Old Mrs. Song is reborn; get out of here, you scumbag husband and illegitimate child!

Yao Hong let out a cold laugh.

There was a hint of ruthlessness in that smile. "Why won't he?"

"He used to deceive women from well-off families. In his eyes, women who fall in love are blind and stupid. He thought women were just playthings in his hands, and he could easily win them over with a few sweet words."

Yao Hong looked out the window at the crowd of people walking by.

"He was used to scheming against people his whole life. But he never imagined that he would one day be the one being schemed against. How could those rich girls be as ruthless as us, who crawled out of the mud?"

They were all dreaming of romantic love. All I could think about was the money in his pocket. But he's highly educated and intelligent; he really is the perfect father.

After listening, Shi Xinyi put down her spoon.

There was a two-second silence.

"Actually, Sister Hong, you don't fully understand rich girls. When it comes to marriage, rich girls often consider more than love."

How two families unite, how resources are exchanged—it's mostly about arranged marriages. There are very few people who would actually commit suicide for love alone.

"Especially those with many siblings in the family, they are born with the kind of personality that their parents want to see in order to win their parents' favor."

Song Xianglan sat to the side, gently turning her teacup with her fingers.

She knew that Shi Xinyi was talking about herself, and also about Chen Zui.

When Chen Zui and Shi Xinyi walk together, everyone who sees them says they are a perfect match.

The two families have a good relationship, and the two look very well-matched standing together.

But they just happen to be such a perfect match.

There was always an inexplicable politeness between the two.

The feeling was like having carefully measured a safe distance, but being unable to cross it no matter what.

There will never be the same reckless, all-consuming drive between them as Liu Yukun and Sheng Ruzhi, nor the same unbridled vibrancy.

Song Xianglan interrupted the conversation and looked at Yao Hong.

"Take it easy when you're dealing with Fu Qingnian, don't push him too far. Remember to protect yourself, I need to make some time to go to Qingyang these next few days. Ruzhi's mother has already called me."

Shi Xinyi immediately changed to a gossipy expression.

"What, is that kid Xiao Liu trying to force things between them?"

Song Xianglan laughed and scolded, "That bastard Yu Kun is determined to settle down there. If I, as his godmother, don't step in, Madam Sheng will start to get anxious."

"Sigh, it's only because Liu Yukun is a good person. Otherwise, given my personality, I really wouldn't agree to this marriage. Thinking about Ruzhi these past few years makes my heart ache."

"I'm going too!" Shi Xinyi's eyes lit up. "Aunt Song, please take me with you. I want to see what a water town is like. I heard the girls there speak in a soft, sweet voice."

"Sure," Song Xianglan chuckled. "I'll take you to see it for yourself. I've heard there's a lot of water and bridges there, and a rich cultural heritage."

Sheng Ruzhi is a typical girl from a water town; she speaks sweetly and has a very soft heart.

Shi Xinyi nodded repeatedly.

"It's a deal then, count me in when you book the tickets."

Song Xianglan picked up her cup, took a sip of tea, and turned her gaze to Yao Hong across from her. "Yao Hong, I took some time the other day to visit your two daughters in the shantytown."

Yao Hong, who was stirring the soup with a spoon, stopped. "Aunt Song, what are you doing there? It's too chaotic there."

"It was just a mess, that's why I went to check it out." Song Xianglan put down her cup. "Xiao Xiang and Xiao Yu are both sensible. But they're still too young."

The shantytown is home to all sorts of people, and those two girls, who look just like you, are strikingly beautiful. I don't feel comfortable leaving them to fend for themselves like this.

Yao Hong unconsciously clenched her hand holding the spoon.

"Has...something happened?"

Seeing Yao Hong's expression change, Song Xianglan softened her tone. "She's alright. The first time I went there, I encountered that guy called Er Laizi trying to cause trouble at your house."

"Er Laizi?" Yao Hong's spoon fell into the bowl with a "clatter".

"I heard he usually steals chickens and dogs on the street and is full of bad intentions," Song Xianglan continued. "That day I happened to see him trying to act like an animal, so I chased him away on the spot."

I went there again yesterday and changed the lock on their door to a good one. I also told Xiaoxiang and Xiaoyu to shout for help if anything happens, and to run away immediately if the door breaks.

At this point, Song Xianglan sighed.

"Teaching is one thing, but girls are naturally weaker. If they encounter those vicious beasts, they have no chance of escaping."

Yao Hong's eyes instantly reddened, and large tears fell onto the table.

The captivating charm on her face vanished completely in those few vicious words about her daughter.

"Aunt Song, thank you so much." Yao Hong's voice trembled as she wiped her face haphazardly with the back of her hand. "If you hadn't gone that way, who knows what that beast might have done."

"Don't cry." Shi Xinyi tore off two tissues and handed them over.

"I was really scared. I know how I grew up. Later, I was willing to risk everything because I felt that I had been dirty since I was a child, but I didn't dare to tell anyone. The child's father was a good person. He felt sorry for what I had gone through and treated me very well, but he died young."

Yao Hong clutched a tissue, tears streaming down her face.

"Back then, I was desperate and couldn't even afford to eat with my two children. I sold my smiles to earn some money."

But as long as there's work to do, I would never want to sell my body.

Aunt Song, do you know?

"For a woman like me without a man, even when I go out to do honest work, the foreman, who's just a bricklayer, always tries to take advantage of me by touching me inappropriately and subtly implying that I should contribute something."

Yao Hong gritted her teeth.

"Because I have a pretty face and am a widow, they think I'm unclean and can be abused at will. And now this sordid thing is going to happen to my daughter?"

"It's not your fault."

Song Xianglan patted Yao Hong's hand. "Being good-looking is never a mistake. Beauty without a powerful background can easily bring trouble. That's a problem with the world, not yours."

"Once this matter is settled and I have the capital, I'll open a shop and start a clothing business."

"Aunt Song is right," Shi Xinyi chimed in. "You have a great figure and a pretty face; that's your calling card. You could definitely make money as a shop owner selling women's clothes."

"We'll buy a house here and bring the kids over. We'll spend some money and pull some strings to get them into local schools," Song Xianglan planned for her. "Once you leave that muddy place, no one can bully you."

Yao Hong listened to these words, her eyes reddening as she nodded heavily.

She picked up a tissue and wiped away the tears on her face.

When she looked up again, all the charm in her eyes was gone, leaving only an indomitable tenacity.

"I'm not only going to make Fu Qingnian spit out all the money he's taken, I'm going to make him drown in debt. Does he like playing around with women? I'll make him kneel down and beg for money, getting played by women."

After lunch.

Yao Hong didn't go to the hair salon to get her hair done, nor did she go to see Fu Qingnian.

She went back to her residence and took off her silk dress.

She changed into a plain white shirt and faded jeans. Her long, wavy hair was casually tied into a ponytail, and her face was completely clean of makeup.

Carrying two large bags, Yao Hong squeezed onto the bus heading to the shantytown.

By the time we reached the alley entrance, the sun was already setting.

Yao Hong went to the supply and marketing cooperative on the street corner, bought two packs of peach shortbread and a few pounds of fruit candy, and walked back to her small, dilapidated house.

The padlock on the door has been replaced with a new one.

Yao Hong used her key to open the door through the gap between the second brick at the entrance.

There was no one inside.

She had just put down her things and turned around when she heard the sound of footsteps outside.

"Mother."

Two young girls dressed in old clothes rushed in from outside the door, each grabbing one of Yao Hong's legs.

Yao Hong squatted down, hugged her two daughters, who were covered in sweat, and carefully checked them for injuries.

"Where did you run off to?" Yao Hong asked, stroking Xiao Yu's hair.

"Mommy, we can swim now!" Xiao Xiang said proudly, looking up at the river. "Today, my sister and I went to the river to learn how to doggy paddle!"

"Yes, Mom, the river water is so refreshing," Xiaoyu chimed in. "My little sister accidentally choked on some water, but Aunt Hua happened to pass by and pulled her out of the water. She told us to go home and not to go play in the river with those people."

Yao Hong's expression changed drastically. "Who gave you permission to go into the river?"

She yanked her two daughters away, her voice shrill. "The riverbed is full of silt and weeds. Do you know how many adults have drowned there? Have you had enough of living?"

"Your deadbeat father deserves a beating. He couldn't even keep an eye on his two daughters in the afterlife. We're not burning paper money for him next year."

Xiaoyu's eyes welled up with tears as she was startled by her mother's sudden outburst of anger.

"Mom, don't be angry. I won't take my sister there anymore. Let's burn paper money for Dad. Grandma Wu said Dad never enjoyed a good life and died young; he was a pitiful man."

Yao Hong sniffed.

Seeing her daughter's frightened expression, she felt a pang of pain in her heart and forced down her anger, taking their hands again.

"Mommy isn't going to scold you. Mommy is scared," Yao Hong said, her voice hoarse. "If you go down into the river and drown, you'll die. If you're all gone, how will Mommy live alone?"