Street Stories: A True Account of a Group of Blind Men in the Underworld

The Southwest Village was quiet under the scorching sun in the afternoon.

A girl dressed in a simple shirt, with short hair that reached her ears, stood on the dirt road carrying several bags, asking passersby with a hesitant expression:

"Excuse me, how do I get to Qiao Yang's house?"

The villagers were stunned when they saw it.

This girl has delicate features and fair skin; she's clearly from the city, and her demeanor is distinctly different from that of a rural girl.

He Quan reacted quickly. Could this young lady in front of him be the Yan Ruyu that Confucius often spoke of? He blurted out:

"You are... Qiao Yang's?"

Su Yue paused slightly, then nodded calmly, her voice gentle yet clear:

"Yes, my name is Su Yue, and I am Qiao Yang's fiancée."

The words "fiancée" struck like a thunderclap at the village entrance.

"Come quick! Qiao Yang's girlfriend from Tianjin is here! She's really here!"

"My goodness, she looks like she stepped right out of a painting!"

The news spread like wildfire, reaching every corner of Southwest Village in the blink of an eye.

Wang Xiuming stumbled out, and upon seeing Su Yue, tears immediately streamed down his face. He grabbed her hand tightly and wouldn't let go.

"Good child, you must be exhausted from your journey! Come on, come inside!"

The courtyard was already packed with villagers watching the spectacle, three or four layers deep, making it impossible to move.

At the outermost edge of the crowd, Wu Hu stared intently at Su Yue, her eyes filled with sourness and jealousy, almost spitting fire.

Such a beautiful and precious city girl actually willingly came to find the blind Qiao Yang!

Why?! Why do all the good things fall on his family?!

Su Yue settled down in Southwest Village.

She had none of the spoiled airs of a city girl. She would get up before dawn to cook, and during the day she would tidy up the house and help with household chores. She was also very filial and respectful to Qiao Yang's parents, and she was both sweet-talking and sensible.

Every time she tidied up Qiao Yang's things, she would gently touch them, and the corners of her mouth would unconsciously curve into a smile.

The villagers watched with a mixture of awe and disbelief.

Qiao Yang must have been incredibly lucky to marry such a wonderful girl.

But in this world, there are always people who can't stand to see others doing well.

That evening, Su Yue took a walk alone at the entrance of the village, looking at the crops in the fields, feeling a sense of novelty.

Several villagers were sitting under a tree enjoying the shade when Wu Hushi suddenly approached with a smile, deliberately raising her voice:

"This must be Miss Su? She's getting more and more beautiful the more I look at her. Girls from the city are just different."

Su Yue nodded politely, "Hello, Auntie."

Wu Hu's smile vanished instantly. She looked Wu Hu up and down, her words laced with sarcasm:

"Girl, what made you, a pampered city girl, decide to come to our poor, remote village?"

Seeing that Su Yue didn't respond, she deliberately dragged out her words, each one piercing her heart:

"What do you want from Qiao Yang? He's blind and will never see anything again. What kind of good life can you expect if you're with him?"

The surroundings fell silent instantly, and all eyes turned to Su Yue.

Su Yue's face paled slightly. She clenched her fists tightly, but neither lowered her head nor dodged.

The image of Qiao Yang flashed through her mind instantly—he never wallowed in self-pity, never bowed his head in resignation, and his backbone was stronger than anyone else's.

Seeing that she still didn't speak, Wu Hushi became even more aggressive, throwing a tantrum and yelling:

"I'm not trying to sow discord! I genuinely care about you! Think about it, in the future, will you be taking care of him, or will he be taking care of you? What kind of future can a fortune teller offer you? Don't be fooled and get scammed!"

Several nosy villagers nearby also joined in the whispering, their eyes full of anticipation.

Su Yue took a deep breath and slowly raised her head. The evening breeze ruffled her short hair, and her eyes shone with an astonishing brightness.

She met everyone's gaze, her voice clear and bright, each word carrying throughout the entire village entrance:

"Auntie, I don't want anything."

Her tone was gentle, yet carried immense force:

"Qiao Yang is kind-hearted, capable, and responsible. He is more upright and honest than many people with good eyesight."

Su Yue gazed into the distance, as if speaking to everyone, yet also to herself:

"I love him, not just because I'm confused, but because it's genuine and will last a lifetime."

The entire venue fell into a deathly silence.

Wu Hushi opened her mouth, but couldn't utter a single word for a long time, her face turning pale and then flushed.

She never expected that this seemingly delicate city girl would have such a strong backbone and such a determined heart.

After a long silence, she finally let out a hateful snort:

"Hmph, stubborn as ever! Just wait until you get used to a life of hardship, then you'll be crying and regretting it!"

Su Yue stood in the evening breeze, her posture upright, her eyes calm and firm.

She was not afraid of poverty, hardship, or the cold words of others.

All she knew was that her journey was not a plunge into a fire pit, but a journey towards a burning heart.

The day before yesterday, her sweetheart's decision to help Yutian's seriously ill child was so noble!

After hearing the news that Qiao Lei brought back, she became even more convinced that she had made the right choice!

As dusk fell, the farce at the village entrance finally subsided, and Su Yue slowly walked back alone.

Just as they arrived at the gate of the Qiao family compound, a heavy thud of carriage wheels suddenly came from behind them, growing louder as it approached, and finally came to a steady stop.

Su Yue immediately stopped in her tracks, her breath suddenly freezing.

A tall, imposing figure leaped down from the carriage first, carrying a horse-drawn pole and a satchel slung over his shoulder.

That was the man she had been longing for day and night, the one who haunted her dreams.

Su Yue's eyes lit up instantly. She quickly stepped forward to meet him, but stopped instinctively a few steps away.

He was blind, but could only rely on his hearing and sense of smell to vaguely perceive the clean, gentle, and deeply ingrained familiar aura in front of him.

Su Yue stood there, her eyes welling up with tears, a thousand words stuck in her throat, unable to utter a sound for a moment.

All the hardships, torment, and obsessions he had endured along the way, including Wu Hu's malicious provocation just now, turned into scalding tears the moment he saw him, almost spilling out of his eyes.

She stepped forward gently, her voice trembling slightly, yet each word clear and distinct:

"Qiao Yang".

Just two words.

Qiao Yang was jolted and froze on the spot.

The scouting pole in his hand, which was always as steady as a rock, fell lightly to the ground with a "thud".

He seemed to listen intently, holding his breath in disbelief, his breathing quickening instantly:

"...Yueyue?"

Su Yue's nose tingled, and tears almost rolled down her cheeks. She softly responded:

"It's me, I've arrived."

A slow, glistening moisture appeared in Qiao Yang's eyes, which were previously devoid of light.

He was somewhat flustered, yet desperately eager, and reached out to feel his way in the direction the sound came from.

Those hands, worn from years of travel and covered in rough calluses, were now trembling slightly, uncontrollably.

Su Yue stepped forward and gently took his hand.

The moment their hands touched, Qiao Yang clenched them tightly, as if grasping the only light in his life, refusing to let go.

"Why did you come..." His voice choked with emotion. "It's so far, so difficult... Why did you really come?"

He never dared to delay her or burden her, keeping his feelings hidden as a distant longing.

Su Yue looked up at his thin face, tears finally streaming down her cheeks, but a gentle smile graced her lips:

"I promised you I would come to find you. Once the arrow is drawn, there's no turning back. I meant what I said."

Qiao Yang's chest heaved violently, and tears finally streamed down his blind face.

He couldn't see the girl in front of him, but he could clearly feel her warmth, her breath, and her heart, which was more precious than any treasure in the world.

He slowly raised his hand and, guided by instinct, carefully touched Su Yue's cheek.

The movements were so gentle, as if touching a rare treasure that would break at the slightest touch.

"Silly girl..." His voice trembled, but every word was burning with passion, "I'm sorry you had to go through all this."

Su Yue gently shook her head, tightly gripping his hand in return, her eyes bright and resolute:

"I'm not wronged."

"I'm willing to endure any hardship just to be with you."

Qiao Yang pressed her hand tightly against his heart, speaking each word with solemnity and unwavering conviction:

"Yueyue, I, Qiao Yang, hereby swear."

Though my eyes are blind, my heart is not.

I will do everything in my power to protect you and ensure your lifelong peace. I will never let you suffer in the slightest, and I will never let you suffer with me in vain.

Su Yue leaned gently on his shoulder, her voice soft yet incredibly firm:

I believe you.