Chapter 23

“Xu Ruhua stole my boyfriend, yet so many people still praise her?”

“As for sleeping on the balcony? This house was bought with my mother’s money. If I wanted Xu Ruhua to sleep on the balcony or to throw both Xu Xiuhong and her daughter out, what’s stopping me?”

Whether it was truly her mother’s money, she didn’t actually know. But according to the original story, Xu’s father had married into fortune as a “phoenix flying out of poverty” from a poor background. Xu Xiuhong had been his first love, both of them from the same village.

After the tragic death of her biological mother, her father had gotten back together with Xu Xiuhong, thinking himself loyal and honorable.

The crowd started murmuring again, questioning what was happening.

“Not coming home to help prepare for her daughter’s engagement? That’s really too much.”

“A stepmother is just a stepmother. Seems she was pretending to be nice before.”

“Right! The younger sister stealing her elder sister’s boyfriend? In the past, that would’ve been a scandal with possible legal consequences. How did it all turn against Xu Niannian?”

“Exactly! And I thought the young man from the He family was lucky to get away from a ‘lazy good-for-nothing.’ Now I feel I must’ve lost my mind.”

Older folks in the crowd joined in. “That house definitely belonged to the previous wife. Everyone remembers how poor Xu Aiguo used to be.”

“Hush…”

“Hush? Afraid of what? How ruthless to scheme against someone while living under their roof!”

Seeing the crowd sufficiently riled up, Xu Niannian wiped at imaginary tears and said, “Aunties, to be honest, Xu Ruhua has her eyes on my current fiancé too. She purposely gave me the wrong date for our arranged meeting. Maybe she’s greedy for what’s already on her plate as well as what’s in the pot.”

“She even helped me apply to become a youth volunteer in the countryside!”

Everyone gasped. What kind of grudge would make someone want to do away with Xu Niannian like that? Life in the countryside was no easy task.

Hearing this, Xu Ruhua couldn’t take it anymore and rushed out, trying to cover Xu Niannian’s mouth. Her face twisted with rage, far from her usual indifferent demeanor.

And seeing Xu Ruhua’s guilty and disheveled look, it was obvious to anyone who was lying and who was telling the truth.

In no time, the gossip spread like wildfire among the neighbors, set to be the talk of the entire complex by afternoon. With no other entertainment around, this story alone would last them for months.

Xu Xiuhong, hearing the commotion outside, felt her head throb and lunged at Niannian. But she was held back by a few quick neighbors.

“What are you doing, hitting people?”

“She’s my own daughter! Not your business.”

“Didn’t you just say she wasn’t your real daughter?”

Just then, Xu’s father came out of the bedroom, relieved that his stash hadn’t been touched, only to find a crowd outside. Shocked, he asked, “What’s everyone doing here?”

A bystander filled him in on the whole story, and his face grew increasingly grim. But he forced a smile and said to the crowd, “Sorry to trouble everyone. I’ll handle this at home. Please go on with your day.”

He knew that if word spread, any chance of promotion was ruined. If he couldn’t even control his own family, how would his superiors trust him with his team?

Once everyone left, he locked the door and immediately kicked Xu Xiuhong and Xu Ruhua, furious.

“Do you want me to die on the job from embarrassment with your disgraceful behavior?”

Xu Xiuhong lost her temper and pounced on him, scratching his face in rage. “You think it was easy for me all these years?”

He felt blood dripping from his cheek and finally snapped. Normally, he’d been too lenient with her.

As they started brawling in the living room, Niannian, ignoring the chaos, grabbed her fiancé’s gifts from the sofa and retreated to her room, locking the door. She carefully stored everything away, almost like a miser counting her stash. She ran her hands over the fine fabric, feeling a pang that she couldn’t stay a bit longer to have a few outfits made from it.

As she sat, savoring her possessions, she knew Ruhua’s reputation in this community would never recover, which would make marriage prospects challenging. Content, Niannian decided to sleep.

Maybe from the day’s events, she began to dream again, reliving her original mother’s tragic accident.

That day, her mother, six months pregnant, had come home early. Upon entering, she overheard voices saying:

“Aiguo, you’re amazing, I feel so good!”

“So much better than that dead husband of mine.”

“Don’t remind me of that. Marrying my daughter off to someone else behind my back—how could you?”

The woman replied in a playful tone, “What else could I do? Being unmarried and pregnant in the countryside would get me drowned. You wouldn’t marry me back then.”

“Just wait. This is just a matter of time. I’ve brought you here now, haven’t I?”

“I don’t want to be her servant. When are you getting me a stable job at the factory? I can’t stand this life anymore.”

“This is much better than the countryside, isn’t it? Plenty to eat, plenty to wear.”

“Yes, but it hurts to see you all cozy with someone else.”

“Isn’t this why I’m here to keep you warm?”

“Oh, you devil.”

Watching, Niannian’s mother grew pale, her tears flowing. She’d hired Xu Xiuhong as a housekeeper, leaving her husband to arrange the details, never expecting him to bring back his mistress.

All her previous suspicions now made sense.

She wanted to leave, but accidentally bumped a vase that Aiguo had given her. The sound startled the two.

Trying to run, she felt her legs give way, while pain surged through her belly as the child inside her kicked.

By the time Aiguo and Xu Xiuhong, disheveled, emerged, it was too late. Seeing her bleeding, Xu Xiuhong clung to Aiguo, adjusting her clothes and saying anxiously:

“Aiguo, if she tells anyone, we’re finished. You’ll lose your job, and we could even face public humiliation.”

Seeing the broken vase, Aiguo knew that using any blunt object would leave evidence, and the police wouldn’t let it go. But fate gave him an out; she was already bleeding.

In a desperate plea, Niannian’s mother begged him, “I can pretend this didn’t happen, just take me to the hospital. Otherwise, the baby won’t survive.”

Her sobs were heart-wrenching.

But Xu Xiuhong stoked Aiguo’s anger, saying, “Aiguo and I couldn’t help ourselves; he’s my first love. Don’t blame me; blame yourself for being so well-off.”

“And don’t worry; after you’re gone, I’ll take good care of Aiguo. We’ll even have another child.”