Chapter 29

“Alright, I was wondering how someone like Xingguo, who usually behaves so well, could do such a disgraceful thing. Turns out it was you who incited him. Zhao Wanmiao, you ruined my son. Watch me beat you to death…”

Caught off guard by Chen Xiuying’s sudden attack, Zhao Wanmiao was knocked to the ground and pinned down. Chen Xiuying slapped her left and right, making Zhao Wanmiao grimace in pain.

In the past, she had tolerated this wretched old woman because she was afraid of being beaten by Song Xingguo. But now, Zhao Wanmiao grabbed the back of Chen Xiuying’s clothes with both hands and used the momentum to get up. She kicked her hard, then straddled her and grabbed her neck, her face filled with ferocity as her hands tightened their grip.

“You old hag. You bullied me before, and now you’re still at it. Your son shamelessly sneaked around with another woman, and you’re blaming me? Was I the one who told him to crawl into Widow Hu’s bed?” As she recalled how Song Xingguo had touched her the night before, Zhao Wanmiao felt like she was still covered in Hu Xiaomi’s scent. It made her sick to her stomach.

“He skipped work for just one day and already ended up in the widow’s bed. All because of his filthy, cheap urges… I should just strangle you, you old thing…”

When Chen Xiuying had rushed over, Song Chunhua had quickly stepped aside. Now, seeing Zhao Wanmiao choking her grandmother, her eyes widened. She remembered the time her own father had tried to strangle her, and a suffocating feeling surged in her chest. But looking at Chen Xiuying’s increasingly pale face, all she felt was satisfaction.

This old woman always beat her over the most trivial things. It would be better if her mother choked her to death.

“Mom…”

“Big sister-in-law, let go! Mother’s about to stop breathing…”

Song Guoming and Qian Yufen had followed Chen Xiuying out. When they saw her being choked, they rushed forward and pushed Zhao Wanmiao away. Then they quickly checked her breathing. Seeing that she was still alive, they finally let out a sigh of relief.

“Zhao Wanmiao, you actually dared to choke our mother? Do you know you could’ve killed her? You’re unbelievably unfilial. My brother just got into trouble, and now you treat Mother like this. Are you even human…” Song Guoming shouted, disgust in his eyes, while patting Chen Xiuying’s back to help her catch her breath. Thankfully, he had followed them out. Otherwise, their mother might have been strangled to death.

“Big sister-in-law, how could you lay a hand on Mother? Even if she’s in the wrong, she’s still your mother-in-law…”

Qian Yufen also disapproved of Zhao Wanmiao’s actions. She knew that her sister-in-law must be upset over what happened to her husband, but that didn’t justify attacking her mother-in-law. If she really had choked her to death, it would bring shame to the entire family. The children would bear the stigma forever. After all, a father who committed adultery and a mother who committed murder… who would want to associate with them?

“What? Zhao Wanmiao actually choked her mother-in-law? Is she trying to kill her? That’s insane!”

Hearing the commotion, Li Yufeng rushed out of her yard to see what was happening. Once she understood the situation, her eyes nearly popped out of her head. She looked at Zhao Wanmiao in fear. Could it be that Zhao Wanmiao had gone mad from being overworked at the base farm?

“Chen Xiuying, you had this coming…”

Seeing Chen Xiuying barely hanging on, Granny Feng felt immensely satisfied. Last time, Chen Xiuying had pointed at her nose and cursed her, calling her a performer. She had tried to fight back but ended up getting scratched. Now, her face was filled with gleeful revenge.

“Old hag, lucky for you, you’re still breathing!”

Zhao Wanmiao sneered when she saw Chen Xiuying coughing and coming back to life. Ignoring Qian Yufen’s scolding, she rolled her eyes and snapped, “What, if I kill her, she can’t mooch off us anymore? Her son cheated and I’m the one getting blamed? Did I tell Song Xingguo to sleep with Widow Hu?”

Qian Yufen felt embarrassed by Zhao Wanmiao’s retort. She didn’t think she was taking advantage of the Song family, but she couldn’t control Chen Xiuying. If she said even one extra word, the old woman would curse her out. How could she dare say anything? She quickly spotted Song Chunhua standing nearby and tried to reason with Zhao Wanmiao.

“Big sister-in-law, Chunhua is still here. Mind your words…”

“Hmph. Damn old hag, if you try to pin this crap on me again, I’ll really kill you!”

Seeing Chen Xiuying still glaring at her viciously, Zhao Wanmiao gritted her teeth and spat at her, then threatened her fiercely. She pulled the dazed Song Chunhua back into the house, ignoring all the onlookers cursing her for being unfilial.

“She… she’s defying the heavens…”

Still recovering from nearly being strangled, Chen Xiuying looked at Zhao Wanmiao’s behavior and was so furious that she couldn’t breathe. She pointed and shouted hoarsely, then her head tilted to the side and she collapsed into Song Guoming’s arms.

“Mom, what’s wrong…”

“Mom…”

Song Guoming quickly carried Chen Xiuying on his back and rushed to Doctor Ye’s house in the village. Qian Yufen followed closely behind, worried that the old woman might have been seriously harmed by that lunatic Zhao Wanmiao.

Inside the yard, Zhao Wanmiao heard their anxious shouting, and her face lit up with excitement. It would be better if the old woman died, so she would stop sneaking around the house like a thief.

“Mom, I don’t want to cook lunch…”

Seeing that Zhao Wanmiao had regained her old arrogance and even dared to fight her grandmother, Song Chunhua was overjoyed. She quickly clung to Zhao Wanmiao’s arm and spoke sweetly, even throwing a smug look at Song Chunzhi, who stood at the west room’s doorway.

“Why would you need to cook? Let Chunzhi…”

Zhao Wanmiao had just dealt with Chen Xiuying and was feeling proud. When her precious daughter said she didn’t want to cook, she immediately agreed. She was about to tell Song Chunzhi to cook when she suddenly remembered things weren’t the same anymore. Recalling how Song Xingguo had been inexplicably beaten the night before, she became even more certain it had something to do with Song Chunzhi. She quickly changed her tone.

“I’ll do it, I’ll cook lunch. I’ll fry eggs for my darling girl.”

Song Chunzhi initially thought that Zhao Wanmiao had become arrogant again just because Song Xingguo wasn’t home. But seeing that she didn’t dare provoke her, she ignored it and lifted her foot to enter the house, only to be stopped by Song Chunhua. She frowned slightly and cast a glance at her.

“Is there something you want?”

“Song Chunzhi, stay away from Comrade Shen from now on. Don’t always throw yourself at any man just because he’s good-looking. You’re disgracing the girls of our brigade.”

The gossip from the villagers made Song Chunhua uneasy. She didn’t see anything that indicated Comrade Shen liked Song Chunzhi, so she warned her with visible displeasure.

“And what does it have to do with you who I’m close to?”

Song Chunzhi raised her almond-shaped eyes, clearly unimpressed by Song Chunhua’s warning. She reached out and pushed her aside, then looked at her mockingly with a smile.

“Who was the one earlier running over eagerly to introduce herself to him? You’re the one who embarrassed the girls in our brigade. I think the entire village already knows what’s going on in that little head of yours…”

“Song Chunzhi, you…”

Song Chunhua could obviously hear the sarcasm in her tone. Furious, she pointed at Song Chunzhi and charged forward. But when she got a few steps closer, she stopped. She knew she wasn’t a match for Song Chunzhi, so she turned her head and shouted toward the kitchen.

“Mom, Song Chunzhi is bullying me!”

Song Chunhua had originally wanted Zhao Wanmiao to discipline Song Chunzhi for her, but instead, Zhao Wanmiao pulled her into the kitchen and sternly told her not to provoke Song Chunzhi anymore and to keep her distance.

“But Song Chunzhi called me shameless and said I was seducing men…”

Song Chunhua hadn’t expected Zhao Wanmiao to refrain from scolding or hitting Song Chunzhi. She felt even more confused. Why didn’t Dad beat her anymore? And now Mom wouldn’t either? Her face was filled with grievance as she clung to Zhao Wanmiao.

Zhao Wanmiao patted her back and deliberately lowered her voice.

“Chunhua, just bear with it for now. She won’t be acting high and mighty for much longer…”

After the meal, Song Chunzhi noticed that Song Chunhua hadn’t gone to the fields. She stopped Zhao Wanmiao, who was about to go harvest wheat, and threatened her.

“If you don’t want your fake score records with the scorekeeper exposed, then take Song Chunhua to work. Otherwise, you might just find yourself back at the labor farm.”

“She’s your younger sister…”

Zhao Wanmiao was shocked by Song Chunzhi’s words. She had hidden her secret so well that not even Song Xingguo knew about it. How did this girl find out? But she also understood that with Song Chunzhi’s current personality, she would definitely do something like reporting her. Her expression turned bitter as she looked at Song Chunzhi.

“Just because she’s my sister, she doesn’t have to work? She’s used up so many of my work points. How is she supposed to pay them back if she doesn’t go to work?”

Song Chunzhi sneered as she threw out that line, believing that Zhao Wanmiao would make the right choice. After all, if one could live a good life, who would willingly return to reformation?

After returning to the house, she did some calculations. It was still only May. By September, news would come out about the resumption of the college entrance exam. That meant she had a few months left. Although she had passed the exam in her past life, so many years had passed, and she had forgotten a lot of the knowledge. She needed to take this chance to study hard. This time, she had to get into college.

She pulled out the junior high textbooks she had bought from the county last time. Looking at the content in the book, Song Chunzhi felt a strange sense of familiarity mixed with unfamiliarity. She couldn’t help but worry. What was she going to do?

Although Song Jiawang was a junior high student, he only attended school irregularly. His grades barely made it to the single digits. There was no way she could count on him.

“Company Commander Gu, Yu Ming is doing much better. He slept the whole night yesterday, and when he woke up this morning, he had regained his senses. He’s back to normal. He even remembers how he fell.”

The military doctor at the base saw Gu Huaishan come to check on Yu Ming and quickly shared the good news. They had all been scared out of their wits by the things Yu Ming had shouted before.

“He’s recovered?”

Gu Huaishan looked toward the hospital bed, where Yu Ming was smiling at him. His usually cold eyes showed a trace of surprise. Just yesterday, the man had been completely delusional, and now he was fine? They had been helpless for days, and somehow, after one visit from Song Chunzhi, he was suddenly back to normal?

It was too much of a coincidence.

“I tested him. He doesn’t remember what he shouted before. It’s likely he was just frightened after falling off the cliff…” the doctor pulled Gu Huaishan aside and whispered, “I’ve never seen anything like this before, but honestly, he’s the only one I’ve ever seen survive falling off a cliff like that.”

“Company Commander Gu, they said you were the one who led the team to rescue me. I’m really grateful…”

Yu Ming lay on the bed, smiling as he spoke to Gu Huaishan. He felt like he had forgotten something, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t remember a thing.

“I heard there was also a girl who carried me up from below. Is that true?”

“Yes. A villager from the nearby area saved you.”

Thinking about how Yu Ming had injured Song Chunzhi yesterday, Gu Huaishan chose not to reveal her name. He confirmed Yu Ming’s question but didn’t mention her further. The base had already commended Song Chunzhi. He didn’t want her to have more contact with Yu Ming.