Chapter 001.

November 8th, winter.

Vitality is closed, grass and trees wither, and stinging insects hide.

Early in the morning, the field is covered in a gauzy mist.

Dead grass and gray branches are covered with fluffy white frost.

There is no wind in the fog, and the low-hanging gray branches are rubbed by the shoulders of those passing by.

Branches hooked and vibrated, white frost rustling fell on the shoulders.

Zhen Zhen pulled the cart without stopping, casually raising her hand, patting down the white frost on her shoulder.

Black leather rims rolling, the plate car followed the footsteps forward, in the shallow footprints left behind clear ruts.

Walked to the production team captain’s house door stopped.

Zhen Zhen raised her hand and tapped twice on the courtyard door, and soon heard someone come to open the door for her.

The one who came to open the door was the production team leader.

When he opened the door and saw Zhen Zhen, he said in a normal tone, “Still going to the market?”

Zhen Zhen nodded her head and sent the 20 cents she had in her hand to the captain.

There was no need for too many pleasantries.

Zhen Zhen handed over the money and pulled the cart towards the market.

When she arrived at the market, she found a place to set up a stall and put her things out for sale.

Zhen Zhen sold soybean sprouts.

Because not many bean sprouts were pulled today, she started to close the stall before noon.

As she was closing her stall, someone came up to her and asked, “Do you still have bean sprouts?”

She shook her head, “I’ve sold out today.”

After closing her stall, she pulled her cart back home.

When she reached the village, she ran into two women from the same village and team, Hongmei and Cuilan.

When they met, Zhen Zhen greeted them with a smile.

After greeting and walking past, Hongmei and Cuilan rambled on about Zhen Zhen’s gossip –

“The war is completely over, and I heard that the last batch of troops were all pulled back ten days ago as well.”

“From the looks of it, Squire Huai Ming must be dead.”

“Gone for five years without any news, how could he still be alive?”

“Just half a month after the newlyweds were widowed, this is five years, Zhen Zhen is really a bitter life, alas ……”

“Hehe, what’s so bitter about it? You don’t see her all day like a nothing.”

“Alas, you quickly don’t say so, Zhen Zhen strange poor, maybe every night are covered in the quilt secretly cry it.”

“What’s there to pity, this is her fate, in the final analysis, she just did not have a good life life, it is not possible to say that Shui Huaiming is her grudge. She was so happy when she married Shui Huaiming, who wouldn’t say she was lucky? He was one of the best in our area, educated, capable of carrying things, and his appearance was unmatched. But who would have thought that she would be widowed within half a month of her marriage? So this person ah, can’t be too complacent.”

“You’re not jealous of Zhen Zhen, are you?”

“I’m jealous of her? I’m jealous of her being widowed for the rest of her life after being newly married for the first half of the month?” The voice was slightly lowered, “Looking at her, it’s likely that Servant Huai Ming never slept with her, and Servant Huai Ming couldn’t even look at her in the first place.”

“Anyway, there are no children, so I would say it would be better to remarry, do you really want to be a widow for the rest of your life for Shi Huai Ming? With Zhen Zhen’s looks and temperament, and no children to drag her down, it wouldn’t be hard to remarry.”

“What’s the point of having good looks and temperament? It’s up to her mother-in-law to decide what she wants to do.”

“That’s right, Mrs. Servant should not want to let her remarry.”

“Spend so much money to marry the daughter-in-law, stay at home can do how much work ah, if I also can’t give up ……”

……

***

Zhen Zhen pulled the empty crate back home, mother-in-law Zhong Minfen just made lunch.

Niece service Danling and nephew service Xingguo also returned from school.

Wash their hands and sit down to eat.

Zhen Zhen pulled out the money she earned today and gave it to Zhong Minfen, saying to her, “Mother, I sold 28 cents today.”

Zhong Minfen put the money away, sighed and said, “It’s getting cold, the bean sprouts don’t grow well, so I won’t sell them.”

The weather will get colder and colder in the winter, and if the bean sprouts don’t grow well, the money from selling them every day won’t even be enough to cover the costs.

Take today for example, in addition to the 20 cents for the production team, the remaining eight cents, enough for what?

She is busy at home to produce bean sprouts, Zhen Zhen go to the market every day to sell bean sprouts, tossed down is almost equal to the white.

Bean sprouts can not be sold, after a period of time, and then look at selling some fried goods it.

In two or three months will be the New Year, it is the time to eat fried food.

Zhong Minfen used to rely on this small business to support the family, but in the past two years these small business can not be seen to earn any money to make ends meet.

The first thing you have to do is to pay the production team to sell your goods at the market.

Every day 20 cents, money to pay up, they can earn in the hands of almost not much.

Zhen Zhen didn’t say anything, only nodded and said, “Uh-huh.”

No matter what Zhong Minfen wanted to sell, she followed along and helped out.

The last bit of bean sprouts were sold.

After finishing lunch and waiting for her nieces and nephews to go to school, Zhen Zhen casually grabbed a tool, intending to go to the production team to work.

But before she could go out, she was called back by Zhong Minfen.

Zhong Minfen told her, “Zhen Zhen, take a break, it’s not that bad, how many points can you earn? We’ll go to our family’s field to gather some green vegetables, and we’ll make savory meat and vegetables for dinner.”

Make savory meat and vegetables for dinner?

Zhen Zhen was curious, “What’s the occasion?”

Zhong Minfen lengthened her voice and said, “Today is the beginning of winter.”

Yes.

Today is the first day of winter.

***

Zhen Zhen listened to Zhong Minfen, at home to rest for half a day.

Said to rest, in fact, the hands did not stop – she and Zhong Minfen sitting in the yard together in the sun to do needlework.

Zhen Zhen lowered her head and did her work carefully, and when Zhong Minfen got tired, she put down her hands and looked at her for a while.

The sunlight poured down with melting warmth, caressing the gentle side of her face and brightening every loose strand of hair.

Although she had been married for five years, Zhen Zhen was still a big girl, with narrow shoulders and a thin waist, a tight face, clear eyes, features like those drawn with a fine brush, and long black hair tied into two braids.

Sitting under the warm sun, peaceful and quiet like a spring daisy.

Zhong Minfen looked at her for a moment to withdraw her mind.

It seems that there are words that she wants to say, but hesitates for a moment and then does not say.

Zhen Zhen raised her head to meet her gaze and saw something unusual.

She looked at Zhong Minfen with curiosity and asked, “Mother, what’s wrong?”

Zhong Minfen smiled, “Nothing.”

After making small talk, the words she wanted to say were suppressed again.

After doing needlework for half a day, she made small talk for half a day.

When the sun set over the treetops, Zhen Zhen took the wattle basket and made a trip to her own land.

She went to the field and gathered a few large frost-beaten green vegetables, and returned to tie on her apron to cook.

Zhong Minfen put the needle and thread into the colander, put away the colander to the stove room.

Zhen Zhen washed a piece of fat and thin salted meat, put it on the cutting board and carefully cut it into square dices.

Zhong Minfen was beside her choosing vegetables, her face again looking full of worry.

After hesitating like this for a while longer, she finally spoke up, “Zhen Zhen, I’ve been thinking about one thing these past few days.”

Zhen Zhen earnestly sliced the diced meat, “Mother, what is it?”

Zhong Minfen was silent again for a long while, took a deep breath and said, “Huai Ming …… is definitely not coming back ……”

Hearing this, Zhen Zhen slicing meat action stalled, pinching the knife pressed on the cutting board did not move.

Zhong Minfen had three children in her life, and Squire Huai Ming was the third.

Because of the good relationship between the Servant family and the Lin family, and Servant Huai Ming is only three years older than Zhen Zhen, the match is just right, so the two families have arranged a baby marriage for Zhen Zhen and Servant Huai Ming since they were young.

Five years ago, Zhen Zhen and Shi Huai Ming got married under the arrangement of their parents.

But just three days after their wedding, they were suddenly drafted into the army. Shui Huai Ming was a man with ideals and ambitions, the country needed people at this time, and he also wanted to serve the motherland and contribute to the country at this special time, so he applied for the draft.

Half a month later, he was successfully selected for enlistment, and then packed his bag to join the army and go to war.

This time he left without any news, five years without seeing anyone, his family thought he died on the battlefield.

Especially this year, the war is over, the troops completely withdrew.

The stove room was quiet for more than ten seconds.

When Zhen Zhen lifted the knife in her hand, Zhong Minfen added: “Why don’t I make the decision to find a matchmaker to find you another family, you remarry. Let’s pick a good one, you don’t have to worry about the dowry, I’ll pay for it.”

She didn’t want to leave Zhen Zhen to be a widow for the rest of her life in their family, it was too bitter.

She herself has been bringing up children by herself for decades, and knows best how hard it is to endure.

Now Zhen Zhen is not very old, good character good person capable appearance water spirit, and no children, want to find a good man is also easy.

Zhen Zhen gently dropped the knife in her hand and cut out a row of diced meat.

Without much hesitation, she squeezed her voice out of her throat and said, “Mother, I will not marry.”

Zhong Minfen continued to lower her head to choose the greens in her hand, picking off a piece of cabbage, one by one, “Is this how you’re going to live the rest of your life if you don’t get married? From a selfish point of view, I don’t want you to get married, staying at home will give you one more person to work. But I can’t let you live in such misery, it’s been five years of misery, these days should come to an end.”

Jen shook her head as if to shake her words out of her head.

Still in a low voice, she said, “I’m not marrying.”

Zhong Minfen sniffled and went to scoop up water to wash vegetables, “Don’t say you won’t get married, let’s find a matchmaker to look at it first, if we find a good and suitable match, we’ll get married, if not, we’ll wait a little longer.”

Zhen Zhen still refused, “I don’t want to go to the matchmaker either.”

Zhong Minfen put the washed dishes back on the table.

She looked over at Zhen Zhen, her brows forming a river, “Zhen Zhen, the army has been completely withdrawn, Huai Ming won’t be able to come back.”

Zhen Zhen forced the corners of her mouth, her eyes were slightly moist, and she looked up at Zhong Min Fen and said, “Mother, can’t I just live with you?”

Zhong Minfen’s eyes also became wet at these words.

She raised her sleeve to wipe her eyes and said, “Forget it, let’s not talk about it, let’s cook first.”

Zhen Zhen sniffled and continued to cut the salted meat.

The salted meat was all diced and placed in a large bowl to soak in water.

She turned around and went to the rice bowl to scoop up the rice, pouring it into the dustpan to lift out the chaff from the rice, and then picking out the fine grains of sand.

After the rice was poured, it was also placed in the rice bowl to soak for a while, and then boiled together with the salted meat in the pot.

When the rice is almost steamed, then the green vegetables are stir-fried for a while.

The vegetables are also cut into pieces, hot oil into the pot choking for a while will be soft, and then sprinkle a little salt.

When the bok choy is ready, the rice is steamed just right.

The vegetables were mixed into the rice and then smothered, and then waited for a while.

While waiting for this moment, Zhen Zhen the rest of the bok choy stir-fried again.

There is nothing in the ingredients, still stir-fried out of the pot, served on a plate on the table, and salted vegetables and dried radish put together.

The savory aroma wafted out of the stove room, suddenly heard a voice from outside: “Wow, what are you making today? It smells so good!”

Before Zhen Zhen and Zhong Min Fen could make a sound, the rest of the family returned.

These other people were the eldest family of four – the eldest, Shui Huai Zhong, and his daughter-in-law, Chen Qing Mei, as well as their daughter, Shui Dan Ling, and their son, Shui Xing Guo, who was Zhen Zhen’s niece and nephew.

The one who made a noise without entering was the niece, Shui Danling.

When they entered the stove room, Zhen Zhen was digging lard from a small enameled jar.

Zhen Zhen smiled and said, “Today we will eat salted meat and vegetables with rice.”

The lid of the pot was opened, and the aroma of salted meat and vegetables instantly filled the entire room, and even Shi Huizhong and Chen Qingmei couldn’t help but swallow their saliva. Servant Danling and Servant Xingguo were even more gluttonous, directly lying down on the edge of the pot.

Watching Zhen Zhen mix the lard into the vegetables and rice, Shui Xing Guo gulped and asked, “Auntie, why are you eating so well today?”

Zhen Zhen mixed the rice and said, “Today is the first winter.”

No wonder, the festival ah.

In this year, we can only have a little bit of good food during the festival.

This salted meat and vegetable rice smells fragrant, looks attractive, into the mouth is more glutinous fresh and salty.

Occasionally eat so beautifully, is the satisfaction of the majority of the year.

Serving Danling and Serving Xingguo lying on the edge of the pot staring at the rice in the pot.

When Zhen Zhen mixed the lard and put the rice into a bowl, the two busy over to help carry the bowl to the table.

They didn’t even have time to put down their school bags, so they washed their hands and came over to sit down for dinner.

Chen Qingmei picked up the chopsticks and said with a smile, “Zhen Zhen, your cooking skills are as good as the chefs in the county.”

The vegetables and rice were steamed to just the right degree of softness, without a trace of excess moisture, and not chewed hard in the mouth.

Serving Danling nodded as if pounding garlic on the side, echoing, “Auntie’s cooking is especially delicious.”

Zhen Zhen clamped on a piece of green cabbage and put it in her bowl, “Then eat more.”

There was meat and vegetables in the rice, so even if she ate it dry, she could eat two large bowls.

Shui Danling opened her mouth and took a big bite, her eyes instantly curved into a crescent moon.

She and her younger brother, Shui Xingguo, ate wolfishly, and Shui Huaizhong and Chen Qingmei didn’t eat slowly either.

Zhong Minfen and Zhen Zhen were not eating slowly.

Zhong Minfen had something on her mind and didn’t say much at the dinner table.

Only when she finished eating and left Chen Qingmei alone in the stove room to wash the dishes did she speak out, telling Chen Qingmei, “I want to find a matchmaker to find Zhen Zhen a match for her to remarry, and she doesn’t want to do it, so you help me persuade her.”

Zhong Minfen had been having this idea for the last two years, and Chen Qingmei knew it.

Zhong Minfen has never said it out, probably still harboring some fantasies in her heart, thinking that Shui Huai Ming may not be dead. But now that the troops have all withdrawn, the remaining illusions in her heart are gone.

Therefore, she has spoken out this idea.

She is the mother-in-law, if she does not open this mouth not let go, Zhen Zhen can not go, after all, Shui Huaiming life and death do not know.

If she decides that Shui Huai Ming is not dead, then Zhen Zhen can’t remarry without a divorce.

A widow is not a widow, and people can’t marry.

“Mother, are you willing to give up?” Chen Qingmei washed the dishes and glanced at Zhong Minfen.

Zhen Zhen had been in the service family for five years, and had long since become a family with them, with deep feelings.

Zhong Minfen sighed and said, “I’ll take it as my own daughter, what is there to give up about getting married? As long as she is willing, I will help her with the dowry so that she can marry again in style.”

Chen Qingmei lowered her head to wash the bowls and didn’t say anything for a long time.

After the bowls were cleaned and stacked up and put into the cupboard, she lifted up her apron and wiped her hands, as if she had thought about it, she looked at Zhong Minfen and said softly, “Okay, I’ll look for her to persuade her later.”

Zhong Minfen nodded, “You’re all young people, good to talk.”

Chen Qingmei also did not immediately go find Zhen Zhen to persuade her.

She went back to her room and first talked to Shui Huaizhong for a few moments, telling him Zhong Minfen’s idea.

Shui Huaizhong was not surprised, and after a moment’s silence, said, “Do you really want her to be a widow for the rest of her life like this? Just listen to Mother, you go and persuade her, she is still young and shouldn’t live like this.”

Chen Qingmei nodded at him.

After washing up at night, Zhen Zhen combed her long hair under the oil lamp.

Chen Qingmei pinched the time to come over, first drove Shui Danling to play with Shui Xingguo, then sat down on the edge of the bed and spoke, “Zhen Zhen ah, sister-in-law has some things she wants to say to you.”

Zhen Zhen turned her head to look at her and thought for a moment, “Sister-in-law, I will not remarry.”

The words hadn’t even started yet, and were directly blocked by Zhen Zhen, Chen Qingmei stuttered a bit.

Before she could say anything else, Zhen Zhen put down her comb and whispered again, “If you guys dislike me, don’t want me to stay in the Servant’s House, and think I’m in the way, it’s fine for me to go back to my mother’s house.”

“Zhen Zhen, that’s not what we meant.” Chen Qingmei hurriedly explained, “We can’t wait for you to stay.”

She frowned, her body subconsciously tilting a bit in front of Zhen Zhen, “But these past five years, haven’t you had a hard time?”

Zhen Zhen shook her head and answered dryly, “Not bitter.”

Her brother and sister-in-law are all good to her, and her nieces and nephews also like her, so she doesn’t feel much pain.

Chen Qingmei reached out and took her hand, “Zhen Zhen, listen to your sister-in-law, you’re still young and pretty, with a good personality and capable, so it’s not hard to find a good man. But if you put it off for a few more years, I’m afraid it will be hard to find one.”

Zhen Zhen lowered her eyebrows, “Then I won’t look for one.”

Chen Qingmei couldn’t help but take a deep breath.

A moment later she added, “Is it possible to live your whole life like this?”

Zhen Zhen raised her head to look at her, “Sister-in-law, why can’t we live like this?”

Chen Qingmei saw stubbornness in her eyes.

She froze for a moment before answering the question, when Shi Danling suddenly came in from outside.

When she came in, she squatted down and hugged Zhen Zhen’s arm, looked at Chen Qingmei and said, “I won’t let Auntie remarry!”

Chen Qingmei squinted at her, “What business is it of yours as a child?”

Shui Danling tightened Zhen Zhen’s arm, “I don’t care, I just won’t let Auntie remarry!”

Zhen Zhen turned her head to look at her and raised her hand to touch her head, “Don’t worry, Auntie won’t remarry.”

Servant Danling smiled, rubbing her furry head against Zhen Zhen’s arm.

Chen Qingmei wanted to say something else, and her emotions couldn’t go along.

She looked at Shui Danling and then Zhen Zhen, let go of Zhen Zhen’s hand and said, “Forget it, I don’t think I can persuade you, it’s better for you to think about it yourself, this is a major event in your life, you have to think it through, understand?”

Zhen Zhen nodded at her, “I will, sister-in-law.”

Since she couldn’t say anything, Chen Qingmei didn’t say any more.

She got up, smiled, rubbed Zhen Zhen’s head, and then rubbed Servant Dan Ling’s head, and went back to her house.

Returning to the house, she went to bed and lay down.

Servant Huai Zhong asked her, “How is it?”

Chen Qingmei shook her head, “Still unwilling, let her think about it again.”

Shui Huizhong sighed softly, “I’m afraid she’ll regret it later.”

Chen Qingmei: “Let’s talk about the future later.”

Zhen Zhen’s room.

Zhen Zhen and Servant Dan Ling also went to bed and lay down.

Ever since Servant Huai Ming left, Zhen Zhen slept with Servant Danling.

In the beginning, Servant Danling was only five or six years old, but now she was already a young girl in her early teens.

As if she was afraid that Zhen Zhen would run away, Servant Danling fell asleep holding Zhen Zhen’s arm.

And Zhen Zhen couldn’t sleep, lying in the night blinking her eyes, all she could think about was Serving Huai Ming.

It’s been five years, and she still remembers his appearance very clearly.

On the day of their wedding he was dressed in a Chinese mountain suit.

His hair was carefully cut, his posture was straight, and he was spirited and handsome.

***

Early in the morning, getting up when the star of enlightenment was lit up in the east.

The family ate breakfast together, Shi Danling and Shi Xingguo siblings put on their backpacks and went to school, Zhong Minfen is too old to do heavy work, stay at home to do some simple chores.

Zhen Zhen is not going to sell bean sprouts at the market today, so she is going to work with Chen Qingmei and Shui Huaizhong in the production team.

Before going to work, Zhong Minfen pulled Chen Qingmei down and asked in a low voice: “What did you say?”

Chen Qingmei shook her head, Zhong Minfen did not say anything more, let go of her hand and let her go.

In the end, this is still a matter of Zhen Zhen’s own decision, they can only persuade from the side, can not persuade can not be helped.

After the fall harvest, there is not much farm work in the countryside.

Now the production team is carrying out winter pick pond mud activities.

The village ponds are drained one by one, and the strong male members of the community are told to shovel up the sludge from the bottom of the ponds and throw it ashore, and when the sludge dries out in the sun, all the members of the community will then pick it up with a flat stretcher and take it to the ground.

With this sludge to fertilize the land, the next year can have a good harvest.

The workers in the team got together and worked for half a day.

The strong men did the heavy work, while the weak women did the light work.

At noon, the members of the community do not go home to eat, directly on the shore to build a fire, three or five people sit around the roasted sweet potatoes to eat.

Zhen Zhen sat with three young women about her age.

Two of them were Hongmei and Cuilan, who had greeted her at the head of the village yesterday, and the remaining one was called Xiuzhu.

The four of them sat by the fire roasting sweet potatoes.

Hongmei pinched a dry twig in her hand, pulled at the woodpile a few times, and looked at Zhen Zhen and said, “Zhen Zhen, Servant Huai Ming has been gone for five years without a word, didn’t Servant’s wife offer to let you remarry?”

Zhen Zhen didn’t want to talk about it and pursed her lips slightly, “I don’t want to remarry.”

Hongmei stared at her, “Are you stupid?”

Zhen Zhen smiled and didn’t say anything else.

Cuilan beside her, also suppressed his voice and said: “Zhen Zhen, if the service aunt agrees, while you are still young, you hurry to find another, do not delay. It’s not easy being a widow, you have to think about yourself. No matter how good Huai Ming is, he can’t come back.”

Zhen Zhen remained silent.

Hongmei said again, “I say you’re just not lucky, let you marry a man as good as Serving Huai Ming, you can’t hold down this life, make do and find another one, it’s better than being a widow.”

Zhen Zhen lowered her eyebrows and looked at the crackling firewood, and said out loud, “I like being a widow.”

Hongmei, Cuilan, and Xiuzhu: “……”

A moment later, Hongmei snorted a little, “Why can’t you people understand good and bad words?”

Zhen Zhen is still staring at the fire, “I understand, you’re saying that I have a hard life and I’m not good enough for a good man, I can’t live a good life.”

Hongmei: “……”

The expression on her face instantly dried up.

Cuilan and Xiuzhu are also a bit embarrassed.

In order to alleviate the embarrassment, Cuilan took a branch and pulled out the woodpile, pulled out the first baked sweet potato, wrapped it in dry leaves and brought it to Zhen Zhen, and said to her, “Zhen Zhen, you eat first.”

Zhen Zhen was not too polite and reached out to take it.

She took the sweet potatoes and was about to peel them when she suddenly heard an earth-shattering cry, “Auntie! Auntie San!”

The members of the community on the riverbank heard the sound and turned their heads to look.

Zhen Zhen also looked over with her sweet potatoes, only to see Shui Danling carrying her school bag, running madly this way.

While running, she held up her hand and shook it in the wind, holding a yellow thing in her hand.

Zhen Zhen stood up and greeted Shidan Ling in front of her.

When she ran in front of her, she looked at her and asked, “Danling, what’s wrong?”

Serving Danling held his knees to gasp for breath, gasping for a long time out of the voice said: “Auntie, my third uncle …… my third uncle ……”.

Her third uncle?

Zhen Zhen slightly tilted her head and looked at her.

The others in the team heard her words and also looked at her, waiting for her to say more.

Serving Danling slowed down for a while breath straightened up his waist, supported enough air, eyes flashing bright water light, voice clear with a trembling voice said: “Auntie, my third uncle he did not die! He wrote to me!”

What?

Zhen Zhen suddenly froze, looking at her and blinking.

The other members of the community on the riverbank also froze instantly when they heard this.

The tears in Servant Danling’s eyes were welling up and out, and there was a distinct crying tone in her trembling voice, but more excitement, “Auntie, it’s true, not only is my third uncle not dead, he’s also a regimental commander! He’s an officer now!”

“Thunk-”

The sweet potato in Zhen Zhen’s hand fell off, smashed down on the dead grass leaves by her feet, rolled a few times with a grunt, and lay in the middle of the grass leaves.

Zhen Zhen froze and blinked, as if she couldn’t hear anything else, the only sound left in the world was the sound of her own “thumping” heartbeat.

Author’s comment:

I’m going to start writing!