It’s still early for dinner.
The adults sit around the table and start talking over a cup of warm tea.
"Yingchun, where have you been these years?"
The woman smiled, with a somewhat awkward expression on her face: "I have been working in an electronics factory in the state capital for many years."
Xu Fuqiang glanced at the two of them, and without asking any more questions, he sighed, "I'm glad you're back."
These words seemed to bring up the woman's sad memories, and her eyes turned slightly red.
"Yes, I'm back." She sighed and looked forward slightly. Her eyes were deep as if she was recalling something. "Everyone in the village thought I ran away because he got into trouble. Now he is back because he is making money on the farm."
The fat uncle frowned, reached out his hand, covered the woman's hand and patted it, signaling her not to continue.
The woman forced a smile and patted his hands twice, indicating that she was fine. She continued, "I took my child to the county town to buy clothes that year. I didn't keep a close eye on the child, which led to the accident. I have never gotten over this. Every time I see him, it feels like there is a fish bone stuck in my throat. No matter how bad my mood is, I can't say anything in front of him. It's all my fault."
"Sometimes when I go to the county town and pass by that familiar roundabout, I can't help but cry."
"That's why I went to work in the state capital without consulting him or leaving a message. Later, he accidentally set fire to the mountain and went to jail. I thought that when he came out, I would have some money saved up and would be back with him."
Aunt Yingchun's few casual words summarized her more than three years of life.
Xu Qingzhi had heard more than once that some villagers teased Uncle Fatty, saying that they would introduce a new wife to him, and then scolded Aunt Yingchun for being a family-killer who killed her child and ran away when her husband got into trouble.
Over time, the image of Aunt Yingchun as a heartless woman also emerged in Xu Qingzhi's mind.
And now, that image has been eradicated.
Everything, right or wrong, seemed to be understood at once.
The guilt of the child's accident, the unbearable pain, escape, and start a new life.
In the countryside, growing up with the family, a little kid can hear most of the gossip in the village.
When adults talk, they never avoid children, thinking that children don't understand.
Xu Qingzhi still has prejudice against his second aunt.
My second aunt’s mother was deaf and only gave birth to two sisters, and my second aunt was the eldest daughter.
After the younger daughter divorced due to domestic violence, she remarried. Overall, it is not very convenient for her to take care of her parents.
Grandma always said that Second Aunt was not filial to her, because she bought new clothes for her parents but not for her. When Xiao Qingzhi heard this, she also felt that Second Aunt was not filial.
Later, Brother Qinqin became addicted to online games for several years, to the point where he needed to quit his addiction.
Grandma said that it was because Second Auntie spoiled him too much and didn't know how to take care of children that Qinqin became like that. When Xiao Qingzhi heard this, he felt that Second Auntie was not a good mother.
So much so that later, as more and more words came out, in Xu Qingzhi's mind, the image of the second aunt was no longer that of a good person, and she was not good to grandma and grandpa.
But now, thinking from another angle, everything seems to make sense.
When grandma had money, she would always secretly give it to her family, with the reason being that her eldest and second uncles' families were rich and only her family was a little less fortunate.
When grandma received delicious food, she would always hide it and wait for her and her brother to come back before giving it back.
If there is only one thing in a thing, that one thing must be easy to know.
Just like the gold ring that grandma wore when she was alive, just that one thing, but so many descendants gave it to her father, saying that he would give it to her when she got married.
Human hearts are inherently biased.
It seems that people can only judge right and wrong and distinguish who is good and who is bad from their own standpoint.
Xu Fuqiang also sighed and said, "Are you going to the state capital later?"
"No, I want to have another child." Aunt Yingchun choked up and said, "When the child first left, I was thinking that I would never have another child in my life. Just one child from him would be enough. Otherwise, I'm afraid that if I have a child, I will forget him."
"But now I think, I shouldn't torture myself anymore. Having a child can also bring me a little hope."
The fat uncle patted her trembling shoulders gently to comfort her.
Xu Fuqiang nodded and said, "If you want to come to the farm in the future, just let me know. You'll get the same salary as Fatty, and we'll both be regular employees."
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