Becoming the Villain's Discarded Wife
Chapter 163: Scream_1

Chapter 163: Scream_1

"Wenchen, you keep eating, eat more," Mother Lin guessed that her son-in-law was exhausted and presumed he must have hurried over without rest.

"Alright."

Shen Wenchen nodded before continuing to eat.

Nanzhi, holding Shen Zhiyu, watched him eat and sighed inwardly.

Tonight would likely be difficult.

The whole family was finally all together. Although Lin Yicheng and Lin Ercheng, the two brothers, weren’t very familiar with Shen Wenchen, they were still trying to ease the tension with conversation.

Even if their little sister might have to separate from him later, he still seemed decent for now.

A wild chicken weighed only about two pounds, and there were eleven of them, big and small, not to mention they had to feed a sick passenger in the cart. Aside from the children, who each got three pieces of chicken, adults barely got to taste a bite.

Because she remembered the kindness that Old Master Wang had shown to Nanzhi, Mother Lin gave Wang Jingzhi four pieces of chicken when serving him.

It wasn’t as much as the meat on a chicken leg, but it was better than what they had themselves.

Thinking back to the hard times plump Qiulan and Zhiyu, mother and son, had gone through, Mother Lin felt guilty too.

Her daughter had been married for five years, and apart from visiting during the first year’s holidays, she became pregnant the following year. At the same time, her little daughter-in-law was busy with giving birth to Maomao, so she had only managed a few visits to bring them food.

If she blamed her son-in-law for not doing enough, wasn’t she, as a mother, also to blame?

Every night, thinking of her daughter’s suffering during those three years, Mother Lin would secretly wipe away her tears.

Under the high-hanging moon, the wind blew ceaselessly, chilling people to the bone.

Mother Lin and Father Lin were, after all, advanced in age; their physical strength was not what it had been before the famine. They rested only briefly before climbing into the mule cart to sleep.

After a full meal and cleaning up the pots and bowls, Chen Qiulan and Sun Cui, along with their children, also went into the cart.

The heavy snow this morning had forced them to stop and rest. It seemed that there wouldn’t be any snow tonight, and they would continue their journey early in the morning. It was natural to want more sleep to keep their strength up for tomorrow.

Lin Yicheng and Lin Ercheng were responsible for taking turns keeping watch during the night.

These past few days, it had been Xiaohe who kept watch at night, but this morning he said he had urgent matters and needed to go to Yan City.

They would have to resume their night watch rotation.

Knowing Xiaohe had left, Shen Zhong didn’t go back to sleep in the cart but instead came over to the Lin brothers.

After all, it had always been the three of them taking turns, and he couldn’t pretend he didn’t know.

"You take a rest today; my brother and I will take turns keeping watch," said Lin Yicheng, who, although not as cold as before, also didn’t show his usual smiling demeanor.

"You two sleep, I can keep watch alone tonight," said Shen Zhong, his head bowed in guilt as he spoke, not daring to look them in the eyes because of the day’s events.

"It’s fine, we brothers can keep watch. You go rest."

Seeing there was no persuading them, Shen Zhong reluctantly returned to his own donkey cart.

"Big Brother, are we doing the right thing?" Ercheng hesitated as he watched Shen Zhong’s slightly desolate figure walking away.

It was his wife’s issue, but was it really okay for them to act like this?

"Just watch, his wife will definitely cause more trouble. If he had been resolute, he would have come to apologize to Qiulan this afternoon. Now what’s the point of coming over?" Lin Yicheng said indifferently, sparing only a glance towards the Shen Family’s donkey cart before looking away.

"Should I keep watch first, or will you?"

"I’ll do it first, you go rest."

"Okay."

Lin Yicheng nodded without delay and went to rest in the mule cart.

Ercheng sat by the fire, rubbing his hands together.

In another twenty days or so, they would arrive in Yan City, and they wouldn’t have to endure hardship like they were now.

Inside the mule cart, Nanzhi was staring blankly at Shen Wenchen and his son.

Finally, it was Shen Zhiyu who yawned and asked, "Daddy, Mommy, what game are you playing? Zhiyu is sleepy, why aren’t you talking?"

The little fellow was speaking, but his eyes were already so tired they were narrowed to tiny slits.

"Zhiyu, be good and go to sleep. Your Papa hasn’t seen your Mama for too long and wants to talk to her," Shen Wenchen intentionally softened his voice, only to find that the little child in his arms had already fallen asleep.

"You seem to have not had a good rest for a long time, you should sleep first," Nanzhi promptly spoke, afraid he would say something more.

"You’re afraid of me."

Shen Wenchen watched as she removed Zhiyu’s coat and tucked him into the blanket, his face unable to hide a look of disappointment.

"What’s there for me to be afraid of, haha..." Nanzhi laughed mechanically a few times, but then her expression froze when she saw the look in Shen Wenchen’s eyes.

Shen Wenchen was handsome too, different from Chi Sheng’s gentleness; he had the air of an exuberant youth, perhaps due to three years of military service, his face had taken on an added steadfastness.

But he was born with a pair of affectionate, peach blossom eyes, and now, travel-worn as he was, his eyes seemed to hold only her.

"Nannan, have you ever thought about it?"

"Thought about what?"

Nanzhi was slightly puzzled.

"About our future," Shen Wenchen fixed his gaze on Nanzhi’s eyes with urgency.

Having lived in that world for twenty-one years, he knew that what people there wanted was different from this world.

He was afraid.

Afraid that even though they were the same person, she might not be willing to accept him.

That afternoon he could still comfort himself with the presence of Zhiyu, believing that he could make Nannan gradually accept him.

But in just a few hours, his composure had utterly crumbled.

When his in-laws asked, she had not clarified her own thoughts.

She was avoiding.

But what could Nannan be avoiding?

Besides the uncertainty of himself...

"I don’t know."

Nanzhi’s voice was very soft.

It was as if she feared waking Zhiyu, yet it also sounded like she was talking to herself.

"Nannan..."

"Alright, alright, get some sleep," Nanzhi said, her mind in a muddle at this point, urging Shen Wenchen to sleep first.

"Should Zhiyu sleep inside?"

Shen Wenchen’s tone was buoyant, knowing in his heart that he had a chance, and the corners of his mouth lifted slightly.

If Zhiyu slept inside, then he could sleep next to Nannan.

Nanzhi’s face turned slightly red, yet her hands moved to place Zhiyu in the middle of the cart.

Seeing their son, who was sleeping soundly between them, Shen Wenchen felt a twinge of disappointment but did not press further.

At least he could sleep in the same cart with Nannan.

The family of three, though awkward, all fell into a deep sleep; Zhiyu, nestled between them, wore a content smile on his little face.

In the middle of the night, just as Lin Ercheng was about to take over the night watch, a piercing scream came from the Shen family’s donkey cart.

The two brothers exchanged glances, uncertain whether to go over.

If they didn’t go, they wouldn’t know what had happened and whether their help was needed.

But if they did go...

All three of Shen family’s women were in the cart.

During their hesitation, Shen Wenchen, who was originally sleeping, had already gotten off the mule cart with a stern face.