Wang Xiaohong wasn't home, so Chuntao didn't go to sleep in Wang Jieshi's room; instead, she lay down in Wang Xiaohong's room.
Just as the sky began to lighten, Aunt Zhou's hearty voice rang out in the courtyard. "Chuntao, are you up yet? Today is a great day for us to officially become mother and daughter!"
Aunt Zhou deliberately came this early to call for Chuntao so that all the neighbors could hear, hoping to shut down any future gossip.
Wang Chunxiao from the west courtyard came out of the main room carrying a chamber pot. Hearing the shout, she paused for a moment before calling back to Aunt Zhou, "Aunt Zhou, are you really going to take Chuntao as your goddaughter?"
"Of course it's true!" Aunt Zhou replied in a booming voice. "This old woman just loves having daughters. Two aren't enough, so I want another one! From now on, Chuntao is my third daughter, and my Zhijun is her older brother. I'd like to see who dares to wag their tongues behind our backs! I'll be the first to teach them a lesson!"
The rumor about Chuntao wearing Zhou Zhijun's clothes had been spread by none other than the big-mouthed Wang Chunxiao.
Knowing that Aunt Zhou's words were directed at her, she curled her lips and said no more, sucking in a breath of cold air as she scurried into the outhouse.
Chuntao scrambled out of bed, her heart pounding and her small face flushed bright red.
The entanglement in the kitchen last night, those crumpled banknotes, and Zhou Zhijun's hoarse "Don't be afraid" flooded her mind like a tidal wave, making her limbs go somewhat stiff.
Wang Jieshi hadn't slept well the night before either. He lay with his eyes open, staring at the ceiling before dawn even broke.
Listening to the mice scurrying and playing on the roof beams, he felt a complex mix of emotions.
There was regret, helplessness, and a trace of inexplicable worry.
Upon hearing Aunt Zhou's voice, his cloudy eyes shifted slightly. He didn't speak, but his hands tightly gripped the thin, uncomfortable quilt covering him.
When Chuntao walked into the courtyard, Aunt Zhou was waiting for her by the kitchen door.
"Tao, since we are officially recognizing each other as mother and daughter today, let's have Jieshi, Xiaohong, and the others come over for lunch! We can all celebrate together..."
Chuntao felt both excited and shy, unsure of what to say.
She had agreed to let Aunt Zhou adopt her as a goddaughter, but Wang Jieshi and his family didn't know yet.
She had planned to tell Wang Jieshi later, never expecting Aunt Zhou to come calling so early in the morning.
"Mhm!" she replied softly.
At that moment, Wang Xiaohong happened to return. Seeing Aunt Zhou holding Chuntao's hand, she called out crisply, "Granny Zhou!"
"Xiaohong, Granny hasn't told you yet, but I'm taking your sister-in-law as my goddaughter. Today is the official day..."
Before Aunt Zhou could finish, Wang Xiaohong's eyes widened in sheer disbelief.
When Aunt Zhou mentioned this yesterday, she thought it was just a casual remark. She never imagined she was serious.
"Granny Zhou, is it true? Are you really taking my sister-in-law as your goddaughter?"
"Of course it's true!"
"That's wonderful!" Wang Xiaohong was so thrilled she almost jumped for joy.
Aunt Zhou's family were all kind and honest people, so naturally, she hoped the two families could grow closer.
With her brother's current condition, having the Zhou family's support would make her sister-in-law's life much easier in the future.
"Granny Zhou, I'll come help you out in a bit!" Wang Xiaohong said as she darted into the house.
Standing at the door of the inner room, she shouted, "Brother, this is great! Granny Zhou is taking my sister-in-law as her goddaughter!"
They say a distant relative is not as good as a near neighbor, but with Zhou Zhijun's family offering help so proactively, Wang Jieshi always felt a bit uneasy.
Now that Aunt Zhou was making Chuntao her goddaughter, his heart was in even more turmoil, making him incredibly irritable.
"Yeah, I know!" he replied sullenly.
After breakfast, Chuntao and Wang Xiaohong walked along the small path by the east ditch toward the street to buy some things.
Before they even reached the mouth of the east ditch, they bumped into Liu Cuilan and Wang Haichao along with his brothers.
"Where are you two going? Come dig up sweet potatoes with me!" Liu Cuilan spoke first.
Chuntao stayed silent, but Wang Xiaohong replied bluntly, "We have things to do!"
Catching a glimpse of the cloth bag in her hand, Liu Cuilan pressed, "What things? Where are you going?"
"Granny Zhou is taking my sister-in-law as her goddaughter, so we're going to buy gifts for Granny Zhou!" Wang Xiaohong didn't try to hide it.
"What? Taking her as a goddaughter?" Aunt Zhou had said this in front of Liu Cuilan yesterday, but she hadn't taken it seriously at all. Now, hearing Wang Xiaohong confirm it, she could hardly believe her ears.
Wang Haichao and his brothers were also stunned. What was that old woman Zhou up to? They had just split the family property, and now she was adopting Chuntao?
Liu Cuilan wanted to ask more, but Wang Xiaohong couldn't be bothered to talk to her anymore. She grabbed Chuntao and strode forward, leaving Liu Cuilan cursing furiously.
"Taking her as a goddaughter right after the family split, what exactly is that old woman Zhou playing at?" Wang Haichao muttered into Liu Cuilan's ear.
"What is she playing at?" Remembering what happened yesterday, Liu Cuilan's face turned green with anger.
"I think she's just opposing me on purpose! I was disciplining my own family member; what right does she have to stick her nose into my business?"
As for Zhou Zhijun, he had gone to the street before dawn to buy vegetables and meat. He also bought two pounds of yarn and a piece of floral fabric for Chuntao.
When he rode his bicycle to the south end of the street, he saw Chuntao and Wang Xiaohong coming towards him.
The moment Chuntao saw him, her face turned bright red. She quickly turned her head away, not daring to meet his eyes.
Wang Xiaohong, however, smiled and called out, "Uncle Zhijun!"
Zhou Zhijun got off his bicycle. He kept his eyes on Wang Xiaohong, but from the corner of his eye, he couldn't help but glance at Chuntao.
Seeing her shy, evasive demeanor, he didn't speak to her. Instead, he took his things off the bicycle and told Wang Xiaohong, "You and your sister-in-law ride the bike back. I'll walk!"
Without giving them a chance to argue, he shoved the handlebars into Wang Xiaohong's hands, grabbed his things, and strode away.
Along the way, he plotted in his mind that he had to get Chuntao to the wheat straw stacks sometime in the next couple of days.
Ever since their first time, he had been constantly thinking about it, losing both his appetite and his sleep! Tonight, it had to be tonight! He was going to love her properly!
Back in Wangjia Village, the news of Aunt Zhou taking Chuntao as her goddaughter quickly spread.
Whenever villagers met, they talked about it, each harboring their own speculations.
Some said Aunt Zhou pitied Chuntao and wanted to protect her.
Others claimed it was Zhou Zhijun's idea, so he could help Chuntao legitimately.
Then there were those who gossiped, saying Chuntao and Zhou Zhijun had hooked up long ago, and establishing this family tie would just make their affair more convenient.
Of course, no one dared let Zhou Zhijun catch wind of these rumors. He was known as the Living Yama in the village, and nobody could afford to mess with him!
Zhou Zhaodi sat in her room, huffing with anger. Her dark, plump face was twisted into a scowl, squeezing her small eyes into mere slits.
"Li Chuntao is no good, yet that old woman Zhou still protects her like this!
Taking her as a goddaughter? Does she think everyone else is an idiot? She's just doing this to make it easier for those two to carry on their illicit affair..."
Zhou Pandi added fuel to the fire from the sidelines. "Sister, with Aunt Zhou taking Li Chuntao as her goddaughter, she'll have someone to cover for her from now on. She and Brother Zhijun will be able to do their shameless deeds right out in the open!"
"Hmph! If I catch a chance, I'll report them to the joint defense team! I'll make sure Zhou Zhijun loses his position as militia captain and Li Chuntao is too ashamed to show her face!"
Zhou Zhaodi slammed her dark, chubby fist hard onto the table, but suddenly let out a miserable shriek, "Ouch!"
As it turned out, a nail head was sticking out of the square table. It caught her hand, and blood immediately welled up.
...
At Aunt Zhou's house, however, it was a lively and bustling scene.
Old Man Zhou was tending the fire in the kitchen, while Aunt Zhou and her granddaughter, Zhou Hongxia, were busy sorting, washing, and chopping vegetables.
Zhou Zhijun had just slaughtered a large rooster and had taken his buckets on a carrying pole to fetch water from the south well.
Just as he set the buckets down steadily by the well, he heard someone calling out to him. He turned around and was surprised to see Zhou Hongxia.
"Second Uncle, Liu Cuilan and her people have blocked Xiaohong and the others in the north field..."
Aunt Zhou had sent Zhou Hongxia down the road earlier to greet Chuntao and the rest of their party. From a distance, Zhou Hongxia had heard the sound of arguing.
When she got closer, she saw that Liu Cuilan and a few of Wang Haichao's brothers were blocking Chuntao and Wang Xiaohong's path. She had immediately run back to get Zhou Zhijun.
Zhou Zhijun's face instantly darkened, and the iron bucket in his hand clattered heavily against the edge of the well.
He shoved the buckets aside, snatched up his carrying pole, and sprinted toward the north field.
It was obvious that Liu Cuilan was intercepting Chuntao to stop her from officially acknowledging her new god-family.
After alerting Zhou Zhijun, Zhou Hongxia ran back home to tell Aunt Zhou what was happening.
Hearing this, Aunt Zhou slammed her kitchen knife down onto the chopping board with a loud clang. "Has that Liu Cuilan lost her mind? How dare she touch my daughter!"
