Chapter Thirty-Two is almost over.
Shu Yao got promoted and looks radiant every day. Sometimes, when she looks at herself in the mirror, she's a little dazed—is that really her, such a bright and beautiful woman? During this time, raising two children, she shows no signs of fatigue; her face only reflects contentment and happiness.
"Honey, it's the weekend, how about we take the kids to the department store?"
"good."
After washing up, she took care of her skincare routine, while he washed and dressed the two children, applying moisturizer to them. He carried one child in each arm into the house, and the little ones ran to their mother as soon as they were put down.
"Mother,"
"Mother,"
"Sweetie, we're going to the department store today to get you both some cookies."
The family of four happily set off, each with a child seat strapped to the front crossbar of their bicycles. Each of them carried one child, and the couple rode off into the street.
Grandma Sun went out to get some water and happened to see this scene, which made her furious again. One of them returned, cursing and swearing, while the old man in the yard looked up and glared at her.
"What are you nagging about now?"
"Shuyao and her family of four were happily riding their bikes down the street. Tell me, if I didn't see her, I wouldn't care. But now that she's in front of me every day, it's so upsetting. She's been with us for over ten years, yet she's gone to another family to have children and live a happy life. What kind of nonsense is this?"
“...ungrateful wretch.”
The old man remained silent for a long time before suddenly uttering those three words, his eyes filled with hatred. Years ago, it took him two years to finally choose Shu Yao from among many human traffickers. The twelve-year-old girl was beautiful, gentle yet resolute. Moreover, she had already graduated from junior high school and received a good education.
Later events proved his judgment correct. After liberation, when the household no longer had servants, it was Shu Yao who single-handedly took care of all the work. The daughter-in-law he had chosen, of excellent character, had now betrayed them.
"She's an ingrate! If we hadn't bought her, she'd be long gone. Now she's bearing children for others, while our family..."
It's been over a year, and my daughter-in-law finally got pregnant, but before we even knew, she miscarried. To make matters worse, it was my son who fell off his bike. I can't even scold her for being useless. All I can do is angrily cook her rice porridge, hoping she'll recover quickly.
"With so little food a month, life is really tough."
Having lived this long, this is the first time I've truly experienced the devastation of famine. In the past, his family owned a grain store, and famine years were when they made money. Things are different now; this year, they're starving and panicking.
"Add an extra handful of rice to her rice porridge."
The old woman frowned: "There's hardly any grain left."
"Only by taking good care of my health can I carry on the family line." He sighed, feeling increasingly weak this year. His son was born in middle age, and now they are getting old. In these circumstances, he fears he might die before seeing the next generation; he would die with regrets.
Having lived together for a lifetime, the old woman naturally knew what he was thinking. She grabbed another handful of millet into the pot and stood there sighing as well. She had given birth to her son in her thirties, and now she was almost sixty. Some people her age should be great-grandmothers, but she hadn't even become a grandmother.
Looking at Shu Yao's beautiful and adorable twins, it would be a lie to say he wasn't envious. If she hadn't left, wouldn't they be the Sun family's children? If they had grandchildren, the old couple could die in peace.
There's an old saying that Old Man Sun inherited from his father: "Raising a son but never seeing a grandson is a waste of time." In his youth, he tried many methods to have a son. So many women, but in the end, it was his wife who gave birth to a son. How happy he was then! But now, his health is declining, and he hasn't even seen a glimpse of a grandson.
Listening to the two children babbling next door, his heart felt as if it were being slashed by knives again and again. Shu Yao, the wife he had prepared for his son, was now bearing children for someone else and continuing the family line.
With the Chinese New Year approaching, Shu Yao prepared new clothes for her whole family. She would sew whenever she had a spare moment after work. Aunt Xu, a neighbor from the east end of the street, didn't have a sewing machine, so she came to borrow some pre-cut trousers from Shu Yao.
"Okay, please use it."
Aunt Xu was very happy and chatted with her while she worked. "Old Man Sun seems to have some kind of illness, emphysema or something, he said he can't breathe. He was hoping to have a grandson, but he miscarried."
Aunt Xu lowered her voice and leaned closer to her: "We've all been saying behind their backs that the Sun family is bad-natured and deserves it."
Shu Yao didn't say much about it. With someone like Sun Yaozu, it was uncertain whose child Meng Xi was carrying. She had personally witnessed Meng Xi and her former husband, Wu Erhu, being very intimate, with Wu Erhu showering her with attention.
Now that the child is gone, Meng Xi actually felt a sense of relief. There's an old saying that you shouldn't have a child secretly, because as the child grows up, they'll show their parents' genes. Some look very alike, and you can tell at a glance. She had been worried; doing so was somewhat risky. Of course, having her husband's child was better.
Luckily, she went back to her husband's family home. If she had stayed at her parents' house, how could she face anyone now? With a label of "adultery" attached to her, she would lose her job and wouldn't be able to survive.
Her in-laws felt it was Sun Yaozu's mistake, so their attitude towards her improved considerably. Moreover, her pregnancy proved she could give birth, which eased their anxiety. She knew her own situation and felt indebted to her in-laws and husband, so she didn't hold grudges, and for a time, the Sun family became much more harmonious.
Shu Yao's work went smoothly after she took over as workshop director. At the end of the year, the factory disposed of a batch of defective products. She picked out several pieces, including floral fabrics and fabrics suitable for men's clothing.
"Su Xiangdong, try this on, does it look good?" She was holding a piece of gray fabric, thinking of making him a Zhongshan suit.
"It's fine." He smiled as he looked at the fabric, then quickly went to look at the child. "Make yourself a few more, don't worry about me, I have enough to wear."
"Last year I made a single-layer shirt, this year I'll make you a lined shirt to wear for the New Year."
Being close to the source of the goods gives you an advantage; that's one of the benefits of working in a textile factory. Handling defective products and fabric scraps—these are all done by internal employees, so they don't need receipts.
“I’m a little worried about Zhou Dalin. Given his father’s condition, I told him he could ask me for help if he needed anything, but it’s been over a month and I haven’t seen him. I don’t know how he is.”
"You know his house, right? I'll go with you to take a look this afternoon."
"good."
His wife has no other relatives here besides him, so it's not easy for her to find someone she gets along with. Since the person calls her "sister," it's no big deal for her to take care of her.
In the afternoon, the couple rode their bikes to the Zhou family's house and ran into the neighbors at the door who were talking about the Zhou family. "Poor thing, such a big kid, and his dad beat him so badly he can't get out of bed."
“I was thinking of bringing him some water yesterday, but the door was locked. His father, that drunkard, goes out drinking and locks the door. Doesn't he worry about him starving to death?”
"Alas, how pitiful. But every family is struggling, and there's no way to give them an extra bite to eat."
"well,"
A collective sigh escaped; everyone was truly powerless to help. They only talked behind his back, but no one ever actually brought him a meal. Old Mrs. Hao brought him some rice porridge once, which was practically water.
Shu Yao went to the door of the south room and, sure enough, found it locked. She pushed it open a crack and saw a person lying on the bed inside.
"Dalin, Dalin, can you get up? I've come to see you."
Zhou Dalin lay unconscious on the bed. Three days ago, his father had attacked him with a bottle, smashing his skull open over a single remark. He was dizzy and unable to get up. He had only drunk half a bowl of rice porridge in the past three days, and now he was in a daze, trapped in a dream.
Su Xiangdong looked inside and then outside: "Calling him won't do any good. The lock is on the outside."
"What should we do?" Shu Yao asked anxiously. Such a kind child, we can't just leave her like this.
"Move aside, I'm going to break the lock."
"Huh? Can it work?"
"It's nothing." He turned to look at his neighbors, cupped his hands in a gesture of thanks, and said, "Please bear witness, Zhou Dalin was unconscious and unresponsive. We broke into his house because we were worried about his safety. We are definitely not criminals."
"Oh, oh,"
"Go ahead and pry it open, we'll be your witnesses."
People at that time were very simple and honest, and the neighbors all knew each other. As long as there was a witness, there was basically no responsibility for such things. Someone came to his house and brought a fire poker, and the man inserted the iron tool and easily pried open the lock.
As everyone entered the room, Zhou Dalin was indeed found unconscious. The cloth wrapped around his head was stained with both old and new blood, and his face was also covered in blood, making him look both pitiful and terrifying.
The women were soft-hearted; they all covered their mouths, some even wiping away tears. Su Xiangdong didn't say anything more, simply picked them up and carried them away.
The couple worked together to take the person to the hospital, where an examination revealed a concussion. Another cause of the coma was severe malnutrition.
"How could you be so hungry? You haven't eaten for days."
He was given an IV drip in the emergency room to replenish glucose. Shu Yao had brought food with her when she arrived, and the couple waited at the hospital for several hours before he finally woke up.
Seeing Shu Yao, he was momentarily dazed, thinking he was dreaming. "Sister,"
"Yes, it's me. What's wrong with you, kid? I told you to come to me if you needed anything, how did you end up like this at home?"
"sorry."
"Why are you apologizing? You didn't do anything wrong."
Su Xiangdong helped him up, and Shu Yao fed him. A lunchbox of mixed grain porridge and a boiled egg. He was completely numb, and ate it mechanically and subconsciously. Only then did tears well up in his dry eyes.
"Okay, stop crying."
The doctor recommended that he stay in the hospital for observation overnight, and if he didn't vomit again due to the concussion, he could be discharged. Shu Yao paid the hospital fees and told him to stay in the hospital without worry.
The couple left the hospital, Su Xiangdong frowning. No wonder his wife was worried; the child was truly pitiful. How could they have such a father—irresponsible and an alcoholic? He showed no pity for his child whatsoever; it was practically torture.
"This kind of relief isn't a solution. That's his father, and he's a persistent problem."
"What should we do then?"
“He’s twenty years old this year (by Chinese reckoning), let him join the army.” Once he’s in the army, he’ll be completely free from his father, and this drunkard definitely won’t dare to cause trouble there. Besides, even if he goes, the army won’t let him get away with it.
"Will it work?"
"Ask him what he thinks. There's no better way than to completely break away from him as your father."
The couple discussed how to help him, but that evening, Shu Yao ran into Sun Yaozu again when she went to the restroom. "You've brought trouble upon yourself; it will be too late to regret it then."
She stopped in her tracks. "Just say what you have to say, stop beating around the bush. If you don't want to talk, then get lost, I don't care."
"Shu Yao, you are utterly ungrateful."
"You're talking about yourself, aren't you?"
"You, hmph, you're asking for it, I don't care about you."
Sun Yaozu still didn't say anything, thinking angrily, "With your attitude, I'll wait and see what you'll do." He waited with conflicted feelings, only to receive news that Zhou Dalin had joined the army.
He was of suitable age, and his health would be fine after a period of rest. Malnutrition had been prevalent in the past two years, so the requirements were appropriately relaxed. Zhou Dalin, with tears in his eyes, embarked on his new life, too excited to know how to thank his sister and brother-in-law.
They were strangers, yet they cared so much for him, making such plans for him. He was still thin, but after a period of proper nutrition, he had regained his health. He looked thin, but his physical strength was actually quite good. Over the years at the ironworks, he had developed considerable strength and stamina.
Sun Yaozu was completely stunned. How could things have turned out this way? In his previous life, at this time, Zhou Dalin had already killed two people, been sentenced to death, and shot. One was his father, and the other was his father's friend.
Both of them were close to him, and it was said that his friend frequently visited his home. Isn't it supposed to be that whoever is closest to him suffers? How did he end up being assigned to the army?
Shu Yao hadn't paid attention to this matter, and she had never been to watch executions at Nanda Ditch. She had absolutely no recollection of it. Now, she simply felt sorry for the man and wanted to lend him a hand.
Meng Xi had also heard about this. Seeing him come back looking distraught, she asked him what was wrong. "I heard that guy is quite pitiful. He was beaten by his father since he was a child. After graduating from junior high school, he had to do such heavy work for his father, and his father took all his wages. He's 1.7 meters tall but weighs less than 100 pounds. He's skin and bones."
"A murderer,"
"What did you say?" Meng Xi asked, not having heard what he said clearly.
"It's nothing." It's best not to mention things that haven't happened. But he frowned deeply. A murderer in his past life—how could he possibly be a good person in this one? Shu Yao, don't cry when you're betrayed. How stupid of you, to be reborn and still not know you're a murderer.
Shu Yao sent him to join the army, and watching him being driven away on a truck wearing a big red flower, she finally felt relieved. He had been exploited by his father for many years, and if this continued, he would suffer mental health problems. He had seemed somewhat dazed before, and it took him two days of treatment in the hospital to improve.
There were two snowfalls during the winter, neither of which were particularly heavy. And the affected area was small; I heard that many places didn't get any snow at all during the entire winter. Spring has arrived and the drought is still severe; even those in the city who don't farm know the situation remains dire.
There's hardly any refined grain left; you have to wait for the right time to buy it. Shuyao is very frugal, saving the wheat flour for her two children and giving them the few eggs she has.
"Have one too." Su Xiangdong made her a poached egg and put it in her bowl. "Don't just think about the child, you have to take care of yourself too. Women are prone to anemia, you can't eat like this every day, and even if you're pregnant, don't neglect yourself."
The two children nodded in agreement with their father: "Mom, eat."
These things weren't easy to come by, but things were much better now than in his previous life. Su Xiangdong basically never let his family go hungry; all of their salaries went towards supplementing their nutrition. Money could be saved up later; the priority now was to get through this period.
"Okay, thank you, baby."
In March, my third uncle came to visit. The old man had lost a lot of weight and wasn't as arrogant as before. He spoke to me politely.
“Xiangdong, you know how tough things are right now. How about this: I'll bring your family some of my grain, and I'll eat here from now on. Your two children need someone to look after them, so this is a win-win situation.”
Su Xiangdong hesitated for a moment. He had previously told his third aunt that she would continue to help and that he would pay her a monthly salary. But this couldn't be told to others; publicly, it would still be his third aunt helping. Now that his third uncle had brought it up, what should he do if his third aunt also wanted to take care of his husband?
He knew his third uncle's character all too well; he wasn't willing to share meals with him for long. Last year, he helped his cousin by providing food for her three children for over four months. Later, his cousin proactively asked him to stop twice, saying that her family was doing alright and that she was very grateful to them.
But my third uncle isn't like my cousin; he's the type to take an inch and then a mile. If you dare to back down, he'll dare to take three steps forward.
"No way," Auntie said bluntly. "Let's get a divorce and go our separate ways. Don't keep asking me to do anything for you."
"What?" Uncle San was dumbfounded. He was over sixty years old, and he never expected his wife to make such a request.
"Are you crazy? How old are we? You actually want a divorce? Aren't you afraid people will laugh at you and talk behind your back?"
"What do I have to be afraid of?" Auntie San said with a defiant attitude. "I'm living a life I was given by chance, so I can do whatever I want."
Without Su Xiangdong having to make things difficult, Third Aunt had Third Uncle under her thumb all by herself. "You want me to go home? No way." She stayed with her nephew, where she received room and board, a monthly salary, and most importantly, she lived with dignity. No one would give her a hard time.
If she goes home, her son will definitely send the child to her to look after. She'll end up doing all the work for no reward, being exploited while she's still capable. And if anything happens, they'll all run away faster than her. She's spent most of her life devoted to her children; she's not that foolish to continue sacrificing for them now that she's old and can't be relied upon.
Auntie didn't want to go home, and Uncle glared at her angrily. "If you don't go back, I'll have to take care of my grandson at my son's place. My legs are killing me from exhaustion every day, how can you be so heartless?"
"You think I'm heartless just because you're tired from taking care of the kids? Before, when I was at home taking care of the kids, cooking, and doing laundry, you would scold me when you were unhappy, and you wouldn't take me to see a doctor when I was sick. What kind of person are you? You're a heartless wretch."
"I..." Uncle San was a little choked up when he mentioned this, "But you're fine now, aren't you?"
"That's because of Xiang Dong and his wife. So I'm not going home, I'm staying with Xiang Dong. You'd better not come here so often. We're going to get a divorce now, and when I die, I won't be buried with you."
"You old woman!"
The elderly couple started arguing, and Su Xiangdong quietly withdrew without getting involved. Shu Yao went out to play with him and the child, and on the way out, she overheard that his aunt was scolding him again. She even picked up a broom, ready to hit him.
"I've been spending a lot of time with several older women these past two years, and I've become much more assertive and outspoken."
"Hmm." Su Xiangdong smiled, mainly because he felt confident. "It's best if she can handle it herself. It's not good for outsiders to interfere in these kinds of family matters. The most important thing is the person involved. Like Zhou Dalin, he fought for it himself and then left home while his father was drunk. If you can't stand up for yourself, no one else can help you."
My third aunt wasn't joking; she really did find a comrade from the neighborhood committee to get a letter of introduction for her to file for divorce. My third uncle was frightened by her and didn't dare to visit his nephew's house so frequently anymore.
Her two sons, seeing how ruthless she was, tried to persuade her twice, but she scolded them away each time. Her aunt goes around telling people how heartless the father and sons were, how they refused to treat her illness and left her to die. She needs to gain public support first; otherwise, outsiders, not understanding the situation, might think Su Xiangdong was the one sowing discord between them.
"Thanks to Xiang Dong and his wife, otherwise I don't know how tall the grass would be on my grave by now."
My aunt has lived most of her life and understands the importance of public opinion very well. Being condemned by everyone can lead to death even without illness; spittle can drown a person, and a ruined reputation is a devastating blow. She absolutely cannot let her nephew and daughter-in-law bear such a bad reputation.
"Oh, I see. That explains why you've been helping your nephew take care of his child all this time."
"You're sick and they won't even give you any money? Neither of their sons cares about you either."
"That's right. How could you not feel heartbroken? I take care of my eldest son and grandson, but when I get sick, no one cares. I'm so grateful to Xiang Dong and his wife."
News of this spread very quickly, and soon everyone knew why she wasn't going home. Many women empathized with her and were filled with righteous indignation, vehemently condemning Su Laosan and his son. They called them heartless and ungrateful, saying it was no wonder the old lady wouldn't go home.
Shu Yao and her husband both went to work, while Third Aunt took the two children out to play. The matter that Su Lao San didn't want to be mentioned again was being widely publicized by her. The father and his two sons had originally planned to spread rumors that Su Xiangdong was holding their mother captive, but their mother had acted first, leaving them utterly humiliated.
Su Laosan no longer dared to go to his nephew's house. Every time, his wife would chase him out with a broom, leaving him with no face to hide.
The twins celebrated their second birthday, and the couple felt very reassured with their aunt taking care of them. Both were focused on their work, and when Shuyao got off work and saw the sky outside looking like it was about to rain, a surge of hope rose in her heart.
Things will start to ease in the second half of this year; this period of hunger will soon be over. I rode my bike home quickly, and right at the gate, I heard my two little ones bickering and playing. They're much more eloquent now, and their childish chatter is incredibly cute.
"Brother, you reap what you sow. Let's plant some cookies."
"Okay. But this pot contains Mom's impatiens."
“We can plant them next to it.”
"Then I'll go find a shovel to dig a hole."
"Should the cookies be whole or broken into pieces?"
"have no idea."
"Oh dear, brother, how come you didn't know?"
Little Su Hexu was looked down upon by his younger sister and squatted on the ground, unsure of what to say. Seeing his mother return, he happily got up to greet her. Although he's the same age as his sister, he always feels like the older brother and feels frustrated whenever he can't help her.
"Mom, am I stupid?"
"Of course not, we're just kids too."
"How should I grow mommy cookies?"
"Mom just told you two that you can't plant cookies. You two better put the flowerpots back in their original places."
Yiyi ran over and hugged her mother: "Why?"
Xu Xu hugged her other arm and asked the same question as her sister. "Yeah, Mom, why can't we plant cookies?"
Shu Yao was both amused and exasperated: "You two are like a walking encyclopedia of questions, asking so many questions every single day."
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