Chapter 8: The Younger Uncle

However, Han Chao was no longer the impulsive, hot-headed man he once was. Contrary to Chen Yufeng’s expectations, he didn’t explode in anger or act recklessly.

Instead, he remained silent, listening intently.

Meanwhile, Wang Guoguo had been trembling ever since she saw the jade pendant.

She clutched the small piece of jade tightly, her fingers opening and closing around it, gripping it hard and then releasing. Her heartbreak was evident.

Whether Su Hong had intentionally left the fence broken was uncertain, but how could Han Feng follow her lead and try to frame Yufeng?

Back then, if not for Han Feng, with her husband’s alcoholism and gambling, she would have left long ago. She stayed for Han Feng’s sake, and then Han Chao came along.

But how did she end up raising a son like Han Feng?

After a long silence, she finally said, “Yufeng, this is my own issue. You two don’t need to get involved. Just focus on heading to the capital.”

Her attitude frustrated Chen Yufeng. “Mom, even if Sister-in-law didn’t mean to do it, what if something happens to you again? If we’re not around and they refuse to help, what will you do?”

Wang Guoguo replied, “Let’s divide the family again. I’ll live with you from now on. I’ll help your mom with her business and use the profits to pay back the medical expenses.”

As for the couple in the main house, now that she could see again and was in good health, she would take her time settling the score with them.

Chen Yufeng didn’t care about the money; she was only worried about her mother-in-law’s health.

Besides, whether Su Hong had accidentally taken the jade or intentionally caused Wang Guoguo to fall into the water, only Su Hong knew the truth.

What if something else happened to her mother-in-law in the future?

Wang Guoguo was always busy; she noticed the room was messy and began tidying up. Seeing her son and daughter-in-law still standing there, she glared at them. “You two haven’t seen each other in seven years, and you don’t have anything sweet to say to each other? Why are you standing here watching me? Is there a play on my face?”

The couple was chased out of the room. Chen Yufeng glanced at her husband. Instead of his usual anger, he looked unusually calm. In the dream, she was told that his temper would improve, but no one said he’d become so timid. If his brother and sister-in-law had bullied his mother like this before, he would have already beaten them to a pulp. But now, he didn’t even say a word?

Just then, he spoke, “Yufeng, go to the main house and find a way to get Han Ming and Han Xu outside.”

Seeing her confusion, he explained, “I’m going to get to the bottom of this and teach my brother a lesson.”

Han Chao understood his mother better than anyone. If they split the family, she wouldn’t ask for a single penny from the main house. She would rather suffer herself than take anything from the younger generation.

They couldn’t just let her handle this alone.

But Han Chao wasn’t the reckless troublemaker he used to be. As a soldier in uniform, he couldn’t act impulsively.

The best he could do was quietly teach them a lesson and find out if his sister-in-law had deliberately harmed his mother.

When they were kids, the whole town knew about the arranged marriage between Chen Yufeng and Han Chao. The townspeople would often tease them, and local bullies would make vulgar jokes about them. Every time Han Chao saw Chen Yufeng, he’d turn and walk the other way.

Chen Yufeng avoided him too. If they met on the way to school, she’d jump into the bushes and take a different path.

They barely spoke to each other growing up.

But when Wang Guoguo wanted to secretly send food to Chen Yufeng’s mother, afraid of her husband’s anger, she’d always ask Han Chao to deliver it. Han Chao would cough outside the door, and Chen Yufeng would know it was him. She’d wait by the backyard fence, blush, and quietly call him “brother” before taking the food.

They might not have talked much, but they shared an unspoken understanding that no one else could match.

Chen Yufeng finally understood what her husband was planning. “I’ll buy some snacks to lure the kids out,” she said, leaving him to quietly deal with the shameless couple.

“Yufeng, Mom just had surgery and needs to recuperate. Don’t worry, once we get to the capital, I’ll…” He hesitated, wanting to promise to take good care of his mother.

Chen Yufeng interrupted him, “I’ll buy some medicinal herbs and a chicken to make soup for Mom.”

That fool. Did he really think she was stingy and unwilling to spend money on his mother’s health?

As she left the house, she glanced back and saw her husband standing there in his military uniform, tall and handsome, his bright eyes fixed on her.

He didn’t look away when she caught him staring.

Flustered, Chen Yufeng turned and hurried away.

She bought snacks and coaxed Han Ming and Han Xu to come over, even slaughtering a chicken to make nourishing soup for her mother-in-law.

With snacks, a radio, and laughter, the four kids played happily together.

By then, night had fallen. Beyond the courtyard wall and vegetable garden, across the moonlit riverside, was the main house.

Han Chao, wearing a white shirt and army-green pants, sat crouched by the well in front of his sister-in-law’s house. A stalk of straw hung from his lips as his sharp eyes stared at the water’s surface, where the reflection of the crescent moon shimmered.

After a while, the moon’s reflection rippled, replaced by a head emerging from the water—it was Su Hong, gasping for breath but forcing a smile. “Second Brother, I swear, the fence just broke on its own.”

Han Chao remained silent, his gaze unblinking.

Su Hong looked up at the cold, handsome face of her brother-in-law and took a deep breath before sinking back into the water.

Han Feng, better at holding his breath, eventually couldn’t stand the cold and burst to the surface, shivering. “It’s freezing!”

Han Chao, without a word, released the water bucket he was holding. It dropped straight onto his brother’s head.

With a splash, Han Feng sank back into the water.

The sky has four seasons, but well water springs from the earth. Especially in April and May, the piercing cold from the ground rises with the well water, chilling to the bone.

The couple from the main house voluntarily soaked in the well. No one knew how long they stayed there, watching the hand-sized patch of sky above them as the stars shifted. They faintly heard a rooster crow, but they remained in the water.

It wasn’t until Su Hong lost consciousness and began to sink that Han Chao finally pulled them out.

Su Hong spat out a mouthful of water and said, “Second Brother, I have two sons. Why would I harm our mother? Would I risk going to jail over a piece of jade? When Mom fell into the river, I jumped in right away to save her. The jade fell into the water on its own, and I picked it up. But I gave this family two sons, so the jade rightfully belongs to me, doesn’t it?”

If she hadn’t jumped in to save her, Wang Guoguo would’ve died.

Besides, the heirloom jade—two daughters-in-law, and since she had sons while Yu Feng had daughters, it should belong to her. Was she wrong?

Han Chao ignored Su Hong and calmly asked Han Feng, “Brother, Mom’s medical expenses came to three thousand yuan. What are you planning to do about it?”

Han Feng was nearly unconscious from the cold but snapped back when he heard about the money. “Second Brother, Han Ming is in elementary school, and Han Xu is in middle school. Tuition, fees, and boarding—all cost money. I’m just doing a small business. What savings could I possibly have? I’ve only got five hundred yuan…”

“Here, we’ll give all our money to Mom, alright?” Su Hong quickly interjected.

In truth, they had two thousand yuan in their savings account, but sometimes you’ve got to play the pity card.

Han Chao didn’t know the real situation, so they figured five hundred would fool him. After all, it was Su Hong’s fault for pushing her capable mother-in-law over to the second house. She regretted it deeply.

…

Meanwhile, at Chen Yufeng’s house, the May night breeze was cool and gentle. Her two daughters were asleep at the table, while Han Ming and Han Xu were still munching on sugar-coated peanuts like squirrels.

Wang Guoguo had just finished baking a batch of flower pastries and was now pounding sticky rice cakes for Chen Yufeng.

Not only was she good at cooking, but she also had a knack for organizing. The garden full of flowers at Yufeng’s house was her doing. She even designed and built all the furniture herself. The double bed was made of pure persimmon wood, lacquered with green persimmon oil. It didn’t have the usual paint smell, and no matter how long they used it, it always had a faint persimmon fragrance.

Han Chao was still at the main house and hadn’t returned yet.

Wang Guoguo said to Chen Yufeng, “I chose to live with the main house because your sister-in-law gave birth to sons, and you had daughters. Mainly, I didn’t want to burden you when you moved to the city with Han Chao. Do you understand?”

“I understand. Mom loves me,” Chen Yufeng replied.

Even though she lived at the main house, Wang Guoguo never stopped helping Chen Yufeng. When her daughters were little, she washed all their diapers, fed the chickens, raised the pigs, and made their shoes for every season. She even secretly slipped Yufeng some money from time to time.

Otherwise, how could Chen Yufeng have lived so comfortably for seven years?

“Han Chao used to be quick-tempered, but that was because his father drove him to it. He grew up seeing us fight and hated men who hit women. He would never lay a hand on you,” Wang Guoguo added.

“I know,” Chen Yufeng said again.

People often gossiped, but Chen Yufeng never believed Han Chao would hit her. Even when he fought dogs, he only hit the males.

He never hurt women or children.

Taking off the jade pendant, Wang Guoguo slipped it into the pocket of the sleeping Tiantian.

That piece of jade was nothing but trouble. If she kept it, she’d never be at peace. The old lady was giving it to Tiantian as a gift.

“It’s about time you went to the capital. You’ve struggled for seven years. Now it’s time to enjoy life,” Wang Guoguo said.

Chen Yufeng couldn’t help but suggest, “Mom, why don’t you come with us? We can bring my mother too. When we get to the capital, I’ll earn money to support you both.”

Although her mother-in-law had a sharp tongue, she was kind-hearted to the younger generation. Too bad Su Hong and her husband were ungrateful wolves.

“You? What could you possibly do to earn money in the capital?” Wang Guoguo scoffed.

Yufeng laughed, “I can!”

“Nonsense,” Wang Guoguo snorted. “The capital’s a chaotic place with all kinds of bad people. When you get there, just enjoy your life and don’t think about having more kids. I’ve realized one thing—sons are as good as nothing.”

Yufeng shook her head, laughing.

She originally hadn’t planned on taking her mother-in-law and her own mother with her. After all, Guihua Town was their home, and people of their age were often reluctant to leave. But knowing Han Feng’s character and Su Hong’s two-faced nature, it would be trouble once she was gone.

The book mentioned that in the 90s, the country would become more open. Doing business would no longer be seen as illegal speculation. Instead, there would be great benefits and opportunities.

If she took her mother-in-law and her own mother to the capital, she’d still be surrounded by love.

Suddenly, the door creaked—it was Han Ming and Han Xu, ready to go home.

Chen Yufeng rushed out and stood by the fence, looking out. She saw Han Chao leap over the fence with his long legs and land in the backyard.

She hurried into the kitchen to make him a bowl of noodles since he hadn’t had dinner yet.

A few days ago, Han Chao had brought back a cassette tape, but she hadn’t had a chance to listen to it. Now, she turned on the radio, keeping the volume low. She leaned over to light the stove, watched the pot boil, then tossed in a handful of noodles. In no time, the noodles floated to the surface.

“You said you’d write a letter every day,

But little sister stays home, guarding the door.

Could it be that your heart is as heavy as a weighing stone,

Leaving for years without a word?

The little sister back home—

She has grown thin waiting for you till now…”

The song was beautiful. She glanced at the tape case—Longing Little Sister.

She liked it. She would have to listen to it more often.

She poured in chicken broth, sprinkled chopped scallions, added soy sauce, and topped it with crushed peanuts and a spoonful of spicy, tangy chopped chili. With a quick mix, the noodles turned bright red and green, nestled in the creamy white broth, bursting with aroma.

Chen Yufeng picked up the bowl of rice noodles and turned around, only to see the man in the white shirt and green army pants standing at the kitchen door, watching her.

That scoundrel. Although he appeared calm, his eyes couldn’t hide his smugness.

Ever since he was a child, whenever he bullied someone or got his way, that triumphant gleam would show in his eyes.

It was time for the couple to discuss their move to the capital.