Li Qingbing stubbornly refused to admit that the stained piece of clothing belonged to his shop. He also refused to communicate at all and even branded the woman as being in cahoots with Jiang Hua, deliberately coming to cause trouble.
The woman was so angry that her entire body trembled. After leaving behind some harsh words, she took the clothes and stormed off.
Seeing this, Jiang Hua chased after her and called out, “Comrade, hello. Could you let me take another look at that piece of clothing? There’s something I want to confirm.”
The anger on the woman’s face had not yet dissipated, but she had a good impression of Jiang Hua. After all, they had just been on the same side, and Jiang Hua was the only one who had spoken up for her. Without hesitation, she handed the clothing over.
“Everyone who knows me says I have a good temper,” the woman could not help complaining. “This was really too infuriating. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have lost my temper like that.”
Jiang Hua turned to the stained area. The more she looked, the deeper her frown became. That bone-chilling feeling surfaced again.
She did not dare touch the stain. Instead, she pointed above it with her finger, glanced at the woman, then looked at Shi Fangfang, and said uncertainly, “What do you think this looks like?”
Shi Fangfang craned her neck to look, confusion appearing on her face.
The woman, however, looked at it twice with curiosity and doubt. Then, as if she suddenly realized something, her pupils constricted sharply. She took two quick steps backward, her face turning deathly pale.
Jiang Hua’s suspicion was confirmed. Her hand trembled, and the clothing fell to the ground. She subconsciously swallowed and met the woman’s horrified gaze.
“You saw it too?”
Deng Xinchun’s eyes were still filled with lingering fear. She nodded at Jiang Hua, then her face showed suspicion mixed with disbelief. “Could it be that we’re mistaken? They shouldn’t be that bold, should they?”
Jiang Hua thought of Li Qingran’s abnormal behavior some time ago, as well as the low prices at Old Li Clothing Shop. She thought to herself that their audacity did not seem small at all.
“Don’t spread this for now,” Jiang Hua said to Deng Xinchun. “Let’s first find someone to investigate.”
Deng Xinchun’s face became extremely grim. “If it really is what we’re thinking, we absolutely can’t let them off. Making money like this, they’re not afraid of retribution.”
The two exchanged contact information. Deng Xinchun then left. She did not take the clothing with her, leaving it behind for Jiang Hua to investigate.
Shi Fangfang could not understand the unspoken exchange between the two at all. Seeing Jiang Hua frown as she picked up the clothing, Shi Fangfang finally could not suppress her curiosity. “Boss Jiang, what exactly is wrong with this piece of clothing?”
Jiang Hua thought that the fewer people who knew about this, the better. Besides, nothing had been conclusively determined yet. So she did not tell her. “I can’t tell you yet. Just wait and see.”
After hearing this, Shi Fangfang felt even more curious, like she was being scratched inside. She secretly cursed herself for being too slow. Jiang Hua had clearly placed the answer right in front of her, but she could not grasp it, while someone else had.
Still, she knew that whatever it was, it was definitely unfavorable to Old Li Clothing Shop. Even without knowing the details, that alone was enough to make her happy.
Originally, Jiang Hua wanted to take the clothing home and give it to Xu Chenghuai so he could investigate it. But after thinking about it, there were two children at home.
She left the clothing at the shop, placing it alone in a corner, separated from the other items, and planned to let Xu Chenghuai come to the shop to pick it up.
During dinner, Jiang Hua did not mention this matter, worried that it would frighten the children. She only brought it up at night when they were in bed.
As soon as Xu Chenghuai heard it, his brow furrowed deeply. “If it turns out to really be like this, Ma Yuanhang will probably be implicated as well.”
Jiang Hua was also curious. “That clothing shop was opened by Li Qingran’s brother and sister-in-law. Li Qingran obviously knows about it. I just don’t know whether Ma Yuanhang knows.”
“He probably doesn’t.”
Jiang Hua raised an eyebrow and gave a soft “Oh?” She turned onto her side to face Xu Chenghuai. “How do you know?”
Xu Chenghuai mirrored her movement and raised his eyebrow as well. “How could I not know?”
Jiang Hua froze.
To be honest, Xu Chenghuai had changed a great deal recently, in ways she had never seen in her previous life. In her memory, Xu Chenghuai had been indifferent, taciturn, and self-restrained, like a machine set to fixed parameters.
But now, he could worry, feel sad, and laugh. He communicated with her. His changes had come along with her own changes.
As Jiang Hua realized this, her heartbeat suddenly quickened by several beats. An uncontrollable trace of disbelief surfaced in her almond-shaped eyes.
In her previous life, she had not dared to speak to him. Even if he spoke first, she would still be cautious and fearful. She acted timid and weak. Perhaps he disliked it, or perhaps he did not agree with it, or perhaps, for some other reason, he did not want to say anything to her. So he could only pretend to be indifferent and taciturn, pretending not to care, hoping she could loosen herself up.
But who would have thought that until the moment of her death, she still had not figured it out.
Jiang Hua’s long eyelashes trembled slightly. At this moment, an impulse surged within her, and she truly gave in to it, asking a question she had not dared to ask in either of her two lives.
Her voice was very soft, carrying an unspeakable hint of anticipation. “Xu Chenghuai, when you married me back then, was it truly of your own free will?”
Xu Chenghuai paused when he heard that. In the darkness, his expression could not be seen, but his voice was especially clear. “What nonsense is going through your head? If I hadn’t been willing, who could have forced me to get married?”
At the moment those words fell, Jiang Hua felt as if her mind had gone completely blank. The emotions that had been compressed over two lifetimes suddenly burst out. Tears slipped out of her control, and she cried.
It was both grievance and release.
Her sobbing sounded extremely pitiful and heart-wrenching.
Xu Chenghuai was startled. Such a composed person suddenly sprang upright like a carp flipping over, completely at a loss, and said, “You, you… what’s wrong with you?”
Jiang Hua could not stop crying, as if she wanted to cry out all the grievances of the past. The more Xu Chenghuai tried to comfort her, the harder it became for her to hold back.
In the other room.
Yunkai was just about to fall asleep when Yunshu, who was on the other small bed, suddenly came over and patted his little belly.
The little girl’s voice was serious and puzzled. “Brother, did you hear something? It sounds like Mommy is crying.”
Yunkai immediately opened his eyes and listened carefully.
Sure enough, he heard Jiang Hua’s voice. He rolled over and sat up at once, saying angrily, “It must be Daddy bullying Mommy!”
The little girl could not hold back anymore and turned to rush out.
“I’m going to save Mommy.”
But just as she took a step, Yunkai grabbed her. “Wait.”
Yunshu stamped her foot anxiously. “Brother, why are you stopping me?”
Yunkai suddenly remembered something. “Do you remember what Ma Fenghuo said before, about his mom crying at night?”
Yunshu tilted her head. “I remember. He said he thought his mom was being beaten by his dad, so he hurried out of bed to save her. But it turned out his mom was just embarrassed and angry, and she grabbed him and beat him instead.”
The two children spoke and looked at each other, both seeing hesitation and confusion reflected in the same watery eyes.
After a moment, Yunkai fell straight back down and lay back on the bed. “Forget it. Let’s not go right now. Otherwise, Mommy might get embarrassed and angry like Ma Fenghuo’s mom and beat us up.”
Yunshu thought about it. That really was something Jiang Hua could do.
She hesitated for a moment, puffed up her tender white cheeks, then turned back to her own small bed. “Then I won’t go either.”
As she spoke, the little girl pulled over the bedsheet and carefully covered her small belly.
The night quickly passed. A ray of light pierced the sky, and the vast white mist covering the earth gradually dispersed, leaving behind the coolness and moisture of a summer morning.
Xu Chenghuai brought breakfast out from the kitchen. Catching an inadvertent glimpse of the children’s expressions and gazes, he could not help frowning.
Jiang Hua noticed it as well. The two children were acting strangely today, constantly staring at her, and then looking at Xu Chenghuai with eyes that were not eyes and noses that were not noses, clearly finding him unpleasant.
“Did Comrade Xu Chenghuai offend you?” Jiang Hua asked.
Yunshu immediately looked at Jiang Hua. Her clear eyes blinked as she asked, “Mommy, how’s your mood today?”
Jiang Hua touched her own face strangely. “Do I look like I’m very unhappy today?”
The two children stared at her closely. Seeing that she was in a good mood and could still joke around, they finally let out a breath of relief.
Yunshu finally revealed a sweet smile and shook her head. “Mommy, you’re really pretty today.”
Jiang Hua could not keep her expression straight and reached out to tap her head. “Such a sweet talker.”
Beside them, Yunkai turned his head away in disdain and muttered inwardly. What a little bootlicker.
However, Xu Chenghuai was still being scrutinized by the two children with disdainful and wary gazes. Yunkai even openly used innuendo to scold him. “A man who bullies women is no kind of hero at all. He really deserves to be dragged out and shot!”
Xu Chenghuai was not stupid. He glanced at the two children expressionlessly. “If you have something to say, say it directly, while I’m still giving you the chance.”
Jiang Hua immediately looked at them as well.
Xu Chenghuai was not a father who would not hit his children. On the contrary, when he hit them, he really hit them.
The incident Jiang Hua remembered most clearly was one time when Yunkai was reported by a teacher for injuring another child. After coming home, because she said a few words, perhaps out of embarrassment and anger, or for some other reason, he cursed her and smashed things.
Xu Chenghuai happened to come back from the research institute and saw it. Without expression, he picked up a stick from the corner of the wall and beat Yunkai hard. No matter how much she cried or tried to stop him, it was useless.
After that, Yunkai lay in bed for almost a week.
“You know very well what you did. Do you really need us to spell it out for you?”
Yunkai’s stubborn, unconvinced voice sounded out, and Jiang Hua instantly pulled herself out of her memories.
She steadied herself, the corners of her mouth twitching a few times uncontrollably, and raised her eyebrows at Yunkai. “If your dad hits you later, you’re on your own.”
Yunkai froze, his little mouth pouting, looking rather hurt. “You’re really disloyal. Who do you think I’m doing this for?”
At this moment, Yunshu cautiously glanced at Xu Chenghuai and explained softly, “Mommy, Brother is angry at Daddy for your sake. Brother and I both heard it. You were bullied by Daddy last night and cried loudly in the room.”
Jiang Hua: ???
Xu Chenghuai: ???
Both of them froze upon hearing this. An awkward look appeared on Jiang Hua’s face, while the corner of Xu Chenghuai’s mouth lifted upward.
Before he could speak to explain himself, Jiang Hua could not hold back any longer. She glared at the two children in embarrassment and anger. “You heard wrong.”
The two children immediately shut their mouths and silently exchanged glances.
Yunkai: See, I told you Mommy would get angry.
Yunshu: …Brother really is smart.
Still, Jiang Hua’s attitude continued to worry the two children. In their view, being bullied meant you should fight back bravely, not feel ashamed and hide it from others.
After breakfast, Xu Chenghuai went with Jiang Hua to Alley End to take the stained clothing for testing.
The two children, meanwhile, began thinking about how to let Jiang Hua know that when someone bullies you, you should bravely speak up and fight back.
Suddenly, Yunkai’s eyes lit up. He sharply turned his head toward the little girl. “I’ve got an idea!”
Yunshu: !!!
After her excitement, the little girl became a bit worried. “Brother, is your idea reliable?”
It better not be like last time, when all the adults in the compound came to complain to Mama.
Yunkai looked a bit embarrassed. He tried hard to straighten his chest. “It’s definitely reliable!”