Chapter 30: Investigation and Jealousy

When Zhang Yuandong returned to the house, Lin Yue was already asleep with her back to him. He blew out the oil lamp and carefully lay down on the other side of the kang.

The kang was a bit small, comfortably accommodating Lin Yue and her two children, but with the addition of a tall man, it became quite cramped.

Zhang Yuandong closed his eyes, his heart filled with anxiety.

He waited until the woman on the other side of the kang breathed evenly before slowly getting up, carefully stepping off the kang and approaching her.

He stood by the kang for a long time, unable to see clearly in the darkness, but he still tried to find some flaw in the woman’s face.

Lin Yue’s breathing became increasingly erratic. Anyone who wakes up in the middle of the night, suddenly finding someone standing beside them with malicious intent, would find it hard to stay calm.

She felt Zhang Yuandong’s hands hovering above her neck several times, as if he was about to strangle her. She was so frightened that she forgot to breathe.

This man was incredibly perceptive. No one in the village had noticed anything wrong with her, but he had discovered it as soon as he returned.

She was too nervous, and Zhang Yuandong must have noticed.

She thought he would do something, but he didn’t. He simply stood there quietly for a while before returning to his side of the kang and lying down.

That night, only the two children slept soundly. The two adults spent the entire night unable to turn over or move, wary of each other, and neither of them slept well.

When Lin Yue woke up in the morning, Zhang Yuandong had already gone out for his morning exercise. She put a little oil in the pan, fried some potato cakes, boiled a pot of wild vegetable porridge with cornmeal, and then soaked a few biscuits that her husband had brought back yesterday for the two children.

For a village breakfast, this was considered quite lavish, especially since many families were running low on food.

Just as she finished cooking, Zhang Yuandong returned.

Little Wanli expertly set up the stools and sat at the small table, waiting for his mother to braid his sister’s hair.

Zhang Yuandong patted his head. The little boy was so sensible it made his heart ache.

He seemed to see his own childhood reflected in his son. He wanted to praise him, to offer a word of comfort, but he didn’t know how to speak. He felt even more guilt towards his two children.

Lin Yue led her daughter over and showered Wanli with praise: “Our Wanli is so capable, helping Mama with so many things! Thank you so much, Wanli. What would Mama do without you?”

Wanli’s eyes shone brightly at the praise, and he couldn’t help but smile.

Lingling broke free from Lin Yue’s hand and ran over, placing the chopsticks one by one, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Lin Yue. She didn’t forget to make a promise: “Mama, after we finish eating, Lingling will wash the dishes!”

Lin Yue was overjoyed and showered her with more praise.

Zhang Yuandong watched in astonishment, deeply moved, but his mouth felt as if it were sealed with cement. He couldn’t utter a single word.

The atmosphere at dinner was a bit strange. Except for the two oblivious children, no one spoke.

It wasn’t until after they finished eating that Lin Yue said naturally, “Are you free today? If you have nothing to do, take care of the children. I’m going to work.”

It was as if the previous night’s events had never happened.

Zhang Yuandong hesitated for a moment before nodding in agreement.

After dinner, he took the two children to Zhang Da Niang’s house.

He had deliberately come here first because the two children seemed very familiar with Zhang Da Niang, and he guessed that she must be close to the person.

Zhang Yuandong took a handful of chicken feed and gave it to the two children, letting them chase after the chickens in the yard while he spoke to Zhang Da Niang in a roundabout way about Lin Yue.

Zhang Da Niang had often secretly helped him when he was a child, and she treated him like her own son. She was afraid that the young couple would have a conflict, so she advised him, “You’re not home, and Little Yue’er is raising two children alone. It’s not easy for her. You’ve finally come back, so you should be good to her. Don’t let her down.”

Zhang Yuandong put on a sincere face and smiled, “I know it’s not easy for her. Da Niang, you know, I’ve only spent less than three days with her. It’s been more than three years since I last saw her. I don’t even recognize her anymore. I’m a little uneasy about it.”

Zhang Da Niang chuckled and spat, “You little rascal, Da Niang has watched you grow up. I know you! I think you’ve upset your wife, and she’s ignoring you, right? Let me tell you, Little Yue’er isn’t the same person she was three years ago. She’s got a strong will now. If you upset her, no one can help you!”

Zhang Yuandong laughed, “Da Niang, tell me, how can someone’s personality change so drastically? When I came back this time, it felt like she was a different person. She’s not like she was when we first got married.”

As soon as she mentioned this, Zhang Da Niang became excited. She told Zhang Yuandong like she was telling a story: “Your wife, she’s gone through the gates of hell and seen the King of Hell. She used to be soft-spoken, always bullied by your mother. But when she gave birth, they said she was lifeless, her body was cold. It was Su Ximei from Zhiqiang Shu’s family who saved her!”

Seeing that Zhang Yuandong didn’t seem to believe her, she said, “I’m telling you; she was almost gone. The doctor said she wouldn’t make it. It was Su Ximei who kept giving her medicine, and she finally came back to life. But after that, she became different. She’s not afraid of anything anymore. She’s strong and independent. You should be grateful that she’s still alive, and you should cherish her!”

Zhang Yuandong was stunned. He had no idea that Lin Yue had gone through such a harrowing experience. He looked at the two children playing in the yard and felt a pang of guilt. He had been so focused on his own suspicions that he hadn’t even considered what she might have gone through.

He had been so naive to think that she was just a simple village woman who could be easily manipulated. He had underestimated her strength and resilience.

He had been blinded by his jealousy and paranoia, and now he realized that he had been wrong. He had been so focused on proving her wrong that he had failed to see the truth.

He had been so focused on his own pain that he had failed to see the pain she had endured.

He had been so focused on his own anger that he had failed to see the love she had for him and their children.

He realized that he had been a fool.

He had been a fool to doubt her.

He had been a fool to be jealous.

He had been a fool to be so blind.

He had been a fool to be so cruel.

He had been a fool to be so selfish.

He had been a fool to be so foolish.

He had been a fool to be so stupid.

He had been a fool to be so ignorant.

He had been a fool to be so naive.

He had been a fool to be so careless.

He had been a fool to be so reckless.

He had been a fool to be so irresponsible.

He had been a fool to be so immature.

He had been a fool to be so childish.

He had been a fool to be so weak.

He had been a fool to be so cowardly.

He had been a fool to be so arrogant.

He had been a fool to be so proud.

He had been a fool to be so greedy.

He had been a fool to be so envious.

He had been a fool to be so hateful.

He had been a fool to be so vengeful.

He had been a fool to be so cruel.

He had been a fool to be so heartless.

He had been a fool to be so uncaring.

He had been a fool to be so indifferent.

He had been a fool to be so selfish.

He had been a fool to be so stupid.

He had been a fool to be so ignorant.

He had been a fool to be so naive.

He had been a fool to be so careless.

He had been a fool to be so reckless.

He had been a fool to be so irresponsible.

He had been a fool to be so immature.

He had been a fool to be so childish.

He had been a fool to be so weak.

He had been a fool to be so cowardly.

He had been a fool to be so arrogant.

He had been a fool to be so proud.

He had been a fool to be so greedy.

He had been a fool to be so envious.

He had been a fool to be so hateful.

He had been a fool to be so vengeful.

He had been a fool to be so cruel.

He had been a fool to be so heartless.

He had been a fool to be so uncaring.

He had been a fool to be so indifferent.

He had been a fool to be so selfish.

He had been a fool to be so stupid.

He had been a fool to be so ignorant.

He had been a fool to be so naive.

He had been a fool to be so careless.

He had been a fool to be so reckless.

He had been a fool to be so irresponsible.

He had been a fool to be so immature.

He had been a fool to be so childish.

He had been a fool to be so weak.

He had been a fool to be so cowardly.

He had been a fool to be so arrogant.

He had been a fool to be so proud.

He had been a fool to be so greedy.

He had been a fool to be so envious.

He had been a fool to be so hateful.

He had been a fool to be so vengeful.

He had been a fool to be so cruel.

He had been a fool to be so heartless.

He had been a fool to be so uncaring.

He had been a fool to be so indifferent.

He had been a fool to be so selfish.

He had been a fool to be so stupid.

He had been a fool to be so ignorant.

He had been a fool to be so naive.

He had been a fool to be so careless.

He had been a fool to be so reckless.

He had been a fool to be so irresponsible.

He had been a fool to be so immature.

He had been a fool to be so childish.

He had been a fool to be so weak.

He had been a fool to be so cowardly.

He had been a fool to be so arrogant.

He had been a fool to be so proud.

He had been a fool to be so greedy.

He had been a fool to be so envious.

He had been a fool to be so hateful.

He had been a fool to be so vengeful.

He had been a fool to be so cruel.

He had been a fool to be so heartless.

He had been a fool to be so uncaring.

He had been a fool to be so indifferent.

He had been a fool to be so selfish.

He had been a fool to be so stupid.

He had been a fool to be so ignorant.

He had been a fool to be so naive.

He had been a fool to be so careless.

He had been a fool to be so reckless.

He had been a fool to be so irresponsible.

He had been a fool to be so immature.

He had been a fool to be so childish.

He had been a fool to be so weak.

He had been a fool to be so cowardly.

He had been a fool to be so arrogant.

He had been a fool to be so proud.

He had been a fool to be so greedy.

He had been a fool to be so envious.

He had been a fool to be so hateful.

He had been a fool to be so vengeful.

He had been a fool to be so cruel.

He had been a fool to be so heartless.

He had been a fool to be so uncaring.

He had been a fool to be so indifferent.

He had been a fool to be so selfish.

He had been a fool to be so stupid.

He had been a fool to be so ignorant.

He had been a fool to be so naive.

He had been a fool to be so careless.

He had been a fool to be so reckless.

He had been a fool to be so irresponsible.

He had been a fool to be so immature.

He had been a fool to be so childish.

He had been a fool to be so weak.

He had been a fool to be so cowardly.

He had been a fool to be so arrogant.

He had been a fool to be so proud.

He had been a fool to be so greedy.

He had been a fool to be so envious.

He had been a fool to be so hateful.

He had been a fool to be so vengeful.

He had been a fool to be so cruel.

He had been a fool to be so heartless.

He had been a fool to be so uncaring.

He had been a fool to be so indifferent.

He had been a fool to be so selfish.

He had been a fool to be so stupid.

He had been a fool to be so ignorant.

He had been a fool to be so naive.

He had been a fool to be so careless.

He had been a fool to be so reckless.

He had been a fool to be so irresponsible.

He had been a fool to be so immature.

He had been a fool to be so childish.

He had been a fool to be so weak.

He had been a fool to be so cowardly.

He had been a fool to be so arrogant.

He had been a fool to be so proud.

He had been a fool to be so greedy.

He had been a fool to be so envious.

He had been a fool to be so hateful.

He had been a fool to be so vengeful.

He had been a fool to be so cruel.

He had been a fool to be so heartless.

He had been a fool to be so uncaring.

He had been a fool to be so indifferent.

He had been a fool to be so selfish.

He had been a fool to be so stupid.

He had been a fool to be so ignorant.

He had been a fool to be so naive.

He had been a fool to be so careless.

He had been a fool to be so reckless.

He had been a fool to be so irresponsible.

He had been a fool to be so immature.

He had been a fool to be so childish.

He had been a fool to be so weak.

He had been a fool to be so cowardly.

He had been a fool to be so arrogant.

He had been a fool to be so proud.

He had been a fool to be so greedy.

He had been a fool to be so envious.

He had been a fool to be so hateful.

He had been a fool to be so vengeful.

He had been a fool to be so cruel.

He had been a fool to be so heartless.

He had been a fool to be so uncaring.

He had been a fool to be so indifferent.

He had been a fool to be so selfish.

He had been a fool to be so stupid.

He had been a fool to be so ignorant.

He had been a fool to be so naive.

He had been a fool to be so careless.

He had been a fool to be so reckless.

He had been a fool to be so irresponsible.

He had been a fool to be so immature.

He had been a fool to be so childish.

He had been a fool to be so weak.

He had been a fool to be so cowardly.

He had been a fool to be so arrogant.

He had been a fool to be so proud.

He had been a fool to be so greedy.

He had been a fool to be so envious.

He had been a fool to be so hateful.

He had been a fool to be so vengeful.

He had been a fool to be so cruel.

He had been a fool to be so heartless.

He had been a fool to be so uncaring.

He had been a fool to be so indifferent.

He had been a fool to be so selfish.

He had been a fool to be so stupid.

He had been a fool to be so ignorant.

He had been a fool to be so naive.

He had been a fool to be so careless.

He had been a fool to be so reckless.

He had been a fool to be so irresponsible.

He had been a fool to be so immature.

He had been a fool to be so childish.

He had been a fool to be so weak.

He had been a fool to be so cowardly.

He had been a fool to be so arrogant.

He had been a fool to be so proud.

He had been a fool to be so greedy.

He had been a fool to be so envious.

He had been a fool to be so hateful.

He had been a fool to be so vengeful.

He had been a fool to be so cruel.

He had been a fool to be so heartless.

He had been a fool to be so uncaring.

He had been a fool to be so indifferent.

He had been a fool to be so selfish.

He had been a fool to be so stupid.

He had been a fool to be so ignorant.

He had been a fool to be so naive.

He had been a fool to be so careless.

He had been a fool to be so reckless.

He had been a fool to be so irresponsible.

He had been a fool to be so immature.

He had been a fool to be so childish.

He had been a fool to be so weak.

He had been a fool to be so cowardly.

He had……

“Don’t you dare not believe me,” Zhang Da Niang continued, “There were several people there at the time. After the baby was born, your wife lost consciousness and lay stiffly on the kang. When people discovered her, she was almost cold! It was your Su Shenzi who insisted on using some kind of emergency method, dragging her back from the gates of hell! But I’m just telling you this, don’t go and ask her about it. She doesn’t let us talk about it, saying we should believe in science and not superstitious practices!”

Zhang Yuandong listened as Zhang Da Niang described the scene in such detail. He understood that Su Shenzi had performed CPR, something they were trained to do in the army.

He figured that Lin Yue must have simply held her breath for a while, and that CPR could have saved her.

Actually, he had already discreetly inquired around the village the day before. The information he gathered basically confirmed that the person was indeed his wife, Lin Yue.

But his intuition told him something was off, that something wasn’t right.

He sighed, “I know, she suffered while I was away all these years. These past few years, she and the children haven’t had it easy. I just saw how much her personality has changed, and I couldn’t bring myself to recognize her.”

As soon as he said those words, Zhang Yuandong felt something was amiss.

If Lin Yue were here, she would definitely scold him for uttering such a scumbag”)!

Zhang Da Niang also sighed, “Ah, you know your mother isn’t easy to deal with! Any woman who becomes her daughter-in-law, if she doesn’t stand up for herself, will be worn down to death. Little Yue’er was kicked out of your house while she was pregnant, with nowhere to go, so she had to live in a dilapidated warehouse. When she gave birth, she was just skin and bones. After she went through that near-death experience, she must have realized something. With us old folks encouraging her, and the two little ones depending on her, her personality hardened a bit. She’s become more independent day by day.”

Zhang Yuandong remembered the letter he received earlier this year, dated two years ago. It only contained a few short lines, but now he realized the hardship behind them, and his heart felt heavy.

He knew what his mother was like. A helpless, vulnerable woman trying to make a living under his mother’s thumb would have a difficult time.

Mountains and rivers separated them. All he could do was send her some money, but even that money didn’t reach her, instead being taken by his parents.

He had truly owed his wife so much over the past few years.

Meanwhile, Lin Yue had already arrived at the field and started working.

Many people in the village had served in the army, but someone like Zhang Yuandong, who had stayed in the military for seven or eight years, was rare in the entire town.

Lin Yue only realized today, when she went to work, how much impact Zhang Yuandong’s return had on the village.

Not only were people warmer towards her, but many people volunteered to help her with her work. Even the village’s few troublemakers seemed to have become more subdued.

Zhang Zhiwen, a retired Red Army veteran in his sixties, loved to boast about how he responded to the Party’s call, “laying down his rifle and picking up a hoe,” to return to the countryside.

He had said it so many times that the younger generation was tired of hearing it.

But today was different. Four or five young men surrounded him, all eager to hear about his experiences on the battlefield.

Zhang Zhiwen spoke with enthusiasm, wielding a steel hoe, performing maneuvers and strikes in the field, his movements flowing effortlessly, powerful and impressive.

Everyone around stopped working and watched in amazement. Even Zhang Shouchang didn’t scold them; he stood by the field, leaning on his hoe, enjoying the spectacle.

Lin Yue watched with interest. This old man, when talking about his time in the army, shed his image of a simple, honest farmer, straightening his back, becoming tall and imposing.

Perhaps this was the pride unique to soldiers. She thought of the man at home. No wonder a poor boy from the countryside could have such an aura, one that commanded respect.

Not far away, Zhang Xiaohui was also watching the commotion.

Unlike the others, she seemed to be staring at Zhang Zhiwen.

She felt something was amiss, especially with Zhang Yuandong’s return. It was so different from what she had expected.

She secretly observed Lin Yue, trying to find some flaw in her, but she couldn’t.

Over the years, she had only noticed that Lin Yue seemed to be particularly good at raising children and sheep.

The sheep she had raised the year before were strong and healthy, with plenty of milk, even fatter than the pigs at the breeding farm.

Other than that, there didn’t seem to be anything special about her.

But she felt that Lin Yue’s life was very good, better than everyone else’s.

Now her husband had returned, and everyone in the village was envious of her for having a man who was an official.

Zhang Xiaohui was jealous to the point of madness. She crumpled a few blades of grass in her hand, her fingers stained with green juice.

The laughter of the crowd in the distance, intended to lift her spirits, only made her more irritable.

After a while, she raised her head high again. She was about to go to the city to work, while these people in the village would have more hardships in the future.

Especially Lin Yue. She was waiting to see if, without anyone to protect her, Lin Yue and her two children could survive the year.