Chapter 1 You can't let me be a widow for you? You are sick, treat...

December 1985.

The village road of Lijiazhuang was buried in a vast expanse of white, long icicles hung under the eaves, and the north wind sounded like a wolf howling.

In the cold winter, the sky is covered with heavy snow.

The winter of 1985 was dull and gloomy. There was no moonlight in the sky. The dirt roads in the countryside were bumpy and there were no street lights. The night under the strong wind was like a tide, flooding the entire countryside. The villagers had all gone to bed early, and only from a spacious bungalow far away from the village could bursts of coughing be heard from time to time.

Shi Meilan was seriously ill. She slept in the large ancestral hall at the end of the village wrapped in a thin cold quilt, her almond-shaped eyes squinting in pain.

She contracted tuberculosis, an infectious disease. Her husband Li Laoer and her son Li Tianci discussed and decided to move her to the large ancestral hall, saying they would come and take her back when she recovered.

The big ancestral hall is where people usually worship their ancestors, hold year-end banquets, and celebrate weddings. Now a temporary wooden bed has been set up there, but it is still very cold. She already has tuberculosis, and the cold wind has burned her bones, causing a fever.

In her confusion, she lost track of time. There were no windows in the ancestral hall, and the sky never seemed to brighten again. She could only hear the wind outside blowing and the branches swaying back and forth. Why hadn't her husband and son arrived yet?

There was a creaking sound and someone pushed the door open outside the ancestral hall.

Shi Meilan struggled to get up. Before she could even call out "son," she heard someone outside the door timidly say, "Grandma, I'm here to bring you some rice soup."

Shi Meilan opened her mouth, her hoarse voice leaking out: "Why is it you?"

"Where's Tianci?"

Where is her son?

Hu Honghua squeezed in from outside the ancestral hall, her little face red from the cold.

Hu Honghua is the new wife of her eldest son.

Hu Honghua's uncle is a hunter named Hu Chengjun. Hu Chengjun once saved Li Laoer who was being chased by a wolf. The two men got together to drink rice wine and arranged the marriage of the two children.

But Shi Meilan was very dissatisfied with this marriage.

Because the Hu family wasn't a respectable family! Hu Honghua's father had an argument with someone, fought with them, beat them to death, was arrested and shot, and the family's land was compensated. Her mother ran away with someone, leaving her uncle Hu Chengjun to raise Hu Honghua.

Hu Chengjun went hunting in the mountains and didn't come back for a few days. Because he had to go to the city to sell animal skins and meat, he was away for half a month and didn't even have a family. He used to leave Hu Honghua in the village and asked the neighbors to feed her a few mouthfuls of food and the neighbors to send her two pieces of clothes, and he barely raised her.

This person is not someone who lives a normal life.

So Shi Meilan didn't like this marriage very much, and when she met Hu Honghua later, she disliked this daughter-in-law even more.

Hu Honghua is dumb, uneducated, illiterate, and speaks in a voice like a mosquito's buzz. Even when scolded, she remains silent, her neck hunched, and her face drooping with shame. It's as if she's never straightened her back in her life, and just looking at her makes one feel suffocated. She's not very smart, can't do her job well, and isn't very good at interacting with people. With a daughter-in-law like this, the roof of the Li family's house is already half-collapsed.

Why did it collapse in half? Because she couldn't hold it up!

Shi Meilan originally wanted to cancel the marriage. She found two other straightforward girls for her son. However, half a year ago, when their son Li Laoer went out to buy textbooks for the school, he was robbed on the road and lost 200 yuan. That was the money that students from several villages were going to use to buy books together. At that time, their son Li Laoer's monthly salary was only 20 yuan!

Some of the students' parents had bad tempers. Seeing that the money was lost by Lao Li, they wanted to break Lao Li's legs. This scared Shi Meilan!

She took out all her money but it was still not enough, and in the end the taciturn hunter Hu took out 150 yuan to settle the bill.

Having received such a favor this time, Shi Meilan didn't feel comfortable bringing up the idea of ​​cancelling the engagement, but instead gritted her teeth and accepted the marriage.

Later, when Hu Honghua came into the family, she really didn't get along with the entire Li family and was always disliked. Shi Meilan tried to promote her many times but failed, so she could only accept this useless daughter-in-law and take good care of her every day.

"Why are you here?" Shi Meilan frowned when she saw Hu Honghua.

It's so cold outside. How could a skinny little girl like Hu Honghua come here alone? She also has tuberculosis. Hu Honghua doesn't even know to cover her nose!

Seeing Shi Meilan's gloomy face, Hu Honghua shuddered, her thin shoulders becoming more hunched. She whispered, "Mom, my father-in-law and Tianci refused to come. They said you were sick and dying. The matchmaker from our village came and said she wanted to find a wife for my father-in-law."

"What?" Shi Meilan coughed violently, suspecting she had misheard. "Who are you proposing to marry?"

"Father-in-law." Hu Honghua probably knew what kind of temper her mother-in-law had, so her voice became even lower, buzzing like a mosquito: "The matchmaker is here to propose marriage to Father-in-law."

"I'm not dead yet!" Shi Meilan almost coughed up her lungs. "What did your father-in-law say? Tell me everything. Don't make me keep asking you one question at a time!"

Hu Honghua trembled and said, "Father-in-law, father-in-law agreed. He was talking about the widow Wang next door. Widow Wang agreed and asked for our newly bought bicycle as a betrothal gift."

"Widow Wang?" Shi Meilan's head was buzzing. She struggled to get up, but fell to the ground. Hu Honghua came over to support her and touched Shi Meilan's thin hand bones.

Hu Honghua felt a pang of sadness.

Her mother-in-law used to be a good worker. She was full of energy and had tight muscles. She looked good no matter how she stood in front of the door. She was the most popular chili pepper in the area. At that time, she was able to marry into the Li family. Others did not envy her for having a husband who was going to study, but envied her for having a capable, domineering but protective mother-in-law.

Life is hard if you have a cowardly husband, but you can still live with it. But if you have a greedy, lazy, cunning, and treacherous mother-in-law, you are doomed!

Others say that as long as Shi Meilan is there, the Li family will not collapse.

But now, my mother-in-law is as thin as a bag of bones. When I hold her hand, I can feel her soft and slippery skin due to her rapid weight loss. She can't even walk steadily.

But Shi Meilan must go.

She didn't believe it. They had some minor disagreements in the past, but they had been through thick and thin together for more than ten years. When she was dying of illness, not only did Li Laoer not come to see her, he even went off to propose marriage to someone else!

She had to go over and see.

She asked Hu Honghua to support her as they walked from the ancestral hall towards home.

Deep and shallow footprints were left on the thick snow. My feet were numb from the cold, and every step I took was accompanied by a burst of pain.

Shi Meilan had never felt that the road was so long. She felt dizzy and her bones were almost broken when she finally arrived at the door of Lao Li's house.

The Li family is a respectable family in the village. Lao Li's grandfather used to be a scholar! Lao Li's father is also the village chief. He specially built two houses next to each other. The left one is Lao Li's house, and the right one is Lao Li's brother's house. The two families have already separated.

Because Lao Li had been educated before, he was now the principal of a primary school in the village, and received 20 yuan and wheat flour every month. Sometimes when he could not collect the tuition from students, he would bring back two kilograms of meat to cover the tuition. His family also had land, so they could have a stable income regardless of drought or flood, so they lived well. There was a large hall in the yard, and four rooms on the left, right, front and back, which provided enough space for his two sons to live in when they got married.

When she reached the door, her neighbor on the left, her sister-in-law, came out to splash foot washing water. Her husband's brother and his family lived inside. When they saw Shi Meilan, they cried out "Ouch" and seemed to be going back to deliver a message.

The eldest sister-in-law was shouting, "Mom, come out and see! Shi Meilan hasn't died of illness yet! She ran home by herself!"

Shi Meilan was seriously ill, and the news that her husband had found another wife before she died had already spread throughout the village, and a group of people were waiting to see the joke.

Shi Meilan didn't bother to care about her sister-in-law. She staggered and pushed open the door.

She saw that the bright electric lights were on in the main room of Old Li's house. The light shone through the paste paper, bringing with it a warm atmosphere.

The light was so dazzling. In the past, she never allowed anyone to turn on the lights except to let her two sons study.

Shi Meilan trembled even more violently.

Through the dim window paper, she saw a woman's shadow reflected on it. The smoke from the chimney kept floating upwards, and the smoke was filled with the smell of meat.

She was freezing to death in the ancestral hall and couldn't even eat a bite of food, but Li Laoer was actually eating meat with others with the lights on!

Shi Meilan felt a dull pain in her heart. She didn't know where the strength came from, but she pushed away Hu Honghua who was supporting her, pushed open the door herself, and rushed into the main room.

In the main room, Shi Meilan's husband Li Laoer, his eldest son, second son, and a mother and daughter were having dinner.

The meal was steaming hot pickled cabbage and pork stewed with vermicelli noodles, which gave off a scalding white mist in the cold winter. The aroma and laughter filled the entire main room. The moment Shi Meilan opened the door, she heard her husband, Li Laoer, say in a cheerful and high-pitched voice: "Next spring, we'll get married. You can just move in from your house. I'll leave your house to your daughter. We'll be a family from now on."

Old man Li was happy when he thought about marrying Widow Wang in the future.

Widow Wang has a gentle personality and will definitely be obedient and follow his lead in everything.

Shi Meilan is known for her bad temper. She is noisy and has been oppressing Old Man Li for his entire life. Old Man Li has been fed up with her for a long time, and now he is of course happy that he can finally find a new one.

"We are both so old, and we still have a wedding. It will make people laugh at us." Widow Wang, who was sitting in the main seat, lowered her head in embarrassment.

Widow Wang was very thin, with a face as white as a flower growing at the village entrance. When the wind blew, she bent down, revealing her snow-white neck, which attracted people to look at her again and again. She was educated and wrote reports for the village committee and the Women's Federation. She was an educated youth who went to the countryside.

Her previous husband was also a respectable man, another educated youth. However, some time ago, her educated youth husband returned to the city and secretly left her. Everyone in the village felt sorry for her, but Widow Wang worked hard on her own. Later, she took her daughter to find a job in a garment factory in the small town. She could earn 15 yuan a month, which was not a small amount. There were not many women in the countryside who could earn money on their own.

Widow Wang is good-looking. When she lowers her head, her fragility is enhanced with a bit of intelligence. Although she is over 30 years old, she has a bit of quiet beauty that comes from the accumulation of time.

Seeing Widow Wang say this, Li Tianci laughed and said, "Aunt Wang, you were also married in a formal way. We won't let you down."

Li Tianci looks like his father, speaks in a literary manner, is thin and young, but no one dares to look down on him because he was admitted to university in September this year. After spending the New Year at home, he will go to school to continue his studies.

This is a college student! Li Tianci is guaranteed a job after graduation. He will definitely have a good job. Who knows, he might even become a high-ranking official in the future. The whole village is proud of Li Tianci!

As he spoke, Li Tianci looked at the girl next to Aunt Wang.

This is Aunt Wang’s daughter, Lin Xinran. She is wearing a red cotton-padded jacket, which makes her little face look so tender and fresh, like the water chestnuts growing in the lotus lake in summer, crisp and white.

Lin Xinran was fifteen years old, which was marriageable age in their village. When she noticed Li Tianci looking at her, Lin Xinran lowered her head.

When she lowered her head, the little girl's shyness emerged.

Li Tianci was in a trance for a moment.

Their Li family and the Lin family next door have been neighbors for more than ten years. Lin Xinran grew up with them and his brother. If his father hadn't suddenly promised him a marriage with the daughter of a hunter, he would have been with Lin Xinran.

"Xinran, eat more." At this time, a pair of chopsticks came over and picked up a piece of pork for Lin Xinran.

It was Li Tianfu standing next to him.

Li Tianfu is tall and strong, with a bad temper and a lot of energy. Wherever he stands, his body is straight, his eyes are bright like a ball of fire, and he is full of hot masculinity. Unlike Li Tianci, he did not get into college, but he has a lot of strength, so you won't suffer any loss if you follow him.

More importantly, Li Tianfu liked Lin Xinran foolishly and listened to whatever Lin Xinran said.

At this moment, Li Tianfu looked at Lin Xinran eagerly, his rough voice choked up, and he coaxed her, "You will stay at my house from now on, and I will cook for you every meal."

Lin Xinran looked at Li Tianfu shyly, then looked up at Li Tianci timidly, and finally lowered her head - Brother Tianfu was a good person, but she liked Brother Tianci more, but... Brother Tianci was already married.

Lin Xinran's eyes darkened a little and she stopped looking at Li Tianci. Li Tianci probably thought of his newly married wife and his face turned cold.

I was sending him a meal, why didn't he come back for so long? Never mind, it's better if he doesn't come back. Seeing him makes me upset.

He was an educated man, and he also wanted an educated wife, who was decent, sensible, and good at talking, who could bring him face when he went out and could handle the housework when he came home, taking care of both big and small matters. However, Hu Honghua's cowardly appearance made people feel annoyed.

Li Tianci looked at Lin Xinran again, hoping that Lin Xinran would look at him.

But Lin Xinran no longer looked at him.

Childhood sweethearts, two boys and one girl, it seems like one of them will always get hurt.

At this time, Li Laoer, who was standing by, also imitated his second son, picked up a piece of meat and put it into Aunt Wang's bowl.

Aunt Wang lowered her head again and slowly picked up the food and ate it.

Those little emotions that were secretly surging were hidden under the table and concealed in the meals. At this moment, the main room was filled with this ambiguous and warm atmosphere.

Everyone stopped moving until the door was suddenly kicked open.

The cold wind rushed in along with the sharp questions, tearing the warm atmosphere in the room into pieces.

"Li Jianye!" Shi Meilan's voice was hoarse and sharp. "I'm not even dead yet, and you're already planning to marry someone else, right?"

Everyone gathered around the wooden table was startled. Old man Li Jianye even jumped up and stammered, "Mei, Meilan? Aren't you sick?"

Aunt Wang hurriedly pulled her daughter to her feet and said, "Sister-in-law Li, you, don't think too much. I came here because the matchmaker came to me to propose marriage."

Aunt Wang shrank back tremblingly, with a hint of fear in her tone.

When everyone looked out again, they saw Shi Meilan standing at the door. She was extremely thin. Her originally beautiful round face looked a little distorted because of her hideous look. Her upturned almond-shaped eyes were red with hatred. Her dry hair was like the fingers of a female ghost, coiled around her cheeks, and fluttering in the cold wind.

"Jianye!" Aunt Wang was even more frightened. Everyone in Lijia Village knew Shi Meilan's fierceness. When Shi Meilan stood up for her sister before, she dragged the cheating man out of the village and beat him! She quickly grabbed Li Laoer and said, "Jianye, say something!"

Li Jianye had been feeling a bit guilty, but when Aunt Wang grabbed him, a protective urge immediately surged in his chest. He stopped Aunt Wang and her daughter behind him and said to Shi Meilan who was approaching the door, "Meilan, you're dying of illness. What's wrong with me living with someone else? You can't expect me to be a widow just for you, right?"

The whole village knew that Shi Meilan was seriously ill. The doctors in town said that she couldn't be cured and could only be carried back home to die. Since she was going to die, it was normal for him to find another one! As a grown man, it's impossible for him to not even have a woman to light the fire and cook at home, right?

Li Jianye thought, he was not wrong!

Looking at Shi Meilan's sickly appearance, he felt more confident.

He had been afraid of Shi Meilan all his life, but now she was about to die. Was he still afraid of Shi Meilan?

"I'm not dead yet!" Shi Meilan roared heartbreakingly: "I'm not dead yet!" She is not dead yet!

After she died, Li Jianye could look for her all he wanted, but she wasn't dead yet! She was still breathing! Did they really want her to die immediately?

Her screams pierced the roof, causing the dogs in the yard to bark along. Lin Xinran, who was cowering at the back, shuddered and whispered, "Brother Tianfu—Aunt Shi's illness is contagious."

"Mom!" Li Tianfu, who was standing by, heard this and quickly shouted, "Mom, let's go out and tell her that you are sick. Don't let Xinran get sick."

The hatred on Shi Meilan's face solidified. She stared at her second son Li Tianfu in a daze and asked, "What did you say?"

Li Tianfu shook his head and didn't dare to say it a second time, but shouted "Brother".

Of course Li Tianfu cares about his mother, and he knows that he should be filial, but he likes Lin Xinran more, and he doesn't want Lin Xinran to get sick.

"Mom, it's not that we're sorry for you, it's that you can't live anymore." Li Tianci sighed and said, "I know you can't accept it, but this is the truth. You're sick and can't be cured. We who are still alive have to keep living!"

Li Tianci also knew that his mother was important, but his mother was going to die. Could his family not die with her? They still had to live!

Shi Meilan's body swayed and she almost fell down.

At this time, Hu Honghua, who was following at the back, hurriedly helped Shi Meilan up.

Hu Honghua, wearing an ill-fitting, patched old cotton jacket, with a dry, sallow complexion, anxiously called out, "Grandma? Grandma!"

"It's you!" Li Tianci got angry when he saw Hu Honghua and immediately shouted, "I asked you to bring food, but you actually brought someone back? Telling my mom about all this, what on earth do you want to do? This family can't be quiet for a moment, right? You just want us to quarrel and then you'll be happy? You won't let my mom die in peace! You just want others to laugh at us, right?"