Chapter 134 is not that simple.

Upon seeing this, Shen Guizhi and Song Qiaoying quickly stepped forward and tightly embraced her trembling body.

Shen Guizhi wrapped her arms around her waist from behind.

Song Qiaoying stayed close to her side, gently patting her back with one hand and stroking her arm with the other, constantly comforting her, "It's okay, it's okay, we're all here, don't be afraid, don't be afraid..."

Shen Cuifen felt the warmth of her loved ones behind her.

The warm touch seeped through her clothes and into her skin, as if pulling her back from the brink of hell.

Her violently heaving chest gradually calmed down, and her breathing slowly returned to normal.

yes……

She kept telling herself that she couldn't ruin her life for such a scoundrel.

When she dealt with the Lu family, no matter how much she hated them, no matter how much they bullied her, schemed against her, and drove her to the brink of despair, she never went so far as to kill them.

It wasn't that she couldn't bring herself to do it, but she knew perfectly well that once she crossed that line, she would truly become like them.

I just got my divorce certificate today, and I'm finally free from that awful marriage.

Why couldn't I resist?

After being dragged away by Shen Guizhen and Shen Xuelin, Yang Juanhua collapsed backward, her body limp.

She had never seen Shen Cuifen like this before.

Her eyes were ruthless, her aura terrifying, and her decisiveness was unlike that of a woman; she was more like an executioner.

Good heavens!

He almost lost his life twice in one day!

She had never suffered like this before.

Just now, she really felt like her great-grandmother had come to take her on her journey!

The fear of impending death pierced her very bones, making it almost impossible for her to breathe.

Lu Weidong and Lu Shuixian then realized what was happening and quickly squatted down to check on Yang Juanhua's condition.

The two pounced almost simultaneously, their knees hitting the cold ground hard without them even noticing.

Lu Weidong reached out to check his mother's breath, his fingers trembling slightly.

Lu Shuixian then grabbed Yang Juanhua's wrist.

"Mom! Can you still breathe? How are you?"

Lu Weidong almost shouted it out, his voice trembling with sobs.

He patted Yang Juanhua's shoulder hard, as if afraid that she would die.

The villagers stood in a circle, none of them daring to step forward and intervene.

Yang Juanhua couldn't utter a single complete sentence; she just kept snuggling into their arms.

Her lips were bluish-purple, and she was making intermittent "hoarse" sounds in her throat.

"Oh dear! Cuifen, listen to your parents, and don't go to extremes!"

The village chief stood by, patting his chest, his face pale.

"This could be a matter of life and death... We can't let a murder happen here!"

Having lived to such an old age, this was the first time he had ever witnessed a scene that could lead to someone's death; he was so terrified he almost lost his soul.

He considers himself well-informed and experienced, having mediated neighborhood disputes and officiated at weddings and funerals.

But seeing this scene before her, Shen Cuifen's eyes widened in anger, and she grabbed Yang Juanhua's neck, almost causing a major disaster.

It was the most horrifying scene in his decades-long career in village administration.

Although Dr. Chen felt that Yang Juanhua deserved it, she still advised, "Cuifen, you've already made it through. You've even got the divorce certificate. It's time for a new life. Don't sacrifice yourself for her."

Looking at the people around her who cared about her, Shen Cuifen let out a long breath and finally nodded.

At that moment, she wasn't giving in to anyone.

Instead, it's telling itself, "It's enough that I'm alive."

At this moment, Lu Qiming glanced at Shen Cuifen, then turned to the crowd, his tone becoming somber.

“Lu Weidong, since your mother won’t talk about what happened back then, then I will tell her.”

The villagers involuntarily quieted down, even their breathing became cautious.

"No, I'm not saying this to you, I'm saying it to everyone. Today, we must make things completely clear!"

The wind blew his gray hair, revealing several deep wrinkles on his forehead.

He knew that if he told the truth, some people might hate him for the rest of their lives.

But he can no longer allow lies to continue to deceive the next generation.

"Lu Qiming! Shut up!"

Yang Juanhua suddenly shouted and struggled to get up to stop it.

But if she walks forward, she will have to pass in front of Shen Cuifen.

At that moment, Shen Cuifen stood there quietly, looking at her expressionlessly.

She was terrified, afraid that the woman would actually strangle her to death.

He had just propped himself up on one side when he immediately shrank back down, collapsing to the ground, too afraid to move.

Her limbs began to tremble, and her back pressed tightly against the ground.

The suffocating feeling from that pinch hasn't completely dissipated yet.

Now she only hopes to save her life and dares not make any rash moves.

Lu Weidong and Lu Shuixian had long been filled with doubts about their origins, and now they didn't want to stop them; they just wanted to hear the truth.

The brother and sister exchanged a glance, both seeing the urgency in each other's eyes.

Over the years, various unusual details about my family have kept resurfacing in my mind.

Lu Qiming paused for a moment, then continued, "It snowed heavily that day, burying the mountain paths. I was carrying my axe back when I suddenly saw a red ribbon swaying in the wind in the woods... As I got closer, I saw a figure hanging from a crooked pine tree."

"She said she had been violated and was pregnant. But it was too dark that night, and she couldn't see who did it."

At this point, Lu Qiming's voice trembled slightly.

“She sat in the snow with her hair disheveled, crying her heart out, repeatedly muttering ‘I have no face to live.’ I asked her if she wanted to report it to the authorities, but she shook her head, saying that she would not commit suicide as long as someone was willing to take her in.”

"She felt ashamed to live and thought she could only try to kill herself. I took pity on her and brought her home, and the two of us just made do with each other like that."

He gave a bitter laugh, a complex mix of emotions flashing across his eyes.

“I didn’t marry her, and she didn’t give me any official title. We lived in a side room, and told everyone that we were distant relatives who had come to stay with us. Although there were some gossips in the village, they faded away over time.”

At this point, Lu Qiming's gaze drifted into the distance, as if he had returned to the past.

He gazed at the distant, desolate mountains, his eyes traveling through time and space back to that snowy night.

A snow-covered forest, a shivering figure, cheeks red from the cold, and a faint "thank you"...

"I originally thought that it would be fine to just live my life like this, peacefully and uneventfully."

"We get up early every day to cook, farm, raise chickens, and greet our neighbors during holidays. The three of us live a peaceful and stable life, without seeking great wealth or status."

"But it wasn't until she became pregnant with Lu Shuixian that I realized this woman was not as simple as she seemed!"

"Her scheming was hidden behind that gentle smile from the very beginning, and I was kept in the dark the whole time!"

Upon hearing this, Yang Juanhua trembled with anger.

"Stop pretending to be a good person!"

"Don't think I don't know what you're thinking! You think you can whitewash yourself by putting on a mask of honesty?"

"If it weren't for the fact that your ancestors committed murder, were despised by the whole village, and had their family line broken, leaving you in your thirties and still unmarried, would you have even considered me?!"

"Aren't you just using me as a shield to shut up the villagers' gossip?!"

"I've been married to you for so many years, given birth to your children, taken care of your parents, and managed the household chores, and all I get in return is 'It's not that simple'!"