After finishing his second sister's wedding preparations, Xie Sui didn't rush back to the county town. Instead, he and Lin Wanwan stayed in the village for a couple of days, strolling around and enjoying the scenery. His mood shifted with the surroundings.
He knew that Lin Wanwan hadn't completely let go of the past; a thorn remained in her heart, capable of piercing her at any moment.
Lin Wanwan didn't say much, aware of his worries. However, the better Xie Sui treated her, the more uncomfortable she felt, always believing she didn't deserve his kindness.
A woman's heart is hard to fathom. Sometimes, even knowing one is being irrational, it's impossible to change.
Xie Min and Chen Weimin had to leave. They couldn't just hide in the village forever, with so much to do outside. The summer clothes had sold well, and they needed to restock and prepare for autumn wear. Hu Pan had already urged them several times, treating her like a workhorse while delegating everything.
Xie Sui felt no guilt in sending them off to earn money for him, choosing to remain in the village to be with his wife.
The children were delighted to play for a few days. Back in the county town, they would face endless tutoring classes and homework, a stark contrast to the carefree fun in the village.
Xie Sui even took Lin Wanwan fishing. Finally, Lin Wanwan couldn't hold back, "Are you really planning to stay in the village long-term? What about the factory?"
Xie Sui replied, "There's always more money to be made. Let's seize this moment of leisure, Wanwan. You need to learn to enjoy life."
Lin Wanwan didn't want to enjoy life; she wanted to throw him into the river so she wouldn't have to dwell on these thoughts.
"Let's go back tomorrow. I know what you're thinking, but I'm fine."
Xie Sui let out a long sigh. Her willingness to talk was a good sign. Running away from problems only made them worse.
"This is really nothing. Look at Chen Weimin and Second Sister, aren't they very happy? Sometimes, whether someone is your biological parent or not, or whether things are pure or not, isn't the most important thing. The most important thing is that we are together, that we love each other. Then, all problems become non-problems."
Lin Wanwan knew he wasn't lying. She lowered her gaze and said, "I just feel like you're too good to me, and I..."
"Consider it my debt to you. I was such a scoundrel in the past, and you didn't even abandon me, did you? What's 'good' or 'not good'? Whatever I do for you, I do it willingly, and I'm happy about it. If I overthought every good thing you did for me, how could we possibly live our lives?"
Lin Wanwan smiled, "Okay, I promise. I won't think about it anymore, alright?"
Xie Sui forced a smile, "Fine, I'll reluctantly believe you."
Finally, it was time for them to leave. Xie's father and mother were relieved. They had sensed something was amiss, and Wanwan hadn't been in good spirits. Now that they seemed back to their old selves, they prepared some of the family's farm produce to see them off.
Back in the county town, the children wailed in unison; it was time for tutoring classes again. Xie Sui began to tackle the backlog of work at the factory.
A phone call interrupted Xie Sui's thoughts. It was from the person monitoring Cheng Yiming.
While Xie Sui wanted to comfort Lin Wanwan and help her let go, he had no intention of letting Cheng Yiming off the hook.
By openly having people watch Cheng Yiming, he wanted him to know that Xie Sui could easily ruin him, keeping him in a state of constant fear and depriving him of any peaceful days.
It was then that Cheng Yiming realized how troublesome a person he had provoked. Even at school, he was being followed. He was too scared to be alone, and reporting it to the police was useless. The watchers did nothing illegal.
Who would dare claim they were being monitored? Did they have proof?
Cheng Yiming's own past was far from clean, so how could he tell the police the truth?
Finally, Cheng Yiming couldn't bear it anymore. He contacted someone. The people monitoring him were all recruited by Chen Weimin, and one of them was skilled in lip-reading. This phone call was particularly interesting: it was to Lin Wanwan's sister, Lin Shishi.
Xie Sui frowned. Cheng Yiming knew Lin Shishi?
This was getting interesting. This sister-in-law wasn't being honest!
Cheng Yiming's acquaintance with Lin Shishi was a coincidence. A friend of Lin Shishi's attended the same school as him. Through their mutual friend, they became familiar. When they talked about the past, Lin Shishi learned that he had lived in the same village as Lin Wanwan.
Lin Shishi, having been held in a detention center by Xie Sui for several months, harbored a deep hatred for them. She contacted Cheng Yiming, intending to cause trouble for Xie Sui. (From Sudan Novel Network)
"Keep a close eye on them. Cause some trouble for Cheng Yiming. Whatever he wants, find a way to sabotage it. Also, thoroughly investigate his family. I'll send his family some gifts later."
These "gifts" were certainly not genuine. Xie Sui was generally a reasonable person; he believed in not involving families. However, Cheng Yiming had disgusted him to the point where he felt like digging up his ancestors' graves.
Cheng Yiming thought being monitored was bad enough, but worse was yet to come. His scholarship application was rejected due to interference, his wallet kept disappearing, his car tires were slashed, and when he spoke to female classmates, their boyfriends would show up and beat him, accusing him of harassing their girlfriends...
Not a single thing went his way. He knew Xie Sui was behind it, and he was suffering immensely.
He called Lin Shishi again, asking her to find a way to resolve this, threatening to expose her if she didn't. He truly couldn't endure this kind of life anymore.
Lin Shishi hadn't expected Xie Sui to be so ruthless. She was helpless. If she appeared, she would be the one to suffer.
Xie Sui pondered one thing: what leverage did Lin Shishi have over Cheng Yiming that he would do her bidding?
Could they be having an affair?
Besides that, Xie Sui couldn't think of any other possibility.
He sent people to investigate Lin Shishi's past. This sister-in-law truly made him speechless. Her in-laws had arranged a job for her, and her husband was decent. Yet, she had an affair with a factory leader.
What secrets could a factory hold? The news spread quickly. Could her in-laws tolerate that?
Naturally, it ended in divorce. The leader she slept with was also married. His wife beat her so badly that she didn't dare show her face, nor could she confront the leader.
She courted disaster like no other. Coming to Lin Wanwan was an attempt to escape scrutiny.
"Heh, with a mess like hers, she still wants to stir up trouble?"
Xie Sui was so amused he laughed. What a peculiar person!
He had someone send a message to the leader's wife. The next time Lin Shishi went out, she was chased and beaten. She was immediately too busy saving herself to bother with Cheng Yiming!
Cheng Yiming finally broke. He came to Xie Sui again, kneeling before him. "Brother Xie, I was wrong. Please spare me. I really can't take it anymore!"
Xie Sui feigned innocence. "Get up, get up. What is this? It's not that serious. Don't beg me. I haven't done anything. Your inability to cope is your problem. Don't expect me to take the blame."
Cheng Yiming wept, tears and snot streaming down his face. These past few days had felt like living in hell. It wasn't physical pain, but psychological torment.
His classmates avoided him like the plague. Xie Sui's people had ruined his reputation. If it weren't for the fact that he hadn't broken the law, the school would have expelled him.
Forget studying peacefully; he was lucky if he could even sleep well.
If this continued, he wouldn't be able to find a job after graduation. His family had called too; his father had lost his job. A chill ran down his spine, and he had a gut feeling that Xie Sui was behind it.