Chapter 584

Regardless of the previous life.

or this lifetime.

Shazhu, who has lived two lives as a human, must admit that Qin Huairu possesses an advantage others lack: she constantly worries about her own children.

After Jia Dongxu's death, as a widow, Qin Huairu did not abandon her children or leave them uncared for.

This point.

Compared to those single mothers who abandon their children over a disagreement to pursue their own happiness, the difference is as vast as heaven and earth.

Don't use the excuse that Qin Huairu took over the Jia family's job and was manipulated by Jia Zhangshi to claim she dares not leave the Jia family.

No matter how formidable Jia Zhangshi is, if Qin Huairu throws the accusation that Jia Zhangshi forbids her remarriage at the street office or the Women's Federation, that is a grave sin of turning back history.

The biggest factor is that maternal love deep in her bones is at work; unwilling to part with her three children, she stays in the Jia family to toil like an ox and horse, treating Shazhu as a blood‑sucking target.

As Qin Huairu's daughter, Xiao Dang inherited her fine tradition of being reluctant to part with her children and feeling heartache for them.

This made Xiao Dang's heart grow a little colder.

Otherwise, her son would have no wife, and she would have no daughter‑in‑law.

Liang Manchang slapped his own forehead.

He let the person go.

At this very moment.

Jia Zhangshi's beloved hope was that Bangeng would continue the Jia family line; if he goes in, does the Jia family still have a future?

Left with no choice, Jia Zhangshi and Qin Huairu came up with an idea concerning Xiao Dang; they first told Xiao Dang about the Jia family's difficulties, then about Bangeng's kindness to her—things like stealing chickens and dogs for her sake, all those old, stale stories, and they said them all out.

Having arrived in the northwest countryside, thinking that Qin Huairu and Jia Zhangshi wanted to marry her off to an older man, she simply went along with their wish, imagining that bringing a man back later would surely scare Jia Zhangshi and Qin Huairu to death and would as much as possible ruin the Jia family's reputation.

She wanted to run.

The initiative in the matter.

Many of the women who came to the countryside with Xiao Dang around her—those who were unmarried could simply return neatly; some married women, in order to go back to the city, abandoned their husbands and left their children, using the same excuse as Xiao Dang at first: they would first return to the city to settle down, then bring their children and husbands over after settling, and some even boasted about bringing their mothers‑in‑law to the city to enjoy blessings.

Liang Tangshi also wanted to go to the city to enjoy days of not having to go out to use the toilet.

She overestimated herself.

After giving birth to a son, she subsequently gave birth to two daughters over the next few years.

A hint of mocking smile flashed across her face.

She looked at the other party.

Especially Xiao Dang's husband, who is over ten years older than her, looks about the same age as Qin Huairu; a rural widow with children would normally not marry him, yet he unexpectedly wed a young, pretty woman from the city who came to the countryside to do support construction—this is the most glorious thing in a man's lifetime, and he occasionally shows it off.

Xiao Dang originally thought she had found a perfect solution to the matter; she smiled and laid out her plan, but she did not expect that her husband and mother‑in‑law would completely lose trust in her.

Xiao Dang originally thought she had found a win‑win solution to the matter, and she explained her plan with a smile, but she never expected that Xiao Dang's husband and mother‑in‑law would completely lose trust in Xiao Dang.

Xiao Dang felt rebellious for the first time.

What kind of life in the city?

"You dog son, come back to me, old lady!"

"Mom, I heard you; should I get water for Xiao Dang?"

No steamed bun would be given to her.

Yet because of various reasons—poor family, weak health, having a nasty mother‑in‑law, and so on—these factors combined, forcing Liang Manchang to delay marriage until he was thirty‑five or thirty‑six without a wife.

Longing for the day to return to the city and enjoy blessings, he ultimately waited only for empty air—let alone a husband, even his own child did not recognize him.

These are bloody facts happening right before our eyes.

Bitter yet happy.

The Liang family's circumstances.

It amounted to being in Xiao Dang's hands.

This matter became the Liang family's proudest achievement. Liang Tangshi kept mentioning it, boasting to anyone she met that the Liang family had good fortune. Liang Manchang also praised himself constantly, saying he was born with a wife's destiny.

This matter became the Liang family's proudest affair. Liang Tangshi kept bringing it up, showing off to everyone she met, saying the Liang family had good fortune. Liang Manchang also constantly praised himself, saying he was born with the luck to get a wife.

"Was it given to her?"

Thinking about her years of effort.

The Liang mother and son then felt something was off.

Worried that Xiao Dang might sneak away, they hatched a plan to 'tame the hawk,' and thus Liang Manchang locked Xiao Dang in the thatched hut, giving her only a hard steamed bun for dinner.

Thinking about how she ended up in this situation.

Liang Manchang was not particularly good‑looking and his body was weak; he had been raised by the widowed Liang Tangshi from infancy, and as an adult he also had a matchmaker propose many potential partners.

Liang Manchang was not good‑looking and his body was weak; he had been raised from infancy by the widow Liang Tangshi, and after reaching adulthood he also had the matchmaker propose many matches.

She lifted her head.

He was completely a clueless second senior brother.

After marriage.

She suddenly realized she seemed to have done something wrong—this was not revenge on Qin Huairu, not revenge on Jia Zhangshi, not revenge on the Jia family, but rather she had ruined her own lifetime.

Xiao Dang suddenly had the idea of returning to the city to see Jia Zhangshi and Qin Huairu.

The villagers also could not understand.

A mother knows her child best.

They thought Xiao Dang's conduct was bad, surely because she had been messing around in the city, had a child, and was anxiously looking for a ready‑made father, believing Liang Manchang would be easy to manipulate.

Truly, both person and wealth were lost.

Mock and mock them.

Mocking them.

Even if Xiao Dang eventually has no choice but to bring them back to the city, it's still Xiao Dang who decides.

"You!" Liang Tangshi's frustrated gaze fell on Liang Mancang. "What's the use of saying anything now? Is it still effective?"

The Liang family is poor.

Let them see—this is the fine Bangeng they've been longing for.

This time I'll go talk to Xiao Dang, saying you must bring us mother and son back to the city.

Bangeng is a male member of the Jia family.

Anger is utterly useless.

The man lowered his head.

He retorted with a question.

What kind of life is there in the countryside?

Indoors.

He looked up at Xiao Dang and replied, "Mother's meaning is that you're no longer of one mind with me; you want me to suffer, to say from the bottom of my heart that I won't go back, instead of now, fooling me with nonsense."

"Liang Mancang, I am your wife; I've been married to you for five or six years, I've borne you three children—you know my character best. I ask you this: I'm locked in here, and you won't even give me a bowl of water?"

Liang Tangshi glanced at her own son and let out a cold snort.

A year after marriage, Xiao Dang finally gave birth to a big, fat son in the Liang household—not after six or eight months as people imagine, but after twelve months.

Even if Xiao Dang shouted and called the villagers to watch the spectacle, no one would side with Xiao Dang; they'd all stand with Xiao Dang's man, loudly blaming Xiao Dang for despising the hard rural life and wanting to return to the city to enjoy comforts.

This afternoon, if she hadn't acted decisively, the Liang family might already have lost Xiao Dang as their daughter-in-law.

We must resort to tough measures.

This is the man who fathered her a son and two daughters, yet he gives himself only a steamed bun and won't even spare a bowl of water for Xiao Dang.

The Jia family is no longer the Jia family.

Xiao Dang left; the household chores fell to Liang Tangshi, who, after five or six years as the family matriarch, really doesn't want to do those things anymore.

Upon arriving, apparently worried Xiao Dang might break free, that man slipped a steamed bun through the door crack into Xiao Dang's arms.

Such a lovely young woman, with all the young men vying to marry her, yet she ended up taking a fancy to Liang Mancang.

She gave herself over.

She suddenly said she wanted to return to the city, and that she would leave the children in the village first, then bring them back to the capital once she had settled in the city.

The capital is not Liang Family Village.

I had thought things would go smoothly, but instead we ended up following the same old path as those before—her husband locked her in a thatched hut.

As the time to leave approached, the man said, letting Xiao Dang think it over; if she realized staying here was better, he would let her go.

She peered through the crack in the door.

She looked at her surroundings.

The result came today.

It was her husband.

It turned cold.

"I ask you, do you want to sleep holding Xiao Dang, or not?"

Liang Mancang turned and ran toward the main house.

Following his own wishes.

To get Bangeng back to the city, the Jia family spent another five hundred yuan; after Bangeng returned to the city and couldn't find work, he became the butt of many jokes; Qin Huairu did something shameful to the Jia family; Huaihua left home, but after leaving the Jia family she didn't leave the capital—instead she hid for a few days at a sister's house, heard that Bangeng had been caught eating for free, learned that Bangeng could enjoy ten years of free meals, and saw Qin Huairu and Jia Zhangshi, the two widows, break ties.

If this damn thing returns to the city.

"You didn't tell her?"

One must maintain a lofty attitude.

Thinking they'd spend their whole lives like this.

After Liang Mancang returned.

"Mother, why are you asking like that? Of course I'm reluctant to part with Xiao Dang."

Liang Tangshi sized up her son with the look of someone hopelessly inept.

"You've kept me locked up all along."

I never expected Liang Mancang to forget to say it.

With the moment passed, we can only wage a protracted struggle; Xiao Dang and Liang Tangshi wear each other down until Xiao Dang can't take it, then she voluntarily proposes bringing the Liang family mother and son back to the city together.

They thought Xiao Dang was merely fooling them, treating them as idiots.

Xiao Dang was persuaded and agreed to go on a blind date.

Anyone with sense knows that.

Starve her a few meals, and she'll still not be honest.

Liang Tangshi's meaning is that, even if Xiao Dang dies in the future, she must be buried together with my son Liang Mancang.

"Then just listen to Mother; as long as you show the right attitude, Xiao Dang, to return to the city you must obey us—then Mother and you can both go enjoy blessings in the city."

"Mother." Liang Mancang scratched his head, "Can a steamed bun fill you up? If not, I'll pour her a bowl of boiling water—eating dry steamed buns will make your throat hoarse."

The commotion left even Liang Tangshi somewhat startled.

Otherwise, if we keep Xiao Dang locked up, we'll release her whenever she comes to her senses.

So we disagree with letting Xiao Dang leave.

I never expected a letter from Huaihua to ruin all of this.

She said she didn't not want the children; it's just that everything in the city costs money, and hastily bringing the kids back would leave them starving with her—so she'd leave them behind for a few months, or up to a year or two, and certainly bring them back to the city later.

But we can't run away.

Xiao Dang left, and Liang Mancang could only remain a bachelor.

He thought about it.

He had completely forgotten about it.

Xiao Dang initially did not want to return to the city; that oppressive home, she had had enough of it, but she never expected Huaihua to tell her something in the letter.

Xiao Dang's heart.

That is Xiao Dang's home turf.

At the sight of Liang Mancang's expression, Liang Tangshi knew he hadn't completed the task; seeing him turn his head to go out and tell Xiao Dang about bringing the man and mother-in-law back to the city, she quickly called out to bring him back.

Just then, when they had sent Xiao Dang the steamed buns, Liang Tangshi had Liang Mancang talk to Xiao Dang, saying their Liang Family are not unreasonable, and they also know Xiao Dang has rendered great service to the Liang Family; as long as Xiao Dang agrees to bring Liang Mancang and Liang Tangshi back to the Capital City together, they will let Xiao Dang go.

Liang Tangshi, worried about the Liang Family's incense line, had begun to consider marrying off a widow with children, but she never expected Xiao Dang to appear before her; after a few days of getting along, Xiao Dang insisted on marrying Liang Mancang.

Indeed, that's the plan; Qin Huairu is Xiao Dang's role model; otherwise, relying on the Qin widow's beauty, she would have long since brushed off her butt and gone to enjoy her own good life.

I heard the inside of the toilet is very clean, the kind where you could eat a meal.

"I said I won't return to the city; do you dare let me go out?"

Initially, Bangeng slept with a widow in the countryside; her family demanded a 1,000 yuan bride price, otherwise they would accuse Bangeng of forcing a woman and have him imprisoned.

The marriage was also dissolved.

Consider it a reverse pursuit.

……

She saw a person walking toward her.

Xiao Dang's husband and mother-in-law would naturally not be fooled.

Also underestimated the shamelessness of Jia Zhangshi and Qin Huairu; she never expected to be treated as a money‑exchange tool, with whoever pays more getting to marry Xiao Dang.

Xiao Dang's tone showed not the slightest anger; the anger on her face was also replaced by calm.

Saying others who are informed have all returned to the city; for the sake of returning to the city they don't even want children, nor men; look at our own Xiao Dang, from beginning to end she never had the idea of returning to the city.

Her saying to her husband, 'I'll first return to the city to settle things, then after settling I'll fetch the child,' is not just idle chatter; it's a sincere word from the heart.

"Haven't you told her?"

What if she doesn't come back or ignores me?

With the idea of giving Xiao Dang a lesson, they locked Xiao Dang in the thatched hut; the thatched hut is where rural folk store livestock fodder, and they also locked the door.

"Mother said, as long as you stay honestly, not thinking of returning to the city, and spend your life with me, she'll let you out; otherwise she'll keep you locked up."

"Mother said, if you drink water you'll use the toilet as an excuse; think about it well, I'm going back."

That is a man over ten years older than Xiao Dang, who also has experience beating his wife.

In Xiao Dang's eyes, there is a hint of pain.

What's with the 'dao'? She drank water and said she needs to go to the toilet; do you open the door or not? If you don't open, she needs to go to the toilet; if you open, what if she runs away?

"Or Mother thought it through thoroughly."

"I am your mother; I must consider for you, Mancang; Xiao Dang is the hope of our Liang Family, we cannot lightly let Xiao Dang leave."

"Mother, I understand; I will watch her at night without sleeping; she definitely won't be able to run away."