The room fell silent.
Wang Xiaozhu crawled under the covers, poked her head out, and looked at Wang Tianxiao. "Second Brother, did Third Sister-in-law really fill in your chimney?"
"Go to sleep." Zhang Meifeng pulled the blanket over her youngest daughter's head, then glanced at Wang Tianxiao. "Second son, with the eldest son not home, you are the elder in this family. You must have the mindset of an elder. I've been telling you since you were little that harmony in the family brings prosperity. You must always keep that in mind."
Looking at his mother's pale hair, Wang Tianxiao felt a pang of sadness for her. He thought that it would be pointless to say too much before the incident happened, so he said, "Mom, I won't shirk my responsibilities, but don't try to piss on my head when others ask."
"You have such a stubborn temper, I don't know who you took it from." Zhang Meifeng sighed. "How about this, you take your wife to your mother's place first. A woman can't have a miscarriage at this time, or she'll suffer for the rest of her life."
"Um."
"Then go ahead," Zhang Meifeng said wearily.
When Wang Tianxiao returned to his cave dwelling, Li Yali, holding her daughter, stared expectantly at the doorway. Seeing him enter, she asked nervously, "Is the chimney really blocked?"
It's blocked.
Li Yali looked troubled and said helplessly, "I haven't offended them before, so I don't know why they keep targeting us and causing trouble."
"This has nothing to do with you. They just want us to move out as soon as possible."
Wang Tianxiao comforted his wife.
The wife is kind-hearted, and even so, she harbors no resentment, only wondering if she has done something wrong.
She lived her whole life like this; it was good, but she also suffered losses her whole life.
On the other hand, it's fortunate that she's this kind of person that she's stayed with him for life. If it were any other woman, she might have run away long ago.
"You mean splitting up the family?" Li Yali's expression changed.
"Yes, that's what they mean. They said that Hua'er is getting old, and it's not convenient for her to live with Lao San all the time."
Li Yali nodded. "That's true."
Wang Tianxiao was stunned, then gave a bitter smile.
My wife is such an understanding person; even at this time of year, she still thinks of others.
He did not accuse his wife of being foolish.
His two lifetimes taught him many lessons: kindness is not wrong; what is wrong is to let down kind people.
She is a kind woman, and all I can do is protect her and prevent her kindness from being taken advantage of by those with ulterior motives.
"The chimney needs time to be cleaned. Why don't you go stay with your mother for a day?"
Li Yali shook her head, "I'm not cold, why would I be cold when you're home?"
Wang Tianxiao was stunned again. Seeing his wife's rosy cheeks with a slight blush of shyness, he gently touched her hair.
"Let's go there; it's too cold for the child."
When talking about her child, Li Yali's eyes were full of tenderness. She stroked her big belly and said gently, "I've been craving sour things lately, so this must be a big, healthy boy."
"It's possible, sour foods are for boys and spicy foods are for girls." Wang Tianxiao certainly knew that it was a son.
“But my sister-in-law Runlan said that if it’s a boy, the belly will be pointed, and if it’s a girl, the belly will be round. Why do I feel that my belly is very round?”
“Really? I think it’s sharp,” Wang Tianxiao said with a smile.
“Then let’s go with the pointed one,” Li Yali said happily. “I want to give you a son. Everyone else has one, but you don’t. I’m starting to feel a little annoyed with you.”
"No, that's not true. I love both my son and daughter," Wang Tianxiao said, rubbing his daughter's head as she went back to sleep. "I love all our children."
In this era of male chauvinism, the old lady naturally preferred her grandson. The eldest, third, and fourth sons all had sons, but Wang Tianxiao, the second son, did not.
The old lady may not say it, but her actions have shown it countless times.
Hearing her husband say that warmed her heart, and she felt the weather wasn't so cold anymore.
Thinking that there was no food left at home, Wang Tianxiao told Li Yali to rest while he went to town to buy some grain.
He had originally planned to go back to work early today, but given the current situation, he couldn't leave.
Whether or not I go back to my workplace is another matter.
Because it was so early, many places were still closed, so Wang Tianxiao waited for a long time. After the supply and marketing cooperative's grain and oil store opened, he bought some cornmeal and a bottle of oil. He also saw someone selling vinegar from a bucket on the street, so he bought a bottle as well.
People in Northwest China mostly enjoy vinegar; it's essential for noodles and cold dishes. The vinegar of that era was purely grain-brewed, smelling and tasting wonderfully. Unlike later vinegars, which are often blended and only taste sour and bitter.
He only had a dozen yuan in his pocket, not enough to buy wheat flour, so he had to make do with cornmeal for the time being. Cornmeal wasn't made from corn or hazelnuts, but from directly ground flour. It tasted very sour, and while it was okay to eat occasionally, eating too much made him feel nauseous.
But there was nothing that could be done. Corn yields more than wheat, and the land in the mountain villages is uneven, with some areas unable to retain water. Wheat harvests were poor, while corn, sorghum, and millet had relatively higher yields and were easier to cultivate, thus becoming people's staple food.
The snow lessened a bit after daybreak, but the snow pile was still very thick. Wang Tianxiao hadn't used his bicycle to carry goods in a long time, and he stumbled and fell twice along the way. It was already past 11 a.m. when he got home.
As soon as I turned into the path leading to my own courtyard with its heated floor, I heard sharp cursing from afar.
It's very familiar; it's Yu Xiaofeng.
Is this hanged man abusing his wife again?
Yu Xiaofeng's eyes droop slightly, making her look a bit like the hanged ghost from Liaozhai. Coupled with her mean and shrewish nature, the villagers secretly called her the hanged ghost.
He quickened his pace and ran home as fast as he could.
In the distance, I saw a lone figure standing on the edge of the cliff (the flat ground above the pit dwelling, which resembles a precipice near the pit dwelling). The figure was pushing a small wheelbarrow.
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