Zhao Wansheng and Chen Xiang temporarily settled down at Grandmother's house.
Apart from a few grumbles when Chen Xiang and her daughter first arrived, the eldest aunt-in-law didn't say anything else unpleasant afterward.
On the contrary, seeing that her sister-in-law was terribly thin and looked so unwell, she took the initiative to slaughter an old hen on the first day at noon to nourish her.
In these times, an old hen was considered a considerable asset, which showed that the eldest aunt-in-law's heart was softer than her mouth.
The older male and female cousins took Zhao Wansheng everywhere they went, taking care of her like a little child.
Zhao Wansheng took note of all this, and she wasn't stingy either—that very day, she put some Spirit Spring Water into the chicken soup.
The chicken meat was tender and springy, and the broth was delicious and savory.
Chen Xiang and her daughter each received a full large bowl of thick chicken soup with meat.
As for the rest, half a pot of water was added, and after simmering for a while, the Chen family ate the entire pot of chicken and soup clean.
After drinking the chicken soup, everyone felt that the fatigue from a morning of hard work had been swept away.
The Chen family didn't think much of it, simply attributing it to the effects of eating the chicken and drinking the soup.
And after finishing the soup, Chen Xiang also felt that her usually aching lower back wasn't as sore anymore.
She just assumed it was because she hadn't done much work today.
In the past, at the Zhao household, she not only had to handle a pile of household chores but also work in the fields.
But at her natal home, Chen Xiang didn't need to go to the fields, and the household chores were handled by her two sisters-in-law. She only needed to lend a hand—life was simply easy.
Zhao Wansheng observed all this without saying anything about giving her mother special treatment with the Spirit Spring Water. Instead, every day, while her aunts-in-law and mother were cooking, she would secretly sneak a tiny bit of Spirit Spring into the rice pot when they weren't paying attention.
She didn't add much—the daily effect was hardly noticeable to anyone.
However, after just a few short days, the Chen family looked the same as before, but upon closer inspection, they were more spirited and energetic.
Chen Xiang's weathered and haggard complexion gradually recovered under the nourishment of the Spirit Spring, her sallow skin slowly replaced by her original fair tone.
If Chen Xiang alone had changed suddenly, everyone would have easily noticed.
But since everyone was changing together, and gradually at that, Chen Xiang's transformation wasn't so conspicuous.
People would simply think that Chen Xiang had suffered too much at the Zhao household, and after returning to her natal home to recuperate, her vitality had been restored.
Early that morning, Chen Xiang put on her best clothes—a floral print blouse that was still sixty percent new, a pair of black pants with only two patches, and her hair pinned up in a low bun.
After the mother and daughter got ready and finished breakfast, the two of them set off toward the county town with Second Uncle Chen Wen.
The Chen family originally didn't approve of bringing such a young child like Zhao Wansheng into the city, but all of Chen Xiang's courage came from her daughter. Whether it was finding work or finding a partner, she naturally had to bring her daughter along.
This day was also the day Zhao Zhiwen left the village.
Zhao Tingting and her two brothers stood by their biological father's side, their faces full of reluctance.
But no matter how they wheedled and showed their reluctance, Zhao Zhiwen didn't agree to take them out of the village.
Zhao Tingting thought that she could go to her father's side next year, so she wasn't too anxious. Walking between her two brothers, she bid Zhao Zhiwen a reluctant farewell.
After seeing him off, she looked worriedly in the direction of Grandmother's house, sighed, and said, "Father is leaving so soon—I really can't bear it. And little sister too—Father was leaving, and she didn't even come to see him off."
"Hmph, why bring her up? She's just heartless. She left with that woman without even a word. Don't you ever acknowledge her again!" Zhao Jianguo said angrily.
Zhao Tingting put on a sad expression. "No matter what, she's still our own flesh and blood. Even if she doesn't understand us… I believe little sister still thinks of us in her heart."
"Sister, you're just too kind and too naive. Father said he wouldn't take us to the city, and she chose to go to the Chen family with that woman. She's a petty person who forgets loyalty for gain!" Zhao Jianjun's tone grew more urgent seeing his sister so innocent.
Zhao Jianguo's face was frosty as he said coldly, "Since she chose to leave with that woman, she's no longer a member of the Zhao family. Whether she lives well or poorly, whether she lives or dies, it has nothing to do with us. She'll never be our little sister again!"
Zhao Tingting looked as if she wanted to speak but held back, putting on a helpless expression. "I understand. I'll listen to eldest brother."
In truth, she was laughing inside.
She wished her father and brothers would never acknowledge her little sister. That way, when her brothers rose to prominence in the future, she could freely and gleefully trample all over Zhao Wansheng.
At the thought of Zhao Wansheng appearing before her in a wretched and destitute state, she could barely keep the corners of her mouth from curling up.
Chen Family Village was dozens of li from the county town, and they had to rely entirely on their own two feet. Zhao Wansheng was young—she gritted her teeth and walked for an hour, but the rest of the way she was carried on Second Uncle's back.
The three of them set out at the crack of dawn and didn't reach the city until noon.
As the national capital, the city had many factories, and since many people had fled to escape hardship, virtually all of these factories were hiring.
The last time Chen Wen went into the city, he had scouted out the locations of several factories, including which matchmakers in town had a decent reputation.
He'd heard that there was a matchmaker south of the city with a fairly good reputation. Once his sister found work, they would go see the matchmaker.
The three of them walked all morning, and by the time they reached the city, they were already famished. Not willing to spend money on food, they took out the flatbreads Grandmother had made from their cloth bundles, each ate one with some water, and then headed straight for the nearest dyeing and weaving factory.
The siblings weren't picky—relying on their advantage of being literate and educated, they managed to get into the dyeing and weaving factory without trouble and became workers there.
When the factory learned that the siblings were villagers from a nearby county town, they issued them household registration transfer certificates and, showing a human touch, gave them two days to complete the transfer.
By the time the three of them came out of the factory, it was already four in the afternoon.
Chen Wen looked at the sky. "Little sister, there's no way we can make it back to the village today. Let's stay at the guesthouse for one night and go back to the village tomorrow to take care of things."
"Alright."
Zhao Wansheng had been following along all day, and by now her eyelids could barely stay open. She leaned against Chen Xiang, her head bobbing up and down.
She didn't want to sleep, but this body was too small. She'd gotten up so early this morning to make good time on the road, and right now she simply couldn't muster any energy.
Seeing this, Chen Wen scooped her up in his arms. "Come on, your uncle will take you to get something good to eat!"
Now that both siblings had found work, Second Uncle Chen didn't mind splurging a little on a nice meal.
The moment Zhao Wansheng heard this, she perked right up, no longer sleepy at all.
She smiled brightly and hugged Second Uncle's arm, showing not the slightest trace of drowsiness.
It wasn't really that she was a glutton—it was this body that craved food.
The area around the dyeing and weaving factory was all residential neighborhoods, and the three walked for nearly an hour before finding a noodle shop.
It happened to be mealtime, and quite a few people had come to eat noodles. Three of the four tables in the main hall were occupied.
Chen Wen led Chen Xiang and her daughter to the only empty table and ordered three bowls of noodles.
While they waited, the customers at the table across from them finished and left, freeing up that table.
Before long, a tall man in a green military uniform sat down at the empty table next to them.
Zhao Wansheng glanced at the man, secretly sizing him up from head to toe.
The man was very tall—at least 185 centimeters by the look of him—and appeared to be around 25 to 30 years old. He sat with an upright posture and had a face that radiated peace and prosperity. Paired with that green military uniform, he exuded righteousness and immediately caught one's eye.
If only this man could be her new father—taking him out in public would be such a point of pride!
Zhao Wansheng thought to herself, secretly scheming.