Chapter 46: Xu Lecheng actually took advantage of Yan Ziyue being all alone...

To this day, Zhang Juhua still does not think she did anything wrong, nor does she believe that any of her actions were improper.

In her view, had she not acted that way, she would have died long ago. How could she possibly have survived until now, and even safely given birth to a daughter?

"Ziyue, I know you blame me."

She wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes, striking a thoroughly pitiful and desolate low posture. "It was my fault. I shouldn't have married your father back then..."

*Slap!*

Yan Ziyue raised her hand and struck her across the face, looking at her as cold as frost. "Zhang Juhua, you've played this trick so many times. Aren't you sick of it?"

"If you aren't sick of it, I certainly am."

Ever since Zhang Juhua had married into the family, she would periodically say things in front of Yan Zhuangshi or outsiders like, "I shouldn't have married into this family, I've made Ziyue unhappy." This caused Yan Zhuangshi to resent her even more, leading to frequent beatings and scoldings, and resulting in the villagers treating her with disdain.

Now, Zhang Juhua actually dared to say such things to her again? Did she really think she would remain as submissive and accepting of abuse as before?

Zhang Juhua was stunned by the blow, staring blankly at her, unable to react for a long time.

She had been... hit by Yan Ziyue?

*Slap!*

Yan Ziyue delivered another slap. "Zhang Juhua, those pathetic little tricks of yours no longer work on me."

Only then did Zhang Juhua snap out of it. She glared at Yan Ziyue with eyes full of fury. "How dare you hit me?"

*Slap, slap, slap!*

Yan Ziyue landed several more slaps on her face. "What of it if I hit you?"

"If you have the guts, go call Yan Zhuangshi and Zhang Qingqing over to help you. Oh, right, and bring along your precious son-in-law, Xu Lecheng."

"I just wonder if the three of them would actually lift a finger for you."

Hearing this, Zhang Juhua collapsed onto the ground and wailed loudly, "Everyone, come take a look at Yan Ziyue, this ungrateful wretch!"

The neighbors who hadn't gone out to work in the fields popped out one by one to watch the spectacle.

"What kind of nonsense is Zhang Juhua stirring up now? Look at the state she's in, and she's still acting out. It's utterly annoying."

"It looks like Zhang Juhua tried to plot against Yan Ziyue again and got slapped a few times for her trouble."

"Serves her right! For a vile wretch like Zhang Juhua, you've got to beat her—beat her hard!"

Zhang Juhua never expected that not a single person would come to her aid. She sat there in a daze, unable to understand why things had turned out this way. Previously, everyone would always take her side.

"Zhang Juhua, do you really think you can still use the villagers to plot against me?" Yan Ziyue looked at her as if she were a complete fool.

A neighbor remarked with sarcastic insinuation, "Zhang Juhua, instead of wasting time here making trouble for Yan Ziyue, you'd better hurry up and figure out how to keep a hold of Xu Lecheng."

"I heard Xu Lecheng ran off to town again, though who knows what he's up to."

The moment Zhang Juhua heard that Xu Lecheng had gone to town, she completely forgot about making trouble for Yan Ziyue. She hurriedly grabbed her basket and bolted toward the educated youth quarters.

Although Xu Lecheng's reputation was currently ruined, his family had money, and he was a city dweller. She had to help Qingqing latch onto him no matter what.

Yan Ziyue knew her intentions all too well.

She was more than happy for Zhang Juhua to go make trouble for Xu Lecheng, as it would allow her to continue watching the dog-eat-dog spectacle unfold.

However, what Yan Ziyue hadn't expected was for the drama to land on her own doorstep.

It was Saturday.

Yan Ziyue was at home doing her homework alone, while Xiao Heshuo had gone up into the mountains to hunt.

Just as she was deeply focused on her studies, she suddenly heard the panicked squawking of chickens and ducks.

"What's going on?" She put down her pencil and prepared to check the coop when Xu Lecheng suddenly appeared right in front of her.

"Ziyue!" Xu Lecheng lunged forward to grab her hands.

Yan Ziyue quickly retreated, snatching up a long bench to use as a weapon.

"Xu Lecheng, did you climb over the wall to get in?" She glared at him with ferocious eyes. "Get out!"

She truly hadn't expected this scoundrel Xu Lecheng to have the audacity to scale the wall and break in, especially while Xiao Heshuo was away from home.

Xu Lecheng wore a look of absolute determination, forcing a gentle and amiable expression. "Ziyue, there have been too many misunderstandings between us. While Xiao Heshuo is not at home, let's clear them up."

Upon hearing this, Yan Ziyue raised the bench and smashed it directly toward him. "Misunderstandings? There are no misunderstandings whatsoever between you and me!"

Having been struck with it a few times before, Xu Lecheng was already on guard.

Seeing the bench coming, he quickly stepped back a few paces to dodge it.

"Ziyue, I was tricked by Zhang Qingqing, just as you were tricked by Xiao Heshuo," he said with lingering fear in his voice. "They are trying to drive a wedge between us and use us both."

Though her first strike missed, Yan Ziyue remained completely unfazed. "Whether Zhang Qingqing tricked you or not, I neither know nor care."

"But Xiao Heshuo did not trick me. He has always been very good to me."

To this day, Xu Lecheng still could not fathom how Yan Ziyue—who had liked him so much previously that she was willing to do anything for him—could change overnight into someone like this.

"Ziyue, you really have misunderstood."

He let out a bitter sigh, his face full of grievance. "Back then, I was deceived by Zhang Qingqing. She told me you were angry with me, upset that she and I shared a special relationship, and that we needed to use the prospect of marriage to provoke and test you."

Listening to this made Yan Ziyue violently nauseous. She hoisted the bench and smashed it at Xu Lecheng once again. "You scum, I'm going to smash you to death today!"

As she rained blows down upon him, she searched around for a sickle. Compared to a bench, she vastly preferred using a sickle.

Genunely terrified that he might be beaten to death, Xu Lecheng dodged frantically. "Ziyue, let's talk this out properly and clear the air, alright?"

Yan Ziyue understood this man all too well. The only reason Xu Lecheng had scaled the wall to find her was to extract whatever benefits he desired.

Such as money and valuables.

She struck with increasing ruthlessness, looking entirely intent on finishing Xu Lecheng off once and for all.

"Ziyue, you really have been deceived by Xiao Heshuo! He's using you as a shield to ward off trouble!" Xu Lecheng attempted to sow discord. "You don't know this, but he'll be leaving the village soon to return to the city."

"He's a city man!"

Spotting the sickle by the chicken coop, Yan Ziyue picked it up and charged fiercely toward him with a slash. "The affairs between my husband and me are none of your damn business!"

"Scumbag, I'll carve up that mouth of yours!"

She swung the sharp sickle with such velocity that it produced a fierce, whistling wind.

It terrified Xu Lecheng so much that he fled helter-skelter out of Xiao Heshuo's courtyard, not daring to linger for another second. "Ziyue, you really are being tricked by Xiao Heshuo! He harbors evil intentions!"

Holding the sickle, Yan Ziyue stood at the courtyard gate and yelled viciously, "Xu Lecheng, if you ever dare show your face in front of me again, I will hack you to pieces!"

"Bastard, all you know how to do is cause trouble all day long!"

She needed to embed some glass shards or other sharp objects along the top of the wall to prevent anyone else from scaling it in the future.

When Xiao Heshuo returned from his hunt, Yan Ziyue recounted how Xu Lecheng had scaled the wall to find her, placing particular emphasis on his attempts to sow discord in their marital relationship.

"Husband, let's figure out what we can put on the wall to stop people from climbing over again."

A cold glint flashed in Xiao Heshuo's eyes, though his tone remained gentle. "Don't you want to ask why Xu Lecheng mentioned that I would be returning to the city?"