Liu Hongmei was feeling guilty, her eyes darting nervously.

“I… I didn’t do anything. I was just thinking that since people know our family has food, it might be better to send it to my parents’ house. I’m only thinking of what’s best for our family…”

The more Song Xiangdang listened, the darker his expression became. His anger flared up and with a grim face, he grabbed Liu Hongmei and started dragging her toward the front door.

Caught off guard, Liu Hongmei stumbled and struggled as she was pulled along.

“Xiangdang, what are you doing?”

“Nothing, just sending you back to your parents’ house,” Song Xiangdang replied through gritted teeth.

What? In this heavy rain, why would he send her back to her parents’ house?

At first, Liu Hongmei didn’t understand, but then she saw her husband’s dark expression and realized what was happening.

Xiangdang was going to kick her out and send her back to her parents!

This couldn’t happen!

Liu Hongmei dropped to the ground, grabbing onto Song Xiangdang’s leg and burst into tears:

“No! I won’t go back! Not even if I die! Xiangdang, I’m sorry. Father, Mother, I know I was wrong. I was momentarily blinded by greed and I won’t dare do it again. Please forgive me this once.”

But Song Xiangdang had made up his mind. Ignoring her desperate cries, he dragged her out the door, threw a bundle of her belongings outside and slammed the door shut.

“Father, Mother, Xiangdang, I know I was wrong. I won’t go back. Please, let me stay. You can’t be this heartless! I gave birth to a grandson for the Song family! Open the door and let me in!”

Liu Hongmei, with her hair disheveled, wailed and screamed outside the Song family’s gate, hoping to wake the neighbors and have them come to her aid. But just then, a loud clap of thunder struck directly above her, nearly hitting her.

Terrified, Liu Hongmei ran off with her bundle, not daring to look back.

With the courtyard now quiet, Chen Juhua turned to Song Xiangdang, who was squatting in the yard with his head in his hands, and said sharply:

“Alright, your troublemaker of a wife is gone. Now, stop sulking and go help move the grain from the back yard. You still have a son to think about. What, are you going to let your son go hungry?”

Despite everything, Song Xiangdang had been married to Liu Hongmei for several years and he was feeling down. But when he heard his mother’s words, he was jolted back to reality.

Yes! He still had his son, his parents and his entire family to take care of. He couldn’t let them go hungry.

The honest man found renewed energy and hurried to the backyard to help move the sacks of grain.

The Song family worked through the dark, rainy night, hauling sacks of grain from the back room to the cellar they had dug, ensuring everything was safely stored. Zhao Xiuying and Lin Yuehong, the daughters-in-law, swept the house thoroughly and checked with a kerosene lamp to make sure not a single grain was left behind.

Only then did the Song family feel at ease.

Standing under the eaves of the house, the family watched the heavy rain pour down, accompanied by the rumble of thunder. The small courtyard was shrouded in mist and the green shutters clattered loudly in the wind. Amid the lightning and thunder, the Song family’s front gate was suddenly pounded on forcefully.

“Open the door! Stop pretending you’re not home! Open up!”

“Yeah! Hand over the grain!”

“Or we’ll break down the door!”

“Damn it! The Song family doesn’t know what’s good for them. Break the door down!”

Amid the noisy rain, these shouted threats made the Song family’s faces turn pale.

“Grandma, they’re here,” Song Wanyue whispered, her small voice tinged with worry as she looked up at Chen Juhua.

“Don’t worry, dear. I’ve already sent your brother Wenzhe to take the back path to the coal factory to get your father and uncle. The Song family isn’t so easy to bully!” Chen Juhua said, gripping a large club in her hand, her eyes cold as she looked at the gate. She then turned to Song Xiangdang and instructed:

“Xiangdang! You’re the man of the Song family. Open the door and let those scoundrels in!”

“Yes, Mother.”

Song Xiangdang, holding a weapon in his hand, braved the rain and opened the gate.

Outside the gate, Grandma Qin, who was leading the group, saw the Song family’s gate open and straightened up proudly. Her old face was filled with arrogance. See? They said the Song family was tough to deal with but that was nonsense!

With a bit of door-banging, they opened right up. 

Grandma Qin strutted in, followed by a gang of thugs from the Dahe Mountain production team. These people were notorious for being lazy and worthless. In times of famine, even the hardworking villagers were struggling to eat, let alone this bunch of idlers.

Hearing Grandma Qin boast in the village that the Song family was hiding food and feasting on white bread and rice every day, these hungry and envious people lost all sense of decency. They didn’t care about anything but their jealousy and, egged on by Grandma Qin, rushed to the Song family to steal their food.

A kind-hearted family in the village tried to reason with them, asking how they could be so shameless as to steal someone else’s food and whether they weren’t afraid of being caught by the police.

One of the thugs shamelessly replied:

“Afraid of what? In times like these, when people are starving to death, who the hell cares about decency? The priority is to get food in our bellies to stay alive. Even if we end up in jail, that’s better than dying of hunger!”

And so, these thugs followed Grandma Qin through the rain and banged on the Song family’s gate.

Now, Grandma Qin was feeling smug. Haha, the Song family opened the door so obediently. In no time, she would have their grain in her hands.

As she thought about the grain she was about to take back to the Qin family, Grandma Qin’s old mouth stretched into a wide grin. She strutted into the Song family’s courtyard like a triumphant old monkey, yelling:

“Juhua, hurry up and hand over the grain your family is hiding! If you don’t, don’t blame me for being ruthless. Ouch, it hurts!”

Before Grandma Qin could finish her threat, a shadow suddenly emerged from the dark courtyard of the Song family. Someone wielding a large weapon grabbed her and gave her a thorough beating.

The beating left Grandma Qin crying and wailing like a fool.

“Ow! Who’s attacking me? You idiots standing behind me, what are you doing? Hurry up and save me!”

As Grandma Qin was beaten to the ground, the thugs behind her reluctantly approached with their kerosene lamps. But when they saw the scene in the courtyard, they froze. There, standing in the courtyard were the entire Song family, each holding a weapon and glaring fiercely.

The person beating Grandma Qin into submission was none other than the tough little old lady of the Song family, Chen Juhua.

Damn, Chen Juhua was a force to be reckoned with. The Song family had three sons and five grandsons. Song Xiangdong, the eldest son was resourceful and well-connected. Moreover, the Song family had many relatives in the village. If they really robbed the Song family of their grain, would the Song family let them get away with it?

The thugs, who were nothing but bullies were suddenly too scared to move.

“Help! You cowardly fools! Why did I even bring you here!” Grandma Qin screamed in frustration but it only earned her another round of beatings from Chen Juhua.

The tough old lady gave her such a thorough thrashing that Grandma Qin who had been so arrogant moments ago, was now completely subdued.

By the time Song Xiangdong and his brother Song Xiangguo arrived with other villagers in tow, they were met with a shocking sight.

What… What was going on?

Grandma Qin, her face bruised and swollen looked utterly defeated. The thugs who had come with her were huddled together, trembling like a bunch of scared chickens.

Damn, it wasn’t that they were cowards but this old lady from the Song family was a real tigress.

“Mother, are you alright?” Song Xiangdong asked with concern.

“I’m fine! It’s these idiots who are in trouble!” Chen Juhua replied, her face still full of fight.

Seeing the sorry state of the thugs, Song Xiangdong paused and then turned to his wife and daughter.

“Xiuying, are you okay? How’s Wanyue? Is she hurt?”

Looking at his wife holding their daughter, his face softened with affection.

“We’re fine, Xiangdong,” Zhao Xiuying said smiling as she gently stroked her daughter’s face.

Song Xiangdong nodded, then looked tenderly at Song Wanyue:

“Sweetheart, I’m sorry I was late. Were you scared?”

Song Wanyue shook her head, her voice soft and sweet as she replied:

“As long as I have Grandma and Daddy, I’m not afraid.”

Seeing the trust in his daughter’s eyes, Song Xiangdong’s heart melted. But when he noticed her pale face, a cold determination settled over him.

“Mother, was it this group that came to our house causing trouble?”

Song Xiangdong had always treated his daughter like a treasure, raising her with the utmost care. He had never even spoken harshly to her. But seeing how frightened she was by this group of thugs, his anger ignited and he turned his cold gaze on the villagers.

“So, it was you lot who came to our house to cause trouble?” Song Xiangdong’s presence was imposing and his voice carried an air of authority that made the thugs shiver.

These thugs were used to picking on the weak but now faced with Song Xiangdong’s fierce gaze, they regretted their actions deeply.

“No, no, Song Director, it wasn’t our fault. It was all Grandma Qin’s idea!”

“Yeah, we didn’t want to come. It was Grandma Qin who told us that the Song family had grain and that we should come together to take it… not steal it.”

“That’s right, Grandma Qin is the one with the black heart. Song Director, if you want to punish someone, punish her. It has nothing to do with us.”

The thugs, desperate to save their own skins, quickly pushed all the blame onto Grandma Qin.

Standing nearby, Grandma Qin, now trembling like a quail, cursed inwardly:

Damn you all! Don’t your consciences hurt?!!

—