"Yinhua, you're finally back! My son Tianba asked me to bring you some chicken soup." Aunt Luo said with a smile, "My second son, Tianba, talks about you every day, afraid that you won't eat well and that you'll be neglecting yourself."
The Huo family is no longer making things difficult for Song Yinhua; they are trying to be nice to her and please her, and they are really after her wonton shop and the field and orchard at the foot of the mountain.
"I heard from Xiangling that she went to your shop for wontons. Your shop is doing really well. Aunt Wu has something I'd like to ask you for a favor. It's nothing big, and Aunt Wu won't make things difficult for you." Aunt Wu smiled politely. "I have a relative's daughter who is sixteen this year. She's not going to school and can't find a job. Do you think she could help out at your shop? We're not greedy. You can give her whatever you think is fair. If you don't give her a salary, that's fine too. Just give her something to eat."
"I'm sorry, Fifth Aunt, I don't need anyone at my shop." Song Yinhua pushed open the courtyard gate and entered the yard.
"Oh, Yinhua..."
The black wolfhound bared its teeth at Aunt Luo, who was trying to come in, preventing her from getting close.
"Yinhua, take this chicken soup over here. My Tianba specially asked me to bring it to you."
Song Yinhua took out her key and unlocked the door. "No need, Fifth Aunt. Take the chicken soup back to Tianba's wife. I don't like chicken soup."
Pushing open the door, Song Yinhua entered the room.
She knew exactly what the Huo family was up to.
During dinner, the black wolfhound paced around Song Yinhua, appearing somewhat anxious.
Its two front paws kept pawing at the ground.
The food that Song Yinhua fed Xiao Hei was not eaten.
It's snowing again outside.
Song Yinhua brought out a thick quilt and covered the madwoman and the child.
Just as I was about to go to sleep, I heard the whimpering of a black wolfhound and the sound of its claws scratching at the door from outside.
Song Yinhua put on her cotton-padded coat and opened the door to the main room. She saw the black wolfhound whimpering at her as it ran into the room past her legs.
"It's too cold outside, would you like to sleep inside?" Song Yinhua took clothes from inside and spread them out in the main room to make a bed for the black wolfhound so it could sleep.
After she finished, she took the kerosene lamp and went into the inner room, while the black wolfhound scratched at the gatekeeper's door, trying to get in as well.
"Little Black, you'll sleep in the main room and guard the door." Song Yinhua patted the black wolfhound. "I'll give you an extra chicken leg for lunch tomorrow."
Song Yinhua went into the inner room and closed the door.
The sound of a black wolfhound scratching at the door came from outside. After scratching a few times, it quieted down.
After an unknown amount of time, just as Song Yinhua was about to fall asleep, she faintly heard sounds that resembled the chirping of chicks or the calls of newly hatched goslings.
Why would there be chicks or goslings chirping in such cold weather?
Song Yinhua got up, put on her cotton-padded coat, lit the kerosene lamp, and opened the door to see the black wolfhound standing at the door watching her.
Faint chirping sounds, like chicks or goslings, could be heard from the ground.
She lowered the kerosene lamp and then saw a newborn wolfhound on the ground.
It turns out that Xiao Hei is about to have a baby.
Song Yinhua moved Xiao Hei's nest into the inner room and stayed with Xiao Hei during its birth.
Around midnight, the black wolfhound gave birth to six puppies.
-
On Lunar New Year's Eve, the three wolfhound puppies turned one month old. They were all lively and playful, and also prone to causing trouble at home.
The house suddenly became lively.
The Huo family came several times, inviting her to a reunion dinner, but she politely declined each time with an excuse.
That evening, some families in the village set off fireworks and firecrackers. Song Yinhua was watching with her child in the yard when Huo Jinfeng came to visit.
"My husband Daguang is getting married on the sixth day of the Lunar New Year. You will be Jianguo's wife and Daguang's cousin-in-law. Come to our house for the wedding banquet!" Huo Jinfeng said warmly.
When Xie Daguang got married, Huo Jinfeng did not invite her and Huo Jianguo.
Xie Daguang is now remarried.
After delivering the letter, Huo Jinfeng didn't leave in a hurry. Instead, she took the initiative to chat with Song Yinhua about everyday matters, trying to get closer to her.
"This autumn harvest in your Songzhuang Village was a bumper one for every household. Your rice, in particular, grew exceptionally well. How many kilograms of rice did you harvest? How much did you make? You must have quite a bit of money on you!"
"I've heard a lot of people in the village say that the wontons at your wonton shop are delicious. They want to eat them again after trying them once. Your business is booming. You've even hired two young girls as waitresses. You must make a lot of money at your shop every day. How much do you make in a month?"
"Are these puppies from your big black dog? They're really good-looking. How old are they? Just a month old? They're so big, I thought they were two months old. They're quite cute. They don't look like dogs, they look like wolves. Can you give me one to keep as a guard dog?"
"Yinhua, how much does your wonton shop actually make in a month? I'm not telling you, how much? Why are you still hiding it from me, child! I also want to open a wonton shop. Teach me how to make delicious wontons, or you can transfer the wonton shop to me..."
Huo Jinfeng talked for a long time, her lips were practically worn out, but she didn't get any information out of her and left in a huff.
Song Yinhua held Xiao Xiaohua's two little hands and taught her to walk. Huo Jinfeng glanced at the child and said sarcastically, "Yinhua, you can have children yourself, why do you take in someone else's child to raise? This kind of bastard child who has a father but no mother can't be raised properly!"
Song Yinhua's face turned cold. Huo Jinfeng could tell that Song Yinhua was angry, so she quickly smiled politely and apologized.
Stepping out of the courtyard, Huo Jinfeng spat, "A little bastard like a treasure? Are you out of your mind? If it weren't for the fact that your wonton shop is making money and your crops are yielding good harvests, would you even be worthy of attending my son's wedding?"
-
On the second day of the Lunar New Year, Song Yinhua took her child, her mentally ill mother-in-law, and seven black wolfhounds back to her parents' home for a meal.
"Yinhua, Yunyun is getting married in a few days," Qiao Guilan said happily. "Guess who Yunyun is marrying?"
"My great-uncle's granddaughter?"
"Your great-uncle's granddaughter. Your great-uncle used to tell everyone that his granddaughter was a lucky star who would bring good fortune to the Tang family. Guess who she's going to marry?"
"who?"
Qiao Guilan was about to speak when Song Baogen, who was passing by, interrupted her: "Han Zhiyuan!"
"Han Zhiyuan?" Song Yinhua asked in surprise.
“It’s him!” Qiao Guilan got really excited when she mentioned this. “I heard that while your great-uncle and the others were out attending a wedding, she invited Han Zhiyuan to her house to do that kind of thing. They were caught red-handed, and then your sixth cousin called Qiu Xue and asked Wang Yunyun to go to the provincial capital to find Qiu Xue. Han Zhiyuan went with her.”
Qiao Guilan continued, "I heard that when Yunyun arrived in the provincial capital, Qiuxue didn't pick her up, and Yunyun's money was stolen. It was Han Zhiyuan who booked a hotel for her so she could have a place to stay. That night, the two of them were together. Yunyun kept this a secret from her family until she got pregnant, at which point she went home and told them that she wanted to marry Han Zhiyuan."
“Wang Yunyun and Han Zhiyuan are completely unrelated, how could they have hit it off?” Song Yinhua asked, puzzled.
Song Baogen said, "I heard it was Han Zhiyuan's ex-wife who acted as matchmaker..."
"Baogen, don't speak, let me speak!" Qiao Guilan interrupted her son, "Han Zhiyuan's ex-wife is the daughter of your great-uncle's fourth daughter. She is a cousin of Yunyun. She introduced Yunyun to Han Zhiyuan, which made your sixth cousin so angry that she lay in bed refusing to eat or drink and refused to agree to the marriage. Your great-uncle was also made sick by it."
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