The sky was dark, and visibility was limited under the dim yellow light of the streetlights.

Huo Beixiao was riding his tricycle toward the family compound when suddenly a figure emerged from the shadows.

"ah--"

"Sizzle—"

After a scream, Huo Beixiao gripped the brakes tightly, and the tricycle came to a stop just in front of a woman who had fallen.

Jiang Qiaoqiao, who was initially feeling drowsy, instantly woke up and got out of the car with Huo Beixiao.

"Jiang Yiran?"

Huo Beixiao frowned.

Jiang Yiran looked up at Huo Beixiao, her eyes blurry with tears, "Brother-in-law..."

"What are you doing here?" Jiang Qiaoqiao asked.

She hadn't seen Jiang Yiran for a few days.

Although she hadn't seen Jiang Yiran in person, she heard about her deeds every day.

Jiang Yiran's supermarket is always coming up with new ideas every day.

Business was already slow on the second day of opening, and for some reason, she raised prices.

As a result, even fewer people will buy it.

Seeing that business was slow, she probably got anxious and yesterday launched a membership program where you get the same amount back as the top-up amount.

Everyone has a tendency to be greedy for small gains, and if this marketing method is used well, it might actually help her supermarket revive.

But she was reborn and returned, yet the prices were still decades later, with the rule that the minimum charge was 200.

Two hundred yuan is now equivalent to two months' wages for an average worker.

Who in their right mind would spend two hundred yuan to subscribe to a membership they've never even heard of?

Moreover, Jiang Yiran promised to give away rice on the opening day, but many people did not receive the rice after making purchases, leaving consumers with the impression that she was untrustworthy.

People are afraid of losing their money, so they are even less likely to recharge.

"Waaaaah..."

Jiang Yiran's tears streamed down her face like a broken string of pearls. She raised her arms and cried, "Qin Haiyang's mother hit me! Waaaaah..."

Her fair arms were covered in bruises, some from being hit and others from being twisted.

Huo Beixiao's expression changed, his face turning ashen.

Jiang Qiaoqiao subconsciously looked at Huo Beixiao, only to see Huo Beixiao's pleading look.

Jiang Qiaoqiao instantly understood that Huo Beixiao, because of those fragmented memories, was unable to control his guilt towards Jiang Yiran.

He wanted her to help him.

Jiang Qiaoqiao stepped forward and stood between Jiang Yiran and Huo Beixiao.

She looked down at Jiang Yiran on the ground, but before she could say anything, Qin Haiyang had already chased after her.

Upon seeing Jiang Qiaoqiao and Huo Beixiao, Qin Haiyang paused for a moment, then quickly helped Jiang Yiran up. "Ranran, get up quickly. It's dangerous for you to be out here alone in the middle of the night."

"Sister, brother-in-law, what are you doing here?" Qin Haiyang said awkwardly to Jiang Qiaoqiao and Huo Beixiao after helping Jiang Yiran up.

"Smack!"

At this moment, Jiang Yiran suddenly raised her hand and slapped Qin Haiyang across the face.

"Qin Haiyang, if I don't run away, do you think I'll just wait for your mother, that old hag, to beat me to death?"

Qin Haiyang glanced at Jiang Qiaoqiao and Huo Beixiao out of the corner of his eye.

He felt as if Jiang Yiran had thrown his face on the ground and stomped on it.

Enraged, she retorted, "What's wrong with my mom taking some of the things in your supermarket that aren't selling? She's my own mother, your own mother-in-law, and you're arguing and yelling at her like that. Shouldn't she have hit you?"

Jiang Yiran's eyes were red. "My supermarket isn't selling anything? It's all your fault! If you weren't such a good-for-nothing who couldn't help me make the business work, we would have been rich long ago!"

Jiang Yiran can still recall the grand occasion when the Qin family opened their first supermarket in the county town in her previous life, and everyone rushed to buy things there.

Why can't it happen in this lifetime?

Jiang Yiran's words, "good-for-nothing," really hit Qin Haiyang where it hurt. Qin Haiyang clenched his fists and glared at her with bloodshot eyes.

Should we go?

Jiang Qiaoqiao asked Huo Beixiao a question.

She knew that Qin Haiyang might not be able to resist taking action against Jiang Yiran.

In her past life, before the Qin family's business had fully developed, she was always at the forefront.

Sometimes at drinking parties, people would subtly imply that Qin Haiyang was a kept man.

Whenever Qin Haiyang heard such words, his self-esteem would be hurt, and he would get himself completely drunk, then go home and assault her.

After he sobers up, he will kneel down and beg for her forgiveness, crying bitterly.

Huo Beixiao did not answer, and Jiang Qiaoqiao added, "Go to the police station. It's not appropriate for outsiders like us to interfere in such family matters."

She had originally planned to ignore Jiang Yiran.

But thinking of the helplessness and powerlessness she felt when she was abused by Qin Haiyang in her previous life, she still decided to help Jiang Yiran.

While Jiang Yiran is certainly despicable, Qin Haiyang should also be punished for his actions.

Her repeated forbearance in her past life was out of concern for the impact on her business if her relationship with her husband soured.

But for the rest of her life, she no longer needs to worry.

She wasn't helping Jiang Yiran, but rather helping the helpless version of herself from her past life who, lacking the courage to take drastic measures, could only endure in silence.

When the police arrived, Qin Haiyang was indeed beating Jiang Yiran.

In this situation, the police should normally prioritize mediation.

However, a female police officer who responded to the call said after seeing Jiang Yiran's bruised and swollen face, "Only the most cowardly men beat their wives!"

The female police officer's words completely enraged Qin Haiyang, who pounced on her like a mad dog, ready to attack her.

Although he ultimately failed, he was detained for fifteen days on charges of assaulting a police officer.

Jiang Qiaoqiao stood not far away, watching Qin Haiyang being taken away by the police. With the farce over, she turned to Huo Beixiao and said, "Let's go home."

After saying that, she walked straight to the tricycle.

This time, she didn't plan to ride the bike herself, but instead sat silently in the corner of the tricycle bed.

Huo Beixiao's deep gaze fell on her.

For some reason, even though she was just a young girl barely out of her teens, he felt that she exuded a sense of exhaustion and weariness.

Huo Beixiao carried her silently back to the staff and family compound on his tricycle.

"I'm home."

After the tricycle stopped, Jiang Qiaoqiao remained motionless in her original position.

After Huo Beixiao approached, he looked at her vacant eyes and gently reminded her.

Jiang Qiaoqiao suddenly came to her senses and said, "Oh."

She smiled apologetically at Huo Beixiao, "I'm sorry, I was thinking about something and got so engrossed that I didn't realize we were home."

As she spoke, she quickly got up and jumped off the tricycle.

Her movements were fluid and graceful, but her legs were numb from being curled up for too long and could not support the series of movements.

As he jumped off the car, he twisted his ankle and fell straight to the ground.