526 True Pain
Xing Xiaoya flaunted her miserable background and immediately gained the sympathy of many people. The surrounding people felt that Qiao An had gone too far. There were even a few girls who walked up to Qiao An aggressively and stood up for Xing Xiaoya.
“Qiao An, Xing Xiaoya is already pitiful enough. How can you bully her like this? Can you live with your conscience?!” The girl was strong and pushed Qiao An.
Qiao An had been sick for the past few years. She had been malnourished in the mountains and had done a lot of heavy manual labor, so she was very weak.
With her push, Qiao An fell back to the ground.
Seeing this, Xing Chen quickly helped Qiao An up. He looked at the woman murderously, and the girls couldn’t help but feel a little timid.
Qiao An patted Xing Chen’s shoulder and said gently to him, “Brother Xing Chen, it’s best if you don’t interfere in women’s disputes. I’ll settle it myself.”
XIng Chen looked at the thin-faced Qiao An. Her skin was sickly pale. Compared to this group of girls from the mountains, she was too weak.
“Qiao An. There’s no need to argue with them.”
But Qiao An said stubbornly, “They’re all good girls with narrow hearts. I’ll talk to them. It’ll be fine.”
Her evaluation was very objective.
The girls didn’t expect her to evaluate them so objectively and fairly. Their rejection of Qiao An immediately subsided.
Qiao An walked up to them. Although her body was delicate, her aura was stubborn. “Do you think Xing Xiaoya is pitiful?”
“She doesn’t have the love of her parents. Of course, she’s pitiful,” a girl said.
Qiao An smiled palely. “If I were like you and had no experience, let alone seen the true misery of the world, perhaps I would sympathize with her. But, I’m sorry, I didn’t grow up in this carefree place. Instead, I lived in the capital where wealth and power and conspiracy gathered.”
“This mountain is covered in mud and thorns. Do you think the people here are the most bitter people in the world?”
Everyone’s expression was matter-of-fact.
They felt that the people in the city were born to enjoy life. The villagers were born to suffer. This was why generations of villagers had wanted to venture out.
Qiao An changed the topic. “If possible, I’m willing to walk this muddy path and suffer the injuries of these thorns. In exchange for the return of the heroes in the city who parted ways with their parents, wives, and children. I’m willing to exchange my hardworking hands for the happiness of a lifetime for those children who lost their father’s love.”
Xing Chen frowned slightly. When Qiao An said these words, it was as if she had suffered such heart-wrenching pain. Her emotions were so full.
Qiao An walked up to Xing Xiaoya. “Xing Xiaoya, you’re no longer a child. Father Xing and Brother Xing Chen used their shoulders to support you for twenty years. Surely, you can’t be that fragile seedling for the rest of your life? Do you need others to care about you and protect you for the rest of your life?”
Xing Xiaoya was stunned.
Qiao An said, “You’re in your prime. At this age, you’re a towering tree. Not only can you love yourself, but you can also love others.”
Xing Xiaoya blushed at Qiao An’s criticism. In the end, she straightened her neck and said, “Qiao An, don’t criticize me from the perspective of a saint. I don’t believe that when you were my age, you can really love and protect others.”
Qiao An thought for a moment. “When I was your age, I wasn’t as lucky as you. I landed in the terrorist’s domain then. Every day I saw the bodies of many sisters thrown out.”
“You’re lying,” Xing Xiaoya sneered.
“What you’re saying is outrageous. If so many of your sisters were dead, why are you still alive?”
“Because I was calm and smart enough.” Qiao An’s eyes turned inexplicably red. “Also, I met a policewoman. She took a bullet for me with her body. She died. And I lived.”
Everyone was dumbfounded.
XIng Chen’s heart ached inexplicably. Qiao An’s casual outline seemed to unfold a magnificent and soul-stirring painting in his mind. And his heart tightened with her fate.
“Ah, I understand.” Dahai suddenly sighed with understanding. “Qiao An, this is why you started doing charity, right? It’s to honor that heroine, right?”
Qiao An said, “She did give me the power of an example. However, the real reason I’m doing charity isn’t because of her. It’s…”
Her gentle gaze flicked to the stars. “I want to drift along the Yangtze and find the tracks of another hero.”
Qiao An’s eyes lit up.
However, Xing Chen’s eyes were extremely dim.
He had almost guessed that the person Qiao An was looking for was her ex-husband, Huo Xiaoran.
However, Xing Chen did not know that he was Huo Xiaoran.
He saw the burning passion in Qiao An’s eyes and felt very uncomfortable. He was jealous. He was jealous of Huo Xiaoran.
The more outstanding Huo Xiaoran was, the more inferior he felt.
Qiao An’s smile slowly faded. She saw Xing Chen’s frown. She cursed inwardly. He must be ashamed of himself.
Qiao An suddenly reached out and held Xing Chen’s hand tightly.
Xing Chen was stunned. Realizing that Qiao An was consciously comforting his lost emotions, a poignant smile appeared in his eyes.
“Qiao An, no matter what others say, as Xing Chen’s good friend, I sincerely wish you well with Xing Chen. You’re a good girl,” Dahai suddenly said.
Because of Dahai’s statement, the other boys also stood up. “Qiao An, we used to think that the girls in the city were unreasonable. But recently, seeing that you’ve worked so hard to collect herbs for the patients and are not inferior to the girls in the mountains at all, my prejudice against you has changed. Since you like our Xing Chen, choose a good day and hold the wedding.”
Qiao An smiled like a flower.
She looked at the Xing Chen happily. “Brother Xing Chen, what do you think?”
Xing Chen was a little embarrassed. “An’an, let’s wait for a while, okay? We don’t have a new house now, so I can’t give you anything. I don’t want the wedding to be too shabby when you marry me.”
Qiao An was moved. “Brother Xing Chen, I love you as a person. You’re kind, upright, gentle, and considerate. These are worth more than those rich substances.”
The men around them began to heckle. “Get married, get married.”
“Xing Chen, Qiao An doesn’t despise you, so don’t delay it. There’s no time like the present. Hurry up and find an auspicious day to marry her.”
The girls were very unhappy. When Xie Cunhua saw Xing Xiaoya crying so hard that she was almost out of breath, she said angrily, “You men judge a book by its cover. It’s just that she’s beautiful that you’re bewitched by her.” Then, she glared at Xing Chen. “Be careful not to marry a vixen.”