Winter of 1975 in the Shangyuan calendar.
Huaxia Country, S Province, Qingshan City.
Yuyuan County, Sanhe Town, Zhoujia Village.
More than a month after the late rice harvest, the winter wheat has already broken through the soil, and the fields are a lush green. In the countryside in winter, this is the slack season for farming.
The top of the mountain was still shrouded in the afterglow of the setting sun, and in Zhoujia Village at the foot of the mountain, wisps of smoke were already rising above every household.
Just six months ago, Zhoujia Village finally had electricity. While the villagers were delighted, they also felt heartbroken over the few cents a month in electricity bills. Most families were still accustomed to finishing their daily tasks, such as eating and washing dishes, before dark.
In front of the big house at the entrance of the village, stood a woman in her thirties, looking towards the other end of the road.
The woman was very beautiful, with an oval face, fair skin, and a pair of large, watery almond-shaped eyes beneath curved eyebrows. The earth-blue cotton jacket with white floral patterns on it was a bit large, but it didn't have a single patch.
What is particularly unforgettable at first sight is the woman's long, thick, black hair with a sheen, braided into two long braids that reach down to her waist.
"Yunxiang, haven't you cooked for your mother-in-law today?" A woman in her fifties passed by the woman and asked curiously.
"Aunt Qiuju, I'm preparing it!" Zhao Yunxiang raised the few garlic cloves she was peeling in her hand and answered.
"Yunxiang, listen to your aunt and do your work in the house, otherwise, your mother-in-law will..." Aunt Qiuju approached Zhao Yunxiang and advised in a low voice.
In Zhoujia Village, who doesn't know that Zhou Chunping's wife, Wu Jinfeng, is a powerful figure? Wu Jinfeng's words can be said to be unmatched in the Zhoujia Village.
Furthermore, Wu Jinfeng was completely unfaithful. Everyone in Zhoujia Village knew that of her three sons and one daughter, Wu Jinfeng disliked her third son, Zhou Zhixin, the most. Zhou Zhixin's wife, Zhao Yunxiang, and their two children were often scolded by the old woman Wu Jinfeng.
"Well, thank you Aunt Qiuju." Zhao Yunxiang nodded, but did not move.
It wasn't that Zhao Yunxiang refused to listen, but she was filled with anxiety. Her daughter, Yuanyuan, had gone out with Zhou Miaomiao and her cousins a few hours ago and hadn't returned yet. Yuanyuan, though only six years old, was always well-behaved, always coming home before sunset every day.
Aunt Qiuju sighed and walked away silently. It was getting late, and she had to go home quickly to cook for the old man.
Alas! When marrying off a daughter, one should really consider the character of the in-laws instead of just focusing on the talent of the son-in-law. Like Yunxiang, such a good woman, because her husband was away in the army, she was bullied by her mother-in-law.
As Aunt Qiuju walked, she cursed the old woman Wu Jinfeng in her heart.
After Aunt Qiuju left, Zhao Yunxiang looked at the gradually darkening sky, pinching a few garlic cloves in her hand while anxiously looking at the path in front of the door. Somehow, Zhao Yunxiang felt her heart beating so hard that it seemed to be about to jump out of her chest.
No! I want to go find Yuanyuan! Zhao Yunxiang stamped her feet and was about to walk towards the east end of the village.
"Oh my goodness! I have a hard life! I want to eat the dishes cooked by my daughter-in-law, but she is nowhere to be seen!" Wu Jinfeng's loud voice rang out in the kitchen, and mixed with her loud voice was the "ping pong pong" sound of the pot lid and the pot rim hitting each other.
Zhao Yunxiang stopped moving and rubbed her forehead helplessly. She almost forgot that she hadn't done what her mother-in-law had told her to do!
Wu Jinfeng had said early this morning that she wanted to eat the garlic-flavored tofu made by Zhao Yunxiang in the evening. Although the Zhao family had split up a few years ago, and Wu Jinfeng and her husband hadn't eaten with their sons, Zhao Yunxiang was a filial daughter, and she would find a way to make sure anything Wu Jinfeng said was done.
Zhao Yunxiang has been worried about Yuanyuan's matter and has not yet made the garlic tofu that her mother-in-law specified.
Wu Jinfeng, when she has nothing to do on weekdays, would be furious when she sees the three of them. Now that she has a ready-made handle, she will definitely make a big fuss.
Wu Jinfeng had two ways of getting angry: one was to bang things around to make noises to express her dissatisfaction, and the other was to make sarcastic remarks and yell, implicitly accusing Zhao Yunxiang of not taking the elderly seriously.
In that era, if the younger generation was pointed at and scolded by the elders for not respecting the elders, they would be criticized by the whole village for being unfilial.
Thinking of Wu Jinfeng's unrivaled cursing skills in Zhoujia Village and her restless ears in the next few days, Zhao Yunxiang couldn't help but shiver.
"Mom, I'll be right there." Zhao Yunxiang responded, heading towards the kitchen, putting aside her worries about her daughter and preparing to go to the kitchen to make the garlic tofu that her mother-in-law had ordered. Zhao Yunxiang knew that her mother-in-law was unreasonable, and if she didn't make it now, it would not only be her who would be in trouble, but also her two children.
Zhao Yunxiang had just turned around and hadn't even set foot inside the house when her neighbor, Mrs. Li, called out in a high-pitched voice behind her: "Yunxiang, Zhao Yunxiang, your little Jiu fell into the pond. Hurry up and call a barefoot doctor to come and take a look. I hope he doesn't catch a cold in this weather."
Zhao Yunxiang was startled and quickly turned around. Not far away, Aunt Li, a slightly plump woman, was running hurriedly. Even the sound of her panting quickly reached Zhao Yunxiang's ears.
Aunt Li looked nothing like her usual neat self. Her usually sleek bun had fallen loose as she ran, and sweat had left a few strands of her hair plastered to her cheeks.
"What? What happened to Yuanyuan?" There was a slight tremor in Zhao Yunxiang's voice, and her legs were so weak that she could hardly support her body.
"Yuanyuan fell into the water. Hurry up and ask the barefoot doctor to come and take a look." Aunt Li said again anxiously.
Not far away, several figures hurried over from the other end of the path. A sturdy man was holding a little girl with her arms slightly drooping. It was Zhao Yunxiang's youngest daughter, Zhou Yuanyuan.
"Yuanyuan?" Zhao Yunxiang screamed in surprise, her body swayed, and the peeled garlic in her hand fell to the ground.
After a flurry of activity, Zhao Yunxiang finally had time to sit down. Looking at the little girl lying on the bed with her eyes closed, Zhao Yunxiang felt a surge of regret. If it weren't for her, if it weren't for her persuading Yuanyuan to go out and play with Miaomiao and the others, her Yuanyuan would still be fine, calling "Mom" with her sweet voice, right?
Although the water in Yuanyuan's abdomen was drained and the barefoot doctor said the child was fine, why was her Yuanyuan still not waking up?
Despite the chaos in the west room, Wu Jinfeng in the east room had calmed down. However, no one came to check on Yuanyuan. Are the hearts of the Zhou family members all made of stone?
Zhixin, Zhixin, when will you come back? I'm afraid I can't hold on any longer!
Zhao Yunxiang covered her mouth with her hands, tears streaming down her face.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
