Siheyuan: The Era of Struggle

Chapter 445 Zhu Yonggui's Confession (Part 2)

Zhu Yonggui was initially putting on an act of pitifulness, but as he cried, he suddenly remembered the torment he had suffered these past few days without seeing Wan Lingling, and he couldn't help but feel sorrowful. Even though he wanted to stop crying, he couldn't control his emotions, and tears and snot flowed uncontrollably down his face.

Wan Lingling tried to soothe Zhu Yonggui with gentle words for a while, but not only did it not stop Zhu Yonggui's crying, it seemed to be getting worse.

Seeing this, Wan Lingling's face showed a hint of panic. She looked up and glanced outside a few times, then quickly got up, went to the door, grabbed a towel, returned to the bedside, and handed it to Zhu Yonggui, saying:

“Brother Zhu, please stop crying. If you keep crying, I won’t tell you why.”

Zhu Yonggui had been crying loudly for a long time, and all the bitterness in his heart had already been vented. Upon hearing this, he quickly stopped crying, took a towel and wiped his face haphazardly a few times, and then couldn't wait to look up at Wan Lingling.

“I won’t cry anymore, Lingling, you say it.”

Wan Lingling looked at Zhu Yonggui sitting by the bed with deep affection, raised her hand to wipe away the tears that hadn't dried from the corners of his eyes, and then a look of pain appeared on her face.

“Brother Zhu, you are a good person. I don’t want to lie to you. The reason I’m not with you is because… because I… I come from the Eight… Eight Great Hutongs.”

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yonggui's mind went blank, as if he had been struck hard with a hammer.

Zhu Yonggui was very familiar with the Eight Great Hutongs. He was a bachelor with no ties. Before liberation, he often went to those places when he had physical needs. He couldn't afford the good brothels or teahouses, but he could still afford to go to brothels or local prostitutes.

Thinking about all the moments he had spent with Wan Lingling, Zhu Yonggui found it hard to equate the woman in front of him with the prostitutes and brothels of the Eight Great Hutongs.

Wan Lingling ignored the pain and disbelief on Zhu Yonggui's face and continued to recount her past.

"When I was eight years old, my hometown suffered a severe drought. My father led our whole family to flee to the border region with the other villagers. On the way, my grandparents starved to death one after another in order to save food. My three-year-old sister also died of illness. When we finally arrived in the capital region, my father tricked me into selling me to a slave trader in order to save my sick second brother."

At this point, Wan Lingling's face first showed a look of hatred, then her expression changed and she showed some relief.

"Although I hated my father for selling me back then, it also meant I got my first full meal since I can remember. Even now, I can still recall the sweet taste of those few cornbread buns..."

Zhu Yonggui was an orphan since childhood. He hung out with a group of beggars in the capital city and barely survived by begging. He had personally experienced the hardships before liberation. Now, hearing about Wan Lingling's tragic experience, he felt very empathetic, and the tears he had just stopped couldn't help but slide down his cheeks again.

Seeing this, Wan Lingling stopped talking, raised her hand to wipe away Zhu Yonggui's tears, and then continued to tell her own story.

"After I was sold to human traffickers, I was often beaten and scolded, but at least I could eat a full meal every day and wouldn't starve to death. At that time, I was even somewhat grateful to my father for selling me to human traffickers."

But our good fortune didn't last long. Less than a month later, the slave trader bought a few more girls to make up the ten, and then sold us all to Yixiangyuan in the Eight Great Hutongs.

I naively thought I was sold to Yixiangyuan to be a maid, but who knew that when I turned fourteen, the madam would force me to serve customers…

Wan Lingling couldn't continue speaking at this point. She grabbed the towel from Zhu Yonggui's hand, covered her face, and began to sob. Before liberation, Zhu Yonggui had personally witnessed how brothel madams dealt with prostitutes. Even now, thinking about it makes this grown man shudder.

Both of them had experienced pain and hardship. Thinking of the suffering the woman in front of him had endured, Zhu Yonggui's resentment instantly vanished. He couldn't help but hug Wan Lingling tightly, gently patting her back as he said:
"Lingling, it's all in the past. Let's not bring up the past anymore. From now on, let's live a peaceful and stable life together..."

Zhu Yonggui comforted Wan Lingling gently for a while before she finally stopped crying.

"Brother Zhu, I've made up my mind. It's impossible between us. You shouldn't waste your time on me. You should hurry up and find a good woman to settle down with!"

"Lingling, what nonsense are you talking about? I don't want to find another woman, I just want to live with you."

As Zhu Yonggui spoke, he hugged Wan Lingling tightly in his arms.

Wan Lingling struggled twice to break free from Zhu Yonggui's embrace, and choked out, "Brother Zhu, you're a good man. My background is not good enough for you, and it will make you lose face. I can't hold you back. You should listen to me and find someone else to live a good life with!"

After saying that, Wan Lingling didn't look at Zhu Yonggui again, turned around and lay on the bed, sobbing again.

Hearing Wan Lingling's words, which were entirely for his own good, Zhu Yonggui's last bit of hesitation vanished. Looking at the woman crying on the bed, he said firmly:

"Lingling, don't overthink it, and don't talk about whether we're a good match or not. I also came from the old society. I was a beggar when I was young. If we're really talking about it, I'm not even as good as you..."

Zhu Yonggui's throat was dry from talking, but seeing that Wan Lingling was still lying on the bed sobbing without any response, he steeled his heart, leaned over, grabbed Wan Lingling, who was lying on the bed, and solemnly said to her face:
"Lingling, I'll say it again. I don't care what you were like before. I, Zhu Yonggui, have fallen for you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. No matter how good other women are, I don't care."

Whether it was because Zhu Yonggui was right or something else, Wan Lingling choked up for a while, then wiped away her tears and said earnestly:
"Brother Zhu, have you thought this through? If we really get our marriage certificate, it will be too late for you to regret it later."

Seeing that Wan Lingling had finally relented, Zhu Yonggui didn't dare to hesitate and quickly said:

"Lingling, don't worry. Although I'm not a big shot, I'm a man, and I keep my word. Since I've decided to be with you, I will never regret it."

Upon hearing this, Wan Lingling threw herself into Zhu Yonggui's arms and began to sob again.

This time, Zhu Yonggui didn't say anything to comfort her; he just hugged Wan Lingling tightly.

Neither of them spoke. They sat on the edge of the bed, embracing each other tightly. After about ten minutes, Wan Lingling gradually stopped crying.

“Brother Zhu, since you don’t mind my past, I can’t let others talk behind your back. Why don’t we move to another city and find a place where no one knows us to start over?”

(End of this chapter)