White bed sheets, white curtains, and the sharp smell of disinfectant in the air.
When Huo Qichuan opened his eyes, he realized he was lying on a hospital bed.
“You’re finally awake?”
He turned his head toward the voice. The person speaking was his mother, Li Huifang.
Seeing him awake, her face filled with concern as she tucked the blanket around him. “Don’t move around. The doctor said your left foot is fractured—you shouldn’t move casually.”
He stared at the ceiling, blinked, and the corner of his mouth suddenly curved into a smile.
This was reality. He was still alive.
He felt immense relief—and, at the same time, deep gratitude toward someone.
“Oh right, Mom,” he said, suddenly remembering something. “The matter of proposing—I asked you to go take care of it. Did you do it?”
He felt it was strange. It had been a month since he’d sent a letter home, yet there had been no response at all.
Li Huifang was peeling an apple. The moment she heard him ask, the long strip of peel snapped in half.
She had wanted to ask him about it herself. Her son had a promising future—what kind of city girl wouldn’t be good enough for him? Why did he insist on marrying some village woman from a remote mountain area? She’d even heard the woman was a widow.
Absolutely outrageous. That shameless woman must have seduced her son!
“Chuan’er,” Li Huifang said unhappily as she put the apple down, “it’s not that Mom wants to lecture you, but why must you marry that kind of woman? Not to mention city girls—even the girls in our compound, aren’t there plenty for you to choose from?”
She’d received the news long ago, but at the time she thought her son must have made a mistake. Since he hadn’t come home yet, she hadn’t taken it seriously.
Who would have thought that even now, lying on a hospital bed, he was still thinking about that shameless widow!
“Mom, I’ve decided to marry her. Please make the trip for me.”
Huo Qichuan spoke calmly, but his tone was firm and unquestionable.
“You—!”
Li Huifang was so angry she stood up. “No! I don’t agree to this marriage!”
She stubbornly turned her head away, determined not to give in.
“Mom…”
Huo Qichuan’s expression remained calm, but his face was serious. “Miaomiao… she saved my life.”
“What?”
Li Huifang turned back, staring at him in disbelief.
Saved what? That shameless woman—what ability could she possibly have to save him, someone so skilled?
It was all just an excuse.
Life-saving恩情? Li Huifang didn’t believe a word of it.
She believed only one thing: that fox had seduced her son!
“If you’re unwilling to go, then I’ll have no choice but to go myself.”
As he spoke, Huo Qichuan lifted the blanket, preparing to get out of bed.
“Hey, hey, hey—don’t move!”
Li Huifang panicked. The doctor had said his injuries were severe—he wouldn’t be able to get out of bed for at least two months. And now this foolish boy was talking about going himself. Wasn’t that stabbing her motherly heart?
“Alright, alright, you don’t go anywhere!”
Unable to resist him, Li Huifang suppressed her anger and said coldly, “I’ll go make the trip for you another day!”
“Thank you, Mom.”
Seeing her agree, Huo Qichuan finally let out a quiet sigh of relief.
He wondered how she was doing now.
…
Miao Miaomiao’s plan to go to the city to look for work was now known to the whole family.
At the dinner table, Zhang Cuiying was the first to object. “I don’t agree!”
Miao Tianli lightly poked her arm and whispered, “Wife, didn’t you praise her before, saying she had some ability? Why won’t you let her go now?”
Zhang Cuiying snapped back immediately, “How is that the same? Going to the city costs money for everything! Transportation costs money, food costs money, asking around costs money—every single thing costs money! Who’s going to pay for her? You? Huh?”
“Mom, I won’t use your money. I have my own,” Miao Miaomiao said, taking a bite of her sorghum bun, which scratched her throat.
Zhang Cuiying shot her a suspicious look, then turned sharply to stare at Miao Tianli and twisted his ear. “You old man, did you give her money?”
“Ow, ow, ow! Wife, I didn’t! I didn’t give her any money—she even paid me back ten yuan!”
Miao Tianli yelped in pain.
“That’s right.” Miao Miaomiao put down her bowl. “That money was what I saved while I was at my in-laws’. Mom, you wronged Dad.”
“Tch…”
Miao Qingqing, who had been eating with her head down, suddenly let out a scornful laugh. She didn’t look up, continuing to eat quietly.
Such silence was rare.
Had she really been cowed by her mother’s scolding a few days ago?
Miao Miaomiao glanced at her and then ignored her, turning back to continue persuading her mother.
“Mom, haven’t you always complained that I stay at home eating for free? If I go to the city and manage to find a job, I won’t need your support anymore. Isn’t that a good thing?”
“Second Sister, I think it’s good too. How about I go with you?” Miao Wangwang said eagerly, excited at the chance to visit the provincial capital.
“Go where? Do you have money for a ticket? Money for food? Don’t you need to work at home? You’re not going anywhere—stay put and behave.”
In the very next second, her dream of the provincial capital was crushed by her mother.
Miao Wangwang pouted. She wanted to talk back, but she had no savings at all—so even if she wanted to resist, she had no strength.
“Exactly. I don’t like going to the city anyway. Too many people and cars—not even half as nice as home, right Mom?” Miao Fengshou chimed in flatteringly.
Of course he thought home was good—he loafed around all day without doing chores and always had money to spend.
“Mom… Mom…”
Miao Miaomiao shook her arm and began to act cute. “Please let me go just once. At most… I’ll bring you back Snow Cream?”
“I want some too!” Miao Wangwang said excitedly, nudging Miao Qingqing’s elbow. “Third Sister, you want some too, right?”
“Hmph.”
Miao Qingqing snorted disdainfully and said nothing.
At the mention of gifts, Zhang Cuiying’s stern face immediately softened, a faint smile appearing at the corners of her mouth.
“Fine, fine. Go and toss yourself around then. Later, have the old man go get you a letter of introduction.”
“Thank you, Mom…”
The whole family atmosphere turned cheerful—except for Miao Qingqing, whose expression was noticeably dark.
The letter of introduction was obtained quickly. Early the next morning, Miao Miaomiao set out, full of energy.
“Wait!”
She turned around to see Zhang Cuiying coming out with a dark expression.
“Take this.”
Zhang Cuiying roughly stuffed a cloth bundle into her hands.
Inside were four cornmeal buns. Cornmeal was finer than sorghum and tasted better.
“Don’t buy things recklessly when you’re out. Spend less money.”
Her face was still stern, but the concern was unmistakable.
Miao Miaomiao looked at her, and something inside her softened slightly.
But very quickly, she understood—her mother was investing in her.
Heh. Such a shrewd, practical woman.
Suppressing her helplessness, Miao Miaomiao smiled a little. “Don’t worry, Mom. I’ll definitely make something of myself.”
“Heh, idiot.”
Zhang Cuiying deeply doubted her words, yet at the same time, she quietly accepted them in her heart.
Truth be told, life in these times was unbearably hard. People always longed for a bit of sweetness—even if it wasn’t real, it could still lift their spirits.
That was why, time and again, when Miao Miaomiao painted big dreams for her, Zhang Cuiying half-consciously chose to believe them.
…
With a small army-green shoulder bag on her back, Miao Miaomiao headed toward the bus station, brimming with energy.
After leaving the village, it was still about a half-hour walk to the station. She could only go on foot.
And along the way, she had to pass through a large stretch of cornfields.
At first, she didn’t sense anything wrong. But as she walked on…
She increasingly felt that someone seemed to be following her from behind.