Xiao Ailin endured it all, holding on in the hope that one day Zhu Nanchao would be transferred back. By the time the child was six, the Xiao family had already been vindicated. Her eldest uncle took Xiao Ailin and the child to the northwest to visit Zhu Nanchao, intending to spend some of the Xiao family’s money and find a way to have him transferred back to the capital.
But when they arrived, they discovered that Zhu Nanchao had already started a family in the northwest. He even had two children, the older of whom was several months older than Xiao Ailin’s child.
What they never expected was that his wife was none other than Xiao Ailin’s cousin, Feng Qiaohui.
Zhu Nanchao and Feng Qiaohui had been classmates, and the two had gotten together long ago.
Because Feng Qiaohui had no job and her family was poor, Zhu Nanchao’s mother had never approved of her. Feng Qiaohui had also reached the age when she was supposed to be sent to the countryside.
They had already broken up, but just before Feng Qiaohui was sent away, she discovered that she was pregnant. To keep the matter from bringing shame on the Feng family, her mother changed the destination of Feng Qiaohui’s assignment to the far northwest. She also went to the Zhu family and threatened that Zhu Nanchao had to accompany her there, or she would report them for the crime of “hooliganism.”
The Zhu family had only one son. How could they bear to see him imprisoned? But with their son going so far away, what would happen to them in the future? Who would support them in their old age? So the two families joined forces to scheme against Xiao Ailin.
Zhu Nanchao had never intended to consummate his marriage with Xiao Ailin. But when he saw how beautiful she was, he lost control. On top of that, his parents had told him that she would be easier to control if she became pregnant.
Xiao Ailin had never imagined that her husband already had another family. She reported Zhu Nanchao while they were in the northwest, and the two eventually divorced. But less than two years after the divorce, Xiao Ailin developed depression and ultimately chose to end her life. Her child was raised by her eldest uncle and aunt.
All of this had happened in her previous life. Whenever she thought of Xiao Ailin now, what she saw was still that pale face lying in the funeral parlor.
Old Master Xiao was still alive when Xiao Ailin died. Her death became the deepest wound in the Xiao family. In a fit of rage, her eldest aunt went to confront her own family and stabbed her sister-in-law. The wound was not serious, but she still had to pay a considerable sum of money to avoid prison.
Xiao Mandong had never thought about Xiao Ailin’s situation. It was indeed her own negligence. She had been so focused on Xiao Manxue and her own affairs, thinking only about preventing Xiao Manxue from repeating the same mistakes and making sure the tragedy of her previous life would never happen again. She had also been intent on living a different life herself, and now she felt somewhat guilty.
She nodded. She glanced at the time. Outside, the icy wind howled as snow whipped through the air, and Gu Jianghan was still waiting at the entrance to the village. It was so cold that she could not stay any longer.
“Grandpa, Grandma, just tell me what you’d like to eat, and I’ll bring it next time. Dad, take care of yourself too. Uncle, Auntie, don’t worry. I’ll do my best to find out what happened to Cousin Ailin. Gu Jianghan is waiting for me at the village entrance, so I should get back soon and not keep him waiting.”
“I’ll see you out.” Xiao Jingping grabbed his padded coat and started pulling it on.
“Third Uncle, why do you need to see her out? I’ll go. I run fast.” Xiao Siyuan had already put on his coat. “None of you are allowed to move. When I get back, I want a bowl of hot oil-tea flour to warm me up.”
Her grandfather walked her all the way to the gate, still reminding her, “Mandong, be careful on the way. It’s terribly cold. Don’t climb over the mountains anymore. We’re too worried about you.”
Xiao Mandong called back in acknowledgment and waved as she continued forward against the wind.
“Does Second Uncle still never leave the house?” The siblings walked along, talking as they went. Xiao Mandong had come here so many times, yet she had seen her second uncle only once. Every time she visited, he was alone, brooding in his room. It was heartbreaking.
“Ah, there’s nothing we can do. No matter who tries to persuade him, he won’t listen. Ever since he came here, he’s been like this. Apart from working, he never leaves the house.” The wind blew so hard against Xiao Siyuan’s face that even speaking was difficult.
The wind and snow were fierce, and the road was hard to walk on. After five or six minutes, they felt frozen to the bone. The wind stung Xiao Mandong’s face, so she turned around and began walking backward. Suddenly, she saw several figures ahead, hunched over as they walked and glancing around repeatedly, as though hiding from someone.
Xiao Mandong instinctively pulled Xiao Siyuan aside and hid. He saw them too and was frightened. When they had first arrived, men wearing red armbands would often come to the cowshed looking for trouble. They smashed things and beat people. But they had not come for a long time. Why would they show up so late at night?
“Mandong, go quickly. They might be the Red Guards. I’m going back to take a look.” Xiao Siyuan turned and ran back. Anyone who came at this hour could not have good intentions. If they started beating people, he could at least throw himself over his grandparents and take the blows for them.
Xiao Mandong grabbed him. “They aren’t Red Guards. Look carefully—there seem to be both men and women among them.”
The two of them quietly followed behind. Wind-driven snow blew into their faces as Xiao Mandong pulled Xiao Siyuan behind a tree. The figures ahead stopped and started repeatedly, as if trying to identify their surroundings. At last, they stopped in front of the cowshed.
The gate had been left unlocked for Xiao Siyuan. The group entered the courtyard, and Xiao Mandong and Xiao Siyuan moved closer. Only when they used the faint light to get a better look did they realize that the visitors were members of the Wang family.
Xiao Siyuan recognized Xiao Zhenyu and was just about to step forward when Xiao Mandong pulled him back and shook her head, signaling him not to make a sound.
Xiao Zhenyu went from window to window, listening. When he heard the voices of the Xiao family inside, he pointed toward the room.
Wang Meixia took a deep breath and gently knocked on the door. The sound was very soft; she was afraid of disturbing the others in the courtyard.
“You rascal, getting all civilized on me now? The door isn’t even locked. Why are you knocking?” As soon as he finished speaking, the door opened, and Xiao Jingping’s expression instantly froze.
“Y-you… What are you doing here?” His voice was filled with utter disbelief.
Everyone in the Xiao family turned toward the sound, and the room instantly fell silent.
Xiao Zhenyu poked his head out from behind Wang Meixia. When he saw Xiao Jingping’s silhouette, his fingers clenched unconsciously.
After a long pause, Wang Meixia forced a smile. “Jingping… I brought our son to see you.”
Clatter!
The bowl of hot oil-tea flour Xiao Jingping was holding slipped from his hands and crashed to the floor. His lips trembled, but for a long while, he could not say a word.
Standing in the doorway, Xiao Zhenyu drew a deep breath as if gathering his courage. Then he rushed forward and threw his arms around Xiao Jingping.
“Dad… Sob… I’ve missed you so much.”
It took Xiao Jingping a long time to recover. He lifted his son’s face in both hands.
“Zhenyu, is it really you? How did you get here?”
He had thought he would never see his child again in this lifetime. Yet now he had seen not only his daughter, but his son as well.
Old Master Xiao frowned slightly. He rose and walked over, looked at the Wang family, and said in a deep voice, “Come inside first. We can talk once we’re in. It’s freezing out here.”
Li Fengmei pulled Wang Yuanyuan into the room and immediately began looking around. The house looked shabby from the outside, but it was genuinely warm inside. She saw the things on the floor that had not yet been put away, as well as the bowl of oil-tea flour that had spilled across the ground. Its fragrance drifted straight into her nose.
Unable to resist, she swallowed. She had known it—the camel might be thin, but it was still bigger than a horse. Even while they were being sent down here, the Xiao family ate better than ordinary people. They certainly still had the airs of capitalists.
Wang Meixia also noticed the mess on the floor, and a sudden wave of regret swept over her. If only she had not divorced Xiao Jingping back then. If she had followed him into exile, her life would have been better than it was now. But as things stood, she had not only been left with a body full of illnesses—she also had to suffer hunger and cold.
The more she thought about it, the more she regretted it, and the more wronged she felt. Before long, her eyes filled with tears.
In Xiao Jingping’s eyes, those were tears of longing at seeing him. He walked over and took Wang Meixia’s hand.
“Meixia, you’ve had a hard time. I’m sorry I made you endure all that hardship raising Zhenyu on your own.”
Xiao Jingping’s words completely broke through Wang Meixia’s emotional defenses. She threw herself into his arms and began sobbing.
