Northeast: My Absurd Woman

Chapter 134 A Woman with No Way Out

Zhang Changyao had never seen Zhang Shuhua so panicked before, so he immediately squatted down and helped her up.

"Changyao... hurry... hurry and go find your sister-in-law, she's carrying the child and we don't know where she went?"

Don't think you're doing something rash. The child is still young and can't withstand this kind of torment!

Tears streamed down Zhang Shuhua's face as she grabbed Zhang Changyao, trying to leave.

"Auntie, wait a moment, I'll go tell Wu Ni."

She shouldn't be thinking that I'm messing around with Zhai Qingming and Wang Ga anymore; she's just making things up.

Zhang Changyao helped Zhang Shuhua lean against the wall.

He went inside himself and guarded the tree and the corn in the air-raid shelter.

Terrified, he ran all over the village with his pants up, telling Yang Wuni that his affair had been exposed.

She was also told that Zhang Shuhua said Guan Shu's wife had run away from home with the child and asked him to help her find her.

"Go on! It's cold at night, wear another layer." Wu Ni found Zhang Changyao's autumn prison clothes and put them on him.

"Alas! Adultery has always led to death, and this foolish woman is so heartbroken that she contemplates suicide."

"In this world, it's always the honest people who try to live a simple life who have a hard time surviving, isn't it?" Liao Zhi sighed.

"Liao Zhi, do you mean your sister-in-law tried to commit suicide while holding the child?" Zhang Changyao asked in shock.

"I don't know, but choosing to leave probably means they don't want to come back."

Those who don't want to come back have only two choices: separation by life or separation by death.

If we can separate in life, we won't go out; if we can't separate in life, then it's a separation by death.

Go find him quickly! Perhaps he's already free.

Before Liao Zhi could finish speaking, Zhang Changyao had already rushed out of the house.

Carrying the already limp Zhang Shuhua on his back, he rushed to Guan Shu's house.

"I'll beat you to death for messing with that bastard and making you live such a miserable life."

"Get out there and look for them right now! If you don't find my sister-in-law and the child, I'll break your legs when you get back."

Inside the house, Guan Lin pinned Guan Shu to the ground and beat him, each punch landing squarely on Guan Shu's body.

"Second brother, what right do you have to hit me? Aren't you also running around the village causing trouble?"

Yue'e won't stoop to your level, otherwise she'd be just like me. Guan Shu held his head and argued with Guan Lin.

"Can I be the same as you? My Yue'e won't let me touch her body."

I'm a normal man; I only did that because I had no other choice.

My sister-in-law is no match for Sui Yumi, that pouty mule.

You two are a pair of ugly birds, ignoring the good men and wives right beside you, and instead trying to spout nonsense.

"Second brother, stop hitting me! I was wrong, I was wrong, okay?"

Guan Shu dared not argue any further, and knelt down with his face on the ground, not daring to raise his head.

"Second brother, let's hurry and go find sister-in-law. Liao Zhi said that sister-in-law may have committed suicide."

Brother, tell me, what did my sister-in-law say to you before she left?

Zhang Changyao pulled up Guan Shuwen, whose eye was black and blue from being beaten.

"After she found out, she insisted on divorcing me, but I didn't agree."

I told her that unless she died, she wouldn't be leaving this house, and she left without a word, carrying the child.

Guan Shu's crooked mouth was drooling, and he wiped it away with his sleeve after speaking.

"He doesn't even know how to coax his wife, and I don't know how he got involved with a slut?"

"Let's split up and search. Whoever sees them, don't let go. Bring them back at all costs."

Zhang Shuhua looked at the disappointing Guan Shu, raised her leg as if to kick him, but then pulled it back.

Guanlin and Guanshu walked southeast into the grove.

Zhang Changyao, with Zhang Shuhua and Guan Yuxiu following behind, walked north to the riverbank.

Li Yue'e took Guan Dou to her home and looked after the children.

Guan Yutian and his two younger brothers went to search in the ravine due west.

"Yuxiu, wait for me..."

Wang Fugui, having somehow heard the news, ran after him.

"Grandma, I'll carry you on my back, that way we can walk faster."

Wang Fugui squatted down, gesturing for Zhang Shuhua to lie on his back.

Zhang Shuhua dodged, but Zhang Changyao pushed her over and pointed at Wang Fugui's back.

"Auntie, hurry up, time is of the essence, and Fugui is no stranger."

"Third Uncle, please help me with my milk, so I can walk faster."

Wang Fugui glanced gratefully at Zhang Changyao, then carried Zhang Shuhua on his back and hurriedly moved his feet.

There was no one to be seen along the riverbank. The group of people felt a mix of disappointment and joy.

"Grandma, maybe my aunt went back to her parents' home. She doesn't necessarily have to commit suicide, does she?" Guan Yuxiu said, looking at the river.

"Yuxiu, your aunt no longer has a family home; her parents died long ago."

His brother and sister-in-law sold her to our family, took the money and moved away to his sister-in-law's hometown in the south.

These past years have flown by, and I haven't been in touch with them or even know their address.

Your sister-in-law was always simple and honest, living a simple life with your brother. She never imagined things would turn out this way.

Zhang Shuhua walked along the riverbank, waved to the swirling water, and prepared to turn back.

"Auntie, that tiger-head shoe up ahead, could it be...?"

Zhang Changyao dared not say anything more, and quickly walked over to pick up the tiger-head shoes.

"Guimei... Guimei..."

When Zhang Shuhua saw the tiger-head shoes, she felt dizzy.

Grabbing Zhang Changyao's arm to steady himself, he shouted at the top of his lungs at the rushing river.

"Guimei...you can't do something like this."

Both your life and your child's life were snatched back from the jaws of death.

"The child is too young to handle any more stress, Guimei! Can you hear me?"

Zhang Shuhua shouted and spoke into the distance, tears streaming uncontrollably from her eyes.

"Grandma, Auntie's headscarf." Guan Yuxiu pointed to the swirling pool of water not far away.

The blue and yellow checkered headscarf, as if knowing someone was looking for its owner, was neatly unfolded and floated on the water.

"It really is Guimei, Guimei... Guimei... Where are you?"

"Guimei...Guimei, come up quickly! The child is too small and will choke to death."

Zhang Shuhua ran towards the river like a madwoman, but before she even reached the riverbank, she had already fainted.

Zhang Changyao hurriedly took off his clothes, rolled up his sleeves, and stuffed them into Zhang Shuhua's mouth.

Looking at the black river water, he hesitated for a moment, then began to take off his prison clothes and outer pants.

"Third Uncle, my aunt wouldn't die with the child in her arms."

The child is so young, how could she, as a mother, bear to do this?

Guan Yuxiu couldn't believe it would end like this, and she pulled Zhang Changyao away from the river.

"Yuxiu, your aunt is desperate. She's different from us; she has no way out."

Since the child's shoes and headscarf are still there, it means she wants us to take her "home".

"If we take her back, she'll definitely regret it; she'll be thinking about Xiao Douzi."

Zhang Changyao dipped his foot in to test the depth of the river.

"Third Uncle, let's not go in. I heard that this water pit is very tempting."

Several people died in this puddle a few years ago.

Wang Fugui stepped forward to stop Zhang Changyao, preventing him from taking the risk.

Zhang Changyao leaned back and grabbed Wang Fugui's arm with one hand.

The river was indeed bottomless; Zhang Changyao's waist was already wet, and he still hadn't reached the edge.

"Third Uncle, you can't be in any danger, my Third Aunt is heavily pregnant."

Wang Fugui is fast on his feet, so let him run back to find my dad and my uncle. We'll stay here and watch over my grandma.