Xiong Mingxia spoke softly, "Mom, don't worry about us! I'm fine! Your son-in-law just has a bad temper, but I'm used to it!"
Aunt Xie was exasperated: "How could I have given birth to such a soft, weak child? Are you just trying to drive me crazy?"
Xiong Mingxia poured oil into the pan, and with a sizzle, the smoke rose up, obscuring her expression.
However, her voice was very calm: "Mom, I'll live my own life, that's enough for me! You don't need to worry about me, just stay home and take care of yourself!"
Aunt Xie was about to say something, but the words caught in her throat, so she sighed and said, "Dajiang still holds a grudge about what happened back then, doesn't he? That's why he doesn't like you or your family, right?"
Xiong Mingxia paused for a moment, then poured the chicken pieces into the pan and quickly stir-fried them. "So many years have passed, the children are all grown up now, and your son-in-law only complains a few times! Mom, don't think too much about it—"
Aunt Xie's eyes immediately reddened.
Upon hearing this, Xu Ningyan realized there was more to the story.
He just didn't ask, and instead buried himself in adding firewood to the stove.
Next, Aunt Xie and Xiong Mingxia talked for a long time, without hiding it from Xu Ningyan.
Xu Ningyan listened to the whole thing before she finally understood.
It turns out that Xiong Mingxia and Quan Dajiang fell in love and got married a month later.
Back then, Quan Dajiang wasn't like he is now. Although he and Xiong Mingxia were arranged to marry, their relationship was quite good after marriage.
In addition, although Xiong Mingxia's family did not pose much of a threat, her older brother refused to acknowledge her, but she had a good relationship with her other younger brother, Xu Changfeng.
Xu Changfeng joined the army, and although he was far away, he sent his monthly allowance back home.
Xiong Mingxia's dowry was also thanks to Xu Changfeng's subsidies, and it was one of the best in the entire village.
Although Xiong Mingxia got married and Xu Changfeng hadn't returned yet, everyone understood.
The whole family is satisfied; having such a brother-in-law is better than having several brothers in other families.
At that time, Xu Changfeng was not at home. After their marriage, Xiong Mingxia and Quan Dajiang often came back to visit and take care of Aunt Xie. During the busy farming season, the young couple would also come to help.
Everyone who saw this praised Aunt Xie for finding such a good son-in-law for her daughter.
Who knew that when Xiong Mingxia became pregnant with her first child, the Great Famine struck. Fortunately, the Tuanjie Brigade was located near the mountains and had water. If there was really nothing to eat, they could go into the mountains to look for something.
With the allowance sent back by Xu Changfeng, Aunt Xie, seeing her daughter's pitiful state, used almost all of it to help her daughter and son-in-law, finally ensuring the safe birth of her eldest grandson, who survived.
Back then, every month when Xu Changfeng sent his allowance back home, Quan Dajiang would wait outside Aunt Xie's house, accompany her to collect the allowance, and then buy grain to carry home to support her family.
After the Great Famine ended, everyone thought life would get better, but then the whole river was injured, and one of them broke his leg.
The whole family felt that Xiong Mingxia was a jinx to Xie Shupo, and that's why she brought misfortune to Quan Dajiang.
So they simply separated the family of three and made them live separately. Apart from a thatched hut, they didn't get anything else.
Xiong Mingxia had no choice but to take her child back to her parents' home for help, entrusting the child to Aunt Xie. Xiong Mingxia had to take care of Quan Dajiang and work in the fields, wishing she could be split into three people.
Aunt Xie was old and had to take care of a two-year-old child, work, and worry about her daughter and son-in-law. She aged a lot in an instant, and half of her hair turned white.
Just then, Xu Changfeng finally had time off to go home. Seeing this scene, he was furious and went to Quanjia's house to demand an explanation.
In the heat of the argument, Xu Changfeng demanded that Xiong Mingxia divorce Quan Dajiang, forgo the child, and come with him to the army! He promised to find Xiong Mingxia another man, someone far better than Quan Dajiang and the rest of the family!
At least it won't be facing forward when you use it and backward when you don't.
During the Great Famine, would the whole family have survived if it weren't for his allowance?
At that time, I wished I could treat Xiong Mingxia like an ancestor, coaxing her to remember her kindness for the rest of her life, and that her younger brother-in-law and sister-in-law would all be filial to her in the future.
And now? As soon as Quan Dajiang got injured, they couldn't wait to kick him out?
Then, with a tone of exasperation, she scolded Xiong Mingxia, asking if she had never seen a man before. What use was a man like that? Besides sponging off his mother-in-law, what else could he do?
Dragging Xiong Mingxia to Aunt Xie, she asked her who she had been fair to. After getting married, not only did her whole family have to support her husband's family, but why should Aunt Xie help take care of all the children? She was so devoted to being filial to her husband's family, but didn't she see how much her own mother had aged?
Xiong Mingxia was filled with shame, but she had no choice. She couldn't just abandon the entire Yangtze River region, could she?
Besides Aunt Xie, who else could she turn to for help?
Anyway, a huge commotion ensued, and the Quan family and the Xu family, who were related by marriage, almost became enemies. Xu Changfeng also left home in a huff, announcing before he left that he would no longer send all the allowances back, leaving the Quan family to benefit.
She only sends living expenses to Aunt Xie once every three months, and not a single penny more.
Aunt Xie knew that her youngest son had spent most of his allowance on his daughter's family in recent years, so she was too ashamed to say anything.
Xiong Mingxia was too ashamed to ask Aunt Xie for money again.
Without Xu Changfeng's stipend, Quan Dajiang's later treatment couldn't keep up.
Fortunately, he survived, and Xiong Mingxia took good care of him. They even had his bones set by a doctor earlier. After lying in bed for more than half a year, he was finally able to get out of bed.
It was only then that they discovered the doctor who set the bones hadn't done a proper job; the bones were misaligned, and one leg was longer than the other.
It's not very noticeable when walking slowly, but it becomes quite obvious when walking fast.
Quan Dajiang was a perfectly healthy person, but he became a cripple. How could he bear it?
After blaming heaven and earth, she finally blamed Xu Changfeng.
He felt that if he hadn't been so heartless as to cut off the allowance to his family, his leg wouldn't have become lame.
When Xu Changfeng returned to visit his family later, upon hearing this, he only said one thing: consider those years' worth of allowances as being wasted.
Not long after Xu Changfeng returned to his unit, he sent a letter saying that he had already gotten married there.
Several years after their marriage, even when he came back to visit his family, he was always alone and never brought his wife back with him.
After giving birth, Aunt Xie wanted to take care of her daughter-in-law during her postpartum period, but Xu Changfeng refused.
Later, Quan Dajiang developed leg problems and couldn't do heavy physical labor, so he looked for other jobs outside. One day, someone suggested that he use Xu Changfeng's influence to promise others that they could join the army.
She also accepted deposits from others and then sent an urgent telegram to Xu Changfeng in Xie Shupo's name.
Xu Changfeng took several days off and rushed back without sleeping, only to find out that Quan Dajiang wanted him to get a few spots for military service.
Enraged, Xu Changfeng dragged Quan Dajiang to the local armed forces department, determined to put righteousness before family.
Although Quan Dajiang only wrote a self-criticism and was released after being detained for a few days, his reputation was ruined nonetheless.
Everyone knows that Quan Dajiang has absolutely no credit for his brother-in-law, and they all mock him.
Quan Dajiang and Xu Changfeng became enemies from that moment on.
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