Chapter 195 Don't Be Shy

The girl's words were poignant, as if they contained countless bitter experiences, touching those who heard them deeply.

Yang Chen furrowed his brows and tentatively asked, "Yeer, were you...?"

Just as he was about to ask, Mo Qianni reached out and interrupted him.

"What are you saying! How can you ask a girl like that!" Mo Qianni said disapprovingly, holding Yezi's hand, "Yeer, if you don't want to talk about it, then don't. Just pretend I never asked."

Yezi forced a smile, gratefully glanced at Mo Qianni, and said, "Sister Mo, don't blame Big Brother Yang. It's okay, I've never been bullied by them."

Mo Qianni breathed a sigh of relief and smiled, "You scared me. If that were true, I would definitely help you sue them."

Yezi looked melancholic, and whispered, "It was my mother."

"What?!"

Mo Qianni, who was just happy moments ago, froze on the spot, and Yang Chen was also somewhat surprised.

Yezi smiled bitterly and said, "That was all a long time ago. My mother was also on this train back then and was bullied by some people at that time. Later, she gave birth to me."

Yezi's words were low, but her face remained calm, as if such misfortunes were just tales about others, unrelated to herself.

Mo Qianni couldn't help but feel her eyes moisten, hugged Yezi sympathetically, and said, "You and your mother must have had a hard time."

"I'm not the one who had a hard time. My mother couldn't get married because of me, and she even fell out with the elders in the family. She raised me alone. I feel like I let her down," Yezi finally started to sob, tears wetting the collar of her clothes. "Before, when my mother took me to the city to sell some goods from the mountains, I knew she was in pain because every time she boarded this train, she would remember the past, couldn't sleep at night, and would cry under the covers to keep me from hearing. That's why I insisted on coming to sell by myself, even though I sold less. It made me feel better."

The air in the carriage felt heavy. Yang Chen cracked open the window slightly, letting the mountain breeze in, making it relatively more comfortable.

Yezi's background made Mo Qianni also think of the dark past of that same year. Both women fell into contemplation and didn't speak much until they reached the end of the line and stepped onto the platform.

The train station in the small town was rudimentary, just a dilapidated ticket-selling house, with an old man outside managing the order, making it almost indistinguishable from no station at all.

Since they were all heading to the same destination, Yezi was led by Mo Qianni, hand in hand, to the station for Kunshan Village. In fact, if it weren't for encountering Yang Chen and the others, Yezi would have had to walk back to the mountains late into the night. Despite the cheap fare, it was still her hard-earned money, and the young girl was reluctant to spend it.

It was already evening, with the sky looming gray as if a mountain rain was about to fall, casting a dull hue over the slightly monotonous edge of the small town.

Although it was getting dark, Mo Qianni had already arranged with her mother to be home that night, so they didn't stay overnight in the small town. The three of them simply ate some tea eggs and egg cakes from a roadside stall, then followed Yezi's lead to a simple plastic shed with a cement platform that served as the station.

Yezi was somewhat anxious. As they waited for the train, she paced back and forth, unable to contain herself. Finally, she couldn't hold it in any longer and said, "Sister Mo, I think I'll walk back. I've already eaten dinner with you, I can't ask for your ticket money anymore."

The five-dollar ticket, which was the price of a bottle of ordinary mineral water, was an unbearable burden in the eyes of this girl not yet twenty.

Mo Qianni pretended to be angry and said, "Is it because you don't want to go back with us?"

"No, no, it's not that. I just feel embarrassed," Yezi said softly.

Mo Qianni couldn't help but reach out and pinch Yezi's cheek. "Seeing you is like seeing myself back then. Even though I was younger than you at that time, I still feel a sense of kinship. Don't feel guilty. Just think of me as your big sister. It's only right for a big sister to take care of her younger sister."

Yezi bit her lip, unable to speak, and could only nod obediently.

After waiting for more than a moment, an "antiquated" minibus finally slowly pulled into the station. The three of them got on the bus, with Yang Chen taking on the role of the porter, and the two women surnamed Li taking care of everything else.

There were few people on the bus, including the driver, making a total of five. Despite being able to accommodate over twenty people, only eight boarded the bus to Kunshan Village via the winding mountain road.

Because there were still some stops along the way, the bus occasionally stopped. But after more than two hours, when they were nearing Kunshan Village, there were only about a dozen people left on board.

As the bus climbed over the final hill, ready to arrive at Kunshan Village, dark clouds rolled in the sky, and flashes of blue and yellow lightning finally began to rumble like thunder, echoing through the heavens and earth.

Almost in an instant, the pouring rain, as if poured down by the gods themselves, soaked the mountains and valleys.

Many sections of the rugged road were long overdue for maintenance, making them muddy, and the speed of the car slowed down significantly.

Watching the incessant downpour outside, Mo Qianni hugged Yezi beside her. The girl's face was full of worry at this moment, after all, she still had to hike over two hills to get home after reaching Kunshan Village.

"It's okay. Worst case, you can stay at my place tonight. It's too dangerous for a girl to walk alone on mountain roads at night, especially in the rain," Mo Qianni reassured.

Yezi shook her head hastily, "No, Sister Mo. You've only managed to come back to visit Auntie after so many years. I can't disturb you, and my mom would worry."

"If you walk back so late, your mom will worry even more. With the rain, the mountain roads are prone to landslides. What if you encounter one? Then what will your mom do? Listen to me, just stay at our place," Mo Qianni insisted firmly.

Yezi wanted to refuse, but seeing the increasingly heavy rain outside, she could only say, "If the rain stops later, then I'll go home."

After being baked under the high daytime temperatures, the mountainous area became misty after the rain. Fortunately, there wasn't much traffic on the road, and the car finally arrived at Kunshan Village safely.

Yang Chen got off the car first, opened the umbrella Mo Qianni was carrying, and led the two women off the car. Because the ground was muddy and slippery, he was especially careful.

After getting off the car, Mo Qianni realized there was only one umbrella for the three of them. Since the rain continued to pour, they couldn't all fit under it. She couldn't help but look at Yang Chen.

Understanding Mo Qianni's glance, Yang Chen didn't hesitate. He handed the umbrella to Mo Qianni. "You and Yezi share the umbrella. I'll handle the luggage. Ladies first. Besides, I'm healthy enough to withstand a little rain."

"But..."

"But what?" Yang Chen joked, "I can't bear to let my little Qianqian get wet in the rain, and if little Yezi gets wet, you might as well strangle me."

Mo Qianni blushed, feeling a rush of sweetness in her heart, and didn't say anything more.

Yezi looked at the intimacy between the two of them with a hint of envy in her eyes.

The three of them followed a winding path, stepping on wild grass and rocks, advancing towards the heart of Kunshan Village. Yang Chen followed behind, carrying the large luggage. This kind of journey might be difficult for ordinary people, but for Yang Chen, apart from the discomfort of wet clothes from the rain, it was no different from walking on flat ground.

Gradually, the mountain village emerged from the misty haze ahead, with houses of various heights displaying rich ethnic styles. This was a region where multiple ethnic groups lived together, so it was especially diverse in appearance.

Mo Qianni hadn't been home for over ten years, but she didn't need to think about where her home was located. Even though the village had undergone considerable changes, someone would guide her. At the end of the winding path, in the blurry rain, a figure holding a black umbrella and looking eagerly ahead appeared before them.

Mo Qianni's steps halted, like weathered rocks, rooted to the spot as she stared at the figure ahead, her eyes suddenly reddening.

The figure ahead seemed to have spotted something too and shouted from afar, "Is that Ni Zi?"

A voice as ordinary as could be, but it was enough to make Mo Qianni lose control of her emotions. She almost flung the umbrella aside like it was nothing, ignoring the dirty mudstone road beneath her feet, the large raindrops, and even forgetting that poor little Yezi needed shelter under the umbrella. She just ran towards the figure as fast as she could.

"Mom!"

The joy and emotion of a swallow returning to its nest painted a picture on this rainy night.

Who would have thought, in such heavy rain, and with darkness descending, Mo Qianni's mother, Ma Guifang, would come to the village entrance to greet them? It seemed like the world's parents' hearts were truly pitiful.

When Yang Chen and Yezi approached, Mo Qianni was already wrapped in a tight embrace with her mother, Ma Guifang, tears streaming down her face.

Unlike Mo Qianni, Ma Guifang didn't throw away the umbrella. She held it firmly, sheltering Mo Qianni, her wrinkled face revealing traces of her youthful beauty. Tears mixed with rainwater flowed down her face, making it hard to distinguish which was which.

Ma Guifang, dressed in a tailored purple fabric, held her daughter, who was wearing a fashionable sportswear, in her arms. The contrasting colors seemed mismatched, but at this moment, they appeared harmonious.

Yang Chen held the umbrella that Mo Qianni had discarded, sheltering himself and Yezi. In truth, whether he held it or not made no difference; his whole body was already dripping wet.

After the heartwarming embrace between mother and daughter ended, it was already over ten minutes later. They separated, looked at each other silently for a moment, and then smiled knowingly. Obviously, both mother and daughter knew that there were no words left to say.

Ma Guifang wiped away her tears, then glanced awkwardly at Yang Chen and Yezi. "Look at us, forgetting about you two. You must be Yang, the one Ni Zi mentioned on the phone. You're really handsome."

Handsome? It seemed like the first time someone had said he was good-looking. Was it because his mother-in-law was looking at her son-in-law and finding him more pleasing to the eye the longer she looked? But this was still the first time.

Yang Chen hadn't expected one of his potential mothers-in-law to casually address him as a son-in-law like this, but he was thick-skinned enough to just smile and go along with it.

Mo Qianni, on the other hand, gave him a disdainful look, a mix of affection and irritation.

Seeing Ma Guifang look at Yezi with a hint of doubt, Mo Qianni explained, "Mom, this is a girl from Nancun who came back with us. I saw how dark it was getting and it started raining, so I wanted her to stay at our place for the night. Her name is Yezi, but you can call her Yeer."

Ma Guifang suddenly realized and warmly took Yezi's hand. "Don't be shy, little girl. Come back with your auntie. Dinner is almost ready."

"Thank you, Auntie," Yezi said with a hint of shyness.

So, Mo Qianni linked arms with her mother, and the four of them walked towards home. Compared to before, Mo Qianni was clearly more excited, experiencing the joy of reuniting with her family. This made Yang Chen a bit envious.

However, Ma Guifang would occasionally glance back at Yang Chen with a smile, seeming to like him more the more she looked at him. This made Yang Chen's scalp tingle. Hadn't he bought any gifts for his potential mother-in-law yet? Did she already notice his "loyalty" and "innocence," surpassing even that of a virgin, and was deeply moved by his nature?