At this moment, Zhou Aiguo, who had been standing aside, finally came to his senses.
He looked panicked and hurriedly took a few steps forward, wanting to reach out and support the staggering Li Zhaodi, fearing that she would fall to the ground again by accident.
But unexpectedly, Li Zhaodi gently shook off his outstretched hand, her eyes filled with determination.
She stared at Zhou Aiguo in front of her, and there was no longer the tenderness and affection in her eyes. Instead, there was only endless disappointment and indifference, as if he were a stranger.
Li Zhaodi said in a slightly weak but resolute voice:
"Zhou Aiguo, at this point, the love between you and me has come to an end. From now on, we will go our separate ways and live our own lives!"
After saying this, Li Zhaodi slowly turned around, leaving Zhou Aiguo with a lonely back.
After hearing this, Zhou Aiguo froze in place as if struck by lightning.
His once fair face instantly turned completely pale, as white as a sheet of paper. He subconsciously clenched his hands into fists, his nails digging deep into his palms due to excessive force, and even a trace of blood seeped out.
But even so, he still tried his best to maintain his outward calm and restraint, not letting himself completely break down and lose his composure.
He knew very well in his heart that every word Li Zhaodi said was true and that was the fact before him.
However, even so, what can he do? For a long time, he has been caught between his mother and his wife, two important women struggling.
He tried his best to find a key point that would satisfy and balance both parties, but the results were always contrary to his wishes, and he always felt powerless.
"Zhao Di, I understand your dissatisfaction and complaints towards our mother, but no matter what, she is the elder after all, and we, as the younger generation, should respect her. Moreover, she raised me with great difficulty, and this kindness is too great, I..."
As Zhou Aiguo spoke, he sighed deeply, and his words clearly revealed a deep sense of powerlessness and helplessness.
As Zhou Aiguo spoke, he sighed deeply, and his words clearly revealed a deep sense of powerlessness and helplessness.
At this moment, he could not find any suitable words to defend himself, let alone convince Zhang Zhaodi who was already very emotional.
"Respect? Humph! Shouldn't respect be based on mutual understanding?"
Before Zhou Aiguo had a chance to finish, Zhang Zhaodi interrupted him rudely. Her body trembled slightly with anger, and her voice unconsciously rose an octave:
"Tell me, has your mother ever respected me even a little bit? Has she ever truly treated me as a human being?
Ever since I married into your Zhou family, I have had to get up before dawn every day, busying myself with work from morning till night. Not only do I have to serve her wholeheartedly, but I also have to take care of all the family affairs.
But what happened in the end? All I got in return was her endless beatings and insults. If it were you, would you value this so-called 'respect'? Would you be willing to accept it?
The people around began to whisper to each other. Although the voices were low, fragments of their words could be heard clearly.
Some people showed sympathy and sighed softly and said:
"Zhang Zhaodi is so pitiful. Seeing her haggard appearance really makes me sad."
Some people pointed fingers at Zhou Aiguo and accused him bluntly:
"Zhou Aiguo is being really outrageous. How could he treat his wife like this?"
However, most people just watched the farce of this family dispute from afar with a spectator mentality.
At this moment, Deputy Commander Tan stood quietly by, his posture as straight as a pine tree, his expression serious and solemn. His deep eyes revealed some difficult-to-speak complex emotions.
There is pity for Zhang Zhaodi, dissatisfaction with Zhou Aiguo's behavior, and deep thinking about the whole situation.
Suddenly, Zhou Aiguo roared like a ignited powder keg:
“That’s enough!”
His roar startled everyone present. His face flushed red, veins bulging on his forehead, and he had clearly reached the limit of his endurance.
He pointed at Li Zhaodi, his voice trembling with anger:
"Zhao Di, you've changed! You weren't like this before! Back then, you were gentle, virtuous, and kind, and you never argued with anyone. But look at you now, you've become so sarcastic and mean, it's simply incomprehensible!"
Li Zhaodi felt a sharp pain in her heart when she heard these words. She stared at the man in front of her with wide eyes, looking at him in disbelief. The man who had once sworn to love her forever could now say such hurtful words.
Tears welled up uncontrollably in her eyes and slid down her cheeks. Her lips trembled slightly, and she wanted to refute but didn't know where to start.
Because she knew that no matter what she said, it would not change Zhou Aiguo's opinion of her. The two who once loved each other deeply now seemed to have become the most familiar strangers.
She sneered, her voice filled with sadness and determination:
"Zhou Aiguo, it's not that I've changed, but that you can't see the reality clearly. She's your mother, she raised you and made sacrifices for you, so how she treats you is what she deserves.
And what about me? She never raised me, never loved me. Why should I endure her bullying and beatings? Should I be at her mercy like a slave?
If she only beat and scolded me, it would be fine, but why did she also beat and scold my child? What did my child owe her?
She usually treats her harshly and doesn't let her eat enough, but now she is even more cruel and has contacted human traffickers to sell my daughter.
Is it me and your child who should repay your mother's kindness to you?"
As Li Zhaodi spoke, she slowly rolled up her sleeves.
As she moved, everyone's attention was drawn to her arms. The skin, which should have been fair and delicate, was now a patchwork of bruises and purples, with new wounds overlapping old scars, creating a tragic and heartbreaking scene that was almost too painful to look at.
Li Zhaodi's eyes were blurred with tears, and she cried in a trembling voice:
"If I marry you just to repay your mother on your behalf, then I would rather not have such a marriage!"
As soon as she finished speaking, she turned her head away resolutely, as if looking at Zhou Aiguo for one more moment would make her feel extremely painful.
Zhou Aiguo opened his mouth slightly, as if he had thousands of words to say in his throat, but in the end he couldn't utter a single word.
He stared blankly at Li Zhaodi's resolute back, feeling mixed emotions.
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