Chapter 269 Mark
Zhou Shufen sensed something was wrong the moment she saw him.
Zhou Lijuan, however, remained completely unaware of the truth, believing she had met a kind person.
...
The chicken soup is finally ready.
Zhou Shufen carefully skimmed off the foam, poured it into a coarse porcelain bowl, and carried it into the house.
As soon as she entered the room, she saw Cheng Jiaqi lying on the table, turning the pages of a book.
Zhou Shufen finally felt relieved.
These past few days, she hasn't been able to leave her side for a moment.
Zhou Hairong?
Don't even think about getting in the door!
As long as she's still around, that bastard can't be allowed to get even a step closer to Cheng Jiaqi.
Zhou Shufen poured the steaming chicken soup into a white porcelain bowl, squatted down, and looked up at Cheng Jiaqi.
"Stop studying, have some soup first to warm yourself up."
Zhou Lijuan and Qi Changyu did not return immediately after their holiday.
They set off directly from Yuxin to Ningcheng, saying they were going to visit relatives and take care of some pre-school procedures.
According to their plan, they would not be able to return for another two or three days.
Zhou Liya was also busy, with her entire summer vacation fully planned out.
The same thought kept echoing in Zhou Shufen's mind.
No matter what, we must stay with Cheng Jiaqi and not let her bear those unseen wounds alone anymore.
"Drink slowly, be careful it's hot."
"After you finish drinking, lie down and rest. Don't rush to read."
This child, despite having lost weight and not looking well, still feels he isn't working hard enough.
Little did she know that she had already endured far too much pain that she shouldn't have to bear.
Let's keep it a secret for one more day.
Cheng Jiaqi obediently finished her soup and lay down on the bed, still clutching her textbook tightly in her hand.
Zhou Shufen sat on the edge of the bed, quietly watching her.
After she finishes her exams, I must find a quiet time to have a good talk with her.
As for Zhou Hairong's matter, let's put it aside for now.
Cheng Jiaqi lay quietly in bed all day.
Although her stomach pain had subsided and she had regained the strength to walk, Zhou Shufen still insisted that she not get out of bed.
Zhou Shufen personally brought each meal to her bedside and fed her spoonful by spoonful.
After dinner, Cheng Jiaqi leaned against the bed for a short rest, while Zhou Shufen moved a chair to sit beside her and opened her sketchbook.
I would draw for a while, then look up at her.
“Chapter 3 on politics is the key point. Read ‘The Basic Characteristics of a Market Economy’ again.”
She would say a sentence, and Cheng Jiaqi would repeat it.
Time slipped by quietly, and before we knew it, it was the first day of the college entrance examination.
As soon as it was light, Zhou Shufen got up early to prepare, packing Cheng Jiaqi's stationery bag for the exam.
Zhou Shufen personally escorted her to the examination hall, holding her hand tightly the entire time and never leaving her side.
What she feared was not the exam itself, but Zhou Hairong, who shouldn't have been there.
During those days, Zhou Hairong appeared at the gate of Yuxin No. 2 Middle School almost every day.
But as soon as they saw Zhou Shufen, they immediately turned their backs.
He knew that Zhou Shufen was not someone to be trifled with.
The three-day exam is finally over.
The moment the bell rang, Cheng Jiaqi walked out of the examination room.
Zhou Shufen went up to her, pulled her into her arms, and whispered.
"It's okay, the exam is over."
When she got home, the first thing she did was help Cheng Jiaqi pack her luggage.
The volunteering arrangements were made months ago.
Cheng Jiaqi applied to the prestigious university next to Ningcheng.
After looking at her mock exam results, Wu Dekang slammed his hand on the table and said...
"This girl is definitely going to make it to the top!"
But Zhou Shufen didn't rush to cook, nor did she mention her grades.
She closed the door, pulled up a chair, and sat opposite Cheng Jiaqi, her gaze gentle yet firm.
"Jiaqi, why did you suddenly say you wanted to give up? Did something happen? What's wrong? Can you tell your auntie?"
As soon as she finished speaking, Cheng Jiaqi's tears fell down her cheeks.
"Auntie..."
She has been avoiding Zhou Hairong for the past few days.
She began to feel dirty and unclean.
"child……"
Zhou Shufen reached out and gently stroked her back.
"Having things weighing on your mind will only crush you. Speak up, don't keep it to yourself, your auntie is listening."
Cheng Jiaqi finally couldn't hold on any longer and suddenly threw herself into Zhou Shufen's arms, crying and trembling all over.
"Auntie... one night I came home too late... the streetlights were broken... I walked to the alley entrance... and met a man... he... he... lunged at me... and covered my mouth... sob... I didn't dare to scream... I..."
Her cries were heart-wrenching, and her face was covered in tears and snot.
Zhou Shufen remained unmoved and held her firmly in her arms.
Why is this child's life so miserable?
"Can you see what that person looks like? Are there any markings on their body?"
"It's too dark... I can't see anything."
Cheng Jiaqi looked up, her eyes red-rimmed.
"If you run into him again at night, will you recognize him?"
In Zhou Shufen's heart, a name was vaguely swirling around.
He...did not say anything.
Cheng Jiaqi sobbed, her lips trembling.
"But I felt it... on his stomach... there was a scar..."
Zhou Shufen's heart sank.
scar?
On the stomach?
She closed her eyes; that scar was all too familiar to her.
It was an accidental injury from a hoe years ago; the wound was so deep that the flesh was visible.
But the family was so poor that they couldn't even afford medicine, so they could only apply grass ash and endure the scars.
It was precisely because of this scar that Zhou Hairong was rejected by the military.
At that time, he was still indignant, cursing the hospital for being heartless and cursing the injustice of fate.
But now that I think about it, that scar has become a mark of the devil.
Do you think you're pregnant?
Cheng Jiaqi nodded firmly, tears streaming down her face.
Are you still afraid now?
Cheng Jiaqi's lips twitched slightly.
"No... I'm not afraid anymore. But my body..."
Zhou Shufen pulled her into her arms.
“Jiaqi, let me tell you the truth, a woman’s innocence is not a label stuck to her body. It’s not a piece of paper, nor is it a piece of clothing that you can just throw away. Your worth doesn’t depend on that skin.”
Cheng Jiaqi looked up, tears still streaming down her face.
"You are a good boy."
Zhou Shufen looked directly into her eyes.
"You love reading, you are filial, and no matter how much hardship you endure, you still think about exams and how to live a good life. That is your light. You earned it little by little, and no one can take it away from you."
“That scumbag did something bad. He's the one in the wrong, not you. You can't use your lifelong guilt to atone for his sins. That's his crime, not your fate.”
She wiped away Cheng Jiaqi's tears, her tone becoming more serious.
“My aunt has lived half her life and seen too many girls who valued ‘innocence’ as their lifeblood, only to be crushed by those two words and unable to lift their heads. Some jumped into the river, some went mad, and some never dared to marry or face anyone for the rest of their lives.”
"But do you know what? People who truly care about you won't look down on you just because you've met bad people. They'll feel sorry for you, protect you, and walk with you through it all."
"If anyone uses this to criticize you behind your back, it's their heart that's rotten, it has nothing to do with you. They're the ones who are dirty, not you."
Cheng Jiaqi's crying gradually subsided.
She nestled in Zhou Shufen's arms, sobbing intermittently.
Zhou Shufen gently stroked her hair.
"From now on, stop thinking about things like 'dirty' or 'not dirty', okay? You are innocent, your heart is pure, and you are a pure person."
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