Listening to Aunt Zhou's words, the tears Chuntao had just managed to hold back overflowed uncontrollably once again.
Aunt Zhou was only her godmother, yet she treated her with such genuine sincerity.
Chuntao had never seen her birth mother, much less experienced the feeling of being loved by one, but in her heart, Aunt Zhou was closer to her than a birth mother.
"Godmother..." she called out hoarsely, the rest of her words stuck in her throat, unable to be spoken.
"Silly girl, what are you crying for?" Aunt Zhou quickly took out a handkerchief to wipe away her tears.
At this moment, Zhou Zhijun picked up two bowls of noodles from the stove and turned to Chuntao, "I've brought your food to the main room!"
Aunt Zhou sighed and patted her back, "It's alright now, go drink your soup!"
"Mm!" Chuntao bit her lip, trying hard to hold her tears back, and slowly shuffled toward the main room.
Zhou Zhijun sat by the square table in the main room, the two bowls of noodles resting on it. He hadn't touched his chopsticks. Seeing Chuntao come in, he quickly pulled out the wooden chair beside him.
"Sit down! Eat!"
Chuntao obediently sat down, clutching her chopsticks and gently stirring her bowl, but she couldn't take a single bite.
Her mind kept replaying the pleading look in her brother's eyes and the sight of her white-haired grandmother.
The faces of Wang Xiaohong and Wang Xiaoming also floated before her eyes.
Wang Xiaohong understood her suffering best and always protected her in daily life, like true sisters.
But ever since these awful things happened recently, Wang Xiaohong had given her the cold shoulder, losing all her former warmth.
A few days ago, when the two slept in the melon shed to watch the melons, Wang Xiaohong hadn't initiated a single conversation with her.
Even when Chuntao tried to start a conversation, she only gave a faint reply, too lazy to even lift her eyelids.
Chuntao knew clearly in her heart that Wang Xiaohong might have found out about her and Zhou Zhijun.
Blaming her for ruining these seemingly peaceful days.
Whenever she thought of the chilling look in Wang Xiaohong's eyes, Chuntao felt as if there was a tangled mess of hemp in her heart.
And then there was Wang Xiaoming, that child was an honest person. To protect her, he dared to raise a hand against Liu Cuilan, stiffening his neck and shouting, "No one is allowed to bully my sister-in-law!"
Chuntao had originally planned to save all the money from selling watermelons so he could attend high school. But that money had been completely spent on the hospital stays of Liu Cuilan and Wang Jieshi.
The lack of tuition was one thing; with all this mess at home, Wang Xiaohong definitely couldn't handle it alone. Wang Xiaoming probably really wouldn't be able to go to school anymore.
He was good at studying, and it would be such a pity if he had to give up halfway.
The more Chuntao thought about it, the more her heart ached, constantly feeling that she had let Wang Xiaoming down.
Zhou Zhijun watched her stare blankly at her rice bowl without taking a single bite for a long time, so he reached out and waved his hand in front of her eyes. "What are you thinking about? Your soul has flown away."
Chuntao's thoughts were interrupted by him, and only then did she look up, meeting his gaze, and mumbled softly, "Nothing."
How could Zhou Zhijun not understand? This girl Chuntao had too heavy a heart and always took everything to heart.
If it were anyone else, they would have left long ago and wouldn't be hesitating like her.
Zhou Zhijun leaned closer to her, his voice softening, "Don't think so much. Eating well and sleeping well to build up your strength is the most important thing!
If you don't care for yourself, no matter how much others care, they can't suffer that hardship for you!"
Saying this, Zhou Zhijun plunged his chopsticks into the bottom of Chuntao's bowl, gently lifted, and flipped out a plump poached egg. "Eat! I made this especially for you."
Chuntao's nose tingled, and tears rolled down her cheeks like beads with a broken string.
"Dropping golden beans again!" Zhou Zhijun hurriedly raised his hand to wipe her tears. "Drop fewer golden beans in the future and smile more. Life will get better and better!"
Chuntao didn't want to cry either, but she had been like this since she was little. It wasn't just when she was bullied that she cried; sometimes, when her grandmother said a heartwarming word or her brother secretly slipped her a fruit candy, she would be moved to tears.
It was precisely because of this soft nature that she had too many attachments, unable to rush forward without a care.
"Brother Zhijun, I'm scared..." Chuntao looked up, her eyes red, gazing at him full of worry.
"What if my grandma gets so angry she falls ill again? And my sister-in-law, will she really divorce my brother?"
Zhou Zhijun reached out his large hand and rubbed the top of her head, his tone resolute. "Silly girl! Wang Lanhua and your brother have a son and a daughter, and their life is stable. She's not stupid; why would she give up a stable life for a divorce?
Don't worry, she can't bear to. Saying those things before was just to scare you!"
Chuntao thought this made sense too. Her grandmother and brother treated Wang Lanhua well, never shortchanging her on food or clothing.
Now that they had added a chubby boy, their life would only become more prosperous. Divorce would bring her no benefit at all.
Thinking this way, Chuntao felt a little more at ease, but the moment she thought of Wang Xiaohong and her brother, her brows furrowed again.
"Xiaohong used to be so good to me, but now she probably hates me to death... And Xiaoming, he really won't be able to go to school..."
Chuntao spilled out all the conflicts she had kept bottled up inside these past few days, her shoulders slightly slouched, like a wronged kitten.
Zhou Zhijun sighed inwardly. This girl was just too honest, always thinking of others and never thinking about how bitter and tired her own life was.
Though he blamed her in his heart for being too silly and cowardly, he didn't utter a single word of reproach, merely coaxing her gently with patience.
"That girl Xiaohong has a fiery temper, but she's reasonable. She just hasn't wrapped her head around it for the moment; once she figures it out, she'll be fine!
And Xiaoming, paying for his schooling is a favor, not doing so is your duty. You don't owe him anything! You can't ruin your whole life for someone else!
As the old saying goes, if you want to help others, you have to get your own life in order first.
Worrying your heart out over other people's business is useless..."
As Zhou Zhijun spoke, he suddenly leaned close to Chuntao's ear, his warm breath burning.
"Tao, stop worrying about other people's business and think about us, okay?
I've got it all figured out. I want to host a banquet to marry you, hold you as we sleep every day..."
This man, he couldn't go three sentences without saying something dirty. Chuntao's little face turned bright red from his words, and she gave him a playful shove. "Stop talking! Aren't you ashamed!"
How could she not long for such good days in her heart? But without a household register, they couldn't get a marriage certificate at all!
"I'm unmarried and you're unwed, what's there to be ashamed of?" He grabbed Chuntao's wrist.
Chuntao's eyes glanced nervously toward the kitchen door. "Godmother and the others are still in the kitchen, you're too bold!"
"What are you afraid of? It's perfect if they see!" Zhou Zhijun's voice carried an urgency. "I'll just make it clear to Godmother! Have you move to the north room to sleep, you'll share a room with me!"
During the days Chuntao had been staying at the Zhou family's, she had always slept with Aunt Zhou in the east room. Zhou Zhijun's heart had long been itching unbearably.
Every night he tossed and turned, unable to sleep, thinking of how to get Chuntao to move to the north room, so he could hold her as they slept without any reservations.
Chuntao's face grew even redder, red enough to drip blood.
She couldn't dare to imagine what Aunt Zhou and the others' reaction would be if they found out about their affair. She was afraid she would die of shame first.
"If Godmother finds out, she'll scold you to death!"
"I'm not afraid! I'm not afraid of being scolded or beaten!"
Zhou Zhijun's voice softened, laced with a deep, lingering devotion. "As long as I get to hold you in my arms every night, I'm not afraid of a thing..."
