Joyful Motherhood in a Rural Family

Chapter 607: Zuo Xingyu’s Disappointment
 

In an unknown courtyard.

After a while, the clouds dispersed, and the rain stopped.

Xin’s face was smeared with makeup, her hair scattered, and her naked body hugged her clothes in a daze.

Shopkeeper Gu, satisfied, dressed himself and then turned his head.

“Don’t take it to heart. It’s the same whether you spend one time or ten times with me! Here is 200 taels of silver, you take it for spending. If it’s not enough, feel free to ask me for more.” Having said that, he threw the silver ticket next to her and then left, laughing heartily.

The light paper flew to Xin, who remained still for a long time.

After a while, she raised her head and stared at the direction where Shopkeeper Gu had disappeared, gritting her teeth with hatred, a cold light flashing in her eyes!

She hurriedly put on her torn clothes and rearranged her hair before quickly heading towards the official residence.

Jumping over the fence, she ran quickly along the wall and soon reached the courtyard where she and Ah-Bao were staying. Landing silently, she saw the surroundings were quiet just like before she left, she could not help but heave a sigh of relief.

As she gently pushed the door open and set foot outside, she immediately sensed something unusual.

“Where have you been running off to?”

A lamp suddenly lit up in the courtyard, its flickering candlelight illuminating Ms. Zhao’s gloomy face.

A faint smile appeared on Xin’s face. In a few steps, she greeted her with genuine surprise in her voice: “Cui’er couldn’t sleep due to the heat. So, I went over to the lotus pond to pick a lotus flower. If only I knew that my mother-in-law would visit, I would have picked another one as well, so she could put it in a vase back in her room and enjoy the lingering fragrance.”

“Picking flowers? Hmph! No one saw you. Who knows where else you’ve been fooling around.”

Ms. Zhao sneered and caught the lotus flower handed to her by Xin. There were still some dewdrops rolling on the petals, clearly indicating that it was just freshly picked.

“I wouldn’t dare,” Xin submissively replied.

However, as she slightly bent down, a warm liquid slid down from a certain place. Startled, she hurriedly closed her legs, not daring to move a bit.

“You better not dare. Hmph! At such a late hour, don’t go wandering around. Taking good care of Ah-Bao is the right thing to do…”

As Ms. Zhao’s suspicions gradually dissipated, she lectured Xin for a while. Seeing that Xin didn’t argue at all and venting her anger from the resentment she had received from Liu Sisi, she finally left the room satisfied.

As soon as Ms. Zhao left, Xin urgently slipped into her room and carefully cleaned herself up before returning to the room. Ah-Bao was still deeply asleep with no signs of waking up. She lay back down to her original position, unable to resist a long sigh of relief.

Thankfully, they managed to get through the night without any incidents.

The next day, before dawn, Di Yelei set off.

Disasters had struck everywhere in Macheng County, and the situation was far more severe than people had imagined!

Last night, Liu Sisi raised a few ideas that he found feasible, so he rushed to various places to share her thoughts with others.

Liu Sisi didn’t sleep much either and got up, too.

Today, she had to visit the Liu Family’s Mansion and complete the necessary rituals.

According to the rules, the three little ones had to be taken along. With the three children, Liu Zhi’er and the three nannies naturally couldn’t be left behind, along with Da Mao, the children’s spare clothes, and the little maid…

Liu Sisi couldn’t help but sigh! After having children, going out even once was like going to war, as they had to bring everything with them!

After all the trouble of packing two large carriages, Liu Sisi rode in a carriage heading towards the Liu Family’s Mansion.

As soon as they left the city gate, Liu Sisi couldn’t help but lift the carriage curtain to look outside.

In just over a month’s time, the outside world had gone through earth-shattering changes.

A large amount of land was filled with withered seedlings and cracks on the ground resembled spider webs. The scorching sun was like a blazing brazier, constantly baking the earth since morning. But after only a brief peek outdoors, Liu Sisi felt dizzy, the heat truly unbearable.

Fortunately, the distance between the county town and Liu Family’s Mansion was not too far. The carriage took less than an hour to reach the Liu family’s land. Upon arrival, everyone needed to continue on foot.

Liu Sisi ordered someone to get off the carriage, held the child, opened a paper umbrella to shield them from the sun, and walked towards Liu Family’s Mansion.

At the top of the hill leading to Liu Family’s Mansion, under the shade of a large tree, a figure was leaning. His eyes were narrowed, occasionally scanning the mountain path below.

Soon, two figures appeared at the end of his sight. His eyes lit up!

Unable to hold back his joy, he hurriedly stood up, as if that would somehow get him closer to her!

Sisi, you’ve come, you’ve really come!

There are people who are constantly missing each other. Whether it’s a mistake or regret, he can no longer tell the difference.

Regardless of the reason, what’s gone is gone.

However, some people don’t cherish what they have until they lose it, only then do they realize what they’ve missed out on.

Originally, the two would never see each other again. But when the chance came, he hesitated and shrank back. It’s better not to meet at all!

There were things he always wanted to do, but when the opportunity finally arrived, all he could do was watch her slip away, no longer wanting to make a move.

His hands tightened into fists, allowing the heartache to spread within him.

Those words have been buried in his heart for a very long time!

He always wanted to find a chance to say them, but when the opportunity finally came, he couldn’t say a word.

Watching Liu Sisi and her entourage gradually approaching from afar, passing the valley below him, and slowly moving away from him, just like back then!

Please forgive me, for not having the courage to get any closer to you!

Sisi…

Sometimes it’s not that love is gone, but rather the timing is wrong.

When the opportunity finally comes and the timing is right, she no longer loves him!

He always thought he had countless chances; he assumed she would still stand at the intersection waiting for him, just like when they were kids. Yet, constantly neglecting and overlooking her, he forgot that love also requires two people to support and care for one another. By the time he finally realizes it, he no longer has any chances left!

It seems that only by releasing his tightly clenched fist will he feel closer to her.

Life is often such a cruel irony!

An unintentional turn could be a lifetime!

“Sisi… We once promised to be together forever… Why has it all ended?”

He looked up at the not-so-distant view; there was the overlapping rooftop of Liu Family’s Mansion, the swaying shadows of trees, and the rolling heat waves. Amidst all that, a coldness seeped from the depths of the earth, chilling his heart!

Perhaps, in this lifetime, he would forever be trapped and unable to break free!