My eldest aunt and uncle were both remarried and each had a son. My eldest cousin lost his biological mother when he was six years old. Not only did his stepmother come, but she also brought a younger brother who was a few months younger than him.
Coupled with the instigation of the gossips in the village, the eldest cousin often bullied the second cousin. The eldest uncle also disliked the second cousin, so he let him be bullied. The eldest aunt felt in the wrong and always advised her son to endure it.
Later, the third cousin came into being. He was also raised by the eldest cousin and did not like the second cousin.
My second cousin eventually became a son-in-law to another family. It was a village very far away and I have no recollection of it.
Because my second cousin never came back after he got married, and when my eldest aunt passed away, she brought back a message saying that she didn't have time.
I seldom go back to Zhoujia Village, not even for funerals or weddings, but stay at home to look after the house.
My aunt was often beaten and scolded by my uncle. When she couldn't bear it anymore, she ran to the market town to hide.
That's why I am more familiar with her and like her very much. I sympathize with her situation, but I can't persuade her to divorce. There are very few people getting divorced at that time, and even fewer in rural areas.
If my eldest aunt could live on her own, she might not have remarried and moved to Zhoujia Village with my second cousin.
Because of frequent crying, her eyesight was very poor, and it was difficult for her to see when it got dark. The electric lights in every household were only dim yellow, and there were no street lights outside.
When she was in the market town, she went to the toilet behind Zhou's house and didn't come back for a long time. Her mother asked her to go out and look for her, but she didn't know where she had gone.
After he walked out of the yard, he shouted and called her back as she was walking towards the light. He asked her why she went to the river. She was startled and said that she went there because she saw the light and was almost at the light.
From then on, she always said that she owed herself a life.
Now, looking at the poor woman crying her heart out in front of a junior like herself.
Zhou Xiang held her hand and said, "Aunt, please stay here tonight. When you go back tomorrow, tell your second cousin to come to me. I will find a way out for him. He will be able to support himself in the future, and you don't have to worry about him anymore."
Zhao Hedi heard this, holding back her sadness, and looked at her uncertainly with tearful eyes, "Can you do it?"
"It can be done, believe me! I bought this yard with my own money. Ask him to come over. He's a grown man, he just can't find a way out. He has hands and feet and can make money on his own."
Zhao Hedi wiped away her tears and asked, "Aren't you afraid of your eldest uncle? Aren't you afraid of your eldest cousin?"
"They only dare to bully you, but dare they come here and try? I'm afraid they won't come! Don't worry! I'm not afraid. As long as my second cousin comes to my place, they won't dare to make trouble. I won't give them face."
Zhao Hedi held her hand tightly. "Okay! I believe you! Ever since you saved my life, I've felt that you should be my benefactor. Otherwise, why would you call me as soon as you left the hospital? I was about to step on the light."
"Aunt, don't mention this matter anymore. It's your own fate that you didn't deserve to die."
Can you say that you are afraid of the dark and howl at the gate to give yourself courage?
"No! You saved me, you are my benefactor."
"Okay, as long as you're happy! I'm not going back tonight!"
"Well! No, I have to bring good news to your second cousin tomorrow. I can't make a mistake and go to another village and waste time."
"Yes, when you go back, tell him that I kept you here. He envies the people in the city and respects our family very much!"
"well."
Zhou Xiang used the water from the thermos to warm it up, took a new towel, and brought in a washbasin. "Auntie, wash your face! Don't cry so much in the future. You're almost crying your eyes out."
"Okay, your second cousin has a way out, I don't have to worry anymore."
"Tell your second cousin quietly, don't let your eldest uncle stop you from coming."
"Yeah! That's how it should be. I understand."
When Zhou Hua and Zuo Heng returned home, they saw an old lady busy in the kitchen.
Zhou Hua asked his sister in confusion, "Who is it?"
"The aunt of Zhoujia Village."
"Blind Auntie?" Zhou Hua was surprised. Although he didn't go back to Zhoujia Village, he still recognized the blind Auntie. She was often beaten by the uncle in the hall and ran around everywhere.
"Hey!" The old lady in the kitchen responded happily, "Is it Xiao Sanzi?"
Zhou wanted to hold his forehead, thinking that he called his son that when he was young and ignorant. Now he has changed it, so why does his third brother still call him that?
"Yes! It's me. When did the blind lady come?"
"We arrived this afternoon. You can enjoy the cool air and eat cold noodles soon. Auntie will make cold noodles for you."
Zhou Xiang pulled his third brother aside and said, "Can't you stop calling her Blind Auntie and call her Auntie?"
"I think calling her 'blind aunt' is more intimate, but calling her 'aunt' seems too distant."
"Okay, you're right, do as you please!"
It wasn't until they sat down to eat that Zhao Hedi noticed Zuo Heng. "Who is this child?"
"His name is Zuo Heng. He is a classmate of my third brother and also lives here."
"Hello, Auntie!" Zuo Heng shouted.
"Hey! Good, good, good boy, eat quickly!"
Cold noodles in mung bean soup, no broth, no vegetables, no meat. The noodles are boiled, rinsed, and then added to the already cooled mung bean soup. It's a great way to beat the heat and stimulate the appetite. This is my aunt's specialty.
A mouthful of salty and chewy noodles and a sip of cool mung bean soup were indeed appetizing. Zhou Xiang ate one and a half bowls, while Zhou Hua and Zuo Heng both ate three bowls.
Zhou Xiang saw that the aunt had only eaten two bowls. "Aunt, you're not full, are you? I'll fry you some leftovers from lunch."
"No, I'm full."
Zhou Xiang didn't believe it. How could someone who did farm work all year round eat less than his third brother and his friends?
"Wait, I'll fry it and we can eat together."
"All right then! I'll light the fire."
"No, you take a break. It's too hot. I can just build the firewood."
Zhou Xiang didn't let Zuo Heng and his third brother help him. He took out the big stove himself, put up several large pieces of wood, cooked the rice, and boiled water for his bath.
I added four eggs to the two bowls of rice left over from lunch and fried them. I cleaned the pot several times, added water and boiled it before serving the egg fried rice.
"Aunt, eat!"
"Okay, let's eat together."
Zhou Xiang and the other two symbolically put some of the food in their own bowls, and the rest was eaten by Zhao Hedi alone.
"Delicious, this is the best egg fried rice I've ever had in my life."
After saying that, his eyes turned red again.
"Aunt, good times are yet to come! From now on, these meats and eggs will no longer be rare. No one likes to eat them anymore. Instead, they want to eat whole grains."
"Can there really be such a day?"
"Yes, just wait, but don't cry, otherwise you can live like this and never see it with your own eyes!"
"Okay, I won't cry. I'll wait."
In the evening, after Zhou Hua and Zuo Heng came into the house, Zhou wanted to take out a large wooden basin.
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