Chapter 45

The courtyard erupted in chaos.

No one had expected that seventeen years ago, Ye Dongming took the blame for a hit-and-run accident to cover for Zhao Jianshe.

All at once, the Zhao family became the target of public outrage.

“No wonder Zhao Jianshe has disregarded his reputation all these years, going out of his way to care for Qiufeng and her daughter. Turns out, it was because of this! If it weren’t for Ye Dongming, their family would have been the one destroyed.”

“That’s right! He was repenting for his sins. But he really is heartless—Ye Dongming not only went to prison for him, but also lost his job. And yet, Zhao Jianshe didn’t even sell everything he had to repay the compensation money.”

“The most disgusting one is Wang Guihua. She knew the truth all along, yet she still pretended to be an innocent victim!”

“Ye Dongming may have been a scumbag in his personal life, but he was more than good to the Zhao family!”

—-

“You… what nonsense are you all spouting?! What do you mean, taking the blame? What victim?!”

Zhao Qingqing had come out to throw out the trash, intending to avoid people, but as soon as she stepped outside, she overheard several women in the alley discussing the matter.

Their words shocked her to the core. She couldn’t accept it. She rushed forward in a panic.

The women merely sneered at her.

“If you don’t believe us, go ask your parents!”

Zhao Qingqing’s face turned deathly pale. Her mother was still half-unconscious, and no matter how she pressed her father, he refused to say a word.

“How can you slander my family like this…?”

“Your father admitted it himself! We were blind all these years, completely deceived by your family. If this were a village, your whole family would’ve been kicked out long ago!”

Zhao Qingqing felt as if she had fallen into an abyss. Her eyes darted wildly; her mind blank except for one haunting phrase—“Your father admitted it himself.”

—-

Two days passed, and the courtyard finally quieted down a little.

But some things had changed completely.

“Qiufeng, take this basket of eggs. You need to nourish yourself.”

“Qiufeng, these clothes are second-hand, but they’re still in good condition. I’ve gained weight and can’t wear them anymore—why don’t you keep them?”

—-

The Ye family’s house was constantly bustling with visitors, leaving Zhang Qiufeng overwhelmed.

In the past, she and her daughter had been treated coldly, barely receiving a single visitor in a month. But now, almost half the courtyard had come by.

People brought food, clothes…

Looking at the warm smiles on their faces, Zhang Qiufeng deeply felt the fickleness of human relationships for the first time.

She wasn’t used to it, but deep down, she was happy.

“Mom, isn’t this nice?”

Ye Yao looked at Zhang Qiufeng now and thought of how she had nearly cried her eyes out two days ago. It made her sigh.

Zhang Qiufeng nodded. “It is nice… but it makes me uneasy. We’ve received so much from them—how are we supposed to repay it all?”

Ye Yao chuckled. “Who said you have to repay them? They feel guilty, so they’re giving you these things as a way to ease their conscience.”

“Guilty? For what?”

Zhang Qiufeng looked puzzled.

“Think about it. Over the years, how many bad things have they said about you behind your back? How many times have they targeted our family? Of course, they feel guilty now.”

It was such a simple truth, yet her mother still couldn’t see it.

Zhang Qiufeng sighed. “I don’t blame them. After all, they didn’t know the truth.” Then she added, “By the way, they were asking about your wedding with the Li family earlier. I didn’t say much.”