It was very late when she returned to Xixia Village. Her mother-in-law didn't seem to care at all that she hadn't returned for a day and two nights, and Jiang Shuya was used to her mother-in-law's neglect, so she didn't mention it.
The next morning, while having breakfast, Jiang Shuya heard Huang Guohua mention that Huang Tao from her second uncle's family had returned. Upon hearing this name, Jiang Shuya felt a sense of realization. In her previous life, this person had been a petty thief, a swindler, and had served several years in prison. He was Huang Minghao's cousin, and the two had a good relationship and had never married.
I heard that when he was a child, Jiangdao was flooded one year. His second aunt went to pick vegetables in the vineyard, but she lost her footing and fell into the pond next to the vineyard. Because she couldn't swim, she drowned. Her body was only discovered when it floated to the surface.
Huang Tao did not attend school for many years, and did not even finish primary school. He was often involved in fights and brawls, and spent his days with bad elements in society. He traveled to several major cities for a long time to commit theft and robbery, and had committed many evil deeds. The police came to his home several times. He was arrested in Yunnan a few years ago, served a few years in prison, and was released early due to good behavior.
"When that thing came back, the old man went to his house twice to persuade him to build a house as soon as possible. The father and son lived in those two rooms, which were bare and leaky. They were out fooling around all day. After the New Year, when the demolition office came to the village, I wonder what he would have to offer for their demolition."
Huang Guohua said with a worried look, "I'm almost thirty and I don't even want to find a partner to settle down with. It's really killing me!"
The mother-in-law scoffed, "Even his father doesn't care, why should you? Who do you think you are? He wouldn't even respect you."
The old man squinted and lowered his eyes: "You haven't seen how cowardly he is. Yesterday I went to his house and pretended to make a phone call, saying it was to talk about business. When I talked to him about building a house, he disdainfully said that he had already bought a house in the city and didn't need to build an illegal structure. He also said that he didn't care about this little bit of compensation."
The mother-in-law said again, "Don't worry about that. His father doesn't care, so why should you? Do you think you'll get the money from the demolition and housing allocation? You're really meddling in other people's business."
Jiang Shuya had no interest in the conversation between the two. She was still resentful about what happened before she married Huang Minghao. Because of that incident, Huang Minghao hit Huang Tao, and Huang Tao never appeared in front of Huang Minghao again.
Two years ago, Jiang Shuya and Huang Minghao were deeply in love. During this time, they met Huang Tao. Later, Huang Tao made an excuse to ask Huang Minghao for Jiang Shuya's phone number and then harassed her every few days. At first, she was relatively polite in her conversations with him. Later, Huang Tao even asked Jiang Shuya to spend a night with him in exchange for her agreeing to be his girlfriend. He also said that Huang Minghao had no shortage of girlfriends and that he wouldn't mind if his girlfriend had slept with Huang Minghao.
Hearing these words made Jiang Shuya's scalp tingle. She decisively blocked the phone and never answered it again. She even confronted Huang Minghao, suspecting that he was deliberately testing her and using such despicable means to treat her.
That was the time they argued the most fiercely. They didn't see each other for a month and thought they were going to break up. Then one day, Huang Minghao suddenly proposed to her with a bouquet of flowers and a ring made of foxtail grass. They got married quickly after knowing each other for less than half a year. After that, Huang Tao was never seen again. Her sister-in-law said that she was beaten by Huang Minghao and had to stay at home for a month. After that, she left Jiangdao in a sorry state.
Whenever people in the nearby Xixia Village heard that he had returned, they dared not go out anymore, fearing that their valuables would be stolen. They were very wary of him. Although he had been imprisoned and educated a few years ago, his hooligan-like demeanor remained unchanged.
The mother-in-law suddenly said, "Xiaoya, your aunt's daughter Xiaolei gave birth to a son yesterday. I'm planning to visit her today. I know you're busy, so I'll take Tangbao with me. I probably won't be back tonight; I'll be staying at your aunt's house. Haohao's maternal grandmother hasn't seen me in a long time, and I miss her a lot. Your aunt is busy at Liu Kai's shop and can't leave. I was worried you might come back tonight looking for Tangbao, so I wanted to let you know in advance."
Jiang Shuya thought that her mother-in-law wouldn't be home that night, and that old man Huang Guohua lived downstairs, so she didn't think much of it and nodded.
After breakfast, Jiang Shuya went to the mall. She unexpectedly met her cousin today. She had come to see her on purpose. She had planned to contact her later, but she hadn't been in the mall for long when she ran into her with a trolley carrying large and small bags. The two quickly arrived at the mall entrance, waited for Wang Ziliang, handed over the goods to him, and then went into the mall to find a restaurant to sit down.
Jiang Shuya said with a smile, "Third sister, what brings you here today? You said you were busy last time, so I didn't dare call you."
Jiang Shuyue's eyebrows relaxed: "Isn't it Chinese New Year in a month? I'm just waiting for my year-end bonus to come in so I can ask you to buy down jackets for my parents and my two older sisters. Also, we met in such a rush last time that I didn't have a chance to ask you how you've been."
Jiang Shuya took her hand and said, "I'm doing well, Third Sister, don't worry. Just let me know if you need a down jacket, I'll get you a discount." Then she tilted her head and asked in a low voice, "Third Sister, can I ask you something? Do you still like Senior Lin all these years?"
Her words were like a piece of rice cake stuck in her chest, making it hard for her to breathe. Jiang Shuyue stared at her curious eyes and said in a low voice, "Has he contacted you?"
Jiang Shuya said playfully, "He invited me to a concert last time. The classical music in that concert was all his mother's work. The music was really beautiful. If you like it, Third Sister, let's go to the next concert at the Grand Theatre together."
Jiang Shuyue: "Xiaoya, when you said you didn't have a husband last time, did you get divorced from him? Or were you just saying it in anger?"
Jiang Shuya shook her head: "I'm not saying this out of anger. He and I are indeed getting a divorce. He's currently on a ship at sea and hasn't returned yet. We've already agreed that we'll go through the divorce proceedings when he gets back, and he's agreed to it."
Jiang Shuya didn't want to bring up the matter of the bride price; it was her biggest embarrassment. Her main goal now was to save up enough money so she could leave with confidence. She didn't want to live without dignity, being trampled on at will by him.
At this moment, Jiang Shuyue kept imagining what it would be like for Lin Moxiao and Jiang Shuya to be together. She knew that there was no possibility between her and Lin Moxiao. When she learned that Lin Moxiao had asked her to watch a musical even though he knew that Jiang Shuya was married, a strange pain kept rising in her heart, making her sad and upset once again.
She hadn't expected Lin Moxiao to be so stubborn. Was it his obsessive desire for what he couldn't have, or a desire for revenge? She said in a trembling voice:
"Have you thought about what would happen after the divorce? Would you consider someone else, like remarriage?"
Jiang Shuya held out both hands: "Stop. I just want to live a good life with Tangtang, without relying on a man, and to be a person of value."
Jiang Shuyue didn't believe it: "If someone didn't care that you have a child and are divorced, but were still deeply in love with you, wouldn't you even consider it?"
Jiang Shuya: "Third sister, are you going to interrogate my soul today? I admit that I was willful this time and suffered a painful price. I deserved it. I deserved not to listen to advice. So I suggest that you must see things clearly before you get married. Don't marry someone you love. You must consider how much that person is willing to give for you and whether they are reliable."
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