CHAPTER 368: CHAPTER 361: I’M JUST A SUCKER FOR LOOKS 3_2

Anning stood up and said to Xu Pengju and Mrs. Xu, "Uncle, Aunt, I’m going back to my room first. You should also rest early and take good care of yourselves."

Mrs. Xu smiled and said, "You must be tired too. Go back to rest soon."

After Anning left, Mrs. Xu said to Xu Pengju, "Ningning is truly a sensible and well-mannered child, and she’s really nice to our Baobao, just like a real sister."

Xu Pengju nodded, "Just like her father. Back when Brother He and I took the rural examination together, if it wasn’t for Brother He desperately saving me, I wouldn’t be here today."

It turned out that the reason why He Juren entrusted Anning to Xu Pengju was because he had a life-saving debt to Xu Pengju, which is why he felt relieved to entrust her.

Xu Bao’er, lying in bed, heard this clearly.

After hearing this, she wanted to cry.

She really didn’t know how to face Xu Pengju now.

She wanted to blame Xu Pengju, but everything he did was for her own good and out of fatherly love. However, this fatherly love ended up ruining her life.

Yes, Xu Bao’er had come back to life.

Thinking about the things she experienced after marrying into the Xiao Family, she felt full of sorrow and truly wanted to have a good cry.

She also thought of the affection Anning had for her, and felt ashamed, somewhat uncertain about how to face Anning.

In her previous life, when she married into the Xiao Family, she only found out about the marriage switch after entering the bridal chamber.

At that time, she felt she had wronged Anning.

She had never expected her father, who treated Anning like his own daughter, to harbor such intentions, to actually switch Anning’s rightful marriage.

At that time, Xu Bao’er also knew that the Xiao Family was much better off than the Yue Family.

Her entrance into the Xiao Family was meant to be a blessing, while Anning was meant to suffer at the Yue’s.

She thought about switching the marriage back, and she even discussed this with Xiao Yuan.

Xiao Yuan and Anning were childhood friends who grew up together; how could he not recognize that she wasn’t the daughter of the He Family? He also agreed to switch it back.

However, they both couldn’t overcome the wish of their elders.

That night, neither of them could sleep, and early the next day, Xiao Yuan took Xu Bao’er to the Yue Family, intending to bring Anning back, but before they could even leave, the He Family sent someone to tell Xiao Yuan and Xu Bao’er that Anning and Yue Zhong had already consummated their marriage, and now she belonged to the Yue Family, and the marriage couldn’t be reversed.

At that moment, Xiao Yuan’s face was ashen.

Xu Bao’er also felt terribly upset, and she deeply felt that she had wronged Anning and Xiao Yuan.

At that time, Xu Bao’er realized why Anning had ended up in the bridal chamber with Yue Zhong—it was all for her.

Anning, being such a clever girl, must have realized after the marriage swap that it was deliberately arranged by the Xu Family. But over the years, the Xu Family treated Anning very well, and she and Xu Bao’er were like sisters, so for gratitude and for Xu Bao’er, she accepted the switched marriage.

At that time, Xu Bao’er cried a lot, incessantly apologizing to Xiao Yuan, saying she was sorry for them.

Xiao Yuan had no other choice.

He could only accept this marriage, and afterward, he started their life together with Xu Bao’er.

Originally, things were fine, but Xiao Yuan was not a steady person. He couldn’t stay at home and liked to go out; he also made a lot of questionable friends, had people set him up with gambling, and was taken to brothels when he was drunk.

With one step leading to another, Xiao Yuan became more and more unrestrained, eventually leading to their ruin.

The Xiao Family was ruined, and Xu Bao’er’s dowry was all squandered by Xiao Yuan, who then turned to Xu Pengju asking for money.

Xu Bao’er thought at that time, was this retribution?

When the Xu Family also fell into decline, both families were almost reduced to begging on the streets, still, Anning, holding no grudge for the past matters, continuously offered help.

By then, Anning had become a first-rank wife, and Yue Zhong gained increasing importance in the court. Anning had someone send money to both the Xu Family and Xiao Family in Qingyuan County, even found the County Magistrate to ask for extra care for them. Under Xu Pengju’s revitalization, the Xu Family managed to pick themselves up again.

What about the Xiao Family?

Xiao Yuan still couldn’t change his bad habits, using money for gambling as soon as he had some. Xu Bao’er was weak and couldn’t persuade him; later, when Xiao Yuan came home drunk one night, he fell into a river and drowned, and Xu Bao’er remained a widow for life.

Thinking about these things, Xu Bao’er felt like crying without tears.

"Baobao, your mom and I are leaving first, you rest well. We really need to drink our medicine and recuperate, okay?"

Xu Pengju’s voice pulled Xu Bao’er back from her memories.

Looking at her father, who looked at her with nothing but love, Xu Bao’er couldn’t even bring herself to hate him.

No matter what, Xu Pengju was a loving father. Even though he might have wronged Anning, he never did anything to wrong Xu Bao’er, and knowingly going against his conscience to disregard the life-saving favor, he did it for his only daughter.

Even if others had a thousand reasons to blame Xu Pengju, Xu Bao’er couldn’t harbor any resentment.

With tears in her eyes, she nodded, "I understand, father. I’m feeling much better now; don’t worry."

Xu Pengju smiled, left with Mrs. Xu.

Once they were gone, Xu Bao’er breathed a big sigh of relief.

She let the maid help her lie down.

After lying down, Xu Bao’er began to ponder.

Since heaven has given her a chance to do it all over again, this time she definitely couldn’t repeat the mistakes of her previous life...

After thinking for a while, Xu Bao’er started to hesitate.

This time, should she let Xu Pengju switch the marriage?

Logically, this time she should be alert, preventing Xu Pengju from switching the marriage. She should marry into the Yue Family, and Anning should marry into the Xiao Family.

But then, Xu Bao’er thought about how the Xiao Family was a pit of fire. She had suffered all her life, and if the marriage wasn’t switched, Anning marrying into the Xiao Family would also suffer hardships and lead a life of widowhood.

Meanwhile, Yue Zhong would later rise to a high rank, and although marrying into the Yue Family might mean a few hard years initially, the situation would get progressively better. Anning in her previous life enjoyed a lifetime of prosperity and wealth because of it.

She clearly knew the Yue Family would be better, but seemed cruel to push Anning towards the Xiao Family.

Xu Bao’er started to agonize, wondering what she should do.