Chapter 29

Just when Jiang Rou was worrying about how to clear Li Xiao’s name, within two days, news came that the He family was hosting a banquet.

Although Li Xiao had nothing to do with this matter, others wouldn’t believe it just based on a few words. Paternity testing wasn’t common at this time, and the woman involved might not cooperate.

Unexpectedly, at this time, He Wenhua suddenly got married, and the bride was none other than Liang Jing.

It was Lin Meiru who brought the news, her face beaming with joy. She said that He Wenhua had gotten the girl pregnant, and the girl had given birth to a baby boy who was particularly handsome. She added that the banquet would be held at their home in two days because the child had already been born and they were in a hurry to register him, so their family didn’t need to spend much money.

Lin Meiru seemed extremely proud and delighted that He Wenhua had gotten the girl pregnant, feeling that her stepson was quite capable.

It was completely different from the way she had talked about Jiang Rou and Li Xiao before, where she had shown disdain and contempt, thinking that Jiang Rou wasn’t a good girl and that Li Xiao was up to no good, behaving like a lecher.

What a double standard.

Although Jiang Rou didn’t know what had happened, she remembered that in her previous life, He Wenhua’s wife didn’t seem to be named Liang Jing. He had married a woman from the city, then cheated on her and was punished by her family. After the divorce, his life deteriorated; he lost his job and returned to the country with no accomplishments. In the end, he became a taxi driver who was often bullied by his peers.

There were additional details from the witness in the report, suggesting that there might have been someone involved in this.

As for who was responsible, everyone, more or less, had an idea.

Now that He Wenhua and Liang Jing had become husband and wife, it was clear that something had changed.

However, this was a good thing for Li Xiao. With He Wenhua acknowledging the child in Liang Jing’s womb, Li Xiao’s reputation would naturally be cleared.

But Jiang Rou couldn’t understand why He Wenhua was willing to marry Liang Jing.

From her perspective as a bystander, He Wenhua was narrow-minded and ambitious. Even if he knew that the child in Liang Jing’s womb was his, he probably wouldn’t have been willing to admit it.

Unless he was being blackmailed.

At this thought, for some reason, Li Xiao’s face appeared in Jiang Rou’s mind.

Meanwhile, Lin Meiru was still boasting about how smart and cute her grandson was, smiling brightly whenever she saw him.

Jiang Rou was speechless at Lin Meiru’s bragging and couldn’t help but say, “He’s not even your real grandson; what’s there to be so happy about?”

Lin Meiru rolled her eyes at her, thinking Jiang Rou was just being jealous. After showing off, she then informed Jiang Rou that the He family would be hosting a banquet in two days and asked her and Li Xiao to come over for a meal.

Jiang Rou neither agreed nor refused; she simply sent Lin Meiru off and then visited the neighbors next door with An An. 

Aunt Wang was also at home, and she could hear Lin Meiru’s voice through the wall.

When she saw Jiang Rou coming, she couldn’t wait to ask what had happened, worried that Jiang Rou might have been bullied again.

Jiang Rou felt there was nothing to hide, so she told the story directly.

After hearing the story, Aunt Wang clicked her tongue in surprise. She thought the situation was quite unexpected. A few nights ago, when she heard Li Xiao say those things, she thought that if it were true, then Lin Meiru’s stepson was quite something, having such deep thoughts at such a young age and already learning to engage in such bad behavior. She felt Li Xiao was unlucky to have crossed paths with him.

Now, hearing this, she couldn’t help but spit in disgust, “Serves them right. Neither of them is a good person.”

Thinking about the girl who had come to the Li family’s door that night, if it weren’t for Jiang Rou’s insistence on believing Li Xiao, everyone would have been misled.

It was obvious that the child was not Li Xiao’s, but she allowed her sister to come forward and falsely accuse him. Jiang Rou couldn’t understand what she was thinking. All she knew was that He Wenhua couldn’t bear to see Li Xiao living a good life, and that girl was also an accomplice.

Aunt Wang quickly pulled Jiang Rou aside and said, “You and Li Xiao are doing well. The better you live, the more jealous they become. This is the best revenge.”

She continued, “Don’t resort to underhanded tactics against them and don’t let yourself get angry. Let’s live upright and honestly. Trust Auntie, good people will be rewarded, and they’ll get their comeuppance one day.”

Jiang Rou was surprised to hear Aunt Wang’s superstitious beliefs and couldn’t help but laugh.

Nevertheless, she said, “I’ll take Auntie’s good advice to heart.”

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

When He Wenhua got married two days later, neither Jiang Rou nor Li Xiao attended. When Li Xiao heard about it, he wasn’t surprised at all. After a cold laugh, he went back to whatever he was doing.

Jiang Rou suspiciously glanced at him and asked if he knew something. Li Xiao kept his head down as if he hadn’t heard.

Jiang Rou pushed him unhappily.

Li Xiao was focused on carving a peach pit in his hand. He had seen many children wearing red string bracelets threaded with peach pits and had heard that these could ward off evil spirits. So Li Xiao thought about making one for An An and Jiang Rou as well. ^[1]Picture below

He would carve for a while, then gently blow off the powder and pick it up to examine it.

After Jiang Rou pushed him, he couldn’t help but smile, but he remained silent, lowering his head again to continue carving the peach pit.

He didn’t want to share those dirty things with her. He wasn’t made of dough—he’s not someone who can swallow his anger when He Wenhua plotted against him. When He Wenhua forced him to drop out of school, he made sure He Wenhua’s college entrance exams went wrong for two consecutive years. This time, He Wenhua wanted to make things difficult for him, so he made him wear a green hat and be the father of someone else’s son. ^[2]This stems from the expression “戴绿帽子” (dài lǜ màozi), which literally means “to wear a green hat.” The term means being cheated on or having a spouse who is … Continue reading

He figured that a few years from now, when He Wenhua discovered that the child wasn’t his, he would probably be “very happy.”

It could only be said that He Wenhua was too arrogant, thinking that every woman was as easy to control as Lin Meiru.

When Jiang Rou couldn’t get an answer, she simply stopped asking.

There are still four or five days left before the Chinese New Year. Aunt Wang’s daughter, Wang Minjun, finally came back. Wang Minjun had been admitted to a prestigious university in the provincial capital of the neighboring province, a university ranked nationally, so it wasn’t surprising that Aunt Wang was so proud.

At their age, Aunt Wang and Uncle Wang were still working hard to earn money, knowing that their daughter had no siblings to rely on. They believed that making more money would give them a sense of security.

Wang Minjun did not disappoint her parents’ expectations. After entering university, she studied diligently. Due to her excellent grades, her teacher took notice of her and brought her to the capital to participate in competitions and exchange experiences with her seniors, which broadened her horizons.

As a result, she had to wait until now to return home, even though she was supposed to have had a winter vacation in early January.

Wang Minjun was a filial daughter. She brought many nice things for her parents from the capital and also brought gifts for Jiang Rou and An An.

She gave Jiang Rou a fountain pen. Having often heard her mother mention Jiang Rou on the phone and knowing that Jiang Rou was preparing for the college entrance examination, she chose the pen with her in mind. After returning home, she even organized her high school notes to give to Jiang Rou. For An An, she brought a small cotton jacket. Although it was plain in style, the material was excellent, and it was said to have been bought with the prize money from her latest competition.

Wang Minjun had a great affection for An An. After returning, she visited her daily and gave her hugs. Sometimes, when she saw Jiang Rou struggling with a question, she carefully explained it to her.

Aunt Wang also told Jiang Rou that her daughter had once had feelings for Li Xiao, but she had discouraged her. Back then, Aunt Wang had a bit of a prejudice against Li Xiao.

Jiang Rou wasn’t upset by this. Many people had liked Li Xiao, and she had even found several love letters in his old books, though she had no idea how those girls had managed to sneak them in.

She just felt sorry for Wang Minjun. She didn’t know whether to cry or laugh at having a mother who loved to expose her shortcomings. She didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

Wang Minjun bore a striking resemblance to Aunt Wang. She had a round face and was somewhat chubby, but she was very kind and spoke gently.

Knowing that Jiang Rou was planning to go to the vegetable market in the afternoon, Wang Minjun volunteered to accompany her and helped hold An An along the way.

When Aunt Wang heard that Jiang Rou and her daughter were heading to the market, she decided to join them. 

Jiang Rou bought some meat and vegetables, a few strings of firecrackers, and some red paper. 

Aunt Wang mentioned that she would use these to make red envelopes for children when visiting relatives during the New Year, which Jiang Rou hadn’t thought of.

The firecrackers were bought at a mall next to a clothing store. After buying the firecrackers, Aunt Wang dragged the two of them next door to take a look, intending to pick something out for Uncle Wang.

Aunt Wang liked those big, thick cotton jackets, thinking they were warm and well-made. Wang Minjun liked a long, thin cotton jacket, but Aunt Wang didn’t approve, thinking it looked nice but was too thin and a waste of money.

Jiang Rou also took a look around, thinking of how Li Xiao only ever wore that old black cotton jacket every day. She paid extra attention while choosing.

In the end, Aunt Wang bought a thick jacket for Uncle Wang, and Jiang Rou purchased a black short coat for Li Xiao.

When Aunt Wang saw the short coat, she asked, “Why did you buy such a thin one? He can’t wear it now.”

“It’s for him to wear in the spring,” Jiang Rou replied.

The main reason was that she didn’t like the available cotton jackets and felt they weren’t appealing.

Aunt Wang didn’t comment further and led them out to continue shopping.

By the time they finished shopping and returned home, Jiang Rou’s legs felt like they were about to give out. Wang Minjun first carried An An to Jiang Rou’s place next door, then returned to her own home after putting An An down.

Her mother was at the gate, taking out the things she had bought. When she saw her daughter, she immediately started complaining, “Why are you back so soon? You didn’t even help Xiao Rou with An An. Even though An An is well-behaved, she still needs someone with her at all times.”

As she spoke, she went on about how wonderful Jiang Rou and Li Xiao were and how their presence reminded her of the hardships she had faced when she was young. She continued talking endlessly.

Wang Minjun found herself caught between amusement and frustration. After all, wasn’t it her mother who used to speak ill of Jiang Rou and Li Xiao every chance she got? She couldn’t help but reply, “Didn’t you used to say that Jiang Rou and her husband were good for nothing?”

Aunt Wang denied it: “When did I say that? I never said that. It must have been your father who said it.”

“…”

-o-o-o-o-o-.

In the evening, after washing up, Li Xiao returned to his room and noticed the new clothes Jiang Rou had bought for him. He held them in his hands and looked at them for a long time before carefully folding them and placing them neatly in the wardrobe.

Jiang Rou, who was sitting on the bed holding their child, couldn’t help but laugh when she saw this. “Isn’t that a bit much?”

Li Xiao didn’t respond. As he walked towards the bed, Jiang Rou suddenly remembered something and asked, “By the way, how has Zhu Qiang been doing lately? Did he get his money back?”

Li Xiao answered concisely, “No.”

He took An An from her arms and explained, “She ran away a long time ago. The woman’s name and family information are all fake—everything was fake. She specifically targeted rural bachelors. Zhu Qiang’s brother-in-law was the fifth one she scammed.”

Li Xiao had heard this from Zhou Jian. He also mentioned that when Zhu Qiang wanted to report it to the police, Mei Zi’s family still disagreed. Meizi’s older brother couldn’t bear the thought of the woman being arrested and even threatened to kill himself. In the end, Zhu Qiang asked Mei Zi to call the police. Mei Zi was afraid that her eldest brother would really commit suicide, so she didn’t dare to call the police. She also stopped Zhu Qiang from going. Zhu Qiang was so angry that he ended up hitting Me Zi.

Mei Zi ran back to her parents’ home crying, and Zhu Qiang went to the police station by himself. In the end, a police investigation revealed that not only was the woman a repeat offender, but there was also a gang behind her. They had fled the county overnight after scamming the money, and all the information they provided was fake.

A previous victim had managed to track a few of them down, only to be beaten up, leaving him crippled.

In the countryside, people tend to resolve issues face-to-face rather than involving the police. Those with many relatives would often show up at the scammer’s doorstep en masse, never considering filing a report. This emboldened the scammers, making them more daring.

Due to this incident, Zhu Qiang has been in a bad mood lately, with a short temper. He often made mistakes in the kitchen at Jiangnan Villa, and even his uncle couldn’t shield him from the consequences.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Rou couldn’t help but recall how she had asked Li Xiao to return the money from the pyramid scheme. Although he had initially been reluctant, he eventually followed her and successfully returned the money. 

He never blamed her, let alone resorting to violence.

With someone to compare, the difference was striking.

She looked at him seriously and said, “I’ve suddenly realized how good you are.”

Li Xiao was taken aback and raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

Jiang Rou smiled. “I just realized that you are very good.”

Then she added, “Better than Zhu Qiang.”

Li Xiao chuckled lightly, thinking she wasn’t very good at flattery.

Comparing him to Zhu Qiang didn’t bring any sense of victory.

Zhu Qiang was suffering from his own actions. He had a bad habit of always blaming others when things went wrong, feeling that everyone was against him. Even without this incident, there would have been issues between him and his wife sooner or later.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

On the morning of New Year’s Eve, Li Xiao woke up early. He didn’t have to get up right away, so he lay there quietly.

He turned his head to look beside him. An An and Jiang Rou was still sleeping. An had her tiny fists resting on her cheeks, her face rosy from sleep. He and Jiang Rou were worried she might get cold at night, so they covered her with an extra small blanket under the big one.

His gaze softened as it fell on An An’s face. Jiang Rou often said that An An looked like him, but he thought An An resembled her more. He had been a troublemaker since childhood. Lin Meiru used to say that they must have had a grudge in a past life because she hadn’t had a single peaceful day after conceiving him, and the birth had almost killed her.

But An An was well-behaved. When she smiled, the curve of her lips was exactly like Jiang Rou’s, especially when she got a bit upset. The other day, he had come home and forgotten to hold her first thing, and that night, she wouldn’t let him hold her before bed, burying her face in Jiang Rou’s arms instead.

That had made Jiang Rou laugh uncontrollably.

Thinking of this, Li Xiao couldn’t help but glance at Jiang Rou. Her sleeping posture was a bit off—her head had slipped off the pillow, and her long hair was in disarray, with a few strands falling across her face. They seemed to tickle her, as she wrinkled her nose unconsciously in her sleep.

Seeing this, Li Xiao reached out to gently brush the hair away from her cheeks.

His touch was so soft that Jiang Rou didn’t feel a thing; her slightly furrowed brows gradually relaxed, and she continued to sleep peacefully.

However, the little one sleeping beside her had woken up at some point. She opened her big, round eyes and stared at Li Xiao.

“…”

Li Xiao found himself staring back into her clear, innocent eyes and, for some reason, suddenly felt a bit nervous.

It was as if he had been caught doing something he shouldn’t have.

---

Peach Pit Bracelet

---