Chapter 7

“Hey, I heard that the newly married wife of Lu’s family is very powerful. . Even Mrs Lu couldn’t fight against her. The next day she got married, she had a fight at home. Mrs Lu could only cry in bed at home and she said that she shouldn’t have brought home that b*tch”

The news in rural areas was blocked, and some elderly people were not literate. If you can write your name clearly, then you will be considered literate.

No studying, no newspapers, no TV for entertainment or any pastime. They don’t even have the black box for tape recorders. Except for the occasional village cadre reading one or two documents issued by the top on the village’s loudspeaker, the farmers won’t have any way to gain knowledge or talk about ideological progress. They can only pass the time by listening to their parents’ brief gossip.

Originally, there was no market for this kind of mother-in-law gossip in Dayu Village. Which village does not have some in-laws and daughters-in-law with trivial disagreements? Could they still go from house to house to talk about this trivial matter?

But Xiaoling Village’s Lu family was different. Lu family’s only son was married to the youngest daughter of the Dong Changgui family in Dayu Village. A few months ago, she was driven back by the Lu family, and the Dong family’s daughter also sought death. Now, the Lu family has taken a new wife, the new wife and her mother-in-law had a disagreement, this familiar gossip in Dayu Village was still very marketable.

“She deserves it. This old lady kept bullying the weak and is afraid of strong people. The new wife was not like Jiahui. Now the old lady has found her match. “

The Dong family’s daughter came from their Dayu Village. A good daughter was bullied by people in Xiaoling village. It’s time to be consistent with outsiders at this time. Otherwise, other villages will bully their daughters who will go out of Dayu village in the future!

Since then, the daughters from Dayu village must get a marriage certificate when they get married. They were afraid that they might encounter shameless and unreasonable people like the Lu family.

“The wicked have their own wicked grinding^[1]TN: “The wicked have their own wicked grinding” – A vicious person will naturally have a more vicious person to make him suffer.. People who don’t belong together, don’t get to live together. Is it surprising when a problem arises? “

“This Lu family’s heart was not right. We, ordinary people, don’t have the idea of divorce. As long as we get married, we have to keep it for a lifetime regardless of whether the mother-in-law is good or bad. It’s just that she hasn’t had children yet. It’s only three years, not ten or twenty years.

we have the people which divorce repudiation of this statement, as long as the marriage, regardless of whether the mother-in-law is good or bad, is kept for a lifetime, not just because they have not given birth to children. This is only three years, not ten or twenty years. The wife of the head of the Zhang family has been married for several years. We thought that they couldn’t have a baby. What’s the result? The wife of the head of the Zhang family became pregnant the next year. “

“It’s true. Old people say that it depends on luck to have children. Without luck, they can’t have children. The Zhang family just adopted a little girl who others don’t want. Only after accumulating virtue and doing good deeds can they be happy. “

When Chen Guixiang returned from the temple after burning incense, she heard a group of people gathered at the head of the village. She didn’t know what they were talking about, so she came closer to listen. It turned out that they were bad-mouthing the Lu family. Her face immediately became terrible. After listening to two words about the miserable situation of Mrs Lu, she hummed coldly and went home.

Who knew that, when she entered the house, several wives from their family were also muttering about this.

After listening to the second family, she told the other two sisters-in-law about Jiahui.

“Have you noticed that Jiahui is now better looking? She was yellow and thin when she first came back, but now her face is whiter and her face has flesh.”

“No, she had a hard time in the Lu family, I heard that her mother-in-law did not go to the land. There were only three people in the Lu family. All the work of the family fell on Jiahui alone. She’s not willing to give her good food. Then she became tan and thin after a long time.”

“So it’s good for Jiahui to go back to her mother’s house. You see, no one at home asks her to work in the field. She sews clothes and embroiders patterns in the house. She can eat well. She gained a few catty after a few months of raising. “

“Jiahui was pretty good-looking when she was a child. Look how neat her mother is, she must not be bad when she was young.”

“Indeed, the appearance of her three brothers was not bad, otherwise we would not look at them either.”

The three sisters-in-law laughed.

“You’re not ashamed to catch up with Grandma Wang to sell melons.”

“I’m telling the truth. When Aiguo went to the health clinic to buy medicine, I happened to go with her and I saw a young man with thick eyebrows, big eyes, and white teeth. He smiled and said nothing. I thought he was pretty good.”

“Then what? You went up to look for him?”

“No, I’m still reserved. I think the people in the health centre know him. When he left, he asked someone to find out about him. He said it was the third son of the Dong family in the first brigade of Dayu village. I didn’t have anyone. I went back and told my family quickly.”

Zhao Lijuan mentioned this story for the first time. She had just gotten married and had thin skin. She was shy, so she didn’t mention it. Today, her mother-in-law was not at home. Everyone chatted about home affairs and caught up with her.

“Hey, did you tell Aiguo about it??”

Zhao Lijuan pursed her lips and smiled, “I asked him after I became his partner. Guess what he said?”

Zhou Yindi and Liu Xiuyun both looked curious, “What did he say?”

“He said that he also noticed me at that time and saw a girl wearing a lotus root red gown with two braids, she was smiling very attractively, and always staring at him.”

The two sisters in law covered their mouths and smiled, and even Chen Guixiang under the window smiled.

---

After Zhao Donglin completed the formalities for discharge, he said goodbye to his leader who was so kind to him and his comrades who had been fighting with him for more than ten years.

Along the way, he took a train first. It took him15 hours to reach the provincial capital. After that, he rode three buses. It took him five hours to get from the provincial capital to the county seat.

There was no bus to the countryside in the county. Fortunately, he was lucky to catch a tractor to the neighbouring village. When he got off the tractor and walked to the entrance of the village, the whole journey had taken more than 20 hours.

The Shanghe village was still the same. The willows were still intact, the grass was fragrant, the ridges were crisscrossed, and the uncle at the entrance of the village was slowly driving a buffalo.

“Second Uncle!”

Zhao Donglin carried his luggage and warmly greeted his uncle.

“Oh, this is?”

The old man’s eyes were not very good, and he was already some years old. The production captain took care of him and gave him an easy job, herding cattle for the team.

“Grandpa, I am Dong Lin Ah. My nickname is Shuanzi.”

After replying, Zhao Donglin took a pack of cigarettes out of his pocket and gave one to the old man.

The old man suddenly realized and he took the cigarette with a smile and put it in his ear.

“Oh, Donglin! Aren’t you a soldier? Did you come back to visit relatives?”

The old man’s eyes and ears are not good and he doesn’t gossip with the village people, so he doesn’t know about Zhao Donglin’s divorce, and he can’t even remember when he got married.

“Yes, grandpa, you go on with your work, I’ll go first.”

“Oh, good, good, you’re busy.”

At this time, the villagers were working. In May, it is the busy season of farming. Except for the second uncle at the entrance of the village who doesn’t have good eyes and several small dolls who don’t have to go to school in the village, Zhao Donglin didn’t meet anyone else on his way.

The Zhao family’s house was in the center of the village, not the most forward nor the most backward. In front of their house was a long river. There are weeds along the river. There is also a special land for planting some vegetables.

He opened the wooden door outside his yard and around his waist. With a squeak, the quiet and familiar courtyard appeared in front of him again.

The yard was very quiet. There was no movement except the clucking of a few hens.

Zhao Donglin put down his luggage and surveyed his family’s yard. The conditions of their yard in the village are good, half of it was mud and half green brick, a row of triangles, and a short chicken pen and pigpen are built in the east of the courtyard wall.

The Zhao family has a sow. Raising pigs these days is an extra income in addition to work. Communes and brigades encourage members to raise pigs.

In the era of the planned economy, each production brigade has the task of raising pigs, and pigs are not allowed to be sold privately. Just like grain, they should be handed over to the state for unified regulation and distribution to ensure the living needs of urban residents.

The door creaked, Zhao Donglin turned his head to look over, only to see his mother, Zhang Qiaoer, carrying Yingbao into the door. She also carried a bamboo basket in her hand, the frame carrying fresh pig grass from the river.

However, he didn’t come home for more than a year. His mother looked more than several years old. he didn’t know if it was because she was carrying Yingbao, which is why her back was bent and she had lost her youthful agility.

“Mom.”

Zhao Donglin’s nose flushed with sourness. He called out to Zhang Qiaoer. At that moment, he was incomparably glad that he had chosen to retire from the military and return to the countryside. Not only he had children to take care of, but there were also aging parents who needed his care.

Zhang Qiao’er did not pay attention to other people in the courtyard. Hearing her eldest son’s voice, she thought she was hearing things, so when she looked up, she saw a tall, sturdy young man in a military uniform standing in the courtyard….but it was her eldest son Donglin?

“Donglin? Why are you back?”

Zhao Donglin did not answer immediately. He went over and put the bamboo basket on Zhang Qiaoer’s back, and took his daughter Yingbao into his arms.

Yingbao was only seven months old, and it was not a time where she could recognize people. She has a good temper. Usually, anyone can hug her. She doesn’t cry or make trouble. She was held in her arms by her father. She only stared at Zhao Donglin with her big grape eyes. Her white and tender face is stunned and cute, which softens Zhao Donglin’s heart.

He had never met Yingbao, and this was the first time in their lives that the father and daughter had met.

To be precise, Yingbao’s existence, the only role he played was to provide seed, the rest he was not involved, not only Yingbao, but it was also the same for Heidan.

When he thinks about it, Zhao Donglin feels that Wang Mei’s choice to leave was not unreasonable.

The husband from other families was at home every day. The husband and wife work together at sunrise and rest at sunset. When the wife is pregnant and giving birth, the husband will be with her and take care of her needs all the time. As for him, the time spent with her for several years after marriage was only more than two months. He is absent at many important moments. She has reasons for resentment and dissatisfaction.

“Donglin, why did you suddenly come back without saying in advance? How long have you been in the car? Are you hungry? I’ll give you something to eat first.”

Zhao Donglin held Yingbao’s small hand, smiled and said to Zhang Qiaoer, “Mom, you don’t need to, I ate dry food on the road.”

The steamed bread was pickled. His comrades in arms asked the cooking team to prepare it for him. The steamed bread of the army was big and powerful, one for two. Along the way, he ate twelve pieces of steamed bread. He really didn’t feel hungry.

With that, he kissed Yingbao’s little face and handed Yingbao to Zhang Qiaoer. He went to the pigsty with a bamboo basket to feed the pigs with feed.