A group of children led a middle-aged woman into the educated youth camp. She had short hair, a medium build, high cheekbones, and slightly protruding upper front teeth. Overall, she looked a bit mean.
Everyone looked at each other, no one knew this woman. Lin Zishan quickly stepped forward and asked, "Mom, why are you here?"
"If I don't come, will you stop recognizing me as your mother? You said you haven't written home for almost two months. I came to see you because I'm worried about you." Mother Lin said with a dark face.
"Zishan, is this your aunt? Hello!" Hu Mingyue quickly greeted her upon seeing this, and the others followed suit and greeted her politely.
Hu Mingyue introduced several educated youth to Lin Ma. Lin Ma politely greeted everyone and then took Lin Zishan back to the house.
"Pingping and Yilan, please cook one more meal for each person. This is my food." Lin Zishan took out another portion of food from the house and told the two to cook her mother's meal as well.
Chu Jingqiu pushed the bicycle into her room, and Shi Aihong helped her lift it over the threshold.
"Aihong, come in, I want to tell you something." Chu Jingqiu parked the car by the side of the road.
"That's perfect. I have something to tell you, too." She turned around and sat on the kang, asking doubtfully, "Jingqiu, what's going on? I get nervous when I see you so serious."
"I went to town today and heard Du Erleng's mother say she's attracted to you. I'm afraid you'll get hurt. You should be careful of Du Erleng in the future and don't let him scheme against you." Chu Jingqiu took out a few large peach cakes from the cupboard and handed them to Shi Aihong. "Eat them. You're hungry after working. This is a good way to fill your stomach."
Shi Aihong took it without hesitation and said while eating, "I was wondering why when I went to work today, Du Erleng was so kind as to want to help us, but I ignored him and helped Qin Yilan, the lazy guy, do a lot of work.
I was just about to tell you that Du Erleng has fallen for Qin Yilan!"
"He definitely has bad intentions. You should be careful in the future and never go out alone. I think Zhang Pingping is more reliable than Qin Yilan. You can go with Zhang Pingping." Chu Jingqiu reminded her.
At this moment, a fierce quarrel was suddenly heard in the yard. "I won't marry you. Whoever pays the money will marry you. Am I your biological child?"
"You damn girl, I'm doing this for your own good. If you marry him, you'll be able to enjoy a good life and have a formal job. You won't have to suffer in this poor mountain valley."
"You know I'm suffering. You asked me to send you food even though you knew I was suffering here. Why don't you send me anything? When I came to join the queue, you didn't give me a penny, not even a quilt. And you still have the nerve to say you care about me."
The educated youth hurried out of the house, only to see Lin Zishan's mother still trying to pull Lin Zishan into the house, but Lin Zishan stuck her neck out and refused to go in.
Her mother angrily picked up the broom and started beating her. Lin Zishan didn't hide, but just raised her head and cried.
Everyone quickly ran over to pull Lin's mother away. She sat down on the ground and started crying, "What sin have I committed to give birth to such an unfilial daughter? I felt sorry for your suffering and found a good family for you, but why won't you listen?"
Hu Mingyue was persuading Lin Zishan, and everyone learned the truth from Lin Zishan.
It turned out that Lin Zishan's younger brother was addicted to gambling and lost a lot of money. He borrowed money from all relatives and friends around him. In the end, he couldn't pay it back, so he mortgaged his house to someone else.
Lin's mother and her two younger brothers temporarily rented a house to live in. Recently, they were unable to bear the pressure from their creditors, so Lin's mother set her sights on Lin Zishan. She planned to marry Lin Zishan to an old man in his 40s.
The man worked in a slaughterhouse as a formal employee and had three boys. He promised to help settle the debts, give the Lin family 300 yuan, and help find a job for Lin Zishan so that she could return to the city.
What's funny is that Lin Zishan knew the butcher's eldest son. They were classmates in junior high school. Everyone knew that the butcher beat his wife. When his wife wanted a divorce, he threatened to kill her entire family. His wife couldn't stand it anymore and jumped into the river to commit suicide.
Everyone sympathized with Lin Zishan's situation, even Shi Aihong began to speak up for Lin Zishan.
Seeing these educated youths start to criticize her, Mother Lin suddenly got up from the ground and pointed at them, scolding them: "You are meddling in my own business. This is my family's business. If you really cared about her, why didn't you lend her the money? You all just pretend to be nice people."
"Mom, mom, can you please give me some face? Stop talking, or I'll send you away tomorrow!" Lin Zishan was so angry that she pulled her hair and stomped her feet while shouting.
"I won't leave if you don't agree." Mother Lin was still playing tricks.
"I won't agree to it. No matter how filial I am, I can't marry my classmate's father. I can't marry someone who might beat me to death. Just give up on this idea!" Lin Zishan's tone was firm.
"Okay, you don't want to marry me, right? If you don't, I will tell you all the ugly things you have done and see if this educated youth site can still accommodate you." Seeing that Lin Zishan was not moved by any persuasion, Lin's mother began to threaten Lin Zishan.
Lin Zishan's face suddenly turned pale and her whole body was shaking. She pointed at Lin Ma and said, "You...you..." Then her hand dropped weakly and she fainted.
Everyone hurriedly carried Lin Zishan into the house, but Lin's mother just stood there in a daze without moving.
Chu Jingqiu pinched Lin Zishan's philtrum with his hand, and Lin Zishan slowly woke up. Her eyes had lost their luster, and she stared blankly ahead.
Lin Zishan's room could be described as spartan. Apart from a large kang (a bed), there was a shabby, even warped, washbasin. There were no curtains; instead, Lin Zishan taped the windows with old newspapers, making the room appear dark.
The kang was covered with thick straw and a bed sheet covered with patches. Only one set of bedding was relatively new. Maybe this was the one Hu Mingyue gave her.
At the head of the kang sat a tattered little bundle, containing what appeared to be Lin Zishan's modest clothing. On the kang sat a shabby little table, one of whose legs had clearly been newly installed, presumably from a scrap yard.
Chu Jingqiu sighed in his heart. Lin Zishan was really pitiful, but there must be something hateful about a pitiful person. Poverty and pity were not reasons to attack and insult others.
Is Lin Ma's threat to Lin Zishan related to Yu Huanxiang? If Lin Zishan can tell the truth, perhaps the truth about why she was sold can be found out.
At this time, Zhang Pingping brought the meal in to Lin Zishan and placed it on the small kang table. "The meal is ready, let's go out and eat! Zishan, I've brought your meal to you. You and Auntie can eat in the room!"
Only then did Mother Lin walk into the room with a dark face, and everyone left the room silently.
Today's dinner was set up in the kitchen. It was still steamed buns made of two kinds of flour, a few steamed sweet potatoes, sweet potato porridge, a plate of pickled vegetables, and fried loofah.
Perhaps influenced by Lin Zishan, everyone was in a bad mood today and ate their food in silence.
After dinner, Shi Aihong wanted to buy eggs, and she asked Chu Jingqiu to accompany her.
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