Siheyuan: Sap is the last word

Chapter 1143 This Poor Woman

He reached out his hand, wanting to comfort her, but then pulled it back. He didn't know how to comfort her, nor how to explain his behavior.

"Qin Huairu, I know it's hard for you to accept, but please believe me, I'm not acting on impulse. I..." He Yudong was interrupted by Qin Huairu before he could finish his words.

"Why?" Qin Huairu raised her head and looked at him with tears in her eyes, "Why do you want to marry me? Is it because you sympathize with me? Or because..."

"No!" He Yudong interrupted Qin Huairu firmly, "It's not because of sympathy, nor for any other reason. I just... I just think that we should be together."

He Yudong's tone was a little stiff, even a little clumsy, but full of sincerity. Qin Huairu looked into his eyes and her heart gradually calmed down. She didn't know why He Yudong suddenly changed his mind, but she could feel that his words came from the heart.

"I...I need time to think about it." Qin Huairu said in a low voice.

He Yudong nodded. He knew that this matter couldn't be rushed. "Okay, I'll wait for your reply."

After saying that, He Yudong turned and left. He walked to the gate of the courtyard, looked back at Qin Huairu who was still in a daze, and smiled bitterly. He didn't know what choice Qin Huairu would make, but he knew that there was no turning back.

After He Yudong left, Qin Huairu still stood there, holding the laundry stick tightly in her hand, her mind in a mess. He Yudong's proposal was like a bomb, blowing a huge hole in her peaceful life. She didn't know how to face this sudden change, nor did she know how to choose.

Just then, there was a noisy sound of footsteps in the yard. Aunt One, Aunt Two, Aunt Three, and several neighbors gathered around, talking in a flurry.

"Hey, Qin Huairu, I saw it with my own eyes just now. He Yudong proposed to you?"

"Yeah, I saw it too. He Yudong looks quite honest, but I didn't expect him to be so courageous!"

"Qin Huairu, are you going to get married for the second time? This is a big deal, you have to think about it carefully!"

......

The neighbors' gossips came like a tide, making Qin Huairu even more upset. She raised her head and looked at the onlookers, with a flash of disgust in her eyes. She didn't want to pay attention to their gossips, she just wanted to think quietly by herself.

"Go away, go away, what's so good about this!" An old lady stepped forward and dispersed the neighbors who were watching. She walked to Qin Huairu and said earnestly, "Huairu, you need to think about this matter carefully, don't be impulsive!"

Qin Huairu nodded without saying anything. She knew that the aunt had good intentions, but she really wasn't in the mood to care about that right now.

The aunt sighed, patted Qin Huairu on the shoulder, then turned and left.

Qin Huairu stood alone in the yard, looking at the empty surroundings, feeling even more confused. She didn't know what to do, nor where to go.

"You...what did you say?" Qin Huairu's eyes widened, and the clothes in her hands fell into the basin with a plop. The splashing water wet her trouser legs, but she was unaware. Marriage? He actually wanted to marry her? This sudden proposal was like a bomb exploding in her mind, making her heart buzz.

He Yudong looked at her shocked expression, and a barely perceptible smile appeared at the corner of his mouth. He bent down, picked up the clothes that fell on the ground, put them back in the basin, and repeated in a calm tone: "I said, I want to marry you."

Qin Huairu finally came to her senses. She took a step back in panic, as if avoiding some ferocious beast. "Why...why do you want to marry me?" she asked stutteringly, her heart in a mess.

He Yudong looked into her eyes, his eyes were deep and hard to fathom. "Because I think you are right for me." His tone was calm, but with unquestionable firmness.

Suitable? Qin Huairu sneered in her heart. He said it so lightly. A widow with three children and a mother-in-law, how could she be suitable for him? He Yudong, a young and strong bachelor, how many girls in the courtyard were interested in him, why did he fall in love with her?

"He Yudong, are you kidding?" Qin Huairu forced a smile, trying to ease the awkward atmosphere.

He Yudong shook his head and said seriously: "I'm not kidding, I'm serious."

Qin Huairu's heart sank. She knew He Yudong was not a person who liked to joke. However, she didn't understand why he wanted to marry her. Was it because of sympathy? Or because... She didn't dare to think about it anymore, because she thought of a possibility that scared her.

"I...I need to think about it." Qin Huairu lowered her head, not daring to look into He Yudong's eyes.

He Yudong nodded, said nothing more, turned and left.

Watching He Yudong's departing back, Qin Huairu's heart became even more confused. She didn't understand He Yudong's intentions, and she didn't know how to respond to his proposal. Marry? This was too heavy a word for her. She had already experienced a failed marriage, and she was afraid of being hurt again.

Back in the house, Qin Huairu told Jia Zhang about He Yudong's proposal. Jia Zhang was overjoyed when she heard it. She grabbed Qin Huairu's hand and said excitedly: "Huairu, this is a good opportunity! You must seize it!"

Qin Huairu looked at Jia Zhang's excitement and became even more annoyed. "Mom, can you please stop being so happy? I haven't agreed yet."

"Silly child, what is there to consider? He Yudong is young and strong, and he has a job. If you marry him, your life will be better in the future!" Jia Zhang said with regret.

"But..." Qin Huairu wanted to say something, but was interrupted by Jia Zhang.

"There's no buts! You're a widow with three children, and it's a blessing to find a man like He Yudong! Don't be ungrateful!" Jia Zhang said in a tough tone.

Qin Huairu knew that what Jia Zhang said was right, but she always felt a little uneasy. She always felt that He Yudong's proposal came too suddenly and too strange.

In the evening, Banggeng came home from school and saw Qin Huairu with a sad face, so he asked, "Mom, what's wrong with you?"

Qin Huairu looked at her son, hesitated for a moment, and finally told him about He Yudong's proposal.

After hearing this, Banggeng jumped up excitedly: "Great! Mom, you can finally get married!"

Qin Huairu looked at her son's innocent smile, feeling mixed emotions. She didn't know whether she should accept He Yudong's proposal.

The next day, He Yudong came to Qin Huairu again to ask her about her decision. Qin Huairu looked at He Yudong, took a deep breath, and said, "I...I promise you."

He Yudong showed a triumphant smile on his face. He grabbed Qin Huairu's hand and said excitedly: "Huairu, don't worry, I will definitely treat you well!"

Qin Huairu looked at He Yudong, but her heart was filled with uneasiness. She didn't know whether the decision she made was right or wrong.

Just then, there was a sudden commotion in the yard.

"Catch the thief! Catch the thief!"

Qin Huairu and He Yudong ran out quickly and saw a group of people surrounding a man who was holding a wallet in his hand and struggling desperately.

"Banggeng?!" Qin Huairu recognized the man at a glance. It was her son Banggeng!

He Yudong's words were like thunder, exploding in Qin Huairu's ears. The clothes in her hands slipped into the basin, and the splashing water wet her trouser legs, but she didn't notice it at all. She stared at He Yudong blankly, her eyes full of disbelief.

"You...what did you say?" Qin Huairu's voice trembled, as if it was squeezed out from between her teeth.

He Yudong still had no expression on his face, and his tone was as calm as if he was talking about today's weather: "I said, I want to marry you."

Qin Huairu's heartbeat was like a drum, hitting her chest again and again. She opened her mouth, but found that she couldn't say anything. She thought of countless possibilities, thought that He Yudong would continue to make things difficult for her, thought that he would make some unreasonable demands, but she never thought that he would propose marriage.

"Why...why do you want to marry me?" Qin Huairu finally found her voice, but it was still trembling a little.

He Yudong's mouth corners slightly raised, revealing a barely perceptible sneer: "Why? Of course it's because you are beautiful, capable, and good at managing the household."

These words sounded like compliments, but they made Qin Huairu feel creepy. She knew He Yudong too well. This man was insidious, cunning, cruel, and ruthless. Not a word he said was true.

"He Yudong, what is your purpose?" Qin Huairu stared at him warily, with a hint of questioning in her tone.

The smile on He Yudong's face became even bigger. He took a step forward, approaching Qin Huairu, and said in a low and threatening tone: "My purpose is very simple, that is, I want you to be my wife, give birth to my children, and take care of my family."

Qin Huairu subconsciously took a step back to avoid He Yudong's approaching body. She clenched her fists tightly, her nails digging deep into the flesh, but she didn't feel any pain.

"I won't agree to you!" Qin Huairu gritted her teeth and said firmly.

He Yudong's face darkened instantly. He grabbed Qin Huairu's arm and said coldly, "Do you think you have a choice?"

Qin Huairu struggled to shake off He Yudong's hand, but found that he was so strong that she couldn't move at all.

"Let me go!" Qin Huairu roared.

Instead of letting go, He Yudong clamped Qin Huairu's arm even harder, his eyes full of ferocity: "You'd better be obedient, otherwise..."

He paused deliberately, with a hint of threat in his tone, which filled Qin Huairu's heart with fear.

"What else?" Qin Huairu asked, suppressing the fear in her heart.

He Yudong sneered, leaned close to Qin Huairu's ear, and said in a cold tone: "Otherwise, I will make you regret it for the rest of your life."

His words were like the tongue of a poisonous snake, spitting venom, filling Qin Huairu's heart with despair. She knew that she had fallen into He Yudong's trap, and this trap would devour her completely.

At this moment, a figure suddenly appeared in front of them, grabbed He Yudong by the collar, and threw him to the ground.

"What are you doing?!" the man roared.

He Yudong got up from the ground in a panic, and was stunned when he saw the person coming.

"Stupid...Stupid Pillar?"

As soon as He Yudong said this, the air around them seemed to freeze. Qin Huairu's clothes slipped and fell into the basin. The splashing water wet her trouser legs, but she was unaware. She stared at He Yudong blankly, her eyes full of shock and confusion, like a frightened rabbit.

After a while, she found her voice and asked tremblingly: "You...what did you say?"

He Yudong looked at her with a firm gaze, repeating word by word: "I said, I want to marry you."

"Are you crazy?" Qin Huairu blurted out, her voice was so sharp that several families nearby looked out. She grabbed the clothes that had fallen into the basin and scrubbed them randomly, as if to cover up her inner panic. "You know exactly what my situation is, why are you saying that?"

He Yudong ignored her questioning and took a step forward, approaching her, and said in a low and hoarse voice: "I know that you are a widow and there are many gossips about you. I also know that it is not easy for you to raise three children, but I just want to marry you, Qin Huairu, do you understand?"