Chapter 102: The Ruthless Man

“Mother, let’s not worry too much. Sister Zhang is a kind person, and she’s also very intelligent. She will have better days ahead,” Du Wanchun whispered softly to the woman beside her.

Madam Zhou let out a long sigh and nodded. “You’re right.”

Zhou Feng and Zhou Zhao, who were standing behind them, didn’t dare to say a word. They simply carried the vegetables they had gathered and walked into the house.

Zhou Ruizhen was even more conscious of the situation. When Zhang Qiuhe left earlier, he had already taken the hoe and other farming tools to the backyard.

Meanwhile, on the other side, Zhang Qiuhe had returned home with her child. She quickly started a fire, preparing to cook a meal for him.

She scooped a spoonful of millet from the rice jar, poured it into the pot, added some water, and covered it with a lid to cook.

Just as the millet started boiling, the child beside her began to cry again.

Zhang Qiuhe quickly lowered her head to check on him and saw that he had dropped the egg he was holding. Without hesitation, she picked it up, peeled another one, and handed it to him, while she herself ate the one that had fallen to the ground.

At that moment, someone suddenly knocked on the door.

During the day, when she and her child were alone at home, she always kept the door shut.

After all, she was just a weak woman with no ability to defend herself. If bandits were to break in, it would be disastrous.

To be cautious, Zhang Qiuhe walked to the window and peered outside. “Who’s there?!”

She saw a man dressed in luxurious blue robes walking toward her. “Qiuhe, it’s me—Shengyuan.”

Zhang Qiuhe’s expression changed instantly. Wasn’t this the heartless man she had just been cursing earlier—Liu Shengyuan?

Without hesitation, she grabbed a wooden club, opened the door, and swung it at him. “You beast! How dare you come back?!”

Liu Shengyuan quickly raised his hands and caught the hoe in her grip. “Qiuhe, don’t be like this! Qiuhe, I have my own difficulties!”

As he spoke, he forcefully pulled Zhang Qiuhe into the house and shut the door behind them.

Zhang Qiuhe pointed at him and shouted, “Difficulties? What kind of difficulties could you possibly have? Don’t tell me that Miss Mo found out you had a wife and forced you to marry her?”

Liu Shengyuan nodded. “Yes, exactly! I told the second young miss of the Mo family that I already had a wife and child, but she wouldn’t listen. She even said that if I didn’t marry her, she would have people kidnap both you and the child!”

If this had been in the past, Zhang Qiuhe might have believed his words. But now, she didn’t believe a single thing he said.

If he had even the slightest bit of love left for her as his wife, he wouldn’t have ignored her for the past three years.

When he left, he knew she was pregnant. He also knew exactly when she was due to give birth.

And yet, not once did he return to check on her.

She had given birth to their child alone in this rundown house, cutting the umbilical cord herself.

She had given birth to the child alone in this broken-down house, cutting the umbilical cord herself.

“Liu Shengyuan, don’t think you can fool me! Do you want me to confront Miss Mo right now?” Zhang Qiuhe shouted, suddenly standing up and attempting to rush outside.

Liu Shengyuan immediately grabbed her and pulled her back. “Enough! Stop making a scene!”

Hearing those words confirmed everything for Zhang Qiuhe. She was utterly disappointed in the man before her. Calming herself, she said coldly, “Liu Shengyuan, don’t worry. I won’t beg you to come back. But your son—you cannot just abandon him. I can starve, but he cannot!”

Liu Shengyuan listened, then lifted his gaze to look at his young son, who could barely speak. A flicker of resentment flashed through his eyes.

Turning back to Zhang Qiuhe, he smiled and said, “Qiuhe, don’t be like this. Of course, I will take care of my own son. Rest assured, I won’t leave you and the child here to fend for yourselves. Stay here for now, and once I have secured my position in the Mo family, I’ll bring both of you over to live in comfort.”

As he spoke, he pulled out a box of pastries from his robes and placed it on the table. “I left in a hurry and didn’t bring much, but I specially bought these famous pastries from Cheng’an County for you and the little one to try.”

With that, he took a piece of the pastry and placed it in the child’s hand.

The little boy had never seen such delicate pastries before. Holding it in his small hands, he hesitated, reluctant to take a bite.

For some reason, Zhang Qiuhe suddenly felt uneasy. Without thinking, she slapped the pastry out of the child’s hand and yelled furiously, “Get out! Get out of my house! We don’t want anything from you!”

Seeing that she was still furious, Liu Shengyuan tapped the table where the pastries were placed and stood up. “Fine. I won’t bother you today. I’ll come back in a few days.”

After speaking, he kicked a small stool on the floor with disdain, pulled open the door, and left.

Zhang Qiuhe was so angry that she trembled all over. She rushed to the door and hurled a few more curses at his retreating figure.

Once Liu Shengyuan had left, she immediately picked up the plate of pastries and threw them into the backyard for the chickens to eat.

That chicken was a gift from the Zhou family, and she had been raising it for its eggs.

Still fuming, Zhang Qiuhe turned to go back inside. But before she could take a step, she saw the plump hen convulse and collapse to the ground, foaming at the mouth.

Her heart pounded violently. She froze for a moment before quickly crouching down to check the hen. To her horror, it was dead.

A wave of shock washed over her as she gasped, “Poison! The pastries are poisoned!”

Suddenly, she remembered the piece she had knocked out of her son’s hand. Panicked, she dashed back inside.

There, she saw her little boy bending down, picking up the fallen pastry—about to put it into his mouth.