Farm Tough Girl
Chapter 326 - 326 327 A Dog Cant Change Eating _1

Chapter 326: Chapter 327: A Dog Can’t Change Eating ****_1 Chapter 326: Chapter 327: A Dog Can’t Change Eating ****_1 Muniang simply waited to see how things would unfold. If the Qiao family’s repentance this time was feigned, the moment they saw an opportunity for advantage, they would surely come knocking for money immediately.

But this time, Muniang had truly miscalculated.

Qiao Yuanzhen’s injuries finally showed some improvement, and as soon as he was able to get out of bed, he went in person to express his gratitude.

When the servants reported that someone from the Qiao family had arrived, Muniang thought they were there to ask for money. Yet, to her surprise, the first thing Yuanzhen did upon entering was to bow humbly and give thanks.

“If it hadn’t been for you all, I might not have survived. Muniang, although I’m a generation older, I still must express my sincere thanks. As a scholar, one must at least recognize the most fundamental principles. My past mistakes were mine alone. Having narrowly escaped death, I now see many things more clearly. Please forgive my previous offenses and accept my apology,” he said.

After speaking, he bent deeply at the waist, clasping his hands in front of Muniang.

For a moment, Muniang was taken aback, wondering if the beating had knocked some sense into him.

Mrs. Lin hurriedly helped him up: “No no no, what we did was but a small effort, truly no need for such formalities. Please, get up.”

Once seated, Yuanzhen spoke with such sincerity it was as if he were a changed man. Having lived in the Qiao family for over a decade, Mrs. Lin was deeply moved by the profound change in him.

Muniang frowned slightly. Yuanzhen really did not seem to be there to ask for money, as he hadn’t even slightly hinted at it. Could it be that he really had changed his ways?

Yuanzhen sighed and said abruptly, “I heard that Qinghe is living with you. Why haven’t I seen her? I’ve done too many wrong things in the past, and now, I’d like to make amends to her as well.”

Muniang responded indifferently, “There’s no need. She’s doing very well now. Let’s just leave it at that.”

The things Yuanzhen had done in the past were too heinous; some mistakes are not so easily mended upon realization. Qinghe’s life was ruined, and even though he now truly felt remorse, it couldn’t undo the past. Moreover, Muniang subconsciously did not want Qinghe to have any involvement with him again.

Mrs. Lin gave Muniang a sharp look and said to Yuanzhen, “Please have a seat. I will go and ask her about it in a moment.”

With that, she turned and went out to find Qinghe.

Muniang paused, then had Qingya entertain Yuanzhen while she quickly followed her mother.

Muniang caught up with Mrs. Lin: “Mother, what are you doing? Even if he has changed his ways, we shouldn’t be pushing Qinghe back into the fire pit.”

Mrs. Lin glared at her and said, “You just don’t understand, do you? Qinghe is now a divorced woman with a child. If she remarries, she will certainly be looked down upon. If she remains single for the rest of her life, we may not mind, but once she steps outside, everyone will gossip about her. Moreover, Xi’er will be bullied for being fatherless. Now that Yuanzhen truly regrets his actions, we should prioritize mending family ties over breaking them. We mustn’t let Qinghe suffer.”

Muniang pursed her lips, perhaps she had indeed been too petty. But she didn’t know what Qinghe truly felt, and in these ancient times when a woman’s reputation was everything, what her mother said did make sense.

Muniang eventually made a concession and asked Mrs. Lin to invite Qinghe out. She should decide for herself about this matter. She was no longer the person she used to be; she should do as she sees fit.

Muniang waited outside for a long time. When Qinghe finally came out, her face was still streaked with tears, clearly having had an emotional outburst. Muniang hurried forward, “Qinghe, what’s the matter? Why are you crying? Did Qiao Yuanzhen bully you?”

Shaking her head, Qinghe replied, “No, I was just thinking about past grievances, and I felt terrible. Muniang, I don’t want to marry him anymore. I’ll walk down life’s path alone and bring up Xi’er by myself.”

Muniang repeatedly assured her, “Alright, alright, nobody will force you to do anything. If you don’t want to, then you don’t have to.”

After consoling Qinghe, Muniang came out from the backyard and saw that Qiao Yuanzhen was already waiting in the flower hall, his face full of guilt, “Is Qinghe alright?”

Muniang replied indifferently, “There’s nothing alright or not. She doesn’t want to see you now, nor does she want to marry you again. You should forget about whatever you are hoping for.”

Qiao Yuanzhen looked deeply pained, “If Qinghe doesn’t forgive me, I won’t give up. After all, I owe her and our daughter. I’ll spend my life making amends.” With that, he turned and left.

This left Muniang stunned for a good while.

She had thought that Qiao Yuanzhen was just talking, but he turned out to be serious. He came around often, never reaching out for money but always giving it to Qinghe, saying it was for the child.

Qinghe had never seen Qiao Yuanzhen act this way. Taken aback and slightly moved, even if she didn’t want to get back together with him, the way he was so devoted to their child was comforting. After all, he was the child’s father, wasn’t he?

“Where does he get the money from? He said he had no money before, didn’t he?” Muniang looked at the silver beside Qinghe. Just now, when Qiao Yuanzhen came to give money, Qinghe refused to take it, but he insisted on leaving the silver beside her and walked away. It indeed made him seem like a man.

“He said he found a job as a tutor in town, planning to teach and live quietly,” Qinghe explained.

That was really surprising. Qiao Yuanzhen, a man who always held his head high, was now willing to teach for a living—astonishing.

In the recent months, as Qiao Yuanzhen frequented the home of Qiao Muniang, the villagers also began to praise him more, increasingly seeing him as respectable and even joking about when he would take Qinghe back home.

Before long, the New Year was upon them. Muniang originally planned to spend it at home, but the ancestral home specifically extended an invitation, saying that celebrating the New Year as one big family was the true spirit of the season. They were so earnest in their invitation, and after several months of interaction, the two families’ relationship had clearly thawed quite a bit. If she refused now, it would undoubtedly invite gossip, so after much thought, Muniang agreed to go.

On New Year’s Eve, Muniang’s entire family went to the Qiao family’s house to celebrate. Madam Zhao was as warm as could be, and Qiao Yuanzhen was endlessly amusing Xi’er.

Muniang discreetly whispered to Yu Ze, “Isn’t their family behaving abnormally?”

With a smile, Yu Ze replied, “You say it’s abnormal, then so be it. As long as it doesn’t bother us, that’s fine.”

The Qiao Yuanshan family also arrived, and while they didn’t want to show any goodwill to Muniang’s family, the patriarch had specifically ordered not to cause any trouble, threatening to expel anyone who did from the clan. With such a threat, they dared not act out, and the New Year turned out to be lively. However, this false calm was never going to last forever. They had underestimated one saying: you can’t teach an old dog new tricks.