I became beautiful by eating melons

Ye Rou looked at Cai Shenghua with admiration.

"You are brave and have your own ideas. You are amazing."

Cai Shenghua smiled bitterly, "That's not that impressive."

Ye Rou: "Of course this is considered a skill."

However, seeing that Cai Shenghua looked sad and didn't want to say more, Ye Rou changed the subject and started asking about business.

"Your father and your uncle's surname is Cai, why did they live in Lijia Village?"

"My father has told us about this many times," said Cai Shenghua. "My father and uncle are not from Beijing. They fled to Beijing because of famine."

"Famine?" Ye Rou raised her eyebrows.

She seemed to have heard Liang Yushan say that Tian Zihui also fled to Beijing because of famine and met Liang Yushan's father.

"Yes, my father told me that my grandparents starved to death. They just couldn't survive, and the local government didn't do anything, so they left their hometown and walked all the way from the northwest to Beijing."

Seeing that Ye Rou did not signal her to stop, Cai Shenghua continued, "My dad was young and he almost couldn't make it several times. It was my uncle who dragged him to Beijing City and saved his life. So he is very grateful to my uncle."

"After arriving in Beijing, they were assigned to Lijia Village by the government."

Cai Shenghua smiled bitterly: "Lijia Village is xenophobic and does not accept people with other surnames. At that time, all those who were assigned to Lijia Village with my father were squeezed out. Only my father and my uncle stayed."

Ye Rou understood and asked, "So your mother is from Lijia Village?"

"No." Cai Shenghua shook his head, "My mother and my aunt are not from Lijia Village."

As if knowing what Ye Rou was going to ask, Cai Shenghua continued, "My mom and dad met at the rescue station. As for my aunt, it seems that my uncle rescued her. As for how and where he rescued her, I don't know."

Ye Rou thought of the old man who had argued with Cai Zhenli outside the woods and asked, "Is your aunt mute?"

Cai Shenghua nodded and shook his head.

"My aunt was able to speak originally, but then she seemed to have a serious illness. My father said that the high fever damaged her brain, and she couldn't speak after she recovered."

Ye Rou: "Your uncle only has Cai Zhenli as his daughter?"

"Well, my aunt is not in good health. She was pregnant once, but she was too tired from farm work and she miscarried. After that, she couldn't have children anymore."

Cai Shenghua added: "My aunt is very pitiful. She can't talk. My uncle has to set up a stall in the vegetable market all year round. Aunt Zhenli got married again. She is all alone. My mother asked me to go and accompany her often."

Ye Rou thought about the argument she heard between Cai Zhenli and her mother outside the grove.

"Li Gang has a violent temper and Cai Zhenli doesn't like him either. Why did your uncle want to marry his daughter to him?"

"In fact, my uncle was forced into this marriage."

Cai Shenghua said angrily: "It was the old village chief who took a fancy to Sister Zhenli. He thought she was pretty, hardworking and capable, and insisted on promoting this marriage. Li Gang has a bad reputation in the village, and Sister Zhenli didn't want to get married, so my uncle rejected this marriage."

At this point, Cai Shenghua's face was full of disgust: "After postponing the wedding, everything was calm for more than half a month. My uncle's family thought that the old village chief had given up. I never expected that Li Gang would break into the house while my uncle and aunt were not at home and rape..."

When Cai Shenghua said this, his face turned pale, his eyes turned red, and his voice trembled.

Ye Rou patted her hands gently.

The soft and cold hand brought Cai Shenghua back to her senses. She reluctantly said, "Afterwards, the old village chief came to threaten, saying that if Sister Zhenli didn't marry Li Gang, he would tell everyone that Sister Zhenli seduced Li Gang and lost her innocence."

"Uncle agreed to this marriage despite his hesitation, considering Sister Zhenli's reputation."

Cai Shenghua continued to talk about Cai Zhenli's marriage:

"Li Gang is a beast. He started beating Sister Zhenli not long after they got married. He aborted Sister Zhenli's first child, and she gave birth to Xiaoxia as her second child."

"Sister Zhenli has had a hard time these years. She has been beaten by Li Gang and her mother-in-law has made things difficult for her. She has run back home several times to beg her uncle to save her, but was caught by Li Gang again."

Her words were full of sympathy for Cai Zhenli.

But just now when Ye Rou said that the mother and daughter were safe and hiding in her house, Cai Shenghua's first reaction was not joy, but anger.

Something must have happened afterwards that changed Cai Shenghua's attitude towards Cai Zhenli.

Ye Rou said nothing and continued listening.

"Xiaoxia was a premature baby. She was eight months pregnant. Li Gang got drunk and beat Zhenli again. Zhenli got angry, so her uncle took her home to give birth."

Cai Shenghua raised a finger and shook it: "It took a whole day for the baby to be born, and the midwife thought the baby would not survive. Unexpectedly, Xiaoxia was born healthy and grew up safely."

"After giving birth, Sister Zhenli's figure was out of shape. Li Gang lost interest in her and hooked up with a widow in the village. Life finally got better for them."

Ye Rou asked curiously, "Why did Cai Zhenli take her daughter and escape from the Li family?"

Cai Shenghua's expression changed slightly, and a trace of disgust flashed across his eyes.

She shook her head and said, "Half a month ago, Sister Zhenli said she couldn't go on and wanted to divorce Li Gang. Uncle didn't agree at first, but then he relented for some reason."

"My uncle went to talk to the old village chief, but the conversation ended on bad terms. When Li Gang found out that Zhenli wanted to divorce him, he flew into a rage and arrested Zhenli and Xiaoxia."

Her father felt sorry for Sister Zhenli, so he made some rice balls and asked her and Xiao Shitou to secretly deliver them to Sister Zhenli.

Cai Shenghua had delivered it several times and thought he had done it perfectly, until the fourth time, when he was caught by Li Gang.

She was dragged into the woodshed, and that beast Li Gang actually...actually started touching her!

Cai Shenghua was frightened and asked Sister Zhenli for help.

She crawled hard towards Sister Zhenli and desperately asked for help.

"Sister, Sister Zhenli! Save me, please save me!"

Li Gang looked down at her struggle.

When Cai Zhenli reached out to pull her, she threatened her, "Don't you want to divorce me? If your cousin marries me, I promise to divorce you."

Cai Shenghua watched as Cai Zhenli paused and slowly retracted her outstretched hand.

She looked at Sister Zhenli in disbelief.

Sister Zhenli avoided her sight, blocked Xiaoxia's eyes, and hid in the corner with her back to her.

Cai Shenghua felt as if someone had poured a bucket of cold water over his head, and was completely in despair.

She gave up asking for help and tried desperately to save herself. She grabbed a brick and smashed Li Gang's head with it. Only then did she find a chance to escape.

Cai Shenghua did not tell anyone about this incident, but after that she never went to deliver food to Cai Zhenli again, nor did she allow Xiao Shitou to go.

But Xiao Shitou had played with Xiaoxia since childhood, and he went to find Cai Xiaoxia secretly without her knowing.

Cai Zhenli seized the opportunity and tricked Xiao Shitou into stealing Li Gang's key, and released the mother and daughter.

Afterwards, Cai Zhenli took her daughter and never returned. Her family was targeted by Li Gang and they no longer had a peaceful life.

From then on, Cai Shenghua completely turned to hate Cai Zhenli.

Ye Rou did not comment on Cai Zhenli's behavior, but asked: "Can you take me to your uncle's house?"

"Okay!" Cai Shenghua agreed readily and led Ye Rou out of the yard to his uncle's house.