Chapter 219: Fate Plays Tricks

Zhou Luoluo had essentially become the backbone of Mother Liu's household. She managed everything from the inside to the outside, and the livelihood of the entire family, young and old, rested entirely upon her shoulders.

Gradually, rumors began to spread outside.

Liu Zhensheng had left and never returned, leaving everything in the house to an unmarried fiancée; it was practically the modern-day equivalent of Chen Shimei.

As the saying goes, truth cannot be hidden by paper.

These rumors soon reached the ears of Zhou Luoluo and Mother Liu.

Zhou Luoluo simply did not believe them; at first, she would even make excuses for Liu Zhensheng.

However, as time passed, Mother Liu was the one who lost her composure first.

"Luoluo, why don't you go find Zhensheng and bring him back? He's studied for so many years, yet he didn't even make it back for his father's passing. Could it be that even when I die, I won't see him one last time?"

Zhou Luoluo was caught in a dilemma. "But if I leave, what will happen to the family? What about you and my younger brothers?"

The family was nearly out of food. If she left now, there was no telling when she would return; by then, they would truly starve to death.

Every time Mother Liu heard her say this, she would abandon the idea.

Moreover, she was truly afraid that her son would become the "Chen Shimei" spoken of by outsiders.

The days were endured one by one, and in the blink of an eye, a year had passed.

When Liu Zhensheng left, he had made a promise to Zhou Luoluo that no matter what happened outside, he would definitely return for a visit after one year.

But it was destined that he would break his promise.

Mother Liu's physical condition grew increasingly haggard, and combined with long-term malnutrition, she became worse with each passing day.

She washed her face with tears every day. While she could not let go of her two young children, she was also constantly yearning for her eldest son to return home in glory.

As time slipped away, she began to feel that her son was truly living a life of leisure and pleasure elsewhere and would never return.

During this year, Zhou Luoluo had completely changed into a different person. She went from a bright, cheerful girl who loved to talk and laugh to a silent, reticent woman, her entire body having become so thin she was almost unrecognizable.

Yet, deep in her heart, she still firmly believed that her Brother Zhensheng would surely return.

A year and a half later, they did not wait for Liu Zhensheng, but instead waited for Wang Ping, who had gone abroad to study with him.

Wang Ping brought back a letter and handed it directly into Mother Liu's hands.

Upon hearing this news, Zhou Luoluo, who had been working odd jobs outside, practically sprinted back to the Liu residence.

The first thing she did upon seeing Wang Ping was to grab his arm tightly, questioning him about Liu Zhensheng's situation.

"Is Brother Zhensheng doing well out there? Is he studying hard? Is he eating well and staying warm?"

Wang Ping was startled by the Zhou Luoluo before him; for a moment, he failed to recognize her.

After all, a year and a half ago, she used to bring lunch to Liu Zhensheng every single day at noon.

Back then, they used to tease him about having such a wonderful fiancée.

But the current Zhou Luoluo's face was so thin that only skin and bone remained, making her eyes appear exceptionally large.

"Luoluo, don't be anxious."

How could Zhou Luoluo remain calm? "Did Brother Zhensheng say anything about coming back?"

A look of difficulty surfaced on Wang Ping's face, and he instinctively looked toward Mother Liu.

Mother Liu's eyes were red; clearly, she had just been crying.

"Luoluo, our Liu family has failed you."

That single, difficult sentence hit Zhou Luoluo like a bolt from the blue.

Wang Ping echoed, "Luoluo, you can find someone better than Zhensheng."

"No! Aside from Brother Zhensheng, I don't want anyone else!" Zhou Luoluo could no longer control her emotions.

In truth, during the past period, she hadn't been entirely without feeling. The fact that Liu Zhensheng had left and never returned, not even sending a single letter, clearly meant he was using this heartless method to draw a line between them.

But deep in her soul, she always felt that Liu Zhensheng would not betray her, as long as she kept waiting.

"Luoluo, calm down. I won't hide it from you—Zhensheng has fallen in love with a female classmate at school. Moreover, that classmate comes from a very good family and has promised to take him abroad to study. When I returned, they had just departed for another country." Wang Ping let out a heavy sigh at the end of his words.

Fate is a cruel thing.

Zhou Luoluo shook her head incessantly, utterly unable to accept this reality.

"That can't be. Brother Zhensheng isn't that kind of person. He said he would marry me. He even wrote a marriage contract for me, look..." Zhou Luoluo actually carried that marriage contract on her person, and she pulled it out excitedly in front of the two of them.

Wang Ping stood frozen in place, letting her vent her emotions.

Mother Liu felt too ashamed to face her and wept silently.

Receiving no response, Zhou Luoluo collapsed onto the ground, her hands still tightly clutching that marriage contract which now looked like a piece of scrap paper.

Seeing this, Ma Chulong couldn't help but curse Liu Zhensheng profusely.

A man like that was a disgrace to all men.

Su Yan remained silent.

"Will Zhou Luoluo just die like this?" After Ma Chulong had finished venting, he wondered if that would be the case.

Su Yan naturally had no way to answer his question.

Zhou Luoluo was exhausted in both body and mind and fell seriously ill, but she did not die from it. After lying at home for more than half a month, she actually went to the Liu house once again.

Without her care, the frail and sickly Mother Liu had already collapsed onto the kang in a state of unconsciousness.

As for Liu Zhensheng's younger siblings, they had become little beggars outside, living day by day on begging.

Everyone urged Zhou Luoluo not to continue bearing the burden of the three members of the Liu family, saying they would drag her to an early grave.

Yet, the kind-hearted Zhou Luoluo actually returned to her previous life, as if Wang Ping had never appeared and as if that heartless letter written by Liu Zhensheng's own hand had never existed.

Ma Chulong felt a tightness in his chest, wondering how there could be such a foolish yet good girl in this world?!

Life returned to a semblance of calm, but nothing was the same.

Every time Mother Liu saw Zhou Luoluo coming to deliver food, her eyes were filled with a complex sense of guilt.

Several months passed, and Mother Liu's health grew worse and worse, as if she might draw her last breath at any moment.

"Auntie, I made some wild vegetable balls for you and the siblings today. They're delicious." Zhou Luoluo entered the room carrying the warm vegetable balls, only to be struck in the head by something hard.

The sharp pain made her gasp, and the vegetable balls rolled onto the floor.

What had hit her was an old candlestick, and the candlestick had been thrown by Mother Liu on purpose.

Zhou Luoluo clutched her bruised forehead and looked at her uneasily, "Auntie, what's wrong?"

Mother Liu cast aside her usual kindness and began to curse wildly, "Zhou Luoluo, I've endured you for a long time. It's all because of a slutty girl like you that Zhensheng left home, and that's why we've ended up living this life worse than pigs and dogs! You are nothing but a jinx!"

Zhou Luoluo was incredulous, tears welling in her eyes.

"Auntie, you... how can you say that to me?"

"How do you want me to say it? Do you really think I like you that much? It was all a lie to trick you, otherwise why would you take care of us mother and children for so long? But I will never be grateful to you, because this is all something you brought upon yourself by being so pathetic!" Mother Liu's acerbic cursing lasted for a full ten minutes.

(End of Chapter)