“Aunt Tian, even if my mother doesn’t remarry, I can take care of her for life as her daughter. Please don’t trouble yourself with our family matters. Everyone’s busy preparing for the New Year, so we won’t keep you for lunch,” Xia Xiaolan pointed toward the main gate, issuing a clear dismissal.
Second Sister-in-law Tian couldn’t let go of the favorable conditions in Xia Xiaolan’s household. The mother and daughter had been allocated farmland in the village, and the two women occupied such a large residential plot where they had built a new house – Second Sister-in-law Tian was envious. The entire Tian family was envious.
They claimed they wanted Third Brother Tian to marry into the family, but over time, the two households would merge into one, and the couple would share everything – the house and farmland would become mixed together. No matter how capable Xia Xiaolan was, she was still just a girl. After getting into university and becoming a city dweller, she would eventually marry. Would she still care about the rural homestead’s land and house then?
That was exactly what the Tian family had calculated.
Even after being dismissed, Second Sister-in-law Tian still muttered shamelessly, “The wealthier they get, the stingier they become. If she won’t marry my brother-in-law, what better match could she possibly find?”
“That’s right, how else do you think we got wealthy? We’re extremely stingy. Do you think I don’t know what the Tian family is planning? Go on, get out! You’re even disturbing our New Year’s peace.”
Li Fengmei pushed her toward the exit. Second Sister-in-law Tian didn’t dare argue with Xia Xiaolan, but in her humiliation and anger, she exchanged some heated words with Li Fengmei.
Finally, Grandmother Yu intervened, and with a few sharp remarks, she drove Second Sister-in-law Tian away.
Liu Yong had gone to the county town early in the morning to buy New Year supplies, unaware that someone like Second Sister-in-law Tian would show up at their door. Li Fengmei couldn’t contain herself and stood at the doorway with her hands on her hips, scolding for quite a while. The gist was that during the New Year festival, some shameless people had nothing better to do than cause trouble at others’ homes, disturbing everyone’s peace.
Second Sister-in-law Tian was furious at home after being scolded. Both the Tian family and the Liu family were outsiders to the village, but while the Liu family only had Liu Yong as a son, the Tian family had established deep roots over two generations. Just considering Second Sister-in-law Tian’s husband’s generation, there were three blood brothers, not to mention numerous cousins.
In the village, families with more sons and a larger population could speak with more authority.
In Qijing Village, the Chen surname was predominant, but the Tian family was also a considerable force.
Xia Xiaolan never imagined she would have to deal with village disputes one day. The house hadn’t cost much to build, and with the residential plot and allocated farmland from the village, why were people eyeing it so eagerly?
“I didn’t even mention the person Elder Sister Chen suggested yesterday. The Tians have no shame.”
In such a close-knit neighborhood, no news stayed secret. Whenever anyone came to chat with Liu Fen, she consistently stated she had no intention of remarrying.
“Even if she were to remarry, she couldn’t choose Third Brother Tian. He’s truly worthless.”
“Right! His previous wife ran away, and now he just stays at home drinking all day, still living in that mud brick house. If he wants a new house, he should earn it himself, yet he dares to set his sights on Fen!”
Had the Tian family lost their minds? Even though Liu Fen was divorced, she wouldn’t be desperate enough to consider a good-for-nothing like Third Brother Tian!
Not only did Liu Fen have Liu Yong help support her family’s livelihood, but her daughter was also a top scholar in the college entrance examination. Wait – perhaps that’s exactly what the Tian family was after. By marrying Liu Fen, they would not only get the house and farmland but also gain a top scholar as a daughter!
Impressive calculation indeed, though they hadn’t anticipated that Liu Fen’s personality had changed. She wasn’t someone who could be easily intimidated anymore.
To persuade Liu Fen, Second Sister-in-law Tian had spoken privately, saying that Xia Xiaolan would eventually marry, and Liu Fen would become a burden if she didn’t remarry. She urged Liu Fen to think carefully, suggesting that she should remarry while she was still young enough to be desirable.
Xia Xiaolan found this both infuriating and amusing and asked her mother what she thought.
Liu Fen responded directly: “I told her I’m not a burden. Even after you’re married, I can still wash your clothes and cook for you. While you’re working at your job, I could even set up a street stall to earn money and help support your household.”
Xia Xiaolan thought her mother’s response was perfect. Although the family didn’t need Liu Fen to set up a stall for additional income – surely she and Zhou Cheng weren’t that helpless? – but Liu Fen now felt useful and confident in her abilities, knowing that at worst, she could still run a stall to help support her daughter.
Xia Xiaolan reminded her with mixed amusement and exasperation, “Mom, what are you talking about? You should be thinking about how to manage the two shops in Beijing!”
Why set up a street stall when they already had stores?
Liu Fen laughed too. After enduring so many hard times, the current good life still felt somewhat unreal.
Liu Fen was preparing for the worst-case scenario. She wasn’t the same timid village woman from a year ago who only knew how to endure silently. Back then, Liu Fen could only farm for survival, but now, while she might not consider herself a business expert, she knew that even if everything had disappeared, she would have the courage to run a street stall.
She knew where to source goods and how to sell clothes to female customers – these were skills Liu Fen had acquired, giving her real confidence as a woman!
Xia Xiaolan was delighted by her mother’s growth.
News of Second Sister-in-law Tian’s matchmaking attempt quickly spread throughout the village.
When Chen Wangda learned of it, he summoned both Second Sister-in-law Tian and Third Brother Tian to his home and berated them:
“During the New Year festival, what were you thinking? Who do you think you can bully? Third Brother Tian, marry Fen? Check your own pockets – you don’t even have money to buy meat for the New Year, yet you expect Fen to support you and your two children? You dare to dream!”
Third Brother Tian, emboldened by alcohol, approached Chen Wangda with a fawning expression:
“Uncle Da, my two little ones haven’t had a mother’s care and aren’t doing well. Fen and I have known each other since childhood. If I marry her, I’ll treat her well. My children would become hers too, they’d be the top scholar’s younger siblings. It would just be a matter of time before the village has two more university students…”
Years of drinking had left Third Brother Tian swaying as he walked.
Chen Wangda, a former soldier, grabbed a carrying pole and struck him: “Get the hell out! As long as I, a Chen, have any say in Qijing Village, you can forget about your crooked schemes.”
Many people with the Chen surname were watching vigilantly at the doorway. Third Brother Tian howled in pain, repeatedly promising to back off as Chen Wangda nearly broke the pole beating him.
They had finally produced a top scholar, and these fools were trying to drive her away with their disgusting behavior.
Xia Xiaolan didn’t have deep emotional ties to the village, though she currently returned every year for New Year’s. If more people like Third Brother Tian showed up, neither Xia Xiaolan nor Liu Fen would need to return next year.
Emotional bonds deepened through frequent contact – what connection could there be without meeting?
The Tian family thought they could take advantage of the situation, assuming Xia Xiaolan was still a student and the mother-daughter pair relied on Liu Yong’s support, making them easy to deceive.
Chen Wangda was breathing heavily. Did they think Xia Xiaolan’s intelligence which earned her top scores in the college entrance exam was just for show? If they provoked her, the entire Tian family together wouldn’t be enough to handle her retaliation.
Second Sister-in-law Tian retreated behind the crowd. Seeing a large group from the Tian family arrive, she felt emboldened and shouted:
“Uncle Da, you can’t handle things this way! Ask your eldest daughter-in-law what she was doing at Liu Fen’s house last night! If the Chens can try to take advantage, why can’t we Tians?”
Chen Wangda’s eyes turned toward her, and Elder Sister-in-law Chen’s face went pale.