After all, when Xia Yuhua pursued Bai Naihan back then, everyone witnessed it. Bai Naihan showed no interest in her, neither was he enthusiastic nor did he buy her anything. It was Bai Naihan’s birth mother, Liu Yuzhi, who mediated their relationship, buying things for Xia Yuhua here and there.
At that time, people thought it was Bai Naihan’s nature to be indifferent, and they didn’t pay much attention. After all, many men in the village were like that.
Even Xia Yuhua probably felt the same way.
But now, Wang Shufeng had seen firsthand how well Bai Naihan treated Yun Qinghuan. He bought things for her and took her to the state-owned restaurant to eat.
She even went to the state-owned restaurant herself, thinking of going in to eat something delicious. However, considering the cost, she couldn’t bear to spend that much money. She witnessed Bai Naihan buying so many delicious things for Yun Qinghuan, including large meat buns and braised pork. She could smell the fragrance from a distance.
Even someone like her, who had some savings, wouldn’t be willing to eat like that. Yet, Bai Naihan paid without blinking an eye.
It’s hard to believe her heart wasn’t sour.
Especially when she learned that Yun Qinghuan even bought a pair of leather shoes, her heart became even more sour. Knowing that Bai Naihan’s previous partner was Xia Yuhua, she disliked both of them. A thought emerged in her mind—to create conflict between the two and witness their discord. To see them fight like dogs!
At that time, when Gu Mingliang saw that Xia Yuhua still had feelings for Bai NaiHan, he might be able to see her dissolute nature. He would stop being good to Xia Yuhua and turn to her instead. By then, Yun Qinghuan’s reputation will also suffer.
After all, being accused of seducing her own little brother-in-law was a serious offence.
Wang Shufeng’s plan seemed good, but Yun Qinghuan had been staying at home, rarely coming out. She had very few outings with Bai Naihan, and Wang Shufeng hadn’t caught an opportunity.
Unexpectedly, today she coincidentally saw these two coming out together. Not only that, she witnessed Bai Naihan helping Yun Qinghuan cut pigweed, and his attitude was exceptionally good.
Thinking quickly, she took advantage of going to the tool stand to call Xia Yuhua.
Initially, Xia Yuhua showed some impatience towards her, but upon hearing that it involved meeting Bai Naihan, she agreed without knowing why.
Now, Wang Shufeng squinted and incited Xia Yuhua, “Bai Naihan is truly blind. You, such a good-looking girl, doing farm work in the field, and he doesn’t help you. Instead, he’s helping his sister-in-law, who loves to flirt. If I were you, I’d be infuriated!
“Carrying a child too. If we didn’t know the truth, we might think they are a family of three. They’re really not afraid of Bai Wensong not finding peace even in the afterlife!”
The more Xia Yuhua heard, the more her face turned ashen. Fuming with anger, she thought about how she had tried to please Bai Naihan in the past few years, and he never treated her with a kind expression. She felt even more furious.
To be honest, she genuinely liked Bai Naihan. After all, Bai Naihan served in the military, had a good physique, and a face that didn’t lose to urban educated youth. He had at least graduated from junior high school, and it was said that he had excellent grades in school. If not for his family’s poor financial situation, he might have even gone to university.
The crucial point was that he excelled in the military, rapidly earning promotions within a few years. His monthly allowance was now quite substantial.
Therefore, when she pursued Bai Naihan, although her family didn’t fully approve, they didn’t strongly object either.
Initially, when Bai Naihan was indifferent to her, she thought it was just his nature, especially since she hadn’t seen him treat any other female comrade more favorably.
In fact, she found his indifference rather cool.
However, as time went on and her feelings received no response, she naturally felt disappointed. Especially considering her own conditions weren’t bad, and her father was a small leader in the village, she was also considered the village beauty. She was pursued by suitors all the time, so where had she ever experienced such cold treatment from a man?
At this time, Gu Mingliang, who was particularly popular among the young women at the educated youth settlement, began to show concern for her. Gu Mingliang was refined and handsome, occasionally composing and reciting poetry, displaying remarkable literary skills. This made him stand out from the coarse men in the village. Xia Yuhua’s heart began to waver.
But what one can’t have always seems the best. She still hadn’t considered giving up Bai Naihan to be with Gu Mingliang.
Yet, she hadn’t anticipated the swift changes in plans. A little over half a month ago, news suddenly spread that Bai Naihan had been injured and discharged from the military. Moreover, it was said that he had a leg disability and couldn’t stand.
Now, her family, who had already been skeptical of her being with Bai Naihan, turned vehemently against the relationship. They believed that if she married Bai Naihan, she would suffer. After all, Bai Naihan was not only disabled now but also lacked a salary allowance. He required someone to take care of him.
She couldn’t help but feel a wave of despair at the thought of spending the rest of her life serving someone in a wheelchair. Any trace of affection for Bai Naihan in her heart completely vanished.
Furthermore, when she saw Bai Naihan sitting in a wheelchair and struggling to walk during Bai Wensong’s funeral, any lingering hope disappeared.
Afterward, she deliberately ignored news about the Bai family and didn’t visit the injured Bai Naihan. She believed that her attitude had been so clear that the Bai family should understand her intentions. Especially since their families hadn’t formally agreed on the engagement; it was just a verbal understanding, which now held no weight.
However, just a while ago, while she was husking corn, Wang Shufeng suddenly came over, claiming to have seen Bai Naihan cutting grass. She inexplicably followed her after hearing Bai Naihan’s name and thinking of his handsome face.
Xia Yuhua had never seen such an indulgent smile on a man’s face before!
She clenched her fists tightly. Wang Shufeng was still chattering away beside her, adding fuel to the fire. She felt her head buzzing with noise.
“Shut up!”
She shouted in a low voice.
Wang Shufeng didn’t expect her sudden outburst and was somewhat frightened. She instinctively closed her mouth.
Xia Yuhua turned to look at her, her gaze filled with coldness. “I know what you mean. Your relationship with Yun Qinghuan was never good, and you still like Gu Mingliang. You probably don’t like me either, right?”
Wang Shufeng’s pupils suddenly shrank with a guilty conscience. She knew? After realizing, she immediately denied it, “Comrade Xia, what are you talking about? I don’t understand.”
She might have said that, but her demeanor was a bit shallow, and her gaze evaded.
Xia Yuhua sneered, “You understand perfectly well. You want me to go out now and have a confrontation with Yun Qinghuan, while you conveniently hide behind us to watch the show, right? Do I look like such a foolish person to you?”
“How could you think that way about me?” Wang Shufeng hesitated for a moment, then began to look aggrieved. “Comrade Xia, I’m doing it for your own good. I can’t bear to see you being treated coldly after being warm to Bai Naihan. Now he’s getting involved with his sister-in-law, and I feel sorry for you!”
∞
Translator Note
If you like/appreciate my work, please consider supporting me on Ko-fi.
🌸
∞
