Chapter 72 Chapter 72 [VIP]

Anyone with a keen eye for detail knew this wasn't going to be a big deal. The Chen family's pillar had died of a sunburned fever a few years earlier, and now the only people left were women and children. If Zhao Mingyuan, the only man in the family, was driven out, they would become slabs of fat, ripe meat for the wolves to devour.

Those on good terms with the Chen family had already begun to mediate, offering a way out for the others. Chen Hongyan squatted on the ground, crying in grievance. Zhao Mingyuan made promises beside her, his solemn oaths, but Chen Hongyan never even glanced at him.

Zhang Hongxin leaned against the wall silently. Her hair had turned gray in just a few years. She used to be the most elegant girl in the village, but now she was in a mess.

As the turmoil subsided, the crowd slowly dispersed. Before the disaster, in a situation like this, the village would at least offer assistance, supporting the orphans and widows. But now, indifference and self-preservation are the norm. Everyone has their share of troubles, and if you step in too quickly and encounter someone with extreme emotions, you'll bring disaster and trouble upon yourself and your family, only to regret it.

The excitement ended and the crowd dispersed. When Bai He and his children hurried to his uncle's house, they saw Bai Yu and his wife waiting at the door.

"What happened?" Bai He noticed the abnormality in the two people's expressions in an instant.

Sui Sui excitedly rushed towards her mother, but was intercepted by her father mid-flight. The child was very observant, and when he saw that the atmosphere between the adults was not good, he quietly nestled in his father's arms, making no noise or noise, and seemed to have no presence.

Bai Yu hesitated for a moment and whispered, "She's here."

There was no name or surname, but Bai He knew who she was talking about immediately. In the Bai family, there was only one taboo name, and that was his mother, Su Haohao.

"What is she doing here?" Bai He asked casually with a calm expression.

Bai Yuxin was suddenly worried. Her cousin was too patient. Sometimes the calmer the time, the more violent the storm.

"She said she wanted to see you."

Bai Yu felt very complicated when she saw this young aunt today. She hadn't seen her for more than ten years. Why did she come here when they had already forgotten her? Wouldn't it be better for them not to bother each other?

Could it be that he couldn't make ends meet and came to his son for support? Bai Yu speculated with the utmost malice.

The atmosphere in the house was very strange. The two elders and Uncle Bai looked sad and angry. The silent woman sitting on the stool reminded them of their son (brother) who had passed away early.

They could understand Su Haohao's desire to remarry, after all, she was still young, but what they could not forgive was that she ran away with all the family savings and compensation money less than half a month after her husband left. They hated her even more for sending Bai He to a mental hospital to fend for himself.

During all the years they've been together, the Bai family hasn't done anything wrong to her!

When Su Haohao first came, Grandma Bai was very emotional and asked questions that she had hidden in her heart and couldn't figure out even in her dreams at night.

But this woman was like a puppet. No matter how they condemned and pushed her, she didn't move. She just said she wanted to see Bai He.

When Bai He walked in, everyone's expressions instantly became nervous and they paid close attention to his condition.

The woman sitting on the stool raised her head when she heard the noise, and looked at Bai He who was walking towards the door in the light and shadow with a dazed expression.

The image of my ex-husband in my memory suddenly became clear.

She held on to the chair and stood up slowly, not caring about Bai He's indifference. She looked at him carefully and saw that he was tall, with normal skin color, and obviously had not suffered any hardship. She smiled.

"I'm sorry, but I feel relieved to see that you are doing well." After saying this to herself, she walked out.

As she crossed the threshold, she staggered a few times. She was terribly thin, like a candle that was about to burn out.

"She just came here to say a few words," said the eldest aunt, frowning as she watched Su Haohao's departing figure, confused. The former sister-in-law in her memory was spoiled, a bit stubborn, and self-centered.

Chen Zhen had already prepared for her family's unrest when she came today. Unexpectedly, she simply glanced at her son and left decisively.

Honestly, Chen Zhen almost didn't recognize Su Haohao when she walked in. In her memory, the landlady was as fresh and graceful as a hibiscus flower. She herself was a very particular person, meticulously dressing up even in the countryside. But now, she looked like a ghost: emaciated, with disheveled hair, her clothes barely visible, and a strong, unpleasant odor lingering around her.

But at this time, the Bai family could only suppress all kinds of speculations in their hearts. They were more worried about Bai He's condition, fearing that he would be stimulated and fall ill.

It happened that Su Xing had also gotten off work at this time. The Bai family members, as if they had seen a savior, secretly explained the situation to him and brought the person over.

"I'm fine." Bai He sighed helplessly and said again.

"Yeah," everyone nodded in agreement, but no one was relieved. His illness was like a long-dormant bomb, a source of worry for all the Bai family members.

"I'm going home first."

"Okay." The Bai family looked at Bai He's departing back, feeling desolate and lonely, and couldn't help blaming Su Haohao in their hearts.

"Don't worry about me, I'm not feeling well." After returning home, Bai He took the hot tea handed to him by Su Xingye, buried his head in the side of his neck, and rubbed his nose against it restrainedly.

Time is the best medicine. The piercing pain has now become blurred. Maybe he has developed antibodies.

"I'm just confused. Dad loved her so much, and she worked so hard to run the family. Why would she cheat on her husband right after he passed away?"

When Bai He thinks of the scene he saw many years ago, he still feels physically nauseous.

Su Xing also held him in his arms and listened quietly to his past.

…

Su Haohao walked out of the Bai family's house and headed straight for the back mountain. She hadn't eaten for two days, and she was moving forward almost by willpower.

She came to the dried-up riverbed. The steps that He had made for her during the day were still there. Su Haohao sat on the steps and couldn't help but smile.

Bai Tianhe was a really good person, but unfortunately he died too young. If he were still alive, she would definitely not be in such a bad situation as she is now.

Su Haohao sat for a while, until the sky turned red. She resisted the urge to look back and stumbled towards the back mountain. When the sun rose and shone on her body, she could no longer walk, so she lay down on a piece of dry ground.

She stared at the blazing sun overhead, unwilling to look away even as her eyes grew pale. For half an hour, an hour, or even longer, her body felt like it was boiling, the excruciating pain stripping her of her self-hypnosis and allowing her to remember the past she had deliberately forgotten.

Bai He inherited his intelligence from his father. As a young boy, Bai Tianhe was an eye-catcher: smart, handsome, and cheerful. When Su Haohao first saw him on the school playground, she couldn't help but take a few more glances. She particularly remembers the first time he approached her, the thrill and delight she couldn't conceal.

After they got married, he fulfilled all her vanity and expectations of a partner. He was family-oriented and responsible, never considering housework and childcare to be a woman's responsibility. He was also unlike the men in the village who would leave their wives at home while working away from home.

Countless times she was proud of the envious and jealous looks of her friends and sisters.

How wonderful their life had been, and how cruel his unexpected death was. She was heartbroken and panicked at the time. He had taken such good care of her, and she was used to being cared for. She couldn't imagine herself going out early and coming back late, groveling for a few thousand yuan. She also couldn't stand the sympathy and ridicule of others.

So when Zhang Bin, her former secret crush, came to her, she wavered. He was so good, and he said he always cared about her, and that after they were together, he would take good care of her and would not let her suffer any trouble in life.

So in the midst of painful struggle, she chose the path that was best for her. Love was only a part of her body. She was still young and had a long future ahead of her. She couldn't live only for them and their son.

She had originally planned to wait until she had dealt with Bai Tian Hedong's affairs before slowly leaving, but Bai He and the child were far too clever, having spotted him from the smallest clues. He was like a raging lion, and Zhang Bin was defenseless before him, curled up on the ground like a dead dog, his face a bloody mess. She bravely tried to intervene, but was horrified to find the child's gaze was cold and heartless. Terrified, she retreated, called the police, and ultimately allowed him to be tied up without dignity and sent to a mental hospital.

Su Haohao didn't dare to look back at Bai He's expression and gaze when they parted.

During countless sleepless days filled with guilt, she kept telling herself that she had done nothing wrong, that people are selfish, and that the Bai family would take good care of Bai He.

After being with Zhang Bin, he fulfilled his promise and treated her well. But the pandemic and natural disasters destroyed everything. Money was useless, and their aging bodies were no longer useful. Zhang Bin's children openly expressed their dissatisfaction and resentment towards her. She had suffered more in the past few years than in her entire life.

Zhang Bin died a few days ago, and she was kicked out. She was too embarrassed to go back to her parents' home.

Do you regret it?

In her trance, Su Haohao thought to herself, if only she could be as independent as her sister, or if she had listened to her sister at the beginning.

When her consciousness completely disappeared, Su Haohao thought to herself that in her next life she should not be a beautiful flower that clings to others, but a strong and independent tree.