Wang Xiaohong drank a bowl of porridge, ate half a steamed bun and an egg, then went with Zhou Zhijun to Qingshan Street to sell watermelons.
Before leaving, Zhou Zhijun instructed Chuntao, "This egg and bun should be enough for you for the day. You just stay in the melon shed and sleep, wait for us to come back!"
Thinking of all the shameful things that had happened recently, Chuntao's little face flushed crimson. She didn't dare to lift her eyes to look at him, just nodded gently.
By the time Zhou Zhijun and the others pulled the cart of watermelons to Qingshan Street, there were quite a few empty spots along both sides of the street. They placed their cart at the crossroads.
Qingshan Street was bigger than Nangang, but most of the people coming to the market were farming families, there to buy daily necessities, unlikely to spend a single penny frivolously.
It wasn't until late morning that they had sold just under half of the watermelons on the cart.
In those days, no household had spare cash, but they did have grain—if not fine grains, then coarse grains.
So, Zhou Zhijun discussed with Wang Xiaohong the idea of pulling the cart to the villages near Qingshan Street to trade for grain.
"Alright!" Wang Xiaohong said just that one word, then trotted off to the other side of the street.
On such a hot day, with Zhou Zhijun helping her family sell watermelons, how could she let him go hungry? She ran to a bun shop and bought several large steamed buns.
After eating the buns and sharing a watermelon, they pulled the cart toward the villages.
Back to Chuntao. In the morning, she had an egg and a bowl of porridge, then lay down.
The sun grew increasingly fierce, baking right through the melon shed. She broke out in a sweat all over. She left the shed and sat in the shade of a tree at the edge of the field.
Seeing Zhou Hongxia bring Zhou Xiaobao to the field again to pull weeds, she picked a watermelon, carried it to the shade, and let them eat.
"Sister-in-law Chuntao, the watermelons you grow are so sweet. You're really amazing!" Zhou Hongxia praised sincerely.
Zhou Xiaobao's cheeks were stuffed full, pulp and juice smeared all over his face. A wipe with his hand left him looking like a little painted cat.
"Eat slowly, don't stuff it in like that!" Zhou Hongxia said while wiping the juice from his face with her hand.
Looking at his adorable little appearance, Chuntao couldn't help but let the corners of her lips curl up slightly.
Just then, Liu Cuilan arrived carrying a hoe, with Wang Haichao following behind, holding a water flask.
Seeing Chuntao sitting in the shade eating watermelon, Liu Cuilan instantly flew into a rage.
"Well, well! You're quite idle on such a busy day, aren't you! The weeds are choking the beans in the field, and you have the leisure to sit here eating watermelon?
You're nothing but a jinx! Can't do anything right, but first in line when it comes to eating!"
She snatched the watermelon from Chuntao's hands and scolded, "You greedy woman, get to hoeing the field right now!"
Chuntao stood up from the ground, biting her lip, tears welling up and filling her eyes.
She really wanted to argue with Liu Cuilan, but she was no match with words. Even if she was in the right, she couldn't articulate it clearly. She could only hold it in, her face turning deep red.
In a fight, she was even less of a match. Liu Cuilan was strong as an ox, while she was like a fallen leaf in the autumn wind; one stomp from Liu Cuilan could grind her into the dirt.
Zhou Xiaobao, frightened, forgot to eat his watermelon and looked timidly at Liu Cuilan.
Zhou Hongxia, however, couldn't stand to watch any longer. She stood up from the ground and said with a smile, "Auntie Cuilan, are you upset that I wanted to eat your watermelon?
If you mind me eating your watermelon, just say it straight. No need to take your anger out on Sister-in-law Chuntao!"
Zhou Hongxia's mouth was as sharp as Wang Xiaohong's, also a formidable one.
Besides, Wang Xiaohong often went to her house to sleep, causing her no small amount of trouble. Recently, Wang Xiaohong had been watching the melons in the field, but once the melon season was over, she'd undoubtedly be going to her house to sleep again.
No matter how displeased Liu Cuilan felt, she couldn't afford to fall out with Zhou Hongxia.
"Oh my! Hongxia, listen to you! Do you think your auntie is that petty? The watermelons in the field are for eating! Have more after you finish!"
"This watermelon of yours, I won't eat it anymore! It doesn't go down smoothly!" Zhou Hongxia took Xiaobao's hand and turned to head into the field. "Eating someone else's food and having to put up with their attitude—I won't stand for that!"
Only then did Liu Cuilan notice the cart and Wang Xiaohong were not in the melon field.
"Where's Xiaohong?"
"She went to sell melons!" Chuntao said as she started walking towards the melon shed.
"Li Chuntao, you stand right there! She went to sell melons? How could a young girl like her go sell melons alone?"
Chuntao's whole body felt weak, her mind buzzing. She didn't respond further and walked straight into the melon shed.
Afraid Liu Cuilan would come in and discover the food Zhou Zhijun had brought, she quickly stuffed the plastic bucket and cloth bundle under the bed.
"Li Chuntao, three days without a beating and you're climbing onto the roof to tear off tiles, is that it? I'm talking to you, didn't you hear? You're trying to rebel!"
Liu Cuilan followed right in. Wang Haichao, trailing behind her, said, "On such a hot day, don't get so worked up."
Then he looked at Chuntao and said, "Chuntao, speak properly. Where did Xiaohong go?"
Chuntao didn't look at either of them, turning her face away. Tears were about to spill again. She took a sharp breath through her nose, forcing them back down.
She didn't want to cry in front of Liu Cuilan anymore. The weaker she was, the more Liu Cuilan bullied her.
"Deaf or dumb? I asked you where Xiaohong went!" Liu Cuilan's voice was as shrill as a screeching hen.
Seeing Chuntao still silent, she charged into the shed to slap her, but Wang Haichao held her back.
"Where exactly did Xiaohong go?" Wang Haichao played the good guy. "Just say it and your mother will calm down!"
"She went to sell watermelons!" Her voice was still soft, but now it seemed coated with a layer of cold hardness.
"How could she go sell melons alone?"
"Uncle Zhijun went too."
"What? Zhou Zhijun went too?" Wang Haichao's eyes widened, somewhat incredulous.
Liu Cuilan was also startled. Just last night, Aunt Zhou had scolded her for not knowing what's good for her, so why was Zhou Zhijun helping her family sell watermelons again today?
A flicker of malice passed through Wang Haichao's eyes. He looked at Liu Cuilan and said, "Cuilan, you better be careful about this!
Xiaohong is a sixteen or seventeen-year-old girl, going to sell melons alone with a widower who's never known a woman's touch. Anyone hearing that would think it's not right!"
Liu Cuilan didn't see it that way. Zhou Zhijun had helped her family for four years and never laid a finger on her!
He was just a useless fool. Even if he wanted to do something, he didn't have the ability!
She snorted coldly, not taking up Wang Haichao's thread. Instead, she said to Chuntao, "She went to sell melons, and you sure know how to enjoy yourself! Sitting in the shade eating watermelon.
I say a couple of words to you, and you throw a tantrum, hiding away in this melon shed to laze about!"
She threw the hoe down hard onto the ground. "Here, go hoe the field! Don't you dare slack off here!"
Before, Chuntao never dared to defy her. Told to go east, she wouldn't dare go west; told to beat the dog, she wouldn't dare chase the chicken. Was she really rebelling today?
Liu Cuilan refused to believe she couldn't control her. She grabbed Chuntao and yanked her off the bed, giving her a hard shove that sent her stumbling out of the shed.
Chuntao's legs were weak, her head splitting with pain. With that fierce shove, she fell right into the melon field.
The skin on her wrist and arm was scraped raw, tiny beads of blood seeping out.
"You jinx! Get up right now!" Liu Cuilan's eyes seemed about to pop out, her face turning the color of liver. She moved to grab Chuntao again.
But Wang Haichao stepped forward first, positioning himself in front of Chuntao and blocking Liu Cuilan.
He grabbed Chuntao's arm and said, "What's gotten into you today, girl? Get up and go tend to the field. Don't make your mother any angrier!"
Chuntao lay sprawled on the ground, unable to rise, but she mustered all her strength to shake off Wang Haichao's hand.
"Don't touch me!"
"Sister-in-law, sister-in-law, what's wrong?"
Just then, a lean young man came hurrying over along the ridge of the field.
