"Wow!" A loud cry rang out.
When Tian Xiufang heard the sound, she quickly put down the watering can and ran into the house, only to see her precious grandson sitting on the ground crying loudly.
Seeing Baoya standing aside, she immediately pulled her face forward and pushed her away, cursing:
"You jinx, are you bullying Guijin again? Huh?"
After scolding him, he quickly and carefully picked up his grandson, checked him up and down, and said distressedly:
"Oh my precious gold, what happened? Okay, okay, stop crying. How did she bully you? Tell me and I'll teach her a lesson!"
A little girl of three or four years old stood by and looked at her at a loss. When she heard what she said, she just shook her head in confusion.
"Wow, grandma, it was this idiot who hit me. She pushed me just now." Liu Guijin saw Tian Xiufang coming and knew that someone was backing him up, so he immediately opened his mouth to complain.
Tian Xiufang didn't like Baoya in the first place. After hearing this, she glared at Baoya fiercely, poked her finger in the face, and said hatefully:
"You jinx, if you dare to touch precious gold again, I'll punish you!"
Baoya was only three years old. Long-term malnutrition had made her thin and small. Tian Xiufang's strong push caused her to fall to the ground. But she didn't cry. She sat on the ground, looked at her hurt hand, then looked at Tian Xiufang, still looking confused.
Tian Xiufang was furious when she saw her like this. She was just a fool, and no matter how she explained, she couldn't understand. She glared at her hatefully, carefully holding Liu Guijin in her arms, and went to find Chen Fengxia.
Chen Fengxia was the wife of her second son and Baoya's mother. Unable to vent her anger on a fool, she took it out on the fool's mother.
"Chen Fengxia, come out here and see what your silly daughter has done. She doesn't know how to work and even dares to hit people. How did you, as a mother, teach her?"
"How could our Liu family have such a daughter-in-law like you? And you even gave birth to such a useless idiot! You have brought shame to our Liu family!"
Chen Fengxia had just finished work and was resting in the house when Tian Xiufang started scolding her. She felt a surge of anger in her heart, but she couldn't let it out.
It’s not the first time that her mother-in-law has been partial to her grandson. When she gave birth to Zhuzi, she loved her son the most. But she lost her favor because of Baoya’s silly daughter. Not only did she not get to eat or drink, but she also had to complain every other day because of her precious grandson.
If you get touched, you will be scolded.
But she didn't even realize that Baoya's thin arms and legs could not possibly bully her plump grandson.
She was angry and unconvinced, but she didn't dare to talk back to her mother-in-law. Who made her give birth to a fool? She could only listen to her scolding for a while, not daring to raise her head.
After Tian Xiufang vented her anger and left with Jinsun, she went to find Baoya, slapped her hard on the butt, and said angrily:
"I told you to stay away from him, stay away from him, why didn't you listen? Stop causing trouble for me, how many times do you need me to tell you that? Huh?"
She twisted Baoya's ears hard. Baoya's little face wrinkled in pain, and his dark eyes were tearful, looking so pitiful.
But Chen Fengxia didn't feel bad at all. She felt even worse for herself. The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. At the same time, the idea in her mind became more and more firm.
After dinner, most households went to bed, and the entire production brigade was plunged into darkness. However, in one of the rooms of the Liu family, things were not peaceful.
"I don't want this girl anymore. Whoever wants her can have her. I've raised her until now, and she won't even call me mother. I think all these years have been wasted."
"It's better to give it to someone else. Maybe the food and drink there will be better than at our house." Chen Fengxia said angrily while sitting on the bed.
The man lying on the side heard this and turned over and sat up, looking at Chen Fengxia in disbelief and said, "What are you talking about? What do you mean by no longer wanting it?"
"I don't want her anymore, I want to give her away. I don't want to see that little girl for even a day. She can't even talk to me, and she always makes me get scolded. Why should I keep her? She's just a little girl anyway."
"You don't know. Today, Baoya pushed Guijin, and she was so angry that she ran to me and scolded me. Tell me, how much scolding have I received because of her?"
"You know our mother, just pretend you didn't hear her scolding you." Liu Youcang sighed and comforted her.
"Pretend you didn't hear it? You don't know how harsh the scolding is. Also, isn't our mother too biased now? Her heart is all with Guijin. Don't you think about our Zhuzi? How much did mother love Zhuzi before? Wasn't it because of her?"
"A few days ago, our Zhuzi came home and told me that his classmates were making fun of him, saying that he had a silly sister. He was so angry that he didn't want to go to school anymore."
When Chen Fengxia mentioned her son, her anger intensified. Thinking about the things she had been laughed at over the past few years, she couldn't help but start crying a little:
"You say, we have heard this for the past few years,
It's okay once you get used to it. But what about our Zhuzi? Ah? He gets criticized like this every day, don't you feel bad? Ah? "
"Why do I have such a miserable life? I went through so much trouble to give birth to her. Not only is she a little girl, but she's also stupid. In the past few years, I've been laughed at so much because of her. Now even Zhuzi is suffering. Why do you think I still keep her? I might as well not have given birth to her in the first place."
Liu Youcang originally disagreed, but after hearing this, he couldn't say no.
Although he didn't quite agree to sell Baoya, when he thought about how he had been laughed at for having a silly daughter and how his only son had also been looked down upon, he couldn't help but feel a little shaken.
Chen Fengxia saw hope and immediately added fuel to the fire: "Besides, we are giving her to someone else to raise, not abandoning her. If she lives with someone else, she might live a better life than in our family. With our family's current situation, raising her may not necessarily be good for her."
Liu Youcang was completely shaken. He was silent for a long time, and finally nodded.
After receiving Liu Youcang's consent, Chen Fengxia felt the depression in her chest suddenly disappear. Although she hadn't sent Baoya away yet, she felt that she was already halfway to success. At night, she dreamed of sending Baoya away.
Over here, Chen Fengxia had a sweet dream. In the other room, Baoya, curled up in her small body, also had a strange dream.
When Chen Fengxia woke up early the next morning, she was very happy and even looked at Baoya with a better eye.
She didn't waste any time, thinking about it during the day and looking for buyers after work. The reason she moved so quickly was because she had the idea in mind and had it all planned out.
Finally, without much effort, I contacted a distant cousin. She was almost 30 years old and childless. Although she wasn't divorced, she was still being criticized behind her back, and her in-laws weren't very kind to her.
She was afraid to speak these days, and she couldn't stand up straight, regretting that she didn't have a child. If it weren't for her job as a textile factory worker, she didn't know what her life would have been like.
So, once she got in touch, it was almost confirmed. Even though she was a girl, it was better than nothing. And she was a relative, so it made sense to adopt her as a daughter.
Thinking that this burden was about to be gotten rid of, Chen Fengxia felt much more relaxed all over.
On this day, at the appointed time, Chen Fengxia
Yi took a short break and went home, then stopped Baoya who was feeding the chickens. Without saying anything, he simply pulled Baoya's clothes and asked her to go into the house to change clothes.
Baoya was only three or four years old. Due to long-term malnutrition, her body was so thin that it looked like a gust of wind could blow her away. Her face was dirty and skinny, with only a pair of big, bright black eyes left.
Although Chen Fengxia thought Baoya was stupid and incapable of work, Baoya actually did all the chores around the house. Sweeping the floor, watering the plants, feeding the chickens—she did everything.
But she looked dull and could barely speak. If you hadn't heard her speak occasionally, you would have thought she was mute. So, no one remembered what she had done.
After changing out of her tattered clothes, Chen Fengxia searched for a long time before finally finding a piece of clothing that Baoya could wear with few holes in it. Then she wet a cloth with water and wiped her face.
Her movements were a bit heavy, and Baoya's face hurt a little, but she was still happy because Chen Fengxia rarely got this close to her. Although she was not very good at expressing herself, her round eyes still revealed some emotions.
After everything was cleaned up, Chen Fengxia looked up and down, her expression looked a little better, and she took Baoya out.
When he left, the people from the production team saw him and couldn't help but tease him: "Hey, Zhuzi's mom doesn't even want work points anymore. Where is she going with Baoya?"
"Is this Baoya? Her little face is so fair and pretty. I almost didn't recognize her."
"That's right, she's just too thin. There's no flesh on her face."
"Yeah, I can hardly recognize him after he's been cleaned up. He looks so handsome. It's a pity that he's a fool." He shook his head with a look of regret.
Several people were talking at once. Normally, Chen Fengxia would have frowned upon hearing this and might even have argued with them. But today, thinking about sending Baoya away, she didn't bother to argue with them anymore.
He just walked away with Baoya in his arms, leaving the voice far behind.
Walking south, Chen Fengxia left the production brigade. She looked back to see that no one was paying attention, and then she continued walking. Soon she arrived at the agreed place, and from a distance she saw someone waiting there.
Chen Fengxia's face lit up with joy, and she quickly stopped and squatted in front of Baoya, straightening her clothes up and down.
When she saw Baoya's fair and tender little face, Chen Fengxia felt a pity for a moment. It was a pity that he was a fool. Otherwise, he would grow up like this.
You can also ask for more betrothal money.
The thought just flashed through my mind.
"Don't blame me for mistreating you. I've found you a good family. Maybe you can even eat steamed buns made of white flour and taste commercial grain there. Remember, work hard there and don't make people dislike you anymore."
Baoya was confused, with her eyes wide open, not quite understanding what she meant.
Seeing her like this, Chen Fengxia's face darkened again. She was a little worried that she wouldn't be wanted back there. After all, who would like a fool? No, if she gave it to someone, she wouldn't come back. She had to make this clear to her cousin later.
Seeing that everything was ready, Chen Fengxia pulled Baoya over again.
The woman waiting was Chen Fengxia's cousin, Zhang Hongli. Although she was a bit older than Chen Fengxia, she looked younger because she didn't work in the fields and wasn't exposed to the sun. Her clothes were clean, and she looked different from someone who worked in the fields.
Her face looked a little pale, and it was getting a little hot now. Everyone was wearing thinner clothes, but she was still wrapped up tightly.
Turning around, Zhang Hongli saw Chen Fengxia coming and didn't bother to say hello. Her eyes were attracted by Baoya. Seeing Baoya's appearance, she was very happy.
"Is this Baoya? She's really an iconic girl. I've never seen a prettier girl than Baoya!"
Zhang Hongli said this excitedly, squatting in front of Baoya and carefully looking it up and down. Then she said:
"It's just a little too thin."
Baoya looked at her and hid behind Chen Fengxia timidly.
Chen Fengxia pulled her out and said, "Yes, our Baoya is good-looking. I'm not bragging, but there's no girl prettier than our Baoya in this town."
"You know the situation at home. No one has enough food. Once we get to the city, we can get some nutrition and gain weight."
Zhang Hongli nodded in agreement.
"So, what dishes does she like? I'll make them for her later."
"She's from the farm and easy to feed. She'll eat anything you give her and she can work." Although Chen Fengxia despised Baoya at home for being stupid and unable to work, she had to praise her a few more times now.
However, Zhang Hongli didn't take this too seriously. Chen Fengxia had already told her about Baoya's situation, so she didn't ask any more questions.
Well, even if he is a fool, it is better than having no one, especially since he looks good and is so endearing.
Then, she gritted her teeth and pulled it out of her clothes.
He took out five dollars from his pocket and gave it to Chen Fengxia.
"Okay then, I'll give you this money, and Baoya will be my daughter from now on."
Five dollars was a considerable amount of assets in the 1970s. Although she earned a salary working in a textile factory, she had to support a large family with that salary. Being able to come up with these five dollars was a huge expense.
When she saw the money, Chen Fengxia's eyes lit up. Five dollars, that's five dollars.
She took it hurriedly, overjoyed: "Okay, from now on Baoya will be your daughter. But, cousin, I have to make it clear first, don't come to me and say you regret it after giving Baoya to you."
Zhang Hongli nodded repeatedly, as she was afraid that she would change her mind.
After giving her the money, she pulled Baoya to her side. She touched her little face and said happily:
"From now on, I will be your mother. I will take you back to our home."
After saying that, Zhang Hongli greeted Chen Fengxia, turned around and took Baoya to walk towards the Pingyuan Production Brigade.
Chen Fengxia took the money and carefully hid it in the pocket of her closest clothes, then happily walked back in the direction she came from.
Baoya was being pulled forward by Zhang Hongli. She turned around and saw Chen Fengxia walking in the other direction. She immediately became anxious and yanked her hand to chase after Chen Fengxia.
"Hey?" Zhang Hongli struggled away from her, turned around and quickly grabbed her.
Baoya was small and thin, so there was no way she could hide. Seeing Chen Fengxia walking further and further away without looking back, she remembered the dream she had yesterday, and suddenly she understood something vaguely.
Tears welled up in her eyes instantly, and Baoya wanted to chase Chen Fengxia while crying.
Although Chen Fengxia was not good to her, after all, they had lived together for so long, and she must have been more dependent on Chen Fengxia than on a stranger.
Zhang Hongli raised her hand to wipe her tears and coaxed her, "Okay, don't cry. I'm your mother from now on. I will treat you well. I'll buy you malted milk and make you new clothes."
Baoya was still crying, gasping for breath.
Zhang Hongli picked her up and continued to coax her as they walked towards her mother's house: "We'll be at grandma's house soon. Let grandma make you something delicious, like egg soup, okay? And some sweet candies."
Baoya was still crying, her tears falling to the ground one by one, blurring her vision.
The meeting place was between the Pingyuan and Yuejin production brigades. The two production brigades were quite far apart, and it would take nearly an hour to walk there. One was to the south, the other to the north, with a high slope between them.
Gradually the sun sets in the west
The sun set and the sky gradually darkened. Zhang Hongli came to her mother's house carrying Baoya, who had fallen asleep from crying herself tired.
After putting Baoya on the bed in the inner room, Zhang Hongli sat on the edge of the bed, wiping the sweat from her forehead while staring at Baoya intently. The more she looked, the more she liked her.
After Xu Laiying came in, she looked at Baoya for a few seconds and then called Zhang Hongli aside to talk.
"Is this the silly girl from Fengxia's family? You really wanted her to come here?"
"Yes, mother, I haven't been able to get pregnant for these years. Now I have a daughter, which is a wish come true. Although she is a little silly, at least there is a child around who can talk to me."
Xu Laiying sighed: "That's good, having a child also gives me something to think about."
…
Chen Fengxia deliberately waited until it was dark and every household started cooking before returning home, so that no one would see her return.
When people asked about Baoya after not seeing her for a while, she said that she had given Baoya to her cousin and went to the city to live a good life.
At first, everyone might gossip and complain, but after a while, they would forget about it. This way, their family could get rid of the issue of their idiot daughter, and they also got five dollars, which they could use to send Zhuzi to school and buy some pork to eat meat.
It’s so beautiful just thinking about it.
After carefully returning home, Chen Fengxia didn't even bother to eat and went straight into the house. She carefully took out the five yuan in her pocket and smiled from ear to ear.
After a while, Liu Youcang came into the house after finishing his meal and found that she had returned:
"When did you come back? Why didn't you tell me?"
Chen Fengxia didn't even remember about eating. She pulled Liu Youcang over, put their heads together, and said mysteriously:
"Look, what is this?"
As he spoke, he took out the money in his hand bit by bit.
Liu Youcang was surprised to see five yuan, and then he lowered his voice and asked, "Where did you get this money?"
Chen Fengxia smiled complacently and didn't answer him immediately. Instead, she bent over the bed and rummaged under it. She pulled out a small tin box and put all five yuan in it. After carefully folding it and putting it away, she put the tin box back in its place.
Liu Youcang watched her movements, then suddenly remembered: "Where's Baoya? Did you send Baoya away?"
"Where do you think this money came from?" Chen Fengxia stood up and patted the dust off her clothes, but she couldn't help but look happy.
Liu Youcang was silent for a while. He had only heard Chen Fengxia mention giving Baoya away before.
But I didn't expect her to act so quickly. In just a few days, she actually gave Baoya away. No, that's not right. She didn't give her away. She sold her for five dollars.
Seeing that he looked unhappy, Chen Fengxia said, "Don't worry this time. The bride I'm looking for for Baoya is a worker in a textile factory. That's a better life than digging for food in the fields. Who knows, in a few days, Baoya might be plump and white. By then, she won't even remember you as her poor father."
Liu Youcang said nothing more.
…
It was getting darker outside, and the light was dwindling. These days, people were reluctant to light kerosene lamps, and generally went to bed early after dinner.
However, the candlelight is still on in Zhang Hongli's parents' home.
Because Baoya is missing!
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