Chapter 613 - 319: Countryside Love
Liu’er’s mother watched Li Changliang, her face streaked with tears. ’If only my Liu’er were well, she could have married him,’ she thought with bitter regret. ’Then being sent back wouldn’t have mattered so much.’ But she didn’t stop to consider that if her Liu’er were well, she would have done everything in her power to get the Tang family to take Liu’er back, not marry her off to Li Changliang.
Li Changliang stared at Liu’er and said fiercely, "I’m just a bachelor. What do I have for you to ruin? How would marrying me be useless? Even if you die, you’ll be one of the Li Family, buried in the Li Family burial ground."
Liu’er shook her head. "What difference does it make where I’m buried? It’d be just as peaceful on some nameless, weedy hill."
As Li Changliang proposed to Liu’er outside, stirring up a mix of reactions in the crowd, the scene inside the Zhang family home was also tense. Juhua was fine; she hadn’t had an accident. It was just that the sudden sight of Liu’er had shocked her to the core, sending a chill through her heart. It was like watching a TV show or reading a book—when you get to an infuriating or tragic part, you can’t help but cry. Except this wasn’t a TV show; it was a real-life drama unfolding before her very eyes. She had been prone to losing control of her emotions lately, and this was more than she could bear.
Thinking of Liu’er’s mother’s earlier uproar, listening to Mrs. Wang’s nonstop explanations, and seeing Liu’er’s lifeless face, a sharp pain lanced through her heart. ’Is this what happens to a wife who gets sent back? It’s terrifying!’
She was just sent back home—it was no different than a divorce in her past life. For the Sun Family to make such a huge scene over it was truly disheartening. Neither her husband’s family nor her own were particularly strict about traditions, so she had almost forgotten how different the customs and social etiquette of this place were from her past life.
After Huai Zi carried her back into the house, she did her best to take deep breaths and calm her emotions, terrified of harming the baby. It took a long while, but she finally composed herself.
But the moment she thought of the dying Liu’er outside, her heart clenched, and she felt breathless.
When they heard Li Changliang’s shout, "I’ll marry her!" everyone in the room froze. An idea flashed through Juhua’s mind. She abruptly broke free from Huai Zi’s arms, stood up, and started for the door.
In a panic, everyone moved to block her. Huai Zi quickly grabbed her hand. "Juhua, let’s not go out. Just let them argue." All he wanted was for Juhua to be safe; he couldn’t bear the thought of anything happening to her.
Qingmu asked in a low voice, "Are you worried about Liu’er? Don’t be. After a scene like this, Sun Tiezhu will definitely have to step in. But it’ll be hard for Changliang to marry her. In the state Liu’er’s in... she won’t agree, and the Li Family won’t allow it either."
Juhua frowned. "Why wouldn’t they? It’s not like Liu’er is certain to die."
Everyone exchanged bewildered glances. Liu’er’s condition was plain to see; no one could say how many days she had left. Why would Juhua think otherwise?
He opened her mouth to speak but hesitated, instead shooting a look at Yang Family and motioning for her to persuade Juhua.
Yang Family stepped forward and took Juhua’s hand. "Juhua, I’m afraid Liu’er’s condition is hopeless. It’s a sad thing, but what can we possibly do? When she was with the Tang family, they must have had doctors see her. After all that treatment, she’s still like this. They must have given up hope, or they would never have agreed to send her away. Whether Changliang marries her or not is a matter between the Li Family and the Sun Family. It’s not our place to interfere."
Liu Yunlan leaned against Qingmu, her feelings in turmoil. The day’s events had been a great shock to her, too. She sympathized with Liu’er, but at the same time, she didn’t want Juhua to get hurt.
Juhua sighed. It wasn’t that she wanted to be a busybody, but if there was even a sliver of hope, who could bear to just stand by and watch a person fade away like this? Liu’er was only about the same age as Qingmu.
She spoke patiently to the others. "I won’t interfere, I just want to say a few words to her. Think about it. Liu’er doesn’t have consumption or some incurable disease. Even though she lost two children and her health suffered, it shouldn’t be a death sentence. The reason she’s like this, I think, is because her life with the Tang family was miserable. She lost all hope, all will to live. Life became unbearable, and her body couldn’t heal. Then she was sent back, only for her own family to cause such a scene. I’m afraid she’s lost what little hope she had left and now only wants to die. If Brother Changliang can really marry her, if she can find her spirit again, she might just recover. It’s not impossible that she could survive."
’I have to try, no matter what,’ she thought. ’I have to try and persuade Liu’er. Illness is a bully; it preys on the weak and fears the strong. The power of the human spirit is immense.’ She was sure of it. Liu’er’s sickness wasn’t in her body, but in her soul—her spirit had already given up. If her hope in life could be reignited, the outcome was anyone’s guess. Though she couldn’t guarantee it, of course.
Everyone nodded as they listened, feeling that what Juhua said made a lot of sense.
But as soon as they heard the commotion outside—remembering how Granny Hua had shrieked her disagreement earlier—they were once again hesitant to let Juhua get involved.