Chu Yuning wanted to refute but couldn't find a reason, so he turned his face away from Aunt Zhao.

It wasn't that he was speechless; it was that he disdained to speak to a woman who had willingly fallen into the status of a wife or concubine!

Seeing that Chu Yuning was unconvinced, Aunt Zhao didn't bother to argue any further.

Accompanying Aunt Zhao was Old Madam Zhao. Looking at Zhao Shi lying half-dead on the ground, she remained silent for a long time before finally stepping forward and saying, "Although it is said that a woman follows her husband after marriage, Chu Dahe is dead, and your Chu family will not tolerate her. She is still my daughter, so let our Zhao family take her back now."

After saying this, the Zhao family carried Zhao Shi out of the ancestral hall.

Spring Flowers and Autumn Moon followed behind, weeping and wailing. A large group of people came and went in the same whirlwind as before, disappearing in the blink of an eye.

Shen Yuan learned of this news the next day. Upon hearing that Zhao Shi and the village head were not quite dead, Granny Liu felt a little sorry, but more than that, she was uneasy. If the weeds are not cut at the root, they will grow back in the spring breeze. If Zhao Shi and the village head are not dead, they will definitely retaliate against Shen Yuan even more fiercely in the future.

After all, it was Shen Yuan who caught them in their affair, and they both hated her so much that they probably wished they could get rid of her as soon as possible.

After listening to Granny Liu's concerns, Shen Yuan chuckled and said, "Grandma, do you really think the Zhao family came to rescue Zhao Shi?"

Granny Liu was surprised to hear this and did not understand what Shen Yuan meant.

Shen Yuan said softly, "Zhao Shi has returned to the Zhao family, but she may not live for more than a few days. As for Uncle Village Head, with such a big thing happening in his family, Aunt Tian should come back and take care of the dying man!"

As Shen Yuan had predicted, Zhao Shi hanged herself only three days after returning to the Zhao family.

Whether he actually hanged himself or not, no one cared.

Zhao's body was sent back to the Chu family by the Zhao family. Chu Yuning took leave from the academy and hung up a white mourning banner at home. She stayed by Zhao's coffin day and night, and it is said that she did not eat a single grain of rice and fainted from exhaustion several times.

Once a person dies, the mistakes they made in life will gradually fade away.

The villagers gradually forgot about Zhao's affair and even praised her suicide as a heroic act, placing a memorial archway for her chastity next to her memorial tablet.

When Shen Yuan saw the wooden sign, she felt only irony.

A wooden plaque inscribed with the words "chastity" was hailed as the greatest reward and praise for a woman.

Chu Yuning, who was wiping the chastity archway for Zhao, noticed Shen Yuan's gaze, looked up at the door, and put down what she was holding after seeing that it was Shen Yuan.

Shen Yuan originally intended to go to the village head's house next door, but when she saw Chu Yuning see her, she stepped into the Chu family's house.

Since we're passing by, let's burn some paper money for the Zhao family!

After all, a few days ago Zhao had hoped to burn paper money at her grave, but now it's her turn to burn a couple of pieces of paper money!

"You big bad guy! I hate you! Get out of our house!"

When Chu Chunhua saw Shen Yuan, she rushed out from the corner wearing a hempen coat and rammed her head against Shen Yuan with her stiff neck.

Seeing this, Chu Yuning instinctively stepped in front of Shen Yuan, but was bumped in the stomach by Chu Chunhua. He cried out in pain, "What are you doing? Get out!"

"Brother, you're mean to me! Waaah, you're mean to me because of this bad woman!" Chu Chunhua burst into tears.

Seeing his younger sister crying, Chu Yuning quickly comforted her, "Chunhua, your brother didn't scold you. You're sleepy, go and get some sleep! Qiuyue, take your sister back to her room to sleep!"

Chu Qiuyue obediently pulled Chu Chunhua away from the mourning hall.

Although she didn't speak, her gaze on Shen Yuan was extremely gloomy.

After Chu Chunhua and Chu Qiuyue left, Chu Yuning's gaze finally fell on Shen Yuan again. He wanted to say that after so many days, Shen Yuan had finally come to care about him, but what came out of his mouth was: "Are you here to laugh at me too?"

"Otherwise what?" Shen Yuan looked up at Chu Yuning, a hint of sarcasm on her lips.

Chu Yuning's eyes darkened slightly. What was he expecting just now? How ridiculous! Shen Yuan caused his family to be destroyed, and he could never forgive her so easily!

"My mother told me that she has paid back the money she owes you. Since that's the case, we have nothing to do with each other anymore. From now on, I'll go my own way, and you can go yours! We'll each go our own way!"

Shen Yuan pulled a piece of fire paper from the table, folded it casually, and threw it into the brazier before finally replying to Chu Yuning.

"We don't need to go our separate ways, because we will never meet on the same road again."

After saying that, Shen Yuan turned and walked out of the mourning hall.

In this life, her engagement with Chu Yuning is null and void. She will no longer devote herself to supporting his studies, nor will she beat the drum to accuse him of violating the engagement and marrying a princess. She will no longer have any connection with him. She will walk her own path and take the opportunity to see firsthand how unhappy and miserable Chu Yuning's life is every day.

After leaving the Chu family's house, Shen Yuan went to the neighboring village head's house.

She gently knocked on the courtyard gate and called out, "Little Tiger, it's me, A-Yuan!"

As soon as she finished speaking, the courtyard gate was opened, and a chubby-cheeked little boy ran out of the yard and jumped into Chen Yuan's arms: "Sister Yuan! That's great, I can finally play with you!"

"Long time no see, Little Tiger!" Shen Yuan patted Little Tiger's head and took out a package of malt candy from her bosom, handing it to him: "I bought this candy when I went to town last time, try it!"

"Thank you, Sister Ayuan!" Little Tiger happily accepted the candy.

"You little glutton, how much candy have you eaten?" Madam Tian came out of the house, her beautiful face filled with worry, looking extremely haggard. When she saw Shen Yuan, she said apologetically, "The dirty things that the child's father did have offended your eyes, a mere child. It's kind of you to still come and see your aunt."

Shen Yuan smiled and said, "In my heart, he is him, and aunt is aunt. Even husband and wife cannot be confused!"

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