Last night, Wang Haichao told Liu Cuilan about Chuntao wearing Zhou Zhijun's clothes. She was so furious that she immediately cursed Chuntao for being shameless.
The next day, right after breakfast, she set off to settle the score with Chuntao. Before she even reached her, she saw Chuntao standing by the roadside carrying a basket on her arm, and her fury instantly flared up.
She ran over and slapped Chuntao hard across the face. Five red fingerprint marks immediately appeared on her fair, tender cheek, stinging with a burning pain.
After slapping her, Liu Cuilan pointed at Chuntao's nose and hurled abuse at her. "You shameless hussy! You've completely disgraced the Wang family..."
Chuntao was stunned by the slap. She trembled all over, lacking even the strength to talk back.
If Aunt Zhou hadn't rushed over in time to bail her out, she really wouldn't have known how it would end.
Aunt Zhou held her hand and pierced Liu Cuilan with a sharp glare. "Liu Cuilan, you can't wrong this girl!
Jieshi has been gone for four years, and this girl has always known her place and behaved properly. Look at how pitiful she is. It's bad enough that you don't feel sorry for her, but you even gang up with outsiders to humiliate her."
She then swept her gaze over the other women around them, her eyes finally landing on Zhou Zhaodi's face. "Our Zhijun is an upright man, and nobody should even think about throwing mud at him!
From now on, Chuntao is my goddaughter! Zhijun is her godbrother! What's wrong with a younger sister wearing her older brother's clothes? If anyone else spouts nonsense again, it's a slap to my old face!"
Aunt Zhou was not someone to be trifled with. Besides, Liu Cuilan was also afraid she would ask for debt repayment, so she left in a huff.
Zhou Zhaodi ground her teeth in hatred. She spat a glob of yellow phlegm onto the ground and had no choice but to leave resentfully.
Aunt Zhou's words were like a protective talisman, temporarily shutting those people's mouths.
But Chuntao knew in her heart that it could only silence them for a while, not forever. The relationship between her and Zhou Zhijun was indeed not entirely innocent.
She was grateful to Aunt Zhou for bailing her out, but she also couldn't help feeling a bit resentful toward Zhou Zhijun.
Yet that resentment wasn't pure hatred; there was also a trace of something indescribable mixed in.
He was the first man to protect her and stand up for her, the first man to make her feel valued and cared for.
She was just terrified that the villagers would find out about what happened between them, afraid she would end up being branded a loose woman.
However, that little secret expectation in her heart was like the roots of wild grass in early spring, quietly sprouting.
"Sister-in-law, those people in the village just have too much time on their hands. Don't take it to heart..."
Wang Xiaohong sighed. "But it's a good thing Granny Zhou said she's taking you as her goddaughter. From now on, no one can say anything."
Chuntao's face grew even redder. Her heart pounded wildly, like a little rabbit thumping around in her chest.
She stole a glance at the courtyard next door. She didn't see Zhou Zhijun, but she heard Aunt Zhou's voice coming from their kitchen.
"Zhijun, those people in the village are gossiping again... And that Liu Cuilan, she's really something awful.
Chuntao is such a good girl. When others talk about her like that, not only does Liu Cuilan not protect her, but she even hits her without distinguishing right from wrong..."
Zhou Zhijun's face was taut, growing colder and colder, as cold as an icicle.
He didn't say a word, but the grip of his hand holding the chopsticks tightened. With a crack, the chopsticks in his hand snapped into two.
Only then did Aunt Zhou look at his face and quickly say, "I said it today, from now on Chuntao is my goddaughter. If anyone talks nonsense again, I won't let them get away with it..."
Hearing his mother say this, the frosty look on Zhou Zhijun's face lessened a bit.
Why hadn't he thought of that? If Chuntao really became his mother's goddaughter, he could help her openly and honorably in the future.
"Mother, do you really think so?"
Aunt Zhou looked at him and sighed, saying, "They were gossiping and dragged you into it too. I said those words for your sake as well. Just be more careful from now on!"
"No, Mother. Haven't you always wanted another daughter?" A hint of calculation flashed in Zhou Zhijun's eyes.
"Although the eldest and the third have wives, they are busy with their own lives.
My older sister and younger sister aren't around either. If you take Chuntao as a goddaughter, wouldn't she be considerate and close to you?
She is honest and quick on her feet. The shoes on my feet were even made by her... I would also love to have a younger sister around."
Aunt Zhou had just said it casually and didn't expect Zhou Zhijun to take it so seriously. She turned to look at Old Man Zhou, "Old man, what do you think?"
Old Man Zhou knocked his pipe bowl and said in a deep voice, "Chuntao is a kind and righteous girl. Jieshi has been gone for four years, and she simply hasn't left. She works from dawn to dusk every day. She's a truly good girl.
Although we have two daughters, they live far away and can't help much.
When your presbyopia makes you blind in the future, Chuntao can help out with the sewing and mending.
With us backing her, she can suffer less idle gossip, and it will be perfectly justifiable for Zhijun to help her out in the future. I approve!"
Since both father and son said so, Aunt Zhou was also moved. She slapped her thigh and said, "I also like this girl. She has good looks, a kind heart, and can help out the family. Let's take her in!"
"Agreed!" the father and son said in unison.
Chuntao and Wang Xiaohong had just finished their soup when Zhou Hongxia arrived.
It turned out that her cousin on her uncle's side was getting married, and everyone else in her family had gone. She was the only one left to watch the house. Feeling scared to be alone at night, she came to find Wang Xiaohong for company.
Wang Xiaohong helped Chuntao feed the pigs and then left with Zhou Hongxia.
Just as Chuntao finished washing the dishes, Aunt Zhou came over carrying a shallow bamboo basket. Inside were a few large steamed buns that smelled delicious.
"I steamed these buns tonight, they're still hot! Come, daughter, have one!"
Chuntao remembered how Aunt Zhou had bailed her out during the day and was now bringing her steamed buns. Her nose tingled, and tears almost fell.
"Granny Zhou!" Her heart was full of gratitude, but the words wouldn't come out, and her voice choked with emotion.
Over the years, Zhou Zhijun had helped her family a lot. Aunt Zhou was a good person and had never said anything about it. It was just that Liu Cuilan was too unkind, which made Aunt Zhou unhappy.
"Granny Zhou, I've already eaten."
How could Aunt Zhou not know she had eaten? But all year round, she only ate dark steamed buns dipped in chili, which had no nutrition at all. She was so thin that a gust of wind could blow her away.
"Just taste it, it's still hot, hurry and eat one!" Aunt Zhou picked up a soft, fluffy large steamed bun and handed it to her.
Chuntao wiped her hands on her apron and took it. "Granny Zhou, you have one too!"
"I already ate at home..."
Chuntao took a bite. It was filled with tofu, glass noodles, and radish. "It's so delicious!"
Aunt Zhou looked at her with eyes full of pity. "Chuntao, are you willing to do what I said today?"
Chuntao didn't react right away, so Aunt Zhou continued, "Although I already have two daughters, I still love having daughters. Daughters are considerate..."
Hearing her say this, Chuntao finally realized what she meant. She had thought Aunt Zhou was just trying to bail her out, but she didn't expect her to genuinely want to take her as a goddaughter.
Chuntao had grown up without a mother, but her grandmother had loved her dearly.
Since marrying into the Wang family, her grandmother was far away, and she had no relatives by her side. She was like a floating duckweed, with no one to rely on.
The bitterness of staying in an empty room made her unable to hold her head high. She also had to endure the baseless accusations and verbal abuse from her mother-in-law, Liu Cuilan, and the villagers' gossip left her breathless.
She had nowhere to speak of all her bitterness and hardships. She could only chew them up, crush them down, and swallow them into her stomach.
How could she not want someone considerate by her side? Someone she could share intimate words with on a normal day.
Aunt Zhou was a kind woman. Since she did not look down on her, it was naturally everything Chuntao could ever wish for.
But the thought of Zhou Zhijun made fear creep back into her heart. If she accepted Aunt Zhou as her godmother, wouldn't it just make it easier for him to bully her?
Then again, if she truly accepted Aunt Zhou as her godmother, she would become Zhou Zhijun's god-sister. Perhaps then he wouldn't bully her anymore...
Seeing her remain silent, Aunt Zhou gently patted her shoulder and said, "Good girl, take some time to think about it before you give me an answer. Whether you agree or not, it's completely fine. You'll always be a good girl to me!"
"I would love to!" Chuntao looked up sharply at Aunt Zhou, her eyes turning red and glistening with tears.
Aunt Zhou took her hand, her own eyes growing red. "That's wonderful. From now on, I have three daughters..."
Aunt Zhou had just left with the shallow basket when Zhou Zhijun arrived. He strode in with such a gust of wind that the kerosene lamp in the kitchen flickered a few times before weakly dying out.
The kitchen was instantly plunged into darkness, and Chuntao's heart leapt into her throat.
"Uncle Zhijun!" she called out softly.
"I'm your brother!"
Zhou Zhijun stepped into the kitchen and casually shut the door behind him.
