Ye Li, having tidied up, glanced down at the tattered diary lying on the floor. Her father had hidden this diary so carefully—what could it possibly contain? Curiosity surged within her. She bent down, picked up the diary, and sat in the rocking chair, beginning to flip through its pages.
Gradually, anger welled up in her eyes, her whole body trembling uncontrollably. She covered her mouth, her heart aching as if it were being twisted by knives. How many things had she been unaware of? In her memories, her mother had always appeared dignified and graceful, her eyes gentle and flowing like water. But now she realized that, in unseen corners, her mother had silently endured countless pains alone.
“Ye Jianguo, you really are despicable!”
Ye Li’s gaze once again fell on the diary in her hands. This was her father’s diary, documenting his thoughts from the very first day he met Lin Zhiyue.
March 15, 1954, Clear:
A beautiful girl came to the village, dressed in a Western outfit, her skin whiter than steamed buns. I heard her name is Lin Zhiyue. Beautiful and with a nice name. If I could marry her, how wonderful that would be!
March 22, 1954, Clear:
Tonight, I went to Lin Zhiyue’s house to peek again. She’s really beautiful. I think that’s what a heavenly fairy must look like. I heard she’s the daughter of a capitalist family. Her family ran into trouble, so she was sent to the countryside for safety.
April 1, 1954, Overcast:
My family set me up with a girl today, but she’s plain and dark. Not even as good as Lin Zhiyue’s little toe. If I marry, I must marry someone like Lin Zhiyue.
April 10, 1954, Clear:
I discovered a big secret today. I went to Lin Zhiyue’s house to peek again. She opened a small box filled with gold bars and piles of money. My God, I’ve never seen so much money in my life. Even if our whole Ye family pooled the wealth of the entire village, it wouldn’t equal hers. If she becomes my wife, all that money will be mine.
April 25, 1954, Overcast:
My mother realized I fancy Lin Zhiyue and said she would let me have my way. I asked how she would let me, but she didn’t say a word. My heart has been pounding all day. Thinking that Lin Zhiyue is going to marry me, I’m so happy I can’t sleep.
May 5, 1954, Overcast:
Today, my mother lied about having eggs at home to lure Lin Zhiyue over. She locked us in a room, and I couldn’t resist—took advantage of her. Lin Zhiyue lost her virtue to me; from now on, she must marry me. A capital’s daughter sent to the countryside for safety wouldn’t dare make trouble.
May 20, 1954, Clear:
That woman, Lin Zhiyue, is stubborn. I forced her for so long, yet she won’t yield. She’s a woman I’ve already violated; I should be content to marry her. And she keeps being so fussy. Wait until she comes into my house; I’ll show her who’s boss.
June 16, 1954, Clear:
Hahaha… Lin Zhiyue finally married me. She’s carrying my child; she has no choice. I’m brilliant—one blow and I succeed. In a few days, I’ll have her give me money to buy a job and a house in the city. Not only did I get a beautiful wife, but also a substantial dowry.
Ye Li flung the diary across the room, unable to contain her fury. So many things from her past life she hadn’t known—her mother had been forced and manipulated by the Ye family, left with no choice but to marry Ye Jianguo. Thinking of this, she felt a pang of self-blame. If she hadn’t been in her mother’s womb, her mother would never have compromised and jumped into the Ye family’s trap. No wonder those two old devils in her family had always looked down on her mother, finding fault with everything. A nest of tigers, leopards, and jackals—their mother had endured so much. In this life, she would avenge not only her own grievances but her mother’s as well.
The next morning, Ye Jianguo’s face was still dark, his long, rigid face resembling a shoehorn. Ye Li glanced at him, increasingly impatient. She had once wondered how her beautiful, elegant mother could have married a man like Ye Jianguo, who seemed utterly worthless. Now she knew—he was a disgusting, despicable scumbag.
Ye Jianguo sat in the main room, eyes fixed tightly on Ye Li. After a long pause, he spoke, “Ye Li, why did you come home so late yesterday?”
He was still angry, not paying attention to the time. Thinking back, he couldn’t rule her out as a suspect.
Ye Li looked at him expressionlessly. “What do you mean?”
He wanted to pin the blame on her again, even though he himself had lost all the valuables.
Ye Jianguo snorted coldly. “Don’t play dumb with me. So much was stolen from the house yesterday, and you came home so late—maybe it was you.”
Ye Li sneered. “Where could I possibly hide the things? You lost a whole rocking chair. I’m just a girl—how could I carry that out without anyone noticing?”
Ye Jianguo was rendered speechless. After a moment, he continued, “You’re just a girl, wandering outside every day. Who knows what shady things you might be doing?”
Ye Li’s expression instantly turned cold. This was her own father, yet he dared to smear his own daughter like this. But then again, he had always been a shameless, despicable beast—what reason was there to talk to him about morality or decency?
She crossed her arms. “I, Ye Li, walk a straight path and act with integrity. But there are some people… the filthy things they’ve done will catch up with them sooner or later.”
Ye Jianguo’s heart skipped a beat, his gaze flickering nervously. “What nonsense are you talking about? Who did filthy things?”
This girl—could she have found out something? Her words were loaded with innuendo.
Ye Li sneered at him. “Who did it knows themselves.”
Liu Hongmei’s eyes were red and swollen from crying last night over the lost money, but she couldn’t help watching the scene unfold. Seeing Ye Jianguo flustered and unable to respond, she blurted out, “Li, how can you speak to your father like that? You came home late last night; he was only asking because he cares about you.”
Ye Li turned to her, a half-smile raising her brow. “Aunt Liu, yesterday after work, I really was delayed by something. You… are you sure you want me to tell him what it was?”
She wasn’t looking for trouble—but she was offering it willingly.
Liu Hongmei shivered under her gaze, instinctively looking away while still trying to sound firm: “Child! Say what you want with your father. How could I possibly object?”
Ye Li’s lips curved into a mocking smile. “Since Aunt Liu has no objection, then I’ll say it. Yesterday after work, Jiang Bowen’s mother came to see me—she said that it was you who personally went to her house to tell her that Ye Zhirou is carrying Jiang Bowen’s child, and I should quickly break off the engagement to make way for her. I must congratulate Dad and Aunt Liu—you’re about to become grandparents.”
Her words spilled out fast and sharp, leaving Liu Hongmei no time to intervene.