"Rou Niang, why do you look so gloomy?"
Seeing that Li Rouniang seemed listless all afternoon, Mo Bei asked her with concern.
"Mo Bei, why is it so hard for women in this world?" Li Rouniang sighed.
Mo Bei frowned and asked on Saturday, "Rou Niang, has something happened to you again? You can tell me anything, don't keep it to yourself."
"Sigh, I wasn't talking about myself. This afternoon I saw Zhao Ergou's wife trying to jump into the river, and I saved her. I thought Zhao Ergou was a heartless man, abusing his wife and daughter. But in the end, she still went home with Zhao Ergou."
Li Rou Niang could understand Xiu'er's actions. If it were her in the past, wouldn't she have chosen to endure it as well?
Most mothers probably think the same way: as long as they raise their daughters to adulthood and they can get married, their lives will be settled.
But now her thinking has changed somewhat. Tolerance will only embolden the other party and will not make them feel any pity for you.
But she was powerless to do anything about it; after all, it was someone else's family matter, and she didn't even know the specifics. If she really interfered, she might end up being blamed instead.
It was just that seeing the way Xiuer said goodbye to her today, and the look in her eyes, made her feel heartbroken, as if she were seeing her former self.
"Sigh, Zhao Ergou is used to hanging around in the village. I'm afraid he won't treat his wife very well, but I don't think it will be too bad. I heard they have children, so it's probably just minor squabbles. Don't overthink it."
Mo Bei had never been married and didn't understand matters between husband and wife. Although he didn't have a good impression of Zhao Ergou, he put himself in Zhao Ergou's shoes. If he had a wife in the future and she had given birth to his child, he thought he would definitely treat her well. Zhao Ergou was also a man, and even if he had a bad temper, he probably wouldn't treat his wife too harshly.
Life continued in an orderly fashion. After that, Li Rouniang never saw Xiuer again.
That day, when Li Rouniang went to Ruyi's teahouse to deliver snacks, she overheard the tea drinkers chatting:
"Hey, have you heard any really interesting news?"
"What?"
"It's utterly heinous. A gambler lost so much that he gambled away his wife and daughter."
"That's why gambling is so deadly; we must never get involved in this stuff."
"That's right. I heard the child was only the size of an infant. His wife knelt down and begged her husband while holding their daughter, but the man heartlessly left. What a tragedy!"
"I'm just curious, what use would a casino have for women and children like that?"
"You don't know this, do you? Some noblemen have a taste for this."
"Really? This is outrageous!"
"Who says otherwise? Let me tell you, I heard he's from Zhao Village. If you have a daughter, don't marry her off to Zhao Village. That would be incredibly immoral."
"From Zhao Family Village, oh, I'll remember that. I definitely won't do it again."
Li Rouniang was very excited when she heard this, and she quickly ran over and asked:
"Brother, do you know whose family it is in Zhao Family Village?"
"Who are you? Why are you asking so many questions?" the guest asked warily.
"Brother, it's like this, I have a younger sister who married into Zhao Family Village, so I'm a little nervous," Li Rouniang lied.
"Oh, I don't know the specifics, but I heard the man's name was something like Er Gou, Er Gou. Isn't your brother-in-law called Er Gou?" the man asked.
Li Rouniang turned pale upon hearing this. It turned out that Zhao Ergou's words in her yard that day were not just empty threats; he really had sold Xiuer and Xiaocao.
Didn't he know that Xiuer and Xiaocao would suffer terribly after being sold?
Li Rouniang was about to leave excitedly when Ruyi stopped her: "Mother, I've never heard of you having a younger sister? Is Er Gou's wife related to you?"
"Ruyi, I saved Xiuer, but then I watched helplessly as she went back to Er Gou's side. I wanted to save her." Li Rouniang spoke with a heavy heart, recounting the events of that day. Looking at Xiuer, she seemed to see her own past self—that same helplessness.
Was the goodbye she said to her that day actually a final farewell?
"Rou Niang, it's not that I'm heartless, but I advise you not to go to that casino. I've met Lei Dayong; he's very domineering and unreasonable," Hua Ruyi advised.
It's not that she's without compassion, but there are so many pitiful people in the world, and they are all alone and powerless. How many can they possibly save?
Li Rouniang calmed herself down. Yes, she couldn't just rush over without thinking of anything. She also had children and family to protect.
Li Rouniang sat on the stool, feeling dejected. She thought for a long time, her mind filled with the image of Xiuer hugging Xiaocao and saying thank you and goodbye that day. Her heart ached, feeling like it was being torn apart.
She felt that even if she tried her best, she couldn't save Xiu'er and her daughter. She accepted it; it was better than sitting there waiting. If she didn't try at all, she was afraid she would have a guilty conscience for the rest of her life.
Finally, she stood up and said firmly to Ruyi, "Ruyi, I've made up my mind. I still want to go and see, just in case there's a chance, even if I can only save one person."
Ruyi sighed. She knew Li Rouniang would act this way. If she weren't so kind, she wouldn't have helped her so selflessly back then.
Watching Li Rouniang's retreating figure, Hua Ruyi clenched her fists.
Lei Dayong, it seems we'll be meeting again soon.
Meanwhile, Li Rouniang ran outside the casino and pleaded, "Brother, could you please pass on a message? Zhao Ergou's wife is actually my sister. I would like to meet your head."
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