Chapter 9: The Strange Enthusiasm

Twenty to twenty-five years old, a full five years.

How many five-year periods are there in a person’s life?

A twenty-year-old girl is full of fantasies about life, innocent and romantic.

Five years of married life, without a lover who pours out her heart, only a husband on the other side of a letter, unseen and untouchable.

Hua Yuanyuan still poured all her fantasies into this man, who should have been intimate but was more like a stranger.

She fantasized about her husband’s sudden return one day, fantasized about surprising him with a visit, fantasized about whether their child would be a boy or a girl…

Every night, lying in bed, these unrealistic dreams filled her mind.

Only by thinking about the beautiful life in the future could she fall asleep.

So when she heard the Wang family say that her husband wanted to divorce her, she was devastated.

Her dreams were shattered.

Unlike her, the moment she jumped, she regretted it. Because if she were alive, there would be infinite possibilities in the future.

But Hua Yuanyuan, who jumped into the icy water, was so cold, she didn’t regret it. She couldn’t see the future, she couldn’t see hope.

It was the thirteenth day of the twelfth lunar month, and every household was staying indoors for the winter.

The Wang family lived in the north of the village, and the Hua family in the south.

Along the way, she met a few people.

Inevitably, they asked a few more questions, but Hua Youcai just chuckled and didn’t want to say much.

Soon the news spread throughout the village: Hua’s daughter was back, she had taken her belongings from the Wang family, and they had apparently separated.

After arriving home, Hua Yuanyuan tidied up her things, and the first thing she did was find her newest clothes and change into them, from the inside out.

She didn’t have the habit of keeping new clothes in the chest and wearing old ones.

She was just the opposite.

Hua Yuanyuan was tidying up her things in the west room, while Hua Youcai and his son were whispering on the kang in the east room.

“Son, if someone knocks, just go out and deal with them. Tell them I’m not feeling well, and if they have anything, tell them to talk to you.”

“Dad, what if they insist on coming in?”

“Didn’t you lock the front door? Don’t open it.”

“Yeah, I got it.”

“Your sister has finally come to terms with it, don’t let her hear those gossips and suffer again.”

…

Hua Youcai was truly frightened by his daughter. He had seen with his own eyes how his daughter jumped without hesitation.

Oh my, she really didn’t want to live.

He jumped in after her, the water was so cold. Luckily, he was a few steps behind her. If he had been further away, he would have been too late to jump in…

He had nightmares about his daughter’s jump every night; it was terrifying.

Hua Youcai was scared out of his wits.

He had no other requests; he just wanted his daughter to live well.

He would listen to everything she said, let her do whatever she wanted, and be happy.

Both his daughter and his own life were saved.

Every extra day was a bonus.

If she wanted to get married, she could find another man; if she didn’t, she could live with him.

In a few years, when his son got married and had his own family, he would live with his daughter, so he wouldn’t have to put up with his daughter-in-law.

In short, Hua Youcai thought of whatever came to mind and said it out loud.

Hua Fangfang was ordered by his father to act as a messenger.

He shouted at the door of the west room, “Sister, is the kang still warm? Should we add some firewood?”

“Sister, is it cold in the room? Why don’t you come to the east room to warm up before you continue?”

“Sister, the tea is ready, have some tea first?”

“Sister, the stove is free, do you want some roasted sweet potatoes?”

…

Hua Yuanyuan… Was he afraid she would silently do something drastic?

That’s right, Hua Youcai did have this worry.

Even though his daughter seemed normal and had let go, he was still worried.

He was afraid that she would change her mind and have another bad thought.

Hua Yuanyuan carried her bedding to the east room, “Xiao Fang, go get the few quilts on the kang.”

Hua Fangfang didn’t know what his sister was going to do, but he obediently obeyed. His father had told him to do whatever his sister asked.

Hua Yuanyuan simply said that she wanted to change the bedding for her father and brother, and let them use the new ones.

She thought they would definitely refuse, but they were overjoyed.

They were as happy as children, carefully touching the soft bedding, repeatedly saying, “So soft!”

New bedding that hadn’t been used was naturally soft.

She also took apart a quilt to make new cotton-padded jackets and trousers for her father and brother.

Hua Youcai sat on the kang, drinking tea and eating raw radishes and peanuts, watching his daughter busy herself.

Hua Fangfang washed his father’s and his own pillowcases, quilts, and sheets on the floor. He even disliked his own, saying how dirty they were!

The room was filled with the fragrant smell of chicken soup, a large iron pot simmering with chicken soup, fragrant!

“Make the water hotter, don’t be stingy with the hot water.”

“Yeah, yeah, sister, I’ve put in a lot.”

The stove was burning fiercely, and it was boiling in no time.

“By the way, Dad, Xiao Fang, I forgot to tell you, I’ve rented a house in Beijing, and we’ll move there after the New Year.”

…

Hua Yuanyuan didn’t even look up, her needle and thread moving quickly. She said such a big thing as lightly as if she were asking her brother to heat more water.

Hua Youcai’s back straightened against the wall. He glanced at his daughter and then at his son, who was dumbfounded on the floor…

He quickly came to his senses, “Okay, daughter, what day will we leave?”

He also winked at his son, but Hua Fangfang didn’t understand what he meant.

He continued to do his work, anyway, at home, he listened to either his father or his sister.

He pricked up his ears, wanting to ask his sister what Beijing was like, if the house was the same as theirs, and if the people in Beijing were all good-looking…

“Dad, you decide, I don’t know.”

“Okay, Dad will think about it.”

“Dad, Xiao Fang, come out with me to have a look first. If you don’t get used to it outside, you can come back. The land and house are still here…”

…

Hua Yuanyuan’s reason was that there were too many gossips in the village, and she felt uncomfortable. She wanted to go to a strange environment where no one knew her and start a new life.

Ah, no, she did know that bastard, but he could be ignored.

If she stayed long enough outside, or couldn’t make a living, she could come back.

She had a house and land at home, which was her fallback.

—

Dinner was early in winter, and there was nothing to do, so they finished eating before dark.

After dinner, Hua Yuanyuan went back to her room to sleep, it was only five o’clock.

She was working in her space. Actually working in the field wasn’t as painful as she imagined.

Except for the sore legs from squatting for a long time, and the sore back from bending over for a long time, and the blisters on her gloved hands.

She was tired, but she still had energy.

Being told to go to sleep at five o’clock was more painful than working.

Pure physical labor brought a sense of accomplishment and pleasure that couldn’t be described.

Anyway, she was very happy.

It was similar to sweating profusely in the gym.

Pain and happiness together.

On the kang in the east room, Hua Youcai and Hua Fangfang had a lot to talk about tonight.

“Dad, this quilt is really warm.”

“Yeah, son, tell me, is your sister still not over him?”

Hua Youcai was suspicious of his daughter’s words. There were plenty of places to find a house, why did she have to find one near that bastard’s grandson?

“Dad, didn’t sister say so! She didn’t know anyone there, so she found one nearby. Sister isn’t stupid, she’s definitely over him.”

“Dad, did I also have new bedding when I got married?”

“You silly boy, you’d have some if you married into a family as a son-in-law…”

“Dad, when will I get married?”

“Who do you have your eye on?”

“I’m waiting for Dad to arrange it for me.”

Hua Youcai… He didn’t expect his son to want to get married so soon, this little rascal!

“You’re still too young, let’s talk about it in a few years.”

“Dad, I know, I’m nineteen this year, I can register at twenty-two.”

“Yeah, yeah, go to sleep, we have to be busy tomorrow.”

Hua Youcai planned to slaughter the chickens tomorrow, the pig the day after tomorrow, and tidy up other things as well.

“Dad, I’m not sleepy yet…”

Even if Hua Fangfang called his father again, Hua Youcai didn’t respond, pretending to be asleep.

——

The next day, when it was bright, the Hua family was still quiet, but the people outside couldn’t wait.

They shouted at the top of their lungs, “Uncle, are you home? Are you up?”

“Xiao Fang—”

“Why isn’t Old Man Hua up yet?”

“Is he still not feeling well?”

“He went to the Wang family to get things yesterday…”

…

They all said different things, but they all gathered in front of the Hua family’s door for a reason.

It was the fourteenth day of the twelfth lunar month, the town was having a big market.

This market before the New Year was especially lively, with every household buying New Year’s goods: Spring Festival couplets, firecrackers, food, and so on.

Hua Fangfang still wanted to stay in bed for a while, he really didn’t want to leave the soft bedding.

His father and sister didn’t move, so he had to go out to deal with it.

When he opened the door, he quickly closed his yawning mouth, slammed the door shut, and ran back to the room.

“Dad, Dad, I don’t know what’s going on, there are so many people outside.”

Hua Fangfang looked terrified, with eye boogers in the corners of his eyes.

Hua Youcai lay in bed, only his eyelids moved, he opened his eyes and glanced at his son with displeasure.

“Wipe your eye boogers first, did you forget what I taught you yesterday? My body is still not well, I can’t get up from the kang, go and send them away, keep your voice down, don’t wake your sister… Remember, don’t open the door.”

This stupid son, did it matter whether there were many people or few?

Hua Fangfang digested his father’s words, it seemed to make sense, and went out obediently.

When the people outside saw someone finally come out, “Xiao Fang, where’s your father?”

“Yeah, isn’t your father up yet?”

“Uncle Li, my father isn’t up, my sister isn’t up either, and neither am I.”

Everyone… Yeah, he still has eye boogers.

Hua Fangfang remembered at this time, and quickly wiped them off. He hadn’t mentioned his wife yet.

Aunt Li stamped her feet, carrying a basket, “Xiao Fang, quickly call your father to get up, the sun is already high, he hasn’t gotten up yet to go to the market!”

Cough— cough—

Hua Fangfang was just about to say something when he was interrupted by a cough from inside the room, and he couldn’t remember what he was going to say.

Before he even reached the door, he turned around and ran back into the room, “Oh, my father is coughing again, go to the market, my father can’t go.”

No matter how much the people outside called, no one came out of the house, only intermittent coughing…

Hua Youcai faked a loud cough, thinking, these people’s enthusiasm is too strange…

So many people came to find them, it’s not normal, are they trying to find out about his daughter?

Knowing that his daughter had divorced, did they want to talk about marriage?

Or about money?