Chapter 332

Perhaps it was because he saw Zhi Xia look back at him again that his tranquil eyes were full of anticipation.

Zhi Xia sighed, still couldn't bear to dissuade him with a sentence, "Comrade, I think what you should consider most now is the gap between you, how hard the rural life is. You should know that even if she reluctantly goes back with you, she will still feel unhappy and unsettled in her heart. Can you understand?"

"I know," the man mumbled, "I'm not forcing her to go back with me either. I already knew when she got into college that I couldn't keep her, I just wanted her to go back and see the child because the child misses his mom too much."

The man's eyes were red, looking no more than in his early twenties. He slowly approached Zhi Xia, took out a photo from his arms and handed it over, "I'm going back tomorrow. This is a photo of the child. The child had a high fever recently and was quite severely ill, kept calling for his mom. She didn't want to listen to me talk about this, always felt like I was lying to get her to go back. But I still want to ask you to help tell her that if she has time, go back and see the child, I won't stop her from leaving if she doesn't want to."

Zhi Xia thought about it and still took the photo, "I will give this photo to her and relay your words to her."

Back home, Zhi Xia took out the photo and took a look.

The little girl was so pretty, but she looked ill. Her hair was tied into two little braids, and her eyes looked especially big because she was so thin. She was trying to smile but her expression made it seem like she wanted to cry.

She looked about the same age as Yue Yue.

The next day when Zhi Xia arrived at school, she pulled Wang Li out and handed her the photo, "Yesterday afternoon, he asked me to give this to you and said he was leaving today."

Zhi Xia told Wang Li his words verbatim.

She took the photo, her fingers kept rubbing the image on the photo. After a long while, she suddenly frowned, threw the photo on the ground, "He just wants to trick me into going back. He took this photo on purpose, why couldn't he take it at any other time, he had to take it when she was sick and looked so pitiful. He wants me to feel bad for the child, says he won't force me to stay, it must be a lie." Sometimes when one is determined about an idea, no one can persuade them otherwise.

After she left, Zhi Xia picked up the photo from the ground. There was some dirt on the back of the photo. She took out a handkerchief and wiped it clean before putting it away in her storage drawer.

Perhaps her worries were reasonable, but no matter how Wang Li saw it, the photo shouldn't have been discarded so rashly on the ground.

If there was another chance to meet that man, the photo should be returned to him.

Zhi Xia didn't expect the chance to come so soon.

Wu Xiao Hua ran to the school to find her, "Auntie An, a man asked me to help ask if you have any updates about yesterday?"

The man had also been here for many days. Zhi Xia often interacted with Wu Xiao Hua so she was clearly more caring towards him than a regular client. He noticed this so asked Wu Xiao Hua for some help.

No matter the result, he still wanted to know, so he and his daughter can give up hope.

That little girl ran to the village entrance every day just to wait for her mother to come back. When he left, she had urged him to speak nicely to mother and not make mother angry.

Unable to persuade Wang Li to go back to see her, the image of his daughter's disappointed face kept appearing in his mind before he even got home.

Zhi Xia took out the photo from her pocket, "Xiao Hua, next time he looks for you, return this photo to him and tell him to live well with his daughter."

Wu Xiao Hua also didn't understand the situation but took the photo and said, "Auntie An, are you very familiar with that man? He seems to be having a very hard time, I've seen him sleeping leaning against the roadside wall many times these past few nights."

The weather was still a bit cool now, especially at nights. "Not very familiar, just a friend who knows him." Zhi Xia said, "If you find him pitiful then buy him two youtiao, I'll settle the bill with you next time I drop by."

Without thinking too much, since he couldn't even afford lodging, his meals definitely wouldn't be good either.

Zhi Xia wasn't randomly being kindhearted, just the normal bit of sympathy one would have seeing a stranger.

Also, from what he said, his child back home was still sick, that was quite pitiful too. After Wu Xiao Hua agreed, he took the photo and left.

In the classroom, Zhi Xia had just sat down when Wang Li said, "Zhi Xia, I agreed to Li Fei's pursuit, he is my boyfriend now."

"Oh," it was a long while later before Zhi Xia responded.

Li Fei was a male student from the class next door who had been pursuing Wang Li for a long time but she never agreed.

And now at this particular time she suddenly agreed to date Li Fei, the implications were quite meaningful.

"I didn't actually register my marriage when I was in the village, we just had a meal with his family. Strictly speaking, we weren't really husband and wife." Wang Li explained.

But Zhi Xia knew that de facto marriage was still very common practice in villages for decades to come.

If they didn't have a marriage certificate they couldn't be considered husband and wife, then probably only 1-2 out of 100 couples actually had one, and that was only because they needed it for something.

"That's your business, you don't need to explain it to me," Zhi Xia said.

Wang Li was stunned, suddenly regretting telling Zhi Xia about it. She thought Zhi Xia would understand her.

"You may think I'm heartless, but I didn't want it to be this way either. You've experienced rural life too Zhi Xia, I really couldn't take it anymore." Wang Li still had to consider others so she lowered her voice and leaned in closer to Zhi Xia to speak softly, "Also, Li Fei doesn't know about my past..."

The implication was very clear, she wanted Zhi Xia to help her conceal things.

Looking at the woman beside her, in just a few days, she felt like she was a completely different person.

"Wang Li, some things may truly be forced by helplessness, but some things will only make others feel like you have questionable moral character," seeing that they've been friends for so long, Zhi Xia still had to advise her from a bystander's perspective, "You can conceal the fact that you have a child now, but have you thought about what Li Fei would think of you if this matter came to light one day? Also what future prospects would a student with questionable character have at this school?"

"This is my business, as long as you don't say anything he won't know,"

"But I won't help you conceal this. This is already an ethical issue. Either you confess the truth to Li Fei yourself, or I will tell him the facts."

"Zhi Xia, I always thought we were friends. Aside from you, I haven't even dared to tell my own family about this. I really saw you as a sister, how could you stab me in the back like this?"