Ren's mother thought that after Ren Dahai got married, he would definitely take care of his own family and would not send most of his allowance back home every month like he did now. If Ren Dahai sent less money, how could her family still live so comfortably? In Ren's mother's opinion, it would be best if Ren Dahai could save up the betrothal gifts and gifts for his two younger brothers and one younger sister before considering marriage.
When Ren Dahai brought Chen Qiuyu back to his hometown, it was the sixth year of Ren Dahai's military service. That year, Ren Dahai was 25 years old and Chen Qiuyu was 22 years old.
Ren's mother was stunned by Ren Dahai's decision to bring home a wife without a second thought. Aren't parents the ones who arrange marriages for children? Dahai himself arranged a wife, which made Ren's mother feel both apprehensive and unwilling.
Sure enough, Ren Dahai told Ren Lao Niang that he only received a monthly allowance of 20 yuan, and after getting married, he had to support the family, so he could only send Ren Lao Niang 5 yuan in pension every month.
This nearly pissed off Ren's mother. Ren Dahai had always been filial. After joining the army, he'd only keep a small allowance each month, sending whatever he earned back to his parents. Now, his allowance had been cut in half. It must have been instigated by his daughter-in-law, Chen Qiuyu.
Mothers-in-law and daughters-in-law are natural enemies, and Chen Qiuyu wasn't the daughter-in-law that Ren Lao Niang had arranged for her son. Ren Lao Niang's attitude towards Chen Qiuyu suddenly became very subtle. To her, Chen Qiuyu was not only a "bad woman" who was trying to steal her son, but also a "big bully" who was trying to steal her money. When Ren Dahai said that Chen Qiuyu's parents were both dead, and even her grandparents had passed away, Ren Lao Niang felt uncomfortable.
In rural areas, people like Chen Qiuyu who don’t even have any immediate family members are called “White Tiger Stars”. They have a very tough life and are unlucky for their parents and relatives. They are not liked by their elders.
Ren's mother used this "shortcoming" of Chen Qiuyu's to completely refuse to agree to Ren Dahai and Chen Qiuyu's marriage, saying that Chen Qiuyu was a "jinx" and a "disaster" who would bring disaster to herself and Ren's father after she got married.
Ren Dahai certainly wouldn't let his mother control him. He told her that he and Chen Qiuyu had already obtained a marriage certificate and had held a wedding ceremony in the army, with his immediate superior as the witness. If Ren Lao Niang didn't accept Chen Qiuyu as his daughter-in-law, Ren Dahai would be punished and expelled from the army and sent back home to farm.
Ren Lao Niang was frightened by Ren Dahai. If Ren Dahai went home to farm, wouldn’t the money she had earned by sitting at home be gone?
Ren Lao Niang reluctantly accepted Chen Qiuyu as her daughter-in-law. Despite this, Ren Lao Niang still felt uncomfortable with Chen Qiuyu. Taking advantage of the opportunity when Ren Dahai went out to meet his comrades, Ren Lao Niang kept Chen Qiuyu at home, saying that she couldn't bear to let Chen Qiuyu go out in the snow in such a cold weather.
It snowed in the winter in Eastern Province, and the roads in Hongqi Village were poor, muddy and full of potholes. With no means of transportation, everyone had to walk. Ren Dahai's comrades lived in town, about twenty miles from Hongqi Village. Ren Dahai thought he could go alone, walk faster, and be home in a short time. There was no need to let Chen Qiuyu suffer the cold, so he agreed.
As soon as Ren Dahai left, Ren's mother immediately frowned and dumped all the cooking and dishwashing chores on Chen Qiuyu. After diligently washing a mountain of dishes, Chen Qiuyu began to prepare dinner, but she was completely lost. A city girl like Chen Qiuyu, how could she use a large, wood-burning stove? She struggled for years but couldn't even light the fire. Ren's mother watched coldly, forbidding her three other children to help Chen Qiuyu.
Just when Chen Qiuyu was so anxious that tears welled up in her eyes, Ren Lao Niang scolded her, saying that she couldn't do anything and how could she be someone's wife? Chen Qiuyu knew that she hadn't done her job well, so she didn't dare to say a word. She could only bear a face covered with black and gray, shrinking her body and enduring Ren Lao Niang's temper.
That’s not all. When it was almost lunchtime, Mother Ren didn’t even let Chen Qiuyu eat a bite of food. She took out a large basket of the family’s dirty clothes and scolded Chen Qiuyu as she told him to go to the stream to wash them.
Chen Qiuyu's parents died early, and before he followed Ren Dahai back to his hometown, he had already planned to treat Ren's mother and father as his own parents and be filial to them. From Ren Dahai's mouth, Ren's mother and father were the most kind and honest couple in the world.
That day, Chen Qiuyu's fantasy was shattered. After her parents died, her grandparents treated her like a treasure, never saying a single harsh word to her, let alone a curse. Chen Qiuyu had been well-behaved since childhood, and she handled household chores well. But this was her first experience with the rural big stove, and it wasn't something Chen Qiuyu had wanted to do. Despite this, Chen Qiuyu objected to Ren Lao Niang's arrangement and, hungry, carried a large basket of clothes to the river.
Arriving at the river, Chen Qiuyu was stunned again. A few steps by the river were where the people of Hongqi Village washed their clothes? Growing up, Chen Qiuyu had always washed his clothes by the tap. But now that he was here, he couldn't just go back with a basket of dirty clothes, could he?
No matter how many people there were in the family, Chen Qiuyu squatted by the river and washed for almost two hours before he finished washing a basket of clothes.
Chen Qiuyu, dazed with hunger, was about to go home. Unexpectedly, a basket of wet laundry was much heavier than a basket of dry clothes. His hands and feet were weak, and after the bamboo basket tipped over, he slipped on the moss by the river, and fell into the river with the basket.
If Ren Dahai had not happened to be on his way home and seen this scene, and had pulled Chen Qiuyu out of the water, Chen Qiuyu might have been dead.
Chen Qiuyu caught a cold after being soaked in the icy river water. That night, he developed a high fever and delirium. Ren Dahai ran 20 miles with Chen Qiuyu in his arms to the town hospital.
Chen Qiuyu stayed in the hospital for three days and received intravenous drips for three days before his high fever subsided.
Ren's mother was furious about Chen Qiuyu's hospitalization. When people in the countryside have a cold or fever, who wouldn't just drink some herbal medicine, cover themselves with a blanket, and sweat it out? But Chen Qiuyu, the eldest daughter-in-law, was so precious? She had to be hospitalized for a fever. How expensive were the hospital fees? It cost money every day!
During these three days, Ren Dahai figured out the whole story and the consequences of Chen Qiuyu falling into the river, and he felt guilty. He didn't expect that Ren Lao Niang was so capable. She agreed to it in person, but turned around and bullied his wife while he was away.
After jumping up and down at home, Ren's mother ran to the hospital and cried, insisting that Chen Qiuyu be discharged quickly. Their family didn't have much money to spend on Chen Qiuyu, a "spoiled young lady from the city." Ren Dahai refused. Chen Qiuyu's condition was no ordinary cold. The doctor said it had developed into pneumonia. If she had been taken to the hospital a few hours later, Chen Qiuyu might not have been saved.
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