Zhou Xiaomei continued to curse him. “If Sister Zhiqiu saw how you’ve abused her child, do you think she wouldn’t regret marrying you? Are you blind? Can’t you see what’s happening? You act as if you’re so capable every day, but all you do is earn a measly bit of money to support this wife of yours while she carries on with another man. Bah!”
“Can’t you see how fat that little bastard she gave birth to is? Or can’t you see how thin Xi Ran has become? You pretend to be blind just to keep up the appearance of peace in your family. Why couldn’t you be the one who died? Go die! Hurry up and die! Even if Xi Ran becomes an orphan, the whole village would raise her. At least she wouldn’t starve. A worthless bastard like you should just die in place of a good person. The sooner you die, the sooner you can be reborn—and in every life, you can be young!”
“You’re nothing but a good-for-nothing! You act as if you love your child so much, but when she brazenly starves her, you dare say it has nothing to do with you? I don’t believe you. Every time you see her, beat her—beat her half to death! She dares lay a hand on Xi Ran, and you can’t even protect your own daughter. You’re a spineless coward who only knows how to work that two inches of flesh beneath your belt!”
Zhao Tiezhu crouched on the ground as she berated him. He lowered his head in shame, covered his face, and began to sob.
It was his fault. All of it was his fault. Orphans were still cared for by the state, but a child with a father had been reduced to digging up earthworms to eat. He didn’t deserve to be a father. He deserved to die.
Granny Zhou was also among the crowd. Her granddaughter’s words were truly vicious, but they were also immensely satisfying to hear.
When the Brigade Leader heard Zhou Xiaomei becoming more and more outrageous, he hurriedly interrupted her.
“That’s enough! Stop arguing!”
He turned to Zhao Tiezhu. “Tiezhu, let that Zhou girl take the child home today. Handle the matters at home first, then go pick her up.”
Zhao Tiezhu stared blankly at the Brigade Leader, then at Xi Ran.
The moment Cai Shufen heard that, she exploded. “Why? Why should she take my child? She’s my child!”
Cai Shufen knew that Zhou Xiaomei treated Xi Ran exceptionally well. Even before the divorce, she had secretly brought food to the child. So, on instinct, she was even more unwilling to let the two grow too close.
The Brigade Leader glared at her.
“Shut your mouth! You still have the nerve to ask? Let me tell you, Cai Shufen, this matter isn’t over. I’m reporting it to the commune. You just wait for the decision!”
Zhou Xiaomei took the little girl’s hand and raised her own to wipe the tears from her face. Then she let out a long, heavy breath.
“Zhao Tiezhu, if you really can’t raise Xi Ran, I can raise her. Think about it.”
“Xi Ran, come home with Auntie.”
Without the slightest hesitation, Xi Ran reached out her hand. Zhou Xiaomei clasped it and led her out through the crowd.
The villagers automatically parted to make way for them.
Xiao Mandong stood at the edge of the crowd, watching the figures of the woman and child pass through the people and slowly walk toward the stone house.
Just then, a sudden burst of laughter came from behind them—a laugh that sent chills down everyone’s spine.
The crowd turned around and saw Zhao Tiezhu, who had just been crying, wearing a twisted, sinister smile.
Someone muttered under their breath, “Has he… gone crazy?”
“If you knew your daughter had been eating earthworms, wouldn’t you go crazy too?”
Zhao Tiezhu ignored everyone. Staggering, he headed toward the rear mountain of the village.
Someone called after him, “Tiezhu! Where are you going?”
He didn’t look back and kept walking.
Someone in the crowd whispered, “That’s the direction of the graves.”
Xiao Mandong wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes. She remembered the child who had drowned in the icy river in her previous life.
She had no idea how much suffering the child had endured at the hands of that beast, Wang Xiumei.
Xiao Mandong didn’t even know how she had made it home. She sat beside Diandian in a daze. Before long, the aroma of food drifted over from the neighboring yard.
Only then did she pull herself back to reality. She took twenty eggs, a bag of white flour, three meat coupons, and some medicine for external injuries made with spiritual spring water out of her personal space.
Then she got up and walked next door. She knew that Zhou Qichuan was only a company commander and didn’t earn much. He also had an entire family to support, so she wanted to help the unfortunate child.
Zhou Xiaomei opened the door. When she saw the things in Xiao Mandong’s hands, the tip of her nose stung. Her fingers tightened around the hem of her clothes.
“Sister Mandong… this…”
Xiao Mandong pushed everything into her arms. “They’re for the child.”
Zhou Xiaomei stared at the supplies without moving. After a long while, she finally lifted her head. Her lips moved, and she whispered, “I’m sorry.”
She placed the items in the courtyard, then pulled Xiao Mandong inside. From the cabinet, Zhou Xiaomei took out a small notebook and handed it to her.
When Xiao Mandong opened it, she saw a few crooked words accompanied by simple drawings. There wasn’t much written, but the amounts of money could be understood at a glance.
There were entries for one mao and three mao. Next to a snowflake was the number twenty, and next to a moon was the number thirteen.
Xiao Mandong understood immediately.
Zhou Xiaomei raised her head. Her voice was choked with emotion, but she didn’t cry.
“I know I shouldn’t have stolen from you, but I had no choice. I wanted Xi Ran to go to school, but I didn’t have any money. Don’t worry—I’ve written everything down. I’ll definitely repay you in the future.”
Xiao Mandong closed the notebook.
“All right. Don’t do this again. If something happens to you, Xi Ran will have no one to look after her. You can pay me back when you have money. I believe you can do it!”
As they were talking, Diandian began barking in the neighboring yard. A moment later, someone knocked on the door.
“Doctor Xiao! Doctor Xiao!”
Xiao Mandong stepped out of Zhou Qichuan’s home and saw two young men knocking on the gate of her house.
“What’s wrong?”
The two men lowered their voices as much as possible, afraid the child might hear them. “Doctor Xiao, Tiezhu has fainted and needs to be taken to the hospital. The old doctor has trouble walking. Can you come with us?”
“All right. Wait a moment while I go home and get something.”
Xiao Mandong hurried back into her house, put Diandian into her personal space, locked the door, and then followed the men toward the village entrance.
By then, Zhao Tiezhu had already been loaded onto a tractor. Xiao Mandong climbed aboard, felt his pulse first, and examined his condition.
His liver qi was congested, and his qi and blood had surged toward his heart, but there was no serious danger.
Cai Shufen was also sitting on the tractor. Her eyes were red and swollen from crying, and she was holding her child in her arms.
“Doctor Xiao, how is my Tiezhu?”
Xiao Mandong cast her a glance and replied calmly, each word striking like a blow.
“Even if he survives… he won’t be able to do heavy labor for the rest of his life.”
Cai Shufen’s face went white.
“W-What did you say?”
“Even if he lives, he won’t be able to carry heavy loads, do hard labor, or withstand emotional strain. He’ll be little better than an invalid. He’ll need to rest, and someone will have to care for him year-round.”
Xiao Mandong deliberately made it sound worse to frighten the vicious woman.
The more Cai Shufen listened, the paler she became. How could his condition be so serious? If Zhao Tiezhu died, what would become of her and her son?
Then she remembered the thousand yuan. If Zhao Tiezhu gave her that thousand yuan, she and her son could live comfortably. With a house and that much money, they would have enough to live on for years. Zhao Tiezhu usually earned only twenty yuan a month; even if he saved every penny and never ate, he couldn’t accumulate a thousand yuan in five years.
But Zhao Tiezhu was still unconscious, and no one knew where he had hidden the passbook. What would she do if he never woke up?
Throughout the journey, Xiao Mandong ignored her and pretended to sleep with her eyes closed.
Soon, they arrived at the hospital, and Zhao Tiezhu was carried inside.
The moment Xiao Mandong stepped through the hospital entrance, the corner of her eye suddenly caught sight of a familiar figure.
A woman had her face wrapped tightly in a headscarf as she crept suspiciously toward the gynecology department.
That figure… looked like Wang Yuanyuan.
Why was she sneaking around at the hospital? Curious, Xiao Mandong quietly followed her.
Wang Yuanyuan registered and got in line, keeping her head lowered the entire time.
Before long, a nurse stepped out of the examination room and called out,
“Next patient, Xiao Mandong.”
Xiao Mandong’s heart jolted. Wang Yuanyuan had actually registered under her name?
