Chapter 10

Song Nian’s aunt, Hu Xiuyun, and her mother, Hu Xiulan, were half-sisters from the same father. When Hu Xiuyun’s mother left Old Master Song and remarried, she took the ten-year-old Hu Xiuyun with her.

Later, Hu Xiuyun visited the Song family a few times to see her father and maintained a fairly good relationship with Hu Xiulan. But her stepfather’s family wasn’t well-off.

When Song Nian was little, she had seen this aunt a few times. Her mother often sent gifts to this elder sister, and the two sisters exchanged letters regularly.

But one time, when Hu Xiuyun’s husband suddenly showed up at the Song house to borrow money and she found out, she refused to accept any help from her younger sister again.

After the Song family moved house a few years later, their contact nearly ceased altogether.

Looking at her aunt now—her face lined with hardship and weariness—Song Nian felt a pang in her heart.
“Auntie, how have you been these years? How are Cousin and my younger cousin doing?”

Hu Xiuyun smiled, saying all was well. She took her hand, walking forward as they talked:
“You’ve grown so much. If I hadn’t read in your mother’s letter a few days ago that you were in the provincial city, I might not have recognized you.

Child, after such big troubles at home, you married alone into the provincial city, yet you never came to see your aunt? At least I could’ve looked after you a little…”

Song Nian smiled with a bit of embarrassment.

Hu Xiuyun sighed.
“Nian Nian, it’s not that I didn’t want to stay in touch. It’s just… I put my trust in the wrong man. I was already walking a tightrope and didn’t want people like that to taint your lives.”

She reached out to stroke Song Nian’s hair.
“Auntie has always worried about you and your mother.”

Song Nian’s eyes stung.

After her sudden downfall—from a pampered young lady to a desperate bride forced into marriage—how could she not feel anything?

But compared to her parents’ plight, her own struggles seemed small. She couldn’t afford to wallow in self-pity.

Still, to suddenly meet a caring relative like her aunt, who comforted her with such warmth—it made her heart ache.

Yet she quickly smiled, sniffled, and tried to reassure Hu Xiuyun:
“Auntie, I’m doing well. My mother-in-law is educated and reasonable, my husband is steady and kind. My situation isn’t bad.”

But in truth, she worried about Hu Xiuyun instead…

Glancing at the uneven little alley before her, she asked softly:
“Auntie, do you live here?”

Hu Xiuyun patted her hand.
“Auntie’s fine. I’ve gotten by all these years. Come, we’re here.”

They arrived at a cluster of ramshackle houses. Hu Xiuyun led her into a courtyard with two facing houses.

“This is our home. Across the way is your cousin’s uncle’s house.”

As Song Nian stepped inside, a loud bang came from within, followed by a man’s grumbling curses.

Hu Xiuyun frowned.
“What’s going on?”

The cursing stopped as a man emerged, looking displeased.
“Why so late? I come back from driving and can’t even get a hot kettle of water!”

“You can’t boil water yourself?”

Hu Xiuyun set her basket down and introduced him to Song Nian:
“This is your uncle.”

Song Nian greeted him politely.
Uncle He Wangrong snorted.
“So you’re that Song girl. Used to be so arrogant—look at you now, the Song family’s collapsed. You’re worse off than us.”

Hu Xiuyun’s face darkened.
“You dare say one more word?”

He Wangrong sneered, muttered under his breath, and walked out.

Not long after, Hu Xiuyun’s eldest daughter and younger son came home.

“Your cousin is a textile factory worker, already made permanent a few months ago. Binbin doesn’t study well—he quit high school and is looking for work now.”

Cousin He Yue was delighted to see her, while He Binbin, a year younger than Song Nian, scratched his head awkwardly.
“Mom, I’m earning money too. You make it sound like I’m a loafer.”

Hu Xiuyun tapped his forehead.

He Yue looked Song Nian up and down with surprise.
“My memory of you is as a chubby little girl. You’ve grown so pretty.”

Song Nian blushed.
“I slimmed down long ago.”

He Yue giggled behind her hand. Meanwhile, Hu Xiuyun asked He Yue and He Binbin to keep Song Nian company while she went to cook.

Their household conditions were clearly modest. Song Nian noticed Hu Xiuyun taking down a piece of cured meat hanging by the window.

Thinking of her uncle’s sour expression earlier, Song Nian decided, after a pause, to excuse herself.

“Since dinner’s cooking, it wouldn’t be right for me to linger. Now that I know the way, I’ll visit Auntie again soon.”

Hu Xiuyun hurried to persuade her to stay, but Song Nian smiled and said she hadn’t told her in-laws. Since she was newly married, Hu Xiuyun finally let her go, sending her off with her children.

Just as Song Nian was about to board the bus, Hu Xiuyun quickly slipped something at her waist. By the time Song Nian realized, she found a big “unity” bill tucked into her.

Her nose burned with emotion.

From the look of their home, it was obvious her aunt’s life was tight. Who knew how long it took her to save that money.

As the bus pulled away, Song Nian tucked the note away, planning to return it next time. She looked back at her aunt and cousins, standing at the alley entrance, before they turned home.

He Yue asked,
“Nian Nian isn’t even nineteen yet, and she’s already married?”

Hu Xiuyun sighed.
“If she didn’t marry, she would’ve been sent down with her parents. With her looks, life in some remote place could’ve been dangerous.”

He Yue’s eyes filled with pity.
“How’s her husband?”

“I didn’t dare ask, afraid to upset her. But your aunt wrote that he’s a soldier. Apparently, Nian Nian once saved him. To marry her at a time like this… he must be a decent man.”

He Yue nodded with relief.
“A soldier’s family won’t be too poor, and with that debt of gratitude, her life shouldn’t be too hard… She also mentioned she’s working at the clothing factory?”

Hu Xiuyun confirmed, looking troubled.
“Nian Nian’s never earned her own money. I just hope she can manage.”

When the three of them returned home, He Wangrong was already at the table, waiting for dinner.
“Where’s that Song girl?”

Hu Xiuyun said she’d gone back.

He Wangrong sneered.
“Good thing she had sense. Our life is hard enough. If she came mooching all the time, how would we survive?”

Hu Xiuyun flared up.
“How can you talk like that? You’re her uncle.”

He Wangrong scoffed.
“Did you forget how the Song family treated me back then?”

Hu Xiuyun clenched her teeth. She wanted to say, that was your shamelessness, but after years of endless arguments, she’d given up trying. She swallowed her words.

He Yue glanced at her father, whispering,
“Nian Nian’s on her own now. Looking out for her a little won’t hurt. Besides, she has a job. Why would she come mooching?”

He Binbin nodded vigorously.
“Cousin doesn’t seem like that kind of person.”

Indeed, she looked like the last person who would.

He Wangrong snapped,
“Eating my food and daring to lecture me?”

He Yue and He Binbin exchanged a look, biting their tongues to avoid further conflict…