Seeing this, Song Anxin didn't interfere much and let the two brothers handle it themselves.
She then went to Aunt Tietou's house. After all, she was the one who sent Lin Gangzi to jail, and she felt no remorse. If it weren't for him, her whole family would have suffered. Song Anxin had no intention of being merciful. The villagers said that when news of Lin Gangzi's imprisonment spread, Liu Xiuhong was so frightened that she miscarried. Aunt Fangtou immediately took her home to recuperate after childbirth. It has to be said that Liu Xiuhong has a loving mother.
They soon arrived at Aunt Tietou's courtyard. Her house was quiet; there wasn't a soul in the yard. She stood at the gate and called out:
Is Aunt Tie Tou home?
It was Liu Hong'er who came out. Liu Hong'er acted as if nothing had happened. Song Anxin thought she was a very interesting person. Last time when Zhang's brother and sister-in-law came, when Lin Gangzi was arrested and interrogated, she pretended to cry. Now that Lin Gangzi was really in jail, she didn't seem sad at all. There was no resentment in her eyes.
Liu Xiuhong was so frightened that she miscarried. Indeed, there is no sorrow without love. Liu Hong'er seems to be living a very clear-headed life.
"Why is Aunt Lin here? My father-in-law went to Heyang County to inquire about something, and my mother-in-law... she was in a bad mood and went out for a walk," Liu Hong'er said.
Song Anxin said, "Where did Aunt Tietou go? I'll go find her."
Liu Hong'er hesitated, wanting to speak but holding back. She didn't care about Lin Gangzi, that scoundrel, but although Lin Gangzi's mother sometimes cursed, she had indeed taken good care of her, who was pregnant. Liu Hong'er wasn't made of stone and knew right from wrong. After hesitating for a moment, she finally spoke:
“It’s over on the hillside, but my mother-in-law might not want to see you, Auntie.”
"Thank you, I know I'll know what I'm doing." Song Anxin turned and went to find Aunt Tietou.
The reason Liu Hong'er told her this was because she felt that Aunt Lin was a reliable person during her time in Linjia Village, and she hoped that Lin Gangzi's mother could be more open-minded.
When Song Anxin walked to the edge of the hillside, she saw Aunt Tietou sitting there all by herself. The late autumn afternoon sun was slowly setting, and the evening breeze made people unconsciously hug themselves and shiver.
She sat there motionless, seemingly oblivious, her face expressionless, though upon closer inspection her eyes were still red and swollen, and there were still tear stains on her face.
Seeing this, Song Anxin sighed and silently sat down beside her. Only then did Aunt Tietou notice, mechanically turning her head. Upon seeing it was her, her eyes flickered slightly as she spoke:
"Although my Gangzi framed your family first, and he deserved it for his own stupidity, I'm not so kind as to not hold a grudge against you."
Song Anxin said calmly, "I'm here to tell you about Lin Gangzi's verdict. Lin Gangzi will probably be exiled to the northern frontier for twenty years to do hard labor. As a mother, you will naturally resent me, and I accept that."
Aunt Tietou listened, her lips moving in a daze, "Twenty years... Northern Frontier..." Then her low sobs grew louder and louder, "Ah, oh... Gangzi... my son..."
Song Anxin remained silent beside her. Although it was said to be twenty years, everyone knew that being exiled to the cold and harsh northern frontier for hard labor was something that most people couldn't endure until they returned. They might die on the way. Lin Gangzi might never return in his life, and Aunt Tietou might never see her son again before she died.
Aunt Tietou cried loudly for a long time before gradually stopping. She then began to speak intermittently:
“I know I’m the one who ruined Gangzi. I didn’t raise him well. After I married into the Lin family, I gave birth to four daughters in a row, and my husband’s family cursed me every day for not being able to give birth to a son. I was looked down upon by the villagers…”
She seemed to have taken Song Anxin as a confidante and began to tell her about her experiences.
"Until I gave birth to Gangzi... Gangzi's birth gave me a confidence I'd never felt before. I could curse people without restraint and walk with my head held high in the village... I cherished this son so much, I was afraid he'd break if I held him in my hands, afraid he'd melt if I kept him in my mouth. I indulged him in everything, even sending him to school, something so precious, with my husband and I gritting our teeth and making the sacrifice..."
But I was wrong. How could I have raised him to be so wicked? How could I have let him lose all conscience and harm people? I know he deserves it... but he is, after all, my precious son... How can I not be heartbroken? No matter how bad he is, he is still my son...
"Fengnian's mother, I'm not as lucky as you. You gave birth to four sons, all of whom are obedient and filial to you. I really envy you... I don't want to be like this either, but what can I do? I have to survive in my husband's family..."
Song Anxin sighed inwardly. Women in this era truly suffered. You might say their preference for sons over daughters is despicable, or that their dependence on men makes them feudal women, but that's just how this era was—oppression, moral constraints, feudal traditions…
If she hadn't received a modern education, she probably would have thought similarly to them. After all, she wasn't from this era, and sometimes she wasn't qualified to judge them.
Life is full of hardships, and everyone is struggling fiercely in life.
When Song Anxin returned home, Lin Li was waiting for her. Upon seeing her, he excitedly rushed over and said:
“Fengnian’s mother, I’ve chosen a piece of land for your family. Go and take a look, what do you think?”
Song Anxin thought to herself that the village head was really a man of action.
She followed the village head to an open space. The village head had chosen a very good location for her house. This wasteland was on the side of the main road in front of her house. On the other side of the road in front of her house was an endless field. Beyond the field was a wide river, the Donghe River, with the hills reflected in the water. The view was truly excellent.
Song Anxin sincerely thanked him, saying, "Uncle, I'm very satisfied with this land. Thank you for finding such a good location for me. This place is probably about five acres, and I've bought it all. I want to build a four-courtyard house, which needs to be completed within a month and we can move in before the dead of winter. Uncle, how many people do you think I'll need to hire to build this house?"
She doesn't know much about building houses, and her sons are all young, so she has to rely on experienced elders like the village head for many things.
Lin Li's face showed astonishment: "Fengnian's mother, you are now a young woman, so it is only right that you build a four-courtyard house. But if it is to be completed within a month, you will need to hire at least twenty skilled bricklayers, a dozen carpenters, and over a hundred workers. This is no small expense."
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