“Take care of her body, maybe She’ll give you a precious granddaughter!” The words, though seemingly sweet, left a bitter taste in Xu’s mother’s mouth. “The child she gave birth to has nothing to do with me,” she muttered, a hint of resentment in her voice, “and she doesn’t respect me.” Yet, despite her outward disdain, her daughter’s words had struck a chord deep within her heart.
Xu’s mother was no wicked stepmother. Life had been a relentless struggle, forcing her to prioritize her own children’s survival. But now, with her second son gainfully employed, her eldest daughter-in-law poised to return to work, and her daughter flourishing in a restaurant, a newfound prosperity had enveloped their home. The tight grip on their finances loosened, and Xu’s mother found herself less inclined to be frugal. The daily sales of vegetables, coupled with a steady, albeit modest, salary from her boss, brought a sense of ease. The work was light, leaving her ample time to tend to her family. As their fortunes blossomed, so too did Xu’s mother’s spirits, an undeniable lightness in her step as she left the house, money and tickets clutched in her hand.
Meanwhile, Xu Ying lay on her bed, a serene smile gracing her lips. In the past life, at this very moment, she had aided Dong Wenzhong in securing a teaching position, granting him months of comfort before his timely return to the city just as the first snow fell. Now, the thought of his return was laughable. Dong Wenzhong, once so coveted, had become the pitiable mockery of all educated youths. His reputation lay in tatters, his once-charming demeanor utterly ravaged. He was embroiled in a bitter, undignified feud with Chen Yanran at the Educated Youth Institute, their endless bickering stripping them of all self-respect.
Xu Ying stretched out her hands, mentally calculating the arrival of her little niece. In her previous life, Dong Wenzhong’s return to Chengdu had unleashed a brutal retaliation upon her father, who vanished without a trace. Her eldest brother had suffered a broken leg, and it was amidst her sister-in-law’s torment that the news of her pregnancy had emerged. The timing confirmed it; the child was indeed her eldest brother’s, due in roughly a month. This time, she vowed, her precious niece would live a life free from hardship. And those who had wronged her father in the past? She would show them no mercy. The time was also ripe for the quota of people returning to the city to be revealed.
Xu Ying reveled in a restful sleep, but the next morning, the harsh reality of her new life set in. She rose early, donning a thick cotton-padded jacket and trousers for her journey to work. The hour-long bicycle ride left her hands and feet numb with cold, a grueling ordeal.
“Little sister, why don’t I take you to work? It’s too cold today. What if you catch a cold?” Brother Xu’s voice was laced with concern as he gazed at his sister’s miserable face. Sister-in-law Xu, feeling well and with her husband occupied, offered, “How about I send my little sister to work?”
But Xu Ying immediately declined. What if her sister-in-law was pregnant? What if she already carried a child? “I’ll just go by myself. You should rest and be busy when you should.”
Just then, Huo Chen, a basket of wild game slung over his arm, appeared at the door. “I’m going to the county town,” he announced, his voice booming. “I’ll take Xu Ying with me.”
“Thank you very much,” Xu Ying replied, her tightly wrapped form revealing only her smiling eyes.
Xu’s father nudged his wife. “Look, our daughter seems to be out of sorts.”
“Why don’t you wake up?” Xu’s mother asked, bewildered.
A mournful expression clouded Xu’s father’s face. Though his daughter had once been lazy, she had understood the nuances of male-female relationships, evident in her relentless pursuit of Dong Wenzhong. But now, with Huo Chen, their interactions seemed devoid of romantic undertones. It was as if his daughter had erected an impenetrable barrier around her emotions. Unable to articulate his concerns to his wife, Xu’s father was consumed by worry.
“Jianguo, what do you mean?” Xu’s mother pressed, a hint of anxiety in her voice.
After a long pause, Xu’s father finally spoke. “It’s just that my daughter doesn’t seem to want to talk about relationships anymore, and she doesn’t want to like others.”
Xu’s mother seemed to grasp his meaning. “You mean my daughter doesn’t want to get married?”
“Yes,” Father Xu nodded.
A wave of happiness washed over Xu’s mother. “If you don’t get married, you won’t get married. We can still afford to raise a daughter.”
“Nonsense!” Xu’s father retorted, his voice tinged with exasperation. “We can afford to raise a daughter now, while we’re healthy. But what about later, when we’re old and infirm? What if one day I’m gone? Then our daughter won’t even have anyone to truly care for her. A brother is a brother, but with a daughter-in-law in the middle, how can that compare to a lifelong companion?” His words resonated with undeniable truth.
“What should we do?” Xu’s mother’s anxiety escalated.
“What to do, I don’t know!” Xu’s father echoed her despair.
Xu Ying climbed onto the women’s bicycle, and Huo Chen, towering over 1.8 meters, struggled to straighten his legs as he pedaled.
“I understand everything you said yesterday, thank you,” Huo Chen said to her, his voice carried by the biting wind. Xu Ying hadn’t expected his gratitude. Her ultimate goal had been to ensure her third brother’s well-being. Though she wasn’t sure how Huo Chen had interpreted her words, she simply grunted in acknowledgment. Aside from the whistling wind, the road was silent.
“What kind of man do you like?” Huo Chen’s languid voice broke the quiet.
Xu Ying was momentarily taken aback. “I don’t like anything, I only like myself.”
A flicker of disappointment crossed Huo Chen’s face.
Xu Ying, her curiosity piqued, pressed on. “Huo Chen, do you want to get a wife? So, do you have someone you like in your heart? Does she look good? How is she as a person?”
“Well, she is as beautiful as you, and she is just like you!” Huo Chen’s voice was devoid of emotion.
Xu Ying grew even more perplexed. “Which family is she from? Does she know that you like her?”
Huo Chen shook his head. “I don’t know.”
Xu Ying immediately offered her advice. “I’m telling you, if you like someone, you have to tell them as soon as possible, otherwise someone else will snatch them away if you wait too long. You should tell her earlier, in case she likes you too. Also, this girl likes romance. If you treat her well and do some romantic things, she will definitely be moved.”
“Really?” Huo Chen asked, a hint of excitement in his voice.
Xu Ying nodded emphatically. “Really!”
“Then do you like it?” Huo Chen pressed.
Xu Ying froze. She must have liked it in her previous life, otherwise, she wouldn’t have been so easily manipulated by Dong Wenzhong. She didn’t want to answer that question. Seeing that the car was not far from the entrance of the restaurant, she quickly changed the subject. “I’m here. Thank you, Huo Chen. You are so kind.”
Huo Chen watched as Xu Ying disappeared into the restaurant, a wave of worry and frustration washing over him. He harbored deep admiration for Xu Ying, but she was so exceptional. In her presence, his own inferiority complex would rise to the surface. Especially beneath Xu Ying’s smiling facade, he sensed a multitude of hidden burdens that weighed her down.
“Brother Chen, do you miss your sister-in-law? If you want me to tell you that you like me, confess it quickly to avoid being robbed,” Wu Qingsong teased, a playful smile on his face.
“Then have you said it?”
Wu Qingsong shook his head. “I’m afraid I won’t even be able to see her.”
Huo Chen’s heart tightened, a sharp, stinging pain. He decided, he would build his house first. He could earn more than ten or twenty yuan a day now, selling wild animals to grocery stores. With some savings, a few hundred yuan for a house would be no problem.
Xu’s father, ever efficient, found someone to build the house within a single morning. All that remained was for Huo Chen to procure the materials and begin construction. Huo Chen had ordered the materials early, and they began arriving in the village throughout the afternoon. As soon as the villagers heard that Huo Chen was building a house, their expressions shifted, a mixture of surprise and curiosity spreading through the community.