Chapter 298

There was another person surnamed Zhao, what was his name again?

She couldn't quite remember.

But both of them were either An Meixia's lover or An Meixia's man.

However, the events of this life seemed to deviate greatly from what was recorded.

An Meixia became An ZhiXia, and An ZhiXia married Pei Jing. There was no mention of Pei JianGuo or Zhao Runze at all.

She had originally intended to avoid conflicts with An ZhiXia, but she found herself with no other choice. Gao Second Sister had worked so hard to get into university in her senior year of high school. How could she swallow this resentment?

As she looked at Pei JianGuo, Gao Second Sister's expression changed instantly.

With a face that already resembled Gao Meiyun's, she appeared even more similar after her deliberate disguise.

An ZhiXia didn't dare to confront Pei JianGuo physically. They had obvious differences in physique, and she would definitely be at a disadvantage if they fought.

Don't say that Pei JianGuo wouldn't dare to use force. He had a history of domestic violence in his previous life, although he hadn't laid a hand on a woman in this life. But who knew what might happen if he was pushed too far?

Fuming with anger, she returned home, and the children were already there.

Pei ChenYe, with sharp eyes, noticed the dirt on the hem of her clothes and hurried over. "Mom, did you fall?"

An ZhiXia glanced down but didn't want to complain to the children. She said, "I accidentally fell. Mom will go change clothes first. Have you and your sister finished your homework?"

"It's done."

Pei ChenYe replied, but as she turned around, he keenly noticed that her backside and back were dirty, and there was a black-red mark on her left palm.

An ZhiXia went into the house to change her clothes and tended to the scrape on her palm. But in her heart, she was contemplating how to exact revenge on Pei JianGuo.

Seeing the look of shock on Pei JianGuo's face when she fell, he probably didn't intentionally push her. It was just a momentary impulse that he used too much force.

An ZhiXia wouldn't go too far with him, but it was absolutely impossible for her to swallow this indignation.

However, what she didn't expect was that before she could come up with a plan, Pei JianGuo came over.

He knocked on the door, and An ZhiXia came out of the room, guarded and coldly asked, "What are you here for? Did you not find my fall pathetic enough? Did you follow me here to continue?"

Pei JianGuo's eyes were filled with guilt as he stiffly spoke, "I'm sorry, Sister-in-law, I didn't mean it. Please have mercy and forgive me." "No forgiveness unless you let me strike back," An ZhiXia said with a cold smile.

She had already scraped her palm and turned it red. A simple forgiveness wouldn't be enough. It wasn't that easy.

Pei JianGuo hesitated for a moment, seemingly not expecting such a demand from her.

But regardless of the reason, it was indeed his fault for using force against an elder. He had to bear the consequences.

It must be said that despite Pei JianGuo's many flaws, under the guidance of Old Pei's teachings and the influence of his surroundings, he still had some basic moral values.

Of course, this only applied to the present. The future might be a different story.

In the previous life, he became more and more excessive as time went on, although various factors played a role.

Pei JianGuo hesitated for a moment, then suddenly turned and went towards Old Pei's room.

It has been several years since Old Pei passed away, and most of the things associated with him have been burned with his departure. However, a few items have been preserved.

One such item is the stick that Old Pei once used to discipline Pei Jing.

An ZhiXia didn't know what he intended to do. After hesitating for a moment, she decided to follow him.

She saw Pei JianGuo retrieve the stick from under the bed and hand it to her. "Use this to strike. In the past, when my uncle made a mistake, grandpa would use this stick to punish him. It can be considered the disciplinary tradition of our Pei family. Even if you provoked the situation first, it was my fault for pushing you down. You deserve this beating."

As soon as ZhiXia took the stick, his words stunned her. "Pei JianGuo, there's nothing wrong with standing up for justice, but do you know the reasons and circumstances behind the incident? You meddle so much in other people's affairs and show such concern for other women, but why haven't you shown the same care for your own wife and children?"

Pei JianGuo fell silent. He genuinely didn't know the reasons behind it. At that time, he only saw An ZhiXia bullying someone and acted impulsively. Even the act of pulling her was an unconscious behavior. He didn't actually want to make her fall.

He admitted his mistake. "Go ahead and strike me." After saying that, he knelt on the ground, facing the direction of the main seat, where Old Pei used to sit.

Grandpa was no longer there, and the only person who used to discipline him was gone too.

Pei JianGuo often wondered if Grandpa were still alive, he would surely worry about his well-being, but perhaps he wouldn't have ended up in this state of estrangement with Guo Momo and his father's generation.

He wasn't the ignorant young boy anymore. He disliked how Wang Yue always tried to sabotage the relationship between him and Momo, as well as between his father and uncle. However, at the same time, he longed to be cared for.

When there was only Wang Yue by his side, the only person willing to show him affection, he was easily manipulated.

As for Guo Momo, he didn't know when it started, maybe it was during her hospitalization, her love for him had disappeared. Even if she still pretended, she might not be aware that her gaze towards him was mostly cold and disdainful. Pei JianGuo didn't understand why his life had turned out this way. Clearly, they were deeply in love in the beginning, and he yearned to live with her. And she, with her heart and eyes, was all about him.

He brought this upon himself, and An ZhiXia wouldn't hold back. The stick landed on his body with a dull thud, and Pei JianGuo groaned in pain, his brows furrowed in agony.

After two strikes, An ZhiXia suddenly felt that she wasn't suited to be an executioner, nor could she harden her heart.

"Forget it, my hand hurts from hitting you." An ZhiXia threw away the stick. "As for you, now that you've realized your mistake, focus on your own family. There are many unfortunate people in this world, and you're already luckier than most. If you can't manage your own family under these circumstances, look within yourself for the reasons instead of blaming others. Momo, in the beginning, had a wholehearted desire to live a good life with you, and even PingAn, he could have been a healthy child."

Zhi Xia wasn't sure how much of her words Pei Jianguo would take to heart. She was never one to meddle in other people's families, but perhaps it was Pei Jianguo's actions today that made her feel a sense of responsibility, prompting her to offer a few words of advice.

If he could listen and change for the better, and live a good life with Mo Mo, it would be considered a prodigal son's return.

If he couldn't listen, then whatever kind of life he led in the future would be his own doing, but it would be a pity for Mo Mo and Ping An, the mother and son.

Pei Jianguo remained silent for a while, and Zhi Xia urged him, "It's getting dark, you should hurry back to your own home. I don't want to keep you for dinner since your uncle isn't here." "I want to stay with Grandfather a bit longer," Pei Jianguo said.

"Suit yourself," Zhi Xia replied and walked out.

Pei Jianguo closed the door, and Zhi Xia sighed. When she turned around, she saw Chen Ye standing at the doorway of the room, looking at her.

Zhi Xia put her hands in her pockets and walked over with a smile, explaining, "Your brother Jianguo wanted to be with Grandfather for a while. Oh, by the way, has Sister Zhang finished cooking?"

Sister Zhang replied from the kitchen, "It's ready to be served. Have the kids wash their hands, and we can start."

Zhi Xia filled the glasses with water and called out, and the triplets came running with Little Liu in tow.

It was clear that there was some conflict between Pei Jianguo and Zhi Xia. She didn't invite Pei Jianguo to have dinner, and Sister Zhang didn't take the initiative either.

After so many years at home, Zhi Xia had developed some insight. But ultimately, they were the children she had watched grow up, and Sister Zhang also felt sorry for Pei Jianguo. She quietly left him a bowl of food and pushed open Old Pei's room while Zhi Xia was in the dining room with the children.

What surprised her, however, was that the cabinet in the room was open, and Pei Jianguo was hugging Old Pei's framed photo, crying like a child.

The scene was embarrassingly awkward, and Sister Zhang regretted interfering.

When Pei Jianguo heard someone pushing the door, he quickly wiped away his tears, not wanting anyone to see him in such a pitiful state, but he couldn't avoid it.

"Jianguo, I've filled a bowl of food for you. Eat quickly," Sister Zhang said anxiously, placing the meal on the table and hurrying out.

In the dining room, Pei Chenye reminded Zhi Xia, "Mom, Sister Zhang brought food for Pei Jianguo."

Zhi Xia had known all along, but she didn't intentionally expose it. She wasn't unwilling to spare a bowl of food. "Eat your meal, and also, you should call him 'brother.' It's impolite to address him by his name."

The conflicts between adults had nothing to do with the children, and Pei Jianguo had been good to his brothers. When she first brought Chen Ye and Wanqing back, he even helped take care of them. But for some reason, when it came to her own child, he seemed unsure of how to lend a hand.

Zhi Xia couldn't quite understand Pei Jianguo. He was a person full of contradictions, always wavering between good and bad, repeatedly testing the patience and boundaries of others.

When Sister Zhang came in, they had already served the food. Zhi Xia quickly called out to her, "Sister Zhang, don't bother with the rush. Come and have your meal."

"Alright, I'm coming," Sister Zhang replied, still feeling a bit guilty and avoiding Zhi Xia's gaze.

After all, Old Pei was gone, and now it was Zhi Xia who was in charge.

She took Zhi Xia's money but felt sympathy for Pei JianGuo.

Sister Zhang went home after finishing her meal, and Zhi Xia took the kids out for a stroll. When they returned, Pei JianGuo was no longer there.

Old Pei's tablet was hidden back in the cabinet, but traces of it being opened could still be seen.

In the past few years, there had been a crackdown on supernatural beings, so the tablet was kept hidden in the cabinet and taken out only during worship. It was an unspoken agreement among the family members.

On this point, Zhi Xia could understand Pei JianGuo.

To Pei JianGuo, the two elders who loved him the most were Old Pei and Wang Yue.

Unlike Wang Yue's terrifying control, Old Pei was the one who genuinely loved Pei JianGuo and made him feel truly relaxed.

So, in both lives, starting from Old Pei's passing, Pei JianGuo had made his life even more chaotic.