CHAPTER 134: 134. TIT FOR TAT, SPECIAL ABILITY EXPOSED

After a strenuous ordeal, he inadvertently elevated his nemesis while being demoted himself to do hard labor by the river. The most devastating blow was when his seemingly righteous wife, who feared he would stray, turned around and asked for a divorce.

Was she going to take his assets and son, leaving him to live a life of dignity?

For Lin Yuanzhi, who had just experienced life’s rollercoaster, it was like a heavy blow to the head, causing him to cough up blood in despair.

Yes, it was exactly like the state of Liu Shouren, the Liu family’s elder brother.

Except Liu Shouren had orchestrated backstage theatrics with his disguise. Although biting his cheek hurt, it was just cosmetic pain, and nowhere near debilitating!

Look at the blood Lin Yuanzhi spat out. Oh, his entire spirit seemed to be drained away. His face was sallow, exuding a deathly aura. Liu Shuzhen felt that if she revealed the truth — that the son he cherished wasn’t truly his — he might just kick the bucket right there.

But remembering how his ’false report’ caused Jiang Wen such a huge downfall, she reckoned that man wouldn’t forgive him easily. Liu Shuzhen decided to keep her hands clean of the mess.

Lin Yuanzhi was taken away to do river labor, and Dai Honghua, fearing Liu Shuzhen might backtrack or that Lin Yuanzhi would come after her, hurriedly packed up the valuables at night and left with the child from the Liu family’s village.

"She’s smart, knowing she’d face consequences by staying!" Liu Shuzhen sneered, surveying the Lin family’s looted house.

"Where can she go? The money and ration coupons she has are limited. Though proving a recommendation letter with Lin Yuanzhi’s ties isn’t hard, the city isn’t welcoming, and joining a production team is tricky. A young woman with a child will find it tough," she mused. In those times, home was an eternal refuge, while the outside world presented endless challenges. Many young men ventured out for survival but never returned.

Lianshan appreciated Dai Honghua’s decisiveness but doubted her ability to support the child alone.

Liu Shuzhen laughed it off, knowing Dai Honghua, ruthless to others and herself, wouldn’t be easily crushed by life.

Given her choice to leave, it was likely that she and her son would never set foot on the Liu family’s land again.

Only by leaving thoroughly, with no possibility of returning, could she hope to bury the secrets within her heart, right?

After scanning the home and taking away Lin Yuanzhi’s seal, ink pad, and other items, Liu Shuzhen left with Lianshan. As for the Lin family house, it would remain sealed until Lin Yuanzhi completed his labor term by the river.

However, Lin Yuanzhi, devastated mentally, was weakened considerably. Secretly ordered by Jiang Wen, his captors tormented him. Playing the sly leader as he was, he couldn’t withstand the intense labor, fell ill with pneumonia, and succumbed without prompt medical care.

The brick house he painstakingly built became lodgings for youths arranged by Liu Shuzhen.

That’s a story for later. For now, let’s focus on Liu Shuzhen, unexpectedly appointed as village chief, bearing the weight of the Liu family’s communal growth. The stress on her was truly immense, having initially aimed to support her brother’s rise and enjoy benefits from that alliance.

Suddenly transformed from an inconspicuous member to a leading figure, she was indeed apprehensive.

Fortunately, spring farming had concluded, and further work like weeding was yet to begin. She had some grace period to acclimate herself to her new responsibilities.

With her accounting brother by her side and Uncle Wu and others as advisors on the mountain, Liu Shuzhen truly believed she could manage the village.

Every day she followed her brother’s lead, accelerating her learning of village affairs. Sometimes, she utilized her abilities to intimidate Wu Xia, suspected of pretending to be mad.

Under the guise of care, she acted with malice. Liu Shuzhen felt it was her version of paying back evil with evil.

Her original plan was to stop if Wu Xia’s insanity was confirmed, allowing her to taste a life worse than death.

Her act of madness, shockingly, led the Wu family to sever ties with her and harshly refuse any care for this ’disgrace.’ Every attempt she made to visit them ended in violence.

Her past behavior of calling everyone Shouren made the village women wary, guarding against the fool leading their men astray, leaving no room for sympathy.

Deprived of food and shelter, Wu Xia was already suffering, and Liu Shuzhen occasionally tormented her further.

Realizing that acting insane wouldn’t ensure her survival, Wu Xia despaired completely, deciding to drag Liu Shuzhen — who had ruined her happiness — to death with her.

When no one was watching, she sneaked into Liu’s house, grabbed the butcher’s knife, and stole her sister-in-law’s new clothes. After a good wash in the stream, she slipped into Lianshan’s place when he was likely absent, intending to leave Liu Shuzhen helpless.

Unexpectedly, just as she approached Liu Shuzhen with the butcher knife while she tended to cotton seedlings, success seemed near. But the seedlings sprang up madly, wrapping her legs tightly.

In a moment, the seedlings became a green cage, binding her tightly, suffocating her.

Seeing Liu Shuzhen’s smug look, Wu Xia realised all these were her handiwork.

Likely, all the mysterious pains in the village were caused by this treacherous woman, using simple grass and trees as tools.

Sadly, her realization came too late; sadly, she had no chance to reveal her discoveries.

As breathing became difficult, Wu Xia heard Lianshan’s distorted yell. Ha, was Liu Shuzhen caught in her true form? It was good; though she didn’t stab her, if nothing unexpected happened, she wouldn’t escape sharing the same fate!