In the inner room of the north wing, the two people’s breathing mingled together, growing heavier as they clung to each other.
The kerosene lamp in the east room was still burning. Aunt Zhou, Old Man Zhou, and Zhou Zhiguo sat together, discussing plans for the twins’ one-month celebration.
Aunt Zhou and Zhou Zhijun had come to the same conclusion. “We absolutely have to hold a proper celebration for the twins. We can take the opportunity to make up Lao Er and Chuntao’s wedding, too.
“Chuntao has suffered so much in the past. Now that she’s married into our Zhou family, we can’t treat her unfairly.
“We’ll put on a good celebration and shut up all those villagers who like to gossip!”
Old Man Zhou nodded along, tapping the bowl of his tobacco pipe against the floor. “We can’t leave out a single thing that ought to be there! This girl has faithfully stayed with our Lao Er, and she gave birth to twins—a boy and a girl—in one go. That’s a blessing for the Zhou family. We absolutely can’t fall short on the proper formalities!”
Zhou Zhiguo hurriedly agreed. “That’s right, Father and Mother! Chuntao gave our Zhou family a boy and a girl in one birth. Naturally, we can’t treat her poorly!”
As he spoke, he pulled several crumpled ten-yuan bills from his pocket. “A banquet is bound to cost money. I’ll put up fifty yuan for now. If that’s not enough, we’ll figure something out together!”
Aunt Zhou’s heart warmed, but she quickly waved her hand. “No need. We have enough saved up at home! Your own household isn’t exactly well-off, either. Haiying’s stomach keeps hurting after her sterilization, and you’ve spent plenty of money on medicine.
“Xiaowei is already in his twenties. It’s time to find him a girl, and an engagement and wedding will cost money from every direction.
“Xiaobao has just started first grade. Every year there’s tuition, notebooks, and all sorts of school expenses.
“Hongxia may work at the oil field, but she’s a grown girl now and needs to save some money for her dowry. Keep this money for your own family!”
“Mother, you have to take it!” Zhou Zhiguo insisted, forcing the money into her hands. “We’re all family. Lao Er’s having a wedding—how could I, as his older brother, not help out?”
The Zhiguo couple were both plainspoken and honest. They weren’t good at saying pretty words, but whenever something happened, they never shirked their responsibilities. They were nothing like Zhou Zhimin and his wife—one of them only cared about putting on a show, while the other couldn’t even be bothered with appearances.
When Chuntao had returned from Dongshan, Huang Meili hadn’t even shown her face. Aunt Zhou had already been seething over it.
Now that Zhou Zhiguo had taken the initiative to offer money, the cold-heartedness of Zhou Zhimin and his wife stood out even more. They had not shown the slightest trace of brotherly affection, despite everything Zhou Zhijun had done to help them before.
Meanwhile, Huang Meili tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep. Whenever she thought of Aunt Zhou treating Chuntao like a precious treasure, her chest tightened with anger.
She shoved Zhou Zhimin beside her and snapped, “You heartless fool—how can you sleep at a time like this?”
Zhou Zhimin had just closed his eyes when her shove startled him awake. He immediately lost his temper. “Huang Meili, what the hell are you carrying on about? It’s the middle of the night. Go to sleep!”
“Your parents only have Lao Er in their eyes. They don’t even consider you their son! When they get old, we won’t support them or handle their funerals!”
“Are you crazy? Why are you saying things like that out of nowhere?” Zhou Zhimin rubbed his sore, gritty eyes and muttered, “I’m exhausted every day, with my back aching from morning till night, and you still have the energy to worry about this useless nonsense!”
“What I’m thinking about is serious! If we wait until the time comes, it’ll be too late!”
Huang Meili refused to let it go. “If they favor Lao Er so much, then Lao Er can take care of them when they’re old! Go tell them not to expect us to support them!”
Zhou Zhimin couldn’t be bothered to argue with her. He turned over and faced away from her.
“Zhou Zhimin, did you go deaf? Say something!” Huang Meili shoved him hard again.
Impatient, Zhou Zhimin tossed back, “I’m their son. I can’t bring myself to say something like that. If you want to say it, go say it yourself!”
Huang Meili let out a cold laugh and ground her teeth. “Useless coward! You think I don’t dare?”
With Huang Meili chattering endlessly beside him, Zhou Zhimin barely slept all night.
Over in Wangjia Village, Wang Jieshi was another person who hadn’t slept well.
He lay awake on the kang in the east room through the entire night. His eyes were dark and swollen, and his face looked utterly haggard.
Wang Xiaoming carried a bowl of porridge to the bedside. Wang Jieshi didn’t even look at it. In a muffled voice, he said, “I’m not eating!”
Wang Xiaoming naturally knew what was eating at him. Angry and helpless, he said, “Who are you punishing by treating yourself this way? If you don’t eat, you’re the one who’ll go hungry—not anyone else! I know you’re upset about Sister Chuntao and Uncle Zhijun, but didn’t you bring this on yourself?”
“Enough! Wang Xiaoming! I knew you were siding with outsiders. Are you trying to anger me to death?” Wang Jieshi’s eyes were bloodshot, his face flushed dark red as he roared and cut him off.
But Wang Xiaoming refused to indulge him. Since he had started, he intended to make everything clear.
“I’m only telling you the truth! If you hadn’t run away on your wedding night, your children would be old enough to buy soy sauce by now!
“But what did you do? You were bewitched, abandoning such a good wife to run off with another woman!
“While you were out there enjoying yourself, did you ever think about what life was like for your family?
“She waited and suffered here for four whole years. When she finally managed to wait for you to come back, you had become crippled.
“Even then, she never thought about leaving you. But what did you do? You failed to appreciate her and hurt her again and again!
“She’s a woman, too. She needs someone to cherish and protect her. You can’t give her anything, yet you still expect her to hang herself from your crooked tree for the rest of her life?
“Uncle Zhijun treats her well, so there’s nothing wrong with her choosing to be with him! They’ve already obtained their marriage certificate, and they’ve had children. You can only accept it. No one can change what’s already happened!”
“What children? They’re nothing but bastards!” Wang Jieshi’s eyes burned red as he gnashed his teeth and shrieked. “They’d been sleeping together long ago. The two of them are shameless!”
“With you in this state, you can’t even take care of yourself. Thinking about anything else is pointless!” Wang Xiaoming no longer wanted to argue with him. He set down the bowl and stormed out, slamming the door behind him.
In the kitchen, Wang Xiaohong drank her porridge with drooping eyelids. She had vaguely heard a few words of the brothers’ argument, but she hadn’t heard clearly and had no inclination to ask.
Her thoughts were tangled like a ball of thread. Ever since Chuntao had left the Wang family, the household had completely fallen apart. It no longer resembled a home in the slightest.
Every day, she cooked, washed clothes, and worked in the fields. Her life was like a stagnant pond, without a single ripple.
She had considered leaving and going somewhere far away, where she wouldn’t have to see or think about any of them. But she couldn’t bring herself to do it.
Living next door to Chuntao and Zhou Zhijun, where they crossed paths whenever they stepped outside, felt like a form of torture to Wang Xiaohong.
If Chuntao’s departure had broken her heart, then Li Mingliang’s departure had taken her heart away entirely.
She thought about him day and night—his kindness, his face and voice, every little trace he had left behind in Wangjia Village.
She regretted it terribly. She regretted refusing that temporary job at the oil field back then just for Wang Jieshi’s sake.
But it was too late for regrets now. She had no idea how she was supposed to live out the rest of her life. Was she really going to serve Wang Jieshi for the rest of her days?
The more Wang Xiaohong thought about it, the more miserable she became. Tears shimmered in her eyes, yet she couldn’t even cry.
Outside in the courtyard, Wang Xiaoming shoveled food into his mouth, his mind a tangled mess.
After breakfast, the siblings each took on a task. One carried a pair of water buckets, while the other shouldered a load of sweet-potato seedlings. Together, they headed to the fields to plant sweet potatoes.
When they reached the main road to the east, they happened to run into Zhou Pandi, who was carrying a basket.
“Xiaohong, are you two going to plant sweet potatoes?” Zhou Pandi greeted Wang Xiaohong warmly.
Previously, Wang Xiaohong used to find Zhou Pandi extremely annoying. Now, however, she couldn't really say that she was annoyed anymore. She just gave a nonchalant response, "Yeah."
"Xiaohong, I've got something to tell you!" Zhou Pandi suddenly grabbed Wang Xiaohong's arm, pulled her aside, and whispered in a low voice, "Do you know who Li Mingliang has a crush on?"
"Who he likes has nothing to do with me." At the mention of Li Mingliang, Wang Xiaohong felt as if a needle had pricked her heart, and the pain was intense.
But Zhou Pandi wasn't giving up. Mysteriously, she said, "You'll never guess! If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn't have believed it either!"
These words successfully piqued Wang Xiaohong's curiosity. She stopped in her tracks, turned to look at Zhou Pandi, and lowered her voice, asking, "Who?"
Zhou Pandi leaned over and whispered something into her ear.
Wang Xiaohong's face instantly turned deathly pale. Her eyes were filled with disbelief, and her body even swayed slightly.
The two of them were so engrossed in their conversation that they didn't notice a bicycle approaching. It wasn't until the clear sound of the bicycle bell rang in their ears that they hurriedly dodged to the side of the road.
When they saw who was on the bicycle, Wang Xiaohong's heart skipped a beat, and she even forgot to breathe.
