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Old Chen sighed, “Zhenhe, living here with you is truly comforting. Despite having many people in our family, everyone’s hearts are united, and there are no messy affairs. If we continue living like this, I’m afraid I won’t be able to leave this home. This is what a true home feels like.”
Wang Zhenhe chuckled and replied, “Uncle, if you can’t leave, then don’t go. With us here, you don’t need to worry about anything. You can live here with peace of mind, and you’ll have us even when you’re old.”
The family spent a heartwarming time together before continuing to teach the children. Zuo Hao and Zuo Yu arrived a bit late, but Old Cui helped them catch up on their studies.
While the Wang family enjoyed peaceful days, the atmosphere outside grew increasingly tense. The marriage proposal that Zhu Qiyu had mentioned never materialized, leaving the old man sighing in disappointment, feeling deceived once again.
The production team had resumed work, and Zhang Lan and Wang Zhenhe had to go to the mountains every day to spread manure. Meanwhile, when Wang Qian and Hao Lianchun had free time at home, they went out to collect scrap metal to sell. After noticing that the ground in the space had dried up, Wang Qian and the elderly lady went to the reservoir to fetch water after selling the scrap metal.
The frozen ice had begun to thaw, and with no fish caught for a long time, Wang Qian felt an itch to have some. She quickly caught some fish and stored them in the space while fetching water.
From a distance, she saw several people approaching her grandmother’s house. Unable to discern the situation from afar, she sensed a certain aggressiveness from the other party.
She couldn’t help but wonder what was happening and quietly approached the outside of the courtyard wall. Although the people inside were speaking in hushed tones, the anger in their voices was still audible despite their attempts to keep it down.
“Wang Zhenguo, you scoundrel! You better come clean about this. If you don’t give me an explanation, this matter won’t end today,” a woman’s voice angrily accused.
As Wang Qian pondered the words of the elderly lady, a sudden realization struck her. Could it be? Wang Zhenguo was being incredibly audacious. Premarital relations were a major taboo in this era, and he was taking a huge risk.
“Mom, it was willing on my part, not Zhenguo’s,” Ma Fenqing interjected, speaking up for Wang Zhenguo.
Although Wang Zhenguo’s voice couldn’t be heard from the courtyard, Zhu Qiyu’s voice rang out, “Calm down, Sister. If my son is responsible, we won’t evade it. Lower your voice; it’s not good if the neighbors hear.”
Zhu Qiyu, still composed, quickly cautioned the other party. The elderly lady from the Ma family spoke fiercely, “I’m not afraid. Your scoundrel of a son took advantage of our good girl. If you don’t give us a clear explanation, I’ll report this to the police. Your son could be charged with rape. You know better than I do how that would be handled. My daughter can live without getting married, but your son won’t be so lucky. It’s uncertain if he’ll even survive.”
Zhu Qiyu turned back angrily and scolded, “You scoundrel, apologize to your aunt immediately. What are you standing there for? You caused this mess. I’m embarrassed for you.”
However, Wang Qian couldn’t sense any reproach in the tone of the elderly lady’s voice. There was a hint of satisfaction, as if she knew Zhu Qiyu too well. Something about today’s events seemed more complex than it appeared.
In hindsight, the Wang family would have been eager to form this marriage alliance, and the proactive party was undoubtedly Wang Zhenguo. With the support of the elderly lady, the situation could develop in a way that involved Zhu Qiyu.
“Aunt, this is my fault. If you’re angry, direct your anger at me. Please don’t be upset. We are in love, and we can get married immediately if necessary,” Wang Zhenguo’s voice reached her ears. However, she couldn’t shake the feeling that this guy was being insincere. What did he mean by “in love”? He was afraid of taking responsibility. She couldn’t help but shed a sympathetic tear for Ma Fenqing. What a mistake it was to choose such a person.
The Ma family’s elderly lady was no pushover. She found Wang Zhenguo’s words distasteful and promptly delivered a resounding slap. “Kid, don’t try to talk your way out of this. I, Hong Shufen, am not uneducated. If you don’t give me a satisfactory explanation today, you’ll face the consequences.”
Wang Qian had a general understanding of the situation and decided to leave with the fish she had caught from the space. She couldn’t hear the voices from inside, but she knew what had happened. She continued to carry her fishing rod and headed home with the fish.
“Grandma Zuo, I caught some fish. Let’s make something delicious for Zuo Hao and the others for lunch today. Since they have a day off tomorrow, let’s consider it a reward for our hardwork,” she suggested.
Hao Lianchun happily took the fish from her and asked with concern, “Are you tired, Qianqian? Grandma will start cooking soon. Once your mom and the others return, we’ll have our meal.”
At this moment, Hao Lianchun’s role in the Wang family became evident. While Zhang Lan and the others were at work, the elderly lady helped with household chores, fed the poultry, cooked, and kept Wang Qian company.
“Grandma Zuo, I’m not tired. I’ll help you with the fire so we can cook faster,” H Wang Qian said. Hao Lianchun skillfully prepared the fish, while Wang Qian had already started the fire and helped prepare the potatoes and vermicelli. By the time the fish and ingredients were stewing in the pot, Zhang Lan and the others had finished work.
Wang Qian noticed that Wang Zhenhe was carrying a package on his back. “Dad, what are you carrying?” she asked, curious about what her father could have brought back at this time.
Wang Zhenhe smiled and said, “These are the bran and soybean meal distributed by the team. Let me give you a taste.”
He put down the bag and took out a small bag of bran, then handed it to her. It was the first time Wang Qian had tried this kind of food, but she found the bran quite tasty. It had a texture similar to peanuts but was harder, requiring slow chewing to soften it. It was delicious and could be eaten as a snack.
“Isn’t it delicious? This is specially distributed for you kids by the team, consider it a snack,” Wang Zhenhe said.
Zhang Lan took out the soybean meal and said, “Qianqian, I’ll use this to make tofu for you tomorrow.”
Wang Qian was surprised to learn that tofu could be made from soybean meal. “Mom, how can tofu be made from soybean meal? Isn’t tofu made from soy milk?” she asked.
Zhang Lan smiled and explained, “You’ll see. There are different types of soybean meal, and the cold-pressed variety can be used to make tofu. You’ll understand when I’m done.”
Wang Qian had never tasted this kind of tofu before, but having tofu at home was definitely a good thing. It was much more nutritious than pickles.
At noon, Mingyuan and the others returned with their school bags. The four boys walked together, and Wang Qian thought they looked very handsome. With her mother’s diligent care, Mingyuan didn’t look as dirty as the other kids in the village, who often had runny noses and dirt all over them.
Mingyuan and Zuo Hao looked like they had grown up in a clean and tidy environment.
“Mom, we’re back. We don’t have classes this afternoon because the teachers are all in a meeting,” Mingyuan said.
The news brought by Mingyuan made Wang Qian realize that the teachers had probably gathered for a meeting.
As Zuo Yu and the others entered the house, they immediately smelled the delicious aroma in the air. The little ones asked Hao Lianchun with excitement, “Grandma, what’s cooking today? It smells so good. We could smell it as soon as we entered the yard.”
Seeing her grandsons return, Hao Lianchun unfastened their school bags and said, “We’re having fish for lunch. It was specially caught for you by your sister Qianqian.”
Upon hearing that the fish was caught specifically for them, Zuo Hao and the others excitedly thanked Wang Qian.
“Qianqian, you’re so kind. Next time you go fishing, take us with you. We can catch more fish for our family to eat,” they said.
Zuo Yu seemed confident in his fishing abilities, nodding his head vigorously. However, Zuo Hao, being older, expressed some concern, “Qianqian, isn’t that a collective resource? Can we go fishing there?”
Wang Qian had never considered this question, but Wang Zhenhe provided an answer, “It’s okay. Occasionally going fishing is fine. The fish there are not farmed collectively; they are wild. We don’t have specialized fishing tools, so even if someone wants to catch fish, it’s not guaranteed. Only Qianqian, have the skill. Others mostly catch small fish.”
After Wang Zhenhe’s explanation, everyone understood, and Wang Qian realized why no one had come to stop her from fishing at the reservoir.
During lunch, Zuo Hao and the others enjoyed the meal, finding the way the fish was prepared at the Wang household to be a new and delightful experience.
“Grandma, this fish is even tastier than what the canteen chef makes. No wonder my little brother has gained weight. It turns out he eats this regularly,” Zuo Yu said, finally understanding. Despite the Wang family’s poverty, their meals were never lacking. Sometimes, the food was even better than what they had in the army.
Zuo He, with a serious expression, said, “Brother, Uncle’s family is great. If you had come earlier, you might have gained weight too.”