Chapter 34: You Can Choose to Die

In the morning, Shen Mingzhi also reached an agreement with the iron factory.

They were quick to make the mold for her, just one. Shen Mingzhi inspected the goods on the spot, signed a contract with the iron factory, paid a deposit, and left.

She was sweltering as she rode her bicycle to find the plastic factory.

She didn’t have time to find the plastic factory yesterday, and it would take a lot of time today.

She held the handlebars with one hand and held a rice ball in the other.

Just as she turned a corner, someone was suddenly pushed out and crashed into Shen Mingzhi’s bicycle.

She fell so hard that she saw stars, and the rice ball in her hand rolled onto the ground, covered in dirt.

Shen Mingzhi got up from the ground and, when she saw that it was Jiang Yinyin, she was so angry that she rolled up her sleeves and was about to hit her. “Jiang Yinyin, are you looking for a beating?”

“How would I know you were riding your bike here? I was just playing around with my friend. Who told you to pass by here!” Jiang Yinyin had been watching Shen Mingzhi all morning, but she wouldn’t admit it.

Shen Mingzhi’s leg was injured. She rolled up her pants leg and found a large gash on her knee. Blood flowed down her calf.

The boy who had crashed into her bike saw this and immediately ran away.

When Jiang Yinyin saw this, she also ran away quickly.

Shen Mingzhi wanted to chase after her, but she was afraid that someone would take her bicycle. She could only endure the pain and push the bicycle up. Her knee hurt so much that she kept gasping for air. She had to get off first.

She went to a nearby clinic, disinfected and bandaged the wound. She rested for a long time before coming out of the clinic.

After coming out, she was preparing to ride her bicycle to the Chinese medicine store when she realized that the bicycle wasn’t light.

She looked down and saw that both tires were flat.

She squatted down and saw that someone had cut the tires with a knife… She didn’t need to think to know who it was, but unfortunately, she had no evidence.

Shen Mingzhi found a tire repair shop, spent a few cents to fix the tires, and came out feeling extremely angry.

Jiang Yinyin, just let her catch her!

Shen Mingzhi bought two bamboo baskets, tied them to both sides of the bicycle, bought a lot of Chinese herbs, and continued to look for the plastic factory.

By the time it was almost dark, she hadn’t found out about the plastic factory.

On the way back on her bicycle, she was thinking about whether to switch to a paper factory, but paper should be more expensive than plastic… Her mind was a mess all the way.

When she arrived at the entrance of her house, she was stopped by Song Wanyin.

Seeing that it was about to get dark, Shen Mingzhi didn’t have time to waste words with her, so she directly asked her, “What do you want?”

Song Wanyin was also riding a bicycle. She got off the bicycle, approached Shen Mingzhi, and asked in a voice that was neither too loud nor too soft, “A year ago, you were almost gone overnight. When you went back, your clothes were torn, and you were covered in traces left by men. You were raped, right?”

Shen Mingzhi felt cold all over when she heard this.

She didn’t know how Song Wanyin knew. This matter was very secretive. Besides that man, only the people from Zhang Ping’s family knew… No one else knew.

“After Zhang Ping died, the reason why his relatives drove you out was this. You were living in adultery with a wild man,” Song Wanyin said slowly, her eyes full of contempt.

Shen Mingzhi clenched the handlebars of the bicycle. After a long time, she found her voice, “This is just your side of the story. Do you have any evidence? Without evidence, you’re slandering me.”

“Aren’t the children evidence? I know who that man is,” Song Wanyin said calmly.

“What do you want to do by suddenly telling me this?” Shen Mingzhi asked in a deep voice.

“I just want you to leave Jiang Shaochen. I’ll tell you who the father of the children is,” Song Wanyin said.

Shen Mingzhi couldn’t help but laugh. “You’re really naive. I’m in a military marriage with him. Do you think it’s up to me whether I want to leave him now?”

“That’s your business. You can even die. The children’s father will definitely come to pick them up then. So even if you die, the children will still be able to live. Don’t you think so?” Song Wanyin said with a smile.

“Why should I die? Even if what you said is true, if I was bullied, it was the other party’s fault. Do you want to slut-shame me? Sorry, I’m a rough person and I don’t fall for that,” Shen Mingzhi said, pushing her bicycle away directly.

“When your rumors are flying everywhere, do you think the Jiang family can stand it? Wherever you go, people will be pointing fingers at you. You want to rely on selling medicine to make money, who would dare to buy medicine from a slut?” Song Wanyin said behind her.

Shen Mingzhi’s hands became even more forceful.

“I can also find people from the Zhang family to be witnesses. Are you really not afraid?” Song Wanyin continued.

Shen Mingzhi stopped and didn’t speak.

The Zhang family had never acknowledged the existence of the children, and she had also been driven out by the Zhang family. It would indeed be of no benefit to her if Song Wanyin found people from the Zhang family to slander her.

In this era, the punishment for messing around with relationships was also very heavy.

The reputation was also not good, and it would also affect the children’s growth.

“You want to be with Jiang Shaochen and want me to die? That’s a bit too much, right?” Shen Mingzhi turned to look at her. “I’m asking you, you’re living well, are you willing to die?”

“Then I’ll give you a week to think about what to do,” Song Wanyin said with a smile. “I’m telling you, Jiang Shaochen knows about this. He’s already gone home. Hurry back, the two children need your care.”

Shen Mingzhi watched her leave in silence.

She stood at the door for a long time until the door of the courtyard house opened.

“Sister, you’re back,” Wang Xinian’s voice sounded.

Shen Mingzhi suddenly came back to her senses, turned around, and saw the tall and thin young man standing at the door. She hummed in response and pushed the car in. “Did Aunt Wang ask you to see if I was back?”

“No, she’s already left for a while. I saw that it was getting dark and you hadn’t returned yet, so I was a little worried and came out to take a look.” Wang Xinian watched her walk past him, his eyes falling on her exceptionally fair swan neck.

He had actually heard what she and that woman had said.

After Shen Mingzhi pushed the bicycle into the yard, he closed the door, turned around, looked at her back, and unconsciously clenched his hands. “Sister!”

Shen Mingzhi stopped, holding the bicycle, and turned to look at him. “What’s wrong?”

Wang Xinian walked quickly to her side, his stomach full of words he wanted to say, but reason told him that it wasn’t appropriate.

Suppressing the impulse in his heart, he said in a low voice, “He didn’t say anything when he left. But sister, don’t worry, no matter what happens, I’ll be by your side.”

“You’re following me for the college entrance examination, for a good future, not to manage the trivial matters of my family. He left, but it’s not like I can’t support you,” Shen Mingzhi said with a smile.

Wang Xinian frowned when he heard this. “Am I just an ungrateful person in your eyes? If he doesn’t want you and the children, I’ll be the pillar for you and the children. Of course, I’ll study hard and get into a good university”

Shen Mingzhi interrupted him. “Look at you, you’re saying more and more outrageous things. I’m already very satisfied that you have this heart. Go back and eat first, and then rest early after eating.”

Wang Xinian didn’t say anything else.

Early the next morning, Aunt Wang came over in a hurry.

Shen Mingzhi was sitting on a stool in the corridor, combing her hair.

Jiang Shaochen had left yesterday, and she wasn’t there either, leaving Wang Xinian to take care of the children.

She had been thinking about this all night and decided to have a good chat with Aunt Wang today.