Chapter 405: Chapter 405: In the Middle of the Third Watch of the Night Chapter 405: Chapter 405: In the Middle of the Third Watch of the Night Xuexue’s movements, though not hurried, were graceful; however, she quickly emptied the basin of meat. Old Lady Mo watched, her eyes wide and mouth agape, unable to react. By the time she came to her senses, there was only a little red-cooked pork left in the basin.
“This…”
“Grandma, you better go back now. It’ll be dark soon, and you won’t be able to see the road. We don’t want you to fall, dear old lady.” Xuexue handed the nearly empty basin to Old Lady Mo and gently pushed her out of the temporary kitchen, her concern evident in her voice.
“You… you… I, I.” Old Lady Mo looked at Xuexue, then down at the basin, at a loss for words.
“Don’t worry, tomorrow I will ask my mother to send you two pounds of meat!” Xuexue said smilingly to Old Lady Mo.
Hearing this, the villagers who were eating praised her, saying that Xuexue was a truly filial girl. Despite being separated from the Mo family, she still took such good care of the Mo’s.
Old Lady Mo didn’t know what to say, so she just carried the basin and skulked away.
Having dealt with Grandma Mo, Xuexue returned to the banquet, chatting and eating with the village head and Shopkeeper Fan, everyone in high spirits.
Not until the moon rose above the willow tips did the banquet slowly dissolve, and Shopkeeper Fan bid them farewell and boarded his carriage to rush back to town.
Normally, the people of Mo Family Village would have been in bed resting by now, but tonight, because of Madam Xie’s new house feast, all the villagers gathered together to eat, their spirits high, and for the first time went to sleep so late.
Before leaving, Mo Xiaoqiang, carrying gifts of all sizes, came over and placed them beside Xuexue, saying, “Xuexue, here are Shopkeeper Fan’s gifts.” Afterwards, he turned and staggered home.
Watching his lone figure depart, Xuexue felt her father had aged quite a bit in recent days and couldn’t help feeling a little moved.
Madam Xie approached and asked, “Xuexue, what’s the matter?”
Xuexue asked softly, “Mom, if dad wanted to get back with you, would you agree?”
Xuexue wasn’t asking because she had softened, she just felt that Mo Xiaoqiang had changed a lot lately. As the saying goes, “A prodigal who returns is more precious than gold.” If he genuinely reformed, it would be only fair to give him a chance.
Madam Xie shook her head and said, “I wouldn’t want to. The thought of those old days strikes me as a nightmare, I am never going back to living a life worse than death.”
“Okay! Whatever life you want to live, Mom, I will make sure you live it,” Xuexue promised, patting her mother’s shoulder.
“I am content with the life I have now, I have no extravagant desires. The only thing I want is for you to marry Big Bull soon, that would make me even happier.”
Xuexue stamped her foot petulantly and flirted, “Mom, we were talking about you. How did the conversation turn to me again?”
“You silly girl, what’s there to be embarrassed about? It’s natural for men to marry and women to wed; there’s nothing strange about it.” Madam Xie mistook Xuexue’s embarrassment.
With vengeance unachieved, Xuexue had no intention of discussing matters of the heart and replied perfunctorily, “Let’s talk about it later, I don’t want to get married right now.”
“You silly girl, you shouldn’t pass up a good man like Big Bull.”
The Mo family
Mo Xiaoqiang, drunk and tipsy, stumbled back home to complete darkness.
Of course. Old Lady Mo was a miser who couldn’t bear to waste oil for a lamp, so it was surely pitch black everywhere.
After bumping into walls several times, dizzy and seeing stars, he finally groped his way to his room.
“Wife, wife,” he called out loudly as he entered his room.
Alas, the room remained silent. No one paid him any heed.
Mo Xiaoqiang collapsed onto his bed and muttered to himself, “Where has my wife gone off to now?”
Suddenly, he shivered, worried that the damn woman might have run off to meet that bastard again. His drunkenness sobered up instantly, and he hurriedly climbed out of bed, finally managing to find and light an oil lamp.
Then, it dawned on him. Tonight, everyone in the village was at the ancestral hall for dinner, yet he hadn’t seen that wretched wife of his.
The more Mo Xiaoqiang thought about it, the more suspicious he became; however, it was now the Third Watch of the Night, and even if he wanted to look for her, he wouldn’t know where to start. With no other choice, he sat on the edge of the bed, growing angrier the more he thought about it, and he raised his arm and fiercely punched the bed…
“Crack.”
His hand was suddenly covered in blood.