"If you don't want to see my appearance, then leave!" Zhang Liunian released Jiang Qingqing, his face contorted with anger.
"You little brat, can't you speak properly?" Zhang Wenxue said, then flicked his sleeves, making a gesture as if he were about to hit him.
But in reality, to this day, he had never laid a hand on his son.
So this gesture was just for show.
Seeing her younger son's already red left cheek, Yu Xiaohua didn't want the old man to get involved too. She quickly went forward and grabbed Zhang Wenxue's hand. "Let's go, old man, we'll leave right now. There's no point talking to this unfilial son, he just doesn't listen."
This was exactly what Zhang Wenxue wanted. He was wondering how to back down, and when his wife said this, he immediately supported Yu Xiaohua and they walked out.
At the same time, a few minutes earlier in the female educated youth courtyard.
"These are the shoes I made for you. Remember to wear them tomorrow." Zhang Xiaomei took out the shoes she had rushed to finish over the past two days.
The mute man took them, accidentally touching Zhang Xiaomei's hand. With that touch, they both felt an electric current flow through them, making their faces blush and their hearts race, neither daring to look at the other.
"Then I'll be going back now." Zhang Xiaomei didn't know what else to say, so she got up to leave.
However, at Zhang Liunian's doorstep, she ran into Zhang Wenxue and his wife.
All three bumped into each other and froze.
"Dad, Mom." Zhang Xiaomei instinctively called out when she saw her parents.
Zhang Wenxue hadn't expected to see his youngest daughter here, his expression stunned. "Xiaomei, why are you here?"
Hearing her father's question, Zhang Xiaomei inexplicably felt nervous. "I, I got divorced."
"What!" As soon as she said this, it instantly ignited Zhang Wenxue and his wife.
They exclaimed in unison and then began to question her why she had divorced.
"Why would you get divorced when everything was fine?"
"Can't you just live your life peacefully?"
"..."
The old couple bombarded Zhang Xiaomei with questions, leaving her speechless.
"Xiaomei, come back," Zhang Liunian called out when he heard the voices outside.
Zhang Xiaomei was about to obey her third brother and go inside, but Yu Xiaohua grabbed her. "I am your mother. Come, let's go back and tell me what happened."
The news that her daughter had divorced was too shocking. Yu Xiaohua was eager to find out what had happened.
After all, in those days, there were only dead women, not divorced women, and certainly no women who dared to say they were divorced.
But today, they learned that their daughter had uniquely become the first divorced woman in the entire village to return to her maiden home.
This wouldn't do. A divorced woman returning to her maiden home would bring bad luck. Their daughter had to leave quickly.
"Third brother, I'll be right back." Zhang Xiaomei, seeing her mother holding her back, knew she had to explain things clearly, or it wouldn't be alright.
With that said, she went with Zhang Wenxue and his wife to Zhang Liushui's house. On the way, they saw Hua Bao playing with his little yellow chicken.
And Zhang Datou was watching Hua Bao from not far away, no one knew what he was planning.
Fearing that Zhang Datou would bully Hua Bao, Zhang Xiaomei stopped and urged Hua Bao to go home soon.
Unbeknownst to them, a man was following them. This man was Zhang Wenjun, who was returning home after packing up his stall.
Before he could go to his eldest son's house, he saw Zhang Wenxue and his wife dragging Zhang Xiaomei away. He immediately abandoned his younger son and followed them.
Zhang Liunian was naturally unaware of these matters. At this moment, he was enjoying his wife's concern.
"Phew, does it still hurt?" Jiang Qingqing cupped her husband's handsome face, blowing on it with great concern, trying to ease the pain on his face.
Zhang Liunian looked at his wife caring for him. He wanted to comfort her, but for some reason, he held her tightly in his arms.
Smelling Jiang Qingqing's body fragrance, Zhang Liunian's heart gradually calmed down.
A moment later, he released his wife, looked at the scraped skin on her forehead, and touched her forehead. "Your forehead is scraped. I'll get you some antiseptic medicine to treat it."
"No need. Let's treat your face first, it's all red. I'll go boil some eggs and rub them on it." Before Zhang Liunian could leave, Jiang Qingqing wanted to boil eggs.
Zhang Liunian held her back. "I'm a man, I can take a beating. You're a delicate and pregnant woman. You must be treated first. Be good, wait for me to get the medicine and treat you first."
He still had the medicine from last time. Zhang Liunian turned and went to the room to find the medicine again, then asked his wife to sit still and not move.
"If it hurts, just say so." Zhang Liunian opened the medicine and began to apply it with a cotton ball.
Throughout the entire process, Jiang Qingqing didn't make a sound. She just stared at Zhang Liunian, the scene of him confronting his parents for her flashing through her mind.
Especially his words, "You have no right to scold her," which kept echoing in her mind, shaking her heart.
She thought that meeting a man like Zhang Liunian in this life was probably due to the good fortune of all her past lives.
However, thinking of Zhang Liunian being beaten because of her, she felt as if she was dying of sadness.
"All done." Zhang Liunian had just finished treating the wound when his wife rushed into his arms.
"What's wrong?" Zhang Liunian put down the medicine bottle and held her, asking softly.
But the person in his arms didn't answer. It wasn't until Zhang Liunian felt the warmth on his chest that he realized his wife was crying.
Realizing his wife was crying, Zhang Liunian began to panic, anxiously asking, "Does it hurt? Was I too rough just now?"
Jiang Qingqing heard his concern, raised her head, and choked out, "I'm touched, and I'm heartbroken.
Because of me, you've caused such a scene. I'm sorry, Liunian.
However, I can swear to heaven that my heart and my body belong only to you. Being with you is already the greatest happiness of my life. I cherish it, and how could I even glance at anyone else.
As for the man Mom mentioned, I really don't know him, and I don't know why he suddenly grabbed my hand, but I quickly shook him off. Believe me."
"I believe you, I believe you."
Fearing she wouldn't believe him, Zhang Liunian's expression was more serious than ever. "The conflicts between us have existed long before they made all sorts of choices for their second son. It has nothing to do with you. You don't need to blame yourself or keep it in your heart."
Zhang Liunian had long known about the problems with his parents. If it weren't for this incident, it would have only erupted later.
However, who was that man his wife mentioned? Since he dared to grab her hand, it would be best if she didn't find him, otherwise, he would make sure he knew why the flowers were so red.
"Is that so?" Jiang Qingqing wasn't entirely comforted by Zhang Liunian. She knew that if it wasn't for her, Zhang Liunian would never have had such a big conflict with his in-laws.
Even though his in-laws valued their second son the most, they weren't the type to bully the less favored son for no reason.
After thinking about it, she realized it was her fault. If it weren't for her, Liunian wouldn't have been beaten.