Beautiful mountains and clear waters, singing birds and fragrant flowers, this is the best interpretation of "Little Taiwan".
Zhang Shuangning's parents grew up in a small, modest but picturesque mountain village. It was the 1980s, a time when, under the influence of reform and opening up, people's mindsets underwent significant changes. Young men and women, in particular, abandoned the traditional marriage arrangements of parents and matchmakers and began to pursue free love.
Zhang Shuangning's parents, Zhang Jizong and her mother Kang Shumei, also caught up with this new wave and secretly talked about what they called "free love". However, such "shameless" love did not receive the support and approval of their parents, and the two were worried about their marriage.
No matter how difficult the road ahead, I will defend my love to the death. Nothing and no one can stop us from being together. Even if my head is bruised and bloodied, I, Zhang Jizong, will never marry anyone but you, Kang Shumei. This was the oath Jizong made for their love, and of course, Kang Shumei felt the same way.
It was another day, the sky was clear and the sun was setting. The two met at the place where they often met. Zhang Jizong and Kang Shumei sat beside the newly stacked straw pile and watched the sunset together.
"I'm already 25. Is it possible for your parents to get through?" Zhang Jizong held a piece of dogtail grass in his mouth, looking at the sunset in the sky, with a hint of anxiety in his voice.
Kang Shumei folded the straw in her hand again and again, her expression somewhat helpless. "Dad said that if I insist on being with you, he will break my legs and kick me out of the house, as if he had never given birth to a daughter like me."
After hearing this, Zhang Jizong was silent for a long time. After a long while, he managed to squeeze out a sentence, "How about...we elope?"
"Elope?" Kang Shumei looked at him in surprise. He nodded fiercely, "No, absolutely not. You are the only child your parents have. Who will take care of them if we leave? This is such an unfilial act. We can't do it."
Kang Shumei shook her head like a rattle and spoke with agitation. Although Jizong had a married sister, in those days, the continuation of the family line didn't seem to have much to do with daughters.
"So what do you say we should do?"
At this time, Tang Boyi, who was in charge of keeping watch for them, came out from behind the haystack and said, "Have you finished talking? If it's any later, the fishing boats will be gone and we'll have no choice but to swim back."
Tang Boyi, Zhang Jizong, and Kang Shumei grew up together. Tang Boyi and Zhang Jizong were from the same village, while Kang Shumei was from a neighboring village. Although they were called neighboring villages, they were actually separated by a river.
There was originally a stone bridge in the river, but there was a lot of rain in the summer and the stone bridge was buried under the river. The stone bridge would float to the surface only when the river water receded in winter. This is what Tang Boyi meant by "swimming back".
The three of them grew up together and have always had a good relationship. In fact, Tang Boyi also likes Kang Shumei, but Kang Shumei has only had Zhang Jizong in her heart since she was a child, so his love for Kang Shumei became unrequited love, and he could only keep it in his heart silently.
"Then you guys go back first! We'll make an appointment another day." Kang Shumei pulled up Zhang Jizong, who was still sitting on the ground and refused to get up, and pushed him, asking him to cross the river quickly, as it was getting dark.
Tang Boyi dragged and tugged, and Zhang Jizong finally took a step forward reluctantly, "Let's go! Let's go! Don't look anymore, there will be plenty of time later."
Kang Shumei watched them walk away, patted the weeds on her pants, and then walked home alone. Along the way, she greeted her fellow villagers who were going home after work. It seemed that she was quite popular.
As soon as she reached the gate of her house, she heard her mother crying and screaming. She quickly pushed the gate open and ran into the house. "Mom, what happened?"
Her brother Kang Fadada was lying on the bed with a splint on his leg. Her mother's face was covered with tears and her father also looked worried.
Seeing Kang Shumei come in, her father was furious, "You've been wild enough, come back now!" Her father picked up the sorghum broom from the corner and hit her with it. Her father raised the broom and wanted to hit her again, so she had to hide!
She and her father began to play the game of Eagle Catches Chicken around the square table in the main room.
"You're nowhere to be seen all day long. Are you having a secret meeting with that brat again? I'll beat you to death, you ungrateful bastard." Her father was out of breath and scolded her as he chased her.
"Dad, I just don't understand. Ji Zongren is handsome and hardworking. Why don't you agree to my marriage with him?" Kang Shumei complained to her father.
"Your good looks are enough to make a living? You're as poor as a ghost. Unless your mother and I are dead, you can't even think about marrying that bastard."
Since her parents were threatening to commit suicide, Kang Shumei couldn't continue talking.
"Dad, please stop chasing me. You might hurt your back. What happened to my brother?"
When Kang Shumei asked this, her father stopped and said, "Your brother broke his leg while chopping firewood in the mountains. The doctor said that even if he heals, he will still walk with a limp in the future." As her father spoke, tears were almost coming out.
"How could this happen?" Kang Shumei was so sad that she wanted to cry. Her brother was the only male in her family. It was difficult for her family to get married as they were poor. Now she was afraid that the marriage that they had finally arranged would be canceled again.
Her mother, who heard her father's words in the inner room, burst into tears again. Kang Shumei quickly ran into the room to comfort her, "Mom, don't be sad, as long as everyone is fine, everything will be fine."
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