Chapter 33

“Mom, it’s too late today. I boiled some hot water. Everyone should wash up and go to sleep first! We’ll have plenty of time to talk tomorrow.” Gu Qinghuan said, feeling completely at ease when she saw they were chatting so well.

She knew that Xu Huai’an could handle it. Who could resist his sickly, delicate face?

“Alright, the two children should be in bed too. You help Huai’an wash up. Come on, Da Bao, Bei Bei, Grandma will take you to wash your faces.” Zhong Zijun instantly took on the role of Grandma, confidently preparing to take the two children downstairs to wash up. She forgot that her arm was inconvenient, nearly tripping and falling flat on her face, but thankfully, Gu Qinghuan caught her.

“Oh my god, you’re a patient yourself and still want to take care of others. Can you save some energy?” Gu Qinghuan thought.

“Grandma, I’ll hold your hand.” Bei Bei said, thoughtfully taking Zhong Zijun’s hand.

Zhong Zijun’s heart nearly melted. The little girl was so adorable.

“Alright, thank you, little Bei Bei.”

Da Bao, not wanting to be outdone, quickly lifted the oil lamp and led Zhong Zijun. He forgot that his dad also needed the light.

Gu Qinghuan and Xu Huai’an exchanged a smile, both of them seeing the helplessness in each other’s eyes.

But at least Zhong Zijun passed this hurdle smoothly.

After the family finished washing up, Gu Qinghuan, as usual, gave everyone a cup of spiritual spring water, then took Zhong Zijun back to the western room to sleep.

Sitting on the kang bed and watching her daughter diligently running back and forth, Zhong Zijun felt an indescribable warmth in her heart.

Five years ago, when she was backstabbed by the person lying beside her, she came to this remote village to be reformed.

The life in the Cattle Shed was truly hard, especially since there were always people secretly bullying them.

She had endured all this for the sake of her two children and her elderly parents. She used to be a university teacher, an intellectual who knew nothing about farming or cooking.

But in order to survive, she had learned everything.

Life had played a huge joke on her. The daughter she had always worried about ended up going to the countryside for the “sent-down youth” movement, and it was even in the village next door.

That cruel-hearted man, even his own flesh and blood was not spared. She didn’t even know how her little son was doing over there.

Every time Zhong Zijun thought about it, she wished she could eat his flesh and drink his blood to relieve her hatred.

This past year, her daughter had been running around, taking care of them. Zhong Zijun saw it with her own eyes, and it hurt her deeply. She hated that she couldn’t do anything herself and had to rely on her daughter to share the burden.

Now, being able to sleep side by side with her daughter like before, she truly felt like she was in a dream.

It had been five years since she left at the age of fifteen, and now her child was already twenty, an adult.

She had just heard the news that her daughter was getting married, and it pained her so much that it felt like her liver and intestines were being torn apart. But after meeting Xu Huai’an, and spending some time with him, her heart gradually became calm.

As someone who had been through it, she knew very well that marriage was a woman’s second life. If the wrong person was chosen, it would be a huge disaster.

This young man, though physically limited and unable to take care of the household, possessed something that ordinary people did not.

A noble and interesting soul, someone who understood respect and empathy, kind-hearted and determined.

No one is perfect. Whoever you marry will bring many challenges; it depends on what kind of challenges you’re willing to face.

Sometimes, the hardships in life aren’t as bad as they seem. The real terror lies in spiritual deprivation.

“Huan Huan, after meeting Xiao Xu, I feel that he is indeed a good person. The two children are also very sensible. If you truly want to live with him, I won’t oppose it.

But I want to tell you, some choices, once made, are for a lifetime. They cannot be regretted or undone, so you must be cautious.

Also, remember, this place will always be your haven.” Zhong Zijun spoke calmly and slowly.

Gu Qinghuan was deeply moved. This was the first time she felt the weight of her mother’s love. She stepped forward and gently hugged Zhong Zijun. “Thank you, Mom. I understand.”

It was rare for the mother and daughter to sleep together in the same bed. They thought they would have trouble falling asleep, but unexpectedly, they both fell asleep quickly. After a busy day of running around and the various emotional stimuli they had experienced, they both slept soundly.

—

Gu Qinghuan was awakened by the sunlight.

Suddenly, she smelled the fragrance of thick porridge. She turned over and sat up, only to find that Zhong Zijun, who had been sleeping next to her, was no longer there.

She quickly got out of bed and tidied up.

In the kitchen, she found the three of them—Zhong Zijun had woken up early, wanting her daughter to sleep a bit longer. She quietly got out of bed and went to the kitchen to make breakfast.

She secretly observed the situation. The food reserves at her daughter’s home were quite good, at least they wouldn’t go hungry this winter. So, she generously made some thick porridge for breakfast.

Although her son-in-law couldn’t work, he had a pension, fifteen a month, which wasn’t a small amount. If they saved a bit, they could live quite well, which was already pretty good.

After the two children woke up, they rushed straight to the kitchen. They discovered Grandma, the three of them—grandmother and grandchildren—roasting potatoes by the fire and chatting happily.

“Mom, Grandma made thick porridge for us, and roasted potatoes. It smells so good!” Da Bao said with a smile.

Gu Qinghuan gave Zhong Zijun a disapproving look. “Mom, your hand hasn’t fully recovered yet. Why are you up doing these things? What if you hurt yourself again…?”

Seeing that Gu Qinghuan was upset, Da Bao and Bei Bei immediately looked as though they had done something wrong and didn’t dare speak.

“I’m not a clay doll, making food with one hand is fine. Look at how you’ve scared the two kids. It’s fine, Grandma is perfectly fine.” Zhong Zijun quickly pulled Bei Bei into her arms.

Gu Qinghuan could only speak earnestly to her. “Next time, don’t do this again. I’ll handle the housework; you just need to rest well.”

“I’m not useless. Don’t worry about me, I know what I’m doing. By the way, I saw a bicycle in the courtyard. Whose is it?” Zhong Zijun pointed at the bicycle.

Gu Qinghuan slapped her forehead. She had completely forgotten about it last night because it had been so late. She needed to hurry and return it.

“You didn’t mention it, I would’ve forgotten. I need to return it to Chen Jianghe. Mom, watch the kids for me. I’ll be back soon. If anyone comes by, you should hide, don’t let anyone see you.”

After giving her instructions, Gu Qinghuan quickly tidied herself up and rode off on the bicycle.

When she arrived at the intellectual youth site, Gu Qinghuan could hear voices arguing from afar.

A group of intellectual youth were gathered, trying to mediate a fight.

Gu Qinghuan pushed the bicycle in, but no one noticed her.

She parked the bike and patted Lin Shengnan, who was standing on the side, seemingly invisible. “Lin Zhisheng, what’s going on here?”

“It’s because of Xu Meiling, the Branch Secretary’s family… your little sister-in-law. She went early this morning to give Chen Jianghe two eggs to flatter him, and Jiang Xue couldn’t stand it. She said that Xu Meiling was acting like a peacock spreading its tail, getting overly sentimental, and then this whole mess happened…” 

Lin Shengnan shrugged. She couldn’t be bothered with these things. After saying that to Gu Qinghuan, she hurried off to work.

“Jiang Xue, just wait! I’ll have my dad deal with you!” Xu Meiling couldn’t win the argument, so she dragged out her Branch Secretary father.

“You’re a dung beetle yawning—what a big mouth you have! Do you think your dad is some kind of big official? You want to deal with me? Dream on! You country bumpkin! Take your two eggs and get lost! What’s so special about two eggs, you think I’ll be flattered?” Jiang Xue was absolutely furious.

First, there was Gu Qinghuan, and now Xu Meiling—it was never-ending.

At least Gu Qinghuan had both beauty and brains, and it was Chen Jianghe who had made the first move.

But Xu Meiling? Who did she think she was, coming over here to cause trouble?

Both of them were people Gu Qinghuan didn’t like, so watching them bicker was quite a delight. She almost wished she could sit back with some seeds, watching the gossip unfold.

But soon, the other intellectual youth stepped in and pulled them apart.

Chen Jianghe took the initiative to step forward, playing the role of peacekeeper. He lectured both of them for a few minutes, gave each of them thirty lashes (metaphorically), and then declared that the situation was resolved.

Gu Qinghuan saw that there was no more drama to be had and reluctantly stepped away.

She hadn’t expected Xu Meiling to like Chen Jianghe and even chase after him. This wasn’t mentioned in the book—only that in the end, Chen Jianghe ended up with Jiang Xue, a scumbag man and a trashy woman.

It seemed that Xu Meiling was destined to be disappointed in the end.

---

Hi! If you want this novel to have 10 BONUS UPDATES, please vote for it in the poll I created. Here’s the link!

---