Chapter 10: Snapping Back at Everyone Equally

On the way back, Zhao Lili sat on the bike seat and couldn’t help humming a tune.
Her legs swung with the rhythm, as if she’d returned to her carefree childhood.

When she was little, she loved to sing, but as she grew older, she gradually stopped.
Today she experienced so many firsts: her first time going to the town, first time eating at a restaurant, and the first time seeing her mother stand up for her.

The heavy stone that had weighed on her heart for years was finally lifted, and every pore on her body cheered with the freedom and relief.
Her long-parched heart was watered with abundant love—the seeds of affection were finally taking root and sprouting.

“Xiulian, you went up to town?”
“Rare for you to go out and even take your daughter along—must be the sun rising in the west.”
“Isn’t that right? Xiulian’s famous for doting on her sons. Taking her daughter to town—what, to sell her off? Hahaha.”

As their bike turned into the village entrance, a few old women stitching shoe soles craned their necks together, chirping sarcastically at Zhang Xiulian with that nasal, disdainful tone.

“Mom, don’t stop. Let’s just go—ignore them.
They gossip about me all the time too. I just cover my ears and pretend I didn’t hear anything,” Zhao Lili whispered, patting her mother’s back.

Zhang Xiulian hadn’t planned to bother with them—not out of fear, but because she didn’t want to waste time on people like that.
Every village has these women: three or five of them huddling together, gossiping about this family and that.

But when she heard her daughter had been on the receiving end too, she decided to teach them a lesson.

She squeezed the brakes and stopped the bicycle steadily in front of them.

“Sister-in-law Zhang—I heard your younger daughter-in-law just gave birth to her third daughter. Congratulations! When are you treating us to red-dyed eggs?”

“Auntie Li, I hear your old man often goes over at midnight to help the widow Wang next door with her ‘work’. What a noble act! I’m thinking of reporting it to the village and nominating him for a Good Deeds Award.”

“Sister-in-law Wang, do you think Auntie Li’s man qualifies for that award?”

When a pro makes a move, you can tell right away.
With just a few sharp lines, Zhang Xiulian roasted them all indiscriminately, leaving them speechless.

Meddling in other people’s business when your own life is a mess—she stabbed exactly where it hurt.

With that, she stepped on the pedals and rode off in triumph.

They hadn’t walked far when loud arguing erupted behind them.

“You shameless Widow Wang! Trying to steal my man? Today I’ll teach you a lesson!”

“Auntie Li, calm down! Don’t let bad people use you as a weapon — I didn’t do anything!”

A sharp, screeching wail followed — the sound of women screaming like banshees.

It didn’t take a genius to guess — the two of them had definitely started fighting.

Zhang Xiulian burst out laughing at the thought.

“Instead of tearing myself down, better to let others tear each other apart. Let’s see them keep running their filthy mouths now!”

“Mom, you’re amazing. If it were me, I’d just go home and cry,” Zhao Lili said admiringly.

Zhang Xiulian turned to look at her, then said seriously, “If someone crosses you, hit back. Don’t be afraid — I’ve got your back.”

As they rode to the stone bridge near the village, the bike suddenly let out a creak and came to a halt.

“Mom, what’s wrong?” Zhao Lili asked in concern, quickly jumping off the bike and running to the front.

There stood a young man, about her age. With sharp brows and bright eyes, he carried a righteous air about him. Tall and slim, yet not weak-looking — he gave off a calm and dependable aura.

“Aunt Xiulian, I’d like to speak to Lili for a moment, if that’s okay?” the man asked in a low voice as he looked at Zhang Xiulian.

This was Wang Qiang — the man Zhao Lili had been dating.

Also, in their past lives, he was the one who had helped the youngest daughter handle Zhang Xiulian’s funeral arrangements.

If it hadn’t been for this young man remembering his bond with Lili, Zhang Xiulian might not have even had a proper burial after her death.

Having lived two lifetimes, Zhang Xiulian could see things clearly now. A girl choosing a husband shouldn’t be about how rich he is or how sweet he talks — it should be about his character and actions.

And she knew, Wang Qiang was absolutely a man one could entrust a lifetime to.

Zhang Xiulian’s eyes grew red, her lips trembled, but she held back the deep gratitude she couldn’t say out loud. “Of course. You young people — if something needs to be said, then say it clearly.”

As soon as the words left her mouth, she hopped back on the bike and fled like the wind.

Wang Qiang stared in a daze at her disappearing figure, stunned for a long time. Only after she vanished completely did he snap back to reality.

“What’s up with your mom today? Before, she wouldn’t even let me get within ten meters of you. She’d drag you away and curse me out.”

“What happened? Did the sun rise from the west today?” he asked, staring at Zhao Lili in disbelief.

“I can’t explain it either… but I really feel like my mom’s changed a lot.”

“Come on, let’s talk somewhere else.”

Zhao Lili glanced around and, seeing no one nearby, pulled Wang Qiang to the side of the stone bridge.

“Alright, what did you want to talk to me about?”

Wang Qiang slapped his forehead and said with frustration, “Ah! I almost forgot the main thing.”

“I heard from a few aunties at the village entrance that the village chief’s wife, Li Meixia, went to your house to propose marriage. Your parents accepted 500 yuan as betrothal money, and they’re planning to marry you off next month. You were so upset that you jumped into a well. Is that true? Are you alright?”

Wang Qiang’s face turned pale, then dark, veins bulged on his forehead, and his hands tightly gripped Zhao Lili’s arms—his fingers were turning white from the force.

“Ow! You’re hurting me.” Zhao Lili frowned and pulled her arms free. “No wonder my mom scolded those women—it really wasn’t unfair. What a mess! Where did all this nonsense come from?!”

“If I had really jumped into a well, would I be standing here perfectly fine?”

“Then I can breathe easy,” Wang Qiang’s tense, rigid shoulders finally relaxed, and he collapsed like a puppet with its strings cut.

Zhao Lili quickly caught him and helped him sit down on the stone bench by the bridge.

She then told him everything that had happened recently in full detail. “Wang Qiang, my family finally stopped trying to force me into marriage. Now it’s your turn to work hard—save up as much as you can and marry me as soon as possible.

Even though my mom said clearly she doesn’t want a high bride price, raising me wasn’t easy. I still want to repay her somehow.”

Her eyes turned red as she choked up slightly.

Wang Qiang held her hand tightly, his own eyes growing red as he solemnly promised, “Lili, trust me. Just give me a bit more time—I swear I’ll give you a good life.”

—-

Meanwhile…

“This life is impossible to live! My daughter-in-law disappears for a whole day, and there’s not even one bite of food cooked for this old woman. Are you trying to starve me to death?!”

Just as Zhang Xiulian pushed her bicycle into the courtyard, she heard her mother-in-law, Liu Dani, standing at the kitchen door, shouting at the top of her lungs.

“Oh come on, Mom, if you don’t want to live, I can help you figure something out.

Should I hang a rope from the beam for you?

Or bring you a knife from the kitchen?

You’re only in your 60s, not paralyzed—just old.

Can’t you cook a meal for yourself?

Do you have to wait for me to come back?

If you starve to death, don’t blame anyone else—blame yourself for being too lazy!”

Without even turning around, Zhang Xiulian grabbed the things hanging from her bicycle and walked straight to her daughters’ room.