“His son is also a brute,” Xu’s mother continued, her voice dripping with disdain. “If he spotted a pretty girl, he’d just bully them directly. Not only that, he’d threaten their families not to report it to the police. Anyone who dared to rush to the Public Security Bureau to report his crimes would be murdered by someone from the Wu family. That poor boy Shengshun was actually targeted by the Wu family! The Wu family was a well-known power in Xiang County, with deep roots, almost impossible to shake. Yet, my daughter, my Yingying, uprooted them all!” A wave of fierce pride washed over Xu’s mother as she finished speaking, knowing these words had come directly from Director Sun’s own conversations with her husband.
Wang Lanhua’s eyes were wide with disbelief. “What happened to that family?” she gasped.
“They were all caught and sentenced to death,” Xu’s mother declared, a gleam of vengeful satisfaction in her eyes, mixed with a profound pity for the girls who had suffered. “They were stopped from doing any more BAD things.”
Zhang Dacao, hearing these words, felt a cold sweat prickle her skin. She stared at Xu’s mother, a tremor of fear running through her. Xu Ying was actually that capable? Then all her past sarcastic remarks and snide comments to that girl… could they have cost her own life? Looking at Xu’s mother, Zhang Dacao’s demeanor shifted dramatically, becoming utterly fawning. “Sister-in-law, Our Yingying is truly too powerful! No wonder Director Sun praised Xu Ying for being excellent; that’s truly the case!”
It was the first time Xu’s mother had ever seen Zhang Dacao treat her with such deference, and she couldn’t help but swell with pride. She raised her head, a triumphant smile on her face. “That’s right, we even met Secretary Zhang of Xiang County this time.”
Zhang Dacao’s shock deepened even further.
Xu’s mother basked in the stunned, envious gazes of the onlookers, her vanity thoroughly satisfied. She placed her hands on her hips, took a few dramatic, deliberate steps, and with her head held high, strode away, as proudly as a strutting rooster. The women she left behind stared at her departing back, their faces a mixture of confusion and awe.
“Captain’s sister-in-law is truly amazing,” one murmured. “She’s even met county’s secretary!”
“Isn’t it incredible? Our own commune director is always so polite when he sees the captain!”
“Why is the captain’s family so lucky to have such a daughter?”
“I heard that the director of the food factory values Xu Ying immensely. The state-owned restaurant didn’t want to let Xu Ying leave, so the director of the food factory had no choice but to let Xu Ying work part-time in their factory!”
A wave of envy swept through the group.
At that moment, Chen Yanran, who was passing by, overheard the conversation, and her face flushed crimson with fury. She had tried so hard to ruin Xu Ying’s reputation, to drag her down. Yet, in the blink of an eye, Xu Ying was doing far better than before. Chen Yanran herself struggled to even find enough food in this desolate place, but Xu Ying was not only cherished and loved, but even powerful men regarded her with respect. “She’s just a woman with a pretty face and no brains,” Chen Yanran seethed inwardly, “relying on her beauty. These men are truly superficial!” The more Chen Yanran thought about it, the angrier she became. A heavy stone seemed to weigh upon her heart, making it impossible to breathe. In her fury, her nails dug deeply into her clenched palms, drawing beads of blood, yet she remained oblivious, her gaze fixed on the spot where Xu’s mother had stood, her eyes slowly chilling.
“Yanran, why are you running around if you’re not resting properly?” Zhang Dacao looked up and saw Chen Yanran, her face immediately clouding with displeasure. She’s pregnant and still running around. If her body is truly strong, she should be out working in the fields. If she’s too weak to work, why is she wandering about?
“Hey, Dacao,” a sharp-eyed woman teased, “I didn’t realize you cared so much for your future daughter-in-law! She’s married and become a delicate little flower. Why shouldn’t she go out for a walk? Or could it be that she’s pregnant?”
Zhang Dacao didn’t bother to get annoyed; a knowing smile spread across her face. “Go on, go on,” she said, waving them away, effectively confirming the speculation without uttering a single word. Everyone’s eyes immediately shifted, regarding Chen Yanran with a different light. They said educated youth from the city were well-educated and refined, but now it seemed they were no better. She was pregnant even before entering the marriage, truly indiscreet. Chen Yanran felt a surge of anger, but she instinctively touched her stomach, forcing herself to calm down. She bit her lower lip lightly, a look of grievance clouding her face.
Just then, Xu Xiangdong appeared. Seeing Chen Yanran’s tearful, aggrieved expression, his face immediately darkened. He glared at Zhang Dacao, then turned and helped Chen Yanran away.
Zhang Dacao stomped her foot in fury at the sight. She had given birth to this son for nothing! He wasn’t even married yet, and he was already taking this woman’s side. If she got married, wouldn’t Zhang Dacao lose all her authority in the future?
“Dacao, your son is truly protective of his wife,” Wang Lanhua observed, her voice dripping with veiled jealousy. “Chen Yanran is really good at it. You just showed concern for her, but she put on that aggrieved act. Your son must think you bullied her, otherwise he wouldn’t have that look on his face. But wasn’t Chen Yanran with Dong Wenzhong? Why is she marrying your Xiangdong? This woman is truly cunning. I wonder if the child in her belly is even your Xiangdong’s.” As she uttered the last sentence, Wang Lanhua quickly clapped a hand over her mouth, as if regretting her words.
Zhang Dacao glared fiercely at Wang Lanhua, but the mention of Chen Yanran and Dong Wenzhong pierced her heart like a thorn. Then she thought of her son’s foolish, besotted expression. The seeds of doubt, carefully planted by Wang Lanhua, began to take root in Zhang Dacao’s mind. Chen Yanran, that little wretch, had brought so much misery to their family, to Yingying, and now she was moving on to another man. She truly was promiscuous.
Wang Lanhua looked at the cotton pants in her hand, almost finished, and decided it was time to go back for dinner. Zhang Dacao, seething with anger, also got up and returned home. The stove fire was cold, and her son was nowhere in sight. She cooked a simple dinner for herself, then retreated to her room to sleep.
Later, Xu Xiangdong returned from the Educated Youth Center, where he had lingered with Chen Yanran. He was still hungry. Seeing the kitchen empty, his anger flared. “Mom, you didn’t make dinner?” he demanded.
Zhang Dacao’s voice, sharp with anger, came from her room. “I already ate! Didn’t you and Chen Yanran just go back to the Educated Youth Center? It’s already so late. What’s wrong? She didn’t leave you anything to eat?”
Xu Xiangdong’s anger immediately deflated. He mentally rationalized, “Yanran is pregnant; how could I have the nerve to eat her cooking!”
“Then she won’t eat?” Zhang Dacao’s sarcastic voice cut through his thoughts. “It’s just a matter of adding a pair of chopsticks. Shouldn’t a daughter-in-law cook a meal for a man? Is it possible that she doesn’t have you in her heart at all?”
Xu Xiangdong suddenly lost his composure and roared, “Mom, if I am your son, you want me to have a hard time! Yanran is about to marry me, how could she not have me in her heart? Yanran is right, you just don’t like her, you just deliberately embarrass her!”
At his words, Zhang Dacao sprang from her bed, her feet hitting the floor with a thump. Without even stopping to put on her shoes, she stormed out, her eyes blazing with fury. “Xu Xiangdong, get out of here! I carried you for ten months, worked hard to give birth to you! Your father died when you were ten, and I toiled to raise you by myself! Is this how you respect me?! Get out of here, get out of my house! I’ll pretend I never gave birth to a son like you!” As Zhang Dacao spoke, tears streamed down her weathered cheeks. She collapsed onto the ground, sobbing uncontrollably.
Xu Xiangdong watched his mother’s outburst with disgust, seeing her act like a shrew. As a child, he had always felt ashamed when his mother behaved this way, and he still did. Compared to Yanran, his mother truly fell short.