The female shopkeeper was like a reservoir about to overflow, finally having its valve opened, and all her grievances poured out, "He’s a pervert. He likes to hit , and even though we’re already divorced, he still won’t leave alone. He’s like a vine wrapping around , making it hard to breathe. If it weren’t for my baby, I don’t think I could hold on any longer."
The woman knelt on the ground, holding her child and crying uncontrollably. The little girl reached out her soft, tender hand to gently wipe away her mother’s tears, sensibly beyond her years.
"In situations like this, you can totally call the police and have them arrest him." Xu Ke handed a tissue to the woman and said.
"It’s useless. I’ve tried. It’s useless. Without evidence, the police won’t arrest him. It’s just a routine questioning." The female shopkeeper said with a choked voice, shaking her head desperately.
She didn’t need comfort or persuasion, just a quiet listener. So, Xu Ke stood by and spent an afternoon listening to the shopkeeper tell the story of how she t, fell in love with, married, and then divorced her ex-husband who continued to harass and pester her.
Not until the sun had set, did the shopkeeper notice the ti slipping by when the little girl in her arms woke up again. She wiped her red and swollen eyes and said to Xu Ke, "I’m really sorry, you’re the only person over the years willing to listen to these things. I’ve been desperate to vent; keeping these things bottled inside has been painful. So I apologize for taking up your ti."
"It’s okay. Everyone has a hard ti in life, even monts of collapse. If my presence can make you feel a bit of comfort, it’s a happy thing for . Thank you for giving the opportunity to feel happy." Xu Ke said gently.
The shopkeeper looked at Xu Ke’s face and smiled, "I know you’re saying this to comfort . You really are a gentle person; good people are always blessed by God. May your days ahead be safe and happy."
"Thank you for your blessing, I will." Xu Ke said with a smile.
"You ca here to buy flowers today but got involved in my family matters. As an apology and thank you, you can choose any flowers you like in the shop today as my gift to you. I hope you won’t refuse."
The female shopkeeper picked up the tools put aside and started cleaning up.
"No need. Actually, I wasn’t planning to buy flowers today, just wanted to see what this special flower shop was like." Xu Ke explained.
"No matter why you ca to my shop, you helped , and I have to repay you for that." The shopkeeper insisted, not letting Xu Ke decline any further.
"Okay then." Seeing her insistence, Xu Ke didn’t say more and chose a few flowers he was interested in. He handed them to the shopkeeper to wrap and secretly slipped money into the child’s pocket before leaving.
The inn where Xu Ke was staying was run by an elderly couple who were very kind and occasionally made so delicate pastries for Xu Ke, the outsider, and so he had a good relationship with them.
Xu Ke returned to the inn at the last light of sunset, but the normally cheerful couple was now sitting together with worried faces.
"Has sothing happened? You both look troubled. Is there anything I can do to help?" Xu Ke went over to them and asked.
Seeing it was Xu Ke, the couple wiped away their tears but couldn’t manage a smile.
"Oh, it’s you." The landlady pulled a chair out for Xu Ke.
"You can’t help us with this, and we won’t drag you, an innocent person, into it. We’re going to leave the town, so you’ll likely need to find another inn. We’ll refund you, but you’ll need to find sowhere else soon. We’ll be moving out by tomorrow night at the latest."
The landlady and landlord gave Xu Ke an apologetic smile.
"Why the sudden rush? I like staying here and want to continue. Can you tell what trouble you’re facing? I’d be happy to help if I can." Xu Ke said sincerely.
The couple exchanged a glance, and tears slipped from the landlady’s wrinkled eyes as the landlord let out a deep sigh.
"You haven’t t our daughter these days. She just returned from Arica. She’s beautiful and smart — our pride. But now soone wants to destroy our pride." The landlady said to Xu Ke, her voice tinged with tears.
"If only I were 20 years younger, things would be different now. But unfortunately, I’m old now, and I can’t support my daughter or my family. I’m not a good husband, nor a good father. All I can do is take my family away from here, leaving the place we’ve lived in for many years, to live sowhere else."
The landlord lowered his head, trying not to let Xu Ke see his face, attempting to hide his emotions, but his voice betrayed his unrest inside.
"No, don’t say that, dear. You’ve always been the best husband in the world to . This isn’t our fault or yours. It’s the bad guy’s fault. Please don’t bla yourself." The landlady held her husband’s hand, gently comforting him.
"Maybe things aren’t as serious as you think. There’s an old Chinese saying, three people’s efforts are stronger than the efforts of Zhuge Liang alone. The wisdom of three people is better than two."
Encouraged by Xu Ke’s encouraging gaze, the landlady slowly began to explain their troubles.
"It’s actually very simple. Our daughter, our beautiful, lovely, kind-hearted girl, has caught the eye of a tyrant. He told us to give up our daughter, or he wouldn’t let us live in this town in peace." The landlady wiped her tears as she spoke.
"We’re so old and have only this one daughter. We want her future to be happy and safe, but the tyrant can’t provide that. He’s not a good man; he’s done all sorts of bad things, even murder, I’ve heard. Oh, my God, how could I ever hand our beloved daughter over to soone like him?"
The landlady started crying again, but this ti she didn’t restrain her voice, crying loudly while the landlord held his wife in his arms, silently shedding tears.
"So you want to leave to escape this tyrant?" Xu Ke asked.
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