But when she thought about how she had argued with Fang Qiao that morning over a chicken and almost ruined things at home, and how her husband had beaten and scolded her, and how she would be beaten again if things didn't work out this time, Huang Yan immediately became alert and stopped her evil thoughts.
She suppressed her anger and forced a smile. "It's alright, there's Hongmei at home cooking. But Fang Qiao, you just fainted this morning, are you feeling unwell anywhere? Do you want me to stay and help you out?"
First they stayed to 'lend a hand,' and then they're going to move into the house to 'help out'?
Fang Qiao sneered.
In her past life, she was unconscious for an entire day. When she woke up, it was already evening, and Huang Yan and Cheng Hongmei came to stay at her house uninvited.
She was unwilling and politely asked the two to move out immediately, but at that time she was too young, inexperienced, did not understand the complexity of human nature, and underestimated the greed and malice of the Cheng family.
The two people did move out, but the next morning, the steps in front of her door, which were always clean, were inexplicably covered in ice.
Even more coincidentally, the devastating news arrived. Many voices outside the door were saying that Cheng Baidong was dead. The voices were very loud. She was flustered and rushed out to listen. Just then, she stepped on the icy steps and fell hard.
The noise outside the door dissipated, leaving her lying in a pool of blood until someone passed by and took her to the town's clinic.
She bled a lot and was in pain all day before giving birth to her frail daughter.
She was bedridden and unable to move, with two infants at home who needed breastfeeding. Huang Yan took the opportunity to move in, claiming that she was "the mother-in-law taking care of her daughter-in-law during her postpartum period."
As she continued to care for the child, the entire Cheng family moved in. Later, they suspected that the child's birth date was incorrect and slandered her innocence. Before she had even finished her postpartum confinement, she was sent to the educated youth camp and forced to separate from her child.
Thinking of her past life, Fang Qiao's face immediately turned cold: "It's nothing, I'm perfectly fine, I don't feel unwell, I don't need your help."
"Go back now."
After Fang Qiao finished speaking coldly, she slammed the door shut.
That last, chilling look made Huang Yan uneasy.
I wondered: Does she know something?
However, Fang Qiao's gate was tightly closed, and Huang Yan could not get in. No matter how anxious she was, she had no choice but to go home. She returned home with a belly full of questions and met Cheng Hongmei, who was returning from the village entrance, at the door.
"Mom, why didn't you stay home and stew chicken? Why did you come back from over there?"
"Don't even mention stewing chicken." Huang Yan waved her hand: "Fang Qiao stole the chicken."
Cheng Hongmei went out to play with her friends and didn't come home all morning. She didn't know what happened afterward. When she heard that the chicken was gone, she immediately panicked: "The chicken is gone. What are we going to eat for lunch? We haven't seen any meat in the house for ages."
"Meat, meat, meat, all you think about is meat." Huang Yan got angry as soon as she heard Cheng Hongmei speak. This brainless girl.
"Mom, how did the chicken get stolen? Didn't Fang Qiao faint?" Cheng Hongmei asked Huang Yan.
"I woke up early."
The matter of the chicken was too embarrassing for Huang Yan to explain in detail to her daughter. She pushed her daughter's back and followed her into the house one after the other.
Upon entering, Huang Yan saw Cheng Guihe sitting on a bamboo chair, sipping wine, his face flushed red from the alcohol, and wearing a mysterious smile.
Hearing the door open, Cheng Guihe looked up and said with a smile, "You're back?"
Huang Yan hesitated before giving a hesitant "hmm".
Cheng Hongmei was afraid when she saw Cheng Guihe drinking, fearing that he would get drunk and cause trouble and beat people. She whispered "Dad" and then hid and went back to the east wing.
Cheng Hongmei's premonition was correct. She had only been in the east wing for a few minutes when she heard the sound of a heavy object falling to the ground outside, followed by a short scream from Huang Yan.
Cheng Hongmei knew it was her own mother being beaten, but she didn't say a word or go out, hiding in the east wing as if she didn't know anything.
She's a girl, not strong enough to help her mother. Going out now will only make her another person get beaten, and won't solve anything. It'll be fine once her father gets tired of beating her. Her mother is used to being beaten, so she'll be alright.
Cheng Hongmei told herself this in her heart, as if this could eliminate the guilt she felt for turning a deaf ear to domestic violence.
*
On the other side, Fang Qiao welcomed Wang Yun into her home.
When Tian Tian saw this, she immediately stood up from the small stool and politely greeted, "Aunt Yun."
"Good afternoon, Sweetie." Wang Yun smiled and touched Sweetie's little face, then bent down to place the bamboo basket she was carrying on the stone platform outside the kitchen.
Sweetie shyly hugged Fang Qiao's leg and hid behind her.
Fang Qiao pulled out a chair for Wang Yun to sit on.
Wang Yun pulled Fang Qiao's hand and sat down with her, her face filled with worry: "Qiao Qiao, I heard about Bai Dong from the old ladies in the village. I heard you fainted this morning, but unfortunately you were already at work and I couldn't come back. Are you alright? Is anything bothering you?"
Fang Qiao shook her head: "I'm fine. I just got carried away with my emotions. Don't worry."
Wang Yun fell silent, unconsciously stroking Fang Qiao's hand a few times.
What followed was somewhat cruel. She hesitated for a long time before finally speaking: "Qiaoqiao, try to think positively. You're not alone now; you're pregnant. No matter what, life still goes on..."
Fang Qiao lowered her eyes and softly hummed in agreement: "I know."
Having been reborn, almost thirty years have passed since Cheng Baidong's death. She is saddened, but mainly regretful that she was not reborn before Cheng Baidong's accident, so that she could remind him and try to help him avoid his fate.
However, despite her sadness, she was no longer as heartbroken as she had been in her previous life.
She knew in her heart that what had happened was already done, and now the most important thing was for the living and the unborn child in her womb.
She must protect her daughter well and never repeat the mistakes of her previous life.
Fang Qiao forced a smile and changed the subject, asking, "Why did you bring so much stuff?"
Not many.
Wang Yun didn't want Fang Qiao to remain immersed in her sadness, as sadness is not good for a pregnant woman, so she followed Fang Qiao's lead and promptly changed the subject.
She lifted the gray cloth covering the bamboo basket and took the items out one by one.
"Malted milk powder, didn't you say before that you felt dizzy when you stood up? I guess you might be anemic, drink some malted milk powder to help."
"Two cans of ribbonfish, a pound of dried shiitake mushrooms, half a pound of dried kelp, and some dried shrimp and seaweed. If you eat more seafood now, your child will be smart in the future."
Fang Qiao exclaimed in surprise: "This is not much at all. Xiao Yun, don't be modest. Even if this is a new son-in-law visiting relatives, it is respectable enough. Your mother-in-law will be amazed when she sees it."
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