"Ruanruan, it's all in the past. I'll take care of you from now on. After we get married, I'll treat you well and take care of you."
Su Ruanruan smiled bitterly; there were some things she found difficult to say.
However, she didn't think the original owner had done anything wrong; she was weak-willed and lived in such a society.
To ensure her mother and younger brother's survival, she had to humble herself and do odd jobs for women, children, elderly bachelors, and widowers who had no one to care for them or who were unable to move around easily. She would wash clothes, clean houses, chop firewood, pick vegetables, and feed livestock to earn a few coins to supplement the family income. Sometimes, she would even be groped...
Whenever the night was quiet, the original owner would hide in a secluded place and cry, but after crying, thinking of her seriously ill mother and her frail younger brother, she could only grit her teeth and continue...
However, the ridicule and insults from the villagers still reached the ears of the mother, who was bedridden for a long time, and were even exaggerated by her second aunt.
That poor mother, exhausted and heartbroken, finally succumbed to her grief and passed away.
He was left behind only his timid daughter and young son.
It was precisely because of her bad reputation as "shameless" that no one came to propose marriage to her, even though she was approaching marriageable age.
While picking wild vegetables in the forest, she was humiliated by a widower from the same village. The original owner fought back to the death. In order to preserve her chastity, she bit him hard and then crashed into a tree and died.
And then... she came.
Su Ruanruan sighed deeply, "In short, I am not a good woman, I am not good enough for you. If you don't believe me, go and ask in Maoshan Village. I'm leaving now."
Mu Bai stood there stunned, unable to process what she had said.
What does it mean to not be a good woman?
As soon as Su Ruanruan opened the door, she saw a young man who looked like a scholar standing there. Upon seeing Su Ruanruan, he immediately took a few steps back, as if he had seen some kind of demon or monster.
Su Ruanruan was unfazed and left without looking back.
"Ruanruan, your legs aren't very strong, let me see you off."
Mu Bai realized what was happening and chased after them out the door, but was pulled back by someone.
This person was Fang Ru, Mu Bai's classmate at Tianhong Academy and also his good friend.
"You sit inside for a while, I'll go and bring Ruan Ruan over."
Seeing that Mu Bai wanted to leave again, Fang Ru immediately blocked the doorway.
"Brother Fang, what do you mean by this? Why won't you let me go out and escort Ruan Ruan?"
"Ruan Ruan, Ruan Ruan... Don't let her bewitch you. What could possibly make you fall for that ignorant and uncouth woman?"
Brother Mu, could it be that you, like others, are also captivated by her slender waist?
Upon hearing him speak of Ruan Ruan in such a manner, Mu Bai's fair face instantly flushed with anger. "What did you say? I won't allow you to speak of Ruan Ruan like that! You're supposed to be a scholar, yet you slander a young woman like this. Where has your sense of propriety and morality gone?"
"Wake up, Brother Mu. I consider you a friend, which is why I risked being insulted by you to confide in you."
Although my words may have been somewhat impolite, every single one of them was for your own good.
"Do you know that the whole academy is now abuzz with the news that you've fallen for a woman of questionable character? Not only was she kidnapped by a lecherous thief and lost her virginity, but her reputation in the village is already infamous."
"What did you say? Who framed Ruan Ruan? I'm going to the academy to confront him."
Fang Ru pulled him back again, "No matter who spread this rumor, he wasn't lying. It just so happens that Su Ran is from the same village as her. I also asked him quietly, and he tacitly agreed."
You know what kind of person Su Ran is. He never gossips. If he says something is true, then it must be true.
If you really don't believe me, let's both take leave tomorrow and go to their village ourselves, how about that?"
Mu Bai was already lost in thought, his mind filled with Ruan Ruan's words before her departure.
Each word, each sentence, pierced his heart.
He knew how difficult it was for a woman who was powerless and had no other means of livelihood to survive in this world.
Back then, didn't his mother also live in dire straits, and only managed to escape from prison with him?
However, life is really tough for an orphan and a widow. The mother washes clothes for others during the day and embroiders by candlelight at night.
A pair of delicate hands, spent their days in the icy water, grew as rough as tree bark in just a few months, and their bright eyes, once filled with stars, became dull and lifeless.
Within a few years, my mother became emaciated and finally fell ill.
They took her to see many doctors, but in the end, they still couldn't save her mother's life.
He understood Ruan Ruan; if she had no other choice, she wouldn't have ruined her reputation like this.
"Get out of the way."
Fang Ru was startled by his sharp gaze. He had known him for a long time but had never seen him like this before.
Seeing that he remained unmoved, Mu Bai simply pulled him away and strode away.
By the time they reached the city gate, they were already panting heavily. They saw an oxcart carrying several people, heading further and further away in the afterglow of the setting sun.
You can still vaguely see soft shadows.
Mu Bai muttered to himself, "Ruan Ruan, I don't care whether you've lost your innocence or not, I only want you."
Others might not have heard these words, but Huo Yan, who had excellent hearing, was sitting at the city gate drinking tea. Upon hearing this, his gaze unconsciously turned to Mu Bai's departing figure, and a complex expression appeared in his eyes.
Is this Su Ruanruan's sweetheart?
They seem like an incompatible pair, like heaven and earth.
Why do I feel inexplicably guilty?
Su Ruanruan's innocence was ruined by her own hand; what does it have to do with him?
Thinking this, he picked up the teapot and poured himself another cup.
The constables who were out searching for the gems have returned. They didn't find any yesterday, so they went out of the city early this morning to continue their search.
After listening to their report, Jin Yu waved them away.
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