Chapter 534: Cai Family's Past
Ye Rou looked at Cai Shenghua with admiration.
"You are brave, have your own ideas, and are amazing."
Cai Shenghua smiled bitterly, "That's nothing impressive."
Ye Rou: "Of course this is a skill."
However, seeing that Cai Shenghua looked sad and didn't want to say more, Ye Rou changed the subject and started asking about business.
"Your father and your uncle's surname is Cai, so why did they move to Lijia Village?"
"My father has told us this story many times," Cai Shenghua said. "My father and uncle are not from Beijing. They fled there because of famine."
"Famine?" Ye Rou raised her eyebrows.
She seemed to have heard Liang Yushan say that Tian Zihui also fled to Beijing because of famine and met Liang Yushan's father.
"Yes, my dad told me that my grandparents starved to death. They couldn't survive, and with the local government doing nothing, they left their hometown and walked all the way from the northwest to Beijing."
Seeing that Ye Rou didn't signal her to stop, Cai Shenghua continued, "My dad was young and nearly died several times. It was my uncle who dragged him to Jing City, which is how he survived. So he is very grateful to my uncle."
"After arriving in Beijing, they were assigned to Lijia Village by the government."
Cai Shenghua smiled bitterly. "Lijia Village is xenophobic and doesn't accept people with other surnames. Everyone who was assigned to Lijia Village with my dad and his family has been driven away. Only my dad and my uncle stayed."
Ye Rou understood and asked, "So your mother is from Lijia Village?"
"No." Cai Shenghua shook her head. "My mother and my aunt are not from Lijia Village."
As if knowing what Ye Rou was going to ask, Cai Shenghua continued, "My mom and dad met at the rescue station. As for my aunt, it seems that my uncle rescued her. As for how and where he rescued her, I don't know."
Ye Rou thought of the old man arguing with Cai Zhenli outside the woods and asked, "Is your aunt mute?"
Cai Shenghua nodded and shook his head.
"She used to be able to speak, but then she seemed to have a serious illness. My dad said the high fever damaged her brain, and she couldn't speak after she recovered."
Ye Rou: "Your uncle only has Cai Zhenli as his daughter?"
"Well, my aunt is not in good health. She was pregnant once, but she was too tired from farm work and she miscarried. After that, she couldn't have children anymore."
Cai Shenghua added, "My aunt is very pitiful. She can't speak. My uncle goes to the vegetable market all year round to set up a stall. Aunt Zhenli is married again. She is all alone. My mother asked me to go and keep her company often."
Ye Rou thought about the argument she heard between Cai Zhenli and her mother outside the grove.
"Li Gang has a violent temper, and Cai Zhenli doesn't like him either. Why did your uncle marry his daughter to him?"
"Actually, my uncle was forced into this marriage."
Cai Shenghua angrily said, "It was the old village chief who took a liking to Sister Zhenli. He thought she was pretty, hardworking and capable, and he insisted on arranging this marriage. Li Gang has a bad reputation in the village, and since Sister Zhenli didn't want to marry, my uncle turned the match down."
Cai Shenghua's face was filled with disgust when he said this: "After postponing the wedding, everything was quiet for more than half a month. My uncle and his family thought the old village chief had given up. They never expected that Li Gang would break into the house while my uncle and aunt were away and rape..."
When Cai Shenghua said this, his face turned pale, his eyes were red, and his voice trembled.
Ye Rou patted her hand gently.
The cold hand brought Cai Shenghua back to her senses, and she reluctantly said, "Afterwards, the old village chief came to our house and threatened that if Sister Zhenli didn't marry Li Gang, he would tell everyone that Sister Zhenli seduced Li Gang and that she was innocent."
"Out of consideration for Sister Zhenli's reputation, my uncle reluctantly agreed to this marriage."
Cai Shenghua continued to talk about Cai Zhenli's marriage:
"Li Gang is a beast. He started beating Sister Zhenli not long after they got married. He aborted her first child, and she gave birth to Xiaoxia as her second child."
"Sister Zhenli has had a difficult time these past few years. She was severely beaten by Li Gang and her mother-in-law made things difficult for her. She ran home several times to beg her uncle to save her, but was eventually recaptured by Li Gang."
Her words were full of sympathy for Cai Zhenli.
But just now when Ye Rou said that the mother and daughter were safe and hiding in her house, Cai Shenghua's first reaction was not joy, but anger.
Something must have happened afterwards that changed Cai Shenghua's attitude towards Cai Zhenli.
Ye Rou didn't say anything and continued listening.
"Xiaoxia was a premature baby. She was eight months pregnant when Li Gang got drunk and beat up Zhenli again. Zhenli got angry, so her uncle took her home to give birth."
Cai Shenghua raised a finger and shook it. "She was in labor for a whole day, and the midwife thought the baby wouldn't survive. But unexpectedly, Xiaoxia was born healthy and grew up safely."
"After giving birth, Sister Zhenli's figure was out of shape. Li Gang lost interest in her and started hooking up with a village widow. Life finally got better for them."
Ye Rou asked curiously, "Why did Cai Zhenli escape from the Li family with her daughter?"
Cai Shenghua's expression changed slightly, and a trace of disgust flashed across his eyes.
She shook her head and said, "Half a month ago, Sister Zhenli said she couldn't go on and wanted to divorce Li Gang. Uncle didn't agree at first, but then he relented for some reason."
"My uncle went to talk to the old village chief, but they parted on bad terms. When Li Gang found out that Zhenli wanted to divorce him, he flew into a rage and took her and Xiaoxia back."
Her father felt sorry for Sister Zhenli, so he made some rice balls and asked her and Xiao Shitou to secretly deliver them to Sister Zhenli.
Cai Shenghua had delivered it several times and originally thought that he had done it perfectly, but the first time he did it, he was caught by Li Gang on the spot.
She was dragged into the woodshed, and that beast Li Gang actually...actually started touching her!
Cai Shenghua was frightened and asked Sister Zhenli for help.
She crawled hard towards Sister Zhenli and desperately asked for help.
"Sister, Sister Zhenli! Save me, please save me!"
Li Gang looked down at her struggle.
When Cai Zhenli reached out to pull her, she threatened her, "Don't you want to divorce me? If your cousin marries me, I promise to divorce you."
Cai Shenghua watched as Cai Zhenli paused and slowly retracted her outstretched hand.
She looked at Sister Zhenli in disbelief.
Sister Zhenli avoided her sight, blocked Xiaoxia's eyes, and hid in the corner with her back to her.
Cai Shenghua felt like someone had poured a bucket of cold water on his head, and was completely desperate.
She gave up asking for help and tried desperately to save herself. She grabbed a brick and smashed Li Gang's head with it, and only then did she find a chance to escape.
Cai Shenghua did not tell anyone about this incident, but after that she never went to deliver food to Cai Zhenli again, nor did she allow Xiao Shitou to go.
But Xiao Shitou had played with Xiaoxia since childhood, and he secretly went to find Cai Xiaoxia without telling her.
Cai Zhenli seized the opportunity and tricked Xiao Shitou into stealing Li Gang's key, and released the mother and daughter.
Afterwards, Cai Zhenli took her daughter and never returned. Her family was targeted by Li Gang and no longer had a peaceful life.
From then on, Cai Shenghua completely turned to dislike Cai Zhenli.
Ye Rou did not comment on Cai Zhenli's behavior, but asked: "Can you take me to visit your uncle's house?"
"Okay!" Cai Shenghua agreed readily and led Ye Rou out of the yard to his uncle's house.
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