In December 1985, a heavy snowfall swept through Hongqi Commune, blanketing the world in white. Old Mrs. Shen sat in her dilapidated mud-brick house, watching the snowflakes fall outside the window, her needlework frozen in mid-air. There was no stove in the house, and the chill seeped into her bones like needles. Even wrapped in a patched cotton-padded coat, she felt shivering. On the table sat a bowl of long-cold corn porridge, her only food for the day. Since Zhang Lan had been divorced and returned to her parents' home, and the Shen family had moved to Lin Wanqiu's old house, few had visited her. Occasionally, Shen's wife, Wang Guiying, would bring some food, but due to their poverty, it was always just coarse grains and simple fare.
"Cough, cough..." Old Mrs. Shen coughed violently, her cloudy eyes welling up with tears. She remembered when Lin Wanqiu first married into the family. Although she had made things difficult for her in every way, Lin Wanqiu had never truly mistreated her. In winter, Lin Wanqiu would sew her new cotton-padded coats, make braised pork for the New Year, and even brew medicine for her when she was sick. But she was never satisfied, always feeling that Lin Wanqiu was an outsider, always on guard, and even conspiring with Zhang Lan to scheme against her dowry. Now she had ended up in this situation; she had only herself to blame.
Just then, a car horn sounded outside the courtyard gate. Old Mrs. Shen was stunned—in this remote and impoverished area, who else but Shen Tingzhou would drive a car here? She struggled to get up, walked to the window, and saw a jeep parked at the gate. Lin Wanqiu and Shen Tingzhou got out of the car, wearing thick cotton-padded coats and carrying several large bags.
“Mother, we’ve come to see you.” Shen Tingzhou pushed open the courtyard gate and frowned when he saw the scene inside the house. “Why didn’t you light the stove in this cold weather?” He walked into the house and reached out to touch the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed). It was icy cold and he felt guilty. Since moving to the city, although he often thought of his mother, he rarely came back to visit her because of his busy work. He had no idea that his mother was having such a hard time.
Lin Wanqiu followed her into the house, placed the large bag on the table, and opened it to find it filled with cotton-padded clothes, quilts, various New Year's goods, and some tonics. "Mother, it's so cold, you need to take good care of yourself. These cotton-padded clothes and quilts are for you. Try them on to see if they fit." Her tone was gentle, without the slightest hint of disgust, as if she had long forgotten all the unpleasantness of the past.
Grandma Shen looked at the things on the table, then at Lin Wanqiu, and her eyes suddenly reddened. She opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but couldn't speak because of her emotions, only coughing incessantly. Lin Wanqiu quickly stepped forward, gently patted her back, took out a thermos from her bag, poured out a cup of warm honey water, and handed it to her: "Mother, drink some water to soothe your throat."
Grandma Shen took the water glass. The warm water slid down her throat, dispelling some of the chill and warming her already icy heart. She looked at Lin Wanqiu, her voice slightly hoarse: "Wanqiu, I was wrong to you before, why...why did you come to see me?"
Lin Wanqiu smiled and sat down next to Old Madam Shen, speaking sincerely: "Mother, let's not talk about the past. We're all family, why should we hold grudges? Tingzhou and I came here this time to take you to live in the city. It's warm there, and the medical facilities are better, making it easier to take care of you."
Grandma Shen suddenly raised her head, her eyes filled with disbelief: "You...you really want me to live in the city? Don't you hate me for how I treated you before?"
Shen Tingzhou walked to his mother's side, took her hand, and said with a sob in his voice, "Mother, you are my mother, how could I hate you? I was wrong before, I didn't take good care of you and made you suffer so much. Please come with us to the city, we will take good care of you and let you enjoy your old age in peace."
Looking into her son and daughter-in-law's sincere eyes, Old Mrs. Shen could no longer hold back her tears. She nodded, her voice trembling, "Okay, I'll go... I'll go to the city with you."
That afternoon, Lin Wanqiu and Shen Tingzhou packed up Old Lady Shen's luggage and left Hongqi Commune with her. As the car drove on the snow, Old Lady Shen sat inside, watching the mud-brick houses gradually disappear outside the window, her heart filled with emotion—she had never imagined that in her old age she could rely on her daughter-in-law, whom she had once made things difficult for, and she never expected that Lin Wanqiu would be so forgiving and treat her so sincerely.
It was already dark when they arrived at their new home in the city. Grandma Shen walked into the house, her eyes filled with surprise at the spacious, bright rooms, the clean and tidy furniture, and the warm coal stove. Hearing the commotion, Shen Nianxi and Shen Nian'an ran out of their rooms and politely greeted Grandma Shen, "Hello, Grandma!"
Grandma Shen looked at the two children, a long-lost smile appearing on her face. Shen Nianxi walked to her side, took her hand, and said with a naive smile, "Grandma, are you cold? Let me get you a hot water bottle!" After saying that, she skipped and hopped off to get the hot water bottle.
Lin Wanqiu led Old Madam Shen into the room prepared for her. The room was furnished with brand-new bedding, a calendar hung on the wall, and a thermos flask sat on the table. "Mother, this is your room. Please see if you need anything else, and I'll go buy it," she said gently, her eyes full of concern.
Grandma Shen sat on the bed, touching the soft bedding, her heart filled with warmth. She turned to look at Lin Wanqiu and said sincerely, "Wanqiu, thank you... I'm so sorry to have troubled you."
Lin Wanqiu smiled and said, "Mother, please don't say that. Taking care of you is what I should do. You rest for a bit, and I'll go cook. We'll have dumplings tonight."
At dinner, the table was laden with a sumptuous meal, including pork and cabbage dumplings, braised pork, scrambled eggs, and cold seaweed salad, a favorite of Grandma Shen. Shen Tingzhou picked up a dumpling for his mother and said with a smile, "Mom, try the dumplings Wanqiu made, they taste delicious."
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