Chapter 70 The Sun Rises in the West
Such a tragedy occurred in the village, and everyone felt uneasy.
In the evenings, they would sit in the north room and chat, a rare occurrence for them.
The dim oil lamp swayed and flickered, like a fire doll that loved to listen to stories.
The third brother and the fourth brother returned without saying a word the day before, out of consideration for the fact that the person was immersed in grief and might not be able to take care of them.
It's just a bowl of rice; it's not like we won't have food when we get home.
But their commotion today has really annoyed me, so I can't help but argue with them.
Everyone was curious, so they asked Sanwa to tell Lao Si what was going on at Li Tang's house.
"I saw that woman who was messing around with Li Tang. She was even cooking for Li Tang's family. I don't know how she can be so shameless. She's quite tall, with a pair of charming almond-shaped eyes and fair skin. She's quite pretty. Her husband, Li Mengchun, is a bit shorter, but he's quite good-looking. He has well-defined eyebrows and eyes, and when he smiles, he shows his clean, white teeth. They're quite a good match."
The fourth brother grumbled, "Even if their family doesn't allow us to talk about it, when everyone is digging graves in the fields, the other people in the village are cursing that woman for being indecent, saying that she took the initiative to seduce Li Tang, and that she always goes with him when hoeing the fields, completely disregarding her own husband's reputation."
Song Chunxue knew all about what he was saying, so she listened quietly.
Sanwa sat by the kang (heated brick bed) playing with Xiujuan, occasionally chiming in with a comment.
“They bought willow wood from the village to make the coffin. Li Tang’s family was short of money and didn’t have the money to buy it, so Li Mengchun paid for it.” Sanwa looked at Song Chunxue. “Li Mengchun’s father even asked about you and we chatted for a bit.”
"Hmph," the fourth brother snorted, "He's not as sad as we imagine. His brother and niece-in-law died, but he acts like nothing happened and can chat with everyone."
Sanwa chimed in, "Maybe he's just pretending because he doesn't want to be laughed at for what he did."
Song Chunxue didn't say anything, but hearing about it again still made her feel sorry for Li Tang's wife.
After such a big incident, the people in the village went to bed early at night because it felt chilly and scary to go out at night. She didn't even dare to go outside to get the chamber pot.
It is said that people who die violently harbor resentment, let alone women who attempt suicide during their postpartum period.
"How is that child?" Jiang Hongying asked with a pained expression. "He's such a small child, still breastfeeding. His mother just left like that. What will he eat?"
She raised her hand and touched the back of Xiujuan's head. "Although Xiujuan is a girl, I still love her just the same. How could that silly woman be so heartless? What difference does it make whether she lives or not?"
Song Chunxue thought to herself that if they knew that the woman had stayed by the child's side after her death and watched the child grow up, it might terrify them.
"She probably acted impulsively in a fit of anger and didn't think things through. She must have regretted it later. It's not worth ruining her own life for someone else." Song Chunxue patted the pillow. "Aren't you all going to sleep?"
Just then, footsteps were heard in the courtyard.
The fourth brother was so frightened that he jumped onto the kang (a heated brick bed) and stared at the doorway in terror.
Xiujuan was terrified by him and quickly burrowed into Sanwa's arms, crying loudly.
The next moment, Jiang Yeming lifted the curtain and came in.
Noticing everyone was looking at him, he asked expressionlessly:
"What's wrong? I came in because I saw your lights were still on. I forgot to boil water tonight. I'm thirsty. Do you have any water?"
Everyone stared at him intently, never expecting him to come in.
Song Chunxue moved her lips, a complex expression flashing across her eyes.
“It’s on the table. You’re drinking it all by yourself. It’s kind of scary,” Jiang Hongying pointed to the table. “How did you get in? Wasn’t the front door closed from the inside?”
"It wasn't closed. I saw the door was a crack open and came in. Otherwise, would I have climbed over the wall?" Jiang Yeming picked up the earthenware pot and gulped down a few mouthfuls. "I might as well have drunk the raw water from the cellar."
Speaking of cellars, everyone thought of the water cellar at Li Tang's house, which is definitely unusable now.
It's a bit of a shame; all that hard work digging those water cellars will have to be avoided in the future.
"Boss, aren't you scared?" Jiang Hongying couldn't help but ask. "Why don't you go back to sleep? There's no yard to keep you safe outside. It's unsettling to even think about it."
"What are you afraid of?" Jiang Yeming sat on a low wooden stump on the ground. "What are you talking about? Let me hear it."
He continued, “That day I was sitting in the vegetable garden, thinking of cutting some of my mother’s chives, when I heard a child scream shrilly. The crying was so heart-wrenching. Soon after, the people downstairs were frantically calling for help, saying that someone had jumped into the cellar. I couldn’t move and couldn’t help much, so I didn’t go.”
As he spoke, he looked at his leg and said to Song Chunxue, "I've now experienced how painful it is to be hit by Mother's stick. I'll never dare to go against Mother again."
The fourth brother glanced at the third brother, his expression as if to say, "Look, the sun has risen in the west."
Song Chunxue also found it strange. Had her boss suddenly become so shameless, trying to find ways to chat with them?
Isn't his heart only for Ah Feng? How come he suddenly changed his mind?
That's really strange.
"You know that's good. Don't make me angry in the future. Whoever makes me angry, I'll hit them, equally." Song Chunxue laughed at him. "What if Afeng gets scared and can't stay with you anymore?"
“She didn’t eat with me tonight, so I made buckwheat noodles myself,” he said, then seemed to remember something. “Oh right, Mom, could you share some of your fermented rice water? Chen Feng doesn’t know how to make fermented rice water, so it’s gone bad and smells terrible. It’s so hot, and I’m so thirsty without any sour rice to eat.”
Jiang Hongying stared wide-eyed at Song Chunxue with a slightly comical expression.
She practically said, "Mom, look! The eldest son was reincarnated just like you."
Song Chunxue glared at her and pinched her foot, which was fidgeting, under the covers.
"Okay, you can scoop some up yourself tomorrow, just pick a few radishes and toss them with the leaves. You can cook too, so if others won't cook, you can cook for yourself. It's not difficult at all. If you don't know how, I'll teach you."
The eldest brother grinned foolishly, "Hey, I'll come and scoop some up tomorrow, but don't hit me."
"You asked for it openly, so it's up to you whether you give it to me or not. Why did you hit me? What if you took it secretly..."
"Mother, I was wrong. You've cured me of my habit of secretly taking things. Don't say it, it's embarrassing just thinking about it." Jiang Yeming lowered his head and admitted his mistake for the first time ever. "I'm sorry, I've disappointed you."
Upon hearing this, everyone in the north room, except for the still immature Xiujuan, was stunned, staring at each other with wide eyes, not knowing what to say.
Song Chunxue also found it strange and frowned. "What's wrong with you? Are you scared of Chen Feng and think your mother is better?"
“No,” Jiang Yeming said dejectedly, “I realized I was pretty stupid before. I did whatever she said. I was so foolish. I suddenly lost my way after marrying a wife.”
"..." Song Chunxue thought to herself, she knew her own children. The eldest son had never had any self-awareness in his life. He was stubborn and foolish, the kind of person who wouldn't shed a tear even when he saw a coffin.
The eldest son, who hadn't called her "mother" for over forty years, has also been reborn?
Is he up to some mischief again?
"Tell me honestly, you're so willing to admit you're wrong today, you don't want something, do you? Just say it straight, don't beat around the bush. You're the kind of person who'd rather break than bend, how could you possibly admit your mistake willingly?"
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