Children’s innocent remarks.
Made Nan Qingqing burst out laughing.
The lingering glow of the sunset fell on Nan Qingqing’s face, her fair and beautiful features seemingly gilded with a shimmering golden light.
Even the fine down on her cheeks was clearly visible.
When she smiled.
Her eyes curved like crescent moons.
Like the moon she would gaze up at when missing home during her time in the army.
She was beautiful.
A youthful, pure kind of beauty.
Lu Baiyang thought to himself, if Nan Qingqing had been cherished by her own mother, she probably wouldn’t even spare a glance at men like Lu Jianguo, who was young and fairly good-looking.
Wang Hao’s wife said with a laugh, “Da Ya, look, your uncle’s eyes are practically glued to your aunt.”
Da Ya asked bluntly, “Why? Can uncle’s eyes come off?”
Wang Hao gently tapped his daughter’s forehead.
Affectionately scolding, “You silly girl.”
It was getting late.
Nan Qingqing took the initiative to say to Nan Zhaodi, “Aunt, it’s almost dark, we should head back now.”
Nan Zhaodi hurried to the kitchen and brought out the remaining seven or eight jin of meat, stuffing it into Nan Qingqing’s hands, saying, “Take this meat back with you to eat.”
Nan Qingqing pushed it back, saying, “Aunt, this is for you. Keep it to make meatballs for Da Ya and Gou Sheng.”
Nan Zhaodi pretended to be angry, “Your aunt has money. Take it quickly, or I won’t let you come to my house anymore.”
Seeing that Nan Qingqing was losing the argument.
Lu Baiyang said gently, “Aunt, we have plenty at home.”
Hearing this.
Nan Qingqing quickly nodded, “We had the wedding celebration at home yesterday, right? There’s so much left over we can’t finish it all. Aunt, please keep this. It’s our filial offering to you.”
Nan Zhaodi asked skeptically, “You really have enough at home?”
Nan Qingqing smiled helplessly, “Absolutely true.”
Only then did Nan Zhaodi keep the meat.
Nan Qingqing and Lu Baiyang went out.
The two got into the car.
Da Ya asked wistfully, “Aunt, when will you come again?”
Nan Qingqing rolled down the window.
Waving with a smile, she said, “I’ll come play with you when I have time.”
Da Ya grinned, “Uncle should come too, okay?”
Lu Baiyang smiled.
After leaving Wang Village.
Nan Qingqing said, “Let’s go back once more. I’ll pack up my photos and things to take with me. I won’t be coming back after this.”
Lu Baiyang felt a slight stir in his heart. He said, “Okay.”
The car returned to Nan Village.
Sister-in-law Meixiang came running over while cracking melon seeds, “Why are you back? Did you hear about that thing?”
Nan Qingqing looked blank, “What thing?”
Sister-in-law Meixiang grinned slyly, nudging Nan Qingqing’s shoulder with her own, “Well, Nan Honghong and her boyfriend were doing you-know-what in your house, and they happened to be seen by your second granduncle’s two girls.”
Nan Qingqing: “…”
Are these two sex-crazed?
Doing it anytime, anywhere.
They’re truly made for each other.
Nan Qingqing said seriously, “I didn’t know. I came back to get my things.”
Sister-in-law Meixiang said with a mix of skepticism and belief, “I thought you came back to gloat. The whole village knows your sister Honghong is obedient and sensible, usually blushing at the sight of male comrades. Turns out it was all an act! Who in broad daylight would stoop so low? Truly, dragons beget dragons, phoenixes beget phoenixes, and rats’ offspring know how to dig holes. Back when Nan Honghong’s biological father was still alive and not yet claimed by illness, Wang Meihua and your father were already carrying on together.”
Nan Qingqing: “…”
Sister-in-law Meixiang chuckled, “I won’t keep you any longer. You’d better hurry and pack your things.”
Nan Qingqing stepped through the doorway of her home.
Nan Fusheng was huddled in a corner, smoking a pipe.
The tobacco was damp.
It wouldn’t draw.
He gripped the pipe and lightly tapped it against a small stone nearby. When he looked up, he saw Nan Qingqing.
He snorted and said, “So you finally decided to come back? I thought you’d made Wang Family Village your maternal home.”
Nan Qingqing didn’t utter a word.
She went straight to the room she shared with Nan Honghong
to pack her belongings.
She didn’t have much to take.
Aside from her own photos, there were two notebooks and a few books left by her mother.
Those books—
she had buried them in the ground during those special years, which was how they survived.
Seeing that Nan Qingqing was ignoring him, Nan Fusheng grew even angrier.
He stood up.
Pulled his unbuttoned jacket tighter around himself, and went out to speak with Lu Baiyang.
About ten minutes passed.
Then came Wang Meihua’s shrill scream.
Nan Fusheng froze.
Before he could react, Lu Baiyang’s agile figure had already shot out like an arrow from a bow.
Nan Fusheng belatedly followed.
At this hour,
most households had finished dinner and were outside strolling to aid digestion, so there were many people around. Many had heard Wang Meihua’s scream, and they crowded in to see what was happening.
In the courtyard,
Nan Qingqing had pinned Wang Meihua to the ground.
Her face was flushed with rage.
She shouted accusingly, “Did you mess with the photo of me and my mom?”
Wang Meihua stubbornly retorted, “You treat those few shabby photos like treasures—who would dare touch them?”
Nan Qingqing gritted her teeth and said, “You’re lying! You did touch them! The photo I had tucked in my notebook—where did you put it?”
Wang Meihua insisted, “I didn’t touch it, I didn’t. Even if you beat me to death, I didn’t touch it.”
Nan Qingqing sneered coldly, “Fine, then I’ll beat you to death.”
Nan Qingqing punched Wang Meihua squarely on the nose.
Blood instantly gushed from Wang Meihua’s nostrils.
Wang Meihua lay on the ground.
Swallowing half the blood, she choked and coughed twice, her mouth filled with blood.
Nan Fusheng was terrified out of his wits. “Nan Qingqing, are you trying to rebel? Today, I’ll teach you, you unfilial daughter, a proper lesson!”
He took off his shoe and was about to hurl it at Nan Qingqing
but was stopped by Lu Baiyang.
Nan Fusheng glared displeased at Lu Baiyang and asked, “What? Are you, as a son-in-law, thinking of raising a hand against your father-in-law?”
Lu Baiyang held Nan Fusheng’s arm and asked, “Father-in-law, was it you who moved Qingqing and her mother’s photo?”
Nan Fusheng yelled, “Do I have nothing better to do?”
Lu Baiyang smiled faintly and said, “There are only my father-in-law and Wang Meihua at home. Since my father-in-law didn’t move anything, it must have been Wang Meihua who did. Now Qingqing is settling scores with Wang Meihua—this is called ‘every sin brings its punishment with it.’ But if Father-in-law hits Qingqing, that would be taking sides.”
Nan Fusheng’s eyes bulged with rage, as large as a bull’s.
Lu Baiyang lowered his voice and said, “Father-in-law, you know very well whether Wang Meihua did it or not. Now that all the neighbors are here, if you hit Qingqing and Wang Meihua later admits what she did, what will be left of your reputation in the village?”
Nan Fusheng: “…”
He turned his head to look at the rubberneckers craning their necks at his front gate, then glanced up to see even half-grown boys straddling his wall, watching the commotion.
Nan Fusheng cursed inwardly.
In a few days, he would embed broken glass shards on top of the wall.
If anyone dared to sit on his wall again,
he’d make sure their privates got shredded to pieces.