Chuntao's small face suddenly grew hot. The force of her hands kneading the dough sharply increased, flattening the dough completely.
The kitchen door was open, and Wang Xiaoming was chopping wood in the woodshed. Chuntao's heart pounded relentlessly.
Catching sight of a few pieces of tofu in the basin next to her from the corner of her eye, she quickly said, "One piece of tofu is enough for me! You take the rest back!"
Seeing her shy and frightened look, Zhou Zhijun let out a low laugh and stopped teasing her.
However, his gaze clung to her profile. Even though she was wearing a bulky padded jacket, it could not hide her exquisite curves.
The curves of her chest almost burst through the faded old padded jacket. The wrists exposed outside the sleeves were slender and fair, and her small waist was so thin and soft that it seemed it would break with a pinch.
As she kneaded the dough, her small body gently rose and fell, every part exuding a softness that made his heart tremble.
Chuntao could feel his burning gaze, and her back began to heat up. Her kneading movements involuntarily quickened, and the tips of her ears turned a translucent red.
The room was quiet, filled only with Zhou Zhijun's increasingly heavy breathing, Chuntao's frantic heartbeat, and the muffled sound of kneading dough.
With the man standing right behind her, Chuntao felt as if a heavy stone was pressing on her heart, making her almost breathless.
She didn't dare to turn around, terrified that he would do something shameless again.
In these times, a lone man and woman staying in the same room would be impossible to explain if seen by others; they wouldn't be able to wash themselves clean even if they jumped into the Yellow River.
Moreover, there was already an unclear and ambiguous entanglement between her and Zhou Zhijun. The private gossip of the villagers and Wang Jieshi's suspicions pierced Chuntao's heart like thorns.
"You should go quickly!" she urged again in a low voice.
Suddenly, outside the courtyard gate, Wang Chunxiao shouted at the top of her lungs, "Chuntao! Steaming buns?"
When Chuntao looked up, Wang Chunxiao had already reached the kitchen door.
Seeing Zhou Zhijun in the room, she froze for a moment, then smiled and said, "Brother Zhijun is here too!"
Wang Chunxiao was a loudmouth. This matter today would surely spread throughout the entire Wang Family Village by tomorrow!
Chuntao's palms were sweaty, and her tongue was tied. "Sister-in-law Chunxiao..."
Zhou Zhijun, however, looked unbothered. The moment he heard Wang Chunxiao's voice, he had reached out and picked up the basin of tofu.
He ignored Wang Chunxiao and, while transferring the tofu from his basin into Chuntao's earthen basin, said, "This is the tofu my family ground today. My mother asked me to bring some over for you."
Chuntao turned to look and hurriedly said, "One piece is enough!"
Wang Chunxiao glanced at the tofu in the basin and smiled, chiming in, "This tofu is really good. You can use it for stew, cold dishes, or dumpling fillings. How is one piece enough?"
After putting down the tofu, Zhou Zhijun walked to the door with the empty basin, looked at Wang Chunxiao, and said in an icy tone, "Anything else?"
"No... nothing..." Wang Chunxiao laughed dryly. "I just saw the light on in Sister Chuntao's kitchen and came over to take a look..."
Saying this, she turned to leave, occasionally glancing back at Zhou Zhijun. Zhou Zhijun, well aware of what she was thinking, took the basin and walked away.
After both of them left, Chuntao leaned against the stove, panting heavily. Her face was still pale, and the lining of her padded jacket was soaked with cold sweat.
Her eyes were a little red as she grabbed the towel draped over the edge of the stove to wipe the sweat from her palms.
Just now, Zhou Zhijun said he was delivering tofu, but given Wang Chunxiao's look, she must have been suspicious and would probably make up some gossip again.
That night, Chuntao was on edge until dawn.
Early the next morning, a crackling sound of firecrackers jolted Chuntao from her sleep.
Hearing the old sow grunting in the pigpen, she quickly got up and put on her clothes.
As soon as she stepped out the door, she saw several women leading older children toward the front of the village, and Wang Chunxiao was among them.
Chuntao's heart skipped a beat. She wanted to turn around and go back inside, but Wang Chunxiao stopped her. "Sister Chuntao, Zhou Zhaodi and Wang Qingshan are getting married! Come on, let's go watch the fun!"
Chuntao couldn't process this immediately. Hasn't Zhou Zhaodi always been pining for Zhou Zhijun? Why was she suddenly marrying Wang Qingshan?
She twitched the corners of her mouth and said in a low voice, "I'm not going!"
That night, after Zhou Dana and his wife discussed it, they mentioned the matter to Zhou Zhaodi early the next morning.
Zhou Zhaodi had been a widow for two years and had long felt stifled. Although Wang Qingshan couldn't compare to Zhou Zhijun, he was young, not yet thirty, and strong.
Then there was that fool, Baldy Zhang. Ever since that time in the cowshed, he had pestered her several times. He had no real ability but was full of twisted ideas. Zhou Zhaodi was completely fed up with him.
If she could marry Wang Qingshan, she could completely rid herself of Baldy Zhang, so she readily agreed on the spot.
Zhou Dana was the village party secretary and couldn't bring himself to propose marriage directly, so he asked someone to drop a hint to Old Man Wang and his wife.
Upon hearing this, Old Man Wang and his wife were flattered and hurriedly bought cigarettes and liquor to go to Zhou Dana's house to propose.
Both of them were no longer young and were all alone. The two sides hit it off immediately and chose an auspicious day right then and there to hold the wedding.
Wang Chunxiao and the other women headed to the front of the village, laughing and chatting, while Chuntao stood blankly in the yard.
Neither she nor Zhou Zhaodi had husbands, but she was bound by the arranged exchange marriage.
Zhou Zhaodi could remarry openly, but she could only be confined in this cage, never seeing an end to it in her lifetime.
The footsteps of the New Year drew closer. After the twentieth day of the twelfth lunar month, the villagers became exceptionally busy.
The men were busy chopping wood and sweeping the houses; the women bustled around the stoves, steaming buns, frying meatballs, chopping dumpling fillings, constantly washing and scrubbing.
The happiest were the children, with loose firecrackers stuffed in their pockets. They would light one from time to time, and the crackling sound added a lot of New Year flavor.
Chuntao had steamed the buns early on, planning to make a trip back to Li Family Village to deliver the new cotton shoes she had made for her grandmother and the others, so they wouldn't be delayed for the New Year.
Li Family Village was not close to Wang Family Village. The snow on the road had melted, leaving mud everywhere. Chuntao trudged along, sinking in with every step, and didn't arrive until after noon.
Passing by the Yang family's door, Chuntao saw Yang Weiming in the yard, still wearing a striking green military uniform.
Standing next to him was a fashionable woman, the very one she had seen that year. She was now Yang Weiming's wife, and the two had married last year.
According to her grandmother, Yang Weiming worked at the county public security bureau after leaving the army, and his wife was a primary school teacher.
Chuntao was most afraid of running into Yang Weiming. The thought of what happened back then made her feel uncomfortable all over, and she didn't know what to say.
Over the years, it was that little bit of sweetness from back then that supported her through countless bitter days and nights. But that sweetness ultimately didn't belong to her, and she should have let it go long ago.
Chuntao quickened her pace toward home. Just as she entered the yard, she saw her grandmother coming out of the kitchen holding a bowl of poached eggs.
"Tao!" Grandma Shen hadn't seen her granddaughter in half a year. Her face showed both sorrow and joy, and she quickly greeted her, "Come inside quickly and warm up!"
She then shouted toward the west room, "Dazhuang, Chuntao is back. Hurry up and light the fire to warm your sister's hands!"
Li Dazhuang was weaving straw sandals in the west room. Hearing his grandmother's call, he quickly put down his work and ran out.
"Chuntao!" Seeing her, his eyes instantly turned red.
Wang Jieshi had returned, but he had become a cripple, which made Dazhuang feel terrible.
When Chuntao came back in the summer to deliver watermelons, she hadn't mentioned this at all.
Chuntao bore all the hardships herself. No matter how much she suffered in the Wang family, she never complained a single word in front of them.
Li Dazhuang felt increasingly guilty towards her; whenever he was alone and thought of her situation, his eyes could not help but redden.
Where is my sister-in-law? Chuntao asked.
Wang Lanhua had given birth to a daughter in the autumn and was now nearly two months pregnant again. However, she had accidentally slipped a few days ago, started bleeding, and was currently resting in bed.
She is resting in bed! Before Li Dazhuang could answer, Grandma Shen came out of the main room and lowered her voice. Your sister-in-law is pregnant again, she needs to rest and recover...
Li Dazhuang had already told Grandma Shen and Wang Lanhua about Wang Jieshi returning as a cripple.
Their hearts ached for Chuntao when they heard the news, but in that era, everyone believed this was simply fate, and one could only accept it.
Right before she left, Grandma Shen held Chuntao's chilblain-covered hands and choked back a sob. Grandma's heart aches for you too, but as things stand, there is nothing we can do! You have to try to look past it!
She pulled a wad of crumpled small bills from her pocket and stuffed them into Chuntao's hands. It is the New Year, go buy yourself some new clothes!
Li Dazhuang silently packed half a sack of white flour, hoisted it onto his back, and walked Chuntao for about ten miles.
Feeling the heavy weight of her family's love, Chuntao only felt the invisible shackles around her tighten further.
She shoved her hands into her pockets, tightly gripping the crumpled bills Grandma Shen had given her. Could this cage truly trap her for the rest of her life?
She sniffled and continued walking with the flour sack on her back, but out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of a dark silhouette standing on a distant field ridge.
The person was bundled up in an old padded jacket, seemingly holding a cigarette. The ember flickered in the cold wind, and the figure was staring straight in her direction.
Chuntao stopped dead in her tracks. A cold sweat instantly broke out on her back, and the hand gripping the opening of the sack began to tremble.
Seeing her stop, the person actually took a couple of steps toward her.
