Meanwhile, when Zhou Zhijun returned home, Aunt Zhou and Chuntao were still awake.
Seeing him return, Aunt Zhou asked, "How did it go? Is that bastard Wang Jieshi dead or alive?"
"He's not dead. He was beaten half to death by the inmates in his cell. His arms and legs are broken, and he's currently staying at the health clinic."
Zhou Zhijun sat down on a chair and recounted everything the police at the station had told him in full detail.
Finally, he added, "The police arranged for him to serve his sentence outside of prison. Once his injuries have somewhat healed, he'll be able to go home."
Aunt Zhou sighed. "If he comes back, won't he just be a burden to others again?"
Chuntao looked at Aunt Zhou and said, enunciating every word, "Godmother, I've made up my mind. I'm leaving the Wang family! I can't live like this for another day!"
The girl had finally come around. Aunt Zhou felt a deep sense of relief and gratification.
Zhou Zhijun looked at her with heartache, then turned to Aunt Zhou. "Mother, I went to the civil affairs office to ask. Even though Chuntao and Wang Jieshi held a wedding ceremony, they never got a marriage certificate and never consummated it. They aren't actually husband and wife at all..."
The gloom on Aunt Zhou's face instantly vanished. She patted Chuntao's hand and said joyfully, "That's wonderful! That's wonderful! Chuntao, this is great. You've finally escaped that fiery pit!"
In truth, she had looked into this four years ago and had long known that she and Wang Jieshi were not legally married. She had only been enduring the bitter life in the Wang family so that her brother could have a decent household.
Now that she had decided to leave, her heart was still tangled in conflict.
Ultimately, she was afraid that her brother's family would fall apart!
Chuntao knew very well that leaving the Wang family wouldn't be easy. The Wang family would certainly not let the matter drop.
Aunt Zhou thought she was worried about having nowhere to go, so she quickly patted the back of her hand to comfort her.
"Tao, don't worry! From now on, you'll live here. This is your maiden home! As long as I have a bite to eat, you will too!"
She couldn't return to her actual maiden home, and her brother and sister-in-law would definitely turn against her.
Aunt Zhou's words were like a charcoal fire by the bed in winter, melting the ice deep within her heart.
"Godmother..." she began, her voice choking with emotion. "I will never forget your kindness to me for the rest of my life!"
Unable to hold them back any longer, tears rolled down her cheeks.
"Silly girl, don't cry. We should be happy!" Aunt Zhou quickly took out a handkerchief to wipe away her tears.
Zhou Zhijun chimed in, "Once you leave that mud pit, we'll never have to suffer their useless abuse again!"
He didn't want to wait another moment. He planned to go to the commune again to ask about getting Chuntao her own household registration book first, so they could get their marriage certificate.
Before leaving, he repeatedly reminded Chuntao, "Rest well at home. Don't do any chores, don't worry about a thing, and just wait for me to come back."
But Chuntao was not someone who could sit idle. Her mind kept wandering to the watermelons in the field.
Wang Xiaohong and her brother were both at the commune health clinic, Zhou Zhijun was running around busy with her affairs, and Zhou Xiaowei was helping to sell watermelons every day. It wouldn't do to leave the melon field unguarded.
In these times, who wouldn't covet something delicious? Eating a watermelon was one thing, but she was afraid some greedy people would eat their fill and then steal more to take home.
After lunch, the sun was scorching hot. There wasn't a trace of wind, and the crops in the fields were drooping from the heat. Chuntao put on a straw hat and headed to the melon field.
Just as she arrived at the field and sat down, Li Mingliang came over, holding a few bottles of soda in his hand.
Seeing him, Chuntao was startled and quickly stood up from the bamboo bed. "Brother Mingliang, what brings you here?"
It turned out that Li Mingliang had eaten his lunch and was planning to visit Chuntao at Aunt Zhou's house. As soon as he left the workers' compound, he saw her heading toward the melon field, so he turned the corner and followed her.
"Here, drink up!" Li Mingliang twisted the cap off a bottle of soda and handed it to her.
It was high noon. If someone saw Li Mingliang and her alone in the watermelon field, gossip would surely spread.
Chuntao didn't take it. Instead, she said, "Brother Mingliang, it's too hot in the field. You should hurry back!"
"Chuntao, what are your plans for the future?"
Li Mingliang stared straight at her. His gaze was even more scorching than the sun outside, making Chuntao feel a little flustered.
"I don't have any plans! Brother Mingliang, I'm going back, and you should hurry back too!"
She said this and lifted her foot to leave, but unexpectedly, Li Mingliang grabbed her small hand.
Outside the melon hut, a pair of eyes was peering inside through the cracks.
