Chapter 4

Xu Wanchun more or less guessed the old lady’s identity.

After trying several times to coax her with no success—and since she didn’t know where the fields were to fetch her adoptive mother for help—she could only sit down on the threshold and quietly keep her company.

“…From the day your mother got divorced, your grandpa and I have carried a burden in our hearts. Why is your mother so stubborn? She just up and divorced like that…”

This old lady was rather amusing. Just earlier she was unhappy about her adoptive mother taking her in, yet now she was calling “your grandpa” so naturally.

Xu Wanchun only meant to be a qualified listener. After all, she didn’t know much about many things, and she had no right to speak.

But as for the divorce, last night while bathing, her adoptive mother had already explained everything to her in detail.

So Xu Wanchun couldn’t hold back and retorted: “That man married another woman and even had children—how could she not divorce?”

The old lady was choked silent for a moment. After wiping away her tears, she went on muttering to herself: “Your grandpa and I couldn’t lift our heads, didn’t even dare step out the door, afraid people would laugh at us…”

Xu Wanchun quipped, “Aren’t you out now?”

The old lady: …

She blew her nose and kept wiping her tears: “…Fine, divorce is divorce. But we told her, while she’s still young, she should hurry and remarry. And what does she do? She goes and drags home a burden. From now on, what good man would want to marry her?”

The so-called “burden” shot back: “If a man doesn’t want to marry just because of one extra child, what kind of good man is he?”

Having been contradicted again and again, the old lady grew embarrassed and angry. She raised her hand, ready to slap the brat.

But after holding it up for a long while, she couldn’t bring it down. No way—this little girl was as skinny as a chick. She was honestly afraid one slap might finish her off.

In the end, the old lady only poked her cheap granddaughter on the forehead with a finger: “Is that any way to talk to your grandma?”

Xu Wanchun thought: Just speaking the truth.

The times were different. Xu Wanchun wouldn’t foolishly tell her adoptive mother not to remarry, nor go shouting about “long live singlehood.”

But if a man backed off just because of her, then he was disqualified from the start.

Of course, she didn’t intend to say that out loud—it didn’t fit the persona of an eight-year-old.

Besides, she could see it now: the old lady wasn’t a bad person, just stuck in old-fashioned thinking.

That kind of mindset had been ingrained from childhood, carved deeply into the bones—it was the gap of an entire era.

The clearest example… the old lady in front of her called herself Xu Wangshi—she didn’t even have a personal name.

Xu Wanchun didn’t believe that a few lofty words from her could overturn such ingrained beliefs.

So she dropped the urge to argue, went back inside, rinsed a towel, and handed it to the old lady to wipe her face.

Once the woman accepted it, she didn’t idle either—she went into the kitchen, scooped two gourds of soybeans into a bamboo tray, carried it back to the threshold, and started picking out pebbles and little roots.

“What are you picking beans for?” Xu Wangshi asked, now refreshed after washing her face.

Her mood lifted a little.

Xu Wanchun said, “Tomorrow’s the warm house banquet… Mother… Mother said we need to take two jin of soybeans to Auntie Lancao’s place to trade for tofu.” Since her adoptive mother wasn’t around, calling her “Mother” didn’t feel quite so hard to say.

Xu Wangshi didn’t notice the little girl’s unease. Seeing such a small child being so diligent made her heart relax a bit, so she also began sorting through the mushrooms and wild vegetables she had brought over…

---

In the countryside, people usually ate two meals a day.

Only during the busy farming seasons would there be an extra meal.

In the past, when working in the fields, Xu Hehua would bring along a few cornbread buns stuffed with pickles, plus a gourd of water, and work from dawn till dusk.

Now that she had a child who needed more careful care, she came back as early as a little after ten.

When she pushed open the gate and saw an old woman and a little girl sitting at the stone table, she wasn’t all that surprised.

She first led the donkey straight to the cowshed. After tying it securely, she put corn stalks into the trough, added fresh water, and then walked over to the pair: “Mother, why did you come over today? The warm house banquet isn’t until tomorrow.”

Seeing her daughter, Xu Wangshi still felt a little uneasy, her face drooping: “What? Can’t I come?”

Xu Hehua was washing her hands with the water her daughter had drawn. At those words, she didn’t even bother to roll her eyes: “Who said you couldn’t? I asked you to come live in the new house with me before, but you weren’t willing.”

Those words made Xu Wangshi feel comfortable. Whatever else, her third daughter’s new house was indeed grand. Still, moving in wasn’t an option: “If I came, what about your father? Without me, he wouldn’t even have a hot meal.” Her tone carried a smug sort of pride.

Xu Hehua replied, “Then let Father come too.”

Xu Wangshi retorted, “What nonsense? Your father and I still have sons. If we both moved here, how would your brothers keep their dignity?”

“Suit yourself,” Xu Hehua said, unwilling to waste more words. The old couple would rather squeeze into a mud-and-thatch hut with their sons than live with her—truly… clinging to pride at the cost of suffering.

Seeing her daughter’s face cool, Xu Wangshi also sobered. Her whole demeanor sank back into bitterness as she softly stated her purpose: “Sanni, I know you have a good heart. I don’t object to you raising this child. But with her here, you really won’t be able to find a good man to marry.”

While rinsing rice in the water jar, Xu Hehua didn’t even lift her head: “I will definitely raise Taohua. This morning Uncle Jingjun already got the severance letter back.”

Curious, Xu Wanchun chimed in as she helped on the side: “Severance letter?”

Seeing her daughter interested, Xu Hehua wiped her hands twice on her apron, making sure they were dry, then carefully pulled a sheet of paper from her jacket pocket. Not quite reassured, she added a warning: “Don’t tear it… I can’t read, so later we’ll ask Doctor Cao to read it for you.”

The thin rice paper felt light as a feather in Xu Wanchun’s hand. She immediately understood why her adoptive mother had given such a reminder—it was so fragile.

What’s more, the writing on it was done in brush calligraphy, and in vertical columns…

The words were written in neat vertical rows.

Just a few short lines, yet the meaning of severing family ties was made perfectly clear. And when Xu Wanchun saw the red handprint at the bottom, her heart finally settled.

This kind of thing didn’t really have any legal effect, but in the countryside, it still carried weight.

In a couple of years, when the population census came around and she was officially registered into her adoptive mother’s household book, everything would be completely secure…

“This girl’s called Taohua?” Xu Wangshi wasn’t interested in the severance letter anyway—she couldn’t read it.

After carefully putting the paper away, Xu Hehua replied, “Her nickname is Taohua. Her formal name is Xu Wanchun. Doctor Cao gave it to her.”

Always fussing over names, Xu Wangshi smacked her lips twice, deciding she still liked “Taohua” better. “What I just said isn’t finished yet. Your father thinks Taohua should be given to your eldest brother to raise. One little girl doesn’t eat much, and in a few years she can become Tiezhu’s wife…”

Although Tiezhu wasn’t the eldest grandson, he was sturdy and clearly good at farm work. Marrying him to Taohua wouldn’t be considered a loss for her.

Xu Wanchun was utterly shocked… Wasn’t this just child-bride nonsense?!

“Impossible!” Before her mother could finish, Xu Hehua cut her off coldly. Her eldest sister-in-law was as stingy as a needle tip and obsessed with favoring boys over girls.

If Taohua were really sent to be her daughter-in-law, it would be like leaving a wolf’s den only to fall into a jackal’s lair!

She would never forget—when Li Shanhai had insisted on divorcing her, the very first thing that “good” sister-in-law said was that a divorced woman’s reputation was tainted, and she wasn’t allowed to come back to her parents’ house.

Even though Xu Hehua hadn’t planned to return, those words had cut her deeply.

So—there was no way Taohua would be given to her sister-in-law to raise!

Seeing her mother still wanting to persuade her, Xu Hehua simply drove her out: “Mother, stop. I will never give Taohua away. She’s my own daughter. You and Father should stop with these nonsense ideas. Don’t ever bring this up again!”

As she spoke, she banged around the cupboard, pulled out a few white steamed buns, and wrapped them neatly in a clean cloth: “…Didn’t you say you needed to make food for Father? You’d better head back.”

Xu Wangshi took the buns and placed them in her basket, looking back every few steps as she left: “That temper of yours… fine, fine, I won’t say more. Oh, your father also said, don’t worry about your two mu of land. The day after tomorrow he’ll bring your brothers over to help. They can finish in a day.”

But Xu Hehua still refused: “No need. It’s only that little bit of land. I’ve got a donkey, I can plow it myself in two days. You and Father just make sure to come tomorrow for the warm house banquet.”

“You’re so stubborn! Those are your real brothers. What, you can’t make use of them? What, are you trying to cut ties with us too?”

“I never said I couldn’t make use of them. I just think I can handle it myself. Anyway, it’s getting late—Father must be hungry.”

“Fine then, I’ll go back.” Since her husband was the most important, Xu Wangshi really didn’t dawdle any longer.

“……”

After sending off her meddling mother, Xu Hehua stroked the little girl at her side in comfort: “Don’t listen to your grandma or grandpa. Mother already said, since I’m raising you, I won’t…”

“…change.”

Xu Wanchun wasn’t afraid of that. She could tell her adoptive mother truly liked her, and the adoption was sincere. What worried her more was that her adoptive mother might be hurt by the old lady’s attitude, so she quickly steered the conversation elsewhere…

---

After lunch.

Xu Hehua didn’t rush to rest. Instead, she took out the pile of clothes their neighbor had sent over.

It had gotten dark early the previous evening, so she hadn’t had time to sort through them. Now she picked out the pieces that fit her daughter better at the moment and put the rest away:

“Your Aunt Su’s family are respectable people. These clothes aren’t just pretty, they’re practically new. Probably haven’t been worn more than once or twice. The fabric’s fine stuff too—all soft cotton!”

Xu Wanchun had also been surprised when she wore one that morning—especially since there was even a pair of overalls in there!

They were… honestly pretty fashionable!

“You’re a girl. Later on I’ll buy a piece of floral cloth and sew you a dress.”

Growing up, with so many children in the Xu family and such poor conditions, Hehua had been the third-born. She’d never had a new piece of clothing, let alone a dress. Now that she had a daughter, she couldn’t let her go without a little dress of her own.

Xu Wanchun also liked dresses, but she was practical—and poor: “No need. Pants are fine.”

Unable to sit still, Hehua tidied away the clothes, then sat down at the loom to get back to work. Seeing her daughter was only being frugal, she chuckled: “You’re so tiny. A little more than a foot of fabric is enough for a dress. Hardly costs anything.”

Xu Wanchun didn’t know much about making clothes, but looking at her own small frame, it was true she wouldn’t use up much material. So she didn’t refuse again, instead suggesting: “Shouldn’t you rest a bit? Don’t you still have work in the fields this afternoon?”

“I’ll rest tonight. This bolt of cloth has already been ordered, I need to hurry it along.”

“Is it worth much?”

“Your mother’s good with her hands. Ten meters of cloth from me can fetch five yuan. Some people only get three yuan for the same.”

Considering the cost of living in this era, that wasn’t bad. “How long does it take to weave one bolt?”

“Hard to say. If I work five or six hours a day, about fifteen to twenty days.”

That long? Xu Wanchun was astonished, but she also wanted to share the workload: “Can I learn?”

Hehua couldn’t help laughing: “When you’re a little older. With those tiny arms and legs of yours, you couldn’t manage it.”

“How old would I have to be?”

“At least ten.” Lots of children in the village started weaving at eight, but her own daughter’s body wasn’t strong, and Hehua wasn’t so destitute that she’d force her girl to suffer like that.

Well then, another way of making money was cut off. Xu Wanchun decided she’d have to stick to studying herbs. So she changed the topic: “Doesn’t Doctor Cao’s family farm?”

“They don’t need to. Doctor Cao’s family always buys their grain in the village.”

Resting her cheeks in her palms, Xu Wanchun looked full of envy: “Then they must live a pretty carefree life.”

“Exactly. Both husband and wife are highly educated. People like us can’t compare.” As she said that, Xu…

Hehua turned her head to look at her daughter:
“Once September comes, and your health is better, I’ll send you to school.”

From the fact that her adoptive mother didn’t care about conventions and had had the courage to divorce back in the 1950s, Xu Wanchun already knew that Madam Xu Hehua had a strong and open-minded heart.
But she had never expected that Hehua would take the initiative to suggest letting her study.

At that moment, Xu Wanchun was truly surprised and touched. It took her a while to find her voice:
“…I can go to school?”

Hearing that, Xu Hehua’s hands stilled for a moment. In her mind, the scene of her divorce surfaced.

As for Li Shanhai, she had never really felt any reluctance. Even if she had once been fond of him in her youth, fifteen years of separation had long worn that away.

So, she didn’t resent being divorced.

What she disliked was Li Shanhai’s arrogant face and the way he looked down on her. What nonsense was that about “a cultured man should marry a cultured woman”? If you’re unfaithful, just admit it—why make up so many excuses?

Yet, she couldn’t deny that deep down, she truly envied educated people.

She herself had never had the chance to learn to read when she was young. But her daughter must not end up an illiterate like her. So she nodded firmly:
“Yes, you can go. In September we’ll make it happen. You study hard and make sure you learn every character.”

That expectation… Xu Wanchun didn’t know whether to laugh or cry:
“Of course I’ll study hard. By the way, where is the school?”

“It’s right here in our hamlet. I’ll take you to see it later.” Mentioning this, Hehua, still working away at her loom, grew a little proud:
“Our Xu Hamlet is the largest in the village. Two months ago the higher-ups decreed that every village must have a primary school. They chose our Xu Hamlet. If people from other hamlets want literacy classes, they’ll have to come here.”

Xu Wanchun had already been prepared to climb mountains every day just to get to school. She never thought things would turn out better than expected:
“That’s really convenient.”

“Of course. Speaking of other hamlets—once the spring seedlings are in the ground and things settle down, I’ll take you back to the Li Hamlet to pay respects to your parents.”

Her original body’s parents had supposedly died five years ago, when they were visiting relatives in the neighboring town. They had the misfortune to be caught in a skirmish between a small squad of Japanese soldiers and bandits, and were killed on the spot.

They had only one daughter, Li Dani. Naturally, she was taken in and raised by her uncle and aunt.

But she was treated like a beast of burden for three years. After her death, Xu Wanchun transmigrated into this body.

She hadn’t expected her adoptive mother to bring up the matter of worshipping her biological parents on her own. That really showed her kindness and sense of honor. So, after a moment of surprise, she quickly nodded:
“Okay.” Then, in her soft childish voice, she crisply added: “Thank you, Mom!”

Hehua had already been smiling, but now she broke into laughter. Reaching out, she tapped her daughter’s forehead playfully:
“Well, well—little clever ghost. Already admitting I’m your mom, are you?”

“It was bound to happen sooner or later. And didn’t you say I’m your real daughter?” Always being awkward about it—what was the point? Weighing the pros and cons, plus genuine sincerity, Xu Wanchun suddenly realized that calling her “Mom” wasn’t so hard to say after all.

Hehua laughed again, clearly delighted:
“Yes, yes, our little Peach Blossom says—”

“That’s right. Aren’t you my very own daughter?”

“……”

=

Afternoon.

Her adoptive mother rode the donkey to the fields to plow, while Xu Wanchun took a nap.

When she woke up and wandered around the house, she found there really wasn’t a single chore she could do. So she strolled over and squatted down at the courtyard gate.

On the surface, it looked like she was playing with mud and counting ants.
But in truth—she was “waiting by the tree stump for Su Nan to appear.”

Earlier, while her adoptive mother was gossiping about the hamlet, she had mentioned that although Auntie Su didn’t farm, she loved planting flowers and growing vegetables.

And indeed, the entrance to Auntie Su’s courtyard was full of plants.

Xu Wanchun decided to try her luck.

If Auntie Su happened to come out, and she just so happened to be playing in the mud at the gate, that would be the perfect chance to go over, make herself familiar, and strike up an acquaintance. Once they were more familiar, it’d be much easier to express her interest in learning about medicinal herbs.

Sure, it was a bit shameless. But for the sake of her health—and to keep her adoptive mother from working so hard—she was willing to risk it.

Just as Xu Wanchun was going over in her head how, when she met Auntie Su, she must look busy, act diligent, speak sweetly, and behave obediently… lo and behold, a true beauty carrying a basket really did walk out of the house next door.

Her luck was off the charts! Xu Wanchun immediately perked up:
“Hello, Auntie.”

Her little voice was so sugary it practically sparkled—she couldn’t help but give a little shiver.

Su Nan, however, found the child’s milky-sweet voice utterly delightful. She smiled at once and asked:
“Wanchun, why are you squatting at the gate?”

Xu Wanchun replied, “Nothing to do. I’m waiting here for my mom to come home.”

Su Nan chuckled in surprise: “Oh my, our Wanchun is so well-behaved. Then… would you like to come with Auntie to pick some vegetables?”

She didn’t even need to invent an excuse—what kind of fairy was this?
Overwhelmed with gratitude, Xu Wanchun didn’t waste a single second. She set her matchstick-thin little legs into motion and went pat-pat-pat, running straight toward her shining treasure—oh no, correction!—straight toward the beautiful woman.