At Ancheng Senior Nursing Home, Ning Xiaoman swallowed her medicine while listening to her adopted son nag beside her.
“Mom, I’ll be honest Dad is a researcher, how would he have time to visit you? Just stay here and recover properly. Stop calling him all the time and bothering him.”
“And you two haven’t seen each other for five years. You’re just an uneducated woman with only primary school education. If Dad doesn’t come home, it’s because he has nothing to talk to you about.”
“Seriously, why did Dad even marry you back then?”
“Even I, who was raised by you, ended up being disliked by him.”
The more her adopted son spoke, the angrier he became. Seeing no response from the person on the hospital bed, he stormed out, slamming the door.
Ning Xiaoman slowly opened her eyes and let out a self-mocking smile.
If not for Xu Yannian’s first love being unable to have children, why would he have married her?
She had always believed that he married her because he liked her, loved her that was why he had sent a matchmaker to propose.
Only when she was already halfway into the grave did she realize it had all been her imagination a cruel joke.
Ning Xiaoman closed her eyes, her mind filled with the image of Xu Yannian and Su Nuan embracing each other intimately.
“I don’t like her. If she weren’t so easy to deceive back then, I would never have married an uneducated woman.”
“Su Nuan, she’s so annoying every day just cooking and washing clothes. I don’t even know how there’s so much endless housework. She doesn’t even know to spare some time to read and improve herself.”
Ning Xiaoman found it laughable.
She had endured twenty years of a sexless marriage, cared for Xu Yannian’s parents, and even raised the child left behind by his deceased friend all just to love him and support him as best she could.
She poured her heart and soul into this family, only to end up being nothing more than “an uneducated woman” in his eyes.
Thinking of everything she had done over those twenty years only to move herself and no one else Ning Xiaoman smiled bitterly, tears slowly streaming down her face.
If Xu Yannian already had someone he loved, why did he entangle her in the first place?
Just because she was obedient and compliant, did she deserve to be toyed with for a lifetime?
After crying for a long time, Ning Xiaoman finally regained her senses. For several days, she refused to take her medicine and even went on a hunger strike.
Afraid something might happen, the nursing home had no choice but to call Xu Yannian back.
Xu Yannian pushed the door open.
He had spent years in the research lab, shielded from wind and rain. Even at home, he never handled chores. Though nearly fifty, he looked no different from a man in his thirties, carrying an elegant, mature charm.
He looked at Ning Xiaoman on the bed with cold eyes and said calmly, “What are you making a fuss about? At your age, trying to use young girls’ tricks to keep me?”
“Xiaoman, look at the wrinkles on your face you could pinch flies with them. Acting like this just makes you ridiculous.”
Ning Xiaoman said nothing, only stared at him intensely.
“Divorce. I’ll leave with nothing.”
Xu Yannian frowned, thinking someone at the nursing home had said something. He stepped closer, his tone softening slightly.
“I know you’re upset, but why bring up divorce out of nowhere? There’s no ‘divorce’ in my life dictionary only widowhood. Xiaoman, you’re being unreasonable this time.”
Ning Xiaoman sneered and grabbed the vase from the bedside table, smashing it at him.
“I saw everything.”
The words were vague, but Xu Yannian understood.
He hadn’t expected his obedient wife to want a divorce just because she discovered Su Nuan.
Meeting her resentful gaze, Xu Yannian felt inexplicably irritated.
“Divorce my ass. We’ve been together for most of our lives. Even if there really is something between me and Su Nuan, it wouldn’t go anywhere!”
“Xiaoman, you should be satisfied. The comfortable life you have now is all thanks to me working hard outside! Yes, I made a mistake back then and used you but haven’t I been making up for it all along?”
“Xiaoman, I was young back then. Making mistakes is human nature. You should at least give me a chance to be forgiven.”
How could this man be so shameless?
He refused to divorce, wouldn’t cut ties with Su Nuan, and even wanted to be buried with both women after death.
Just thinking about it made Ning Xiaoman feel sick.
“You don’t want a divorce? Fine. Then I’ll go make a scene at your research institute let’s see who ends up more embarrassed!”
Without love, the man before her looked utterly repulsive.
If not for her weak body, she would have lunged at him and bitten him to death.
No matter what Xu Yannian said, Ning Xiaoman was determined to divorce. After two hours of arguing, Xu Yannian lost patience and grabbed her to leave.
“I told you, there’s nothing improper between me and Su Nuan! Why won’t you believe me?”
“Fine, I’ll take you to see her and let her explain everything. Then you won’t insist on divorce.”
As they walked down the stairwell, Xu Yannian moved too fast. Ning Xiaoman, weak and ill, struggled to keep up.
In a daze, she missed a step. As she fell backward, she used all her strength to grab Xu Yannian and drag him down with her…
When she opened her eyes again.
It was the winter of 1980.
Ning Xiaoman stared at the calendar and the familiar surroundings in shock, unable to process it.
Until the matchmaker across from her spoke:
“Xiaoman, you’re a grown girl now. You know your family urgently needs money, right? Your parents are both factory workers their salaries barely cover expenses. How could they save anything?”
“Now that something has happened, the only solution is for you to marry that boy from the Xu family and use the bride price to repay the debt!”
Hearing this, Ning Xiaoman came back to her senses and realized she had been reborn to the very day her nightmare began.
Back then, the matchmaker had come while her family was out. All she could think about was helping her parents with the bride price, and she didn’t notice anything wrong.
Thinking of her argument with Xu Yannian in the nursing home before her death, she felt utterly exhausted.
It seemed even heaven couldn’t bear it and had given her another chance to choose.
Closing her eyes, Ning Xiaoman said firmly, “Aunt Liu, I’m not willing.”
“What?” Aunt Liu froze, clearly not expecting this.
Xu Yannian was still waiting downstairs for news if this fell through, her matchmaking fee would be gone.
Thinking of the money, Aunt Liu quickly tried to persuade her:
“Xiaoman, don’t decide so quickly. You’re still young. I’m experienced how could I mislead you? Besides, our families are related!”
“I’ll be honest Xu Yannian really likes you. The young man is too shy to say it himself, so he asked me to help!”
“As for the bride price, don’t worry 300 yuan plus the four big items! That’s already a great deal. Don’t push your luck!”
Her expression seemed to say: the more reserved a woman acts, the less valuable she becomes later.
Ning Xiaoman sneered.
In her previous life, it all sounded good but when the wedding came, where were the “four big items”?
Besides, trading her entire future for 300 yuan was a losing deal she would never make again.
“Aunt Liu, I don’t like Xu Yannian.”
“He’s good-looking and has great conditions how could you not like him?”
Gritting her teeth, knowing Aunt Liu couldn’t keep secrets, Ning Xiaoman said:
“People around the neighborhood say he’s not capable. I don’t want to be a living widow.”
The moment the words fell, the air went silent.
At some point, someone had appeared outside the Ning family’s door it was Xu Yannian.
Ning Xiaoman’s calm gaze met his.
Xu Yannian gritted his teeth and sneered, “With your baggage, I don’t want you either.”
“Since that’s the case, forget it. Don’t come looking for me again.”
When they were young, Ning Xiaoman had been gentle and wouldn’t say harsh words.
When he was young, Xu Yannian had been naive and didn’t carry such calculating eyes.
But in this moment, they both understood.
The other had returned as well.