Chapter 103

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Protagonist:

Li Xiulan

"Xiulan, you just need to say a word to He Dazhu, and he'll definitely be willing to lend you money. Forget eight hundred yuan—even if it were eighteen hundred, he should lend it to you. After all, you two were once sweethearts; he'll surely cherish this old friendship!" Zhang Zhongtian urged Li Xiulan.

Zhang Zhongtian urged Li Xiulan like this.

Li Xiulan hesitated.

She didn't want to have anything to do with He Dazhu anymore.

His money was his own; it had nothing to do with her.

Besides, she was so down-and-out now—going to He Dazhu to borrow money would just be asking for humiliation, wouldn't it?

"Forget it then. I don't want the villagers gossiping about me again."

Li Xiulan said so.

Zhang Zhongtian looked completely baffled:

"If you want to save Wang Zhanggen, you either beg He Dazhu or beg Niu Chunsheng. If you won't ask either of them, when in the Year of the Monkey and Month of the Horse will you ever scrape together the money? I'll tell you the truth: your reputation in Shanggou Village isn't good. Not many people here are willing to lend you money!"

Li Xiulan's heart gave a sudden jolt.

Although Zhang Zhongtian's words were harsh, she had to admit he was telling the truth.

If she wanted to scrape together the money tomorrow to go to Dongguan and redeem him, she'd probably have to borrow from He Dazhu or Niu Chunsheng.

"Then I'll go to Town tomorrow. I'll borrow from Chunsheng."

Li Xiulan finally made her decision.

Anyway, no matter what, she would never contact He Dazhu again.

Zhang Zhongtian said:

"Fine, suit yourself. You choose. Want Old Liang to go with you? If so, I'll say a word to Old Liang."

"No need. I'll go by myself."

Li Xiulan was too embarrassed to trouble Liang Yuanchao. After all, Liang Yuanchao had been ruined because of her; she didn't have the face to ask him for help again.

Early the next morning, it was the First Day of the Lunar New Year.

Li Xiulan got up after four in the morning to open the door and welcome the New Year.

Setting off firecrackers, killing chickens, worshipping the gods.

This was what every household did every New Year.

The whole village echoed with the sound of firecrackers.

Those with televisions, those with radios, were all playing Zhuo Yiting's New Year songs.

The whole village was filled with a festive atmosphere.

Only Li Xiulan's home seemed somewhat desolate.

After worshipping the gods, she told the three children to play at home, then she hurried out to the roadside, planning to hitch a ride to Town.

She waited a long time, but no ride came.

Just then, a white sedan drove out from within the village.

The sedan stopped beside Li Xiulan.

The car window opened, and He Dazhu's head poked out from the driver's seat.

"Xiulan, where are you going? I'll give you a ride!"

He Dazhu had a brilliant smile on his face.

He seemed to have forgotten everything from back then.

Now he was full of vigor and beaming with spring.

Li Xiulan glanced and saw that in the passenger seat sat a young woman wearing a pretty dress, dressed up flashily.

That woman had exquisite makeup; even Li Xiulan in her youth probably couldn't compare to her beauty.

This made Li Xiulan involuntarily feel ashamed of her own plainness, secretly feeling inferior.

"No need, I'm just going to the Neighboring Village..."

Li Xiulan kept her head down, feeling too inferior to look He Dazhu in the eye.

She told a clumsy lie, like a shy little child.

"Xiulan, I heard Uncle Zhongtian say your husband was caught in Dongguan for not having a Temporary Residence Permit and taken to a reception center. Is that true?"

He Dazhu asked with concern at this moment.

Li Xiulan kept her head down, silent and not speaking.

He Dazhu asked again:

"Want me to help? I know Dongguan well. I opened a small factory there and often deal with the Joint Defense Team people."

Li Xiulan hurriedly said:

"No need, no need. I'll solve it myself."

He Dazhu chuckled:

"Fine, then I won't force you."

After saying this, he drove away.

In the car, the beautiful woman asked He Dazhu:

"Who is this person?"

He Dazhu said lightly:

"A pitiful village woman from our Shanggou Village."

The beautiful woman made an "oh" sound, then said:

"Looking at her bitter face, she must have suffered a lot in life; she really is quite pitiful……"

Li Xiulan stood where she was, vaguely able to hear the conversation between He Dazhu and the beautiful woman.

Watching the small sedan drive further and further away, she felt very bitter in her heart.

An absurd thought even arose in her heart:

If back then she had chosen He Dazhu instead of Wang Changgen, would the woman now sitting in the passenger seat be her?

She quickly suppressed this thought, feeling herself ridiculous.

One can only say everyone has their own fate; Liao Chunhua also chose He Dazhu back then, but she and He Dazhu ended up in constant squabbles, and she divorced before He Dazhu made it big.

If she had been with He Dazhu back then, she might have ended up like Liao Chunhua?

Fate is such a thing; everyone has their own fate, it cannot be forced.

After waiting about an hour, she finally caught a ride to Town.

Li Xiulan took the ride to Town, came to the Convenience Store run by Niu Chunsheng and Lin Xiaofang, but found the shop door tightly closed, with a notice posted saying it would not open until the Fifth Day of the Lunar New Year.

Li Xiulan was suddenly at a loss.

Only then did she remember that during the Spring Festival, many shops closed for business, and shopkeepers all went home for the New Year.

Niu Chunsheng was no exception.

Li Xiulan did not know where Niu Chunsheng's home was.

And she did not have Niu Chunsheng's Contact Information.

It seemed her wish to borrow money from Niu Chunsheng would likely come to nothing.

If she couldn't borrow money, how could she go to Dongguan to save Wang Changgen?

Standing on the empty Street, facing the shops along the street covered in red characters, Li Xiulan's heart was filled with desolation and helplessness.

Why was life so cruel to her, why was everything always going wrong for her?

Did she commit unforgivable sins in her previous life?

So that Heaven would treat her like this?

Li Xiulan did not find Niu Chunsheng, and could only walk disheveledly to the street corner, planning to take a ride home.

She could not go to Zhangmutou to redeem Wang Changgen, and could only let Wang Changgen fend for himself.

She kept comforting herself in her heart that all this was the retribution Wang Changgen deserved, she couldn't save him, it wasn't her fault, no one could blame her.

But for some reason, her heart still felt very bitter……

Just then!

A White Sedan came speeding over!

Stopped in front of Li Xiulan!

The car window rolled down,

And it was He Dazhu again!

"Xiulan, what a coincidence, didn't expect to meet you again! Are you going home? I'm on the way, I'll give you a ride!"

He Dazhu greeted her enthusiastically.

Li Xiulan was stunned.

She discovered that the beautiful woman who had been in the passenger seat before was no longer there.

Li Xiulan lowered her head and quickly refused:

"No need, I can take a car back myself; if I dirty your car, that would be too embarrassing……"

A deep sense of inferiority in her heart made her clearly realize that she and He Dazhu were no longer people of the same world; she truly felt she was not worthy to sit in such a luxurious small sedan, and was truly afraid of dirtying He Dazhu's small sedan.

"It's fine, why are you being so polite with me, get in!"

But He Dazhu was very enthusiastic, "We're old friends, isn't it only right that I give you a ride since I'm on the way!"