Chapter 297 Red Umbrella, White Pole
Aunt Qian said, "These are people who were sent down from the capital. Their homes were confiscated. It's truly a tragedy."
Shen Zhixia's expression was serious. She thought things had been calm for a while, but it seemed that Huo Chenzhou had just created a harmonious environment for her, which gave her this illusion.
It's still very chaotic outside.
"Many people were sent down from the capital this time, including college students, doctors, and capitalists. They were basically all persecuted and brought down," Aunt Qian said.
Shen Zhixia suddenly asked, "Do you think they should be sent to the countryside?"
After being sent down to the countryside, these people had very low status. They not only had to do the dirtiest jobs, but they also couldn't get enough to eat and were looked down upon. It could be said that anyone could trample on them. They were considered the bottom of society. She suddenly wanted to know what ordinary people in this era were thinking.
Aunt Qian said, "I heard that the Lin family is actually a clean family. They even have a soldier, but the woman he married had a bad family background. She was a landlord's daughter, which is why they were overthrown."
"That's just how things are these days. Sometimes it's really unfair, but there's nothing we can do about it."
According to Aunt Qian, the Lin family are decent people, but now they can only do the dirtiest work in the cowshed, and they have nowhere to live but inside the cowshed.
Shen Zhixia frowned. She suddenly realized that if she hadn't resolved her identity issue, she would have been sent to the countryside as well. She had never known that life in the countryside was so hard. The hardship was one thing, but the most important thing was that she would have no dignity at all.
She saw a group of people pointing and whispering about the Lin family, their faces grave, and then she turned and left.
She sympathized with these people who had been sent to the countryside, but that was all she could do. She wasn't a saint and couldn't help them. These were special times, and getting involved with these people wouldn't be good for her.
...
Huo Chunyan had a near-death experience. After this ordeal, she suddenly felt more detached and determined to fully experience life.
It's already difficult enough to just be alive, so she cherishes every moment of her life.
She carefully nurtured the baby in her womb, and thankfully, perhaps blessed by God, the baby was very safe and healthy, which put her at ease.
Her belly was different from others; it was somewhat pointed.
When Huo's mother saw it, she said, "This must be a son."
With current technology, it's impossible to determine the sex of a child. Even doctors don't know if she's having a boy or a girl. How did Huo's mother know?
Huo Chunyan then asked, "Mom, how can you be so sure it's your son?"
“A pointed belly means it’s a boy, a round belly means it’s a girl. Your belly is pointed, it’s definitely a boy.” Mother Huo said with great confidence.
Huo Chunyan didn't believe it: "This egg is pointed at one end and round at the other. Does that mean we can determine the sex of the chick?"
Mrs. Huo spat a few times: "Who told you to compare my grandson to a chick? Don't say things like that again."
Huo Chunyan: "..."
Anyway, she doesn't believe such things that have no scientific basis. She'll wait until the child is born before making a decision. Whether the child is a boy or a girl, it's still her child, and she will love him/her dearly.
Shen Zhixia's two children have grown up a lot and are easy to take care of. They don't need Huo's mother to watch over them all the time. Huo's mother went back for a while, mainly to do chores.
There are actually many things to do at home, such as farming. She also raises two pigs and some chickens and ducks, which Howard usually helps feed, but she still has to farm the land herself.
She planted a large field of vegetables, all kinds of them.
After she finished her work this time, she brought back a lot of bamboo shoots and mushrooms.
"These are all grown by myself, and they're very fresh."
Huo's mother also brought two chickens, one for Shen Zhixia and the other with Huo Chunyan written on it.
That very day, mushrooms, bamboo shoots, and chicken were stewed together. The freshly picked mushrooms were incredibly delicious, and a fragrant aroma filled the air while they were cooking. Shen Zhixia, standing to the side, wanted to try some, but was sternly stopped by Huo's mother.
"You absolutely must not eat this. These mushrooms are poisonous if they're not cooked thoroughly. Cook them a little longer."
Shen Zhixia said, "I think the mushrooms are already cooked."
"Let's cook it a little longer. There have been cases in the village where people have experienced hallucinations after eating undercooked mushrooms, so please don't eat any," said Mother Huo.
Under Huo's mother's strict instructions, the last pot of mushrooms simmered for a long time before Shen Zhixia finally got to eat it. Her eyes lit up when she took the first bite: "It's so delicious."
These mushrooms are incredibly fresh, so fresh they're almost too fresh for the taste buds.
Mother Huo smiled and said, "After a while, when it rains in the mountains, a lot of wild mushrooms will grow. The mushrooms there are the best-looking. I'll go and pick some for you to try."
"good."
During the meal, Huo's mother started chatting: "When I went back this time, I ran into Li Chao."
Shen Zhixia didn't immediately recognize Li Chao. After a while, she said, "Oh, so he's Huo Xinran's ex-husband."
The affair between Huo Xinran and Li Chao caused quite a stir, mainly due to Li Chao's domestic violence. However, Shen Zhixia didn't care much about Huo Xinran to begin with. She didn't even know what Li Chao looked like, and the only impression she had of him was Huo Xinran's ex-husband.
Huo's mother said, "He got married again."
Shen Zhixia asked curiously, "So fast? He doesn't have a good reputation in the village, yet someone is still willing to marry him."
“He can afford the bride price, so naturally many girls are willing to marry him,” said Mrs. Huo.
This is not surprising. Many girls don't get married willingly; as long as their families receive a bride price, they will agree to the marriage.
Shen Zhixia said, "That girl who married him is really unlucky."
Although she didn't like Huo Xinran, she still couldn't tolerate men who committed domestic violence; such families were like pits of fire.
Huo's mother said, "That's what I find strange. I ran into Li Chao and his mother with their new wife. They were very nice to her, and Li Chao was very gentle with her. It was as if they had become completely different people."
Shen Zhixia said, "You're faking it, aren't you?"
"I don't know, but even if they're faking it, they're willing to pretend. When Huo Xinran married into the family, they didn't even bother to pretend. I think they've matured a lot in this second marriage," Huo's mother sighed.
Shen Zhixia was also somewhat surprised. Li Chao's family treated his second daughter-in-law so well; they probably wanted to live a peaceful life.
Sometimes, fate is just that magical.
Huo Chunyan had an accident this time and took a long leave. The higher-ups were very lenient with her, not only because she was Huo Chenzhou's sister, but also because she had worked very hard before. Now that she was injured, they let her rest well.
Sun Baojun couldn't take care of her all the time, so he said, "How about I find you a caregiver?"
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