Lin Haodong stayed at home until late at night, but Liu Pianran did not return.
Looking back at home, after half a year, the tall stack of firewood in the yard was almost gone, and apart from some sweet potatoes and corn grits, there was hardly any rice in the house.
It was cold both inside and outside. The stove ran out of firewood by midnight, and even the few quilts huddled together inside were not enough to ward off the chill.
Lin's mother had damaged her health during childbirth when she was young, and for many years, she had never had to worry about the firewood at home; her husband had always been in charge of it.
After her husband passed away, her son took on the responsibility of supporting the family at a young age. Every year at the end of the year, the firewood piled up high, enough for them to burn until the spring.
However, Lin Haodong went away to study, and his mother and daughter-in-law Liu Pianran relied on each other in their hometown. Both of them had their own selfish motives and were unwilling to go to the house to chop firewood, so the firewood in the house was cut off early.
As early as half a month ago, Captain Chen discovered that the Lin family had not prepared firewood for the winter and even reminded the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law.
Liu Pianran simply hid in the city and didn't come back. When she returned to the brigade, she stayed in the educated youth dormitory, and even took the quilt that came with her dowry with her.
Anyway, the educated youth were diligent and collected a lot of firewood. She only needed to pay a few yuan to satisfy them, and they had no complaints about her lodging.
Having no other choice, Granny Lin went out and gathered some herself, then sought help from a few kind-hearted young men or women from the village. Unfortunately, they helped without any reward, and after a couple of times, they began to avoid Granny Lin.
Thanks to the help of the young girls and boys in the village, Granny Lin has managed to survive until now. Without their help, she might have frozen to death long ago.
Lin Haodong was both angry and helpless. He knew that his mother and wife were not hardworking people, but the two of them would rather freeze to death than collect firewood. He didn't know how to describe his feelings.
If it were Ji Xia, she would definitely find a way to make it right. Even if she didn't have time to chop firewood herself, she would ask her brother Ji Zhijun to help her pile up the woodpile.
Unfortunately, she was too petty and wouldn't let it go just because he made a small mistake.
Lin Haodong felt distressed, and even more so, he felt cold and hungry.
After a train ride of dozens of hours, I arrived home to find that I couldn't even get a hot meal or a firewood to light the stove.
He sent most of his monthly allowance back home, and he didn't have any children at home, yet he still managed to make a living like this. He really didn't want to go back to this house.
Because the blankets were too thin and not warm enough, the mother and son rested side by side in one room.
Fortunately, after dawn, the sky finally cleared up, and both the rain and snow stopped outside.
The mother and son cooked some sweet potato and wild vegetable porridge at home and ate until they were half full.
Lin Haodong, dressed in tattered clothes, carried a machete and rope up the mountain and cut two bundles of semi-dry firewood.
He was busy until the afternoon. He touched his empty stomach and was about to ask his mother if she had cooked anything delicious when Granny Lin dragged him away.
The two trudged through the muddy grass, their heavy shoes already soaked through. Then, Lin's mother said in a low voice, "We've arrived. Let's wait here for a bit. That adulterous couple will be here soon."
Lin Haodong's face was gloomy as he hid behind the damp bushes with his mother, feeling both pain and anger in his heart.
After waiting for a while without seeing Chen Zhang and Liu Pianran appear, Lin's mother muttered, "Why haven't they shown up today? Is it because it's raining that they're not coming?"
Lin Haodong suddenly asked, "Mother, is it true that Pianran and Chen Zhang are having an affair?"
You think I lied on purpose?
Lin's mother's face darkened. That wretched woman never did any work properly and spoke in a coquettish way, as if she were flirting with a man. Countless women in the village had told her to keep an eye on her daughter-in-law.
She cursed venomously under her breath, "Ask any of the older women in the village. In the past six months, countless people have asked me to discipline their daughters-in-law and stop them from seducing men everywhere. If I'm lying, may I be struck by lightning!"
"Mother, why are you saying this? Won't this make us a laughingstock?"
The mother and son were arguing about Liu Pianran when they suddenly heard the rustling sound of footsteps on the grass and leaves. They immediately stopped talking and looked in the direction of the sound.
Before long, they indeed saw Liu Pianran's figure appear in the small valley.
Liu Pianran wore a stylish and thick dark red long cotton coat, with a thick turtleneck sweater underneath. The coat reached her knees, and she wore a pair of black lambskin boots.
Her hair was as black as ink, her pretty face was as delicate as jade, her bright eyes sparkled, and even her cherry-like lips were coated with lip rouge, making her incredibly beautiful. She was dressed like a city girl, and it was obvious at a glance that she was living a very good life.
Then compare it to her own mother's miserable life, with thin and old cotton clothes, no heating at all, and only sweet potatoes and corn grits in the house. The contrast is too much.
Lin Haodong glared fiercely at Liu Pianran, and at this moment he believed his mother's words without a doubt.
If she wasn't having an affair with another man, why would she dress like this?
Lin Haodong was about to rush out, but his mother grabbed him, saying, "Don't rush. Wait until the adulterer comes out, then we'll catch him red-handed. They won't admit it until we catch them red-handed."
Lin Haodong had no choice but to suppress his eagerness and hide behind the bushes, waiting quietly for Chen Zhang to appear.
The two didn't wait long. About ten minutes later, Liu Pianran was getting a little impatient when Chen Zhang finally appeared carrying a small cardboard box.
Upon seeing Chen Zhang, Liu Pianran couldn't help but smile with a mixture of surprise and delight: "Brother Chen, you've finally arrived! I've been waiting for you for so long. Why is this box so small?"
Her voice was sweet and delicate, so soft it seemed to drip with water, making the two people secretly watching her grind their teeth in hatred.
Chen Zhang also wore a thick new cotton coat. He placed the cardboard box on a dry stone and couldn't help but rub his hands together.
"It's too cold, so I only bought about thirty cotton-padded coats. The rest are all wool thermal sweaters. Here are eight samples. Take a look. And have you prepared the money from last time?"
"Ready? Here you go."
As Liu Pianran spoke, she pulled a bulging envelope from her pocket: "Brother Chen, the goods from last time haven't been completely sold out yet. I'll pay you back eight hundred yuan first, and I'll pay you back the remaining seven hundred yuan later, okay?"
Her voice was sweet and soft, and as she handed over the envelope, she suddenly hooked Chen Zhang's palm with her little finger.
Chen Zhang felt a sudden rush of light in his head, and before he could react, his dark face flushed red, and his eyes involuntarily darted away.
Liu Pianran smiled faintly, about to say something more, when she suddenly heard someone behind her shout angrily: "You bitch, Chen Zhang, you bastard, I'll fuck your mother—"
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