Farmhouse Green Plum

Chapter 158 Past Events

It was a summer, her sister had been married for three years and finally gave birth to her first child. She went with her parents to attend her nephew's third-day bath.

When he came back, he heard that Song Ying and Xiaoxiang went to the lotus pond to pick lotus flowers, and Xiaoxiang slipped and fell into the lotus pond.

It was noon at that time. Song Ying called for a long time but no one came. Fortunately, he found a longer wooden stick and pulled Xiaoxiang out of the lotus pond.

The lotus pond was rented by Mr. He from Wutong Village to raise fish. He had someone dig deep and found it was very, very deep, only slightly shallower than the depression by the river where they washed clothes.

She was frightened when she heard this. If Song Ying had not found a long enough wooden stick in time, Xiaoxiang would have drowned.

Song Ying pursed her lips and said, "Actually, Xiaoxiang didn't fall down accidentally. She was pushed down by someone."

"Huh? Pushed it down?" Luo Yanxing was stunned. "Who pushed it? Didn't they say there was no one around at the time? And why didn't you tell me before?"

"I was busy picking lotus flowers at the time and didn't see it. After I rescued Xiaoxiang, she said someone pushed her. I quickly chased after him and saw a person."

"Who?"

Song Ying raised her eyes and whispered a name: "Zhao Hu."

"Zhao...Xiaoxiang's father?!" Luo Yanxing's eyes widened. "How is that possible? Did you see it wrong?"

Song Ying shook his head. "At that time, he was carrying a hoe and walking home in a hurry. There was a patch on the back of his clothes. I have seen him wear that clothes many times, so it is impossible for me to recognize it wrong.

Besides, that patch was the one Xiaoxiang used when she first learned to mend clothes. We saw Xiaoxiang sew it with our own eyes, so how could I have made a mistake?"

In the winter when they were four years old, Li was idle at home and taught Song Ying how to mend clothes. Luo Yanxing and Xiaoxiang originally came to play with her, so they went home to get their torn clothes and learned to mend clothes. At that time, Xiaoxiang took her father's brown short shirt.

Luo Yanxing was stunned for a moment, still unwilling to believe it: "What if someone borrowed his clothes?

Or maybe it was someone else who pushed Xiaoxiang, but you didn't find him, and her father just happened to be there."

"If he just happened to be passing by, why didn't he come over after hearing my cry for help? It was just two rice fields away, I don't believe he couldn't hear me."

Luo Yanxing opened her mouth and found that she couldn't refute. Compared with hers, Song Ying's voice was small, but they were only two paddy fields apart, so it could be heard.

"But why? He is Xiaoxiang's biological father. Why did he push Xiaoxiang into the lotus pond?"

"You forgot that there was a severe drought in the first half of that year. The wheat harvest was poor and we couldn't even pay the summer tax."

Luo Yanxing was stunned, and the hardships of that year emerged from the depths of his mind. There was a flood in the first year, and much of the wheat in the fields was soaked and rotted, and the rice harvest was not good. Unexpectedly, it stopped raining after the New Year, and it continued until May, when the wheat was ripe, and then it started to rain.

Since the first year, they had never had enough to eat and lived in fear every day, especially Song Ying. Her father died in the flood of the previous year, so there was a drought that year. She was particularly afraid that her second uncle and aunt would sell her.

When Song Ying and Xiaoxiang went to pick lotus flowers, the rice was not yet ripe. It was the period of famine and every household was hungry. Later, they heard the adults say more than once that if the rice had not grown well and people had not had some hope, countless families would have sold their children and their families would have been broken up that year.

In that situation, if there is one less mouth to feed, the others can have a few more bites to eat, and those few bites are the hope of survival.

"Xiaoxiang she..." Luo Yanxing was very sad. Putting herself in their shoes, although she had no expectations of her parents, she would still be very sad if her own father pushed her into the water and tried to drown her.

How uncomfortable Xiaoxiang must have felt at that time.

No wonder she was so afraid of her parents. Her own father had once been so cruel as to want to drown her. How could she not be afraid?

After a moment, Luo Yanxing asked with difficulty: "Where is Aunt Zhang? Does she know about this?"

Song Ying shook her head gently: "I don't know, but I hope she doesn't know, and Xiaoxiang hopes so too."

Luo Yanxing felt depressed, as if a stone was pressing down on her, making it hard for her to breathe. She rubbed her chest and asked in a low voice, "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Xiaoxiang won't let me say it." Song Ying let out a heavy breath, "I also found it unbelievable when I saw it, so I went back to Xiaoxiang to confirm that her father was indeed wearing that brown shirt that day.

I was very angry and scared, and wanted to go home and tell my grandmother and the village chief, but Xiaoxiang said that family disgrace should not be made public.

If this matter were to be exposed, her father might just give up and really not want her anymore. What would she do then?

You were in such a hot temper at the time, how would it end if it got out to others?"

Luo Yanxing felt even more upset and stood up: "I'll go to Xiaoxiang's house to check on her."

"No, no, no." Song Ying hurriedly pulled her back. "Right now, her parents must be mad at us for leading Xiaoxiang astray. They'll be even angrier when they see you. Let's talk about it later when we go to the mountain to collect firewood."

Luo Yanxing thought so too and had to suppress his guilt temporarily. After finishing his meal with Song Ying, he packed up and went up the mountain with his backpack.

Soon, Zhao Xiaocui and Erni came. When they saw Luo Yanxing, they asked with concern, "Did your mother beat you after you went back home?"

"No, my parents returned three taels of silver to me."

In the past, Luo Yanxing would have naturally boasted about her great achievements, but now, she just wanted to wait for Xiaoxiang to come, and she was really not in the mood. She briefly told Zhao Xiaocui and Erni about what she would do after returning home, which left them stunned.

The money taken can be returned! And in the future, only half will be paid! Is this really something her parents can agree to?

While they were talking, other people also arrived, but Xiaoxiang was nowhere to be seen, which made Luo Yanxing very disappointed.

After a while, Sanniu said, "Today, thanks to Yan Xing, my mother let me get up after she came back. Otherwise, I don't know how long I would have to kneel."

Pan Di nodded: "Yes, my parents originally planned to starve me at noon, but after seeing Yan Xing making such a fuss, they thought I was actually quite well behaved, so they let me eat at noon."

Zhao Xiaocui also said: "My mother is the same. After comparing me with you and Song Ying, she no longer beats me."

Song Ying said, "It's not that we make you more obedient. It's clearly because you, like Yan Xing's parents, don't want to push you too hard, lest you commit suicide like Yan Xing, and then they will lose everything."

As she spoke, she looked at Zhao Xiaocui and Erni, "Especially you two, both of you have started looking for in-laws, and you will be able to get married and receive betrothal gifts soon."

Zhao Xiaocui and Erni's expressions suddenly turned ugly. Zhao Xiaocui bit her lip and said, "You think too cruelly of my parents."

Song Ying chuckled, "Your parents didn't make you kneel outside all night, nor did they let you eat. Don't you think they treat you well?"