Ruan Cuizhi was busy for a day or two, but she didn't sleep much the next morning. She got up before dawn. Maybe she felt that going back to her parents' home would cause trouble for the family, so she got up early, fed the pigs and chickens, washed the dirty clothes, and cooked breakfast.
When Ruan Zhigao, Liu Xinghua, Ruan Xi and Ruan Jie woke up, she had already taken care of all the chores at home. So the three of them had nothing to do, so they washed up and called Ruan Zhigao to have breakfast.
Ruan Jie asked if they should go and call Ruan Changsheng.
Ruan Zhigao thought that he must be very tired these days, so he didn't let Ruan Jie call him and let him continue to sleep.
Because of this, Liu Xinghua said to Ruan Cuizhi at the dinner table: "I asked you to stay at home not to serve us here, haven't you served us enough there? If you are tired, just sleep more, don't look for trouble and rush to do everything."
Ruan Cuizhi smiled and said, "I'm used to it. I feel uncomfortable if I don't do something."
Ruan Zhigao looked at her and said, "Don't do anything today. Just rest at home for a few days."
Ruan Cuizhi said: "That won't work. I still have to go to work in the production team."
Even if she came back to stay for just one day, she didn't want to just lie down and eat for free.
Liu Xinghua rolled her eyes and said, "If you dare to go, I will turn against you."
She had been wronged at her husband's house, and had to walk such a long way back from the mountains. She hadn't slept for long, and now she had to wash clothes, feed pigs, cook, and work in the production team. Why did they call her back to her parents' house to make her suffer more?
Seeing Liu Xinghua's serious expression, Ruan Cuizhi smiled and said, "Okay, I'll take a rest for two days."
As the younger generation who had no say, Ruan Xi and Ruan Jie did not speak during the meal. After the meal, they went out together with Ruan Zhigao.
As usual, Ruan Zhigao went to organize members to go to work, Ruan Xi went to the old tailor's house to practice painting, and Ruan Jie went to find girls in the village to collect firewood and cut pig grass. If they finished their work at home, they would also go to the production team to help with the work.
After dinner, Liu Xinghua didn't let Ruan Cuizhi work anymore and took her to the room to sleep.
It was rare for Ruan Cuizhi to calm down, and she was really tired. She fell asleep soon after lying on the bed.
She was not as old as Ruan Changsheng, a young man. Ruan Changsheng recovered immediately after a nap. Ruan Cuizhi took two days to rest and finally stopped feeling tired.
After she had recovered her spirits, she went to work in the production team no matter what.
Ruan Changsheng went to the commune and brought Ruan Cuizhi back to her parents' home overnight, but Ruan Cuizhi didn't even bring her child when she came back. Anyone with a discerning eye could tell that there was something wrong, so many people gossiped about her behind her back.
The women were weeding in the rice fields. They approached Sun Xiaohui and asked her with shining eyes, "Hey, why did your sister-in-law come back so suddenly? Was she bullied by her husband's family?"
Sun Xiaohui replied, "Oh, it's not a big deal. She was beaten a few times by her husband. The girls in the Ruan family are so delicate that they can't be touched. I don't know what I thought was wrong when I brought her back with such a big fuss."
The woman grabbed a handful of muddy grass and straightened up to rest for a while. "Her man has been here a few times before. He looks quite honest and doesn't seem like the kind of person who would resort to violence. Why would he hit her?"
Sun Xiaohui also stood up to rest. "It's probably her own fault. Why did they beat her for no reason? Why didn't they beat me? I tell you, the two elders in my family love girls the most. They hold them in their hands. It's just their habit!"
Another woman asked, "So what do you mean? She's not going back and is waiting for her husband's family to pick her up?"
Sun Xiaohui smiled, "I heard that she is planning to get a divorce."
"Divorce?" The women who heard this stopped what they were doing and turned to look.
This is really strange. They have never heard of divorce after marriage in their entire lives.
Sun Xiaohui said: "Anyway, that's what I heard. Who knows if it's true or not? Life in the town is better than in the mountains. How could she bear to leave? She has four children. If she dares to do this, everyone can just spit on her and drown her."
The woman said: "I'm afraid it's just to scare her in-laws."
Sun Xiaohui: "I said, are you afraid of her bullying? If it was my daughter, I would beat her to death if she acted like this. She ran to her parents' home after being touched by a man, and then troubled her family. I would have to send her back in the middle of the night and make her pay. Only the two elders in our family can do such a thing. Instead of helping and persuading her, letting her live a peaceful life, they also fanned the flames and let Xiao Wuzi make a big fuss. The daughters of their Ruan family are all rich and noble, whoever marries them will be in trouble."
As they were talking, they saw Ruan Cuizhi coming from a distance. Sun Xiaohui and the other women exchanged glances and quickly shut up.
Ruan Cuizhi worked in the production team for two days. The first day was relatively normal. Everyone would greet her politely when they saw her, exchange a few words with her, and say how many years they hadn't seen her.
But the next day, everything started to feel strange.
Ruan Cuizhi could feel that many women in the production team looked at her like they were attached to her. Not only did they look at her strangely, but they also smiled dryly when they greeted her, and then turned around and whispered to each other.
She hadn't been back for many years and had become estranged from the people in the production team. Many of them were married from other villages, and she didn't know any of them. So even if she found it strange, she couldn't find the right person to ask why.
Logically speaking, she must have had something wrong when she went back to her parents' home alone. But it was normal for her to go back to her parents' home after being wronged in her husband's home and quarreling and fighting with her husband, and it wouldn't make those people look at her in that way.
She was puzzled in her heart, but couldn't figure out why, so she didn't care much and just buried her head in her work.
Liu Xinghua has grown older and her back is not very good, so she rarely goes to work in the production team. She just does some housework, sewing, cooking, cleaning the chicken and pig pens, and taking care of the vegetable garden.
There were also old ladies in the village who were older than her, most of whom could not do much work. They would often get together with their needlework baskets, weave baskets and do needlework together, and chat about family matters to pass the days of their old age.
Today, Liu Xinghua had just finished her nap at noon and was sewing for a while when Grandma Zhao and Grandma Li came to her with baskets. The two old ladies went into the house, took out a stool and sat on it, then bent over to pick up the half-finished sole.
The three of them sat down and chatted. Grandma Zhao and Grandma Li looked at each other for several times while they were talking. Then, as if they had reached some kind of consensus, they suddenly cleared their throats together.
After clearing her throat, Grandma Zhao looked at Liu Xinghua and asked, "I heard that... Cuizhi wants to divorce Liu Xiong?"
Hearing this, Liu Xinghua paused while holding the needle, and looked up at Grandma Zhao, "Who said that?"
Grandma Li continued, "Who should tell? The whole team has heard about it. How could anyone not know about it? If it wasn't you who said it, then someone in your family would have said it. It's not a good thing to say. Do you and Secretary Ruan really want Cuizhi to get divorced? You've been married for more than ten years and have four children."
Liu Xinghua put her needle-holding hand on her thigh, and a knot formed between her eyebrows.
The divorce was just mentioned casually by her granddaughter Ruan Xi on the night Ruan Cuizhi came back.
Because she felt that Ruan Xi had some truth in what she said, and it was not just a child's nonsense, she and Ruan Zhigao did not say anything to refute it, but they also did not say that they agreed to let Ruan Cuizhi divorce. How did the divorce word get out?
Could it be that Ruan Xi and Ruan Jie went out and said this again?
Liu Xinghua was puzzled and perfunctorily said a few words to Grandma Zhao and Grandma Li.
When the whole family arrived home in the evening and sat down to eat, she asked this question.
She asked Ruan Xi and Ruan Jie first, "Did you go out and tell others that your third aunt is getting a divorce?"
Ruan Xi and Ruan Jie were stunned when they heard this, and then shook their heads together.
Ruan Xi swallowed the rice in her mouth and said, "You and Grandpa didn't agree to this proposal, why do you go out and tell others? Besides, people are gossiping, and even if it is confirmed, divorce is not something you can show off, why should I go out and tell others about it?"
Even if Ruan Cuizhi really got divorced, she would not go out and tell others. If she really
got divorced, then this would be her third aunt's scar, and she would not touch it.
Liu Xinghua looked at Ruan Changsheng again: "What did you say?"
Ruan Changsheng was speechless: "Why would I go out and gossip about my third sister?"
Liu Xinghua thought about it and it made sense. They were all family members, and everyone was thinking about Ruan Cuizhi and wanted the best for her. How could they go out and gossip about her? She wouldn't say it, and Ruan Zhigao wouldn't say it either.
Ruan Cuizhi understood after hearing this. Why did those women look at her like that when she was working in the production team these two days, and turn around and mutter as if they were gossiping about her.
So, they were all talking about her getting a divorce?
While she was thinking about it, Liu Xinghua suddenly slammed the chopsticks in her hand on the table.
With a loud bang, not only Ruan Cuizhi, but everyone else was also started.
Ruan Jie asked in a low voice: "Grandma, what happened?"
Liu Xinghua did not answer Ruan Jie, but stood up and walked out. When she walked outside, she shouted to the main room: "Sun Xiaohui! You die!" Sun
Xiaohui's family was also eating. Hearing this loud shout, Sun Xiaohui was so scared that her chopsticks shook.
Ruan Changgui asked her: "What happened?"
Sun Xiaohui lowered her eyebrows and spoke unconfidently, "Who knows who has offended her again."
Ruan Changgui looked at her, stood up and walked out, standing at the door and looking at Liu Xinghua: "Mom, what happened?"
Liu Xinghua pointed at him: "Call Sun Xiaohui out for me!"
Ruan Changgui turned his head to look at Sun Xiaohui, and Sun Xiaohui put down her chopsticks reluctantly and rubbed against Ruan Changgui's side.
Seeing Sun Xiaohui stood up, Ruan Yuejin and Ruan Yuehua also stood up and followed.
Sun Xiaohui looked at Liu Xinghua outside. Behind Liu Xinghua stood Ruan Zhigao, Ruan Changsheng, Ruan Cuizhi, and two maids, Ruan Xi and Ruan Jie. The formation looked scary, as if they were here to capture her and bring her to justice.
She cleared her throat, looked at Liu Xinghua and asked, "What's the matter now?"
Liu Xinghua stared at her fiercely, "Did you go out and say that Cuizhi wanted a divorce? Wasn't it you?"
As she spoke, she was about to hit Sun Xiaohui, cursing, "I'm going to tear your stinky mouth apart today!"
Sun Xiaohui was so scared that she hid behind Ruan Changgui and denied, "I don't know what you are talking about! How do I know whether Cuizhi is getting a divorce or not? I don't even know why she came back, What should I say?"
Ruan Changgui stopped Liu Xinghua and testified for Sun Xiaohui: "Mom, you must have wronged Xiaohui. We didn't even hear what you said in private. Where can we tell it? Even if someone said it, it was the people who knew it!"
Liu Xinghua didn't hit Sun Xiaohui, so she said to Ruan Changgui: "You are protecting her, right?"
Ruan Changgui said: "I'm not protecting her, she really didn't say it."
Liu Xinghua gritted her teeth in anger and wanted to go up and hit Sun Xiaohui.
Ruan Cuizhi came up and pulled her, "Forget it, Mom, go back and eat."
There was no evidence and it was indeed unreasonable to make a fuss. Liu Xinghua stood there and suppressed her temper for a moment, then turned back to the side room with a dark face.
The others followed her in, and they naturally understood why Liu Xinghua had just asked who had said that Ruan Cuizhi was divorced. Probably because the news had spread in the village.
Liu Xinghua sat down to eat a few mouthfuls of porridge, and said, "It must be Sun Xiaohui!"
Ruan Cuizhi said, "Just say it, it won't hurt."
She was as indifferent as she was afraid of being laughed at before. Anyway, the illusion of a harmonious family that she had maintained for more than ten years was broken, and the rest was all indifferent.
Seeing Ruan Cuizhi say this, Ruan Changsheng said again: "Since it has been spread, I think it is better to just divorce."
Ruan Zhigao looked at him, "It's easy for you to say it, but what if you really leave the four children? If you don't leave, these people will only talk for a while, but if you leave, they will point fingers at your third sister for the rest of her life! We don't care, we are all going to be buried soon, but can your third sister bear it?"
Ruan Xi stirred the porridge in the bowl, and suddenly said: "So let Liu Xiong beat you for life?"
Ruan Zhigao looked at Ruan Xi again, "What do you mean let him beat you for life? If he moves again Let my daughter try with one finger! This matter must be explained, Liu Xiong must change this bad habit!"
Ruan Xi looked at Ruan Zhigao: "I bet you, Liu Xiong can't change it, this has become a very normal part of his life. There is only one way to make him change this habit, that is, San Gu suppresses him in strength. As long as he can't beat San Gu, he will suffer if he fights, and he will definitely change, but is it possible? "
Ruan Zhigao looked at Ruan Cuizhi, and couldn't say a word of possibility.
Not to mention suppressing Liu Xiong in strength, Ruan Cuizhi couldn't even do a simple spicy.
After a while, he said, "Let your fifth uncle treat him."
Ruan Xi: "Fifth uncle has already treated him this time. When Liu Xiong comes to take Third Aunt back in a while, you will know whether it is effective or not. Of course, because of this lesson, he will be honest for a while, but he will never change."
Liu Xinghua was upset and said, "Forget it, let's talk about it later."
Ruan Cuizhi was holding a bowl beside her with her head down, and she didn't say a word.
In the evening, after washing up and lying on the bed with Ruan Xi and Ruan Jie, she suddenly said, "I haven't seen you for a few years, Xiaoxi, you have grown up."
Ruan Xi blinked in the dark, "He just knows a little bit."
She seemed to think that Ruan Xi was suitable to talk about this, and asked: "Do you really think your uncle will not change?"
The incident did not happen. Ruan Xi knew that what she said was just a possibility, and it was a possibility that destroyed people's hopes, and no one liked to hear it.
She didn't want to say this over and over again, so she asked Ruan Cuizhi: "Third aunt, what if he changes?"
Ruan Cuizhi was stunned by her question.
Ruan Xi took a deep breath, "Is all you ask of your husband is that he doesn't beat you? Two people living together, walking hand in hand for a lifetime, don't they need to care about each other's well-being, care and concern? What kind of person he is, how he treats you, how your life is, only you know. Even if he gets rid of this worst habit, he is not a bad person, not a scumbag?"
Ruan Cuizhi lay in the night, not saying a word for a long time.
Ruan Xi was silent for a moment, then continued: "When you meet a scumbag, isn't the best way to find a way to stay away from him? Why spend time and energy hoping that such a person can change, entangled with him, wasting time, and even ruining your life. Is it true that after getting married and having children, no matter how bad or painful life is, women have no choice but to accept their fate?"
Ruan Cuizhi had been silent, so Ruan Xi didn't continue talking. After all, her words seemed out of place in this era. After she emptied her mind, her eyelids began to fight, and she heard Ruan Jie had fallen asleep next to her, so she fell asleep quickly. Ruan Cuizhi
lay on the other end of the bed and hadn't fallen asleep for a long time.
Ruan Cuizhi went to bed very late at night, but still got up early the next morning.
After breakfast, he put on his backpack and straw hat as usual, and prepared to go to the production team to work.
But when she was about to go out, Liu Xinghua grabbed her and said to her: "Don't go out to the crowd these days. Stay at home and do needlework with me. You don't need these work points."
Ruan Cuizhi knew that Liu Xinghua was doing this for her own good, fearing that she would be pointed at by others if she went out to the crowd. Those people would look at her with that kind of eyes and whisper to her.
But she didn't care, just said: "Mom, I can't stay idle at home, it's okay, I just pretend I didn't see it, anyway, they won't say anything to my face, and I can't hear it. What if they hear it, it won't hurt."
She used to be afraid that people would laugh at her for not living a good life, and wanted others to think that she lived a good life, so she endured it for the sake of face.
In the past, she thought that compared to being beaten from time to time in the Liu family, she could not accept rumors more than swallowing all the bitterness.
When she had no experience, she was afraid of people gossiping behind her back, afraid of people gossiping, and now that it really happened, she felt the same.
She even suddenly realized that the dignity she had worked hard to maintain before was just self-deception.
Now, as long as her family doesn't think she is embarrassed, she doesn't care what others say.
She cared about her family, so she said to Liu Xinghua again, "I'm sorry, Mom, I've caused you so much trouble since I came back. You have to take care of my food and accommodation, and the villagers will talk about me because of me."
Liu Xinghua glared at her, "I'm not afraid of what others say. If anyone dares to talk nonsense in front of me, I will go up and tear her mouth! If you say anything about adding trouble or not in the future, I will be really angry."
Ruan Cuizhi smiled, "Okay, I won't say it anymore."
But she didn't listen to Liu Xinghua and stay at home, but went to the crowd.
She couldn't let herself be idle. If she did more work for the family, she would feel more comfortable.
Tianfeng Commune, Liu's family.
Because Ruan Cuizhi went back to her parents' home, Liu Xiong's mother and father moved in with Liu Xiong. Mainly, Liu Xiong's mother came to wash clothes, cook, and help take care of little Tiger.
The three girls were not young anymore, so she didn't need to worry about them, and they could help with things.
But she felt tired taking care of just one little Tiger. After all, four or five-year-old children are disobedient. They play with whatever they see, mess around with whatever they see, and it takes a lot of worry.
She served this family of old and young with her old arms and legs, and she couldn't stand it after a few days.
Seeing that Liu Xiong's injuries had healed a lot, she urged him to go to the mountain to pick up Ruan Cuizhi.
Liu Xiong refused to go and just said, "If she comes back on her own, I won't bother with her. If she wants me to go to the mountain to pick her up, no way! Her brother came over and beat me up like this, and I still have the nerve to go and pick her up? Is it possible?"
"If I don't let her kowtow to me and apologize, she will be too lucky!"
"If she has the guts, she
can stay in her parents' home for the rest of her life and see if people will scold her to death!" His mother had a temper: "If you don't go to pick her up, you will take care of this family by yourself, I won't care. There are so many things to do inside and outside the family, do you expect me to do them for you? If you don't go, I won't care either!"
Liu Xiong was very stubborn: "Da Ni and Er Ni are so old, what do you want to take care of? Let San Ni take care of Xiao Hu, and let Da Ni and Er Ni do all the housework. Without Ruan Cuizhi, would the earth stop turning?!"
His mother was so angry that she wanted to hit him: "Liu Xiong, just do what you want!"
Da Ni was twelve years old, Er Ni was ten years old, and San Ni was seven years old. They were still children. It was ok to ask them to help with things at ordinary times, but if they were asked to directly take care of a family's inside and outside, who knows what would happen to the family.
They didn't know how to make a living, and school was about to start, so they had to go to school.
Liu Xiong's mother thought about it and felt that she had to force him, so she packed up and moved out in anger.
Then, on the night she moved out, Da Ni and Er Ni were cooking in the kitchen and accidentally set fire to the pile of dry straw behind the wood stove. Because they couldn't put out the fire in time, the fire burned most of the kitchen. It was the neighbors who came over and put it out.
When Liu Xiong came back and saw the mess at home, he was so angry that he almost fell over.
Da Ni and Er Ni cried and said to him, "Dad, let's go and bring mom back."
Liu Xiong was furious and said, "Why do you want to bring mom back? Your mom is dead!"
"She should either come back on her own!"
"Or she shouldn't come back!"
As time approached the end of August, there was a hint of autumn in the mountains.
Ruan Cuizhi stayed at her mother's house for seven or eight days. At first, she felt uneasy because she felt sorry for her family because of the rumors in the village. But the longer she stayed, the less psychological burden she felt.
She thought about her four children every day, wondering if they were doing well, if they had enough to eat and sleep, and felt a little guilty for leaving them alone, but she didn't have much nostalgia for them.
Life in the mountains is slow. With her parents by her side, a younger brother who protects her, and two lovely nieces who are busy, she hasn't felt this kind of harmonious family atmosphere for a long time.
Because of her parents' unconditional protection, she lives more comfortably in her parents' home. She
hasn't felt so relaxed and comfortable since she got married.
Liu Xiong hasn't come to pick her up. Liu Xinghua said, "It's just right that he doesn't come. If you come, call me!"
If he came to pick her up earlier, it means that he still knows that he is wrong and has sincerity and attitude.
Who can't understand what it means to come after such a long time?
He is stepping on Ruan Cuizhi's face and the faces of everyone in their Ruan family.
Even if he comes after a while, he will probably not be able to make a living there, so he will take Ruan Cuizhi back to serve him and the four children!
How can we expect a man like this to change his bad habit of beating his wife?
Ruan Zhigao was really mad at Liu Xiong, and he cursed him with gritted teeth: "Fuck him, even if Cuizhi stays at her parents' house for the rest of her life, she will never go to Liu's house and suffer the grievances of that bastard!"
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