Chapter 438: Ten Years Later

"She told me her name was Si Rong, an entrepreneur from Huaiyang, and that as long as I rescued her, she would give me a house and a car, plus another 500,000 yuan," Wang Jie said, telling the whole story.

Shen Lan:...

Li Xuan was instantly so ashamed she wished she could bury her face in the ground.

What other choice did she have back then?

If she hadn't said that, she would surely still be in that sunless cellar being tortured by those animals right now.

Shen Lan sneered, his gaze toward Li Xuan growing even more disappointed. "You're still the same as before; no one can ever tell if what comes out of your mouth is truth or lies."

"What do you have that can compare to Si Rong? Family background? Character? Or virtue?"

"You've seen it too; I've already married a new wife, and our family is living quite well. Don't come and disturb us again in the future."

After saying this, Shen Lan helped his mother up from the ground and prepared to close the door.

Being watched by so many people was truly humiliating.

Li Xuan was stunned; why should she be the one kicked out?

"Shen Lan! Have you forgotten that this is the house I rented? Why should you be living here with your new wife in a house I rented? You are the ones who should get out!"

Since Shen Lan was being so heartless to her, she might as well settle all these scores clearly.

Shen Lan hadn't expected her to suddenly bring up the matter of the house. "It was indeed rented by you before, but I've been the one paying the rent for the past two years while you were gone, so it has nothing to do with you now."

"Mom?" Shen Yuan poked her head out from the courtyard, not expecting Li Xuan to be so lucky; truly, a scourge lasts for a thousand years.

"Xiao Yuan, wuu wuu," seeing her, Li Xuan could no longer hold back, and the mother and daughter hugged each other and wept.

"Your father is heartless, Xiao Yuan; Mom only has you now."

She glared at Shen Lan. "Fine, I won't fight you for this house. You can go live with your remarried wife and your mother, that old widow! I just want my daughter!"

"Otherwise, I won't leave here. Even if we take this to the police station, I have my side of the story—I never divorced you when I left!"

Shen Lan agreed without much thought. "Fine, if you want to take her, then take her!"

This daughter was just like Li Xuan, a troublemaker; keeping her around was also a curse.

Shen Yuan also hadn't expected that just by calling out 'Mom', she would end up homeless.

"Si Rong, look!" Ming Zi pointed at Shen Lan's doorway. "Is that person Li Xuan?"

"Didn't the funeral already take place? Did she resurrect?"

Si Rong took one look and confirmed that the person was indeed Li Xuan.

Two years later, she seemed to have become even more miserable.

"Let's go! Let's go over and join the fun!" Ming Zi pulled her along.

Si Rong didn't allow her to go. "Have you forgotten why we came out? There's nothing worth watching about that family's drama; it's just asking for trouble."

"Let's go! We're going to the hospital for your prenatal checkup."

The two of them brushed past Li Xuan.

Li Xuan didn't see them; she pulled Shen Yuan along with a gray, defeated expression, followed by an incredulous Wang Jie.

"So you lied to me? You're nothing at all? I betrayed the people in the village just for your lie?"

Hatred surged in Wang Jie's chest, and he grabbed Li Xuan.

"Bitch! You must give me an explanation!"

"I only have a worthless life now, do whatever you want!" Li Xuan said indifferently.

"Damn it! Damn it! I'm going to strangle you!" Wang Jie gripped her neck viciously with both hands, but he saw that Li Xuan didn't even resist.

Shen Yuan didn't stop him either. "If I were you, I wouldn't do such a stupid thing. The two of us are penniless now; even if you strangle us both, at most you'll just be burdened with two lives."

"Let me put it this way," Shen Yuan pointed at the door Shen Lan had closed, "the things inside that house are the only things you can get your hands on."

Pushing her out without a second thought—Shen Yuan felt Shen Lan didn't deserve a good life.

Wang Jie loosened his hands; he felt that what this little sister said made sense.

"Go! You two come back with me!"

Wang Jie waved his hand.

Shen Yuan and Li Xuan exchanged a look, then the two went back to knock on the door, saying Shen Yuan had forgotten to bring something.

As soon as Shen Mu opened the door, Wang Jie rushed in, and after some smashing and looting, he took a bag of rice, a bag of flour, and two fish from the house.

This infuriated Shen Mu and the rest of the family.

Seeing them like this, Li Xuan felt much better; she apologized to Wang Jie and promised that she would repay him once she had money.

Wang Jie left Huaiyang cursing and swearing.

"It's estimated you'll give birth next week." The doctor removed the stethoscope. "You still need to exercise more these next few days. The baby is doing very well, so set your mind at ease."

"Thank you, doctor." Ming Zi touched her belly, very happy.

As they walked out of the doctor's office, they saw Luo Sheng; Luo Sheng was standing in front of the gynecology clinic, pulling at a girl.

"I won't do it! I'm going to have this baby!" The woman shook off Luo Sheng's hand.

Luo Sheng impatiently slapped her. "I'll lay it out for you: if you listen and get an abortion now, I can still find your younger brother a job to compensate you. If that 'tigress' at my house finds out, not only will you not be able to keep the baby, but you won't get a single benefit either."

The girl covered her face and thought for a moment. "I'll listen to you, but you must find my brother a good job."

"Hmm, go in."

As soon as Luo Sheng turned around, he saw Ming Zi smiling faintly, and then he saw Ming Zi's protruding belly.

Thinking of her carrying another man's seed made Luo Sheng feel uncomfortable.

The 'tigress' he had at home now was unreasonable, which made him very frustrated; if only he had married Ming Zi back then, he believed Ming Zi would have handled things very well.

"You, how have you been these past few years?"

Facing his concern, Ming Zi raised an eyebrow and smiled. "Don't worry, better than you."

Having money and free time, with a husband who is handsome and devoted, it is simply too blissful.

"We are so familiar with each other, you can tell me about any grievances you have," Luo Sheng did not believe it, "You are about to give birth and your husband doesn't even accompany you here; does he really love you?"

"My husband is a soldier, he has to train every day to protect the country, who is like you, with nothing to do every day but accompany women to the hospital for abortions?" Ming Zi snorted coldly, pulled Si Rong, and was about to leave.

Luo Sheng watched her back, his mood complex and painful.

One week later, Ming Zi gave birth to a son in the hospital and named him Xue Ze.

Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, ten years had passed.

Under the osmanthus tree, Si Rong sat on a rattan chair drinking tea, with Ming Zi sitting beside her.

"Life is truly good now," Ming Zi looked at the children in the room, "Before we knew it, they have all grown into big children, and we have grown old too."

"In less than two years, you will be a mother-in-law."

Si Rong had already been a mother-in-law once; her daughter-in-law was someone she had watched grow up, just like a mother and daughter, so there was nothing to worry about.

"Mom," Jiang Siyu came over skipping and jumping, "Do you know who my brother went out to play with today?"

"With whom?"

"Shen Yuan, and several other classmates."