The two people fighting didn’t notice her watching.

The woman who had been shouting earlier flung a gourd ladle full of water at the man across from her.

“Jiang Dashan, there are so many things waiting for you at home, but you won’t even lift a hoe here! Yet, you’re so eager to run and help that widow Hu!”

The man, Jiang Dashan, got drenched, then tried to dodge as his wife chased him around the yard. He shouted back, half-annoyed, “Are you crazy? I’m your husband! I just saw the widow Hu struggling to carry that heavy bucket, so I went to help her! We’re both innocent—don’t go making things up!”

“Ha!” The woman spat, furious. “How many times have you helped her? If I hadn’t caught you today, I wouldn’t have known anything! You’re saying she’s pitiful? I’m the one who should be pitied! You ignore your own wife but jump to help another woman. Are wildflowers that much more tempting than what you’ve got at home? Jiang Dashan, I’m warning you—explain yourself, or this isn’t over!”

With that, she hurled the ladle at him.

Song Wei was so absorbed in the scene that she didn’t even notice Aunt Ma had returned.

Seeing Song Wei leaning over the wall and the two kids squatting nearby, Aunt Ma’s eyebrow twitched.

She didn’t say a word, not wanting to draw attention. But she went over to Song Wei.

“What are you up to, Song Wei?”

Song Wei turned around and flashed her a big grin, pointing at the couple who were arguing in the next yard.

“Listening to them fight.”

Aunt Ma promptly pulled over a stool to sit on and joined her at the wall. Song Wei even handed her a few sunflower seeds.

They made sure to chew quietly so they wouldn’t disrupt the show next door.

It seemed Jiang Dashan knew he was in the wrong—or perhaps he was just losing because his wife, built like a female warrior, was pounding him. Compared to her, he was lean and thin. Eventually, she pinned him to the ground, smacking him with her fists while he yelped in pain.

Aunt Ma scoffed, “Serves him right. He might look honest, but he’s full of sneaky thoughts. Before he married Hu Niu, he was known around the village as a troublemaker. His parents spoiled him since he was their only child, but he never showed any ambition. When they saw he wasn’t getting anywhere, they decided to find him a strong-willed wife. And that’s how they found Hu Niu, the daughter of a hunter up in the mountains.

“Hu Niu was raised rough—she’s sturdy and fierce like her father. Nobody ever proposed to her, not just because she looked tough but also because they lived so deep in the mountains. When Jiang Dashan’s parents showed up to propose, they explained their situation, and Hu Niu accepted without hesitation. After they married, it was chaos in their home, but she kept Jiang Dashan in line and made him work. His parents were so relieved that they died with smiles on their faces.”

Song Wei listened eagerly. “Wow, Aunt Hu sounds fierce.”

She glanced at Aunt Hu, who had a square face and a rather masculine appearance.

In most families, men still ruled the house, but here in Ping’an Brigade, there were at least two women who took charge of their households—Aunt Hu was one of them. The other, of course, was Old Lady Lin. Best not to mention that troublesome family, though.

“Ahh… my back! It’s going to break!” Jiang Dashan’s screams filled the air. His wife, Hu Niu, had sat down squarely on his back, her large hand twisting the soft flesh at his waist.

Jiang Dashan’s face contorted in pain. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry! Wife, I won’t do it again!”

But Hu Niu only gave a derisive snort and slapped him on the back of the head. “If I catch you even looking at that widow Hu again, I’ll make sure you won’t need those parts anymore! We already have kids; your bits are practically useless to me now. Misbehave again, and I’ll take care of it.”

Jiang Dashan’s face flushed red, and he clamped his legs shut in horror.

Song Wei: “What a fierce aunt!”

Aunt Ma shook her head and sighed. “Hu Niu, you have no shame, saying such things with kids around.”

Sound traveled easily in the big yard, and with only a wall between them, everyone could hear Hu Niu’s loud threats.

Only then did the couple realize they had an audience.

Jiang Dashan’s face went through a whole range of emotions, then turned red with embarrassment. Muttering and limping, he slinked away.

Hu Niu, on the other hand, showed no hint of embarrassment. She had disciplined her husband plenty of times before, and in a village like this, where nothing stayed a secret, she figured everyone already knew her business.

“Kids don’t understand that kind of talk anyway,” she shrugged. “Who’s this, though?”

Song Wei, entirely unbothered by being caught, flashed her a friendly smile.

“Hello, Aunt Hu. You’re amazing!”

Hu Niu gave a hearty laugh, completely unabashed. “If you want to keep a man in line, you’ve got to be like me.”

Aunt Ma introduced Song Wei properly.

“This is Song Wei, one of the educated youth.”

Hu Niu nodded in recognition. “So you’re the Song Wei who fought with Old Lin Lady and Old Lady Niu. Heard all about it.”

Song Wei thought to herself, Am I famous now?

After chatting for a moment, Hu Niu waved goodbye. “I have to go start making dinner for the kids. Let’s catch up another time.”

After Hu Niu left, Song Wei and Auntie Ma climbed down from the wall.

Fully satisfied from her eavesdropping, Song Wei led Heidan to help Aunt Ma prepare vegetables in the yard.

“Sorry it took me so long to come by, Aunt Ma. I’ve been very busy.”

Aunt Ma laughed, a friendly warmth in her voice. “Oh, I know! You’ve been so busy going up the mountain, sorting things out at the dormitory, and handling those disputes with Old Lady Lin and others. You’ve become a bit of a celebrity around here.”

Song Wei sighed. She hadn’t intended to be so well-known.

She said seriously, “It wasn’t my fault; they started it. I was just defending myself.”

She then brought up her main reason for coming. “Aunt Ma, I need your help with something. Heidan doesn’t have any proper clothes, and with winter coming, he’ll need a warm coat. Do you know anyone in the village who could make clothes? I’ll pay fairly—one and a half yuan for a summer outfit and two for winter. And I’ll cover the cost of any cotton padding.”

Aunt Ma looked over at the fabric Song Wei was holding, then at Heidan.

“He’s so lucky to have you looking out for him,” Aunt Ma remarked, moved.

Song Wei just smiled.