Except for Chang Le, who ate refined grains at every meal, the adults in the Bai family ate coarse grains mixed with some refined grains.
In those times, Bai Xiaoyue didn't dare to eat or drink excessively, with so many eyes watching.
I only occasionally buy some bones to make soup or grind some soy milk.
Despite living such a frugal life, Bai's mother still nags her every day, saying she's too wasteful.
One night in July, Bai Xiaoyue was sound asleep when she was awakened by a loud shouting.
Amidst the noise, the voices of Bai's parents could also be heard. She hurriedly dressed, grabbed a flashlight, and went out.
He saw a large crowd gathered in his courtyard, surrounding two people. Yan Ci stood there, coldly staring at the other person.
The head was buried tightly, and it was impossible to tell who it was. Bai's father stepped forward and kicked it, while Bai's mother scratched it with her hands.
The man squatted on the ground, his hands covering his head, refusing to utter a word.
She went up to Bai's mother and asked, "Mother, what happened?"
Before Bai's mother could speak, Aunt Li, who was standing next to her, interrupted:
“Xiaoyue, I know. I arrived early. He was a thief. He tried to steal from your house but was caught by the Yan family boy.”
"Yeah, yeah, thank goodness they got caught."
"Nothing like this has ever happened in the village before. Today is truly a strange day."
"I wonder who it is?"
"Whoever he is, just kill him. Let's see who dares to steal from the village in the future."
...
Everyone was talking at once, their emotions running high.
At this moment, Uncle Bai rushed over. He held up a flashlight to look at the thief, trying to see who it was, while also asking Bai's father about the situation.
After he pried the man's hand away, he found that the man's face was covered in black paint and he could not recognize him at all. After looking at him carefully, he did not make a sound.
Bai Xiaoyue noticed her uncle pause for a moment and wondered if he knew this person.
Knowing that the thieves had failed, Uncle Bai and Ye Jianhua, who had arrived at the scene, took the thieves to the brigade headquarters and told everyone to disperse and go home to sleep.
Everyone wanted to follow and see who it was, but under Uncle Bai's cold and stern gaze, they went home, itching with anticipation, hoping that dawn would break so they could watch the show.
The main problem was that there weren't many recreational activities in that era; all we did every day was work in the fields, eat, and sleep.
Bai Xiaoyue had no interest in watching the show; her back was covered in cold sweat. If it weren't for Yan Ci, that thief would have entered the house.
Stealing a little grain is nothing, but if someone had bad intentions, there's only her and Chang Le in the house—a child and a vulnerable woman. Wouldn't they be harmed?
Thinking of this, she felt completely drained and couldn't move her legs. It was Bai's mother who helped her home.
Yan Ci looked at her with a hint of worry in his eyes, but said nothing and turned to go back to his own home.
After Bai's mother left, Bai Xiaoyue leaned against the pillow, squinting her eyes, still feeling terrified and afraid to sleep.
Hearing someone knocking on the window, she was so startled she almost screamed, "Who is it? What do you want?"
Then Yan Ci's voice came: "Bai Xiaoyue, don't be afraid, I'm here."
Bai Xiaoyue felt a warmth in her heart upon hearing this; having someone by her side gradually calmed her down.
This man, who is usually quiet, is quite thoughtful and reliable.
I can cook more delicious food to reward him in the future.
Knowing that someone was with her made her feel at ease, and she fell asleep without realizing it.
Bai Xiaoyue was awakened by her mother's knocking on the door. She looked up and saw that it was just getting light. She didn't know what her mother wanted.
She opened the door, and Bai's mother said that Bai's uncle wanted her to go to the brigade headquarters.
It turns out that the boy who stole things at night was named Yan Xiaosong, and he was only 14 years old. He was also a pitiful person.
My mother is in poor health and has been unable to work in the fields for many years. My sister-in-law is very domineering, and my brother doesn't care about anything.
The eldest sister-in-law took most of the grain distributed this time back to her parents' home. Now that there is no grain to cook at home, she asked her younger brother-in-law to find a solution.
What could a 14-year-old boy do? He could only dig up some wild vegetables, but Sister-in-law Yan was not satisfied, so she made him steal other people's grain.
After careful observation and analysis, Sister-in-law Yan concluded that Bai Xiaoyue's Chang Le was plump and healthy, so her family must have plenty of grain.
She sent her brother-in-law to steal from Bai Xiaoyue's house, but Yan Xiaosong refused. So she said she would starve Aunt Yan to death.
Having no other choice, Yan Xiaosong smeared his face black and sneaked off to the Bai family's house in the middle of the night.
He hesitated as he climbed into the courtyard, and before he could make a move, Yan Ci grabbed him.
The village officials decided to release Yan Xiaosong.
First, because the theft attempt failed.
Secondly, Yan Xiaosong is only 14 years old.
Thirdly, Aunt Yan has no one to take care of her.
The village officials came to punish him, making him do the hardest and most tiring work for a year.
Bai Xiaoyue nodded and said, "Then let it go. Just say the thief ran away on his own."
Don't announce to the villagers that it's Yan Xiaosong; just say you don't know him and that he's from another village.
Otherwise, how could he live in the village if people pointed at and gossiped about him every day?
She knew that in a few years, people with blemishes would have a hard time, so since he was a filial and kind child, she decided to let him off the hook.
First, let him go home and separate from his elder brother, so that he and his mother can live separately. He must take good care of his mother.
As for Sister-in-law Yan, just wait and see; the wicked will be punished by Heaven.
Uncle Bai hurriedly led Yan Xiaosong to the Yan family to divide the family property.
When Sister-in-law Yan saw the village secretary arrive, she assumed Yan Xiaosong had been caught stealing and immediately started acting out, pointing at him and cursing:
"He did it himself, it has nothing to do with me, arrest him if you want to arrest someone."
Upon hearing this, Uncle Bai realized it was indeed that shrew's idea:
"How can it be unrelated? Aren't you family?"
Sister-in-law Yan's eyes lit up with an idea: "If we're not family, we've already separated."
Yan Xiaosong looked up in surprise: "Sister-in-law, when did you split up?"
Sister-in-law Yan retorted, "It's just today. From now on, you and Mother will live together, and we won't be family anymore. Your affairs have nothing to do with me and your elder brother."
Yan Xiaosong "..."
Uncle Bai felt this was just the right thing to do, like a pillow being delivered to someone who was about to doze off.
"Are you sure you've separated? Have you signed the separation papers?"
Sister-in-law Yan chuckled, "We haven't had time yet, but now is the perfect time for you to do it for us."
Despite the noise outside, Brother Yan lingered inside for a long time before finally coming out, while Aunt Yan kept wiping away tears.
There wasn't much in the house; Yan Xiaosong and his mother only had two separate rooms, along with their own clothes and bedding.
As soon as Uncle Bai mentioned grain and money, Sister-in-law Yan collapsed to the ground, rolling around, crying and making a scene.
Brother Yan stood to the side with his head down, not saying a word.
In the end, Yan Xiaosong agreed not to take the money or food, as long as they lived separately.
The rest was simple: Uncle Bai wrote the document, and the Yan family members signed and pressed their fingerprints.
After the family property was divided, and they learned that Yan Xiaosong hadn't done anything wrong, Sister-in-law Yan regretted it.
My brother-in-law and mother-in-law usually do all the housework, but now that we've separated the household, I have to do it all myself, and I'm not happy about it.
Everyone was stunned by her shamelessness.
After a barrage of scolding and criticism from Uncle Bai, she had no choice but to swallow her pride and accept it.
Bai Xiaoyue followed behind and watched the whole thing. It's true that there are awful people everywhere. Luckily, they weren't her family.
She leisurely went home and found Yan Ci, asking him to deliver some food to Yan Xiaosong.
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