Chapter 39: Longing for a Peaceful Life

Old Liu felt wronged. Where could he go to reason? He’d paid, and done as agreed. At first, he was happy that one became two.

But he never imagined that the woman was Ye Meiping! She was ten years older than him. He’d clearly gotten the short end of the stick.

Ye Meiping was furious. She was always the one scheming against others, never the victim. Old Liu, having gotten the better of her, was now blabbing everything—things he should and shouldn’t have said.

How could things possibly turn out well for her?

Jiang Xiangxiang found her incredibly bold. She’d initially thought Ye Meiping wouldn’t dare kill her, let alone do anything too extreme. Now she realized how wrong she was. Ye Meiping wasn’t just unwilling to go too far; she was planning to squeeze every last drop of blood from her, to completely exhaust her usefulness, otherwise she wouldn’t be satisfied.

Lu Jianshen looked at Old Liu, then at Ye Meiping, his face stern, his eyes filled with barely suppressed fury. He wanted to kill them both on the spot.

Simultaneously, he felt a chill of fear. What if he’d left earlier? What terrible things could have happened to Jiang Xiangxiang alone?

Ye Meiping wasn’t just acting inhuman; she was attempting to swindle and murder.

Wang Fugui felt a cold shiver run down his spine. He glanced back and jumped, quickly kicking Wang Ergou next to him: “Go, go, go! Call the police! Let the police handle this.”

This was beyond his capacity. Even without Lu Jianshen’s intervention, he couldn’t stand idly by. Human trafficking was wrong, even if it involved one’s own mother. The matter had to be dealt with; Ye Meiping couldn’t be allowed to get away with it.

Upon hearing the village chief’s words, Wang Ergou ran to the police station. The town was still some distance away, so he had to hurry; maybe he could get back sooner.

Ye Meiping panicked when she heard them calling the police. She immediately tried to defend herself: “It’s not like that! It’s not like that at all! Don’t listen to his lies!”

Wang Fugui turned away: “You’d better explain yourself to the police when they arrive. Ye Meiping, look at what you’ve done! It’s shameful! We’re ashamed to have you in our village.”

His words were laced with disgust.

This wasn’t just a simple affair. If it were, things would be fine. But now it involved attempted murder and fraud.

Jiang Rourou was completely distraught. Everything was wrong. Things shouldn’t have turned out this way. She had something to say.

“Jiang Xiangxiang, you must be framing me! You orchestrated this, didn’t you? I knew it was you! You knew I’d drugged myself, yet you watched me drink it, then brought Old Liu in to ruin my reputation. You want me dead!”

“…”

“I won’t let you get away with this! I won’t!”

“…”

Jiang Xiangxiang rolled her eyes. Her biological sister might have a mental deficiency. Anyone with a shred of intelligence wouldn’t say such things. Did she even know what she was saying?

Once this got out, not only their village but also neighboring villages would know. Jiang Rourou wouldn’t just be unable to find a husband; she’d be lucky to escape being ostracized.

But none of that mattered to her. The worse off Jiang Rourou was, the better.

Seeing Jiang Xiangxiang’s silence, Lu Jianshen, mistaking her for being shocked, retorted: “Jiang Rourou, you’re the queen of sophistry. You’re breathing, but you’re spouting nonsense. Who’s harming whom? Everyone knows. Stop your nonsense.”

It was unbelievable. If someone didn’t speak up, she’d treat them as fools. She was truly capable of being unreasonable and saying anything.

Jiang Rourou, already emotionally drained, was further devastated by Lu Jianshen’s words. She felt hopeless and like she was going to die.

The man she’d longed for was rejecting her with disgust. Was she so worthless?

Jiang Rourou felt like she was collapsing. Tears streamed down her face: “Lu Jianshen, don’t listen to her lies! She did it! There’s no one else.”

Lu Jianshen: “I’ve been with Comrade Jiang the whole time and haven’t seen Xiangxiang do anything wrong. You, however, have repeatedly tried to harm her, and now you’re trying to turn the tables. Jiang Rourou, you’re disgusting.”

Jiang Rourou: “I…”

Disgusting?

What could be worse than your beloved saying you’re disgusting with such aversion? It shouldn’t be like this. In Jiang Rourou’s mind, Lu Jianshen should be speaking kindly to her, and the man sleeping with her should be him, not a dirty old man.

Jiang Xiangxiang watched her expression, feeling a surge of satisfaction. After a moment, she said: “Sister, since childhood, you’ve always had your way. I’ve always obeyed you. But is this how you treat me?”

The original Jiang Xiangxiang hadn’t lived a human life.

Life doesn’t always get better by taking a step back. More often than not, kindness is exploited. Jiang Rourou was a prime example. The original Jiang Xiangxiang had tolerated her, but to no avail. Jiang Rourou only became more demanding.

Now it was her turn, and she wouldn’t tolerate Jiang Rourou’s behavior.

Jiang Rourou, slightly guilty, wouldn’t admit her mistake in front of so many people. She quickly retorted: “What do you mean you obeyed me? If you really obeyed me, you would have given Lu Jianshen to me, not married him yourself!”

Jiang Xiangxiang: “Give him to you? Everyone, listen to this! What kind of talk is this? Lu Jianshen is a person, not an object! Can I just give him away? Sister, Lu Jianshen doesn’t like you. He only married me out of responsibility, nothing more. Why can’t you understand?”

No matter what, she couldn’t involve Lu Jianshen. No way.

She wouldn’t let Jiang Rourou get away with this.

Hearing Jiang Xiangxiang’s words, Lu Jianshen’s brow furrowed even deeper. It had started with a sense of responsibility, but now it was more than that. He truly wanted to marry her and live a peaceful life with her.