The wound on Auntie Chen’s forehead was not the most serious issue. The serious problem was the high fever caused by the infection of the wound. The doctor stated bluntly that if she had been sent to the hospital any later, there would have been no saving her.
Jiang Hua’s gaze turned icy at once as it swept toward Chen Weijun, who had followed them over. “Did you hear that? This is attempted murder!”
It was also the first time Song Jin had ever seen people this shameless and vicious. It truly broadened her horizons. She said to Jiang Hua, “Why bother saying so much to him? This should be reported directly to the police and handed over to them to handle.”
Although Chen Weijun had a younger brother who had been a director at the research institute, he had ultimately lived in a simple rural area for most of his life and carried a natural fear of the police. What was more, when Director Chen had been investigated, they had also been interrogated thoroughly back in their hometown.
As a result, they still had psychological shadows from it even now. Hearing Song Jin say this, he immediately shrank his neck, though he still stubbornly retorted, “This is our family matter. My parents disciplining a disobedient daughter-in-law has nothing to do with outsiders.”
“Disciplining?” Jiang Hua was so angry she laughed. She looked at Chen Weijun and said, “Then listen carefully now. What your parents did is intentional injury and attempted murder, and you are accomplices.”
Perhaps Chen Weijun had been frightened, or perhaps he wanted to go back and warn the others. He did not dare argue further and hurried away with Chen Gao.
Song Jin still felt angry and could not help complaining, “This is far too vicious. How did Auntie Chen endure it in the past? Was she never afraid?”
Jiang Hua tugged at the corner of her mouth and did not respond.
After the chaos just now, once she calmed down, she could not help thinking of what had happened in her previous life.
In her previous life, not long after the news of Director Chen’s suicide came out, news that Auntie Chen could not take it and had done something foolish also followed soon after. Thinking about it carefully now was truly terrifying. Had Auntie Chen really been unable to think things through herself?
Based on Jiang Hua’s understanding of Auntie Chen, although Auntie Chen had been living in a depressed state during this period, her heart was actually extremely resolute. She had already begun to suspect the cause of Director Chen’s death. If she could not find the person who had done the dirty work behind the scenes, she would not possibly give up on herself. Even without this matter, the possibility of her giving up on herself was very small.
So in her previous life, Auntie Chen’s death had been caused by the Chen family.
Jiang Hua’s gaze fell on Auntie Chen’s face on the hospital bed and lingered for a few seconds at the corner of her eye, where traces of tears had not yet dried.
Outside the hospital ward was a stretch of grass. Farther away, trees were planted along both sides of a small path. The sky was a clear, tile-blue blue without a single cloud. Under the blazing sunlight, even the leaves were scorched until they curled slightly, and the incessant, noisy chirping of cicadas filled the air.
No matter what, in her previous life, Auntie Chen had saved Jiang Hua’s life. In this life, Jiang Hua had saved Auntie Chen’s life. This debt of gratitude could be considered repaid.
In the days to come, the two of them would probably not have much contact. After all, Director Chen’s matter was there in plain sight. Selling information to the enemy was unforgivable. Auntie Chen, as his wife, would inevitably have to bear the consequences.
It also served as a warning to others. Some things can be done, but some lines must never be crossed.
Back at home.
Perhaps because there was no longer a psychological burden, the suppressed fatigue came crashing over her in waves. Jiang Hua even felt she had no strength to lift her hands.
She collapsed into the rocking chair and weakly gave orders, “Yunkai, pour me a glass of water.”
Yunshu had long since trotted over to her side. Her little hands proactively kneaded Jiang Hua’s shoulders as she asked in a soft, childish voice, “Mommy, does it feel good?”
Jiang Hua closed her eyes and felt it for a moment. “Use a bit more strength.”
Yunshu exerted herself again. “Is this okay?”
Jiang Hua let out an appreciative “Mm,” showing not the slightest awareness of exploiting child labor, and added, “A little more to the left. Yes, then a little lower.”
Xu Chenghuai, who was picking vegetables nearby, could not help but twitch the corner of his eye. He then shook his head helplessly, the word “childish” flashing through his mind.
But when he thought of how she used to be someone who rarely spoke, he pressed his lips together. His gaze swept over Jiang Hua playing around with the two children, and it seemed that being a bit childish was not such a bad thing.
Xu Chenghuai was picking green beans. There was also a piece of pork belly in the kitchen.
Jiang Hua instructed him to chop the green beans finely, then cut off a small piece of pork belly and mince it. The remaining pork belly was sliced thin, and she had Yunkai fetch some dried bamboo shoots and soak them in water.
The wok was heated with a little oil. The minced meat was tossed in and stir-fried until fragrant and the fat was rendered out. The green beans were added and stir-fried together evenly, followed by the prepared sauce. The aroma instantly burst out. Green beans and minced meat coated in sauce, every bite was a feast for the taste buds. Eaten with rice, it made one want to lick the bowl clean.
The pork belly slices were stir-fried until both sides turned golden, then cooked together with the seasonings until fragrant. The bamboo shoot slices were added and stir-fried evenly, letting every slice soak up the sauce. The rich flavor bursts in the mouth, mixed with the bamboo shoots’ unique fresh aroma. It truly left a lingering fragrance on the lips and teeth.
The two children especially liked the minced pork with green beans. Yunshu ate happily, swinging her short little legs, and made a request in her soft, childish voice, “Mommy, let’s eat this bean dish again tonight.”
Yunkai did not speak, but he quietly glanced at Jiang Hua, a small trace of anticipation on his face.
Jiang Hua thought for a moment. “Tomorrow. Tonight we’re eating fish.”
Yunkai’s face instantly filled with disappointment. He disliked eating fish the most. There were too many bones in the fish, and it was too troublesome to eat.
Yunshu, on the other hand, was fine with it. She liked eating fish.
After chatting with the two children for a while, Jiang Hua raised her eyes to Xu Chenghuai and took the initiative to mention the Chen family. “They say you can call the police, but in reality, it probably won’t be very useful. Those people have faces thicker than copper walls and iron barriers.”
Xu Chenghuai had already heard a little about it. “Don’t get involved anymore. Try your best to avoid conflicts with those people.”
Jiang Hua naturally understood and nodded with an “Mm.” She then thought of another matter. “How is the investigation into Ma Yuanhang going?”
“There are some leads,” Xu Chenghuai said.
Jiang Hua could not help feeling a little disappointed. That meant there was still no result. In fact, she suspected that Director Chen’s death was related to Ma Yuanhang. Otherwise, how could Director Chen commit suicide right after Ma Yuanhang was taken in for investigation?
Of course, Xu Chenghuai must also have had his suspicions, otherwise he would not have investigated Ma Yuanhang.
Thinking of Ma Yuanhang naturally led to Li Qingran. Ever since Ma Yuanhang was taken away for investigation, she had been much more low-key than usual, and now she was hardly seen going out at all.
Jiang Hua said, “Last time, I saw Li Qingran buy a large batch of fabric. It’s been so long already. She should have made at least one or two outfits by now, but I haven’t seen them wearing any.”
Xu Chenghuai frowned. “All the fabric Li Qingran bought was taken back to her parents’ home and given to her family.”
Jiang Hua: ???
She blinked in surprise. “Li Qingran is that generous?”
Xu Chenghuai thought to himself that she probably knew the answer to that better than anyone, so he did not say anything.
Li Qingran was indeed not that generous, so her actions were definitely suspicious. Jiang Hua thought about it for a while but could not figure it out. In any case, it was not important. As long as it did not affect her, it was fine.
After lunch, Xu Chenghuai took the initiative to clean up the dishes. The two children were not idle either, helping bring over rags and putting the chairs back in place.
The minced pork with green beans had a relatively rich flavor. Jiang Hua poured herself a cup of cooled boiled water to cut the greasiness. After taking a sip and finding it tasteless, she thought for a moment and added some hot water, mixing it into warm water.
“Xu Chenghuai, help me get the malted milk powder. I want to drink a bit,” she called toward Xu Chenghuai, who was squatting by the kitchen door, preparing to scrub the pot and wash the dishes.
Xu Chenghuai lifted his eyes to look at her and suddenly fell silent.
Yunkai was a child with a strong sense of justice. He really could not stand it anymore and could not help complaining, “You’re really lazy beyond measure!”
Yunshu blinked her round, bright almond eyes. Her fair little cheeks puffed slightly as she carefully said to Jiang Hua, “Mommy, the malted milk powder is in the cabinet behind you.”
Yunkai rolled his eyes. “You can get it just by standing up, yet you insist on ordering someone else to fetch it.”
Jiang Hua: …
Being lectured by the two children like this, she felt no embarrassment at all. Instead, she imitated Yunkai and rolled her eyes, saying righteously, “I want to. You can’t control me.”
Yunkai was instantly so angry that he could not speak.
At that moment, Xu Chenghuai at the kitchen door rinsed his hands and actually walked over to help Jiang Hua get the malted milk powder.
Yunkai froze, then widened his eyes in disbelief. “Daddy?!”
Xu Chenghuai did not even look at him. After taking out the malted milk powder, he even began to prepare it for Jiang Hua.
Yunkai opened his mouth, then closed it, then opened it again, standing there blankly, not knowing how to react.
After a long moment, he suddenly came back to his senses, glaring at Xu Chenghuai with a look of frustration and stamping his foot. “Daddy, you’re just indulging her. Sooner or later, you’ll make my sister learn bad habits!”
Jiang Hua was unhappy hearing this. She turned to look at Yunkai and said discontentedly, “What do you mean, learn bad habits? Yunshu is a girl. Girls should grow up being pampered and loved.”
No matter how clever he was, Yunkai was still only a three-year-old child. He was led along by Jiang Hua’s words and asked, “Then what about boys?”
Jiang Hua paused, her gaze flicking toward him. Her eyebrows unconsciously lifted a little.
Xu Chenghuai’s brow jumped when he saw this. The way she looked made it seem like she was holding back something mischievous. Meanwhile, Yunkai thought himself clever, his clear eyes full of innocence and curiosity, completely unaware of the fate awaiting him.
Sure enough, Jiang Hua’s rosy, pretty lips moved, and every word she spoke stabbed straight into Yunkai’s heart. “Boys should naturally be raised with frugality, so they learn early to fend for themselves and be independent.”
Yunkai: …
Yunkai’s little face puffed up with anger. “You’re being biased!”
“You’re talking nonsense. This is called individualized education,” Jiang Hua said seriously, spouting nonsense with a straight face. “Formulated according to your genders.”
Yunkai was truly fooled. He looked uncertainly at Xu Chenghuai and asked blankly, “Daddy, is that true?”
Xu Chenghuai: …
Jiang Hua smiled at him with narrowed eyes.
An alarm bell rang loudly in Yunkai’s heart. He stared at Jiang Hua suspiciously, his small face full of doubt. “Are you two going to gang up and lie to me?”
Jiang Hua shrugged innocently, though her gaze fell on Xu Chenghuai’s face. “How could that be? Your dad wouldn’t listen to me anyway.”
Yunkai fell silent. He crossed his arms over his chest and lifted his small face slightly, signaling her with his eyes to look at Xu Chenghuai.
The latter was stirring the malted milk powder in the cup with a spoon.
Jiang Hua followed his gaze and, for a moment, found herself at a loss for words.
At this time, Yunshu, who had not spoken, suddenly spoke up. “Daddy listens to Mommy very much.”
Soft and childish, yet every word was like a knife stabbing into Xu Chenghuai.
Xu Chenghuai: … So this was a world where only he got hurt.
…
In the blink of an eye, evening arrived. The sky was spread with gorgeous, flame-like clouds, like a brilliant watercolor painting. The lingering glow of the sunset spilled down, even dyeing the distant layers of mountains a golden hue.
Night fell. The compound was shrouded in darkness and sank into sleep, with only the scattered stars and the bright moon watching over the earth.
The Xu family courtyard.
Jiang Hua lay on her side on the bed with her eyes tightly closed, her breathing light and long. Beside her lay Xu Chenghuai, sleeping stiffly straight.
Clearly, both of them were sound asleep.
At that moment, the bedroom door that had not been fully closed was suddenly pushed open without a sound, and a figure immediately walked inside.