After Liu Xiong took Xiao Huzi away from Fengming Mountain, Ruan Cuizhi's life returned to normal again. There was not much difference from the previous ten days. After all, the villagers were talking about her divorce.
Now let's continue the discussion, of course, it's still the same old stuff, nothing new.
Ruan Cuizhi's affairs had an impact on Ruan Xi, but not a big one. She doesn't care about the opinions of outsiders, and her daily routine is to go to the old tailor's house to practice painting and learn from Ling Yao. The old tailor and Ling Yao don't care about these things in the village.
Although the Ruan family's affairs with Ruan Cuizhi were talked about, they had lived in the same village for decades, and few people would embarrass the Ruan family in public. Gossip is something that happens in private, and when it comes to others, it's just the same as usual.
When it’s time to greet someone, say hello; when it’s time to call someone uncle, say uncle; when it’s time to call someone aunt, say aunt.
The divorce of the Ruan family has nothing to do with other families' affairs. They can talk about it, but they won't get involved.
So as long as you don't feel ashamed or embarrassed, everything will be the same as before.
Since they already had a good relationship, they would still ask Ruan Cuizhi with concern what to do next.
After all, divorce is not a big deal in this era. It is difficult to get a divorce, and it is still difficult after the divorce. Everyone around her is worried about her.
Of course, people like Ruan Changgui and Sun Xiaohui who felt that Ruan Cuizhi's affairs were getting in the way would turn cold towards their hometown. They would see each other every day and ignore her, for fear that Ruan Cuizhi's affairs would bring trouble to them.
The old ladies Zhao, Li and Hu might have been afraid that Liu Xinghua would be affected and in a bad mood, so they came to see Liu Xinghua more often recently. They all came to talk to her, do needlework with her and chat about family matters.
They did not shy away from the topic of Ruan Cuizhi and only asked Liu Xinghua: "What will Cuizhi do in the future?"
Liu Xinghua didn't think there was anything shameful to say, so she said openly, "Wait for the Liu guy to agree, and go through the formalities. Our Cuizhi is only thirty years old, what is there to worry about? Xiaoxi also said that when she learns the craft from the old tailor, she will teach it to her third aunt. If she can become a tailor, then there will be no worries."
Hearing this, the three old ladies became curious and asked, "By the way, your daughter Xiaoxi has been learning the craft from the old tailor for a while, right? How is she doing? They say that the old tailor can't teach apprentices."
Liu Xinghua said honestly: "I have never seen her use a machine, so I really don't know how she is. But she said she has learned quite well. The old tailor likes her and is willing to teach her."
Grandma Li said, "Really? But I heard from people that the old tailor was not willing to teach Xiaoxi at all, and let her paint by herself every day. But your nephew is operating the machine every day."
Liu Xinghua sneered, "Isn't it Sun Xiaohui who went out to brag again?"
Grandma Hu smiled and said, "My son is promising and has learned a skill well. Who wouldn't want to show off?"
Liu Xinghua smiled and snorted, "If he has a future, it's his ability. I'm afraid he has no future at all. He doesn't even know his own weight. He keeps bragging and bragging. Don't let yourself get slapped in the face when the time comes."
Grandma Zhao looked at Liu Xinghua and said, "That's your grandson too."
Liu Xinghua took a breath and said, "I would rather not have given birth to a second child!"
She had thought that the second son and his wife were selfish before the family division, but this time Ruan Cuizhi's incident made her see clearly that these two people had no humanity at all. He is like this even to his own sister, let alone to others.
If my son is like this, what’s the point of talking about grandchildren?
The grandson is just a layer of scalp away, and he is several mountains away.
She wanted to wait and see what kind of enviable life the second brother's family could live with all their scheming. Can everyone become the thumb of this mountain and have a promising future?
Although we have entered autumn, the autumn heat is still strong and the daytime temperature has not dropped.
In the middle of September, the rice ears in the rice fields are full and golden, hanging down in strands and swaying in the wind.
As the autumn harvest season approaches, the terraces turn from the lush green of summer to golden yellow.
The joy of rural people probably comes in this season, in the harvest.
People say that Fengyan Village will have a very good harvest this year.
In the evening, Ruan Xi and Ruan Jie helped Ling Yao drive the pigs home. Whenever they met someone on the road, that person would have a faint smile on his or her face, and even the lines on his or her skin would emit a bright golden glow.
Ruan Xi and Ruan Jie walked home and greeted everyone they knew when they passed by.
When he was almost home, he saw a figure that only appeared in Ruan Xi's memory.
Ruan Jie recognized her first and ran up to greet her, "Fourth Aunt, why are you back?"
Hearing Ruan Jie call him like that, Ruan Xi matched the person in front of him with his fourth aunt Ruan Cuilan in his memory, and a sense of familiarity naturally emerged in his heart. She walked over to Ruan Jie and greeted her with a smile, "Fourth Aunt, you're back."
Ruan Cuilan looked at Ruan Xi and Ruan Jie and said with a smile, "You have grown a lot taller."
Ruan Jie put her arm around her, and the three of them went home together with Ruan Xi.
When she saw Liu Xinghua at home, Ruan Jie called out, "Grandma, Fourth Aunt is back."
Liu Xinghua looked up and saw Ruan Cuilan, and hurriedly stood up and asked, "How come you have time to come back at this time?"
Ruan Cuilan walked up to Liu Xinghua and said, "You didn't tell me. I just heard about the third sister's situation today, so I came here. I came to see her. How is she now?"
Liu Xinghua said: "She went to work in the production team and hasn't come back yet."
Ruan Cuilan looked at Liu Xinghua and said, "You can still go to work, which seems to be good."
Liu Xinghua patted her and said, "She married a man like this, suffered all these years, and then had such a scene. What's good about that? She just can't sit still. She has to work to feel at ease."
Ruan Cuilan sighed, "All these years I thought my third sister had a good life in town. Everyone said she had a good marriage, but it turns out she lives like this. I've been jealous of her for so many years, but it seems like it was all in vain."
Back then, Liu Xinghua found a family in the town for Ruan Cuizhi, but the one she found for her was still a family in the mountains. She even complained about Liu Xinghua being partial. Because of this, the relationship between her and Ruan Cuizhi has always been lukewarm.
Liu Xinghua looked at her and asked, "Why? Are you here to see your third sister make fun of you?"
Ruan Cuilan sighed, "Am I still a human being then?"
Liu Xinghua said, "If you are like your second brother and his wife, and are nothing, then I will beat you out with a broom right now, and you will never come back again. I will also pretend that I have never raised you."
Ruan Cuilan was curious, "What happened to my second brother and his wife?"
This is a long story. The last time Ruan Cuilan came back was during the Dragon Boat Festival, so she didn’t know about what had happened recently. If Ruan Cuizhi's affair hadn't become a big deal and spread far and wide, she wouldn't have known about it.
Liu Xinghua was about to speak when Sun Xiaohui and Ruan Cuizhi came back one after another, so she didn't say anything. When Sun Xiaohui entered her family's small kitchen, she watched Ruan Cuizhi approach and said to her, "Cuilan is back to see you."
Ruan Cuizhi walked up to Ruan Cuilan and said with a smile, "It's been a long time."
Ruan Cuilan looked at her and said, "That's because you're busy, Third Sister. You haven't come back for a few years. I thought life down in the mountains was too comfortable, and you despised our poverty and forgot about us."
Ruan Cuizhi was so embarrassed by what she said that Liu Xinghua reached out and patted her, "If you can't speak, go back."
Ruan Cuilan smiled and put her arm around Ruan Cuizhi's. "My sister knows I can't speak."
Ruan Cuizhi raised her head and smiled, "Come in and sit down and have a drink of water."
With that, the mother and her two daughters went into the house, poured some water, sat down, and let Ruan Cuilan drink some water and take a break.
Ruan Xi and Ruan Jie did not follow in. They were busy outside cutting grass and chopping pig food.
Liu Xinghua, Ruan Cuizhi and Ruan Cuilan were talking about Liu Xiong in the room and Ruan Cuizhi's divorce. Ruan Cuilan cursed Liu Xiong's ancestors with all kinds of dirty words, but because she had a son, she didn't curse her for having no descendants.
After cursing, she drank some water and said, "Third sister, you are too honest. If it were me, I would have packed up my things and ran away the first time he hit me, leaving his son to starve. Men like this should be single for the rest of their lives!"
Ruan Cuizhi took a deep breath and said nothing.
Ruan Cuilan looked at her and asked again: "When Liu Xiong beat you, where were the four children? They just watched?"
Ruan Cuizhi said: "At the beginning, they were still young. When they saw me being beaten, they would cry and ask dad to stop beating them. But Liu Xiong would be fierce to them and would not allow them to cry. He would lock them in the room. Later, they got used to it. Maybe they thought it was normal for dad to beat mom, just like drinking water and eating."
Ruan Cuilan said unceremoniously: "Third sister, this is your fault. Who told you to endure it?"
Ruan Cuizhi admitted this and nodded, "It's true that I'm useless."
Ruan Cuilan felt distressed when she saw her like this, and reached out to hold her hand, "After all, Liu Xiong is a piece of shit. You are doing this for the children, but who knows that these children have no heart and cannot see your suffering. They don't know how much you have suffered for them. It's not too late to think it through now. I support you. You must break up with him completely!"
Ruan Cuizhi nodded again, "Yeah."
Ruan Cuilan added, "If you ask me, you should stop caring about the four children. From what I see, they won't feel sorry for you. Liu Xiong doesn't beat them. They are on their father's side. They have food and drink and are taken care of. They don't care about your life or death. You think about them all, but they don't think about you at all. They don't see how much you have suffered. You are getting a divorce now, and the Liu family doesn't know what to say about you. The four children will probably think you are bad and say you are cruel and don't want them."
Ruan Cuizhi took a deep breath and said calmly, "I want to manage it, but what can I do?"
From the moment she decided to break up with Liu Xiong, she could no longer take care of the four children as they became members of the Liu family.
Ruan Cuilan said bluntly: "Then just be ruthless and pretend you never gave birth. Since you have decided to divorce and will not go back, I dare to guarantee you that these four children will not recognize you in the future."
Seeing that Ruan Cuizhi didn't say anything, she continued, "Think about it yourself. If you leave, they will follow Liu Xiong and their grandparents, and they will hear something every day. Even when you were at Liu's house, they didn't protect you!"
Seeing that Ruan Cuizhi still didn't say anything, Ruan Cuilan looked at Liu Xinghua: "Mom, do you think I'm right?"
Liu Xinghua cleared her throat and said, "Maybe... about the same."
Ruan Cuilan glared, "What do you mean by probably or almost? It means definitely! So, Third Sister, I advise you not to have any expectations for your four children, lest you be disappointed and heartbroken countless times."
After listening to Ruan Cuilan's words, Ruan Cuizhi lowered her brows and remained silent, with no expression on her face. She is soft-hearted but not stupid. She can think of everything that needs to be thought of, but it is not as easy as it sounds to a bystander.
Seeing her sitting there in a daze with an expressionless face, Ruan Cuilan stopped talking about the matter and asked Liu Xinghua, "What happened to Second Brother and Second Sister-in-law? I see you and Second Sister-in-law are no longer talking. You didn't finish what I was saying just now."
Liu Xinghua then went on to tell the story of how Ruan Changgui and Sun Xiaohui quarreled over the separation of the family property, how they wrongly accused Ruan Xi of stealing grapes, how Ruan Yuejin went to learn a craft from an old tailor, and how he went out bragging about how well he had learned it, and also about his attitude towards Ruan Cuizhi.
After hearing this, Ruan Cuilan slammed the table and said, "See? It's better to pretend that you never gave birth to a child like my second brother."
Liu Xinghua said, "That's it for Cuizhi. No one should mention the Liu family from now on, let alone their affairs. I'm just waiting to see if the second brother's family can live a good life."
Ruan Cuilan laughed, "Fly to the sky and become a god?"
Liu Xinghua patted her and glared at her, saying, "Tell your second sister-in-law to hear about it and report you to your brigade's revolutionary committee!"
Ruan Cuilan still smiled indifferently: "My second brother and second sister-in-law are also a perfect match made in heaven."
She stood up and said, "Okay, I'm done with my third sister. I have to go back."
Liu Xinghua followed her and stood up. "Since we're here, why are you leaving without eating?"
Ruan Cuilan said, "What are you going to eat? The autumn harvest is coming soon, and we have been so busy these days. I heard about my third sister's situation and came to see her. Seeing that she is in good condition now, I feel relieved."
As she spoke, she looked at Ruan Cuizhi, "Third sister, be happy, don't be sad for someone who is not worth it. There are so many people at home with you, don't worry about what people outside say, you are relaxed now, just be happy, I envy you. If you have nothing to do, come to my house, I will kill a chicken and make you a delicious meal."
Ruan Cuizhi laughed when she heard this and held Ruan Cuilan's hand: "Okay."
Ruan Cuilan walked out and said to Ruan Xi and Ruan Jie, "The two little girls have nothing to do, go to Fourth Aunt's house and play."
Then he added: "She is getting more and more beautiful, and looks like me."
Ruan Xi and Ruan Jie couldn't help laughing, and stood up to answer, "Okay, Fourth Aunt."
Ruan Xi also deliberately added: "We want to eat chicken too."
Ruan Cuilan smiled and said, "Then bring your third aunt along."
After chatting for a while, Ruan Xi, Ruan Jie, Liu Xinghua and Ruan Cuizhi saw her off.
After walking a few steps, she turned back and said, "Tell Dad and Xiao Wuzi that I will come to see them after the busy farming season is over. I don't have time today, so I'll go back first."
Liu Xinghua nodded: "Go ahead."
Ruan Cuilan waved her hands casually and left.
After Ruan Cuilan's visit, Ruan Cuizhi's matter was temporarily put to an end.
Soon the village entered the busy farming season. No one cared about these miscellaneous matters anymore. All members concentrated on the harvest. Everyone was only concerned about how much rice the team could harvest this season.
Compared to having enough food to eat, everything else is trivial.
The good harvest created a joyful atmosphere throughout the village, so Ruan Xi did not go to the old tailor's house for the past few days. She went to the production team with Ruan Jie and helped to harvest and carry rice, doing whatever she could.
After the rice on the field has been harvested, she and Ruan Jie and a group of other girls will pick up rice ears on the ridges of the fields. Whoever picks it up owns it. Take it home and grind it into food, and you can eat it yourself.
So these few days, she became a little girl picking rice ears.
Although he didn't walk barefoot on the ridge of the field, he did have a wild chrysanthemum in his hair and a small bamboo basket on his arm.
She would also compete with Ruan Jie to see who could pick up more rice ears, and then go home to present their treasures to Liu Xinghua.
Life in the countryside is poor, but also free and there is a different kind of freedom and happiness.
The sun sets and we rest.
Today, Ruan Xi and Ruan Jie each picked up half a basket of rice ears. They were having a great time grabbing the rice ears in each other's baskets when Ruan Jie suddenly stopped and asked curiously, "Sister, what's going on over there?"
Ruan Xi turned around when he heard that, and saw a lot of people standing by the pool not far away.
Unable to tell what was going on, she hurriedly pulled Ruan Jie's wrist and led her to the pool, "Go take a look."
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