many people could actually live by them?

Hehua cried uncontrollably. “My whole life is ruined, it’s all ruined, wuu wuu wuu… If I don’t die, how will I face the people in the village in the future…”

The matter hadn’t been exposed yet. As long as she got married, no one would ever know.

Now, everything is lost!

Xu Jiajia had never experienced anything like this, so she couldn’t truly empathize, but she felt that giving up life was the most foolish thing to do. “Living is a kind of hope. There’s nothing more meaningful than staying strong and living through it.”

“Twenty years from now, when you look back, you’ll realize how foolish your decision is.”

Hehua looked at Xu Jiajia and muttered to herself, “Will I even live to see that day?”

Xu Jiajia patted her shoulder and tried to give her strength. “You will. What’s done is done. Don’t overthink it. Even if people gossip or judge you, don’t care about it.

People…

If you care too much about what others think, life becomes exhausting.”

Her words made Hehua think of Xu Jianguo. His wife had passed away not long ago, and people began introducing him to new matches. At first, he said he didn’t want to remarry because his children were still young, but there were always people who wouldn’t give up, pestering him daily. Eventually, he just said he wasn’t interested.

At first, many villagers looked at him strangely, even whispering about him. But over time, the issue gradually faded.

“Can I do it?” Hehua asked.

Xu Jiajia nodded, “Of course you can.”

At that moment, Hehua felt like she could continue living. “I will try my best.”

The secretary’s wife and her family, with everyone’s persuasion, gave up their thoughts of suicide.

Old Lady Xu stayed until 9 p.m. before heading home.

She sighed deeply, “What a sin… One person makes a mistake, and the whole family suffers.”

When Xu Jianguo came home from work and didn’t see Old Lady Xu or Xu Jiajia at home, he went to join the gossip instead.

The secretary’s actions had completely shattered his view of the world.

“A rabbit knows not to eat the grass by its own hole. Damn, that’s disgusting.”

Old Lady Xu had thought that after talking to them, the family would stop thinking about ending their lives.

But she hadn’t expected…

Someone still chose to take their own life.

However, the person who sought death was neither the secretary’s wife, nor Hehua, nor Huizai, the husband of Wang Xiulan.