Chapter 522: Huaihua Ran Away, and Jia Zhangshi Hatched Another Vicious Plot

The last straw that broke the camel's back quietly formed; Jia Zhangshi and Qin Huairu's favoritism toward Bangeng, and the miserable fact that Xiao Dang, as a Jia family daughter.

Finally broke Huaihua's defense.

Huaihua, already depressed to the extreme, moreover learned from Jia Zhangshi that she was not a Jia family daughter; her spirit and thoughts instantly became illusory.

Angry emotion controlled Huaihua's body, sweeping away her fear of the dark night.

She stepped forward and rushed out of the Jia family.

Within just thirty-odd seconds.

Huaihua's figure then vanished into the vast night.

A sudden scene.

It shocked the Jia family members.

Watching Huaihua's retreating back.

Jia Zhangshi's heart.

Suddenly became desolate and declining.

Empty and vacant, as if having lost something.

In her mind.

She recalled Huaihua's kindness.

She regretted having just said some harsh words to Huaihua.

Her gaze unconsciously turned to Qin Huairu, seeing Qin Huairu still covering her face, helplessly shedding tears, enacting the so-called wronged and pitiful demeanor.

Jia Zhangshi shook her head; since Qin Huairu married into the Jia family, the Jia household's days have been worsening day by day, and now, because of Bangeng's marriage, anger has driven away the youngest daughter Huaihua.

She let out a sigh, not knowing whether it was guilt or helplessness.

Her gaze also shifted from Qin Huairu to Bangeng, seeing Bangeng still sitting there as if nothing happened; she originally wanted to say a few harsh words, but upon reflection, Huaihua's angry departure might not be a bad thing for the Jia family—at least it eased the family's burden a little, one less mouth to feed, and they could sleep a bit better at night.

Bangeng returned, driving Huaihua into the inner room, where he, Jia Zhangshi, and Qin Huairu crowded onto a wooden bed; Jia Zhangshi didn't sleep well last night.

Jia Zhangshi is conflicted: on one hand she feels sad about Huaihua's angry departure; on the other hand she thinks this serves the Jia family's interests.

Actually, it's just a mindset favoring males over females.

Under this mindset, they hardly care about Huaihua's departure.

Mainly they think Huaihua's running away is no big deal.

The vast Capital City.

Huaihua has no friends, no money, and no letter of introduction.

Where could she possibly end up!

It's nothing more than a fire burning inside her, feeling that the Jia family doesn't value her, so she hides outside.

Wait for Huaihua to vent this resentment, and she will obediently return to the Siheyuan the next day; indeed, she might not even need a full day—she'll probably be back soon.

Jia Zhangshi and Qin Huairu know that Huaihua fears the dark.

At night she doesn't dare go out alone to relieve herself; either she calls someone to accompany her, or she uses a chamber pot indoors. Last night, because Bangeng was sleeping in the outer room, Huaihua adopted a foolish method: not drinking water at night.

Overconfident Jia Zhangshi thinks Huaihua is hiding inside or around the Siheyuan.

Little girl.

Play with me.

You're still too naive.

Seeing Qin Huairu worried about Huaihua's safety and wanting to go look for her, Jia Zhangshi spoke, giving Qin Huairu a small assurance.

"Huairu, Huaihua is angry; let her vent outside—keeping anger inside makes her prone to illness. This child, ah, if you find her, what can you do? Our Jia family's child! I also blame myself—I just let my guard down and spouted nonsense."

"Mom, that's reasonable, but Huaihua—forget it, I'll still go out to look for her."

Seeing Bangeng standing aside.

She also felt angry in her heart.

This child, as she grows older, her actions have become muddled.

When they were little, Xiao Dang and Huaihua, when hungry, would bring their two sisters to steal an old hen from Xu Damao's family to eat—all because of this nature of caring for sisters.

Qin Huairu doesn't dwell on certain matters.

On the contrary, having grown up, she has become cold-blooded; knowing full well that Huaihua fears the dark, and knowing that Huaihua's anger over Bangeng caused her to run out.

Not only did she not go after her.

Instead, she adopted an attitude of 'it's none of my business'.

Huaihua is your sister, Bangeng!

"Bangeng, come with me to look for Huaihua; it's late at night, don't let anything happen."

Bangeng resented the harsh words Huaihua had just said to him that wounded his male chauvinist pride; he pretended not to hear, lay down on the bed, closed his eyes, and feigned sleep.

"Bangeng."

Qin Huairu's voice was loud.

Even some neighbors heard it.

She wondered in her heart.

What are the Jia family people doing now?

In doubtful gazes.

It was Qin Huairu's anxious appearance as she left the Jia family; combined with Huaihua's earlier crying, she vaguely guessed a bit of the truth: 'No filial son before a sickbed'—all this is because of money.

……

On the dim street.

A petite figure staggered forward, running desperately; tears streamed from her eyes, some blown away by the night wind, some clinging to her cheeks.

She is Huaihua.

Jia Family Huaihua.

Harsh words wound like a June frost.

Jia Zhangshi's words, Qin Huairu's inaction, deeply stabbed Huaihua's heart; indignation crushed the fear of darkness.

Huaihua had only one thought.

Fleeing far away, she no longer wanted to see Jia Zhangshi and Qin Huairu's ugly faces, nor did she want to see Bangeng's shameless ugly face.

She only wanted to escape.

The surroundings were like ghosts, rushing at Huaihua; Huaihua, as if ignoring them, continued charging forward, with no goal, no destination, not knowing where exactly to go, but in her heart there was only one thought: to get far away from the Jia Family, since they didn't want to deal with her, let them never see her again in their lifetime.

Probably she ran out of stamina.

It could also be that she couldn't recognize the road.

Or perhaps she heard footsteps behind her.

Huaihua simply took advantage of the night's cover, hiding herself in a secluded corner, curling up as much as possible, even her breathing became hurried, not daring to take a breath.

Because, borrowing the dim streetlight, she discovered who the owner of the footsteps behind her was.

Qin Huairu.

Huaihua felt only hatred toward Qin Huairu: she hated Qin Huairu for giving birth to her, hated Qin Huairu for getting involved with Yi Zhonghai; thinking back to when she used Yi Zhonghai as a negative example, thinking of classmates criticizing Yi Zhonghai's past wickedness, Huaihua's heart bled; she didn't want to see Qin Huairu, and even less wanted to bear the label of Yi Zhonghai's daughter.

In her mind she recalled the note Xiao Dang had written to her.

If she wanted to start over, to wash away the Jia Family's imprint on her, she had to go live somewhere where no one knew them.

In Huaihua's gaze.

There was hatred.

She hated to the point of wanting to kill the Qin Huairu standing four or five meters from her hiding place.

"Huaihua, I am your mother; I know you can hear my voice. Listen to me explain: a person cannot choose their birth. All this is my fault. I apologize to you, Huaihua. Listen, come out, go back with me. I promise you, no one knows about these things. Your grandmother then was also muddle-headed; she said some nonsensical angry words. Just now when I came out, your grandmother was still begging me to definitely bring you back. Huaihua, I apologize to you in place of your grandmother! It was my fault, your grandmother was also at fault, your brother Bangeng was also at fault. Huaihua, come back with me. It's late at night, it's unsafe."

Huaihua's hand.

Her fingers clenched involuntarily.

At the same time she was struggling to suppress the emotions deep inside her.

She had thought that if she did well, earned as much as possible to supplement the household, she could change her position in the Jia Family, change her standing in the hearts of Jia Zhangshi and Qin Huairu.

The cruel reality.

It shattered the last lingering hope Huaihua still held.

Bangeng's return, and everything the Jia Family did for him, forced Huaihua to accept a fact: no matter how well she did, in the Jia Family's eyes she was merely a married-off daughter.

Probably because she was furious to the extreme, Huaihua inadvertently made some slight noises.

Qin Huairu's gaze instantly turned toward the sound, and her steps lifted lightly.

Huaihua's heart.

It rose to her throat.

Her teeth clenched tightly.

Only this way.

Only then could she strive to keep from crying out.

Fortunately, at the critical moment, a cat's meow came from the wall behind Huaihua, and footsteps sounded from diagonally opposite.

Qin Huairu stepped toward the direction of the footsteps and ran.

Huaihua seized the opportunity, pulled her body out of the corner, stared blankly for a few seconds at Qin Huairu's retreating back, then turned and ran in another direction.

……

Jia Family.

Jia Zhangshi set aside her guilt over Huaihua's angry departure and began to worry about Bangeng's marriage.

This moment.

That moment.

Because Bangeng hadn't entered the factory as a cadre, nor did he have a proper job.

Jia Zhangshi's plan for Bangeng to take a wife encountered some extra complications.

She had to turn her attention to You Fengxia across the way.

She cleared her throat.

She began working on Bangeng's thoughts.

"Bangeng, Grandma asks you a question: what do you think of Dang Xianghong?"

Seeing Bangeng still pretending to sleep,

she quickly retorted,

"I know you're pretending to sleep; hurry up and say whether you have any ideas—if you stay silent, are you preparing to be a dead pig?"

Bangeng still didn't utter a sound.

Yet in his mind arose an image of Dang Xianghong's graceful bearing.

A graceful lady, a gentleman's good match.

He naturally liked Dang Xianghong.

Bangeng perfectly avoided all the virtues of Jia Dongxu and Qin Huairu, inheriting neither Jia Dongxu's good character nor Qin Huairu's fine looks; instead he gathered all their flaws into himself.

Otherwise it would be impossible for him, upon arriving in the rural Dongbei, to start chatting idly with a young widow and end up talking himself into a trap, marrying a widow.

He likes women.

He likes pretty women.

You Fengxia, however, is a stunningly beautiful woman.

Jia Zhangshi's remark — asking it is pointless.

Bangeng knows his situation — the Chen Shimei hat on his head, his embarrassing living conditions, no job — how could You Fengxia possibly look up to him?

Surely many people are pursuing You Fengxia, such as Wang Yaxiong from the Hou Yuan of the Siheyuan, Zhao Zhiyuan from Zhong Yuan, and so on.

Bangeng didn't answer Jia Zhangshi's question, knowing that even if he did, it wouldn't change anything and would only add to his sorrow.

"You little brat, speak up! If you have no thoughts about Dang Xianghong, Grandma won't say anything; but if you do have thoughts about her, Grandma will make sure Dang Xianghong sleeps beside you no matter what she says."

A 'teng' sound.

Just a moment ago, Bangeng had been pretending to sleep; the next second he not only opened his eyes but also sat up straight, staring blankly at Jia Zhangshi, a smile appearing on his face.

"Grandma, do you really have a way to let me marry Dang Xianghong?"

"Do you like this woman?"

"It's not really liking, just thinking she's quite good; having her as your daughter-in-law would bring face to our Jia family." Bangeng let out a slight sigh, feeling down: "Our family's situation, you know — just one room; I just came back, unemployed; Dang Xianghong may be a country girl, but she works at Shazhu's restaurant, even a leader of sorts; I think she's not worthy of me, and moreover Wang Yaxiong and others speak ill of me."

"Bangeng, Grandma tells you a saying: a good woman fears being entangled by a man."

Jia Zhangshi went toward Bangeng.

She began to teach how to scheme against You Fengxia.

Don't say.

This method is somewhat lacking in virtue.

Jia Zhangshi told Bangeng to get up early tomorrow.

Get up to do what?

Wash face, brush teeth.

He draped a towel over his neck, held a toothbrush, wore big underpants, squatted in front of You Fengxia's door to brush his teeth; if he saw neighbors in the courtyard, he wouldn't greet them, as if doing something shameful, hurriedly dodging back to the Jia family.

Actually it's still a version of the scheme to shout at You Fengxia to eat fried chicken.

Just as lacking in virtue.

By taking advantage of squatting outside You Fengxia's door to brush teeth and wash up, and his timid, fearful escape, he artificially creates some gossip, letting the neighbors' imaginations run wild.

Could it be that You Fengxia and Bangeng slept together? Otherwise why would Bangeng squat outside You Fengxia's door to wash up?

Once a woman gains the reputation of having slept with a man.

It's hard to even think about it.

Naturally, no one comes to propose to You Fengxia.

After a few years, when You Fengxia gets older, she'll have no choice but to marry Bangeng.

This is the very scheme that Yi Zhonghai and Qin Huairu jointly designed in their previous life to plot against Shazhu, now being used by Jia Zhangshi on You Fengxia.

As for how You Fengxia would react upon learning of this, would Shazhu violently beat Bangeng?

Jia Zhangshi didn't consider; as long as You Fengxia eventually marries Bangeng, as long as the Jia family uses You Fengxia to scheme for Shazhu's house, it's fine.

Although Bangeng felt a bit uncertain in his heart, since he couldn't think of any better idea, he could only follow Jia Zhangshi's meaning, treating a dead horse as a living one to carry out her plan.

The two also discussed some additional details.

For example, how to squat while brushing teeth, how to cause a misunderstanding, when to spread the rumor that You Fengxia and Bangeng are dating, etc.

While they were happily discussing.

The room door was pushed open.

Qin Huairu, who had failed to find Huaihua, stood before Bangeng and Jia Zhangshi with a look of loss; seeing Bangeng acting as if nothing had happened, and seeing Jia Zhangshi's assured expression that Huaihua would surely return.

Qin Huairu's teeth were chattering.

In other words, you all aren't worried about Huaihua.

Thinking about it, that's also true.

Huaihua is Yi Zhonghai's daughter, while Bangeng is the descendant of Jia Dongxu.

Even if they are half-siblings sharing the same mother, so what?

They definitely aren't close.

"Huairu, you're back? Is Huaihua outside? This girl, so narrow‑minded, I, as a grandmother, scolded her a few words and she ran off. Huaihua, come back, Grandma apologizes to you."

He shouted several times.

Seeing Huaihua not appear.

He asked: "Where is Huaihua?"

(End of chapter)