A Beauty in the 80s Goes on a Blind Date with Her Child, Captivating the Military Compound - Chapter 33

Yang Qiuxia’s scalp was still swollen, and she couldn’t even touch it; it was agonizing.

Otherwise, she wouldn’t be standing outside in the cold to reduce the swelling.

That Shen Sisi! She had made her lose face this afternoon and forced her to write a letter of apology.

She had already been humiliated enough, and after returning home, Old Chen had given her another dressing down.

Yang Qiuxia ground her teeth in anger. “Just you wait. I’m not done with you!”

Just as she cursed, she felt a pair of terrifying eyes staring at her from the darkness, sending a chill down her spine.

Frightened, she quickly ran into the house and locked the door.

Perhaps she had caught a chill from the wind outside, but inside the house, Shen Sisi sneezed twice.

She had already changed into her old cotton-padded jacket and quietly went to the kitchen to wash the medicinal herbs she had bought.

After cleaning them, she placed the herbs on the chopping board, then felt relieved enough to wash up and go to sleep.

The next day, before dawn and before the wake-up call was blown, Shen Sisi opened her eyes.

She looked at Niu Niu sleeping soundly next to her, quietly got up on tiptoe.

Then, fully bundled up, covering her face with a thick, old scarf, she grabbed the backpack and sickle she had prepared earlier and walked towards the back hill.

Behind the military family compound was a vast expanse of hills.

The woods there weren’t dense, but there were many weeds and wild grasses, including many Chinese medicinal herbs. Even in winter, the woods remained green and hadn’t withered.

Shen Sisi had discovered this patch of woods by chance, like finding a treasure trove.

Holding the sickle in one hand and pulling aside herbs like wild chrysanthemum with the other, she vigorously swung the blade.

These wild flowers and grasses, unwanted by others, were all golden particles that could be exchanged for money in her eyes.

She worked quickly, and soon collected enough quantity to fill a small half of her backpack.

Before it got too light and before Niu Niu woke up, she had to hurry back.

Shen Sisi didn’t dare to turn on her flashlight and hurried along the path in the dim light.

Just as she was about to turn a corner to her doorstep, her peripheral vision caught a figure holding a small bottle, staggering towards the back hill.

She subconsciously hid, then took a peek. It was Zhang Xiuhong!!!

Zhang Xiuhong’s state was very wrong. Her hair was messy, her eyes were lifeless, and she was silently weeping as she walked into a deserted alley. The bottle she held… was Paraquat (a toxic herbicide)!

Shen Sisi’s heart sank, feeling that something terrible was about to happen. She cautiously followed her.

Sure enough, as soon as Zhang Xiuhong reached the edge of the woods, she twisted open the bottle of Paraquat. “Die. Once I’m dead, everything will be over…”

She tilted her head to drink it. Just as she lifted her wrist, Shen Sisi leaped out in a flash, slapped the bottle away, and kicked it deep into the weeds to ensure it was far away.

“Zhang Xiuhong, are you trying to kill yourself!”

Shen Sisi was momentarily terrified. Thank goodness she noticed in time, or Zhang Xiuhong would be dead!

This area was remote and almost nobody came here.

If Zhang Xiuhong had swallowed the pesticide here, she would be long gone by the time someone found her.

“Shen Sisi… why is it you? Who told you to meddle?”

Zhang Xiuhong was looking for an outlet for her anger. Seeing Shen Sisi, she suddenly gained energy, grabbing her and screaming hysterically.

Shen Sisi was forcefully held by her shoulders, her head dizzy from being shaken.

Seeing her trying to kill herself, Shen Sisi’s temples throbbed, and her eyes nearly sparked with anger.

“Zhang Xiuhong, you really don’t recognize kindness when you see it! I kindly saved you, and you curse me… Has a dog eaten your conscience?”

Zhang Xiuhong cried uncontrollably. “Who told you to save me? Shouldn’t you be hoping I die?”

“Yes, I shouldn’t have saved you! But who told you to walk past me? If I had stood by and watched you die, I would never have peace for the rest of my life…”

Hearing her words, Zhang Xiuhong burst into tears, sobbing breathlessly.

“You… you really are strange… strangely annoying…”

Shen Sisi gave her a dismissive glance. “Alright, tell me. Why are you trying to kill yourself?”

Zhang Xiuhong cried for a long time, pouring out all her grievances, and now felt much better.

“Isn’t it because of you? I lost all my face, and was framed and backstabbed by Yang Qiuxia…”

“When I got home, Zhou Tao brought up divorce and said he’s submitting the request today.”

“We already have a child, and that heartless man actually wants to divorce me! If I go back divorced, I’ll be drowned by the spittle of gossip in the village… so, I’d rather die than get divorced…”

Hearing this, a surge of anger instantly rose in Shen Sisi’s eyes. “It’s better to live miserably than to die well! It’s just a divorce; is it necessary to die over it?”

Zhang Xiuhong angrily retorted, “Do you think I’m like you?”

After saying this, she realized how hurtful her words were, and her tone softened. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to say that about you. I just have a quick mouth.”

Shen Sisi coldly snorted. “Quick mouth? Isn’t that what you think inside, too?”

“Yes… In your eyes, I’m just a disgrace, an unmarried mother who shamed the reputation of the compound.”

“No matter how you curse me or strike me down, I will never seek death.”

“Because this life of mine was fought for by someone else. I have family and friends who love me. Most importantly… I am a mother. My child cannot be without me…”

Shen Sisi became increasingly agitated as she spoke, even tearing up several times, but she stubbornly held back her tears.

Zhang Xiuhong stared blankly at her. For some reason, she felt a glow emanating from Shen Sisi, blinding her eyes.

As a fellow mother, Zhang Xiuhong felt inferior.

After a long pause, she wiped away her tears and sighed deeply, her expression becoming resolute. “Shen Sisi, you are a good mother.”

Having said that, she quickly wiped her face and her demeanor hardened. “For the sake of my Tietou (Iron Pillar), I must live… I won’t do anything foolish again.”

Shen Sisi was finally relieved when she saw the spirit return to Zhang Xiuhong’s eyes.

“Go home.”

Zhang Xiuhong, however, awkwardly said she didn’t want to go home. Seeing Zhou Tao would only upset her, and she feared he would bring up divorce again.

“You may have a quick mouth and not be very smart, but your heart isn’t entirely bad. If you change, there’s still hope.”

“You… you actually insulted me!”

“So what if I insulted you? You were spreading vicious rumors about me, too!”

When this topic came up, Zhang Xiuhong wished she could crawl into a hole. “Let’s put that behind us. The apology letter is still in your hand, can we not talk about it? I was influenced by a malicious person, too.”

Shen Sisi didn’t argue with her much more. She simply told her that if she didn’t want to be swept out the door, she needed to go home right now, clean herself up, cook a good breakfast, fix her habit of gossiping, and find something productive to do if she was bored.

If Zhang Xiuhong could do all that, she guaranteed that Company Commander Zhou wouldn’t bring up divorce again.

“Really?” Zhang Xiuhong was half-doubtful. “It’s that simple?”

“Simple? Prove you can do it first…”

Shen Sisi saw that the sky was fully light, almost seven-thirty. Concerned about Niu Niu, she turned around to walk back.

She had barely taken a few steps when Zhang Xiuhong’s voice came from behind. “Thank you!”

Looking at the slender figure walking away, Zhang Xiuhong smacked her lips.

This Shen Sisi didn’t seem as bad as Yang Qiuxia made her out to be…

She hesitated. Should she tell Shen Sisi about that matter?