Chapter 98 : The couple learned the truth

“Guofeng, our family was harmed by enemy spies. It was devastating, our entire family was destroyed. Your mother died at the hands of enemy spies all those years ago…” Shu Zhisheng, once a decorated war hero with countless military accomplishments, a man who had never been defeated by bullets and artillery fire, who had shed blood but never tears, now burst into tears. He forced himself to tell the entire truth.

Tang Lingxue and Shu Guofeng were utterly shocked. After hearing everything, they collapsed to the ground, sitting there in a daze, completely lost. They couldn’t believe what Shu Zhisheng was saying, and even more, they didn’t want to believe such cruel things had happened in their own family.

Tang Lingxue shook her head in denial. “Dad, you’re lying to me, right?”

“No. This is the latest information I received. Li Yanyan, Li Mingqiang, and Deng Miaomiao were all arrested by the army today. Shu Ruxue were taken in yesterday. All of this was discovered during the interrogation,” Shu Zhisheng said bitterly. He couldn’t accept it, he had survived war and death, only to have his family ruined at the hands of enemy spies.

“This can’t be true. It’s not true… wuwuwu… Oh my God! What did I do to Siying?” Tang Lingxue broke down in tears, filled with grief and regret over how she had always favored Shu Ruxue, while constantly criticizing, suppressing, neglecting, and even beating Siying.

Her heart ached as if pierced by a knife so painful she couldn’t breathe. The weight of her remorse was suffocating. And now, thinking of Siying’s current situation, she was sure Siying must hate them even more. No…. she had to do something to earn her forgiveness.

She thought back to how, before Shu Ruxue returned to the family, their household had been loving and peaceful. Their daughter was well-behaved and obedient, her son was ambitious and capable, and everyone lived in harmony. But after Shu Ruxue came back, everything changed. The family’s hearts became biased. Siying had severed ties and gone to the countryside. Her son had been framed into bringing home a wife. Then the family was reported…

“Guofeng, Siying is such a sensible child. Once she knows the truth, she’ll understand what’s right and wrong. It’s all the fault of those enemy spies, they’re like rats in the shadows, always lurking,” Tang Lingxue said urgently, hoping for reassurance to ease her guilt.

She regretted everything now. If only she hadn’t asked someone to investigate Shu Ruxue’s background, maybe none of this would’ve happened. Their family might still be intact.

“Lingxue, we failed the child. And now we can’t even protect ourselves we’ve dragged her into this, possibly into mortal danger. Do you think she’ll forgive us?”

“She will, she will… Siying is the most understanding girl,” Tang Lingxue said, completely forgetting Siying’s firm resolve when she had severed ties with the family.

“As long as we’re still alive, there’s hope. Let’s take care of ourselves first. I’ll use the last of my connections to have us transferred to Siying’s team in the village. At the very least, we can warn her,” Shu Zhisheng said, forcing himself to stay strong. ‘Chengzhi is still on a mission… I don’t know if he’s been dragged into this too. Siying absolutely can’t be allowed to be harmed by these people.’

Shu Zhisheng recalled the way Siying had looked at them before as if they were fools. ‘Could she have known something?’ he wondered. But then immediately dismissed the thought. ‘If she had known, she would have warned me. She wouldn’t have just walked away.’

“Dad, my husband and I will follow your lead.” Upon hearing they might see their daughter again, both Tang Lingxue and Shu Guofeng nodded eagerly.

Meanwhile, Yun Siying had no idea that the Shu family was preparing to approach her, nor that many other families had also started to target her. A tide of conspiracies was silently rising against her. After three grueling days of missions, she was finally able to return to the brigade. Nangong Ruochen drove her back in a military truck, drawing a lot of attention.

Just as they were about to arrive at the entrance of the village, she said, “Nangong Ruochen, let me get off here.”

“Siying, it’s still a bit of a walk from here to the village. I’ll take you to the entrance of the Youth Courtyard, so you won’t have to walk as much,” Nangong Ruochen said, puzzled.

“The big locust tree at the village entrance is where all the aunts and grandmas gather. If I come back in a military truck or arrive with you, who knows what kind of stories they’ll make up? They’ll bombard me with questions, and I don’t have time for that,” Yun Siying rolled her eyes at him.

“I didn’t think of that. I’ll let you off here, then,” Nangong Ruochen replied obediently. He stopped the vehicle and got out first to open the door for her. But as he turned around, he saw that Siying had already stepped out and was holding her luggage effortlessly in one hand.

A flash of disappointment crossed his eyes. ‘Sorry, but the girl you like is just too capable, you don’t even get the chance to help. Who could understand this feeling?’

“Take care on the road.” Yun Siying walked off carrying her bags and waved casually over her shoulder.

Nangong Ruochen watched her as she walked away, light on her feet, waving goodbye with her back to him. He raised his hand stiffly and waved back. “I’ll take care.”

“Yun Siying, you’re back! What goodies did you buy?” an auntie called out when she saw Siying carrying several bags. She reached out, trying to take one from her.

Yun Siying quickly dodged and gave the woman a sharp look. “Auntie, are we even close? You’re trying to grab my stuff the moment you see me? Who do you think you are?”

“You’re so stingy. I just wanted to see what you brought back,” the aunt replied, unfazed and annoyed, as if she were the one doing Siying a favor.

“Auntie, would it be okay if I came to your house and took a look at your savings? See how much rice, flour, grain, and oil you have?” Siying shot back. She wasn’t going to show any weakness if she let it slide once, there’d be a second or third time. It was better to shut it down early.

“Of course not! You’re not my family!” the aunt snapped, immediately on guard and glaring at Siying.

“Exactly. So why should I show you my things? You’re not my family either.” ‘These people… if the needle isn’t poking into their own skin, they never feel the pain. And yet they think everything should come naturally to them.’

The aunt immediately lost it. No one had ever dared speak to her like that before. Without thinking, she lashed out. “Hmph! If you won’t let me see it, then fine. Who knows where your stuff even came from? Maybe it was bought by one of your three sugar daddies? You’ve got no shame, an unfilial daughter who doesn’t acknowledge her own parents, an ingrate who turns her back on her adoptive family. You’re absolute trash…”

SMACK!

With a loud slap, the aunt was knocked to the ground by Yun Siying. Half her face instantly swelled up.

All the other aunts who had been watching were stunned by what they saw. They hadn’t expected Yun Siying to strike let alone move so fast and with such force.

Once they snapped out of it, they hurried to help the fallen woman up. “Xiutao, are you alright?”