Chapter 118 - Brother, Have You Ever Fallen in Love With Sister-in-law? (2/2)

“Baoshan, what you just said is like slapping my face! I’ve eaten and lived with Baozhu all the time and didn’t think that she’d become like this, and you’re her brother. How could you, a man, notice this?” Li Hongmei sighed again.

“If I was more considerate and talked with her more in daily life, maybe it wouldn’t have to be like this!”

“…” Li Hongmei was about to blame herself again when Ye Xiaoxian spoke up. “Ma, Baoshan, don’t confuse yourselves anymore. If you have the time for such things, you might as well go to the Wongs to check on her. You can always find a way to get in.”

Ye Xiaoxian looked at Xiao Baoshan. She knew very well that with Xiao Baoshan’s skills, whether he was going to see Xiao Baozhu or even sneak into the government house, no one would possibly find out.

Surprisingly, Xiao Baoshan understood Ye Xiaoxian’s suggestion, so he said right away, “Right, I’ll go then!”

…

When Xiao Baozhu saw her second elder brother she was sweeping the yard. Xiao Baoshan suddenly appeared in front of her which made her weep tears. All the pain she was suffering showed on her face.

“Baozhu, leave with me!” said Xiao Baoshan. Seeing Xiao Baozhu’s tears his heart also ache. He did not have to ask and already knew that Xiao Baozhu did not lead a happy life here.

Xiao Baozhu, however, slapped Xiao Baoshan’s hand away and said with determination, “I won’t go!”

“Baozhu, why should you torture yourself?”

Xiao Baozhu’s tears rolled down as she said, “Brother, you don’t understand. None of you understand what it is like to fall in love with someone. I am suffering here but if I leave, I’ll still suffer the same. Being here I can at least see him sometimes and hear from others about whether he’s well or not. If I leave I won’t hear anything about him. Brother, don’t force me. No matter how terrible it is living here it’s my own decision. I won’t regret it!”

Xiao Baoshan felt very sorry for her. “Baozhu, will you really not regret it?”

“No, I won’t!” said Xiao Baozhu, extremely determined.

“What are you really after?” asked Xiao Baoshan.

Xiao Baozhu smiled scornfully. “Brother, you’ve never really liked Sister-in-law, have you? If you really liked her then you’d understand my feelings.”

This time it was Xiao Baoshan who was puzzled. He did not like Little Ye or understand her?

The two of them had been in a stalemate for a while. Seeing that Xiao Baozhu was so headstrong he then understood that she would never be persuaded. Even if there were ten oxen here, they wouldn’t pull Xiao Baozhu back.

He did not feel it was necessary to continue trying to persuade her. This sister of his perhaps had to undergo a lot to understand that what she had chosen was wrong. Whether she would lead a good life or not in the future would simply depend on her fate.

On his way back, Xiao Baoshan still thought about that question: Brother, you’ve never really liked Sister-in-law, have you?

Don’t I?

Xiao Baoshan pondered on it and thought that he did like Ye Xiaoxian now. Every time he went sailing he missed her very much. Sometimes he looked at the sky sitting on the deck at night and the starry sky would turn into her smiling face.

However, to like someone is not to cling to them, because you have to consider their feelings also. To like her was to make her happy.

Would Scholar Wong like Baozhu even though she had done all of this? He wouldn’t. So, instead of truly liking him, she was in fact just being selfish.

If one day Ye Xiaoxian did not want to be with him he would not pester and urge her to stay but let her pursue her own happiness, because the one who could offer her happiness may not be him.

…

Seeing Xiao Baoshan return alone, Ye Xiaoxian and Li Hongmei knew that he was unable to persuade Baozhu.

Ye Xiaoxian knew that it would turn out this way. Girls in their p.u.b.erty did not listen to others. They could only understand something by getting terribly hurt.

“Baoshan, how’s Baozhu living now?” Li Hongmei asked him with red eyes.

Xiao Baoshan said, “She’s fine.”

“Really?” Li Hongmei was not convinced.

“She’s at least living the way she wants to,” said Xiao Baoshan again.

Li Hongmei wanted to cry again as Baozhu had really made up her mind about this unpromising journey.

Ye Xiaoxian did not feel comfortable saying anything. After all, Baozhu was her husband’s sister and it was not appropriate for her to comment on certain things. If she did, she may sound nosy. She could only give Xiao Baozhu some advice, the next time she saw her, about how she should lead her life in the future.

“Baoshan, shall I go to the kitchen to cook some dishes for you?” Ye Xiaoxian asked. “Do you want to eat now or later with the others?”

“I’ll eat with the others,” said Xiao Baoshan looking at Ye Xiaoxian.

There was a fire of affection in his eyes which made Ye Xiaoxian a little self-conscious and she had to evade it. Ever since the last time he came back he had started looking at her in this way, as if she was his prey and he was the hunter.

Ye Xiaoxian felt uneasy again.

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