Aunt Liu clutched Changzong’s hand outside, her legs trembling. Hongguo’s legs were weak too. She had just dreamed it—how could the mute girl already be dead?
Aunt Liu said the mute girl died of heart palpitations; Wang Daniu starved to death. Just like in Hongguo’s dream. Even the reason for revenge had appeared in her dream. But she dared not speak of it. Dreaming reality before it happened—it was too strange.
Funeral arrangements were underway. Kong Laoda had been contacted and was rushing back.
Another confirmed piece of news: the two brothers from Kong Lao’er’s wife’s family had gone into the mountains for ginseng and were killed by wild wolves. Villagers formed a wolf-hunting team and were injured by wild boars. No one dared enter the mountains anymore.
At the village office, people speculated it was Meng Qingdai’s curse—that Wang Daniu’s greed for city residency and jobs had brought retribution.
Only Kong Laoda’s family remained intact. His wife, terrified, stayed at her parents’ home claiming illness. Kong Laoda hurried back from the city. Several villagers helped him with the funerals.
Grateful, Kong Laoda said the job he found in the city needed a few helpers. As thanks, he could take three men along to work until year’s end—earning perhaps one or two hundred yuan.
He sought out Gu Changzong.
“When I went to the city looking for work, the boss I met turned out to be the man you once saved. When he heard I was from Dayang Village, he asked about you. I said I knew you, and he gave me the job.”
Aunt Liu thought it perfect timing and urged Hongguo to agree. “If Changzong goes, it’ll definitely work out, right?”
Kong Laoda said eagerly, “If Changzong comes, he’ll lead us to make money. Collecting payments will be more secure too.”
Aunt Liu kept persuading. Changzong was young—it was time to venture out. Uncle Yang could go along.
She had both sincerity and selfish motives. If Changzong went, her husband could too. They desperately needed money—their son’s college entrance exam was only half a year away. University in the city would cost a lot. Without money, it was impossible.
Hongguo and Changzong stayed silent. Aunt Liu pressed on.
“Hongguo, think about it. One or two hundred yuan in just a few months. With Changzong’s connections, he might earn even more.”
It sounded reasonable. But Aunt Liu didn’t know the deeper truth. Her family needed money. Hongguo’s didn’t. She didn’t want Changzong to go.
“A few days is fine. But if it’s long, I’ll be scared alone at home.”
“Then stay at my house.”
Hongguo still refused. “He’s young and handsome. What if some city woman takes a fancy to him? What if he loses both the money and himself? I won’t allow it.”
Changzong froze—then overwhelming joy surged through him. Hongguo cares about me this much?
Even Aunt Liu paused. Hongguo had a point. Kong Laoda was nearly forty, and even his wife felt uneasy. Changzong was only in his early twenties. Newlyweds shouldn’t be apart long.
Kong Laoda added, “Hongguo, Educated Youth Gu is a city man. If you keep him farming here while others go out and get rich, won’t he resent you one day?”
The argument sounded logical.
But was going out to work the only way to make money?
If Gu Changzong truly wanted to earn, it would be easier for him than it ever was for Meng Qingdai.
The key wasn’t money.
It was staying alive.
Jiang Hongguo was upset and suddenly felt nauseous, running to the side to retch.
This immediately terrified Gu Changzong. He fumbled at her side, reaching to support her, but she pushed him away.
Changzong turned his gaze back toward Kong Eldest, and a chill ran down his spine.
Auntie Liu reacted quickly, exclaiming in surprise, “Hongguo, could it be… you’re pregnant?”
…
Jiang Hongguo suspected she might be pregnant, but she didn’t feel the expected joy—not because she disliked the idea, but because she didn’t know if it would be a healthy child. Every month during her period, she wished it would arrive sooner, yet this month still had two days left. Even a hospital check couldn’t confirm anything yet. Nausea alone couldn’t determine pregnancy.
She pulled the quilt over her head, tossing restlessly, feeling worse with Changzong still by the bedside. Irritated, she told him to leave.
Changzong, seeing the sky darkening, said gently, “Guoguo, you haven’t eaten yet.”
Hongguo didn’t want to eat, pushing him away through the quilt: “You go first. I’ll let you know when I feel like eating.”
Changzong, uneasy and anxious, held her close through the blanket. As long as she didn’t push him away, he wanted to stay like this.
“Changzong, go out. I want to sleep by myself,” she complained.
He kissed her through the quilt before leaving. Hongguo pulled the quilt off, hearing him open and close the courtyard gate. Had he gone to talk to Kong Eldest? To go earn money?
Given the precedent of Qingdai, she knew there must be a secure source of income—otherwise, they could be suspected, just like Meng Qingdai.
Previously, it was just the two of them. Hongguo wasn’t too worried. But if she really was pregnant, she would, like Auntie Liu, seize every opportunity to earn. Should she let Changzong go?
After waiting a while and seeing Changzong hadn’t returned, Hongguo got out of bed and went to look for him. Fresh air helped her feel slightly better.
There was no moon tonight, and with the power out, the kerosene lamps in houses along the way barely lit the path. Somehow, she walked steadily, meeting no one.
At first, she thought Changzong was at Auntie Liu’s talking with Uncle Yang. When she reached the doorway, she overheard Auntie Liu under the lamp:
“Kong Eldest said Changzong helped that boss. That time he earned quite a bit—200–300 yuan. No wonder he doesn’t mind not borrowing favors. Changzong won’t just take the village people to earn money; it’s because we treated the young couple well.”
Uncle Yang cautioned: “Don’t guess too much. Hongguo is pregnant, and there’s no elder to watch over her. Changzong wouldn’t leave her alone.”
“Exactly because she’s pregnant, he must go earn. Unless their family has money—when I was pregnant twice, did my mother-in-law take care of me? Both home and work, I did everything myself.”
“Hongguo is different. She’s weak. Even before pregnancy, Changzong didn’t make her wash clothes. Now that she’s pregnant, he certainly won’t leave her alone. Stop arguing.”
Auntie Liu’s voice trembled a bit, as if she’d already lost 100–200 yuan in worry. “I remember Gu Zhishi wasn’t always so good to Hongguo before. Why don’t we mention that now?”
Hongguo, angry, coughed outside the house. Auntie Liu seemed not to hear, and Uncle Yang didn’t like gossip, so he stopped after a few words.
Hongguo didn’t enter the house but continued searching for Changzong. She thought about Auntie Liu’s words: just because she hadn’t agreed to let Changzong work with Kong Eldest, Auntie Liu spoke against her behind her back. Human hearts are inscrutable—good as they are, she would be cautious in the future.
She guessed Changzong had gone to Kong Eldest’s house. The old and new Kong houses were connected. The new house was pitch dark, given that Kong Laosan, Kong Second, and Wang Auntie’s family were all dead—it was scary.
In the flickering kerosene light of the old house’s west window, she saw two shadows, one being Changzong.
Changzong’s shadow gripped Kong Eldest’s shadow. His cold voice resonated: “You helped Hongguo, yet you dare make her unhappy? You lied to get me out—what are you planning?”
Hongguo was shocked. Changzong wasn’t speaking to Kong Eldest—was he speaking to Meng Qingdai?
If it was Meng Qingdai, Hongguo had helped her, even hugged her once to fulfill her wish. But she had lied—how could she be so cruel?
Kong Eldest’s shadow replied: “Your blood will only sustain me for a few months. I wanted to trick you out, use Hongguo for some exchange. If you give me some now, I won’t trouble you. Hongguo is my savior; I won’t harm her. Rest assured.”
Changzong didn’t haggle. Kong Eldest’s scream choked into a whimper, then fell silent.
Changzong’s voice followed: “I can give blood; I can also take it back. Saving this time was a waste.”
Hongguo, frightened, ran home and hid under the quilt, hearing Changzong’s uneasy voice:
“Guoguo, wake up. Another nightmare?”
She opened her eyes. In natural light, she saw Changzong’s handsome face full of concern. The sky was slightly bright—had she really slept through the night?
“Guoguo, how about breakfast?” Changzong asked, crouching by the bed.
Cautious, Hongguo asked: “You didn’t wake me last night for breakfast?”
“I did. You were sleeping so soundly, I couldn’t wake you.”
So the events she saw at Auntie Liu’s and Kong Eldest’s last night—was it a dream?
Not exactly. Dreams had mirrored reality before, like the deaths of the mute girl and Wang Auntie.
At first, she thought the mute girl’s hug caused the dream, but now she realized—she must be pregnant, and that triggered the visions.
Hongguo touched her flat, slender belly. Would Changzong like the child? People may or may not like children—but would he? She worried.
“Changzong, I might really be pregnant. Do you like it?”
He only loved Hongguo. “Guoguo, do you like it?” he asked.
Of course she did. After two vivid dreams of actual events, she was curious about her baby. She nodded: “I like it.”
Changzong smiled: “Good. I’ll like it with you.”