Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

  Although Xiao Mei had a gentle personality, she actually had a mind of her own. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have ignored her family’s objections and embarked on the acting path. After making this decision, she turned around and left.

  Cao Yang was familiar with Xiao Mei’s personality. She was usually very easygoing, but when she made up her mind, she was serious.

  Seeing that Xiao Mei had left, he panicked and soon regretted it. Where would he find a good girl like Xiao Mei?

  “Xiao Mei, I’m sorry. I was wrong. I was too rash just now. I shouldn’t have hit you. I might have gone crazy.”

  Cao Yang chased after Xiao Mei and apologized, but Xiao Mei ignored him. In his hurry to show his sincerity, Cao Yang slapped himself quite ruthlessly, but Xiao Mei didn’t stop walking.

  Cao Yang gritted his teeth. “Xiao Mei, don’t scare me. Didn’t we agree to get married at the end of the year?”

  Seeing that Xiao Mei was unmoved, he thought about what he had just said and quickly said, “Xiao Mei, I really like you. If you get pregnant in the future, I’ll definitely choose to protect you over the child. I was just spouting nonsense.”

  Xiao Mei finally stopped. Cao Yang was delighted. “Really, Xiao Mei, I will definitely…”

  When Cao Yang saw Xiao Mei’s expression, he was left completely speechless. “Xiao Mei, why are you looking at me like that…”

  “How should I be looking at you? Should I be thanking you and feeling touched?” If she hadn’t heard Mu Jingzhe’s words, Xiao Mei thought that she might have been touched. However, after hearing those words, she felt like vomiting.

  “Didn’t you hear what you said just now? Who the heck do you think you are to make this decision for me? You’ll show your affection by deciding about my life? Did you think I’d be touched? Get lost.”

  If she had a child one day, she would have to make the decision herself if only the adult or the child could be saved.

  She would make the decision regarding her own life.

  Xiao Mei ran away without looking back. Cao Yang stood rooted to the ground, feeling lost. What had he said wrong? What had he done wrong?

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  Clearly, women were meant to carry on the family line. Children were more important than the mother, especially boys. This was what the world thought. Women should be virtuous. Why couldn’t he even talk about it if a woman wasn’t virtuous?

  It was a painful decision for a man to choose his wife over his children to begin with. It did mean that he loved his wife deeply. What was wrong with that?

  Wasn’t this a world where children were more important than women?

  Cao Yang thought of what Mu Jingzhe had said just now and spat fiercely. “This is lunacy! If all the women in this world were so selfish, wouldn’t there be complete chaos? If all the women only wanted to live on their own, that would be terrible!

  “Now, Xiao Mei has also been led astray. It’s all that woman’s fault! Are you feeling smug?”

  Sister Wei, who Cao Yang imagined being smug, burst into tears when she returned home. She went in and tried to kowtow before Mu Jingzhe. Mu Jingzhe was startled and quickly pulled her up.

  “Sister Wei, what are you doing? Get up quickly. Don’t scare me.”

  “I’m just so grateful to you. Thank you for saying those words. I’ve waited for more than twenty years to hear those words. Not only did you help me, but you also saved my life. You really saved my life. After twenty years, I finally feel like I’ve come back to life. I finally feel like I can live in this world openly and honestly.”

  Sister Wei had committed suicide once. She had been criticized many times and had been in a daze. Later on, she had even lost her job. She had committed suicide once, but she hadn’t succeeded.

  She had been rescued, but now that she thought about it, she had actually died at the time. Later on, she had just been a walking corpse. She had only come back to life today.

  In the past, she had always wondered why she hadn’t died at the time. Now, she was glad that she was still alive and had lived to see this day.

  There was finally someone supporting her. She was no longer alone or afraid of being criticized.

  Mu Jingzhe’s heart ached when she heard that. “Alright, it’s all in the past.”

  “Yeah, it’s all in the past. I’m free. If anyone dares to scold me again, I’ll scold them back. I won’t be afraid anymore.”

  Sister Wei wailed, her voice filled with grief and making one’s heart ache.

  Cao Yang judged others based on himself and thought that Sister Wei must be feeling proud and smug. But why would Sister Wei feel smug? She had wasted half her life in the mud and had even been driven crazy.

  The first half of her life had been just absurd. She had wasted half her life, so what did she have to feel proud about?

  Sister Wei’s cries made Mu Jingzhe feel very upset. She patted her shoulder and didn’t try to comfort her. She simply let Sister Wei cry.

  Sister Wei had held it in for too long. She needed to cry and vent her anger. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be good for her health.

  After a few minutes, seeing that Sister Wei was finally not crying so hard, Mu Jingzhe finally spoke and tried to persuade her.

  “It’s good that you’re crying. You’ll be fine after you cry. It’s all in the past. You’re only in your forties. Your life has just begun. Half of your life has yet to pass. Live well and show your glory. Make them regret it in the future.”

  Sister Wei was stunned. She was already so old, yet her life had only just begun? Besides, would she even be able to make them regret it?

  Sister Wei burped and looked at Mu Jingzhe. “What?”

  Mu Jingzhe sensed her doubts. “Don’t doubt me. I’m telling the truth.”

  “But I’m already in my forties. Can I start over?”

  “Why can’t you? You can start over at any age.” Mu Jingzhe nodded. “How many people can’t find themselves in their entire life? When they were young, they lived for their parents. When they grew up, they lived for their husbands and children, especially women. A short life passed just like that. They lived their entire lives for others.

  “Some people don’t wake up until their children get married and leave them. Some people only find their own joy and direction after they retire. In that case, since you’re only in your forties, aren’t you still young?”

  Everyone had their own way of living. Both men and women could make a change at any age. Mu Jingzhe had seen people whose lives had become dazzling in their fifties or sixties. Sister Wei was actually very talented and could be outstanding in the future.

  Sister Wei’s heart surged when she heard that. That’s right, she could start over. Life wasn’t just about being a good wife and mother. Even if one wasn’t a good wife and mother, they could still succeed!

  “I’ll make them regret it!” Sister Wei’s eyes lit up, and she was truly freed. From that day onward, her children, husband, and mother-in-law could all scram.

  Familial happiness was the happiest thing in life, but even if it didn’t work out, she could make a personal effort to show her other values!

  Sister Wei had previously closed herself off. This time, she finally opened up. Her eyes were still red, but she quickly opened them and spoke some more.

  “I was actually a factory belle in the past. The factory director’s son liked me. At the time, I thought he was fat and didn’t want him. Now that I think about it, it’s actually no big deal to be fat. I only rejected the factory director’s son because I was incredible…”

  Who would have thought that the woman who had later been described as withered and crazy used to once be the bubbliest factory belle? Cao Yang’s father had spent five years cherishing her and used all his might to chase after her, promising to treat her well for the rest of his life.

  He had indeed done it for a year into their marriage. He had cherished Sister Wei and given in to her every wish. Because of this, his mother had felt that he had forgotten about her after getting married.

  Things had only remained that way for a year, though. Then, he had completely turned back into his mother’s good son.

  In the past, Sister Wei hadn’t been able to see through this…… Now that she was free, she could see through everything.