Only after receiving Xu Xia’s response did Zhao Hui release her hand with satisfaction.
“I heard you reported Aunt Wu to the Revolutionary Committee and had her arrested?” Zhao Hui sat down and helped add firewood.
Xu Xia confirmed, “After you left, she not only made unreasonable trouble but also spread malicious rumors about me everywhere. She said that while you were away, I’ve been seducing men all over the place, and I happened to overhear it. Heaven knows I go straight to work and back home every day—where would I find the time to seduce anyone?”
“I was so angry I reported her to the Revolutionary Committee. But how did you find out about this?”
“Aunt Wu’s eldest grandson serves in the same army unit as me. He approached me, asking me to talk to you—saying his grandmother is pitiful and we shouldn’t hold grudges against the elderly,” Zhao Hui explained.
“So what do you think? Should I let it go?” Xu Xia placed lunch boxes into the pot one by one. After covering the pot lid, she looked at Zhao Hui and asked.
Zhao Hui frowned slightly.
“It’s not that I’m pursuing this relentlessly—she started the trouble and slandered me first. I married into Jiangcheng from far away, with no relatives here. If I don’t stand up for myself, did I come here just to endure bullying? Or am I somehow in the wrong here?”
The more Xu Xia spoke, the more wronged she felt. She turned her back to Zhao Hui as tears streamed down her face.
Zhao Hui couldn’t stand seeing Xu Xia cry and quickly comforted her, “You’re right, she should indeed learn her lesson. Actually, I should handle this matter personally. I’ll have a good talk with Qin Family’s Eldest.”
“That’s more like it. We’re husband and wife—when Wu Yue’e bullies me, she’s slapping your face. How can you hesitate?” Xu Xia lightly punched Zhao Hui’s chest. Her weak punch felt like tickling to him.
They needed to align on matters of principle; otherwise, no matter how dedicated she was, there would be times when Xu Xia couldn’t pretend to be part of a loving couple.
“Besides, the Revolutionary Committee knows Wu Yue’e’s status—they won’t detain her for too long since she only insulted me, not anyone important.” Thinking about Wu Yue’e being released, Xu Xia said with a headache, “I don’t care—you need to find a way to make Wu Yue’e behave. Otherwise, while you’re away, I’ll be crying every day.”
She pouted and shook Zhao Hui’s arm. Men need opportunities to feel useful—that’s how they gain a sense of honor. You can’t handle everything yourself.
If you’re too virtuous, men have no purpose and will direct their energy elsewhere. Xu Xia didn’t want to be a virtuous wife—she wanted to be a charming wife who captivated her man.
Zhao Hui agreed, and only then did Xu Xia smile happily.
“There’s one more thing. Several comrades couldn’t attend our wedding. They want to come over for dinner tomorrow—is that alright?” Zhao Hui said, “Actually, I tried to refuse, but that Bai Shijian kept encouraging them. If we don’t host them once, they’ll keep pestering me. If you don’t want to cook, I’ll treat them at the state-owned restaurant, then they can just visit our home.”
He had prepared both options, worried that Xu Xia might find cooking too tiresome.
Xu Xia said of course it was fine. Since Zhao Hui had considered her feelings, she was willing to help him save face. “Cooking isn’t hard, but ingredients aren’t easy to get. Since they’re your comrades, we should prepare a generous spread. I have work this afternoon—you go wait at the Supply and Marketing Cooperative. Buy whatever poultry you can find—chicken, duck, or goose. Pork and beef are good too.”
Zhao Hui agreed. Since he hadn’t eaten yet, he took Xu Xia to a nearby restaurant for a meal before they went their separate ways.
When Zhao Hui went to the Supply and Marketing Cooperative, all the meat had already been sold out. Upon asking the salesperson, he was told they had no idea when the next delivery would arrive. “Comrade, if you’re determined to buy meat, you can wait here, but I can’t guarantee there will be any delivery this afternoon.”
Zhao Hui had never done grocery shopping before and didn’t realize buying meat could be so troublesome. He usually ate at the canteen or at home.
He waited at the entrance of the Supply and Marketing Cooperative for half an hour, but no one from the meat processing plant showed up. It wasn’t until he thought of Lin Su that he decided to seek her out.
Upon learning that Zhao Hui wanted to buy meat, Lin Su immediately took him to the Supply and Marketing Cooperative. “What a coincidence—I’m off duty today. I’ll go with you. My colleague definitely knows when the meat will arrive, but since he doesn’t know you, he wouldn’t tell you the truth. But why are you the one buying groceries? Where’s your wife?”
“Thank you, sister-in-law. My wife has to work. If she comes after her shift, there’ll be even less meat left.” Zhao Hui didn’t like troubling others, but Xu Xia was right—these were his comrades, and he should treat them well.
With Lin Su’s help, Zhao Hui easily found out that the meat would be delivered at three o’clock. He bought two strips of pork belly, a portion of spare ribs, and picked up two bottles of liquor to take home.
As Zhao Hui arrived home, he ran into Wu Yue’e, who had just been released after several days in detention. She looked haggard.
The moment she saw Zhao Hui, Wu Yue’e rushed over, tears streaming down her face. “Zhao Hui, what kind of wife have you married? She’s fierce and unreasonable. How could she… how could she get the Revolutionary Committee to arrest me?”
As an elder, no matter what, Xu Xia shouldn’t have argued with her. What harm would it have done to give in?
“Aunt Wu, I heard it was you who started trouble with my wife first,” Zhao Hui said with a stern face.
“How dare she blame me first? It was her who knocked over my flowerpot, and I only scolded her a little. But she’s inhuman—she had me taken away by the Revolutionary Committee!” Wu Yue’e cried bitterly. “You have no idea how she dresses up all flashy every day when you’re not around. I only said something for your own good, but she bit the hand that fed her—she doesn’t know a good heart when she sees one. Zhao Hui, you must discipline your wife. You’re never home—what if she fools around? You’ll regret it too late!”
She didn’t dare curse at Zhao Hui because her grandson worked under him. No matter how much she disliked the Zhao Family, she always restrained herself in front of Zhao Hui.
Looking at Wu Yue’e’s ugly expression, Zhao Hui understood that Xu Xia had truly suffered in his absence. “You say my wife seduced men? Who? When? Where? Aunt Wu, if you want to be arrested and criticized by the Revolutionary Committee, I don’t mind going there myself.”
“Without any evidence, you’re slandering my wife’s reputation. She was already merciful by only reporting you to the Revolutionary Committee. Previously, your son Qin Daxi came to me, saying you were pitiful and asking us not to bother with you. If he comes to me with such nonsense again, I’ll slap him hard across the face!”
He couldn’t hit Wu Yue’e himself, but he could teach Qin Daxi a lesson.
Zhao Hui slammed the door shut with a “bang.” Wu Yue’e stood frozen in place, taking a long time to recover. She gritted her teeth and cursed at the Zhao Family, “What are you so proud of? If it weren’t for your powerful father, would you be able to strut around in front of me?”
In her heart, she also cursed He Hongying as a scheming bitch who stole her man and made her life miserable.
Exhausted and hungry, Wu Yue’e returned home but didn’t see her granddaughter. “Qin Erniu? Where the hell have you gone?”
After shouting for a long time without seeing anyone, she had to start the fire and cook by herself. When she discovered that more than half the rice in the rice jar was gone, she flew into a rage and cursed, “When the tiger is away, the wildcat reigns! You wretched girl ate so much of my rice! If you have the guts, don’t come home, or I’ll beat you to death!”
Wu Yue’e grumbled and cursed, heartbroken over the eaten rice. As she cooked, she kept muttering, “Wretched girl, if you have the guts, don’t come back!”
Meanwhile, Qin Erniu had gone to see Director Tang again. She had been visiting the Women’s Federation every day these past few days.
Director Tang felt a headache coming on at the sight of Qin Erniu. “Erniu, you’re too young. We can’t arrange work for you.”
“I’m fifteen, and I’ll be sixteen after the New Year. Director Tang, if even you won’t help me, my grandmother will surely beat me to death when she comes home.” Qin Erniu wept bitterly, her voice trembling. She didn’t dare look up, keeping her head lowered as she sobbed softly.
“This is a society governed by law. Killing someone is a crime. Your grandmother wouldn’t be so foolish. How about this—when your grandmother is released, I’ll visit your home and try to reason with her, alright?” Director Tang truly had no means to arrange work for Qin Erniu. “Don’t you have an older brother in the army? Could you ask him to intervene and ease the tension between you?”
Qin Erniu stared at the ground in despair. When her brother was home, her grandmother did behave slightly better, but he couldn’t be around every day.
She now understood that the Women’s Federation couldn’t help her.
Qin Erniu walked home in a daze. As she reached her doorstep, she heard her grandmother’s cursing and was too frightened to go any further.
But there was no avoiding it. Before long, her grandmother came out, spotted her, and slapped her across the face.
“What did you eat while I was away? That rice was supposed to last a month! Did you finish it all? Do you want us to starve by the end of the month?”
Wu Yue’e, pent up with anger she hadn’t dared vent at the Revolutionary Committee, took it all out on her granddaughter. “You good-for-nothing! After all the years I’ve raised you, you’re nothing but a curse! Tell me, where did you run off to? You skipped your chores—where have you been playing?”
When her granddaughter remained silent, Wu Yue’e shoved her hard. “Cat got your tongue? Speak up!”
Qin Erniu fell to the ground, landing on her elbows. The pain made her dizzy.
And her grandmother kept kicking her.
It hurt. It hurt so much.
Why did she have to live like this?
Sister Xu had said that a person must stand on their own two feet. She also said that all these years, she hadn’t been living off her grandmother—her father’s monthly pension went to her grandmother.
Her grandmother simply despised her.
Wu Yue’e’s shouting and hitting drew the attention of neighbors, but most were accustomed to such scenes. Anyone who tried to intervene would only invite trouble and become the target of Wu Yue’e’s curses.
Still, some couldn’t bear to watch and urged Wu Yue’e to stop. “Erniu is just a child. What are you doing?”
“None of your damn business! I’m disciplining my own granddaughter—what’s it to you?” Wu Yue’e grabbed a handful of dirt from the ground and threw it. “If you want to meddle, take her in and raise her yourself! Stop yapping—I won’t listen to your nonsense!”
After driving the onlookers away, Wu Yue’e yanked her granddaughter up by the collar. “Get inside and wash the clothes! Stop pretending to be pitiful out here. I hate nothing more than… Ah! You little brat! You damn…”
Qin Erniu wrapped her arms around her grandmother’s legs and pushed her to the ground.
“Oh my god, murder! My unfilial granddaughter is trying to kill me!” Wu Yue’e fell backward, the impact making her see stars from the pain.
Qin Erniu was in too much pain. Remembering Sister Xu’s words, the resentment in her heart drove her to fight back.
Seeing her grandmother fallen on the ground, she was terrified and ran home in a panic, locking all the doors and windows.
Wu Yue’e wailed on the ground for a long time, but no one came to help her. When she went to knock on the door, Qin Erniu refused to open it. “You wretched girl, if you have the guts, hide forever! Let’s see how long you can last!”
When Xu Xia returned home, she saw Director Tang knocking on the door with her colleagues.
“Erniu, it’s me. The Women’s Federation is here. Could you open the door and let us in?”
“Go away. You can’t help me. I don’t trust you anymore. I went to the Women’s Federation every day, but you kept brushing me off and wouldn’t help. I don’t need you to handle my affairs now. I absolutely won’t open the door for her—she’ll beat me to death.” Qin Erniu leaned against the door, refusing to open it no matter who knocked.
Director Tang flushed with embarrassment. “It’s not that I didn’t want to help you, but I can only mediate.”
Qin Erniu ignored the people outside. Hearing her grandmother cursing her in the yard, she felt less afraid.
She could endure the beatings, or she could refuse to endure them and feel better. She needed to stand up for herself.
Qin Sanwang also knocked on the door, saying he was hungry and asking his sister to open it, but Qin Erniu remained unmoved.
Qin Erniu knew her brother and grandmother were in cahoots. She could only rely on herself.
Xu Xia glanced into the yard from outside. When she returned home, Zhao Hui was still asleep. She poked his cheek, and in an instant, he pinned her beneath him.
“I’ve been training for three days straight. I just washed the rice and was taking a quick nap.” Zhao Hui held her close, rubbing his chin against her neck.
Feeling his reaction, Xu Xia quickly said, “What are you doing? Fengshou will be home any minute.”
Zhao Hui still didn’t let go. “Then let’s lie here a little longer.” He missed Xu Xia’s scent, her lips, everything about her. He was already worked up and couldn’t wait for nightfall.
But Xu Xia didn’t dare fool around with Zhao Hui, yet she couldn’t push him away either. She had no choice but to say, “We’ll talk tonight. You can do whatever you want then.”
“Are you sure?”
“Mm-hmm.” Xu Xia just wanted to escape for now. As she pushed Zhao Hui away and got up, her brother came home from school. Xu Xia told Zhao Hui to go to the kitchen and learn to cook with her brother.
Eager for Xu Xia’s promise, Zhao Hui did whatever she asked.
After lighting the coal stove, Xu Fengshou said, “I just saw Wu Yue’e knocking on the door. What’s going on at her place?”
“Qin Erniu has come to her senses and is standing up to her grandmother,” Xu Xia replied.
“Can she win?” Xu Fengshou doubted Qin Erniu could overpower Wu Yue’e. “She can’t keep Wu Yue’e and the others locked out forever. If this goes on, Wu Yue’e will eventually break the door down.”
“Even one night locked out is enough. It’s time Wu Yue’e and her grandson learned what it’s like to suffer in the cold.” Seeing that the rice was cooking, Xu Xia went to the yard to check. Everyone else had left, leaving only Wu Yue’e and her grandson.
Qin Sanwang complained he was hungry. Wu Yue’e slapped him. “What’s the use of being hungry? Your sister’s gone mad! If you have the guts, make her open the door!”
Qin Sanwang cried in frustration. “Sister won’t listen to me! Grandma, why don’t you coax her? Just say you won’t hit her anymore—she’ll definitely open the door for you.”
“She’s got some nerve, daring to defy me! If I don’t teach her a proper lesson, I’ll stop going by Wu!” Wu Yue’e sat on the doorstep, her own stomach growling as neighbors began preparing dinner.
Qin Sanwang couldn’t persuade his grandmother and went to knock on the door again, but his sister still ignored him. He had no choice but to visit other houses. When he saw people eating, he’d stare longingly until someone gave him a rice ball.
He secretly ate it himself before moving to the next house, making the rounds of nearby households. People whispered behind their backs about the Qin family being a complete mess.
After filling his own stomach, Qin Sanwang returned to find his grandmother still sitting on the steps. A gust of wind made him shiver. “Grandma, I’m cold.”
“Come closer.” Wu Yue’e was too weak from hunger to eat. She went to knock on the door again, but it was useless.
She sat in the courtyard all night, periodically knocking and cursing, disturbing the neighbors’ sleep.
Xu Xia didn’t get to sleep either, finally understanding she shouldn’t make promises to men lightly.
If not for Zhao Hui’s comrades coming for dinner, Xu Xia wouldn’t have gotten up. Forced to rub her eyes awake, she saw Zhao Hui bringing breakfast and bit his arm hard.
“It’s all your fault I overslept,” Xu Xia grumbled.
“Don’t worry, just make a couple simple dishes. I’ll buy some braised pork head from the state-owned restaurant,” said Zhao Hui, well-fed and content, his Adam’s apple moving as he looked at his charming wife in bed.
“I don’t care. You’re helping me cook today. Don’t push all the cooking onto women like other men do.” Seizing the chance to be coquettish, Xu Xia wrapped her arms around Zhao Hui’s waist, nuzzling against him. Her soft body made Zhao Hui tense up immediately.
How could Zhao Hui refuse? Whatever Xu Xia said, he agreed.
After getting up, Xu Xia began chopping meat to make dumplings and prepare spare ribs for stew.
She had Zhao Hui help wrap dumplings. “Watch how I do it – pinch both sides tight so they don’t get too thick when boiled.”
It was Zhao Hui’s first time making dumplings, and they came out misshapen and uneven.
But Xu Xia showered him with praise: “My husband is so amazing! Your first time making dumplings and they’re already this good – much better than mine. Zhao Er Ge, you wrap all these dumplings while I prepare the stir-fry.”
Zhao Hui frowned slightly. “We’re married now. Shouldn’t you change how you address me?”
“Huh?”
“Call me by my name,” Zhao Hui coaxed. “If you call me by my name, I’ll get you Foreign Exchange Certificates to buy whatever you want.”
Putting on a shy act, Xu Xia softly called out “Zhao Hui.” Seeing him unable to suppress a smile, she quickly turned and ran off.
What a simple man – she knew exactly what men were thinking. One “Zhao Hui” in exchange for Foreign Exchange Certificates was totally worth it.
Zhao Hui was delighted too, happily wrapping dumplings until his comrades arrived at the door. Only then did he realize how late it was, rushing out to greet them without even washing his hands.
“Hey Old Zhao, what’s this? Been cooking?”
With flour on his hands and smudges on his face, Zhao Hui looked embarrassed when he lowered his head. “Stop talking nonsense and come inside.”
Xu Fengshou perceptively poured tea for the guests before hiding in the kitchen. “Sis, five or six people came.”
“Mm, could you help me bring the braised fish out and tell them they can wash up for dinner?” Xu Xia then went to ladle out the pork ribs stewed with green beans. The ribs were fall-off-the-bone tender, the beans soaked through with meaty flavor, and a final sprinkle of scallions made even her mouth water.
She placed the filled dishes on the table, waiting for Xu Fengshou to carry them out. Finally, she stir-fried two plates of greens. Since all the guests were men with surely big appetites, the vegetable portions were piled high in large bowls.
Last came boiling the dumplings. While waiting for the water to boil, Xu Xia went out to greet everyone. “Please enjoy your meal at leisure. There are cabbage and pork dumplings cooking in the pot—I hope everything suits your taste?”
Her smile was warm, a fine mist of sweat on her cheeks making her skin appear even more dewy.
Some of Zhao Hui’s comrades had met Xu Xia before, but they never expected such a beautiful girl to also be such a good cook, making them all the more envious of Zhao Hui.
Bai Shijian had shamelessly tagged along again today. “Sis-in-law, are you sure your family doesn’t have any unmarried older or younger sisters? Cousins would do too.”
He had just sampled every dish—far superior to the canteen food. The braised fish was fragrant and tender, the flesh sweet with a hint of spice from the chili, making you want bite after bite.
Xu Xia smiled sweetly and asked Zhao Hui to help in the kitchen.
As soon as the couple left, Bai Shijian grumbled resentfully, “Back then, I asked Old Zhao to introduce me, but he refused outright. Turns out he had his eye on her himself. I’m so jealous—why does he have all the luck, marrying a wife who’s accomplished both in the living room and the kitchen?”
“Better stop there. If Regimental Commander Zhao hears this, he’ll pick a fight with you.”
“Exactly, who among us can match Old Zhao’s fortune? I heard she’s his childhood sweetheart. Comparing just makes you bitter. My own wife was also arranged since childhood, but her waist is twice as thick as anyone else’s.”
“No kidding. Good thing we pestered Old Zhao to come, or we’d have missed out on such a feast. Oh, Old Zhao, you’re here! Sit down and have a drink with us. You hit the jackpot—if you don’t get drunk today, our trip was wasted!”
Just as Zhao Hui set down the dumplings, Xu Xia praised, “These dumplings were made by my Zhao Hui himself. He said you’re all his best comrades and he wanted to host you wholeheartedly. Try them quickly and see how they taste?”
At her words, the burly men all piped up in exaggerated tones, “Delicious! Never knew Regimental Commander Zhao had such skills.”
“He’s good at many things. Marrying him is my blessing.” Xu Xia kept praising Zhao Hui, giving him full face. With her there, Bai Shijian and the others couldn’t easily pressure Zhao Hui to drink, ending up drinking more themselves.
Zhao Hui felt immensely proud today. Under the table, he held Xu Xia’s hand, convinced she must truly love him to be so considerate.
Meanwhile, in the neighboring courtyard, Wu Yue’e and her grandson were weak with hunger. Qin Sanwang tried his old tricks again, but the neighbors told him to persuade his grandmother—no one had spare food.
Not only were they starving, but they also had to endure the tantalizing aromas wafting from the Zhao family.
Qin Sanwang couldn’t take it anymore. “Grandma, can you give me some money? I’m about to faint from hunger.”
Wu Yue’e was even hungrier, having skipped dinner the night before. She went to the door and threatened, “You wretched girl, if you don’t open this door now, once I break it down, you’ll pay for it!”
For now, she couldn’t bring herself to break the door—it would cost a lot to repair.
Qin Erniu had been sitting behind the door all night. Hearing her grandmother’s words, she trembled with fear but still refused to open it.
“Grandma, I’m really hungry,” Qin Sanwang lay on the ground, “Wuwu, I want to eat!”
The neighbor’s place smelled so delicious—seemingly of fish and meat—and he wanted some too.
“Hungry, hungry, hungry! All you do is complain. Do you think I’m not hungry?” Wu Yue’e slammed the door hard, but her granddaughter inside still wouldn’t open it. “Fine, Qin Erniu, I’ve raised an ungrateful wretch. After all the hardship I endured raising you, this is how you repay me? Heavens above, open your eyes and see—my Qin family has produced an unfilial daughter. How did I become so unlucky?”
If she had married Zhao Manfu, she would have been the commander’s wife, with cars to pick her up and drop her off wherever she went, and her son would have been healthy. Instead, her current life was not only marked by her son’s early death but also by the granddaughter she had painstakingly raised actually shutting her out at the door.
Wu Yue’e felt that fate was too unfair. She hated the Zhao Family, and most of all, she hated He Hongying for stealing her happy life.
“Qin Erniu, if you won’t open the door, don’t blame me for being rude!” Wu Yue’e began ramming the door. Today, she was determined to teach Qin Erniu a lesson and show her who was really in charge of this household!
“Bang!”
“Bang!”
After two consecutive impacts, the door lock loosened slightly.
Wu Yue’e rammed it a few more times and, upon hearing a “click,” gave it a fierce kick.
But as soon as she rushed in, a glint of light flashed before her eyes. By the time she clearly saw a knife pointed straight at her face, everything went dark, and she fainted from fright.