The watermelons in the fields had already finished their season. Wang Xiaoming had failed his high school entrance exams and didn't want to repeat the year.
Actually, it wasn't that he didn't want to; rather, the family didn't have the means for him to do so.
Wang Jieshi had become a complete invalid, Chuntao had left, and Wang Xiaohong simply couldn't support this family all by herself.
Besides, she was already seventeen this year. In a few years, she would be married off. Who would support the family then?
His mother, Liu Cuilan, didn't care at all. He was the only one they could rely on!
Wang Xiaoming didn't plan to repeat the year. Wang Xiaohong only felt it was a pity, but didn't try to persuade him otherwise.
She knew his temper; once he made up his mind, not even nine bulls could drag him back.
The siblings went to the field early in the morning to chop the watermelon vines. They had just left when Zhou Dana followed right after.
They did hear the blaring of the village loudspeaker, but they didn't catch what was being broadcasted. They certainly didn't know that Zhou Zhaodi had fallen into the mud pit.
The brother and sister bent over in the field, chopping the vines. They worked for a whole morning without taking a single break.
With so many awful things happening at home, they could only numb themselves with non-stop work to keep their minds from wandering.
As noon approached, the weather grew hotter. Their clothes were already soaked with sweat, and their faces were flushed red from the heat.
Wang Xiaoming picked a watermelon the size of a bowl from a vine, smashed it open with his fist, and handed half to Wang Xiaohong.
Wang Xiaohong took it. The siblings sat on the ridge of the field and ate in continued silence.
Wang Xiaoming had something bottled up inside for a long time that he wanted to say to Wang Xiaohong. Several times the words reached his lips, only to be swallowed back down, but keeping it in was unbearable.
He broke his watermelon apart and took large bites, finishing it in just a few quick mouthfuls.
"Sis, I want to ask you something." He didn't give Wang Xiaohong a chance to respond before continuing, "Do you hate our sister-in-law?"
Wang Xiaohong's heart trembled violently, and the hand holding the watermelon paused.
She didn't look up, nor did she make a sound, but a surge of warmth welled up in her eyes.
"Sis, we both know what kind of life our sister-in-law lived in our house.
She left, and I don't hate her. I also hope she finds happiness...
Uncle Zhijun is good to her. She will have a good life with him..."
Wang Xiaohong suddenly threw the watermelon rind in her hand onto the ground and shouted with red eyes, "Stop talking...
I know she suffered, and my heart aches for her too, but she shouldn't have...
They were too good at pretending..."
Looking back at past events one by one, she was one hundred percent certain that the two had been involved long ago. The village gossip wasn't entirely baseless.
After Wang Jieshi and the others were sentenced, Zhou Zhijun urged Chuntao to live at his house, and now they had left Wang Family Village.
Although Chuntao and her brother had never been legally married, Wang Xiaohong still couldn't accept her relationship with Zhou Zhijun.
Whenever Wang Xiaohong thought about it, her chest felt incredibly tight. It suffocated her so much that it felt like she couldn't survive another second.
Wang Xiaoming was startled by her outburst. He stood up and continued, "Sis, sister-in-law had a bitter life. If it were you, what would you do?
Think about it carefully, and maybe you'll understand her!"
After Wang Xiaoming finished speaking, he picked up his sickle and slashed fiercely at the watermelon vines.
Failing to control his strength, the blade plunged straight into the dirt. Mud splattered into his eyes, making them sting and burn.
That night, Wang Xiaohong lay in bed, tossing and turning, unable to sleep.
Wang Xiaoming's words echoed in her ears, leaving her mind as tangled as a ball of yarn.
Her fingernails dug into the edge of the sleeping mat, not daring to imagine herself in Chuntao's shoes.
If it really had been her, she would have run away long ago. In that light, she couldn't find fault with Chuntao anymore.
The night was quiet, occasionally broken by the hooting of owls.
Zhou Zhijun had just drifted into a hazy sleep when he was startled awake.
The little woman in his arms was struggling desperately, crying out in a low voice.
"...No..."
Zhou Zhijun's heart trembled violently, as if pricked by a needle.
Although Chuntao had left the Wang family, the wounds in her heart were still there. They couldn't be healed in a day or two.
"Tao, wake up!" He held her tightly and called softly in a hoarse voice.
Hearing Zhou Zhijun's voice, Chuntao suddenly opened her eyes. She realized she had been having a nightmare, but the tears on her face were real.
"Brother Zhijun..." She shrank into Zhou Zhijun's embrace. "I'm scared... the Wang family will seek revenge..." Her voice choked with sobs, trembling out of tune.
Zhou Zhijun wrapped one arm around her slender waist and used the other hand to wipe the tears from her face.
"Tao, don't be afraid. You have me... don't be afraid of anything..."
Chuntao stopped talking. She pressed her face against Zhou Zhijun's chest, listening to his strong, steady heartbeat.
"Brother Zhijun..."
Zhou Zhijun's hot lips pressed against the soft crown of her head. "Tao, you have nothing to do with the Wang family anymore.
Once the baby is born, I'll take you back and we'll have a grand, glorious wedding!
Everything you didn't have before, I'll give to you. I'll make you happy and joyful...
Just focus on being happy, and don't think about any troubling things!"
Zhou Zhijun had to return to Wang Family Village at daybreak. They had no desire to sleep, only endless sweet nothings to whisper to each other.
Zhou Zhijun held the delicate, soft little woman in his arms. Smelling her sweet breath, he felt an unbearable, scratching itch in his heart.
If it had been before, they would have done it who knows how many times already.
But now Chuntao was pregnant. His mother had said that the roots weren't firmly planted in the first three months, so he couldn't touch her. No matter how eager he was, he had to endure it.
He hugged her even tighter, wishing he could embed her into his body and melt her into his blood and bones. He said hoarsely, "Tao, I want you..."
Listening to his increasingly heavy breathing, Chuntao knew exactly what he wanted to do. "No, I'm expecting right now!"
"Don't worry, I won't do anything. Just kisses..."
Over this period, he had been so busy with her affairs that his feet barely touched the ground. He had finally pulled her out of the sea of suffering, and Chuntao's heart softened completely.
If she hadn't gotten pregnant, she definitely would have obediently yielded to his desires and let him do whatever he wanted.
But now she was pregnant. As long as he didn't do that, Chuntao would let him have his way...
"Giggle... let go, it tickles..."
A roguish smile curled the corners of Zhou Zhijun's mouth as he pulled her tightly into his arms again.
His eyes grew a little moist, and his voice was terribly hoarse. "Tao, you laughed. From now on, I'll make you laugh all the time. I'll never let you drop golden beads of tears again..."
With a smile, all her worries were forgotten. Chuntao's lips curled up, her eyes curving like crescents.
Her voice was soft and sweet, like cotton candy coated in honey. "Then from now on... don't bully me anymore..."
"I won't bully you, I will only cherish you..."
Zhou Zhijun kissed the tip of her eyebrow. "I couldn't even find enough time to dote on you, how could I bully you..."
Chuntao felt shy again at his words. She buried her small face in his chest, closed her eyes, and even softened her breathing.
"Do you mean what you say?"
Her voice trembled, as low as a fine thread squeezed out from between her teeth.
"...I'll do whatever makes you feel good. I'll listen to you..."
"So annoying..." Her small hand gave his leg a light pinch.
