As the sun sets, the sky grows darker. Then, as the moon rises, the dark clouds gradually dissipate.
In the Zhang family courtyard, the three members of the family sat at a table, discussing something animatedly.
"Mom, are you kidding me?" Ji Xiaoxiao's voice was a little too loud. The neighbors nearby suppressed their curiosity and paced back and forth in their houses, getting very impatient.
"You brat, why are you yelling so loudly?" Zhang's mother tapped Ji Xiaoxiao's head with her chopsticks.
A woman who has done farm work all her life has considerable strength in her hands. Ji Xiaoxiao covered the sore spot and said aggrievedly, "Mom, it hurts so much."
The child rarely acted spoiled, and Zhang Tiezhu, the father, who was like a lover from a past life, spoke up, "Old woman, why are you hitting the child?"
In fact, Zhang's mother regretted hitting Ji Xiaoxiao the moment she did so, but it was too late; the damage was done. Zhang's father spoke up to support Ji Xiaoxiao, not taking her side, which ignited Zhang's mother's temper. She hadn't hit her because she loved her child; her daughter was getting old and should be getting married. She was just concerned for her child, and it was only in a fit of anger that she struck her. How could Zhang's mother tolerate a father who didn't care about his child at all?
Mr. and Mrs. Zhang, who had been together for most of their lives, had a huge argument over a trivial matter.
Ji Xiaoxiao was so annoyed by the noise that she banged her head around a few times. She put down the bowl and chopsticks in her hands on the table and said dejectedly, "Time, place, and rendezvous code."
In the years since she returned, Ji Xiaoxiao has developed a wonderfully good temper. She always greets the elderly and children with a beaming smile. Standing among her peers, she shows no arrogance despite being an educated and successful person. She speaks her mind and laughs when she should. A group of people of different ages, genders, and perspectives, working together like father and son, like brothers fighting a tiger, have unexpectedly yet perfectly formed a close bond.
Suddenly, the pressure around Ji Xiaoxiao dropped sharply. Zhang's parents rushed to help. Although she was stunned, Zhang's mother, who was more experienced, was the first to wake up. She clenched her fists and clapped her hands, excited and invigorated. "The time is 10 a.m. tomorrow. The location is XX restaurant in the county town, table XX. The rendezvous code, uh, what's the rendezvous code? Daughter."
Ignore it, absolutely ignore it.
The thought that even a beauty like her had to go through arranged marriages to get married sent chills down Ji Xiaoxiao's spine. She lost all interest in eating, drinking, and having fun, and turned to go to her room for a long nap.
The next morning, Zhang's mother happily dressed and styled Ji Xiaoxiao. There are no ugly women, only lazy ones. With Zhang's mother's miraculous touch, Ji Xiaoxiao's delicate face gained even more beauty.
Ji Xiaoxiao hadn't slept enough and was still in a daze, leaving everything to Zhang's mother. When they arrived at the XX restaurant in the county town, at table XX, the people sitting at the table caught Ji Xiaoxiao's sleepy eyes, and her drowsiness vanished.
Sweat beaded on Ji Xiaoxiao's forehead, a slight smile playing on her lips. She pulled her hand away from Zhang's mother's arm, calmly pulled out a chair, and sat down opposite her blind date. "Hello, I'm Zhang Xiaoxiao."
"Hello, I am Li Tianfu." Li Tianfu is over thirty years old, but he is very well-maintained and looks like a young man in his mid-twenties.
Zhang's mother watched with amusement, but didn't want to be a third wheel any longer. She left the restaurant, went to the market to buy some good wine and food, and prepared to celebrate at home. Maybe good things would come in a few days.
After Zhang's mother left with a beaming smile, Ji Xiaoxiao's eyes were filled with Li Tianfu. Combining the original owner's memories, the handsome Li Tianfu was a master of deception.
Back then, Zhang Xiaoxiao couldn't stand the gossip and pointing fingers of the villagers, so she obeyed her parents' arrangement and married a widower with children. This widower was Li Tianfu, who was standing in front of Ji Xiaoxiao.
Li Tianfu was from Lijia Village. He was intelligent from a young age and attended school for a few years, but poverty forced him to drop out and work in the fields to earn a living. A few years later, at the behest of his elders, Li Tianfu married a woman. In the beginning of their marriage, Li Tianfu was diligent and hardworking, always obedient to his wife. He was like a dog wagging its tail, practically begging for her attention.
If Li Tianfu had continued to work diligently and conscientiously, a prosperous and happy life would have been no problem. However, after his wife lost their son and daughter, Li Tianfu's vicious darkness was fully exposed. He would frequently beat and kick his wife. His wife, a woman of strong character, finally fought back one night.
Even if a slave rises up, he may not necessarily become the master of the house. A woman's strength is ultimately less than a man's, especially since Li Tianfu was a grown man doing manual labor. Li Tianfu's wife, unable to resist, was accidentally killed by him. Li Tianfu may have beaten and cursed her, but he never intended to kill her. Seeing a vibrant life end before his eyes, Li Tianfu was so terrified that he became impotent.
Through the careful arrangements of his fellow villagers, Li Tianfu escaped legal punishment, only being ostracized by them. Apart from the prominent figures in Lijia Village who knew about Li Tianfu's situation, everyone else was kept in the dark. In her previous life, Zhang's mother had inquired and learned that Li Tianfu was a widower with children, handsome, and well-mannered, with no history of misconduct. Considering that Zhang Xiaoxiao was unable to have children, Zhang's mother decided to marry her off to Li Tianfu.
After Zhang Xiaoxiao married Li Tianfu, his old habit of abusing his wife resurfaced. Zhang Xiaoxiao tried to resist, but Li Tianfu only intensified his abuse, demanding she return. She attempted to escape once, but was caught by the villagers of Lijia Village on the way. Unable to resist or escape, Zhang Xiaoxiao gradually became terrified of Li Tianfu. For ten years, she lived a life of monotony, as insignificant as an ant. Upon learning of her parents' deaths, Zhang Xiaoxiao mustered all her courage and, risking her life, finally left Lijia Village and returned to her hometown.
"Your parents were worried and disappointed that you hadn't come back even once in ten years. Did they leave with their eyes open?" Aunt Zhao said, hitting Zhang Xiaoxiao.
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