My Wife, So Fierce! - Chapter 9

“Uncle, Aunt,” Shen Baiyi said softly, “I don’t want to talk about this right now.”

This girl was trying to brush it off with vague words.

Not now?

Then when? After they’ve run off with everything?

A flash of anger crossed Tan Bin’s face.

If Zheng Yao hadn’t been there, he would have slapped her right then.

Zhang Cui, however, remained composed. “Fine, we’ll head back for now. Baiyi, come over for lunch at noon. I’ll make your favorite braised pork!”

With that, she shot the others a meaningful glance.

With that lunatic around, she didn’t dare make too big a scene. That crazy girl was an outsider, no matter how ugly things got, she could just leave and it wouldn’t matter. But the Tan family was different.

The Tans had been rooted in this village for generations. Her Baosheng hadn’t even married yet they couldn’t afford to ruin their reputation.

“Alright.”

Only after Shen Baiyi agreed did the group finally leave the Shen household.

Zheng Yao didn’t give Shen Baiyi a chance to speak to her, grabbing her things and heading off to wash up.

But Shen Baiyi clung to her like a stubborn burr. “Miss Zheng.”

Zheng Yao ignored her, calmly brushing her teeth.

“Uncle Wang mentioned you’ll be heading back tomorrow,” Shen Baiyi murmured. “Could you take me with you? I’ll get off at the county town. I don’t have much stuff, I won’t take up much space.”

At that, Zheng Yao paused mid-brush.

She lifted her gaze. “Why are you going to the county?”

“I only took seven days off,” Shen Baiyi said, her expression dimming. “After handling my dad and Aunt Bai’s funeral arrangements, I need to go back to school.”

Zheng Yao fell silent.

Shen Baiyi had been so composed and capable these past few days that she’d completely forgotten the girl was still a student.

A seat in the car wasn’t the issue, the real problem was, would the Tan family just let her leave like this? Taking Shen Baiyi along meant taking on a mess.

Still, it seemed Shen Baiyi wasn’t entirely foolish she knew how to drag Zheng Yao into this.

While Zheng Yao was still weighing her options, Shen Baiyi suddenly stepped forward. Zheng Yao’s pupils contracted slightly.

Tears had already begun welling in Shen Baiyi’s eyes. Her bruised hand reached out, clutching the hem of Zheng Yao’s clothes, her voice trembling. “Please. Otherwise, Uncle and the others won’t let me go.”

Before Zheng Yao could respond, she added earnestly,

“If it’s really too much, you can even stuff me in the trunk.”

Tears dripped down her cheeks, her crying delicate and pitiful, the very picture of vulnerability.

Zheng Yao’s eyelid twitched, her gaze lingering despite herself.

Shen Baiyi was beautiful, and even her crying was pretty. Her thick lashes were damp with tears, trembling with each sob. Her fair cheeks flushed pink, like delicate blossoms battered by rain, utterly heartrending.

After a long silence, Zheng Yao finally spoke. “Your legs are your own.”

She still didn’t outright agree.

No need to encourage Shen Baiyi to rely on her for every little thing in the future.

Shen Baiyi’s crying hitched. She lifted her tear-streaked face. “They are, but the county’s too far. My uncle’s family took the motorcycle ages ago, and the bus driver is Tan Baosheng, he won’t let me leave.”

So that was it.

Zheng Yao slowly pieced together Shen Baiyi’s predicament.

A complete orphan no father, no mother, with only greedy, ruthless relatives eyeing her inheritance.

No wonder she was begging for help.

Shen Baiyi’s situation was too passive. The mere fact that Tan Baosheng was the bus driver completely held her lifeline in his grasp.

“I want to go to school,” Shen Baiyi sobbed, still heartbroken. “My uncle and his family definitely won’t let me go to the county town like before. I’m already in my senior year of high school, and my grades are good. I really want to leave these mountains.”

Her grip on Zheng Yao’s clothes was so tight that the collar began to choke her.

Zheng Yao yanked her clothes back, suppressing her irritation with a cold snort. “You should be saying that to your father. He has all the time in the world to drag Bai Yuanzhu around everywhere, but none to help you leave these mountains.”

Even if she ended up helping Shen Baiyi, she’d let her stew first.

So, without waiting for Shen Baiyi’s reaction, she washed her face and turned to go back to her room.

In the courtyard, Shen Baiyi remained frozen in place.

Tears still glistened in her eyes, but beneath them was nothing but ice.

She pressed her lips together, her expression slowly fading into blankness.

Suddenly sensing movement at the gate, Shen Baiyi turned her head and locked eyes with Old Xu, who was peeking in. This time, he didn’t immediately run. Instead, when she looked at him, he forced an ingratiating smile.

Shen Baiyi’s face darkened. Slowly, she raised her hand and wiped away her tears before walking toward him.

Seeing this, Old Xu instinctively wanted to flee, but the little demoness behind him called out softly, “Grandpa Xu.”

Her voice was gentle, even polite, but Old Xu immediately broke out in goosebumps. He hadn’t forgotten the time he’d thought this girl was alone and vulnerable, only to end up pinned in a filthy ditch with her foot on his face.

This girl was like a glutinous rice ball soft and sweet-looking on the outside, but hiding black sesame paste inside.

She’d fooled him, making him stumble over her and even break his leg. For days afterward, the stench of that ditch haunted him whenever he closed his eyes. And the worst part? No one believed him when he told them.

All because this little brat played her act too well.

The whole village thought she was a pitiful, unloved child himself included. After all, if Shen Baiyi were really so tough, how could the Tan family have bullied her all these years?

Who would’ve guessed she was hiding such depths?

The more he thought about it, the more he realized Shen Baiyi was a living demon.

As she approached, Old Xu forced an awkward chuckle. “I was just passing by, passing by.”

Shen Baiyi remained silent.

Her gaze fixed on him, lips pressed tight.

Encouraged by her silence, Old Xu grew bolder. Remembering what he’d just witnessed, he simpered, “That woman looked downright nasty! She deserves a lesson, picking on someone young like you. If she were my wife, I’d have her whipped into shape!”

He was deliberately testing Shen Baiyi’s stance.

Of course, Shen Baiyi understood. Old Xu was a lifelong bachelor, constantly dreaming of a wife. He’d leered at the younger girls in the village until their families beat him senseless. Then he’d toyed with the idea of buying a bride.

Of course, this wasn’t the lawless past.

Now, seeing Zheng Yao, his old desires stirred again.

Shen Baiyi’s eyes turned colder.

Old Xu continued muttering, “If she marries into my family, I won’t treat her badly. I’ll give you the bride price directly, and we’ll all live happily together. How nice.”

Shen Baiyi laughed.

No wonder people said Old Xu had thick skin.

With a smile, she said, “Grandpa Xu, go ahead and keep dreaming. Let’s see if your bones are harder than my fists.”

Old Xu’s expression instantly changed.

He was terrified of this little demon’s smile. He still remembered that one time when she had worn the same smile, one foot on his face and the other hand holding a large rock, looking as if she was about to smash his head in. He had been so scared he pissed himself on the spot.

It was only because he wet himself that Shen Baiyi, disgusted, let him off.

Now, seeing that smile again, Old Xu’s heart raced with panic. He quickly stumbled back a few steps, stammering, “Just joking, just joking!”

With that, he hobbled away as fast as he could.

That time, he had broken his leg but couldn’t afford treatment, leaving him with a permanent limp. Now, his frantic escape looked both pitiful and ridiculous.

Shen Baiyi’s smile slowly faded. Sensing something, she turned and saw Aunt Liu standing not far away, watching her with a deep frown.

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