Chapter 32: Wen Zhiqing Bullied My Daughter

In the past, whenever Gu Jianing brought him food, it was always at that spot.

Back then, Wen Zhuqing didn’t really want others to see him getting involved with Gu Jianing.

Wen Zhuqing’s gaze fell lightly on the paper, the corners of his lips lifting in a faint smile.

Now this—this was exactly the kind of thing Gu Jianing would do.

In Wen Zhuqing’s eyes, Gu Jianing was nothing more than a pretty face and a good figure—a brainless vase.

But this vase did suit his taste. For now, she was worth a try, worth toying with, and could serve as a stepping stone.

Wen Zhuqing had always wondered why Gu Jianing had changed so much, to the point it was almost unbelievable. Now, at least, he had an explanation.

Gu Jianing hadn’t changed—she was just being forced by her family.

But that was fine. As long as Gu Jianing still liked him, he had his ways to win her over. Tomorrow would be a good opportunity.

A hint of determined confidence flashed in Wen Zhiqing’s eyes.

—

The next day, after breakfast, everyone went off to their own business.

Gu Jianing, as usual, was giving her sister-in-law acupuncture treatment. She planned it so that by the time her own wedding banquet came around, her sister-in-law’s treatment would be finished, and she’d be able to get pregnant smoothly.

Just as she finished the treatment and pulled out the needles, she suddenly heard a commotion outside.

Gu Jianing raised her hand and glanced at the time on her watch, her eyes showing a hint of understanding.

It was about that time.

Soon, she saw her mother come running in, her face full of excitement and anticipation.

As soon as she entered, she grabbed Gu Jianing’s hand and said, “Daughter, come on, let’s go watch the excitement. This time, it’s a big one!”

Yang Manman, who had just finished her treatment and was lying on the bed, was curious too, but managed to hold herself back.

Gu Jianing, however, was pulled outside by her mother.

Not only that, but on the way, they ran into other villagers who seemed to have heard the news as well, all heading in the same direction—toward the north end of the village.

By the time Gu Jianing and her mother arrived, a large crowd had already gathered.

Before they even got close, they could hear a loud, somewhat raspy female voice coming from inside.

That voice was unmistakable—it belonged to Bao Yingzi, Bao Shanyan’s mother, with her uniquely powerful tone.

When Gu Jianing and her mother squeezed their way in, they saw the burly Bao Yingzi, built like a small mountain, in full swing, shouting at the top of her lungs.

“Everyone, judge for yourselves! Wen Zhiqing bullied my daughter. Shouldn’t he take responsibility and marry into our Bao family?”

“I only have this one daughter, and now Wen Zhiqing has ruined her like this!”

“If you don’t take responsibility for my daughter, I’ll call the police, I’ll go to the commune and report you for being a hooligan to my girl!”

Gu Jianing and Yao Chunhua had arrived a bit late. Looking up, Gu Jianing saw Wen Zhuqing trying to leave, but being firmly held back by Bao Shanyan.

He was still wearing his shirt and pants, but they were disheveled, his hair a mess—clearly thrown on in a hurry.

Bao Shanyan’s clothes were in the same state.

As Gu Jianing looked up, Wen Zhuqing’s gaze happened to meet hers, his eyes icy cold.

At this moment, Wen Zhuqing finally understood—he had been set up by Gu Jianing and Bao Shanyan, those two wretched women.

He didn’t know why, but Gu Jianing really had changed.

She didn’t like him at all anymore.

The look in her eyes was clear and cold, with not a trace of affection—if anything, there was a hint of hatred.

Yes, hatred. Wen Zhuqing was sure he wasn’t mistaken.

But he was confused—what had he done to make Gu Jianing hate him?

Could it be because of those pigs?

That seemed the only possible reason.

But then, was Gu Jianing’s affection for him all an act?

If it was, why would she have jumped into the river in the dead of winter? If she hadn’t been rescued in time, she could have died.

But aside from that, Wen Zhuqing couldn’t think of any other reason.

He would never have guessed, not in a million years, that Gu Jianing had been reborn.

Having already seen this scumbag’s true colors in her previous life, there was no way she’d fall for him again in this one.

Meanwhile, Gu Jianing had already pieced together what had happened from the villagers’ gossip.

It was simple: Wen Zhuqing and Bao Shanyan had been caught together. When Bao Yingzi brought people in, they found the two tangled up, with Bao Shanyan crying out for help and telling him to stop.

At a glance, it looked like Wen Zhuqing was bullying Bao Shanyan.

That’s certainly how Bao Yingzi saw it, so she demanded Wen Zhuqing take responsibility and marry into their family, or else she’d report him to the authorities for being a hooligan.

The aunts and old ladies who came along with Bao Yingzi all had their eyes shining.

It looked like Bao Shanyan was calling for help, and Wen Zhuqing was bullying her, but everyone in Huaishu Village knew how strong Bao Shanyan was.

If she really wanted to resist, even two Wen Zhiqings wouldn’t be able to handle her.

This whole scene was just for show—just to catch Wen Zhuqing in the act.

But none of them would expose Bao Shanyan. Instead, they played along with Bao Yingzi, keeping up the act and insisting Wen Zhuqing take responsibility.

First, Bao Yingzi had given them all gifts not long ago. At first, they’d wondered why—she wasn’t usually so generous. Now, everything was clear.

Second, they all wanted Wen Zhuqing to get married as soon as possible, to anyone. The thing was, all the girls in the families Bao Yingzi had approached liked Wen Zhuqing, and some even refused to consider other matches because of him, which made their mothers furious.

They could see clearly that these educated youths all had their noses in the air. They knew their own daughters wouldn’t have a good life if they married one, and besides, these educated youths couldn’t do any hard labor.

If their daughters married one, they’d end up having to support the couple.

No way.

So, now that they understood what was going on, they joined Bao Yingzi in denouncing Wen Zhuqing and acting as witnesses, insisting he take responsibility for Bao Shanyan.

Even though they knew the Bao family had set Wen Zhuqing up, so what? Sure, Wen Zhuqing marrying Bao Shanyan was like a flower stuck in a pile of cow dung, but they thought it was just fine.

“Village chief, party secretary, you have to stand up for my Yan!”

The village chief—Gu Jianing’s father—and the party secretary exchanged a glance.

Then Gu Jianing’s father stepped forward and said, “Wen Zhiqing, the facts are right in front of us. What do you have to say for yourself?”

He fixed Wen Zhuqing with a stern gaze. He’d never liked this educated youth who’d been trying to seduce his precious daughter.

He knew things probably weren’t as simple as they looked, but he was happy to see this happen.

Wen Zhuqing knew he couldn’t stay silent any longer.

Sweeping his gaze over the crowd, he said, “I, Wen Zhuqing, have only been in Huaishu Village for a little over half a year, but everyone knows what kind of person I am.”

“As for what happened today, I was set up.”

As soon as he said this, the crowd erupted in an uproar."