Chapter 004.

Looking in the mirror for a while longer, Jen carefully took off the red sari from around her neck.

She spreads the red sarong out on the writing table top, moves gently and slowly pinching the square corners and folding them over and over again.

Folded into the size of a handkerchief, still take back to the camphor box to put away.

Blow out the lamp and go back to bed to lie down.

Ink like night color flows on the face, coolness slightly soaked in the skin.

Zhen Zhen lay blinking and took another deep breath, then closed her eyes and went to sleep.

It was a night of sweet smelling dreams.

Zhen Zhen dreamed that when she was a child, Servant Huai Ming picked acacia flowers from the trees for her to eat.

The acacia flowers were so white and fragrant that she held them in her hands and never could eat them.

When she woke up the next day, the dream dissipated.

There was no scent of acacia flowers in the air, only the coldness of a winter morning.

Fully awake, Zhen Zhen put on her clothes and got up, went to the stove room to prepare to make breakfast.

She had just lifted the wooden lid on the water tank when Zhong Minfen came in again.

Zhen Zhen put the lid aside and said with a somewhat nasal voice, “Mother, why don’t you sleep more?”

Zhong Minfen also spoke with a nasal voice, “I’m too old to sleep.”

Both mother-in-law and daughter-in-law got up and joined hands to cook and feed the chickens.

When Zhong Minfen was mixing the chicken food, she said to Zhen Zhen, “Zhen Zhen, you don’t have to go to the production team today.”

Zhen Zhen sat behind the stove and pulled the bellows a few times, then turned her head to look at Zhong Minfen, “Are you ready to sell fried goods?”

Zhong Minfen nodded, “It’s almost New Year.”

At the beginning of winter, Zhong Minfen would always get some fried goods to sell on the street.

After the land reform, the family was made up of two couples who went to work for the production team, and Zhen Zhen helped Zhong Minfen run a small business most of the time, selling bean sprouts when the weather was warm, and fried goods when it was cold.

In Zhen Zhen’s eyes, her mother-in-law Zhong Minfen is a very capable person.

Today, Zhen Zhen did not go out, and Zhong Minfen and home fried peanuts and melon seeds all day.

Next, she will pull these peanuts and melons, and go to the market to set up a small stall during the fair.

Of course, every day before going to set up a stall, or to pay 20 cents to the production team.

Seeing that it was the end of the year, more and more people were rushing to the market to buy new year’s goods.

Fearing that Zhong Minfen and Zhen Zhen were too busy, Chen Qingmei stopped working for the production team and helped Zhong Minfen and Zhen Zhen sell fried goods.

She sold them until the end of the year, when she started to buy new year’s goods, just like everyone else.

Although the countryside people are poor, but the New Year will also be shopping for New Year’s goods, after all, hard work for a whole year, save the remaining money that is to have a good year.

On this day, the women in the team agreed to go to the street together to catch the market.

Earlier in the day, each family had already bought cloth and given it to the tailor to make new clothes for the New Year.

Now they went to the market to buy food.

The market was also a big event for the country people. The women got up early in the morning to freshen up, put on their best clothes, combed up their hair, put on their baskets or bags, and brought along their dolls who were on winter vacation.

Before dawn, they went to the town together with their companions.

Chen Qingmei and Zhen Zhen were in the crowd.

Chen Qingmei was pulling a cart loaded with fried goods, and Zhen Zhen walked behind her, shoulder to shoulder with Cuilan.

Everyone walked and chatted at the same time, lively and bustling, and did not mind getting tired even if they walked for ten or eight miles.

The children themselves walk a set, running in front of the shouting and scurrying, you chased me to run.

In the midst of the commotion, someone asked Zhen Zhen, “Now that the army has been withdrawn and there is no more war, will Huai Ming come back?”

Zhen Zhen turned her head to look at the woman who had spoken, “Yes, the army’s discipline is strict, so he won’t be able to come back for a while.”

The woman said, “Aigoo, it’s not easy to be a soldier.”

As someone who served the family, this experience was naturally deeper.

Chen Qingmei then said, “That’s not true, Huai Ming is now a national person, governed by the state, not just what you want to do, you have to put the country in the first place, and your family has to take a back seat.”

Everyone could understand, after all, the country’s peace and tranquility were all earned by these people from the battlefield.

When comparing one’s own small family to the country’s safety and security, naturally the latter was more important.

The women couldn’t talk about any big topics amongst themselves.

However, after a couple of sentences, the topic returned to small family matters.

Someone else asked Zhen Zhen, “Zhen Zhen, Huai Ming bought you a red scarf, why don’t you wear it?”

Indeed, Zhen Zhen had never worn the red scarf.

The red scarf had been folded neatly and neatly in her camphor box.

Zhen Zhen smiled and said, “I can’t bear to wear it.”

Everyone could understand.

The red scarf was a very expensive thing for them.

Put in their hands, also do not see willing to wear out.

But now Zhen Zhen’s situation was different.

So someone else said, “Ouch, what is there to be ashamed of? If you wear it out, just ask Huai Ming to buy it for you. Zhen Zhen, you have a good life, Huai Ming became an officer, you will enjoy the happiness.”

Zhen Zhen smiled and didn’t answer, neither showing off nor losing her temper.

She knows that everyone is waiting to see whether she has such a good fortune or not, and whether she can enjoy such a good fortune.

The conversation went on for a while, and the women chatted about other things.

Cuilan, who was walking next to Zhen Zhen, continued to talk about Zhi Huaiming, and suddenly lowered her voice to ask Zhen Zhen in a small voice: “Huaiming can’t come back, you can go to the army to find him, why don’t you go to spend New Year’s Eve with him?”

She said in an even lower voice, “You don’t want to see him, do you?”

Hearing the last question, Zhen Zhen involuntarily blushed, and her heart tugged sourly at the same time.

Is quite miss him, also really want to see him, but ……

He should not want to see her that much.

Zhen Zhen still smiled a little and said, “He should be very busy, I’d better not bother him.”

Cuilan seemed to know what Zhen Zhen was thinking, loosening her voice and comforting her again, “Just rest assured, they just withdrew the army and came back surely have a lot of things to do, and can’t take care of anything else yet. When it’s all arranged, either he’ll come back or call you over.”

After all, they were husband and wife, and meeting was definitely necessary.

It’s just that they don’t know when they will meet, and what will happen after they meet.

Zhen Zhen didn’t dare to be too optimistic too soon, so she looked at Cuilan and smiled, nodded and didn’t continue further.

The group walked to the town’s marketplace, and the small talk stopped.

The others went to the place where they sold fish and meat first, Chen Qingmei helped Zhen Zhen set up a stall, and also took Shui Danling and Shui Xingguo to the side where they sold fish and meat.

I have planted some vegetables and fruits in my own land, and I have stocked up in the winter, so I don’t need to buy any vegetables.

Originally, the family was preparing for Shi Huaiming to come back for New Year’s Eve, but when they found out that he wouldn’t be coming back, they didn’t consider him.

However, because Mr. Huai Ming sent a lot of money and tickets home, as well as some expensive food that could not be purchased in Red Flag Town, the family was able to have a different year of prosperity this year.

Chen Qingmei took the money and tickets given to her by Zhong Minfen and bought more New Year’s goods than other families.

She not only bought pork and fish, but also bought some mutton home.

Look at her buy things generous handwriting, others can not help but envy.

After all, not everyone’s family can produce such a big officer.

This kind of ancestral tomb smoking thing, that is extremely rare, not anyone’s family can be spread.

After buying the meat, everyone had a satisfied and joyful smile on their faces.

Taking these fish and meat, they went to the store to buy some snacks for the Spring Festival.

Although Shui Huaoming had sent a lot of food, Chen Qingmei still brought her children along to buy some.

It was a rare occasion for her to come to town to catch a fair, so naturally she had to shop until the fair was over.

At the end of the fair, Chen Qingmei went to find Zhen Zhen and helped her move the unsold fried goods back to the cart, and put her own New Year’s goods on the cart, pulling the cart together to go home.

On the way back, each family gave two candies to each of their children.

Children with candy in their mouths, talking sweet, than when they came to walk with energy.

Back to the village when the sun has turned west.

Hungry belly, randomly do some rice to eat also have to burn the fire, so the village between a few wisps of curling smoke.

Zhong Minfen made a good meal did not eat, waiting for Chen Qingmei, Zhen Zhen and two children.

Seeing that the four have returned home, they started a fire to heat up the rice in the pot and sat down to eat together.

Serving Danling and Serving Xingguo can’t keep their mouths shut, and Zhong Minfen talked a lot about going to the market.

They couldn’t make it to the market more than a few times a year, so they were excited every time.

The most exciting thing is that the family bought a lot of delicious food.

This is how the New Year’s atmosphere is baked out a little bit.

For the poor, the New Year’s Eve is the happiest thing of the year when they can eat some delicious food and wear new clothes.

That face overflowing smile, are from the heart.

Children are full of energy, running outside for half a day is not too tired.

After dinner, Shi Danling and Shi Xingguo non-stop, ran out to play again.

Zhen Zhen, Chen Qingmei and Zhong Minfen did not go out, steamed steamed buns at home, fried radish balls.

The live noodles are covered in the quilt to gather warmth, and this time they have already woken up, so they are full of honeycomb at any time.

Chen Qingmei out of the basin, blended with alkaline water kneading, said with a smile: “Today, this noodle woke up really good.”

If you wake up well, the steamed buns will be fluffy and delicious.

Zhong Minfen and Zhen Zhen are choosing vegetables, washing radishes and chopping meat to make the filling.

Buns filled with cabbage and lard residue, radish balls to use green and red radish mixed with minced meat.

The cabbage and pork are minced, while the carrots are sliced into thin julienne strips.

Zhen Zhen did all the fine knife work.

Her hands are smart, her cooking is better than others, and her knifework is first-rate.

Mother-in-law and daughter-in-law three in the small stove room work gossip, the topic is festive, the smile on the face is also festive.

Talking, first steamed two cages of steamed buns.

The buns are wrapped and then steamed on a cage of buns.

While steaming the steamed buns, Zhen Zhen was frying radish balls in the pot on the other side.

When the steamed buns were steamed out, the radish balls were also fried to a golden brown and crispy color.

Just at this time the service Danling and service Xingguo ran back, regardless of the buns just out of the cage hot mouth, siblings divided a bun, a few mouths to swallow, and one person to eat a fragrant radish balls.

After eating nothing else, still run out the door to find someone to play.

Make these things out, this half day to do the work is almost done.

Zhen Zhen put the steamed buns into the basket, Chen Qingmei used the cage drawer and cage cloth are washed clean.

After tidying up the cookhouse, the two sisters-in-law went to the courtyard to dry the cage cloths.

Raising her hand to hang the cloths on the clothesline, Chen Qingmei said with a smile, “Although Huai Ming can’t come back, we’ve had a good year this year. Zhen Zhen, don’t be anxious, Huai Ming will be back sooner or later.”

Zhen Zhen was also all smiles, “Sister-in-law, I’m not in a hurry.”

The two of them hung up the cage cloth as they talked.

When they were about to turn around and go back to the stove room, they suddenly heard a knock on the door.

Both of them turned their heads at the same time to look, only to see a man they hadn’t seen before standing on the courtyard door.

The man looked to be about fifty or sixty years old, his hair was already gray, he was wearing a worn out cotton shirt, his cheeks were slightly sunken, and he looked like he was thin.

Glancing at each other, they determined that neither of them knew each other.

Eyes filled with doubt, Chen Qingmei looked at the old man out loud and asked, “Who are you looking for?”

The old man is not raw or timid, cleared his throat and said calmly, “Isn’t this the service family?”

Chen Qingmei looked at the old man’s eyes still puzzled, “Yes.”

The old man walked in with his hands behind his back, “I am the Servant Family’s family head.”

Family head?

Where did the head of the family come from?

Chen Qingmei and Zhen Zhen both froze.

Before they could regain their senses, they suddenly heard an evil voice from the doorway of the stove room, “What are you doing here?”

Chen Qingmei and Zhen Zhen turned around, only to see Zhong Minfen standing at the door of the stove room.

It was as if she had seen an enemy, her face dark and frowning, her eyes boiling with fire, like a lion on the verge of fury.

Not knowing what was going on, Chen Qingmei and Zhen Zhen froze and did not move.

The old man stood in the courtyard with his hands behind his back, his posture and tone still endowed, looking at Zhong Minfen and said, “I heard that Huai Ming didn’t die, he made war merit on the battlefield, and became an officer when he came back from retreating from the army, full regiment level.”

“Huai Ming is a general, it has nothing to do with you!”

The anger in Zhong Minfen’s eyes burned brighter, and she spoke with some sharpness in her voice.

The old man still had the same look and tone, “Huai Ming is my son, how does that have nothing to do with me?”

Shameless!

Zhong Minfen didn’t say another word, turned around and went into the stove room.

When she came back out a few moments later, she had a zhang long rolling pin in her hand.

She held the rolling pin and pointed it at the old man, her face was slightly hideous, her voice was coarse and vicious: “Are you rolling or not?”

Seeing the rolling pin, some fear appeared on the old man’s face.

He let go of the hand behind his back, took two steps back and said, “You shrew! Shrewd woman! You haven’t changed a bit after more than twenty years, you’re still the same shrew! What man would dare to take you!”

Zhong Minfen’s face was red with rage.

Without saying a word, she grabbed her rolling pin and pounced on the old man.

The old man didn’t wait for her to come over, turned and ran.

Zhong Minfen gripped the rolling pin and immediately chased him out.

Zhen Zhen and Chen Qingmei came back to their senses, busy also followed out.

When they went out, they saw Zhong Minfen chasing after the old man with the rolling pin towards the head of the village.

Others in the village heard the commotion outside and came out to see what was going on.

“Yo, the old waiter is back.”

“Looks like he’s heard about Huai Ming.”

“Huai Ming has become such a big official, who wouldn’t want to be honored?”

“How could Sister Servant let him do that? When Huai Ming was four years old, he left the family and ran off with his young wife, so Sister Servant brought up three children by herself, and has suffered a lot.”

“Just giving birth and not caring, and still wanting to dip into the light, shameless!”

……

The shameless old lady was running forward with her old arms and legs.

A careless foot was tripped by the ditch, “plop” on the ground.

The pain “ouch” not yet climbed up from the ground, Zhong Minfen has already caught up.

She waved a rolling pin and directly greeted the old waiter, while hitting hard and gnashing her teeth: “You still dare to come back! You still dare to come back! Who let you come back! Who told you to come back?”

The old waiter’s mouth did not make any other sound, and he shouted, “Ouch! Aigoo!”

All the people watching the scene didn’t care, letting Zhong Minfen beat him.

After all, they were all old and were afraid that Zhong Minfen would beat the old waiter to death, so Chen Qingmei and Zhen Zhen came over to hold Zhong Minfen back.

Zhong Minfen also played to relieve the anger, did not continue to hands, gasping for air and said in a bad voice: “You give me to get out!”

After panting for a while, she added, “If you dare to come back, I’ll break your legs!”

The old waiter was beaten to the point that his bones were about to fall apart.

He was still grunting and struggling to get up from the ground.

Seeing Zhong Minfen in this crazy state, he didn’t dare to stay any longer and stood up to leave in a hurry.

With injuries slipped to the head of the village.

The heart is not relieved, spit cursed: “Old shrew! Old shrew! Crazy bitch!”

Originally thought that more than twenty years can change her nature, I did not expect the old more crazy than before more shrewish!

If I hadn’t heard that Serving Huai Ming had become an officer, eight sedan chairs would have carried him, and he wouldn’t have come back!

***

In the Servant’s kitchen, Zhong Minfen sat down at the table holding the rolling pin, still gasping for air.

Fear of her gas hard to hurt, Zhen Zhen busy pour a bowl of water over, to help her back to smooth the air.

Zhen Zhen had already guessed who the old man was.

The Lin family has good relations with the service family, so she has heard some of the service family’s affairs.

Chen Qingmei didn’t know and was still puzzled.

In the past, when she mentioned Servant Huai Zhong’s real father, Zhong Min Fen would directly say that he had died, so she had always assumed that Servant Huai Zhong’s real father had died a long time ago, but she didn’t expect that he would suddenly pop up again.

She asked curiously, “Is that Dan Ling’s grandfather? Mother didn’t you say …… that he had …… died long ago?”

“Is dead.” Zhong Minfen gasped and hated.

After saying this, she put down the rolling pin and picked up the bowl to drink a large amount of water.

Putting down the bowl, her breath rose and fell again as she said, “He’s not Dan Ling’s grandfather, nor is he Huai Zhong Huai Xia and Huai Ming’s father!”

Seeing that Zhong Minfen was hating the old waiter.

Chen Qingmei did not continue to ask further questions and raised her gaze toward Zhen Zhen.

But Zhong Minfen seemed to have a desire to talk about the past.

After the anger in her heart slowly subsided, she spoke with a slow breath, ”It’s true that he didn’t die, it’s just that I’ve always treated him as if he was dead. Huai Ming was only four years old when he hooked up with an opera singer in town and brought her back home, saying that she was coming to the house to be his concubine. After bringing her back, he spent all day getting tired of being in that bitchy hoof’s room.”

Speaking of this, Zhong Minfen couldn’t help but start getting angry again.

Zhen Zhen stroked her back, and she suppressed it for a moment, then continued, “That slutty hoof is smaller than me, and she speaks in a fine voice that will seduce people, and the cowardly Servant Dafu likes her so much. I am small-minded and can’t tolerate them. One night they were doing good things in their room, I really couldn’t hold back, copied the rolling pin and rushed in to beat them up. A ten-foot long rolling pin was broken into three pieces by me, I should have killed this pair of dogs at that time!”

Listening to Zhong Minfen speak, Zhen Zhen and Chen Qingmei both held their breath and didn’t speak.

Zhong Minfen picked up the bowl and drank the remaining half bowl of water, “Shui Dafu said I was a shrew, I really am. He was afraid that my mother’s family wouldn’t dare to repudiate me, and he was also afraid that I would beat him up again, so he took his little wife and ran away, going to Zhao Cheng Town. There are relatives of his family in Zhaocheng, and he settled down with his little wife in Zhaocheng, and never came back. He wanted to avoid me this way, but I was still angry later and copied to Zhao City to beat them up twice more.”

Hearing this, Chen Qingmei picked up in a low voice, “Mother, you’re amazing.”

Zhong Minfen hummed out from her nose, “If I wasn’t powerful I would have been bullied to death by those two dog pussies! Fortunately, I have a big body and strength, Squire Dafu can’t beat me, or else I would be the one to suffer.”

She took a deep breath and said in a hard tone, “It’s my fate to meet this kind of man, I’ve worked hard to bring up my three children by myself, and the money he earns outside, he hasn’t sent a single penny to his home, all of which is to support his little wife and the children born to his little wife. Now that Huai Ming has made a name for himself, he knows to come back? Shameless lowly thing!”

The author has something to say:

The late fifties, but the background is different from reality, three years of disaster is not written