"Then...then your boyfriend..." Auntie carefully observed the expression on Xiaojing's face.
Upon hearing this, Xiaojing's tears, which she had barely managed to stop, began to stream down her face again.
Auntie panicked immediately and said, "If you don't want to talk about it, then don't. Mom won't ask anymore, she won't ask anymore."
Xiaojing shook her head: "Mom, it's okay, there's nothing I can't say. It was just wishful thinking on my part that I thought I could find someone who wouldn't care about the stain on my record to marry."
As she spoke, a self-deprecating smile appeared on her lips: "I was foolish to be blind to reality and actually fantasized that a man would marry a woman who had lost her virginity."
Seeing Xiao Jing's dejected look, Fang Qiao felt a lump in her throat.
She took out a handkerchief to wipe away Xiaojing's tears and comforted her, saying, "Don't think like that, Xiaojing. You are the victim, you did nothing wrong. It's not a stain on your reputation. Don't believe the fallacy that 'starving to death is a small matter, but losing one's chastity is a big deal.' That's just a shackle on women's necks in feudal society. Now it's a new society, and chastity isn't as important as you think. You're still young, don't let that invisible shackle bind your neck. There are many, many possibilities in life."
“But sister-in-law, not everyone has your level of understanding. In their eyes, I am dirty and smelly.”
Fang Qiao's words had no effect on Xiao Jing.
She herself understood that if these words of advice were helpful, Xiaojing wouldn't have been stuck in a swamp of pain for eight years and still unable to break free.
Seeing Xiao Jing silently shedding tears, Fang Qiao felt a heavy weight in her heart.
She had so much to say, but at this moment she couldn't utter a single word.
Because there is no true empathy in this world, she has not experienced the pain that Xiaojing has gone through, and what she considers to be comfort may not be what Xiaojing wants to hear, and may even only increase her psychological burden.
Unless the person involved comes to a realization on their own, she won't listen to anything others say, no matter how reasonable it may seem.
At this moment, Fang Qiao truly hated the criminal who had hurt Xiao Jing!
Because of one evil thought, a young girl's future was ruined!
He deserves to die!
"Xiaojing, my Xiaojing, waaaaah..."
Auntie San hugged Xiao Jing tightly, and the mother and daughter embraced and wept bitterly, as if they wanted to cry out all the grievances and pain they had endured over the years.
As an observer, Fang Qiao couldn't get a word in edgewise. She silently patted the two women on the back and offered them handkerchiefs to wipe their tears when they were almost breathless from crying.
After the two of them had cried themselves out, Fang Qiao said softly, "Wipe your tears and eat something first, or the dumplings will get cold if you keep crying."
Since Fang Qiao couldn't resolve Xiao Jing's pain for the time being, she thought of diverting her attention first. Otherwise, if she remained immersed in the atmosphere of pain, it wouldn't be good for her mental adjustment later.
Upon hearing this, Auntie quickly wiped away her tears and stuffed the chopsticks into Xiaojing's hand: "Yes, yes, your sister-in-law is right. Xiaojing, eat some dumplings first, don't let them get cold, they won't taste good if they get cold."
Xiao Jing shook her head: "I can't eat."
"It's getting dark, you must be hungry. You should eat something," Auntie San advised with a pained expression.
Xiaojing shook her head again: "Mom, I have no appetite."
"If you don't have an appetite, drink something sweet first." Fang Qiao poured out half a bowl of brown sugar ginger soup and handed it to Xiao Jing: "This ginger soup was made by your grandma with brown sugar. She put in a lot of brown sugar, so it doesn't taste like ginger much, but it's very sweet."
"Okay." Xiaojing forced down a few sips, but couldn't swallow any more.
Fang Qiao sighed and didn't try to persuade her to eat anymore.
That night, fearing that Xiaojing might do something drastic again, her third aunt slept in the same room with her.
Fang Qiao waited until Xiao Jing fell asleep before leaving. Third Aunt saw Fang Qiao to the outside of the courtyard and wiped away her tears: "Xiao Qiao, thank you so much for today. If it weren't for you, Xiao Jing probably would have died back then."
Fang Qiao did not take credit, but said, "The first person to go down to save people was Zhou Xueyi from the next village. The clothes Xiao Jing was wearing when she came back were his. When you have time, wash the clothes and prepare some gifts to send to him another day."
"It's my duty to thank them for saving my life," Auntie nodded repeatedly. "I'll go and thank them in person later."
Fang Qiao saw that her third aunt was still crying, and knew that today's events had greatly affected her. Moreover, Xiao Jing's accident happened right under her nose, and she hadn't noticed it for so many years. Now that she suddenly found out, she must feel incredibly guilty.
Fang Qiao sighed, "Third Aunt, don't be too sad. Xiao Jing is like this now, and the family still needs you to support it."
“I know, but I just can’t control myself. I’m so sorry to Xiaojing.” Auntie choked up. “I’m a terrible mother. All these years, I’ve only thought about how to feed my two children. I’m such a scatterbrain when it comes to other things. I’ve been so blind to Xiaojing’s abnormal behavior all these years. I’ve never noticed a thing. I’ve always complained that she’s too shy and that she’s useless… Whenever I think about it, my heart aches.”
"Third Aunt, what's done is done, and there's no use in feeling upset. Xiao Jing doesn't blame you. After all, everyone knows that it's already very difficult for you to raise two children on your own. Now your task is to take good care of Xiao Jing, and don't worry about anything else."
Xiaojing is a sensitive child. Just treat it like a dog bite. It's not like a woman can't live without that. What's done is done, and life goes on. But if even you, as her mother, seem unable to let go, it's an even harder hurdle for her, the person directly involved.
To put Auntie's mind at ease, Fang Qiao said, "Actually, I also bear some responsibility. If I hadn't told Jiang Moli that the house had been given to your family, she probably wouldn't have had this bad intention."
“How can this be your fault?” Third Aunt said, “Now I understand. Jiang Moli is a black-hearted person, just like Cheng Yajun. Besides, I used to be close to her, and I might have let something slip at any time. She has Xiao Jing’s weakness, so even if it didn’t happen this time, it will happen again sooner or later.”
Fang Qiao: "After this incident, it's good to see what kind of person she is as soon as possible, and we should stay far away from her in the future."
Auntie sighed, "Xiao Qiao, you and Bai Dong will be leaving in a few days. I'm planning to find Xiao Qiang a wife before then, so he can have a wife's family to rely on. Otherwise, with only a widow and her son, we'll probably be bothered by that family again once you leave."
"That's good," Fang Qiao agreed. "It's just that time is too tight, so it might be hard to find."
Auntie sighed, "Well, let's keep looking. Maybe we'll hit the jackpot and find it."
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