My Wife, So Fierce! - Chapter 12

Zheng Yao was growing restless staying here.

Especially now that she had to constantly watch out for the Shen family’s big yellow dog, Dahuang, which might suddenly jump out from anywhere. She didn’t want to reveal her fear of dogs, so she barely left her room all day.

The room was filled with traces of Bai Yuanzhu’s life, making her even more irritable. She wished she could sprout wings and fly away from the village immediately.

Fortunately, she used her “money power” to get most of the villagers to work together on clearing the road. Many hands make light work, and this time, luck was finally on her side, it hadn’t rained in days, so the road was cleared smoothly.

By the next morning, Wang Yong told her that, barring any surprises, they could leave the village that afternoon.

“Good.”

Finally able to escape this godforsaken place, Zheng Yao’s face brightened slightly. She tilted her chin and glanced at Shen Baiyi, who was sweeping the yard. “Take her with us.”

Wang Yong was taken aback.

After hesitating, he said tactfully, “I’m not sure if her guardians would agree.”

His voice wasn’t loud, but the yard was small, and Shen Baiyi couldn’t help but hear. Her sweeping slowed.

“Her guardians?” Zheng Yao raised an eyebrow and retorted bluntly, “Aren’t they all dead? Should we go ask them?”

Wang Yong didn’t mean it that way, but before he could explain, Shen Baiyi walked over.

“Uncle Wang.” Shen Baiyi had cried a lot these past few days her eyes were red and swollen, and her voice was hoarse, making her sound even more pitiful. “If there’s no space, you can put me in the trunk. I don’t have much stuff, I won’t take up any room.”

Wang Yong was at a loss.

It wasn’t about space.

Gritting his teeth, he said, “Baiyi, it’s not that I don’t want to help you. You know your uncle’s family won’t let you leave.”

The Tan family wasn’t easy to deal with.

Especially since they were outnumbered here, while the Tans were local bullies. If the Tans rallied the villagers to block the car, even he and Zheng Yao might not be able to leave.

“I’m not scared, so why should you, a grown man, be?” Zheng Yao said carelessly.

Wang Yong opened his mouth but didn’t know how to respond.

Wasn’t he just worried about things going wrong?

While Wang Yong was anxious, the Tan family was also in a hurry as the road was nearly cleared.

Zhang Cui paced back and forth, sweating nervously. “If that damn girl really runs away, the money will fly away with her!”

Tan Bin took a drag of his cigarette, his expression darkening. “I say we just grab the girl and beat her. A beating will make her obedient.”

Hadn’t that always worked before?

If a kid misbehaved, a good thrashing would fix it. All this fuss was just a waste of time.

Tan Baosheng sprawled on a chair, picking at his feet. As the village bus driver, he spoke arrogantly, “What’re you all so worried about? Didn’t we send Second Sister to keep an eye on the Shen house? Besides, if anyone wants to leave, they have to take my bus. If I don’t drive her, how’s she gonna run?”

“That’s not the point,” Tan Shengdi, Tan Baosheng’s eldest sister, adjusted her glasses. “That woman is leaving, right? If Shen Baiyi runs off with her, we won’t even have a chance to chase them down.”

That was their biggest concern.

If it were just Shen Baiyi alone, they wouldn’t be so anxious. The problem was that there was an adult involved.

The more they thought about it, the more uneasy they became. They decided they had to grab the girl and keep her at home where they could watch her.

Just as they were about to leave, loud noises erupted outside.

The loud banging and repeated kicks at the front door sent Tan Bin leaping up from his stool, his face dark with anger. “Who the hell dares to cause trouble here?” he roared.

Flinging the door open in fury, he found several people blocking the entrance.

At the front stood a few burly men, while behind them, a visibly pregnant girl was sobbing.

Tan Baosheng’s face instantly paled with panic.

Recognizing the group, Tan Bin continued shouting, “What the hell are you doing? Coming to my house to make trouble for no reason?”

Zhang Cui caught sight of the girl at the back of the crowd and turned to glare at her son. Her eyelids twitched nervously, her heart pounding with unease.

Frowning, she adopted the stern demeanor of a mother-in-law disciplining her daughter-in-law. “Xiao Li, what are you doing here with that big belly of yours? You should be resting at home!”

But the group didn’t bother with explanations. They barged into the Tan household and began smashing everything in sight.

Chaos erupted.

Meanwhile, the second Tan sister was idly loitering outside the Shen residence.

“Well, well! You’re still here?” Aunt Liu, on her way home, spotted the Tan family member crouched like a dog at the Shen doorstep. Rolling her eyes inwardly, she feigned urgency. “Girl, something’s happened at your place!”

“Huh?” The Tan sister stood up, her expression shifting. “Auntie, what’s going on at my house?”

“I don’t know the details of your family’s affairs,” Aunt Liu waved her hand dismissively. “But you’d better hurry back. From what I heard, it’s quite a scene.”

Panicked, the Tan sister rushed home.

Only after she had disappeared did Aunt Liu shake her head.

What a wretched family. The whole village had been talking about this for a while she’d known it was only a matter of time before things blew up.

Not long ago, Tan Baosheng had sweet-talked a girl, charmed her into submission, and deliberately gotten her pregnant. Then he suddenly declared that if she wanted to marry into the Tan family, there’d be no bride price.

Everyone knew his two sisters had married with hefty dowries.

No bride price might have been tolerable if the couple could make ends meet, and the girl’s family reluctantly agreed. But as her belly grew larger by the day, the Tans grew greedier.

Not only did they demand zero bride price, but they also insisted the girl’s family provide a lavish dowry, claiming she was no longer a virgin and that her pregnancy would bring shame. They hounded the family for more and more.

Back and forth they went, but no agreement was reached.

Just as the girl’s family conceded again, the Tans kept delaying the wedding. Then, at this critical moment, news broke that Tan Baosheng intended to marry Shen Baiyi instead. Naturally, all hell broke loose.

The girl’s family immediately gathered a crowd and stormed the Tan household to settle the score.

Zheng Yao, having masterminded it all from the shadows, handed some prepared money to Xiao Hui, who’d come to claim credit. “Take this and buy candy for you and your friends.”

“Thank you, sister!”

Xiao Hui chirped brightly, snatched the money, and dashed off.

The commotion at the Tan residence was loud enough to carry faintly in the distance. Zheng Yao listened carefully for a moment before sighing wistfully.

What a pity she couldn’t witness the spectacle firsthand.

With the Tan family too preoccupied to bother her, she turned to go inside only to lock eyes with Shen Baiyi, who stood silently at the living room doorway.

Who knew how long she’d been watching.

Zheng Yao raised an eyebrow. “What are you staring at? Go pack your things. The car will be here soon.”

Recalling the items in Bai Yuanzhu’s room, a trace of irritation flickered between her brows. After a moment of silence, she finally said, “You should take all the valuables from home. Some of the jewelry in Bai Yuanzhu’s room can be sold at specialty stores.”

Shen Baiyi thanked her and added, “Miss Zheng, you can take Aunt Bai’s things.”

Zheng Yao lost patience, her tone turning sharp. “Just take what you’re told. Stop wasting words.”

Shen Baiyi fell silent and quietly went into the room to pack.

Zheng Yao stood in the courtyard for a while, waiting until Shen Baiyi had left Bai Yuanzhu’s room before entering herself. She had little to pack most of what she’d brought had either been used or discarded, leaving her suitcase empty.

When they got back in the car, though the ride was just as bumpy, her state of mind was entirely different.

Watching the scenery flash by outside, Zheng Yao felt a sense of relief. Glancing at Shen Baiyi, she noticed the girl’s fair, delicate face was set in an uncharacteristically solemn expression, looking almost prematurely aged.

Zheng Yao couldn’t help but scoff. “What are you so nervous about?”

They were already far enough away did she really think the Tan family would come chasing after them?

Shen Baiyi, sitting in the passenger seat, turned to look at her. Meeting Zheng Yao’s gaze, she instinctively smiled, appearing somewhat shy. “I’m not nervous.”

Zheng Yao didn’t press the matter.

Now that she’d gone along with Shen Baiyi’s wishes and brought her along, Zheng Yao felt oddly unsettled. She couldn’t resist a sarcastic jab. “You really take after Bai Yuanzhu, don’t you? Ready to walk away without a second thought. What about your dog?”

“Dogs aren’t allowed at school,” Shen Baiyi murmured, lowering her eyes. “I gave Dahuang to Aunt Liu.”

“How generous,” Zheng Yao sneered.

If she could give away a family pet, would she do the same with a child someday?

Shen Baiyi didn’t respond.

What else could she have done?

She was like a drifting weed herself, with nowhere to take root, how could she possibly care for Dahuang? Giving him to Aunt Liu had been her only option.

But she kept these thoughts to herself, afraid of angering Zheng Yao.

Now that she was in Zheng Yao’s car, she couldn’t afford to provoke her. If Zheng Yao decided to drop her off halfway, she’d have nowhere to turn.

The road was so rough that by the time they reached the county town, even Zheng Yao looked queasy, let alone Shen Baiyi.

Shen Baiyi had already thrown up several times into a bag during the ride. When they finally stopped at the school gates, her legs were too weak to stand properly.

Zheng Yao stayed in the car.

Shen Baiyi stood outside and said, “Miss Zheng, thank you so much for helping me.”

Zheng Yao was carsick, her head spinning, and couldn’t muster the energy to reply.

But Shen Baiyi continued, “Could I have your contact information? In the future, I—”

Before she could finish, Zheng Yao coldly lifted her gaze, forcing out the words, “Dream on. Get back to your school and don’t bother me again.”

The effort made her feel even worse.

She closed her eyes to steady herself.

Seeing Zheng Yao’s pallor, Shen Baiyi wisely didn’t press further. Instead, she thanked Wang Yong and asked for his contact details.

Shen Baiyi didn’t have much just a backpack. Wang Yong, ever helpful, got out with her and insisted on escorting her all the way into the school before returning.

“Ah, that girl.”

He sighed as he got back into the car.

Zheng Yao didn’t respond, listlessly raising her eyes to look out the window where Shen Baiyi’s retreating figure could still be seen.

When leaving, Shen Baiyi had deliberately changed into her school uniform. The oversized clothes made her frame appear even more slender, as if a gust of wind could carry her away.

Compared to when she was at the Shen household, Shen Baiyi now carried an air of scholarly refinement serene and gentle, the very image of a quiet, well-mannered student.

Withdrawing her gaze, Zheng Yao let out a cold snort.

Whatever she looked like didn’t matter they wouldn’t be seeing each other again anyway.

Support