Zhao Xu did not take advantage of the situation or seek to repay the favor.

After dealing with Young Master Yu and Magistrate Liang, and releasing Aunt Hua, he did not appear before the mother and daughter.

Fangniang's fear that he would use this as a condition for her to be with him did not come true.

"I misunderstood before; I should have agreed to your marriage."

As Aunt Hua closed up shop that day, she sighed with emotion.

Fangniang asked in confusion, "Mother, why did you change your mind? Didn't you always say that wealthy families would devour people without blinking an eye, and that girls from humble families would be eaten alive if they married into such families?"

Aunt Hua pushed the latch shut and sighed deeply.

"That's what I think now too, but you're too good-looking. If you marry into a poor family, they might not be able to protect you."

For girls from ordinary families, being of average appearance is the best.

Those with outstanding appearances become prey for predators.

She hoped her daughter could live a peaceful life, free from the struggles and intrigues of vying for a man's affection.

That idea is far too naive.

She herself was only moderately beautiful. After leaving the palace, she had to marry a sickly man to cover up her misfortune. She had to wave the banner of a chaste and virtuous woman to conceal her beauty and live a peaceful life, so as to avoid being coveted by others.

Her daughter is even prettier than her, her beauty growing day by day, and she is now a well-known tofu beauty.

His reputation will likely grow even stronger in the future.

If it weren't for Zhao Xu's help, they definitely wouldn't have been able to resolve this matter. Either she would have taken her own life to avoid dragging her daughter down, or her daughter would have endured humiliation and rescued her.

Either outcome is a tragedy.

Instead of retreating blindly, we should forge ahead, stand at the highest point, and make those ferocious hunters retreat.

As Fangniang wiped the counter, she said, "Mother, don't forget one thing: that person is Zhao Xu's enemy."

Aunt Hua paused for a moment.

Oh yes, there's this one too.

Zhao Xu's parents were killed by that person. Even if he doesn't hold a grudge against Fang Niang and is willing to marry her, others wouldn't agree.

That man raped her and ruined her life. Now, will his evil deeds ruin her daughter's life as well?

With a heavy heart, Aunt Hua packed her things, washed up, and went back to her room. She lay in bed for half the night, tossing and turning, unable to sleep.

With it almost time to get up and grind beans again, she tried to clear her mind of all distractions, closed her eyes, and succumbed to sleep.

In her half-asleep state, she vaguely heard a faint sound coming from the doorway, as if someone had bolted the door from the outside.

But it could also be the sound of Fangniang getting up and opening the door.

So he asked, "Fangniang, you're up so early?"

No one responded.

The sound of splashing water rang out outside, followed by a pungent smell. By the time she realized what the smell was, thick smoke had drifted into the house.

The fire has started!

Aunt Hua suddenly sat up, hurriedly put on her coat, and rushed to the door to open it.

But they found that the door had been bolted from the outside.

Her face immediately changed drastically, and she shouted through the door, "Fangniang! Wake up! There's a fire!"

Fangniang was extremely tired last night and fell asleep as soon as she lay down. In the middle of the night, she heard her mother's voice and thought it was time to make tofu.

I opened my eyes and was choked by thick smoke before I realized the house was on fire.

To make matters worse, the door couldn't be opened.

The mother and daughter shouted at each other through the two doors and into the hall for a while, and then they understood their current situation.

Someone had plotted to murder them, locked them in a room, and set the house on fire.

"Mother, let's find a way to pry open the door."

Fangniang called out.

"Can you lift the door?"

"I'll give it a try."

However, neither of them could lift their own door panel.

When they made the doors, they specially made two very sturdy doors to prevent thieves from sneaking in at night. Once they were bolted, no one could pry them open.

This was originally meant to protect them, but now it's preventing them from surviving.

The mother and daughter shouted at the top of their lungs, hoping to attract the attention of their neighbors and get them to come and help rescue the person.

But the whole alley seemed to be on fire, and people outside were shouting "Fire!" but no one paid any attention to them.

After the fire spread across the roof, thick smoke filled the house, and Fangniang gradually found it difficult to breathe.

As I lay dying, memories flashed through my mind like a revolving lantern.

When she was learning to speak, when she was taking her first steps, when she was learning to read, when she was learning to make tofu... the last scene is when she first met Zhao Xu.

It was almost evening by then, and there were only two blocks of tofu left in the shop.

If we can't sell them, we've worked a whole day for nothing.

She then picked up a load of vegetables and went from street to street selling them.

While passing through Lilac Lane, she encountered a few thugs who surrounded her, trying to take advantage of her.

Just as she was about to hit someone with a carrying pole, a young master staggered over, bumped into one of the thugs, cursed him for blocking his way, rolled up his sleeves, and beat the thugs away.

She was both grateful and wary, fearing that this young master might have ulterior motives.

The other party took out silver and bought her entire load of tofu, telling her to carry it to a nearby dilapidated temple and share it with the beggars.

She refused to accept his money, but he threw down the silver and left.

She had no choice but to put the silver away and take the tofu to the dilapidated temple to distribute.

She thought it was just a chance encounter, but two days later, she saw the same person again in front of her tofu shop.

"What a coincidence! I didn't expect this to be your family's tofu shop."

The other party chuckled.

She lowered her eyes and remained silent.

This is hardly a coincidence; this person clearly came to us of their own accord.

He only asked for a bowl of tofu pudding, and she refused to take the money. He didn't refuse, but instead helped her with the chores, saying it was to pay for the bowl of tofu pudding.

Feeling embarrassed, she invited him to stay for lunch. Taking advantage of the situation, he started coming over every day from then on.

They're so persistent, you can't get rid of them no matter what you do.

They complained about how pitiful they were, saying they were neither father nor mother, unable to return home and unable to eat their fill.

Knowing they're soft-hearted, we made up all sorts of stories.

She actually believed it.

Then the scene shifts to the day he presided over justice at the county government office. She watched from afar and saw him persuade the plaintiff to tell the truth with just a few words, get the magistrate removed from his post, and make Young Master Yu regret his actions. She felt both happy and bitter.

It is gratifying to see evildoers get their just desserts.

It's bittersweet to know that such a wonderful person is so far away from me.

Although his tragic fate was fabricated, it was also true, because of that person's actions, he, a prince, lived like an orphan.

Unfortunately, that person turned out to be her biological father.

Despite her extreme loathing and hatred for that man, she could not erase this fact.

Her consciousness gradually blurred, and in her half-awake state, a thought flashed through her mind: If there is an afterlife, how wonderful it would be if they could be an ordinary couple.

"Fangniang! Fangniang!"

The shouts grew louder as they approached, and the door latch was pulled open. Fangniang struggled to open her eyes and saw a familiar figure appear at the doorway.

Before she could even feel joy, she heard a snapping sound.

Looking up, I saw that the roof beams had been burned through and crashed down.

"Don't come any closer!"

She screamed in terror.

The man rushed in before she could speak, and just as he stood under the beam, he was hit squarely.