Chapter 485 - 473: Back to Normal

Liu Fang wanted to smash her head against a wall, but her mother caught her and held her back. Her sister-in-law then told her that whether she wanted to bang her head against a wall or go on a hunger strike, she was at her parents’ house now. Whatever happened to her had nothing to do with anyone else. If she wanted to make a scene, she could go right ahead, but there was no way she was leaving this house.

If she caused any more trouble, they would tie her up and lock her in a room.

When Li Zhi and the others arrived, the Liu family was in an uproar. From a good distance away, they could hear Liu Fang’s sister-in-law cursing, mixed with the murmuring of a crowd.

After they arrived, the village chief and some other officials were already there. Li Zhi handed over the items to the Liu family.

Although Liu Fang didn’t know who Li Zhi and his group were, she knew they had to be connected to the Lin Family. Listening to the words spoken between them, the village chief, and her own family, Liu Fang despaired. She knew her family would now watch her like a hawk. She could forget about ever leaving this house. She would never see Lin Shan again. Her dream was shattered.

In that moment, Liu Fang wanted to die. It was also a gamble—she refused to believe the Lin Family could remain indifferent if she tried to kill herself, nor did she believe her own family would actually let her die. So, when no one was looking, she ran headfirst into a wall.

She hit the wall, but perhaps due to her weakness, the injury wasn’t severe. Hearing the crowd’s chatter, Li Zhi worried the situation would go south. He quickly stepped forward to explain that Liu Fang was acting this way because her husband and mother-in-law had both passed away, the house from her husband’s family was in disrepair, and the people there wouldn’t take her in. That was why she felt so hopeless and had become suicidal.

Li Zhi announced that the township and the village would not forsake her and her daughter. He then had the township representative and the village chief come forward to confirm this. They promised to arrange for people to repair her late husband’s family home. It would be up to her whether she wanted to sell it or keep it. If she sold it, the money would go directly to her, and the village would provide additional compensation. If she chose not to sell, the repaired house would be left for her and Chun Ya, and under no circumstances would it be given to anyone else.

Seizing the opportunity, Liu Fang announced that she wanted to take her child back to her own village and wouldn’t stay with her parents.

Li Zhi quickly interjected, praising Liu Fang as a woman of strong principles and expressing fear that she might try to kill herself again if she returned to the village alone. He urged her to live on for her young child’s sake and to just stay with her family for now. He assured them the township and village would provide support. Furthermore, he added, they would arrange a job for Liu Fang’s older brother. After all, the Liu family had two extra mouths to feed, a significant expense. With a job, they would be able to get by. He concluded by saying he hoped they could all overcome this hardship together.

At Li Zhi’s words, the Liu family quickly agreed, promising to take good care of Liu Fang and her daughter. The crowd murmured in approval, thinking he had handled it beautifully and that the terms were more than fair to the Liu family. A chorus of praise rose up for him.

Liu Fang felt a tightness in her chest, nearly suffocating with frustration. She had wanted to latch onto the Lin Family, but she knew in her heart it was impossible. Instead, she had only managed to give them a good name.

’I was the one who said I had nothing to do with Lin Shan, and plenty of people in the village know that’s the truth. I’m just one of the many people he’s helped. No one knew when I went looking for him, and I bet no one knows the Lin Family is the one that sent me back here. Now my family has gotten something out of this, so they won’t stand up for me. They’ll just watch me like a prisoner. How am I supposed to live like this?’

Overcome with anxiety and rage, Liu Fang couldn’t catch her breath and passed out.

A brief panic swept through the Liu household, but Liu Fang had only fainted. There was nothing seriously wrong with her.

Li Zhi and the others went inside to check on her. Liu Fang had already been revived by someone pinching the spot below her nose. They expressed their concern one last time before leaving amidst the farewells of the onlookers.

"You guys have no idea," Li Zhi said, taking a large bite of rice before speaking. His words were muffled, but intelligible. "Everyone was praising us, telling Liu Fang she should count her blessings and just stay put at her parents’ home. They said her family would at least make sure she had food to eat and that she should live a good life to raise her child. And the look on Liu Fang’s face the whole time? Priceless. She wanted to argue but was totally speechless. Watching that was so satisfying."

"She thinks my dad is a good man and wants to be with him," Gu’er remarked with a sigh. "She thinks she can find someone to rely on, and then she and her child can have a good life. But she never once thought about anyone else, never considered that he already has a wife and family. Sometimes, young women find older, mature men very charming. They’re attractive, seem reliable and safe, and are financially stable, so that’s what they look for. But they never stop to think that this man was once young himself. Back then, he was probably just like one of those brash young men they look down on now. It was another woman who stood by him through those undesirable years, who molded him into the attractive, charismatic man he is today. Then that woman gets old, and a flock of young, beautiful girls appears to fight over him. A man with a conscience will stay devoted to his family. But the ones without a conscience, or the ones who lack self-control, will start to see their wife as a plain, old hag who is no longer good enough for him. They think that because they’re so successful now, they deserve better, completely forgetting who was by their side when they had nothing."

Gu’er said this with a sigh. In reality, she had no such personal experience—she had just seen it happen to others far too often.

"It takes all kinds to make a world," Li Zhi said. "But anyway, I’m not like that. If I love someone and marry her, I’ll build a life with her, no matter what. I’d never let some other girl lead me astray."

As Li Zhi spoke, he didn’t fully grasp the depth of Gu’er’s words, as such situations were still quite rare in those days.

"You say that as if we would," Sun Jiaming joked with Li Zhi. "Let me tell you, of the three of us, Dingzi and I definitely wouldn’t. But you, my friend... you’re a wild card."

Dingzi looked at Li Zhi and nodded seriously, showing he agreed with Sun Jiaming.

"You two are both married, and I’m the only bachelor here," Li Zhi protested indignantly. "And you’re still saying it would be me? You’re just picking on me!"

Grandma Sun and the others heard Li Zhi’s protest and laughed. It had been a while since they had heard him engage in this kind of playful bickering. Li Zhi was back to normal, and life was returning to normal, too.

「Three days later.」 Lin Shan returned and made a special trip to see them. Chen Fengjiao came with him, a smile on her face. There was no longer any trace of the pain she’d shown the other day.

When Liu Fang’s name came up, Lin Shan sighed. He said he never could have imagined things would end up like this.

Gu’er then relayed the news about Liu Fang. Word from the Liu village was that for the first two days, Liu Fang had just lain on the heated brick bed, refusing all food and water while Chun Ya cried at her side. But no matter what she did, her family remained firm. They wouldn’t let her leave. They even said that if she starved herself to death, she would do it inside the house. If she tried to injure herself again, they wouldn’t take her to a doctor, afraid she would use it as a chance to escape or cause another scene. They told her that if she was so determined to die, she could die right there in their house; they would raise Chun Ya.

Perhaps her family’s determination finally broke her spirit. Realizing her schemes were hopeless, on the third day Liu Fang got out of bed and ate without saying a word. She appeared to be back to normal, except that she remained completely silent, ignoring everyone who spoke to her except for her daughter, Chun Ya.

Having been updated on Liu Fang’s condition and having discussed it with Lin Shan, they all agreed to put the matter behind them. Of course, they still couldn’t relax their vigilance completely. Who knew if or when Liu Fang might manage to run off and cause more trouble.

After seeing Lin Shan and Chen Fengjiao off, everyone sighed, reflecting on the recent events. Another two days passed, and it was the sixteenth of the twelfth lunar month.

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Thank you to Wang Xinduan and Kuaile Xiaoyu 15561 for the monthly tickets, and thank you all for your support.