Reborn as an 80s-aged woman, her unfilial son begs for forgiveness on his knees.

Zhang Wenying found it laughable. She grabbed the water-carrying pole from the doorway, held it horizontally in her hand, and rammed the end of the pole into Li Jianguo's knee, causing him to fall to his knees in pain.

"It's only natural? We've already got the divorce certificate. If you keep causing trouble, it's trespassing. I'll go and call the neighbors to judge this, and then I'll send you to the police station for a couple of days. Let's see where you put your old face then!"

As he was about to call for help outside, Li Jianguo was so frightened that he sobered up considerably. He scrambled to his feet, covered his head, and ran away without looking back, not even daring to pick up one of his shoes.

Zhang Wenying leaned the carrying pole against the doorway, dusted off her hands, and turned to comfort the frightened old lady: "Mom, it's alright now, that coward won't dare to come again."

It took the old lady a long time to calm down before she took Zhang Wenying's hand and sighed, "That unfilial son Li Jianguo, even though we're already divorced, why are you still left in such a mess?"

Zhang Wenying helped the old lady sit down, poured her a cup of warm tea, and handed it to her, smiling and comforting her: "Don't be afraid. No matter how many times he comes, I'll beat him back. He doesn't have the guts to really do anything to me."

She brushed a stray hair from her forehead, her eyes filled with unwavering determination.

In this life, she relies on no one but her own two hands, and no one can control her in the slightest.

·······

Zhang Wenying was well-liked and got along well with her neighbors near the shop, like family.

Sure enough, there were chicks for sale on the street, and Aunt Huang ran over to ask her if she wanted to buy a few to raise.

Zhang Wenying became interested as soon as she heard this.

"Yes, thank you, sister-in-law."

"Let's go take a look."

At the street corner, someone was carrying a load on a shoulder pole, with a bamboo basket at each end. The baskets were crammed full of fluffy little chicks, all yellow and chirping incessantly, huddled together.

Aunt Huang squatted by the basket, reached out and poked around, picking out a few lively ones: "Look at these, strong claws, loud chirping, easy to raise." Zhang Wenying also squatted down, pinched the chicks' bottoms, and put them in the cardboard box she had prepared with a smile.

Watching Zhang Wenying's movements, Aunt Huang asked, "You even know how to pick chickens? Did you raise them before?"

"Yes, when I was a child in the countryside, I was the one who fed all the chickens at home."

She knows how to choose: look at the claws, the buttocks, and the energy level—she can't go wrong.

She could even tell if a hen was a hen or a rooster by squeezing its buttocks.

If you feel a small thorn near its rear end, it's a rooster; if not, it's a hen.

She picked out a few chicks with round bottoms and no small thorns, put them in a cardboard box, and then casually grabbed a handful of broken rice and sprinkled it in. The chicks immediately lowered their heads and started pecking at them, their fluffy little heads bobbing up and down, a sight that made one's heart ache.

"I'll pick out a few hens for you."

Two roosters are enough, but you need to select several hens to raise for laying eggs.

Aunt Huang looked at Zhang Wenying in surprise.

How could Zhang Wenying distinguish between male and female chicks that are so tiny?

She couldn't help but give him a thumbs up: "You're really something, I could never learn that skill."

Finally, Aunt Huang bought six chicks and Zhang Wenying bought twenty. The two of them carried the cardboard box and walked back, chatting and laughing.

The chicks were raised in the newly purchased house.

The yard there was big, and the chicken coop was big too. She went there every day to feed the chickens, add water, and pull out the weeds in the yard.

But before things had calmed down for even two days, Li Xiaojuan ran into trouble.

That day, after closing time, she went to the night market, where she met Han Jun and his widowed sister-in-law.

The two walked together affectionately, but when they saw Li Xiaojuan, a hint of embarrassment appeared on their faces, and they hurriedly distanced themselves.

Li Xiaojuan glanced at it once and then focused her attention on the items on the street stall.

Han Jun, however, took the initiative to come closer and explained in a low voice, "Juanzi, I...I'm just accompanying your sister-in-law out for a stroll, don't overthink it."

Li Xiaojuan didn't even look up, nor did she acknowledge Han Jun.

Li's widowed sister-in-law, Song Yuzhen, bit her lip and suddenly said, "Sister-in-law, I'm sorry, it was me who insisted on dragging Junzi out. Please don't blame him."

Li Xiaojuan then raised her head, her gaze calmly sweeping over the two of them, a slight smirk playing on her lips: "You two do your thing, what does it have to do with me?"

"Juanzi, why are you still being so unreasonable?"

I've already said it, my relationship with my sister-in-law is completely innocent...

"Yes, sister-in-law, my child and I are all alone. Junzi only took pity on us, a widow and her child, and that's why he took extra care of us. Why do you have to think the worst of it?"

Song Yuzhen's eyes reddened, and her voice carried a hint of grievance.

"You've even distanced yourself from Junzi because of this; aren't you trying to drive us to our deaths?"

She had a very difficult time during that period.

I don't dare to go out and see people during the day; I only dare to go out and stroll through the night market at night.

What did she do wrong to deserve such backbiting?

Li Xiaojuan sneered and stared straight at Song Yuzhen: "You are a pitiful widow and orphan, but I, Li Xiaojuan, am just a sucker."

Your brother-in-law likes to take care of you, that's none of my business, but don't think I'm stupid.

It really is a persistent ghost.

It's really bad luck to run into this "unfortunate couple" while just strolling around the night market.

"Waaaaah... Junzi..."

"It's all my fault. I shouldn't be alive, I shouldn't be a burden to you, and I shouldn't have let my siblings misunderstand."

As Song Yuzhen spoke, tears rolled down her cheeks. She raised her hand to wipe them away, but the more she wiped, the more tears streamed down her face.

Han Jun quickly shielded her behind him and whispered soothingly, "Sister-in-law, don't cry, this isn't your fault."

He then turned to Li Xiaojuan, his tone impatient: "Juanzi, do you have to talk like that? Your sister-in-law has it tough, can't you be a little more understanding?"

I've already said that my relationship with my sister-in-law is completely innocent, so why are you so fixated on it? You weren't like this before.

Hearing this, Li Xiaojuan felt a pang in her heart, but she just smiled faintly and said, "It doesn't matter anymore."

We're divorced. How you take care of her is your business, it has nothing to do with me.

After saying that, she turned and left, her steps crisp and decisive, without even turning her head back.

Behind her came Han Jun's urgent shouts and Song Yuzhen's low sobs, but Li Xiaojuan's steps did not falter at all.

The noise and lights of the night market gradually blurred the entanglement behind her. Li Xiaojuan wandered around, picked up a few sets of comic books and some old banknotes, and then prepared to go back.

A gentle night breeze blew away the stray hairs on her forehead, and also dispelled the last trace of melancholy in her heart.

She looked up at the hazy moon at the end of the night market, and a smile unconsciously curved her lips.

In this world, who can't live without whom?

Without having to worry about that family's attitude, life became peaceful.

Just as she was about to reach her doorstep, she paused slightly—under the streetlight at the alley entrance, a familiar figure was leaning against the wall, a cigarette between his fingers, the red glow of the cigarette butt flickering in the night.

As she approached, the man stubbed out his cigarette, straightened up, and revealed a dejected yet fierce face.