“Wu Yue’e and I are from the same hometown. In our time, marriages were all arranged through matchmakers. When the matchmaker came to our door, she was arranging matches for both Wu Yue’e and me simultaneously. Due to various twists of fate, I was originally supposed to meet Wu Yue’e’s husband, but ended up meeting your father instead.”
He Hongying skipped over a large portion of the story. “By the time we realized the mix-up, your father and I had already taken a liking to each other and decided to go along with the mistake. Wu Yue’e didn’t say anything about it either, so both families went ahead with their respective marriages.”
Xu Xia asked, “What happened later?”
“Later, Wu Yue’e’s husband died in battle, and her son was in poor health. Coincidentally, we ended up living in the same family compound. When she compared our lives, she became resentful, thinking that if she had married your father instead, things might have turned out differently. That’s why she’s always targeting the Zhao Family.”
He Hongying felt sorry for Wu Yue’e and didn’t take her behavior too seriously, especially since Wu Yue’e only made comments in private. She never expected that her son would be assigned the house next to Wu Yue’e’s. “It’s my fault for not paying attention during the housing allocation. I was just so focused on finally getting a house so you two could get married smoothly.”
Xu Xia understood now. “She’s unhappy with her own life and blames it on that initial matchmaking. Since our family hasn’t wronged her, I don’t need to hold back.”
“What are you going to do?” Sun Danfeng asked curiously. She had no way to deal with a shrew like Wu Yue’e.
“Counter soldiers with arms, and water with an embankment,” Xu Xia said. “It’s true she’s pitiable—losing her husband young and her son in middle age—but I didn’t cause any of that. Why should I suffer in silence just because she’s pitiable?”
“Sister-in-law, Mom, I’m going to live here for a long time, not just ten days or half a month. If I have to endure this forever, it would be too suffocating. I won’t go looking for trouble, but if Wu Yue’e causes trouble for me, I won’t just let it slide.”
He Hongying hesitated. “Why don’t you move in with me for a while to avoid her?”
Xu Xia shook her head. “When Zhao Er Ge was here a few days ago, Wu Yue’e didn’t make a sound. She waited until he left to start trouble with me. She’s a bully who preys on the weak, targeting me and Fengshou because we’re young and seem easy to push around. If I leave now, she’ll only become more arrogant in the future.”
“That’s true,” He Hongying said, though she had her own concerns. Her husband held a high position, and if they intervened, it might lead to gossip. “It’s just…”
Seeing her mother-in-law’s troubled expression, Xu Xia said, “I understand your dilemma. Just pretend you don’t know about this, and I won’t involve Zhao Er Ge either. If it’s just between me and Wu Yue’e, it’ll be a matter between ordinary military families and won’t affect anyone else.”
After repeated reassurances, her mother-in-law felt somewhat better. Hearing that Wu Yue’e’s voice had gone hoarse outside the door, Xu Xia decided to invite her mother-in-law to stay for dinner. “Let her curse all she wants for now. I still have some meat at home—I’ll stew it for you to eat.”
Xu Xia had a positive mindset; nothing could disrupt her life. A nasty neighbor was just a problem that could be solved one way or another.
Outside the courtyard, Wu Yue’e had been cursing for so long that her voice was hoarse, but no one from the Zhao Family came out. Instead, the aroma of stewed meat wafted from inside.
Her stomach uncontrollably growled.
Director Tang couldn’t persuade Wu Yue’e and didn’t dare to do anything to Xu Xia, since Xu Xia was the daughter-in-law of the commander’s family. Seizing an opportunity, she left as well.
Meanwhile, all the neighbors nearby could smell the delicious scent coming from the Zhao Family’s home.
Wu Yue’e’s grandson came home from school and, catching the scent of meat, ran to the Zhao Family’s doorstep, inhaling deeply. “Grandma, they’re cooking meat! I want to eat meat too!”
“Eat, eat, eat—were you born from a starving ghost?” Wu Yue’e dragged her grandson home. “Everything from other people’s homes smells good to you, you ignorant little brat. When have I ever starved you?”
Qin Sanwang was dragged into the house feeling wronged. There had been no classes at school today, and he had been running around all day, his stomach growling with hunger. As soon as he entered, he rushed into the kitchen. “Second Sister, what are we eating today? Ugh… sweet potato rice again? Can’t our family ever have a proper meal?”
Qin Erniu, thin and sallow, was fifteen years old but didn’t attend school. Earlier, when her grandmother was arguing outside, she hadn’t dared to step out.
She whispered to her brother, “I just cook whatever Grandma gives me.”
“Be grateful for sweet potato rice! When I was your age, we only had chaff and wild greens—no sweet potato rice at all!” Wu Yue’e smacked her grandson and ordered her granddaughter to serve the rice. “You’re useless too. Didn’t you hear me being bullied in the yard? People are right—useless girls, I tell you. Hey! Why are you serving so much? Do you think we’re made of money?”
She snatched the bowl from her granddaughter, poured half back, and snapped, “You don’t do much anyway—no need to eat so much. Half a bowl is enough.”
Qin Erniu didn’t dare to resist and sat down meekly to eat, though the portion was far from filling.
Qin Sanwang, meanwhile, got a full bowl. He had already mastered the art of pleasing his grandmother. “Grandma, who bullied you? Tell me, and I’ll teach them a lesson!”
“Don’t bother. You’re still too small—who knows who’d end up bullying whom? When your eldest brother returns from the army, I’ll make that vixen next door pay!” Wu Yue’e fumed. The lingering aroma of meat from next door made her own meal taste bland. She glared at her granddaughter. “Why are you eating so slowly? Hurry up and finish! Then sweep the yard. Throw all the dirt and pots over to the neighbors—you hear me?”
She had sworn to make Xu Xia suffer. How could a mere girl and her burden of a child possibly stand up to her?
Qin Erniu hesitated. “Grandma, I…”
“What? If you don’t listen, no dinner for you!” Wu Yue’e barked. “I’ll take responsibility—what are you afraid of?”
“Exactly, Second Sister! Why are you scared? Just do what Grandma says. She’s the head of this household!” Qin Sanwang thought his sister was foolish. Grandma liked people who obeyed, but Second Sister was always timid, which was why Grandma disliked her and didn’t let her go to school.
Pushed into the yard by her grandmother, Qin Erniu saw the mess and glanced at the opposite wall.
She had overheard Grandma’s argument earlier—the neighbor seemed difficult to deal with. If things escalated later, Grandma would surely blame it all on her.
Qin Erniu didn’t know what to do. Just then, Xu Fengshou, who was sweeping nearby, heard crying from next door. He climbed onto a stool and saw a girl crouched on the ground, weeping.
When Qin Erniu looked up, she met the eyes of a boy.
Their gazes locked, and both felt awkward—one quickly retreated, the other immediately lowered her head.
“What are you still crouching there for?” Wu Yue’e shoved the door open. “I told you to clean up! Throw everything next door, or you’ll regret it!”
Xu Fengshou recognized Wu Yue’e’s voice and immediately climbed onto a stool. “If you dare dump it in our yard, I’ll smash your doors and windows!”
“Well, well, you little brat, go ahead and try. I’ve lived this long—you think I’m afraid of you? If you dare break my doors and windows, I’ll make sure you end up in jail!” Wu Yue’e chuckled twice.
Xu Fengshou was fuming. Hearing her brother arguing with someone, Xu Xia came out to see what was happening. She pulled her brother down and glanced at the little girl in the yard—a thin, small figure who looked about the same age as her brother.
“Little girl, don’t listen to your grandmother, or this big sister will get angry,” Xu Xia said, leading her brother back home.
“Sis, aren’t we going to keep watch?” Xu Fengshou worried that as soon as they left, the neighbors would dump the soil over.
“Can you watch for an hour? What about all day?” Xu Xia replied. “Let’s live our lives. We’ll deal with it if she actually dumps it.”
She sent her brother to fetch water and walked her mother-in-law to the door. “Mom, really, there’s no need to worry about me. I treat others as they treat me, but I’m not a coward. Zhao Er Ge said as long as I’m in the right, I shouldn’t be afraid. Before, I put up with things because I was alone, but now he’s got my back.”
“Make sure to tell us if anything happens,” He Hongying still felt uneasy. On the way back with her eldest daughter-in-law, she frowned deeply. “Do you think we could get Xiaxia and her family a different house?”
“Mom, it’s not that I want to say anything, but you and Dad already arranged this house for the second son and his wife, and people are already gossiping. These are special times—let’s wait and see. We can’t let people accuse us of abusing power for personal gain,” Sun Danfeng feared her father-in-law might be implicated. The family’s comfortable life depended entirely on him.
He Hongying knew her daughter-in-law made sense. “Our second son’s rank qualifies him for housing allocation. For years, he gave up his spot to others. Where were these critics when benefits were being handed out?”
She felt frustrated but couldn’t bring herself to make a scene like a shrew, so she swallowed her anger and returned home.
Seeing her mother-in-law upset, Sun Danfeng didn’t dare say more. That evening, when her husband returned, she specifically mentioned the matter. “It seems the second son’s wife is quite formidable. All that gentleness before must have been an act.”
Exhausted after a long day’s work, Zhao Ming leaned back on the sofa. “You should try to get along with her. Since Mom and Dad haven’t said anything, we shouldn’t interfere too much. Even though Dad said he wouldn’t help Zhiyuan, he still mentioned Zhiyuan’s situation to his old comrades. In our family, Dad is still the pillar.”
“I know, I’m just telling you privately,” Sun Danfeng’s dislike for Xu Xia stemmed from the fact that Xu Xia’s arrival forced her to send her son to guard the border. Every time she thought her son might be in danger, she couldn’t bring herself to like Xu Xia.
Fortunately, they didn’t live under the same roof. Only seeing each other occasionally allowed them to maintain a facade of harmony.
As dusk fell, Sun Danfeng and her husband went to bed early. Meanwhile, Xu Xia, having just finished washing up, heard the sound of a child being beaten next door.
“After all I’ve given you, you still won’t listen to me? Have you been bewitched by that fox spirit too?”
Wu Yue’e’s loud voice pierced through the wall, and Xu Xia heard every word clearly.
Soon, a neighbor went to knock on the door, only to be cursed away by Wu Yue’e. “I’m disciplining my own granddaughter, none of your damn business! Stop meddling like a dog chasing rats. If you feel sorry for this useless girl, take her home and raise her yourself!”
The neighbor had only come to offer a word of advice, but after being berated head-on by Wu Yue’e, how could they possibly stay?
Once the neighbor left, Qin Erniu was pushed by Wu Yue’e into the yard.
“If you won’t listen to me, then don’t stay in my house. Reflect on your actions tonight and think about who the real master of this household is.” Wu Yue’e slammed the door shut. On a November night, she didn’t even give Qin Erniu a blanket.
Qin Erniu had thrown the dirt from the yard into the garbage pile, which was why her grandmother was angry with her. She knocked on the door, pleading, but no one opened it for her.
She hadn’t even eaten dinner and was now starving and freezing, sitting on the steps and shivering.
Xu Xia, hearing no more noise outside, peeked through the window and saw Qin Erniu curled up on the ground, looking utterly pitiful. The girl hadn’t obeyed Wu Yue’e’s order to dump the dirt back, which suggested she wasn’t a bad person.
“Go to Director Tang’s house and tell her what you heard,” Xu Xia said. Just opening the window had made her feel cold, let alone leaving a young girl outside for the night.
Xu Fengshou ran to Director Tang’s house. When Director Tang heard it was another issue with Wu Yue’e’s family, her face immediately showed impatience.
“My sister said our family doesn’t get along with the Qin family, so we can’t help Qin Erniu. But if you don’t go check on her, she might freeze to death,” Xu Fengshou relayed his sister’s exact words.
Reluctantly, Director Tang took a flashlight and went to the Qin residence. When she knocked, no one answered. Standing on her tiptoes, she spotted Qin Erniu shivering on the steps.
Only then did Director Tang knock forcefully.
“Who is it?” Wu Yue’e grumbled impatiently. She had already gone to bed. Seeing it was Director Tang, she asked irritably, “Director Tang, what are you doing at my house in the middle of the night?”
“Granny Wu, it’s freezing out here. Aren’t you afraid something might happen to Erniu if you leave her in the yard?” Director Tang looked at the frail Qin Erniu. There had been rumors before about Wu Yue’e mistreating her, but without evidence, it was all hearsay—until now.
“I’m disciplining my child. Who’s meddling in our affairs?” Wu Yue’e shouted around angrily. “If you’re really that bored, you can go shovel the manure from the outhouse!”
She turned back to Director Tang. “Who said I’m leaving Erniu outside forever? She disobeyed me. As her grandmother, can’t I teach her a lesson?”
With that, she called her grandson out. “Sanwang, tell them, has Grandma ever abused Erniu?”
Qin Sanwang shook his head.
“You see? I’ll let Erniu inside soon. If you have nothing better to do, go home,” Wu Yue’e waved her hand dismissively, then glared fiercely at her granddaughter. “What are you still sitting on the ground for? Waiting for people to laugh at our family?”
She called her granddaughter inside, and Director Tang could do nothing more.
“Granny Wu, let me say one more thing. If your actions cause any negative repercussions, your eldest grandson is still in the army—it could affect him.”
“My eldest grandson is an upright and honorable man, and I live with integrity. If you have the guts, find real evidence against me. Otherwise, don’t blame me for reporting you to the Women’s Federation for not doing your job!” Wu Yue’e feared no one. Bitter and resentful about life, she found fault with everything.
She shut the door and pinched her granddaughter’s arm harshly. “You wretched girl, what did you do? Call for reinforcements? Looks like you’re itching for a beating. Don’t you dare cry! If anyone finds out you cried, I’ll send you to the countryside to marry a widower!”
Qin Erniu held back her tears. Her grandmother wouldn’t let her return to her room, so she had to stay in the living room.
After that incident, Xu Xia enjoyed a few peaceful days until one evening on her way home from work. As she passed the pavilion, she overheard Wu Yue’e gossiping about her.
“My life is so hard! A seductive vixen has moved in next door, and she’s fierce too. You all haven’t seen her—she looks just like a fox spirit. With her husband away, she’s batting her eyes at other men.” Wu Yue’e grew more animated as she spoke, completely unaware of Xu Xia standing behind her.
Xu Xia drifted over quietly. “Wu Yue’e, who exactly did I seduce? When and where did this happen?”
“What?”
Wu Yue’e turned around, startled by Xu Xia’s presence, but quickly regained her composure. “Hah, do I need to spell it out? In this entire family compound, who else dresses as provocatively as you? Smiling and grinning at every man you see—if you’re not trying to seduce them, then what are you doing?”
“Is that so?” Xu Xia glanced at the people present. “Who specifically did I seduce? If you can’t provide details, I’ll report this to the police. If the Women’s Federation can’t handle it, let the officers decide what’s right.”
Wu Yue’e thought Xu Xia was bluffing. “Pfft, I haven’t even reported you to the police, and you dare threaten me? Go ahead! I’d like to see you try to have me arrested.”
“You’re right, that reminds me—the police probably wouldn’t be much help.” Xu Xia had another plan. She went home, left a note for her younger brother, and rode her bicycle to the Revolutionary Committee.
Meanwhile, Wu Yue’e, thinking Xu Xia had backed down, grew even more brazen. After lunch, she returned to the pavilion, chattering about the Zhao Family and Xu Xia. It wasn’t until members of the Revolutionary Committee’s Red Armband came looking for her that she stared at them in stunned confusion. “What do you want? I’m a law-abiding peasant! My grandson is a soldier! Why are you trying to arrest me?”
In those days, everyone feared the Revolutionary Committee.
Using her status as a military wife, Xu Xia had gone to the committee and poured out her grievances. She didn’t reveal her in-laws’ background, only repeatedly asked what she should do.
The committee, having little else to occupy them, immediately accompanied Xu Xia to confront Wu Yue’e.
When everyone saw the Revolutionary Committee members, no one dared speak up. None could believe Xu Xia had managed to bring them along.
Initially, the committee had only come to question Wu Yue’e, but she grew panicky and resorted to her usual tactics—making a scene, crying hysterically, and threatening suicide. She collapsed to the ground, wailing, “Heavens, open your eyes! We widows and orphans are being bullied to death! These heartless brutes want to arrest me! What have I done? My family has been peasants for three generations—we’re neither landlords nor capitalists! Why are you taking me away for struggle sessions?”
She instinctively assumed being taken to the Revolutionary Committee meant being subjected to public criticism, and she was determined not to be dragged away. “Someone call my grandson! He’s a soldier! Let’s see who dares lay a hand on a military family!”
Xu Xia didn’t need to say another word. The committee members could see exactly what kind of person Wu Yue’e was. “Comrades, you’ve witnessed it yourselves—this is how she slanders military wives and tarnishes the image of our soldiers!”
“I didn’t! Everything I said is true!” Wu Yue’e shouted.
Xu Xia remained silent, standing quietly to the side. To anyone watching, she appeared to be the victim of bullying.
The committee members grew irritated by Wu Yue’e’s screaming. Four of them hoisted her up and carried her away. The spectacle made every passerby stop and stare.
Wu Yue’e was advanced in years but remarkably strong. Not only did she kick people, but she also scratched the faces of two Red Armband members. They might not have necessarily detained her initially, but her refusal to cooperate, coupled with her physical and verbal assaults, was more than the Revolutionary Committee could tolerate. They took her to the committee and directly threw her into a dark room.
“Let her curse. We’ll interrogate her after she’s worn herself out.” The Red Armband captain, whose face had been kicked, deeply disliked people like Wu Yue’e.
Everyone witnessed Wu Yue’e being taken away.
Xu Xia turned back to the people in the pavilion. “Uncles and aunts, our family has some personal grievances with Wu Yue’e. She’s been spreading rumors about me, and I hope you won’t believe them. I trust you’re all discerning people—you can surely see what kind of person I am.”
She spoke politely, without a hint of sarcasm toward those who had earlier engaged with Wu Yue’e. Human nature is drawn to gossip; these people didn’t know her and were merely following Wu Yue’e’s lead. Xu Xia didn’t have the energy to confront so many people, so she avoided making enemies.
On her way home, Xu Xia saw Qin Erniu sitting at her doorstep, gazing anxiously into the distance. She stopped and said, “If you’re waiting for your grandmother, don’t bother today. She was taken by the Revolutionary Committee and won’t be released for a few days.”
Xu Xia knew the Revolutionary Committee wouldn’t keep Wu Yue’e locked up indefinitely, nor would they subject her to a struggle session. From how long Wu Yue’e had managed to live in the family compound, it was clear she had her own connections.
“Ah?” Qin Erniu looked at Xu Xia in panic. “What happened to Grandma?”
“She did something wrong, of course.” As Xu Xia headed home, Qin Erniu followed her. “Is there something else?”
“Well… Sister, was it you who called Director Tang that night?”
“Why do you ask?”
Qin Erniu hung her head dejectedly. “Because no one ever sought out Director Tang before. He only started coming after you moved here.” She thought it must be true—and she hoped it was.
“You’re quite clever. Yes, we were the ones who contacted Director Tang,” Xu Xia admitted. “I helped you because you didn’t obey your grandmother. But Erniu, you need to rely on yourself to escape your current predicament. We’re not related, and part of why I went to Director Tang was to ease my own conscience. It doesn’t mean I’m some meddling do-gooder.”
“But… I don’t know how.” Since her parents passed away, Qin Erniu had only known this kind of life. She didn’t know how to resist or even what resistance meant.
Accustomed to enduring hardship, she would tremble even when her grandmother raised her voice.
Knowing Wu Yue’e would eventually be released, Xu Xia looked at Qin Erniu’s gaunt, sunken face and spoke earnestly. “Yesterday, I heard your grandmother yelling that you eat her food and use her things. But that’s not true. Your father had a pension, and your brother earns a wage—all that money is in your grandmother’s hands. She claims she’s raising you, but the money isn’t spent on you. So, you shouldn’t fear her abandoning you. If she tries to throw you out, you can demand your share of the pension and ask the Women’s Federation to help you find work and housing.”
“Erniu, if you can support yourself, why would you fear being driven out with nowhere to go? You need to have confidence in yourself to stand up to others’ threats.”
Having said what she needed to, Xu Xia returned home, where her younger brother had already cooked dinner.
“Sis, were you just talking to Qin Erniu?”
“Mhm.”
“What did she say to you?”
“She said she didn’t know how to stand up to her grandmother, so I offered some extra advice. That poor girl is pitiful—she’s so thin, yet Wu Yue’e won’t let her go to school. Meanwhile, Qin Sanwang has plump cheeks—clearly, there’s favoritism at play.”
Xu Xia picked up her chopsticks and, seeing no meat on the table, stood up to retrieve the preserved sausage from the cupboard and slice it. “Didn’t I tell you not to be so frugal? We have money.”
“I wanted to save it for when brother-in-law returns,” Xu Fengshou said.
Xu Xia laughed. “We can buy more when he’s back. Why make ourselves suffer? This is my home, and yours too. You don’t need to deliberately please him.”
Sensitive to the child’s feelings, Xu Xia sliced half a preserved sausage, finally sparking their appetites.
The siblings devoured the meal like a whirlwind, leaving the dishes spotless. Thanks to Xu Xia’s guidance, Xu Fengshou had become quite capable with chores. While Xu Xia went to collect the laundry, he proactively washed the dishes and tidied the kitchen.
Without Wu Yue’e around, Xu Xia enjoyed much more peace and quiet. With Zhao Hui away during this period, her life felt no different from before marriage.
The workplace had set up a canteen where colleagues like Sister Yu, who lived farther away, could heat their packed lunches daily. They took turns stoking the fire.
Initially, Xu Xia didn’t bring meals since she lived close by—just a ten-minute bike ride. But once the school resumed continuous classes and Xu Fengshou started attending daily, she began preparing lunchboxes for him and bringing her own to work.
At noon that day, it was Xu Xia’s turn to heat the lunchboxes. She had just lit the firewood when Sister Yu approached with a thermos.
“Xiao Xu, I’m on my period today. Is there hot water now?”
“The water in the pot hasn’t boiled yet, Sister. You’ll have to wait a bit longer,” Xu Xia replied, lifting the lid to check.
Sister Yu sat down, rubbing her stomach. “Ah, youth is wonderful. Nowadays, if I catch a chill, my whole body aches. What did you bring today? Yesterday, everyone was drooling over the aroma of your food. I told Director Zhang we should just pay you extra to cook for everyone.”
“I’m no professional chef,” Xu Xia demurred, unwilling to take on the role—the heavy smoke would easily turn her into a haggard housewife. “I bought a salted fish yesterday, pan-fried it first, then stir-fried it with green peppers. There’s also some bean sprouts—just ordinary dishes. Later, I’ll sneak you a piece of the salted fish, but don’t tell anyone, or I won’t have enough to share.”
“Great, great! I’ll definitely eat it secretly,” Sister Yu agreed, but then she spotted someone approaching outside and teased with a grin, “Hey, Xiao Xu, look who’s here!”
Just as Xu Xia finished filling Sister Yu’s thermos, she walked to the doorway and saw Zhao Hui in his military uniform. Her eyes curved into a smile. “What brings you here?”
“I have two days off,” Zhao Hui said. It had been ten days since he’d seen his wife, and he’d come straight to the cinema without even going home. Noticing Xu Xia’s flushed cheeks, his Adam’s apple bobbed, but he saw Sister Yu was still there.
Sister Yu tactfully excused herself. “I won’t disturb you two lovebirds. I’ll head off now. Xiao Xu, remember my salted fish, okay?”
After Sister Yu left, Xu Xia pulled Zhao Hui into the canteen. “Didn’t we agree you’d let me know when you’re coming back so I could be prepared?”
“I forgot,” Zhao Hui admitted, squeezing her hand. He leaned in to kiss her, but she dodged, so he wrapped his arms around her slender waist, holding her tight against his chest. “Don’t you miss me?”
“What are you doing? If someone sees us, I’ll be mortified!” Xu Xia chided, pushing at his arms before softening her tone to coax him. “Alright, alright, I missed you too. Is that good enough?”