Chapter 85, a flashback chapter (Don't buy if you don't like it)...
Only after asking did I learn that Meng Yingniang had lost her appetite; she vomited everything she ate, and she was visibly losing weight.
After sending Tao Maoran away and closing the door, Zhao Xian grabbed Meng Yingniang, whose wrist was thin and bony.
"What are you doing?"
Meng Yingniang's eyes slowly focused, from empty to bright, still so gentle: "Ah Xian, we meet again."
"Did he force you to imprison you, you bastard?" Zhao Xian was furious. The anger she felt towards Meng Yingniang for hiding things from her had long since dissipated after Meng Yingniang disappeared, leaving only worry, especially seeing her appear before her in this state. "Even if Tao Maoran is a heartless person, you shouldn't have degraded your own body. Why didn't you tell me before that you were coerced by him? Do you even consider me a friend?"
If she had been told sooner, she wouldn't have been completely unprepared.
Meng Yingniang's tone was gentle but weak, "He's putting on such a good act, isn't he?"
Zhao Xian did not deny this point. If she hadn't visited the Tao family, who would have thought that Tao Maoran was a married man with children?
But then he thought about it again, and realized that he had been with Meng Yingniang in Huquan County during his wife's pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum period.
Zhao Xian slowly loosened her grip. She didn't understand why things had suddenly turned out this way. "What... exactly happened between you?"
Meng Yingniang told Zhao Xian a story: an orphan girl stayed at her aunt's house and unexpectedly had an affair with her cousin. Everyone said that the orphan girl had drugged and plotted against her cousin, and they wanted the orphan girl to be their concubine.
The orphan girl ran away, but she didn't completely get rid of her lover. Instead, her cousin clung to her like a leech.
Zhao Xian clearly saw the deep disgust in her eyes, though it was fleeting.
The maid brought over the cooked porridge.
Zhao Xian didn't know how serious Meng Yingniang's anorexia was, but she was too thin. In just one month, she had become so unrecognizable.
Zhao Xian didn't dare let her eat anything else, fearing that she wouldn't be able to digest it either.
After dismissing the servants again, Zhao Xian held the bowl of porridge, blowing on it as she said, "It's alright, it's alright. Just think of it as being bitten by a dog. I'm still here, aren't I? Things haven't reached a dead end yet."
He scooped up some porridge and held it to her lips, coaxing Meng Yingniang to eat it.
“Ah Xian, I once miscarried. He tricked me into thinking he would marry me, but he took half a month off to go back and get married. When he came back, he gave me a bowl of medicine that killed my child.”
Zhao Xian: "..."
"The ridiculous thing is, when I later found out the truth and questioned him, guess what he said?" Meng Yingniang's expression was extremely sarcastic. "He said, 'I cannot give birth to a child before the mistress.'"
Meng Yingniang untied her sleeves, which she had always kept bound, and said, "After learning the truth, I cut my wrists."
She didn't care if others saw the wounds, but she was afraid that Zhao Xian would worry, so she kept her sleeves tied after they recognized each other.
Touching the scars on his wrist, he thought, "How much pain must that have caused?"
Zhao Xian tried to calm the anger rising in her chest, cursing Tao Maoran repeatedly in her heart as a "bitch" and a "living bitch".
"Do you know what he did a month ago? He said he had a legitimate son and could give me a child." Meng Yingniang's eyes were very red, but not a single tear fell, as if they had already dried up. "I was disgusted..."
Meng Yingniang spoke very casually, as if she were telling someone else's story.
But Zhao Xian's fist hardened at the sound.
The reason she suddenly disappeared was because she was unwilling. Tao Maoran did not dare to force her to return to the Tao family, nor did he dare to keep her in Huquan County, because she had too good a relationship with the county magistrate's wife. He was worried that she would be out of control, so he locked her up.
Because Zhao Xian went to the Tao family and saw his wife and children, Tao Maoran did not let Meng Yingniang return after the full moon celebration, but instead took her away.
Zhao Xian could no longer contain her anger. "He's completely insane."
What a rotten person.
After only a few mouthfuls of porridge, Meng Yingniang refused to eat anymore.
"vomit--"
Zhao Xian vomited in the short time it took her to get up and put down a bowl.
As Zhao Xian patted Meng Yingniang's back, she called out to the outside, "Go and fetch the best doctor in the county, quickly!"
Zhao Xian only heard Tao Maoran say that she had anorexia and saw how thin she was now, but she did not know that she had become anorexic to this extent.
Given Tao Maoran's madness, Zhao Xian was worried about him having any more contact with Meng Yingniang, so she left her at the county office.
Zhao Xian had people invite doctors from Huquan County, as well as from other towns, as long as they were well-known.
In fact, Tao Maoran had done such a thing; he even wanted to take Meng Yingniang to Jin'an, the capital city, to see a doctor.
After staying at the county government office for five days without Tao Maoran appearing, Meng Yingniang went from vomiting after eating to gradually developing a desire to eat.
Tao Maoran would come to inquire about her situation every day, but Zhao Xian only sent servants to report to him, without letting him see her.
After two months of recuperation, Meng Yingniang's complexion improved slightly.
Therefore, Zhao Xian did not dare to let her guard down and did not allow her to hear or see any news about Tao Maoran.
I'm afraid it will spoil my appetite.
Unexpectedly, Meng Yingniang suddenly suggested going back.
Zhao Xian thought she was hallucinating, but Meng Yingniang was not joking.
They started arguing.
They argued so fiercely that Zhao Xian's stomach ached from anger.
Meng Yingniang apologized profusely before Zhao Xian finally forgave her.
They didn't mention going back again.
Two days later, Tao Maoran suddenly came to the county government office with Meng Yingniang's indenture, demanding her release.
Zhao Xian: "Does he have your indenture?"
Meng Yingniang shook her head, "I don't know, I never signed that document."
"You wanted to go back before? You're so love-struck! And what was he doing? Forcing you with a contract of indenture! Turn your love-struck brains away!" Zhao Xian stormed to the front yard. "Tao Maoran, how can there be such a shameless scoundrel like you? Are you a dog? She's barely been able to eat a few bites, and you're already demanding her back? Are you so eager to send her back to die? And what's with this contract of indenture? Meng Yingniang doesn't remember signing it. You think you can fool her with a fake one?"
Tao Maoran did not see Meng Yingniang, but his attitude was very firm: "The indenture is real, and it has her signature. The magistrate's wife has detained my wife; please return her."
Zhao Xian held back for a moment, her gaze falling on the section of paper protruding from his hand. "How much silver do you want to leave the indenture?"
“I have plenty of money, please, Madam Magistrate, return my wife to me.”
Zhao Xian had never seen such a shameless person before, and she was so angry that her stomach ached. "Don't even think about it! Haven't you harmed Yingniang enough?"
Tao Maoran had also lost a lot of weight compared to before, but the struggle in his eyes did not shake him: "Please, Magistrate's wife, return Yingniang. I cannot live without her."
...
In the end, Meng Yingniang went back with Tao Maoran.
It was on the day she was determined to leave that Zhao Xian learned that Tao Maoran had bribed a servant to send her a message, forcing her to return, and that she had no choice but to go back.
Zhao Xian was no stranger to evil people; someone had once tried to harm her and her son for their own future.
But Tao Maoran, while he may be considered evil, did not harm anyone's life, nor was he the kind of utterly wicked and heinous villain.
However, he viewed Meng Yingniang as a nightmare, relentlessly pursuing her and doing all sorts of hurtful things under the guise of love.
From then on, Zhao Xian became the one who visited him every day.
During the time Meng Yingniang stayed at the county government office, Zhao Xian had Jiang Liangxu prepare several identity passes for her, all planned out so that Meng Yingniang could leave once she recovered.
Tao Maoran is a lunatic. He doesn't want to marry Meng Yingniang but insists on keeping her by his side. He has a wife at home but doesn't go back to take care of his family. It's a tragedy on both sides.
He enjoys having a wife and son at home while engaging in a love triangle outside.
He got all the benefits.
Even after Tao Maoran took her back, Zhao Xian did not give up on having Meng Yingniang leave under a different identity.
This plan took another month or so, because Meng Yingniang was about to reach her limit.
Tao Maoran has not given up on the idea of giving her a child.
They even tricked Meng Yingniang into thinking that their child would be betrothed to the one in Zhao Xian's womb.
They were disgusted to the point of vomiting after hearing those words.
In November, when the red maple trees are about to wither, it's as if they're making their final struggle, and the red maple leaves all over the mountains are particularly dazzling.
"Once you get past that hurdle, you can choose where you want to go. Actually, we can go the other way. Why do you want to go west? It's even more desolate over there."
Zhao Xian prepared several travel permits for Meng Yingniang, so that she could go wherever she wanted and leave without Zhao Xian knowing.
However, Zhao Xian was still somewhat puzzled by the direction she had chosen.
Meng Yingniang held Zhao Xian's hand and gently stroked her slightly protruding belly, "I wonder if it's going to be a little sister or a little brother for Wei'er."
"You're the godmother to all your younger siblings, and they're all waiting for your figurines to be made."
Meng Yingniang smiled, but her expression was unreadable through her lowered eyes.
"Giddy up, Yingniang, Yingniang, come back, don't go."
Hearing the sound of horses' hooves and a man's shouts, Zhao Xian turned around, clutching her stomach, and was quite surprised to see Tao Maoran.
In order to ensure Meng Yingniang's smooth departure, she even wrote a letter to Madam Tao, asking her to stir up trouble at some of the Tao family's shops, thereby luring Tao Maoran away.
Why did he come back so quickly? Could it be that someone else has been bribed by him to send him a message?
That shouldn't have happened; she didn't let the servants know about her discussion with Meng Yingniang this time.
Zhao Xian stood in front of Meng Yingniang, saying, "You go, I'll stop him."
Meng Yingniang didn't look at Tao Maoran; her gaze was fixed on Zhao Xian, and she took a few steps back.
A chestnut-red steed galloped up, and Tao Maoran dismounted and ran towards Meng Yingniang. "Yingniang, where are you going? What do you want to do? Are you trying to run away again? Didn't I say this was the last time? Why do you always disobey me?"
"Don't come any closer."
Suddenly, Meng Yingniang had a dagger in her hand, which she pointed at Tao Maoran.
Tao Maoran was forced to stop.
Tao Maoran looked at Meng Yingniang nervously and reassured her, "Put the dagger down, don't hurt yourself."
"Haven't I stopped pressuring you? Whatever you want to do with the magistrate's wife, I'll agree. I won't stop you, okay?"
As Tao Maoran spoke, he moved his feet little by little.
Zhao Xian grabbed Tao Maoran's sleeve. "Tao Maoran, don't you understand? You're the one forcing her. She only loses her appetite when she sees you. If you continue to keep her trapped, she really will die."
"Shut up, it's all your fault. If it weren't for your appearance, how could she suddenly become so disobedient? Now she doesn't even want the child anymore." Turning around and scolding Zhao Xian, Tao Maoran looked at Meng Yingniang nervously again, "Yingniang, put down the dagger. I'll go with you wherever you want. Don't do anything foolish."
"Cousin, please let me go."
"Impossible. You provoked me first. We agreed that even if we die, we would be buried together."
Tao Maoran's eyes were resolute. "Yingniang, I'll say it one more time: put down the dagger and come back with me. I can let this matter go this time, but I know all your secrets. If you dare to leave, I will definitely tell everyone. She's pregnant..."
Meng Yingniang's face contorted with rage, her eyes filled with hatred. The dagger in her hand trembled with anger, and suddenly she twisted it and plunged it into her abdomen, again and again, as if she felt no pain.
"No—Yingniang." Tao Maoran's expression changed drastically, and he rushed forward to stop her.
However, Meng Yingniang had already stabbed herself several times, her hands stained with blood. When he tried to grab the dagger, the usually thin and weak woman suddenly became incredibly strong.
Meng Yingniang loathed his touch. With her last breath, she reversed the dagger and plunged it into his abdomen, saying, "Don't even think about harming her."
Once he's dead, no one will be able to threaten them with the fact that they are souls from another world.
When they forced her to leave the county government, they wrote a threatening letter. At the time, Meng Yingniang didn't want Zhao Xian to worry, so she didn't tell her the reason.
Unexpectedly, he used this incident to threaten her.
"You really didn't disappoint me." The dagger was very sharp and easily pierced through her clothes and entered her body. Meng Yingniang, who had been sickly for a long time, seemed to have inexhaustible strength at this moment, venting it with each stab.
Tao Maoran: "Oriole..."
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Author's Note: This chapter is almost finished. I'll wrap it up tomorrow at 1 PM. I'm stuck on this again! [crying emoji]
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