Chapter 18 Whose life is cheap?
She hesitated for a moment, her cheeks burning even more, but in the end, she gently placed her hand on it.
A smile appeared on Song Xingzhi's lips as he steadily helped her to her feet.
"Thank you, Clerk Song." Zhang Chunxue lowered her head, her voice barely audible.
Song Xingzhi felt the slight sweat on her palms and their softness, and an indescribable joy welled up in his heart.
He noticed that Zhang Chunxue seemed less resistant to him than before, and his smile deepened.
"You're welcome, sister-in-law. You'll have to be more careful when you walk in the future."
Zhang Chunxue and Zhong Xiaoxiao said goodbye to Song Xingzhi before limping home.
Supporting her mother, Zhong Xiaoxiao finally managed to get the words out: "Mom, why do you dislike Teacher Song so much? No wonder Teacher Song secretly tutored me and repeatedly told me not to tell you!"
Hearing her daughter's innocent question, and recalling Song Xingzhi's intimate behavior just now, Zhang Chunxue realized that her daughter hadn't noticed anything amiss and simply assumed that she disliked Song Xingzhi.
She felt both annoyed and amused. This silly girl really hadn't figured out anything about matters between men and women!
She sighed softly, thought for a moment, and then carefully spoke: "Xiaoxiao, your mother is a widow. And Secretary Song is a single man who hasn't started a family yet. If they associate with each other too much, the villagers will gossip, and their spittle could drown someone, do you understand?"
Upon hearing this, Zhong Xiaoxiao pouted and retorted defiantly, "Mom, you're wrong! You're single, and Teacher Song is single too. Even if you two really want to be together, who does it bother? Besides, Mom, you're still so young and a good person. If you want to find someone else, that's a perfectly legitimate thing. What's there to be afraid of people saying?"
Her daughter's words struck Zhang Chunxue like a thunderbolt.
She froze, her steps faltering.
In her past life, all three of her sons vehemently opposed her remarriage, even threatening suicide.
They said she was shameful, that she was unfaithful, and that she had let down her deceased father.
But to my surprise, this thoughtful little girl actually thought this way!
Zhang Chunxue's eyes welled up with tears, and she almost shed one.
Zhong Xiaoxiao, however, did not notice her mother's unusual behavior; she was happily making plans in her heart.
Teacher Song is so cultured, has a good appearance, is a good person, and is good to me.
Her mother is capable, beautiful, and kind-hearted, but her life has been a bit tough.
If these two could become a couple, they would be a perfect match!
Zhong Xiaoxiao secretly thought to herself that she would have to think of a way to bring them together!
She wanted to make sure her mother could live a good life too!
When I got home, the yard was quiet.
Zhang Chunxue went back to her room first. Although the wound on the sole of her foot was bandaged, it was still bleeding a little after walking all the way.
She carefully sat on the edge of the bed and untied the strip of cloth and the handkerchief.
Song Xingzhi's snow-white handkerchief was already stained red with blood in a small area.
She fetched a basin of clean, cool water, soaked the handkerchief, and carefully scrubbed it, leaving not a trace of blood.
Zhang Chunxue looked at the handkerchief, but felt a little troubled.
This handkerchief is something I wear close to my body, and I've used it to bandage a wound on my foot. It just doesn't feel right to return it.
After thinking about it, she decided to wait until the market day to buy some new fabric and make a new handkerchief for Song Xingzhi, or simply buy him a good one as compensation.
She carefully folded the clean handkerchief and placed it at the bottom of the chest before turning and going to the kitchen.
Inside the kitchen, the crucian carp and loach were still jumping around in the bamboo basket.
Zhang Chunxue deftly picked up the kitchen knife and cleaned the largest crucian carp with a few quick thuds on the cutting board.
She said to Zhong Xiaoxiao, who followed her in, "Xiaoxiao, go to Aunt Wang's house at the village entrance and see if she has any freshly made tofu. Buy a piece and bring it back."
Zhong Xiaoxiao responded crisply with "Okay!" and then ran out with the child in her arms.
Zhang Chunxue set up the pot, poured in a little oil, and pan-fried the crucian carp until both sides were slightly golden brown. Then she added water, ginger slices, and covered the pot, and began to concentrate on making fish soup for Zhou Mingli.
Before long, a rich and delicious aroma of fish soup wafted from the kitchen, its delicate fragrance tempting everyone's mouths and quickly filling the entire courtyard.
"Oh my, what smells so good?" a high-pitched female voice rang out at the courtyard gate.
Li Hongjuan, holding her three-year-old son Zhong Hongqing's hand, peeked curiously into the kitchen.
She sniffed hard, her eyes gleaming, her mouth practically watering.
"Mom, what delicious food are you making?" Li Hongjuan asked with a smile, quickly approaching the kitchen door. "Why don't you make some for Hongqing to try? He's your eldest grandson!"
Zhang Chunxue turned around at the sound and her gaze fell on Zhong Hongqing's round little face.
Her eldest grandson, Zhong Hongqing...
Zhang Chunxue's heart clenched suddenly, as if she had been pricked by a needle.
She thought of her past life, how she had raised this grandson with great difficulty, always giving him the best food and drink.
But what happened next?
When she was bedridden and unable to take care of herself, her grown-up grandson, dressed in a suit, would always show disgust and impatience whenever he came to see her. He was even unwilling to step into her room.
What did he say back then? He said Grandma was too dirty and he didn't want to go in.
Dirty? Did he think she was dirty back then?
But when he was little, when she changed his diapers, wasn't he dirty?
Zhong Hongqing, drooling, said, "Grandma, I want to eat fish..."
Immediately, Zhang Chunxue's face fell, and she said irritably, "What are you eating! This is fish soup to nourish your second aunt, it's for a sick person, what are you kids doing getting involved!"
Upon hearing this, Li Hongjuan's smile froze instantly, and she was extremely displeased.
She pursed her lips and muttered under her breath, "It's just an illness, why is it so precious?"
"Who else would be sick like her, still drinking fish soup! In the end, she's just a worthless woman who can't have a son, her life is so cheap, she doesn't deserve to eat such good food."
Although the words were spoken softly, they were clearly heard in the quiet kitchen.
Zhang Chunxue's face turned completely cold. "Who are you calling a cheap life? Zhou Mingli is precious to me! More precious than gold! You did give birth to a boy, but I don't see you as a mother any more noble than anyone else. I think your life is pretty cheap too!"
Zhang Chunxue's words showed absolutely no mercy to Li Hongjuan.
Li Hongjuan's face turned black instantly, like soot from the bottom of a pot.
Her chest heaved with anger as she pointed at Zhang Chunxue, unable to utter a word for a long time: "Mom! How could you say that to me? I'm still your daughter-in-law, and Hongqing is your grandson!"
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