Chapter 1 Chapter 1 Man Conquers Nature
Sanshili Market in Donghe Village in 1976.
"Sharpen the scissors and kitchen knives!"
"It's time to make the rice popcorn!"
"Freshly fried mountain chestnuts, hot mountain chestnuts!"
...
Unlike others who were shouting loudly, the shepherd's purse cakes at Qingmei's stall had been sold out and they were packing up.
Qingmei’s shepherd’s purse cakes are famous far and wide. They are made by mixing large amounts of shepherd’s purse, transparent river shrimps, fresh wild leeks and bright yellow cornmeal, with eggs added in.
After making it, add a few cooked black sesame seeds. It will be fresh and fragrant, and the portion is large. Every time the green plums come to the market, they will be sold out in no time.
Other people’s shepherd’s purse cakes cost three cents each, while Qingmei’s cost five cents, but even so, they were in short supply.
She packed the basket, put it on her back, and took a few steps, then realized she had forgotten something. Suddenly, there was a muffled thunder in the sky.
The lady at the next stall grumbled, "Why is there thunder out of nowhere?"
The customers who were buying groceries also looked up and said, "It really is thundering."
Qingmei: "..."
She stopped and silently turned to look at the bicycle she had forgotten to push.
Her bangs were thin and covered her forehead, and two big braids draped over her shoulders.
She had an oval face, clear and lively almond eyes, cherry-red lips, and was wearing a worn-out short-sleeved gray shirt. She stretched out her arms, which looked like ivory carvings, and pushed her bicycle all the way to Donghe Village.
*** ***
"Captain, the bicycle is back. And here's the two dollars and ten cents I earned this morning."
Qingmei was slender and graceful, with a slender waist and rounded breasts. Her back was damp with sweat, radiating the youthful vitality unique to a young girl, and her breath was filled with the fragrance of her hair and a sexy, unconscious attraction.
Captain Jin usually took good care of Qingmei. It was she who agreed to let Qingmei sell shepherd's purse cakes in the name of the brigade so that she could get a bigger share of the income.
"Take this fifty cents." It was a hot day, and poor Qingmei had to work in the fields to harvest during the day and go up the mountain to dig wild vegetables at night. She had to sell shepherd's purse cakes before dawn.
Qingmei didn't hesitate and thanked Captain Jin and took the money.
Captain Jin said, "The barefoot doctor will arrive tomorrow afternoon."
Qingmei said, "Okay, the medicine is gone."
Qingmei has a pair of dimples on her face, and when she smiles she looks like a pink apple.
A hardworking and beautiful girl is always sought after wherever she goes, but unfortunately Qingmei had a miserable life. She came from the city and her husband died on the first day of their wedding. She was bullied by her parents-in-law all day long and was driven to live in a dilapidated tile house with her grandmother.
Even so, he is still kind-hearted.
Knowing that Aunt Gu had been driven out by her evil daughter-in-law and had no place to recuperate, he took her to live in the dilapidated house without saying a word.
Life is so difficult for a beautiful widow to support two laborless children. But she is like a small wild flower rooted in the soil, tenacious, patient, and exuding the fragrance of vitality.
"Oh no, your Aunt Gu is about to die!" Grandma Qingmei, with bound feet and a bun on the back of her head, came over with a staggering gait, leaning on a wooden stick.
Captain Jin said, "I'll go with you to take a look."
On the only bamboo bed in the dilapidated house.
Aunt Gu's skin was a sickly golden color, she rolled her eyes, and took short, labored breaths. Listening carefully, she was breathing out more than she was breathing in.
Aunt Gu held her breath, looked at Qingmei who appeared, and moved her fingers.
Qingmei went over to help her up and tried to feed her medicine. As the spoon reached her lips, Aunt Gu shook her head slightly and said with difficulty, "I...I can't do it anymore. It's a waste of your money."
Qingmei said worriedly, "Last year, my grandmother and I couldn't make ends meet, and you helped us. Be good and take your medicine quickly. The barefoot doctor will come tomorrow and prescribe some painkillers to help you feel better."
"It's too late." Aunt Gu said miserably, "I have a miserable life... cough cough... my eldest son is useless, and my youngest son married a heartless wife... after sacrificing himself, he wants to kill me... I hate it, I hate it—"
Qingmei quickly said, "It's important that you drink the medicine now."
Aunt Gu let out a deep breath and closed her eyes for a long time without opening them.
After a while, her face showed some color. Qingmei helped her and she was able to sit up.
Captain Jin and Grandma Qingmei understood each other tacitly that this was a last gasp of energy.
"Ahem—good girl, we are all miserable people."
Aunt Gu took off her jade bracelet and took Qingmei's hand. "This is an heirloom in my family. They said it was for my daughter-in-law... I was so blind that I chose her. It's hard for you to serve me for half a year. I have nothing. I can only say that if there is another life, I must make you my daughter-in-law. I will never treat you unfairly!"
Just as he finished speaking, there was a muffled thunder outside the window, which seemed to split the sky and earth, and echoed for hundreds of miles.
Qingmei knew that Aunt Gu could only be the heroine's mother-in-law, not hers.
But Aunt Gu ignored everything and seemed determined to put the jade bracelet on Qingmei's wrist.
Captain Jin's ears hurt from the thunder outside: "Xiaomei, please accept it. This is your thank you gift for taking care of the old man for so long."
After finishing the long speech, Aunt Gu seemed to have been drained of all her strength. She fell backwards on the bamboo bed, breathing heavily and her eyes were wide open.
She held Qingmei's wrist tightly, as if she had something else to say, but she couldn't say it.
In just one or two minutes, no matter how much Qingmei called her, she didn't respond at all.
Grandma Qingmei came over and felt her pulse, then shook her head at Qingmei: "Gone...Alas."
Captain Jin walked forward and reached out to close Aunt Gu's eyelids, but they wouldn't close. She stared at the direction of her daughter-in-law's family's home next door.
Knowing that she has deep resentment towards her young daughter-in-law, will she die with regrets?
Grandma Qingmei, following the old ways of thinking, hesitated and said, "She wants to find Xiaomei to be her daughter-in-law, but Xiaomei hasn't agreed yet... Could it be because of this?"
Captain Jin, still carrying a collection of quotations from great men in his pocket and a badge of great men on his chest, frowned at the words, not wanting to criticize the old man. What era is this? Stop being so superstitious.
Qingmei stood by the bed and tried to say, "I agree, Aunt Gu."
When she reached out again, Aunt Gu's eyelids closed effortlessly.
Captain Jin: “…”
Qingmei: "..."
Aunt Gu was kind, so they weren't afraid. As Qingmei wiped her face and hands and cleaned up, Captain Jin said with emotion, "She thinks you're good. If it weren't for you, she would have suffered so much in the past six months."
It turned out that Aunt Gu was highly respected in the village. One of her two sons was a regiment commander, and the other was a battalion commander. Not only in Donghe Village, but also in the county, her influence was influential. Sadly, her youngest son died on the battlefield, and her eldest son was away from home for many years due to his mission.
My mother was kicked out of the house by Chen Qiaoxiang, and the brigade intervened several times. They promised everything at first, but then they turned around and refused to give her water or food. No matter how much outsiders intervened, they couldn't stop their young and healthy daughter-in-law from starving her sick mother-in-law.
If it weren't for Qingmei, Aunt Gu would have died in pain long ago.
Captain Jin said, "I'll have someone notify Captain Gu and Chen Qiaoxiang to quickly take care of the funeral."
We are fighting against evil spirits everywhere. Aunt Gu is gone, so we definitely can't hold a funeral like we did in the past. Besides, the weather is too hot to keep her body there.
Captain Jin first called the Gu family's eldest son's unit, but they said he was out on a mission and wouldn't be back. She went to the home of Chen Qiaoxiang, Gu's daughter-in-law, but she wasn't there. Someone said she was in town to see a movie.
Qingmei went to the next door to look for Chen Qiaoxiang's mother. Chen Qiaoxiang's mother didn't care about her in-laws and slammed the door shut.
Captain Jin had no choice but to send Aunt Gu up the mountain the next day.
The next day.
The people who helped with the burial of Aunt Gu arrived, playing the lama and carrying the door panels up the mountain.
Chen Qiaoxiang was wearing a newly made Dacron blouse and standing seductively on the roadside, with a young man standing beside her.
Qingmei saw her at the back of the funeral procession.
When Chen Qiaoxiang heard that her mother-in-law was buried, she could not hide her joy. The people who were bossing her around were finally gone. She fell behind the procession and chatted and laughed with the young man.
Qingmei couldn't help but wonder why such a heroine existed. She wasn't filial, had no moral values, and even flirted with someone at her mother-in-law's funeral. Was she even human?
When Qingmei was halfway there, her parents-in-law heard that she was seeing off Aunt Gu, so they hurried over.
Grandma Qingmei started cursing, "Coffin board, whoever is next to it will be unlucky! You killed my precious son and didn't even leave me a grandson! Now you're following the dead and attending the funeral of someone else's mother-in-law! Do you despise me and your father-in-law for living long lives?!"
This old woman kept saying that Qingmei had brought bad luck to her son. When she used Qingmei, she made her work like a horse and ox without giving her a single bite of food. There was no need to chase her to the dilapidated house and despise her for being a widow and bringing bad luck.
Qingmei lowered her head, clutching the hem of her dress, and said nothing. This was the usual attitude of a widowed woman who accepted everything that came her way.
Captain Jin asked the village officials to stop them, which allowed the team to calm down.
Qingmei insisted on sending Aunt Gu up the mountain despite their shouting and cursing behind her.
After simply burying Aunt Gu, Chen Qiaoxiang yawned on the way back and caught a glimpse of Qingmei's bracelet out of the corner of her eye.
She grabbed Qingmei's wrist and said, "Is this yours? Take it off and give it to me!"
Qingmei protested, "Auntie Gu gave it to me!"
Chen Qiaoxiang said, "You said it was a gift, so it's a gift?! I insist on saying you stole it. What good things can a widow like you see? A chipped bowl is a treasure in your eyes!"
Captain Jin saw them arguing and quickly came over, pointing his finger at Chen Qiaoxiang and saying, "I'm going to settle the score with you about your harsh treatment of your mother-in-law! Let go of your hand, and I can prove it was your mother-in-law who gave it to Qingmei!"
Chen Qiaoxiang's boyfriend was a worker from the city next door. Although he might not have four pockets, he still had a stable job. She had long planned to remarry and move away from the trouble, so she wasn't afraid at all:
"For a poor person at heart, everything he sees is a treasure. I don't even want a broken bracelet. We are the same, but we have different fates. I know you envy me, so just go dig wild vegetables in the village. I have better days waiting for me!"
Qingmei couldn't hold it back for a long time: "Aren't you sad?"
"Oh." Chen Qiaoxiang spat on the ground and said, "I wish she would die sooner!"
Qingmei no longer had any affection for the heroine of this period novel. She quietly left Chen Qiaoxiang's presence. Although she felt helpless, it was the truth. Chen Qiaoxiang lived a very happy life afterwards.
When Qingmei first read this period novel, she thought there would be some twists and turns later. But in the end, she found out that Chen Qiaoxiang's second husband not only became the boss of a state-owned steel plant, but also bought a lot of real estate. Later, he moved to Hong Kong and lived a life of luxury and extravagance.
Qingmei was furious when she thought of this.
When I got home, grandma had already cooked corn porridge.
She is old and can't go up the mountain, so she just waits at home.
Qingmei held the bowl and looked at the scattered oil on it: "Did you add lard?"
Grandma said kindly, "I'm giving you some nourishment. You slept on the floor yesterday and the cold air got into your body, which hurt you."
Aunt Gu died in her bed, and she had trouble sleeping that night. Grandma had slept at Captain Jin's house the previous night, and Qingmei had stayed by Aunt Gu's body all night, even offering her door panel, so she had to sleep on the floor.
"It's okay, I'm healthy."
I'm so healthy that I can handle anything, I'm just waiting to be sold to a cripple by my in-laws and beaten to death...
Following the supporting role of Qingmei, she now secretly has a stingy lover. He wants to marry a beautiful young widow to give birth to a son, but he doesn't want to pay the bride price.
Her parents-in-law were just the opposite. They wanted to make the most of her and would soon "send" her to the home of a violent cripple. After all, they gave her an 80 yuan betrothal gift.
Qingmei tried to resist several times, but the book has its own "Way of Heaven" and she could not resist the predetermined fate of the characters.
*
This day came unexpectedly.
Qingmei worked as usual. On the last day of the autumn harvest, the brigade accountant had just distributed the wages.
Before Qingmei could even get the money in her pocket warm, her mother-in-law came to ask for it back: "Hey, that old man is still here?"
Grandma Qingmei ignored her and turned her back.
My mother-in-law didn't take it seriously. She leaned against the door and counted out her wages: "Why is it only this little? Are you being lazy and not working?"
Qingmei said, "I work more than the collective donkey. Who knows why it's so little? If you want to know, go ask the brigade accountant."
The mother-in-law didn't dare to confront the cadres. She discussed with the lame family in the next village and persuaded Qingmei to earn her wages from the autumn harvest before coming to pick her up.
"Keep this dollar for your spending." Before leaving, the mother-in-law actually took the initiative to give Qingmei money.
It’s better not to give this money, it’s a death signal.
At night, Qingmei couldn't sleep anyway, as she had already guessed what would happen next.
Grandma was sleeping in the house. Qingmei got up quietly and stepped out tentatively.
Suddenly, a muffled thunder exploded above her head! It was as if Qingmei would be chopped into pieces immediately if she didn't follow the original plot.
Qingmei returned to bed stiffly. Grandma asked softly, "What's wrong? Are you afraid to pee?"
Facing the only family member in the world who treated her well, Qingmei choked up and said, "It's okay, Grandma... Please keep this dollar for me. I'm afraid I'll lose it."
Grandma said lovingly, "Okay, I'll save the money and buy you a piece of meat for the New Year."
Qingmei knew she would face the tragic fate of a supporting actress. Just three months after she left, her grandmother starved to death in the dilapidated house.
This time, she went out early and came back late selling shepherd's purse cakes and saved up twelve yuan. Adding the one yuan just now, grandma had thirteen yuan in her hand.
I can probably live a few more months.
Qingmei was extremely sad.
Speak of the devil, and here he is. Qingmei heard her mother-in-law's voice outside the door: "Just live here!"
Then the door was kicked open and the lame man's two younger brothers rushed in. The two burly men grabbed Qingmei and tied her up.
"Let me go! Help!" Qingmei smelled a pungent smell and her head suddenly became dizzy.
Grandma was about to call for help, but Grandma Qingmei covered her mouth and nose and she was unable to struggle.
Qingmei was forced to be carried out of the courtyard. A camphorwood box was placed in the courtyard. They stuffed Qingmei into the box. Qingmei bit her tongue and screamed with all her might, "Help! Help!"
Next door is the home of the original heroine Chen Qiaoxiang.
When Chen Qiaoxiang came out of the toilet, she heard some noise and saw someone tying up Qingmei and taking her away. Not only did she not feel scared, she felt very happy!
Her reputation as the village beauty was in vain. If she weren't a widow, she would be the most beautiful girl in the whole village. This was a thorn in her heart.
The big rooster crowed, and people in the village began to wake up one after another.
The noise from Qingmei's house spread outside, and the two people carrying the camphor wood box were getting farther and farther away.
"What's going on?" Captain Jin went to the brigade headquarters to broadcast the news early in the morning. He vaguely heard someone shouting and asked Chen Qiaoxiang.
"Oh, I accidentally slipped and dropped the enamel basin." Chen Qiaoxiang tucked her hair at the temples, with a happy expression on her face.
Captain Jin was skeptical. After standing there for a while and seeing no further movement, he left.
Grandma Qingmei finally managed to make Grandma faint. If Captain Jin came in, he would definitely notice something was wrong. To put it bluntly, this is human trafficking!
When she came out, she nodded at Chen Qiaoxiang and said, "Just say you are sensible."
Chen Qiaoxiang sneered and said, "How much is it?"
Grandma Qingmei made the number eight with her hands.
Chen Qiaoxiang almost laughed herself to death: "Eighty, hahaha, not bad, she's just a widow, eighty is a good profit for your family."
Grandma Qingmei said unhappily, "She's still a virgin. I spent a hundred dollars to marry her from her father."
Chen Qiaoxiang held Gu Qingzhou's 5,000 yuan pension in her hand. Eighty yuan was not worth her at all. She threw her pigtails back and went into the house.
Grandma Qingmei vaguely saw the shadow of a man in the house.
"You're hooking up with a man right after your mother-in-law died. Bah." Grandma Qingmei cursed in a low voice and left.
*
In the back mountain of Donghe Village, the lame man walked slowly and waited halfway up the mountain for his brothers to return with their tied-up people.
This is a public cemetery. Even in the middle of summer, the wind is bone-chillingly cold.
On the new grave behind him, it was written "Tomb of Zhao Wuhe of the Gu family".
From a distance, I saw the camphorwood box approaching, and there were constant shouting and banging sounds coming from inside.
The lame man stopped his brother with a sneer, chin held high, and said, "What are you arguing about? If we go back to the village, won't everyone laugh at us? A widow marrying into our family is quite a high marriage! Second brother, open the box, I'll give her a good beating first, and then she'll behave herself!"
Qingmei heard it clearly in the box. She felt the box being put down and the lid being opened soon.
"Sure plump and beautiful!"
As the lame man's astonishment had not yet faded, Qingmei decided to go all out. She was going to die anyway, so she might as well take one with her! Since she couldn't resist "Heaven's Way", she couldn't let "Heaven's Way" have its way either!
She took out the knife hidden behind her and stabbed the lame man in the chest!
The sunny sky suddenly turned gloomy.
Thunder rolled down from mid-air, and a sharp pain spread from the top of the head to every part of the body. The knife in his hand just touched the lame man's chest when he grabbed it and threw it away.
Qingmei was no match for the ruffian. He cursed at her and kicked her in the stomach. Qingmei fell heavily to the ground and rolled down the mountainside. Thunder chased her and struck her down one after another!
Even the brothers of the evil cripple family had never seen such a scene. My goodness, the little widow was actually being struck horizontally and vertically by rolling thunder!
Qingmei fell hard at the bottom of the valley, her head hitting the rocks hard. Her arms were spread out helplessly and were also thrown onto the rocks!
"Crack..." A subtle and crisp sound came from the wrist.
In Qingmei's last consciousness, the ancestral jade bracelet given to her by Aunt Gu broke into pieces, and a crack appeared in the sky.
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