Chen Jun noticed she hadn’t slept yet. She hadn’t been weaving corn husks tonight either, so he thought she was waiting for him, and a flash of joy crossed his eyes.
“Were you waiting for me to come?”
Li Hong lifted her eyes, her expression complicated as she glanced at him.
She didn’t want to see him.
But indeed, she had been waiting for him.
“I have something to tell you.”
Chen Jun’s heart skipped a beat—this was the first time she had taken the initiative to tell him she had something to say.
“It’ll disturb the kids here. Let’s go next door.”
Li Hong resisted, knowing what was going through his mind, and turned her face away.
“Just say it here.”
But Chen Jun ignored her, stepped forward, and forcefully picked her up, carrying her next door. Before she could speak, he pressed her against the wall in the dark room.
Li Hong struggled, knowing that if she spoke tonight, that tiny shred of dignity she had left would vanish in front of him.
But she still had two children to care for. If anyone discovered their relationship, how could she live with her shame?
The villagers would gossip and point fingers at the children too.
Thinking of this, she struggled even more. Chen Jun was strong, gripping her wrist and lifting her onto his waist.
Chen Jun’s face buried in her chest, one hand pinching her waist.
Seeing she didn’t struggle further, he tilted his head and kissed her neck, then suddenly felt a chill on his face—it was Li Hong’s tears.
Chen Jun froze, his tone softening.
“What’s wrong? Did someone bully you?”
Li Hong sniffled, knowing he didn’t want her resistance. Chen Jun sighed and put her down, fixing her clothes.
“No, I want to use the handcart and fishing net at home tomorrow. Can you lend them to me?”
“So that’s what you wanted to tell me?”
Li Hong nodded. Chen Jun frowned.
“It’s no big deal. That’s my house. You come and take what you need. Why were you crying?”
Thinking of the past few years, how often he had scaled the wall to come in, her heart ached.
That bastard!
She was his sister-in-law—how could he…
But then again, if not for him, the three of them wouldn’t have survived.
“Can you… not come anymore?”
Chen Jun glared at her in anger, punching the wall behind her.
“If I don’t come, who will? Do you have someone in your heart? I won’t allow it.”
He was furious. He clearly loved her, yet they couldn’t live openly together—they had to sneak around in fear.
He was her elder brother, obligated to protect the three of them.
Li Hong raised her hand and slapped him weakly across the face. Chen Jun froze, then in the next second, pinned her on the kang, reaching to pull at her clothes.
No matter how Li Hong struggled, Chen Jun gritted his teeth and didn’t stop.
“If you even look at someone else, I’ll kill him. You’re mine. We’ve been sneaking around for years—you can’t live without me now.”
Li Hong felt her brain go numb, her nerves taut on the edge of agony.
If it weren’t for the children, she might have wished to die.
After venting his anger, Chen Jun held her close, his low voice tinged with apology, coaxing and convincing her.
“Give me a little more time. I will marry you. Hong Hong, don’t marry anyone else.”
Li Hong pushed him away, refusing to argue further.
“Go. Tomorrow I’ll come get the fishing net and handcart.”
She stubbornly turned her head. Chen Jun felt a pang of worry seeing her like this. If he didn’t come at night, he feared those scoundrels in the village would climb over her wall.
During the day, they all seemed human, but secretly, each was scarier than a ghost.
“I’ll bring them over early tomorrow morning.”
Li Hong turned her back. Chen Jun added, “Lock the door tonight. I’m worried someone will climb the wall.”
Li Hong snorted coldly. Climbing the wall? Who else but him?
After Chen Jun left, she returned to her room.
Looking at her two children, she wanted, for a moment, to strangle them and then take the rat poison herself.
Life seemed utterly hopeless. But when her hand reached their necks, seeing them sleeping peacefully, she couldn’t bring herself to do it.
She couldn’t go through with it!
Thinking of Shen Nian, who had nothing yet still fought to survive, tears slid down her cheeks. She closed her eyes.
No matter what, she had to live properly!
Chen Jun crouched at the door, smoking several cigarettes, and only left after the night grew deep and silent.
Shen Nian, lying in the hay, had a nightmare in which she found gold nuggets by the river, waking up in joy.
Opening her eyes, dawn had arrived.
She sat in the haystack, feeling utterly listless.
Was it really just a dream?
Maybe if she went back to the river, she could find real gold nuggets—or perhaps even pan for gold.
Determined, she grabbed a washbasin to start.
But basins for panning gold were hard to come by—not for her.
Early that morning, Li Hong went to the Chen household to get the handcart. The matriarch, Chen’s mother, scowled darkly at her.
“You cursed broomstick! What are you doing here? You even have the nerve to show up! If not for you, my son would still be alive. Get out!”
Li Hong bit her lip. Chen’s mother, when her son was alive, either beat or scolded her. Now that he was gone, she was still like this.
Her frustration had no one to vent to. Did Chen’s mother wish the father of her children had died?
Years of oppression and humiliation made Li Hong shrink her neck, afraid to speak. When Chen’s mother’s hand came down to slap her, the imagined pain never came—replaced by a tall figure at her side.
Chen Jun grabbed his mother’s hand, his eyes dark.
“Mom, second brother’s death wasn’t my sister-in-law’s fault. If you hadn’t forced him to go to the brick kiln for that little bit of work points, he wouldn’t have had the accident. He’s gone, but the three of them still have to live. If he knew up there that you treated his wife and children like this, he’d be restless.”
Mentioning the second brother made the old woman roar even louder.
“How dare you side with her! She killed your brother, and you still take her side?”
Chen Jun shouted, “Enough! Do you want to drive her to death?”
“She deserves to die! The sooner she dies, the better!”
Saying this, Chen’s mother glared viciously at Li Hong. Earlier, Li Hong had turned to leave, but she had the courage to stay.
Compared to mere survival, what was dignity?
Li Hong silently resolved that she would leave this village at the first opportunity.
With Chen’s mother gone, Chen Jun went to the backyard, grabbed the fishing net, and loaded it onto the handcart.
“Push it quickly. Don’t worry.”
Li Hong’s eyes were red. Several times, she almost cried, but she held back.
She pushed the handcart toward the river.
In Chen Jun’s room, by the window, sat a pale, thin woman—Chen Jun’s wife, Xiu’er.
Xiu’er had been coughing badly these past few days and was resting inside.
The Chen couple were despicable, but her husband was considerate.
A small smile curved her lips, a look of relief on her face.
Shen Nian had just arrived at the river. As soon as she threw her clothes into the water, she saw Li Hong pushing the handcart—she really had done it.