Rebirth After Divorce

Since Luo Qian and Luo Xiao were slightly bothered regarding Mr. Huo’s statement, when Mr. Huo went out, both of them had a dazed look on their faces.

 

“What’s wrong with the two of you?” Upon exiting the kitchen to get something, the sight of the two standing there with serious expressions entered Grandma Luo’s eyes, “Is there something I missed?”

 

“That’s not it, grandma.” Taking the initiative Luo Xiao answered, “The reason is I have to go to my teacher’s home to learn calligraphy after the new year passed, but my mom is a little concerned that I won’t be able to keep it up.”

 

“Oh, is it worth it to be so concerned about such a small matter?” Grandma Luo breathed a sigh of relief when she heard this, “Qian, you have to believe in Xiaoxiao that he can do it. Am I right, Xiaoxiao?”

 

“That’s right. Mom, you don’t have to be so concerned, I will definitely learn seriously and work hard.” Luo Xiao pulled Luo Qian’s hand and nodded with a firm attitude.

 

Luo Qian heard her son’s response and detected the hidden meaning behind them. The scene that can’t be explained by science just now flashed into her mind. After thinking for a while, she finally nodded, “If you’re really determined, then do as you say and learn seriously.”

 

“Okay.” Luo Xiao nodded his head with an eager expression. However, as he thought of his master’s appearance with his brows furrowed after he did the calculation for his mother, his mood turned anxious. It looked like he needed to inquire his master about the matter once he got there to learn calligraphy after new year, or else his heart would remain hanging in his throat.

 

Amidst the anxious mood of Luo Qian and Luo Xiao, the next day, which was also the first day of the three days based on Mr. Huo’s calculation arrived. But even after they got to bed to sleep, the expected misfortune did not happen. The same goes for the second day. Noon had passed on the third day, but the result was still the same.

 

For a moment, Luo Qian couldn’t describe her current emotions. She felt thankful that she was fine, but was slightly disappointed and angry because Mr. Huo bluffed her. It was only Luo Xiao who remained anxious. His instinct told him that the trigram calculated by his master must be correct.

 

The time ticked off at eight o’clock in the evening and Luo Qian intended to go to sleep after finishing arranging the things at the house. Much to her surprise, just when she was about to change into her sleeping clothes, urgent knocks came on the other side of the door.

 

Luo Qian quickly ran to the door, and her friend’s disorganized voice could be heard clearly, “Qian, are you inside? Qian, please immediately open the door. Help me, Qian!”

 

“Coming, coming.” Luo Qian did not waste any time and hurried to open the door. Upon opening the door, a figure rushed towards her speedily without waiting for her to react.

 

“Qian, I’m begging you, please help me.”

 

“Yanzi, what happened to you? How come there are bruises all over your body? Did that man from your family lift his hand on you?” Luo Qian supported the woman who had her body covered with countless wounds. Xu Yan, who was beaten all over her body, fixed her eyes on the torn clothes that could barely cover her body, frowned, and anger filled her eyes.

 

“Mom, help Aunt Xu to get inside first.” Luo Xiao heard the noise outside and walked out of his room, “I’ll close the door.”

 

“Alright.” Luo Qian nodded, and then attentively supported Xu Yan to get inside the house, “Yanzi, sit there for a while. I’ll leave first and get a set of clean clothes for you.”

 

“Okay, thanks a lot, Qian.” Xu Yan expressed her thankfulness.

 

“No need to feel bothered, we’re all good sisters.” Finishing saying that, Luo Qian walked to the floor above to get some clothes from her room.

 

After closing the door, Luo Xiao went inside and looked at the still shaking Xu Yan. His body turned back, he lifted the thermos cup placed on the table, and poured her a still smoking hot cup of water. “Aunt Xu, have a cup of water to drink first. I’ll go and light the fire at the fireplace now to let you feel hot.”

 

“Then I’ll trouble you, Xiaoxiao.” Xu Yan clasped the cup and shook her head, “It’s already so late, I’m already embarrassed to come and bother you guys and…”

 

Luo Xiao quickly stopped her from continuing to speak, “Aunt Xu, you must not say that. You are a good sister and a friend of my mom, and you usually treat me very kindly, so there’s no need to say anything about troubling others or whatnot.”

 

“That is to say, Yanzi, if you really feel that it is trouble and happen to see me outside again, I won’t be happy.” Luo Qian climbed down from the stairs with clothes held in her hand. She turned to Luo Xiao and said, “Xiaoxiao, you light up the fireplace, otherwise your Aunt Xu will freeze out.”

 

“En, okay.” Luo Xiao nodded, turned his feet in another direction, and walked to the kitchen to light the fireside.

 

“Here it is, Yanzi, a change of clothes for you. It’s a good thing that there’s still some hot water at home. You go take a shower, wipe your body, and slowly let go of your taunted nerves.” After saying this, she helped Xu Yan go to the bathroom and brought several hot water bottles out from the kitchen, “Yanzi, here it is. I have placed the hot water here. If you need anything, just shout.” After letting out those words, she closed the bathroom door and went out.

 

Xu Yan closed her eyes, but her eyes remained red and hot. Finishing taking a shower, she wore a set of clean clothes and exited the bathroom. The living room’s temperature has long been heated up by the fireside in the kitchen. Needless to say, the heat not only warmed her body, but also her chilled heart.

 

“Yanzi, walk to this side. Sit here by the fireside, the temperature here is hot.” Luo Qian motioned for her to come and pointed to the chair.

 

“Alright.” Xu Yan nodded and went over to sit down.

 

“Yanzi, what happened to you today?” Luo Qian questioned with a worried expression. After all, this time was still the period of Chinese New Year, so how come in the period of Chinese New Year a person dressed in torn clothes was rushing to ask for help? Even though Xu Yan’s husband would occasionally beat his wife, it was all basically just some small quarrels, and a severe situation like now has never happened.

 

Xu Yan fell silent and only after a few moments did she say, “It’s not my husband who beat me up this time.”

 

“Ah? If it’s not your husband, then who is this bastard that has the guts to hurt you?” Luo Qian became startled after hearing her reply. She added quickly, “What about your husband? Why didn’t he protect you?”

 

“My husband…” Xu Yan broke into tears before she could finish her words.

 

“Yanzi, don’t cry. Quickly tell me, what happened?”

 

Xu Yan whimpered as she cried and spoke, “My husband went out to do a job for someone yesterday, but he somehow lost his life in an accident.”

 

“What? How come?”

 

“Well, I only discovered it this morning. I was so shocked at that time and before I could come back to my senses, my brother aggressively entered my house with a large group of people behind his back and took away all the things that had some value in the house. And, and, he…”

 

“And also what?”

 

“And, he also sold me to a sixty-year-old man in front of me.” Xu Yan stopped for a moment and resumed speaking, “I did my best to struggle at that time, but they beat me up so badly. I was hit by them many times. Just now, I was only able to run away desperately because I took advantage of the momentary inattentiveness of the old man.”

 

Luo Xiao finally determined that the incident this time was the misfortune that would come in those three days based on his master’s mouth.

 

“Mom, from what Aunt Xu has said, then those bad guys would certainly know that she is staying here. I’ll go find uncle now. He’s after all working at the Public Security Bureau.” Luo Xiao thought for a few seconds and suggested.

 

Luo Qian listened to what he said and agreed. What her son said is correct. The two of them left the Luo’s house and lived in this house that they were renting for the time being, starting from the sixth day after New Year. So there are only three of them inside the house now. In case those people come to their door, they really have no power to struggle.

 

“En, you go. Remember to be careful on the road.” Luo Qian reminded Luo Xiao attentively.

 

“Okay, I know, mom.” Saying so, Luo Xiao rushed to the direction of his uncle’s house while holding a turned-on flashlight.

 

“It’s alright, it’s alright. Yanzi, stop crying.” Luo Qian rubbed her back and consoled her, “Right, are your parents aware of what happened to you?”

 

“Yes, they know.” Xu Yan looked at the ground and whispered in a small voice.

 

“What? They know?” Surprise appeared on Luo Qian’s face, “If they knew about it, how come they remained silent and didn’t come out to help you?”

 

Xu Yan smiled bitterly, “Qian, it’s not a secret from you that I am not their blood-related daughter. I was an unwanted baby who was thrown in the trash can, and they coincidentally walked past there that day. Moreover, a master had once told them that they had to adopt a child to be able to conceive a son, so they brought me home and raised me.”

 

“Still, they have raised you for several years. Even animals developed feelings for the child that they raised for so many years, let alone humans!” Luo Qian spoke with a hint of unbelieving tone, “Besides, the money you earned all these years was given to them. No, the right term should be that what their big family spent is all covered by the money you earned from working hard.”

 

“That’s right, but it doesn’t matter.” Xu Yan stopped for a moment and continued, “To say it in a straightforward way, my marriage is actually a transactional one.”

 

“Transaction?”

 

“Yes. At that time, my younger brother was demanding to get a radio, but since my father was severely ill at the house, not only did I have no extra money in hand but I also owed a lot of debts to others. So there is no way to come up with such a large sum of money to get him a radio. It’s a pity that as the only son of the Xu family, he is placed with great importance because the Xu surname will be passed down by him. Furthermore, this younger brother is a hard-earned son, so from childhood until he became an adult, he was usually spoiled by my parents and was given everything that was deemed as best. The result is that my parents sold me to my current husband.”

 

“Then what about this time?”

 

“This time is because my younger brother was introduced to a woman last month. The woman is the only child in the family, and the woman’s family has a lot of money compared to ours, so my parents and brother made up their minds to please that family. It didn’t matter if it was a door-to-door son-in-law1Means the wife’s family is responsible for the marriage and other expenses in the future. The husband will live at his wife’s home after marriage, and the children must follow after the wife’s surname. The thought in their heads is, once the two tie the knot2Married each other in the future, won’t the woman’s family’s money belong to them in the end? So, my younger brother used all kinds of ways and spent money to buy things every now and then and deliver them to the woman. The problem is, our family didn’t have that much money. I don’t know where my younger brother got the news, but the second he knew that my husband was dead, he quickly came to my house and sold me on the spot.”

 

“That bastard!” Luo Qian gnashed her teeth furiously after hearing what she said. She did not expect things to be like this, “If that’s the case, what’s your future plan in the days to come?”

 

“I have no idea either…” Xu Yan looked at her with a blank expression, “But I can’t stay here any longer.”

 

“No, that’s not good. How about you staying temporarily at my house for now? Anyway, I have an empty room here.” Just as Luo Qian’s words fell, furious knocking came from the other side of the door.

 

“Qian, what should I do? They’re coming after me, they’re coming after me.” Xu Yan quickly panicked, “No, I have to escape or else you will definitely be implicated by it.”

 

“It’s alright, Yanzi. Don’t be flustered, come on. You forgot, my brother-in-law is working at the Public Security Bureau and is a police officer! In addition, Xiaoxiao has already gone out to find him. Estimating the time, he should be coming back in a short time.”

 

“Yes, yes, we will be alright, we will be alright.”

 

Meanwhile on Luo Xiao’s side, he was pulling his uncle who had just got up from bed and proceeded to rush back to the house. He was extremely scared about the unexpected situation that might happen to his mother. After all, his master’s divination already revealed that she would suffer from some minor injuries.

 

At this time, the wooden door of Luo Qian’s house was kicked open, accompanied by the sound of yelling and cursing outside. A large group of unfamiliar people poured inside the house and they all went straight in the direction of the two.

 

1Means the wife’s family is responsible for the marriage and other expenses in the future. The husband will live at his wife’s home after marriage, and the children must follow after the wife’s surname2Married each other