"They felt that there was nothing a family couldn't overcome."

They advised me that harmony in the family brings prosperity in all things.

Lu Jingzhi's long-dried eyes slowly became misty, and his weathered face was full of despair and vulnerability.

"They only saw the bad things I did to Zhong Dazhi, but they dismissed the suffering I endured with the phrase 'it's all in the past.'"

"They believed the exaggerated stories told by the two aunts, saying that Zhong Dagui was unlucky and married a domineering and heartless wife."

"They feel that I have embarrassed and disgraced them."

“My dowry supported your grandfather’s entire family. Even your great-aunt’s dowry and their children’s school fees came from my shop.”

"After the founding of New China, I donated the shop so that I could bring Zhong Dagui to work in the textile factory."

"They still haven't paid back the money they stole from my shop, and now they're trying to pin all the blame on me."

"Now they're acting like ingrates, trying to sow discord between me and your father and uncle, and then they turn around and bite me."

"I will never forgive Zhong Dagui and his whole family in my lifetime."

Zhong Linfang hugged her grandmother tightly and cried bitterly.

How much injustice did her gentle grandmother, that refined old lady, suffer?

"Grandma, why didn't you tell Dad and Uncle? Why did you let Auntie sow discord between you?"

Lu Jingzhi shook his head. "Although your father and uncle were young at that time, they did have memories."

"Linfang, it's very difficult for men to empathize with women."

"Moreover, their grandmother often spoke ill of me when she was alive, and after hearing it so many times, they began to believe it."

"The neighbors are gossipy too, they all believed what your grandmother said and started pointing fingers at me."

“They only saw that Zhong Dagui was old and I chased and beat him, but they didn’t see that when I was young, he beat me so badly that I was covered in bruises.”

People generally sympathize with the weak.

"Although Zhong Dagui didn't care about his children when he was young, he never hit his two sons."

"In the eyes of the world, he was good to his children and grandchildren, his parents, and his brothers and sisters."

"Only I say he's bad; he's been fair to everyone..."

In fact, everyone knows that there is no wealthy young lady in her teens who would be willing to marry an older, ugly, and poor man.

They all know this in their hearts, but they can never respect women or recognize the value they bring.

The child, whom they had raised with great care, now stood against them for the sake of someone who had hurt them.

How desperate and how painful must Grandma have been?

Lu Jingzhi sighed and gently patted Zhong Linfang's back as she sobbed.

"So, Linfang, isn't Grandma afraid people will say I'm wicked?"

"Grandma's life is already like this, there's no turning back."

"But I hope that my daughter Linfang can be safe and sound."

"I hope you always put yourself first, eliminate any dangers that should not arise in time, and do not let public opinion have any chance to harm you."

Zhong Linfang kept her head down and didn't say anything.

Lu Jingzhi sighed; she already knew her granddaughter's answer.

She wasn't actually against Zhong Linfang stepping forward to testify for the security team members.

She just wanted Zhong Linfang to understand what kind of storms she might face if she took this step.

Her Linfang was gentle and timid, so she needed to prepare her in advance to avoid the shock being too great for her to bear.

Besides, the security officer said that the police would keep it confidential, so even if things got worse, we still have them, right?

As long as Lü Jingzhi lives, she will protect her granddaughter.

"Stop crying, go get a handkerchief and wipe your face. Your knees and hands need dressing changes too."

Lu Jingzhi stood up heavily, walked to the basin stand, pulled out a handkerchief, and poured hot water for his granddaughter.

"Your eyes are probably swollen. Use a cloth to soothe them, otherwise they won't look good tomorrow."

Actually, Zhong Linfang would feel better if her grandmother cried, but seeing her grandmother's calm demeanor made Zhong Linfang feel even more heartbroken.

Because, like everyone else, she had once complained about her grandmother's domineering nature and felt sorry for her grandfather, who was chased and beaten by his grandmother.

But who knows Grandma's suffering?

Zhong Linfang lowered her head and stroked the yellowed black and white photos inside the box.

The couple above are such a perfect match.

Grandpa Wen, whom I've never met, may never know that the little girl he cherished like a precious jewel and vowed to protect was suffering endless injustices and torment in places he couldn't see.

From her words, actions, and conduct, you can tell that she was well-educated and lived a very strong life.

She could have had a life hundreds or thousands of times better than she has now. She was born into a wealthy family and should have been a military officer's wife.

Instead of being a rural peasant woman who is pointed at and looked down upon, or a heartless old woman who is blamed and resented by her descendants.

What she couldn't understand even more was why her father and uncle treated her mother this way.

Because Grandpa got better later, Grandma had to be forced to forget all the hurt.

Just because Grandpa no longer has the ability to harm Grandma, does that mean Grandma can't fight back?

They only saw how pitiful Grandpa was later, but they clearly knew what kind of life Grandma had lived before!

With his back to his granddaughter, Lü Jingzhi also fell into deep thought.

In her entire life, one wrong step led to another.

My granddaughter just asked me two questions: Why did she insist on marrying Zhong Dagui? And why didn't she go to find Brother Wen back then?

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