Xie Mingzhu glanced at her but completely ignored her.
Who told her to make such a big show and bring so many people to her door?
Since they’d come in such numbers looking for trouble, who else could she pin the blame on but them?
Today, with so many of them going to the educated youths’ quarters, plenty of villagers were bound to have seen them.
The confrontation had happened inside, where no one could see exactly what took place. No matter the truth, as long as she said her injuries had been caused by Zhang Zenglan and her group, that was what everyone would believe.
The onlookers didn’t really care about the truth anyway—they just wanted a good show.
Either way, the blame was going to land squarely on their shoulders.
Village Secretary Chen turned back to Zhang Zenglan and shot her a look of exasperation. “You foolish woman! You used to know right from wrong—how have you become so blind to reason now?”
Zhang Zenglan’s face burned with rage. “Both my son and daughter have been ruined because of her! Do I have no right to come and demand justice? If I truly had no sense of right and wrong, I’d have finished her off for good!”
“Nonsense!” Secretary Chen stood up, stepped over to Zhang Zenglan, and rebuked her sharply. “The two of them brought that fate upon themselves—what they did was a disgrace to heaven and earth! Even if they aren’t blood siblings, they grew up thinking of each other as brother and sister for years. How could they commit such a violation of decency and morality?”
“This is all your failure as a parent! How dare you shift the blame onto someone else? And you even tried to frame Educated Youth Xie? If she’d actually married into your family, heaven only knows what kind of suffering you’d have put her through!”
He fixed Zhang Zenglan with a cold stare. “In the old days, what they did would have gotten them drowned in a pond. It’s only because times have changed that they’re still breathing today—do you not understand that?”
Zhang Zenglan opened her mouth to argue further, but Secretary Chen waved her off. “Say one more word and I’ll have you hauled to the police station right now. Then your whole family can be reunited behind bars!”
At that threat, Zhang Zenglan fell silent, though she shot Xie Mingzhu a venomous glare.
Seeing this, Xie Mingzhu turned back to Secretary Chen. “My injuries are so severe I won’t be able to work for a while. But I still need to eat. She must compensate me with grain!”
Her grain entitlement was still registered here, so she drew her ration from the village. Even once her records were transferred away, she wasn’t about to let Zhang Zenglan get off scot-free.
Reluctant as she was, Zhang Zenglan had no choice under Secretary Chen’s stern warning. She agreed to give Xie Mingzhu ten catties of rice, which would be credited directly to her account.
Naturally, Zhang Zenglan’s hatred for Xie Mingzhu deepened with every passing moment.
Reading the loathing clearly on her face, Xie Mingzhu smiled and said, “Feel free to come looking for trouble anytime. If you visit every day, I’ll never have to worry about food again—it’ll be like having someone deliver grain right to my door!”
Zhang Zenglan felt as though her head was about to explode with fury, yet she was powerless to do anything. Especially with Huo Xuan standing right beside Xie Mingzhu—she knew she stood no chance in a fight.
“Let’s go back first,” Xie Mingzhu said to Huo Xuan, then shot Zhang Zenglan another sideways glance. “I have a feeling tonight’s meal will taste especially good!”
Only after the two had left did Zhang Zenglan finally break down in tears.
Secretary Chen sighed heavily as he watched her. “Why do you keep picking fights with her? Her family has influence and connections—do you honestly think you can win against her? Besides, you and your family were the ones who deceived her from the start. You were in the wrong, so you have no right to blame her for anything!”
Zhang Zenglan buried her face in her hands and sobbed. “I know we did wrong, but the wedding fell through anyway. Whatever my son Hao Yu does from now on has nothing to do with her—she had no right to send him to prison!”
Secretary Chen rolled his eyes in frustration, having lost all patience. “Go home now and stop causing trouble here!”
Seeing her wail even louder, he decided he’d had enough. He turned and walked away, leaving her there.
Outside, Xie Mingzhu and Huo Xuan got on their bicycle and headed back. A crowd of onlookers watched them go, whispering and pointing fingers. Xie Mingzhu paid them no mind.
Huo Xuan’s gaze swept over the group, and one by one they fell silent, too intimidated to speak further.
Glancing up at Huo Xuan’s back, Xie Mingzhu said softly, “You’re quite impressive, you know.”
Huo Xuan said nothing.
“Why so quiet?” she asked again.
Still no reply.
Xie Mingzhu blinked and leaned forward to look at his face. His expression was dark and heavy, his features clouded with gloom.
“Huo Xuan, what’s wrong?”
She asked several times, but he remained silent. She couldn’t figure it out—why had he suddenly grown so upset?
When they reached the educated youths’ quarters and she hopped off the bike, she tried again. “Huo Xuan, why won’t you talk? Are you angry?”
Huo Xuan stopped walking and turned to look at her, his deep eyes intense and unwavering. “Why would I be angry?”
After a long pause, he sighed softly and continued, “I just promised myself I’d keep you safe, and yet again I failed to protect you.”
He had told himself that over and over, but it seemed every time, he let her down.
Xie Mingzhu hadn’t expected his silence to stem from this concern. She froze for a moment before breaking into a smile. “Huo Xuan, you’re actually quite sweet when you’re like this.”
Taken aback by her sudden compliment, Huo Xuan looked at her in confusion.
Xie Mingzhu pressed her lips together, then spoke earnestly. “Huo Xuan, I truly am grateful. Thank you for always being by my side.”
Huo Xuan waited quietly, listening for what else she had to say.
“I can look after myself, so please don’t worry so much,” she went on gently. “You have your own life and responsibilities—you can’t stay at my side forever.”
Huo Xuan frowned.
“I know you came to the countryside just for me, that you left Aunt Hu and traveled all this way, and even quit your job at the lighting factory for my sake. You’ve done so much, and I feel I’m not worthy of all this effort…”
Before she could finish, Huo Xuan cut her off. “You’re overthinking this. It wasn’t all for you.”
Xie Mingzhu blinked, unsure how to respond.
Huo Xuan felt his restlessness growing. He stepped forward and pulled her into his arms, resting his chin lightly on top of her head. “Fine—I admit it. I’ve had my eyes on you for a long time.”
After a short pause, he added in a quiet voice, “Xie Mingzhu… would you give me a chance? Try to fall in love with me?”
His voice vibrated softly against her, trembling just a little, full of longing and vulnerability. Hearing it sent a strange, fluttering sensation straight through her heart.
“Huo Xuan, you…”