Qin Shanshan, Mrs. Tang, the village chief, and the others didn't say a word, but in their hearts, they all had their own answers.
Su Li stood before Tie Niu, took a deep breath, and drew her mind back from the memories of her past life. She let out a soft sigh. "It's good that you understand."
After saying this, Su Li turned and walked toward the side room without a single glance back, as if she couldn't bear to face them any longer.
Watching her leave, the villagers all felt a sense of unease. They shook their heads and sighed.
Mrs. Tang hugged Tang Mo tightly, cowering to the side and hardly daring to breathe. She had reverted to the timid woman everyone knew.
The village chief shook his head and walked over. "Sister Tang, Tang Mo is fine. You should get some rest. Your family should try to live in harmony from now on."
"Aunt Tang, we'll be heading back now." The villagers bid a quick farewell to Mrs. Tang and filed out of the courtyard in silence. No one said a word to Qin Shanshan, acting as if she were invisible.
Though they didn't voice it, a seed of doubt about Qin Shanshan had been planted in their minds. She may have been clever, but once they had calmed down, they weren't fools. They could all sense the part she had played in this.
'And to think she always acted so close to Su Li... a two-faced backstabber. It's best to steer clear of people like her from now on.'
Everyone was thinking along the same lines, avoiding her like the plague as they left. Qin Shanshan was neither stupid nor blind; she could clearly see the shift in their attitude. As the village's sole female high school student and its acknowledged intellectual, she had always been proud, respected, and held in high esteem. She had never been treated this way before, nor had she ever suffered such a humiliating setback.
A wave of hatred washed over Qin Shanshan, but she had no choice but to swallow it down. She feigned a look of guilt and frailty, only to be completely ignored. Finally, she turned her hopeful gaze to Tie Niu, who was trailing at the very back of the group.
Qin Shanshan had always known that Tie Niu liked her. Of course, she looked down on him, but she enjoyed having someone adore her, cherish her, and put her on a pedestal. So, she kept him on a string, giving him a smile and a few words every so often to ensure his undying devotion.
She had often used Tie Niu, both openly and subtly, and he had never let her down. But this time...
But Tie Niu was in no mood to look at the girl he admired. With his head hung low, as if he'd done something wrong, he ignored Qin Shanshan and followed the others out.
Qin Shanshan's face went pale. Seeing that she was the only one left, she hurried over to Mrs. Tang and Little Tang Mo. "Aunt Tang..." she cried, her voice full of remorse. "It's all my fault. I was just so worried about Little Tang Mo that I nearly misunderstood Su Li."
Qin Shanshan spoke as if she were on the verge of tears. Normally, Mrs. Tang would have rushed to comfort her, but this time, she simply turned her head away, as if she couldn't stand the sight of her.
Mrs. Tang's heart was filled with lingering fear and remorse. She didn't dare to recall what had just happened. Before he died, her husband had told her to treat Su Li well, yet she had nearly brought ruin upon her. How could she possibly face him in the afterlife?
She had been kind to others her entire life. Everyone in the village praised her as a good, virtuous woman. To think that now, with one foot in the grave, she had listened to slander, wronged her own daughter-in-law, and nearly caused a catastrophe. The good reputation she had built over a lifetime was almost shattered. How could she not be filled with regret?
Mrs. Tang was angry, but old habits died hard. Instead of lashing out at Qin Shanshan, she simply used her actions to show she wanted nothing to do with her.
Watching Mrs. Tang, Qin Shanshan nearly choked on her anger. But she had to force a smile. She had spent too long trying to get on Mrs. Tang's good side to let all her hard work go to waste now.
She forced a stiff smile, pretending not to notice Mrs. Tang's aversion. She crouched down and, just as she always did, flashed a "motherly" smile at Little Tang Mo. "Momo, you must have been so scared today. Are you hungry?"
As she spoke, she reached out to pat his head, but he flinched away.
Little Tang Mo stared at her, his small face stern and his gaze wary. He didn't say a word.
Little Tang Mo had never liked Qin Shanshan. Even as an infant, he would cry whenever she tried to hold him, though he was fine with anyone else. As he got older, his feelings hadn't changed. It didn't matter how kindly she spoke or how sweetly she smiled; he simply didn't like her. He usually just ignored her. If he couldn't, he would stand there in stoic silence.
In fact, even back when Su Li used to act like Zhao Guihua, Little Tang Mo had still treated her better than he ever treated Qin Shanshan.
Qin Shanshan was always very kind to Little Tang Mo, a fact Mrs. Tang had noted. In the past, she had often scolded the boy for his coldness, telling him not to treat Qin Shanshan so poorly.
Mrs. Tang had been nagging him about it for two or three years, but Little Tang Mo never changed, and there was nothing anyone could do.
Qin Shanshan stared into Little Tang Mo's eyes, her heart filled with a murderous rage. Her face contorted for a split second, and the boy instinctively took half a step back.
Unable to maintain her smile any longer, Qin Shanshan muttered, "Aunt Tang, I'll be leaving now," and hurried out of the Tang family's courtyard.
Little Tang Mo had a pair of dark, expressive eyes that seemed to peer right into a person's soul. Qin Shanshan had always despised this bastard child, born to the man she loved and another woman, and wished she could be rid of him. The boy's dislike for her only fueled her hatred. He would always stare at her with that penetrating gaze, as if he could see all her secrets and read her every thought, leaving her feeling utterly exposed.
On the surface, she was exceptionally kind to Little Tang Mo, preparing for a future in which, if she couldn't get rid of him, he would at least accept her as his stepmother. But in secret, she was constantly plotting to remove this thorn in her side. She had befriended Su Li and manipulated her into becoming utterly devoted, then began to subtly push her toward her own ends. Every one of Su Li's accusations had been the absolute truth.
She was furious that Su Li hadn't taken her hints and sold off Little Tang Mo, which would have removed a major obstacle for her. Now, not only was the boy back safe and sound, but Su Li had also turned the tables, sowing suspicion against her among the villagers. Qin Shanshan was seething with rage and resentment.
She went home, her fists clenched tightly. The thought of all the effort it would take to undo the damage to her reputation made her so frustrated that she didn't sleep a wink all night.
Once Qin Shanshan left, the Tang family's courtyard fell silent.
By the light of a torch wedged into the wall, Mrs. Tang carefully examined Little Tang Mo. For the first time, she didn't chide him for his rudeness to Qin Shanshan. Only after confirming he was unharmed did she ask in a low voice, "Momo, where were you today? Grandma came home and couldn't find you. You scared me half to death."
Little Tang Mo glanced toward Su Li's room, then pursed his lips. "Grandma, I'll tell you, but you have to promise not to be scared."
Mrs. Tang blinked. "Huh? Go on, tell me."
Looking at her clever, precious grandson, Mrs. Tang's face filled with delight. As she held his small, soft body, her heart melted.
"Grandma, today I went to the market with... Mom." Little Tang Mo mumbled the word, still unused to saying it. He had never called Su Li "Mom" before. Both Mrs. Tang and Old Tang had tried to teach him, but he would just press his lips together and refuse. She never thought she'd hear him say it tonight.
Even though he had spoken quietly and mumbled the word, Mrs. Tang heard him. She stared for a moment. "Momo, did you just call Su Li 'Mom'?"
Little Tang Mo lowered his head and gave a quiet "mhm." "Grandma, just listen."
Startled again, Mrs. Tang nodded. "Alright, I'm listening."
"There were so, so many people at the market. People were everywhere. Mom and I got separated in the crowd. Then this man picked me up and said he'd help me find her. I didn't want to go, so he made me smell something. After that, I got really sleepy and my body felt weak."
Mrs. Tang was so terrified she felt like her soul was about to leave her body. "What? What did you say?"
She frantically began checking Little Tang Mo all over again. The boy patted her shoulder comfortingly. "It's okay, Grandma, don't worry. I'm fine now. Everything is fine."