Side Story 1: Junjun's New Life (Part 1)
Side Story 1: Junjun's New Life (Part 1)
Fang Junjun was seven or eight years old that year, still a wild child.
She loved to frolic in the dirt all day, burying her big toes, which were sticking out of her shoes, into the sand. If her grandmother or mother scolded her at that time, she would be good-natured and not talk back.
But at other times, she could also fluently spew out a long string of curses that were not at all like a child's, thanks to the sharp tongue she inherited from her mother and grandmother. With this talent, not to mention girls, even boys older than her in the village dared not mess with her.
She then spent her days playing with herself.
They played in the mud and water, and sometimes when they got sleepy, they would sleep in the haystack. Wang Jing would come out to chase them away if she remembered, but if she didn't, that was fine. Their younger brother, Fang Yuenian, had been in poor health since childhood and needed someone to accompany him.
What happened that day was quite simple.
Fang Junjun is a bully by nature, and she often snatches things from other children. I don't know why Tongtong went back and told her parents this time, and why the parents came to make a scene.
What's the big deal? It's just a little eraser and pencil.
She was confused.
Tongtong's mother stormed into the Fang family's house, stood on the steps of the Fang family's wharf, and argued with Fang's mother for about ten minutes.
Wang Jing listened and finally couldn't sit still any longer. She tucked Fang Yuenian, who was already able to stumble and run, into her arms and left the room.
Tongtong's mother was pulling Tongtong along with one hand, and scolding her fiercely, "Your little Junjun has always been like this! She snatches away and coaxes away any little things my little one has. Not only does she snatch things, but she also hits people. What, does having a teacher in your family make you so great? Let alone your own little one, even I, an outsider, can't stand it. The little one is ignorant, and adults need to discipline her! Where does she not have parents? Is she a wild child?"
Grandma Fang stood with her hands on her hips by the back door, shouting loudly despite her advanced age: "I've been listening to your nonsense! Your little brat is the one who doesn't have parents! The little guy is just playing around, what's the big deal? Why are you even insulting adults?"
Tongtong's mother snorted coldly: "Hongya's mother, don't argue with me. If you want to curse, go curse your daughter-in-law. I don't want to reason with you, old Jiangshan! Where's Wang Jing? Why isn't she coming out?"
At this moment, Wang Jing appeared. Tongtong's mother was so angry that she laughed when she saw her. "Oh my, I've never seen a family raise children like this before. One is your precious darling, while the other goes out to steal, rob, kidnap, and sleep in rice paddies!"
Wang Jing didn't even glance at her; she was looking for that little brat, Fang Junjun.
Fang Junjun was chased to the water's edge from the very beginning, standing next to the stone washboard, and habitually biting her fingers.
Wang Jing said, "Get over here! What did you steal from them this time? Give it back!"
Tongtong's mother said, "When they snatched the pencil, I said it was really strange. Tongtong just bought a pencil on Monday and it's already used up. When I asked, I found out it was your Junjun who took it. What, are all your family members so capable that they can't even afford a pencil? Or does Junjun want to write, but the adults in her family won't let her go to school? She has a grandfather who is a teacher, and she's grown up without ever having gone to school. It's strange, and no one would listen if I told them!"
How could Old Mrs. Fang tolerate such insolence? She took a few steps in front of the mother and daughter, pinching them hard, and scolded, "What business is it of yours with my granddaughter? You should worry about your husband's belt, why are you coming to me with all this nonsense?!"
The rest was a long string of offensive and obscene language.
Tongtong's mother and Wang Jing had the same reaction—they covered their children's ears.
No one paid any attention to Fang Junjun's ears. She watched as her grandmother, spitting as she rearranged and combined those words, her expression surprisingly calm.
Grandma Fang was still not satisfied with her scolding, so she rushed down the steps, walked up to Fang Junjun, and slapped her on the forehead: "You little brat!"
Before that fan-like slap landed, Fang Junjun was still thinking of dodging.
However, the wharf was too small. She took a step back, received a slap, and then lost control, falling into the water with a splash.
Tongtong finally burst into tears, and Tongtong's mother was so angry at the scene that her face turned red.
"You, Hongya's mother, you can curse all you want, but don't hit me in front of me! I, I won't take care of your granddaughter!"
Even so, she still looked anxiously at Fang Junjun, and only breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Fang Junjun finally manage to struggle her way out.
Grandma Fang was still angry. There was a washing mallet at her feet, and she kicked it, hitting Fang Junjun's hand as she was climbing up the stone slab.
"hiss!"
Fang Junjun abruptly withdrew her hand, her body submerged back into the water, and when she resurfaced, she had already swallowed several mouthfuls of river water mixed with mud and sand.
She was soaking in the water, struggling to choke.
No one offered her a helping hand; not a single person did.
Grandma looked down at her with those murky, fierce eyes, more terrifying than Guan Yu's wife. Mom was on the shore, and her little brother in her arms was crying incessantly, so she had to put him down to soothe him. Tongtong's mom was so kind; she was wiping away Tongtong's tears...
Grandma Fang said fiercely to her, "Don't come up here! You're always causing trouble and a nuisance. I'll make sure you drown!"
Tongtong's mother couldn't stand it anymore and softened her voice: "Sigh, okay, okay, one slap is enough, hurry up and come up, you're going to choke!"
"What are you doing up here! I hope you choke to death!"
Fang Junjun choked, her face covered in snot. She felt as if she had stepped on something sharp, probably a broken clam shell, but the slight pain didn't seem like much.
In her little head, only four words came to mind: It would be best if she died.
She wiped her face, her large, sunken eyes staring at Old Mrs. Fang as she slowly uttered, "Old X."
Grandma Fang flew into a rage and kicked him.
However, being an old body, its small body, submerged in the water, floated slightly outwards, thus avoiding the kick.
Tongtong's mother panicked and shouted, "Are you trying to kill yourself, old Jiangshan?! The little one is drowning! Pull him out right now!"
Not only was she anxious, but Cheng Qiuyan and Cheng Xiaoxiao were also anxious on the wharf on the opposite bank of the river.
As soon as the noise started, Cheng Qiuyan tried to pull Cheng Xiaoxiao home, but the little girl refused. She stood on the pier, watching from afar. Cheng Xiaoxiao had always been a quiet and reserved child who rarely made decisions on her own. But now, as she stared at the opposite bank, she suddenly cupped her hands to her mouth and shouted with all her might, "Jun Jun! Jun Jun! Swim over here! Swim over here!"
Fang Junjun swam over.
"Sister Xiaoxiao is calling me!"
Grandma Fang seemed to have picked up something and hit her on the back. Wang Jing was also shouting something in a high-pitched voice, but she didn't pay any attention to it.
Sister Xiaoxiao is so pretty, and her little yellow floral dress is beautiful too. Sister Xiaoxiao's mother is also beautiful, even more so than when Tongtong's mother was wiping away Tongtong's tears... She knew that Cheng Xiaoxiao was her sister, but she forgot when she first found out or who told her. In any case, the beautiful Sister Xiaoxiao on the other side of the river was indeed her sister.
Cheng Qiuyan was truly taken aback by her daughter's actions.
Seeing the little girl bobbing up and down in the water, she only had time to hurriedly tell her, "Quick, go call your father!" before jumping into the river.
She saw herself from back then.
That version of myself, risking my life and disregarding everything to escape that kind of life.
When Lin Guohui rushed over with his daughter, Cheng Qiuyan had already embraced Fang Junjun's frail body from behind and was swimming her back. He quickly followed her into the river. Some neighbors heard the commotion and came out to see what was going on. Together, they helped bring the barely conscious Fang Junjun ashore.
Grandma Cheng hurriedly grabbed a towel to wrap the child up. Seeing that Cheng Qiuyan was alright, Lin Guohui went to rub Fang Junjun's hands and feet and patted her thin back to help her spit out the water in her throat.
Fang Junjun, being small and frail, was probably quite dazed from being submerged. When she finally came to her senses, she blinked gently and two tears fell from her eyes.
The Fang family did not initially come to demand their return.
Grandma Fang was arguing with her son and daughter-in-law at home. She refused to admit that it was her fault, saying that Fang Junjun had become wild and caused such a disgraceful incident.
Fang Wu was extremely annoyed. He blamed Old Lady Fang for pushing the person into the water, and scolded Wang Jing for letting Fang Junjun be so slovenly. He said she hadn't disciplined the child properly and had let her steal other people's things. Now she was going straight for the other people and had forgotten about her ancestors.
Wang Jing looks very haggard lately.
Fang Yuenian had a cold and didn't take her medicine in time, so her cough got worse and worse. The village clinic said it might be pneumonia, so she was sent to the town for testing, and it turned out to be pneumonia.
Her son had always been rather frail. Wang Jing had taken him to the Cheng family home once, hoping to persuade Fang Junjun to return, but Fang Junjun reacted as if she had seen a ghost whenever she saw Old Madam Fang, causing such a commotion that it startled Fang Yuenian, who also began coughing incessantly. Torn between her daughter and her son, she was caught in a dilemma.
Fang Junjun was too thin and frail. She caught a cold and was frightened. The Cheng family was busy taking care of her. They asked the doctor from the clinic to come and see her. They told her and her most trusted sister, Xiaoxiao, to stay in the room and not be disturbed. Cheng Qiuyan noticed that she had many bruises and marks on her body and was terribly thin. When she was giving her a bath, she coaxed her and quietly asked her how she got these injuries. She whispered to Cheng Xiaoxiao that her grandmother had hit her.
After that, she had a persistent low-grade fever and was in a state of extreme fear and anxiety.
Cheng Qiuyan arranged for Cheng Xiaoxiao to sleep with her at night, but she couldn't sleep well. She would often wake up suddenly at night, and even want to get out of bed and say that she wanted to sleep outside. Sometimes she would have nightmares, shouting that she was going to drown and couldn't breathe. After waking up, she would hug Cheng Xiaoxiao and cry softly, repeatedly begging not to send her away.
Cheng Qiuyan's heart ached, and tears streamed down her face. Thinking of herself, her daughter, and her childhood friend Fang Hongya who had died young, she felt a surge of hatred. She cursed Old Lady Fang fiercely in front of her mother, then firmly told her husband, "This girl can't be sent back. I want her." Author's Note: Thank you to my mentor 9492239 (9492239) for your support! For more exciting content, please leave a message for this book on Liancheng Reading.
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