Chapter 207 The Second Daughter of the Xie Family Returns After Divorce
When Xu Zhili returned to Xiangyang Brigade with her younger brother Xu Zhian, it was already sunset.
The afterglow of the setting sun shone on the old locust tree at the entrance of the village. Several villagers sitting idly saw them and their eyes were somewhat strange. They whispered among themselves.
"Sister, why are they looking at us like that?"
Xu Zhian held Xu Zhili's hand tightly with her small hand, looked up at her, and asked in a soft, slightly timid voice.
Xu Zhili also sensed the unusual atmosphere, but she just shook her head: "Don't overthink it, let's go home first."
Before she even reached the intersection leading to her home, Xu Zhili saw her mother, Xu Nuoyan, rushing towards her: "You're finally back! How did it go? Did you see Yun Ce?"
Xu Zhili nodded, a faint blush rising on her face: "I saw him, everything is fine."
She showed off the silver ring on her hand, and Xu Nuoyan immediately beamed with joy.
"Good, good! That Xie family boy is reliable."
Xu Nuoyan nodded repeatedly, then lowered her voice, "You've come back just in time. Xia Zhu, the second daughter of the brigade leader, is back."
Xu Zhili was somewhat surprised: "Sister Xia Zhu? Didn't she marry into the next village?"
"Sigh, we're divorced."
Xu Nuoyan sighed, her tone full of pity: "She came back with her youngest daughter; what a pitiful sight."
"Sigh, divorced women never have a good life. The gossip and rumors around them are enough to make them suffer."
"Sister, who is this auntie? She looks so familiar," Xu Zhian asked Xu Nuoyan in confusion.
Xu Nuoyan's back stiffened abruptly, and she turned her head to look at her youngest son.
The child she gave birth to after ten months of pregnancy in that dream.
In the apocalypse, she only had one child, Xu Zhili, and never imagined that she could have another child in this era.
"An'an, it's me, your mother. I'm sorry, I'm only acknowledging you now."
Xu Nuoyan's eyes reddened, and she quickly knelt down on one knee and hugged her youngest son tightly.
Xu Zhian was a little dazed from being hugged. Her little body stiffened for a moment before she timidly raised her arms to hug her back: "Mommy?"
The call was as light as a feather, yet it instantly brought tears to Xu Nuoyan's eyes, and large tears fell onto his head.
"Oh, my dear An'an."
Xu Zhili stood aside, watching the mother and child embracing, her nose tingling with emotion.
Over the years, An'an always asked, "Where is Mom?" Now that she has finally seen her, those missing moments seem to be filled little by little, with a bittersweet feeling.
Just then, a cry came from afar.
Xu Zhili looked over and saw several people outside the brigade leader's yard. She could vaguely hear a woman sobbing and others trying to comfort her.
"I'll go check on the situation."
Xu Zhili turned to Xu Nuoyan and said softly, her gaze falling on the child beside her. Her tone softened, "Mom, why don't you take An'an back to the yard first? He must be exhausted from the journey. He needs to rest and catch his breath."
Xu Nuoyan squatted down, her gaze gently lingering on An'an's face, her voice trembling almost imperceptibly: "An'an, do you still recognize Mommy? Come home with Mommy, okay? We've left you some of your favorite snacks at home."
An'an tilted her little face up, her clear eyes brightened, and she gently nodded while clutching the hem of her clothes.
He turned to look at his sister, his voice clear and bright: "Sister, does An'an remember what Mom looks like? I still have a picture of Mom in my pocket. No matter how much time passes, I will always remember what Mom looks like."
Xu Zhili felt a warmth in her heart, raised her hand to ruffle An'an's hair, and nodded with a smile: "Okay, An'an is so good, go ahead."
Xu Nuoyan stood up, carefully took An'an's little hand, her fingertips trembling slightly, and slowly walked into the courtyard step by step. The moonlight fell on the two of them, casting two shadows, one big and one small, leaning on each other.
Xu Zhili walked into the courtyard of the brigade leader's house. Xie Xiazhu was sitting on the ground, hugging a three-year-old girl, crying so hard that she could hardly breathe.
A five-year-old boy stood in front of her, but he indifferently hid behind a young woman in a floral shirt.
"Sister Xia Zhu, what's wrong?" Xu Zhili stepped forward and asked softly.
Xie Xiazhu raised her head, her eyes brimming with tears, and looked at Xu Zhili, choking back sobs and unable to speak.
Standing to the side, the brigade leader's wife, Wang Xiuying, wiped away her tears and explained, "Xiaoli, you're back. My Xiazhu's life has been so hard..."
From Wang Xiuying's and others' accounts, Xu Zhili gradually understood the ins and outs of the matter.
Six years ago, Xie Xiazhu married a man named Wang Tiezhu from a neighboring county.
At first things were fine, but later Wang Tiezhu developed a drinking habit, and he would beat people whenever he got drunk.
Xie Xiazhu had endured it all for the sake of her two children, until recently when she caught Wang Tiezhu sleeping with Zhang Xiujuan, a widow in the village.
“I originally wanted to endure it for the sake of the child, but that heartless man actually said he wanted to marry Zhang Xiujuan and make me his concubine.”
Xie Xiazhu sobbed, "When I disagreed, he beat me to death..."
Xu Zhili noticed the bruises on Xie Xiazhu's arm and couldn't help but frown.
"Later, the neighbors couldn't stand it anymore and reported it to the commune, and that's when they got divorced."
Wang Xiuying continued, "What's infuriating is that Baosheng, the son Xia Zhu raised, refused to come back with her and insisted on going with that Zhang Xiujuan."
Baosheng, the boy hiding behind Zhang Xiujuan, spoke up at this moment: "I'm not going back with my mother. Aunt Xiujuan is good to me. She never cries and she even makes me new clothes. My mother can only work and she can't even smile."
These words pierced Xie Xiazhu's heart like a knife, and she cried even harder.
Three-year-old Yaya wiped her mother's tears with her little hands: "Mommy, don't cry. Yaya will stay with you. When Yaya grows up, she'll earn money to support you."
At this moment, Zhang Xiujuan spoke up, her voice soft and gentle: "Sister Xiazhu, don't blame Baosheng for choosing to be with me."
“Children will be close to whoever treats them well. Don’t worry, I will treat Baosheng like my own son. As long as I have food to eat, I won’t let him go hungry.”
Standing beside her were two girls around ten years old, Zhang Xiujuan's daughters from her previous marriage, who chimed in, "We will take good care of our little brother."
Xie Xiazhu felt as if her heart was being torn apart by this scene.
The son she raised for five years has now recognized someone else as his mother and even despises her, his biological mother.
Wang Xiuying couldn't bear to watch any longer, so she knelt down in front of Baosheng and said, "Baosheng, do you remember? When you were three years old, you had a high fever. Your mother carried you on her back for ten miles in the pouring rain to the clinic and stayed by your side for two days and two nights without closing her eyes."
Baosheng paused for a moment, his eyes wavering slightly, but after looking at Zhang Xiujuan, he hardened his heart again: "So what? Now Dad likes Aunt Xiujuan more, Aunt Xiujuan is much better than Mom."
"How can you talk like that, child?"
Wang Xiuying frowned, raised her hand and tapped the other person's forehead, her tone full of disappointment, "How old are you? You still talk so impulsively. Can't you talk to your own mother properly? You're so immature. You'll regret this later."
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