Chapter 005

Just as Zhong Minfen was spitting venom in the kitchen, Shi Huaizhong rushed back carrying a shovel over his shoulder.

He tossed the shovel aside the moment he entered the courtyard, then ran to the kitchen door, panting. “What happened?”

He had been working in the production team when someone told him something had happened at home, so he rushed back immediately.

Zhong Minfen sat on a stool, hands braced on her thighs.

She looked up slightly at Shi Huaizhong and snapped, still fuming, “That shameless old bastard—your father—came back! I chased him off with a rolling pin. If he dares show his face again, I’ll break his legs!”

Shi Huaizhong saw that she was still catching her breath and quickly pieced things together.

After disappearing for over twenty years, the only reason he’d crawl back now was clearly because Huaiming had become a military officer.

It wasn’t about affection—he just wanted to use the fact that he was Huaiming’s father to get some benefits and be doted on.

Shi Huaizhong sat down on a nearby stool, lowered his head, and said quietly, “He left us and ran off to Zhaocheng when I was only nine. How does he still have the nerve to come back?”

Back then, the whole family relied solely on Zhong Minfen. And as soon as he was old enough, he started helping out too.

Zhong Minfen wasn’t quite as enraged as earlier, but she still snapped, “Absolutely shameless!”

Zhenzhen and Chen Qingmei, as daughters-in-law, didn’t think it was their place to chime in, so they stayed quiet.

Zhenzhen stayed behind her, rubbing her back to help her breathe more easily, while Chen Qingmei gently patted her shoulder.

Zhong Minfen’s temper came fast and left just as quickly.

After a couple of bowls of water and a good rant about Shi Dafu and his mistress, she seemed to have vented most of her anger.

She didn’t dwell on it further, and just brushed the whole thing off as if it had never happened.

That night, while lying in bed, Chen Qingmei turned to Shi Huaizhong and said, “I never imagined your family had gone through all that.”

Shi Huaizhong, worried she might take it to heart, explained, “It was so long ago—twenty-four, twenty-five years now. None of us at home wanted to talk about him, so we never brought it up. If it weren’t for Huaiming’s promotion, he’d never have shown up.”

Chen Qingmei wasn’t especially bothered, but she did ask, “You think he’ll really just give up like that?”

Shi Huaizhong replied, “There’s no way he’s coming back into this family. With the way Mom is, she’ll never allow it. When we really needed him, he never came. Not even once in more than twenty years—not a visit, not a dime. And now he wants to waltz back in and enjoy the good life? No way!”

He let out a breath. “Huaiming’s in the army and won’t be coming back. That old man won’t even be able to find him.”

Chen Qingmei turned her head toward Shi Huaizhong. “You can’t say that for sure.”

Shi Huaizhong: “Why do you say it might not be that simple?”

Chen Qingmei: “He’s got legs, doesn’t he? What’s stopping him from going straight to the military district to find him?”

Shi Huaizhong paused for a moment, then turned his head to look at Chen Qingmei.

Since being driven off by Zhong Minfen, Shi Dafu never returned to Baiyun Brigade.

That wretched old man didn’t manage to dampen the festive spirit of the household either.

On New Year’s Eve, the family got up early to clean the house inside and out, then put up Spring Festival couplets and window decorations.

Half the day was spent on the thorough cleaning, and the other half preparing the New Year’s Eve feast.

That evening, the dining table was loaded with delicious dishes: savory and rich braised pork with preserved vegetables, fragrant stir-fried pork with chili peppers, stir-fried rooster, braised lamb, and a sweet and savory braised fish garnished with coriander and scallions…

Just the aroma alone made everyone’s mouths water.

The meal was hearty and deeply satisfying.

After dinner, the whole family gathered around the fire basin, chatting and staying up to welcome the New Year.

The conversations were light and cheerful, full of funny and amusing stories.

Shi Danling and Shi Xingguo especially loved listening to stories, their eyes wide with wonder.

After New Year’s Eve came the first day of the new year—everything felt fresh and renewed.

During the first month of the lunar year, everyone took time off to relax, nibbling on sunflower seeds and snacks, visiting relatives, and enjoying friendly chats.

On the second day of the New Year, Zhenzhen returned to her parents’ home, as usual going alone.

But unlike previous years, now when she came back, her elder brother, sister-in-law, and second brother and his wife were all warmly welcoming and courteous to her.

She helped her two sisters-in-law cook in the kitchen.

While trimming celery, her eldest sister-in-law asked, “Did Huaiming say when he’ll be back?”

Zhenzhen shook her head. “He didn’t give a definite time.”

Everyone knew that life in the army wasn’t free or predictable, so they didn’t press further.

The second sister-in-law chimed in, “Then why don’t you go visit him? It’s been so many years. Spend a few days there with him. Who knows how long you’ll be waiting if you just sit at home?”

Zhenzhen shook her head again and said with a small smile, “I’m afraid I’d be disturbing him.”

Seeing Zhenzhen so passive, the two sisters-in-law kept trying to persuade her.

Zhenzhen just nodded as she listened but didn’t say much else.

After a while, the topic changed.

Her eldest sister-in-law asked, “I heard your father-in-law came back—is that true?”

Since the subject was brought up, Zhenzhen shared what happened when Shi Dafu came back.

Both sisters-in-law listened attentively.

The elder sister-in-law commented, “Your mother-in-law is really something else.”

The second sister-in-law criticized Shi Dafu: “Your father-in-law sure has some nerve, coming back after all these years.”

The eldest sister-in-law placed the cleaned celery into the washbasin and said, “Well, no matter what, he is Huaiming’s biological father. Of course, he can put aside his pride. Huaiming carries his blood. No matter how absent he’s been, how estranged they are, that fact doesn’t change.”

The second sister-in-law disagreed, “He abandoned his wife and kids over twenty years ago and ran off with another woman. He never once cared for his children. Now that his son’s successful, he suddenly shows up to reap the rewards? Why should anyone acknowledge him as a father?”

The eldest sister-in-law replied, “That’s not how it works. A biological father is still a biological father—no one can change that, regardless of whether you acknowledge him or not. Without Shi Dafu, there would be no Shi Huaiming, and certainly no Shi Huaiming who became a military officer. Don’t you think?”

The second sister-in-law scoffed, “Well, I wouldn’t recognize him if it were me!”

The eldest sister-in-law said, “You’re being unreasonable. Shi Dafu’s wife can refuse to recognize him as a husband, but Shi Huaiming must acknowledge him as his father. Giving life is a form of grace. That’s just the way of the world—everywhere you go.”

Second sister-in-law shot back, “Hey, who’s really being unreasonable here…”

Seeing the argument heating up, Zhenzhen quickly interjected, “Big Sis, Second Sis, my mother-in-law already drove him off. He’s afraid of her—he probably won’t dare come back again. Let’s not get worked up over it.”

Second sister-in-law stopped mid-sentence and didn’t pursue the issue.

The eldest sister-in-law also dropped the subject. After all, it had nothing to do with them personally—just idle chatter. Getting into a heated argument over it, especially during the New Year, was really unnecessary.

Then the second sister-in-law turned to Zhenzhen and asked, “Zhenzhen, Shi Huaiming is your husband. This is your family matter—aren’t you going to do something about it?”

Zhenzhen thought to herself that it might not be her family issue much longer. If they divorced, it wouldn’t concern her at all.

Even now, she wasn’t in charge of anything at home, and Shi Dafu wasn’t her father. So she answered, “My mother-in-law is the head of the household—she’ll take care of it. Besides, that man is Third Brother’s biological father. At the end of the day, it’s his issue. What he wants to do matters most. It’s not really my place to interfere…”

Hearing this, both sisters-in-law looked at each other, seeming to have had the same thought.

The eldest sister-in-law looked at Zhenzhen and gently said, “Zhenzhen, I get the feeling you don’t really see yourself and Shi Huaiming as one unit. You two are husband and wife—his issues are your issues too.”

Zhenzhen pressed her lips together and quietly replied, “He left just over two weeks after we got married. We’ve spent so little time together—I don’t really know what being husband and wife is supposed to feel like…”

Even during that brief time together, they hadn’t lived like most couples.

After hearing her say that, the two sisters-in-law exchanged a glance.

Then the eldest sister-in-law softened her tone further, “Well, Huaiming’s back now. You’ll have plenty of time to be together. Spend time with him, and you’ll understand.”

But could they really spend time together?

Zhenzhen didn’t dare to think about it too much. She was afraid of hoping too soon or expecting too much.

But now, as she allowed herself just a tiny bit of imagination, her heart began to long for it. She felt a quiet anticipation rising, mixed with nervousness and sweetness. Her heart thumped rapidly with excitement.

Still, after only a short moment, she forced herself to stop thinking about it.

The three sisters-in-law continued their idle chatter as they finished preparing the meal.

The New Year was a time of leisure, so after eating, Zhenzhen stayed a while longer at her parents’ home, chatting casually with her two sisters-in-law.

As the sun leaned westward, they wrapped up their conversation and stood up to go home.

Despite her repeated insistence that it wasn’t necessary, her elder brother, sister-in-law, second brother, and second sister-in-law still walked her all the way to the edge of the village.

Standing at the village entrance, they watched Zhenzhen walk off, her footsteps leaving shallow prints behind. Once she disappeared from view, they turned back toward the village.

With his hands behind his back, her eldest brother said, “If Zhenzhen can hold on to Shi Huaiming, she’ll have a lifetime of comfort ahead. And our whole family could benefit too—we’d finally have someone powerful to rely on.”

His wife added, “But Zhenzhen seems a little slow-witted. I taught her what to say, but who knows if she really understood.”

The second brother gave a quiet sigh. “The biggest problem is… they don’t have a child.”

The second sister-in-law echoed, “Exactly.”

…

Zhenzhen, for her part, didn’t worry that much.

No matter what, she believed she could live a peaceful and decent life on her own.

She didn’t have grand ambitions. As long as she could maintain her little world, that was enough.

She wrapped her scarf around half her face and made her way home. Her pace was steady, with the occasional light jog.

Along the long rural path, her small figure stretched forward.

By the time she reached home, the sun was just setting behind the treetops.

Entering the courtyard, Zhenzhen lowered her scarf, revealing her face. She noticed Shi Huaixia’s husband talking with Shi Huaizhong in the main room. She went over to greet them, then headed back to her room to put away the scarf.

But just as she lifted the cloth curtain over her door, she saw Shi Huaixia inside.

Shi Huaixia was sitting in front of Zhenzhen’s mirror, wearing the red sheer scarf around her neck.

She was clearly caught off guard by Zhenzhen’s return, but quickly recovered and said casually, “Oh, you’re back.”

Zhenzhen didn’t call her second sister, simply responded with a soft “Mm” and let the curtain drop as she stepped inside.

She removed her own scarf and hung it by the bed, then glanced back at Shi Huaixia.

Shi Huaixia was still admiring herself in the mirror and remarked, “Red really is a nice color.”

Especially with sheer fabric—it had a soft, luminous glow that made it far more beautiful than the coarse cotton they usually wore.

Wearing it around her neck, she instantly looked more radiant.

When Zhenzhen didn’t respond, Shi Huaixia turned around.

She looked directly at Zhenzhen and said bluntly, “Give me this scarf.”

Zhenzhen stared at her for a moment, still silent.

Then, without warning, she walked over, reached out, and removed the scarf from Shi Huaixia’s neck before she could react. Holding it in her hand, Zhenzhen said calmly, “Sorry, second sister, I can’t give this away.”

After a brief pause, she added, “You shouldn’t have gone through my things or worn something of mine without asking.”

“Hey! What do you mean, your things?” Shi Huaixia’s eyes widened in anger.

She stood up—taller than Zhenzhen—and loomed over her, using her height and tone to intimidate. “Did you buy this? My third brother did. It belongs to the Shi family! I was being polite asking you for it. I could’ve just taken it.”

Zhenzhen met her eyes. “It was a gift from third brother to me. If you take it without my permission, that’s stealing.”

At that, Shi Huaixia frowned deeply.

She had never liked Zhenzhen, and now she could barely contain her anger.

She sneered. “Stealing? Who are you calling a thief? You need to get something straight—this house carries the Shi name, not Lin. Everything here belongs to our family, not to you. Got it?”

Zhenzhen held her ground. “I’m the Shi family’s daughter-in-law. This home is my home now. You rifled through my trunk, wore my scarf, and tried to take it—that’s stealing. Do you understand?”

Hah!

Shi Huaixia glared at her again, eyes flashing.

Just as the argument was about to escalate, Zhong Minfen and Chen Qingmei, having heard the commotion, rushed over.

Lifting the curtain, Zhong Minfen asked sharply, “What’s going on?”

Zhenzhen, holding the scarf, spoke first: “She went through my trunk, wore my scarf, and tried to take it.”

Zhong Minfen looked at the scarf in Zhenzhen’s hand, then at Shi Huaixia.

Her expression hardened. She turned to Shi Huaixia and asked, “What were you doing?”

Shi Huaixia actually answered. “Mom, I like that scarf. I just wanted to borrow it for a few days.”

“Don’t even think about it.” Zhenzhen cut in before Zhong Minfen could respond.

That set Shi Huaixia off. She whipped her head toward Zhenzhen, her voice rising, “Wow, you really think you’re one of us now, huh? Whether Xiaosan divorces you is still up in the air! Don’t get too full of yourself just because of some red scarf. You think that makes you a regiment commander’s wife? Look at you—do you really think you’re good enough for Huaiming?”

No sooner had she finished than Zhong Minfen stepped in and slapped her twice across the back.

Shi Huaixia, now agitated, turned to Zhong Minfen. “Mom, why are you hitting me?!”

Zhong Minfen grabbed her arm and started dragging her out. “Because you’ve got a filthy mouth!”

Out in the yard, Shi Huaizhong and Shi Huaixia’s husband had come out of the main room.

Shi Huaizhong walked over and asked, “What’s going on here?”

Shi Huaixia shouted, “Big brother, Mom hit me!”

Zhong Minfen snapped, “You deserved it!”

And smacked her again.

With all the noise outside, Zhenzhen stayed inside the room.

Chen Qingmei didn’t leave either. She sat with Zhenzhen on the bed and comforted her quietly.

“Don’t listen to her nonsense, don’t let it get to you, alright?”

Zhenzhen gripped the red scarf in her hand, head lowered, saying nothing.

Chen Qingmei rubbed her back and continued soothing her.

After Zhong Minfen finished scolding Shi Huaixia, she returned inside and softened her tone with Zhenzhen, trying to console her as well.

Zhenzhen sniffled softly, then looked up at Zhong Minfen.

Her voice was hoarse as she spoke. “Mom, next time you write to third brother, please tell him in the letter that I’ll come to see him. I want to talk to him face to face. If he really wants a divorce, I won’t hold him back.”

Hearing this, Zhong Minfen’s heart sank.

She patted Zhenzhen’s hand. “Don’t talk nonsense! Divorce? If Huaiming dares to bring that up, I’ll cut him off! The only wife he can have is you!”

Zhenzhen looked down at the red gauze scarf in her hand.

She didn’t say another word.

Because the family had prepared a lot for the New Year, Shi Huaxia’s family had originally planned to stay for dinner.

But after her argument with Zhenzhen, Zhong Minfen decided not to keep them for the meal.

When they left, Zhong Minfen still gave them some items to take back—things Shi Huaiming had sent home.

Shi Huaxia was unhappy but didn’t dare speak out, her face flushed an angry green beneath the surface.

On the way home, she couldn’t hold it in and complained to her husband, Sun Deshu:
“I think Mom’s getting senile. I’m her biological daughter, and that Lin Zhenzhen is just an outsider. Yet she kicked me out?”

Sun Deshu responded calmly, “You were in the wrong this time. Who goes into someone else’s room, rummages through their things, and puts on their stuff? And you said such harsh things too.”

Shi Huaxia’s eyes flared. “Oh, so now you’re taking her side too?”

Sun Deshu replied, “I’m just being reasonable with you.”

Shi Huaxia snapped, “Reasonable with who?”

Sun Deshu: “…”

He wisely chose to stay quiet.

Thanks to Zhong Minfen’s protection, Zhenzhen didn’t really suffer any injustice.

But after being provoked by Shi Huaxia, she found herself no longer wanting to delay the matter between her and Shi Huaiming.

She thought that the sooner she saw Shi Huaiming, the sooner she’d know where he stood. Better to get it over with and have a clear outcome.

That night, lying in bed, she kept turning the matter over in her mind.

In the end, she made up her mind: she wouldn’t wait any longer—she would go find Shi Huaiming herself.

Dragging things out with a dull blade only made things worse. Better to cut cleanly with a sharp one.

She didn’t sleep well that night.

The next morning, after breakfast, Zhenzhen stayed home instead of visiting neighbors.

In the village, news traveled fast. Her argument with Shi Huaxia last night was sure to be the talk of the town today.

She didn’t want to be pulled into conversations about it, so she simply stayed in.

After lunch, she still didn’t go out.

With the midday sun warm and bright, she sat in the courtyard, crocheting a sweater and basking in the sunlight.

The sun made her feel drowsy and cozy. Leaning back in her chair, she drifted off to sleep.

She was sleeping soundly when the sound of someone calling at the gate startled her awake.

Still groggy, she looked toward the gate and saw what looked like the mailman. That woke her up completely.

She set down her yarn and hook, got up, and went to the gate.

There, the mailman handed her a letter with a smile. “Another letter from your family.”

Nowadays, seeing a letter made Zhenzhen nervous. Holding it in her hand, it felt unusually heavy.

Suppressing her anxiety, she asked the mailman to wait a moment and ran back into the house.

When she returned to the gate, she handed him a few pieces of candy with a smile. “Thank you.”

It was the New Year season, and such gestures brought good cheer. The mailman accepted the candy with thanks.

After watching him leave, Zhenzhen returned to the courtyard.

But before she reached her seat, she paused and turned back.

Holding the letter, she went to the house of Shi Danling’s classmate—the little girl who often helped her.

Shi Danling came running out of the yard. “Third Aunt, what’s going on?”

Zhenzhen held out the letter. “Is this from your Third Uncle?”

Shi Danling looked at the handwriting on the envelope.

After reading it, she looked up, her eyes bright and wide. Smiling, she nodded. “It’s from Third Uncle.”

Zhenzhen’s lips curved into a slight smile. “Could you read it to me?”

Shi Danling nodded eagerly.

She turned to her playmates and told them she had something to do, then took Zhenzhen’s hand and ran back with her.

The pair—one big, one small—hurried home.

Back in the courtyard, they sat on a bench in front of the house.

Still catching her breath, Shi Danling carefully tore open the envelope and took out the letter.

She unfolded the paper and began reading aloud, one word at a time, with no expression.

Zhenzhen listened attentively, though her mind wandered briefly.

She was already thinking: in her reply, she would tell Shi Huaiming that she was coming to find him.

Just then, as she drifted off in thought, Shi Danling read aloud:
“I’ve already applied for housing, and it should be approved after the New Year. Once there’s a place to stay, Mom and Zhenzhen can come over…”

Zhenzhen snapped back to attention and interrupted, “What did you just read?”

Shi Danling repeated, “Oh, Third Uncle said he applied for housing. It’ll be approved after the New Year, and then you and Grandma can go live with him.”

“Me?” Zhenzhen leaned forward slightly, surprised, and looked at Shi Danling.

Shi Danling double-checked the letter. “Yes, you. You’re the only one in the family named Zhenzhen.”

Zhenzhen’s eyes widened as she stared at the letter. Though she couldn’t read the tightly packed handwriting, her heart was thudding in her chest—thump-thump, heavier with each beat.

Unable to help herself, she asked again, “Really?”

This time, Shi Danling pointed at the paper and showed her. “These two characters—Zhenzhen.”

Staring at those two characters, Zhenzhen’s heartbeat grew louder, and a soft light began to fill her eyes. Her lips curved slightly as she answered, “Oh.”