The evening in the countryside was exceptionally tranquil, but from the west end of the village, curses could be heard from time to time.

At first, people might not have been accustomed to it, but after so many years, they had become desensitized to such verbal uproars.

Or perhaps it all started after Bai Xue returned to the village.

The difference was that it began with Bai Xue’s curses aimed at her husband Ye He Ping, and eventually, it turned towards the Si Family and the Zhang Family.

The curses towards the Zhang Family were because Zhang Zhenlian’s mother blamed Ye Qian after Zhang Zhenlian and Si Daochen divorced, and Bai Xue, upon her return to the village, was so smug that it naturally irked the Zhang Family.

Bai Xue’s temperament was such that she wouldn’t let Zhang Qiang curse her without rebuttal, so naturally, she retaliated, leading to mutual curses heard in the village now and then.

As for the quarrels with the Si Family, they were entirely due to Si Daochen frequently visiting Bai Xue. Watching their once-good son being ruined by Ye Qian, and seeing him obstinately frequent the Ye Family’s home, the Si Family couldn’t help but be furious, unable to control their son, they vented their anger on Bai Xue. Consequently, whenever they saw Bai Xue, they couldn’t help but hurl curses, causing the three families to quarrel together, with the Si Family and the Zhang Family ganging up against Bai Xue.

These years of staying in the city had also honed Bai Xue’s character. When she threw a fit, neither the Si Family nor the Zhang Family had much advantage over her.

Faced with such quarrels, Zhang Zhenlian, being absent, naturally wouldn’t intervene or care; she had long since lost hope in Si Daochen.

In time, Si Daochen learned that Ye Qian divorced from the Liu Family, retaining a glimmer of hope, thinking that one day Ye Qian would return, and they could be together again.

Thus, he behaved this way, thinking that treating Zhang Xue a bit better would garner him a few good words from Ye Qian when she came back.

Bai Xue, however, seemed to have aged twenty years. Now, with half her hair turned white, she resembled an old lady. Her days were otherwise spent squatting at home, staring out the window, lost in thought, while villagers gossiped that Bai Xue had lost her mind, speculating she had mental issues.

It was precisely Si Daochen’s care that allowed Bai Xue to survive; otherwise, she might have become just skin and bones.

Another year passed, until one day Bai Xue spoke to Si Daochen, "I know your care for me is all because of Ye Qian, but so many years have gone by. You should find someone to truly live with. I don’t need to say more; just look, it’s been so many years, not a word from Ye Qian, while Ye Ling, whom I always scolded and never treated well, still sends me money from time to time."

Si Daochen placed the steamed bun he brought from home on the kang, turned to look at Bai Xue, and seeing her staring out the window, he too glanced outside.

At first, he held on to this idea, but after so many years, from initial impatience to final calm silence, he seemed to have become accustomed. A voice in his heart told him that Ye Qian would never return. And his dream finally shattered—the gentle and kind Ye Qian in his mind was nothing but an illusion.

"I am Ye Qian’s mother, and it’s only after so many years that I understood her, let alone you, an outsider. Ye Qian is not part of our world. I kept telling myself to keep hoping she might suddenly return one day, but look how many years it’s been. I’m soon to be six feet underground, and she hasn’t even sent a word. How ruthless must her heart be!" Bai Xue suddenly let out a bitter laugh, which grew louder but then abruptly stopped as she fell backward.

Ye Ling received a call from her father back home while on leave from the army, planning a family trip, but upon hearing of her mother’s death, she asked her in-laws to take Little Fatty on the trip, while she returned to her hometown with Shen Bin.

By the time Ye Ling and the others reached home, Bai Xue’s body had been cremated, only needing to be buried. Since the two daughters hadn’t returned in time to see her one last time, they had to wait for the daughters to come back.

In these years, Ye’s father hadn’t aged and had a little boy by his side who sweetly called Ye Ling "sister," appearing well-behaved and cute. This was Ye He Ping’s son with his later wife.

"I couldn’t reach Ye Qian on my end. Can you possibly find her?" Ye’s father asked, laden with concern.

Ye Ling hesitated for a moment, "Earlier I heard she married a developer, but people later found out that she divorced him too, and her whereabouts are unknown. It seems she’s not doing well. Word has it someone saw someone resembling her scavenging on the streets, but I think it’s unlikely. Ye Qian wouldn’t have fallen so far."

"Forget it. If she’s so heartless not to even contact her mother all these years, don’t bother about her. Whether she’s doing well or not doesn’t concern us. She’ll be buried today, so her mother can see how she wasted her love on that daughter." Ye’s father decided.

Indeed, no trace of her could be found. Ye Ling had nothing more to say and, after finishing the family affairs, was about to head to the town with Shen Bin when they were stopped halfway by Si Daochen.

Seeing the aged Si Daochen, Ye Ling truly found it a pity. Originally, he had a good life, but he ruined it himself. Yet Ye Ling felt no sympathy for someone like him.

"Ye Qian might be begging somewhere now. If you want to find her, I have no clue where she might be. You should inquire on your own!" Without waiting for Si Daochen to speak, Ye Ling replied, pulled Shen Bin, and got into the car to leave.

Si Daochen savored these words slowly, then burst into laughter, feeling justice was served as if the heavens had eyes, finally bringing retribution to Ye Qian. Tears involuntarily streamed down his face as he realized that this was also his retribution for his own failure to discern people.

Meanwhile, in a corner of a city, a petite figure huddled, shivering.

She gradually lifted her head, her eyes hollow as she stared into the distance, without a hint of emotion in them, while her cheeks were carved with innumerable scars, making her original appearance unrecognizable.

This person was none other than Ye Qian, who, after being found having an affair by the developer, had her face disfigured and her tendons broken, ending up in such a state of destitution.

She once thought of returning, but afraid of the contemptuous looks she would garner looking like this, she lacked the courage. Thus, she lived day by day scavenging leftovers for survival.