Zhao Qin’s lips moved, and she shot me a resentful glare before turning her head away and saying nothing.
My dad breathed a sigh of relief, his expression much improved, and said to the surrounding villagers, “Since it’s not here, there’s nothing to it. Everyone can rest easy.”
Xie Yanlai looked flustered, and together with Liu Cuizhi, went to check on her husband.
Xie Facai said nothing, avoiding their gazes.
Just then, a commotion arose outside. Song Chuan’s mother came into our courtyard with several villagers. She was carrying a large plate with a cooked pig’s head on it.
Everyone stepped aside, asking curiously what was going on.
Song’s mother’s excited voice carried far: “The Liu siblings saved my son! I don’t have much to thank them with, so I got a pig’s head on credit from the village store! Consider it my thanks for saving his life!”
With that, she handed the pig’s head to my dad, then said to us, “Chuan-zi’s father died early, and Chuan-zi is the only child our family has left! If it weren’t for you, he probably would have… I won’t say any more. Anyway, thank you—let me kowtow to you!”
She started to kneel down.
My brother quickly helped Song’s mother back up.
“We’re all neighbors here—there’s no need for this.”
I added, “That’s right. Close neighbors matter more than distant relatives. Of course we wouldn’t stand by and watch someone die. But if someone from the same village harms others, stands by while people die, or even smears and frames innocent people—are they even human? Don’t you agree, Auntie?” My eyes stared straight at Liu Cuizhi and Xie Facai.
Their expressions were a sight to behold—the flesh on their faces was trembling.
When her son had his accident, Xie Yanlai had been hiding in our house. Now they couldn’t even frame us.
Xie Yanlai, no longer bothering to stay hidden, hurriedly and flusteredly got dressed.
Song’s mother asked curiously, “What’s going on here? Why is there someone half-naked coming out of here?”
I laughed. “When my brother and I were saving your Chuan-zi, he snuck into our house. He claimed he and I were together in that way at the time. Everyone, judge for yourselves—do I know the art of Fen-shen-shu, or did someone impersonate me to share a bed with him?”
Song’s mother said to Xie Yanlai, “What kind of behavior is this! If she doesn’t want to be with you, fine! You’re a grown man—can’t you find a woman somewhere else? How could you ruin someone’s reputation like this?”
Liu Cuizhi said, “Auntie, how can you talk nonsense like that…”
“How am I talking nonsense? Sneaking naked into someone’s house while they’re away—is your son trying to act like a hooligan? Though this isn’t the first time you’ve done something like this. Last time when you got chased out of that family’s place, you weren’t wearing clothes either. Are you so used to being bare-bottomed?”
The crowd burst into laughter.
Xie Yanlai, unable to save face, strode outside with a dark expression, pulling up his pants. “Nonsense!”
He stumbled and fell flat on the ground. The crowd kept laughing, and I felt delighted inside.
Song Chuan’s mother was no ordinary woman. She was a widow with a slightly mentally impaired son. If she weren’t tough enough, she couldn’t have held her ground in the village—so there was nothing she was afraid to say.
Zhao Qin hurriedly helped her precious son up. “You didn’t get hurt, did you?”
“I told you not to do this, but you forced me. Look how this turned out. I’m disgusted with all of you!” Xie Yanlai didn’t even glance at me and ran off as fast as he could.
The two of us were the saviors of Song’s mother’s son, so of course she went all out to help us: “We’re all from the same village—how could anyone do something like this? It’s shameful!”
Liu Cuizhi snapped furiously, “Don’t spit blood at people! When did my son ever say that? He’s been denying it the whole time—it was Zhao Qin who said it!”
Zhao Qin tried to talk back, but the moment she opened her mouth she choked on her own spit, coughing until tears came out, so naturally she didn’t get any chance to speak.
Xie Facai hurriedly said, “It’s all a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding! Stop arguing. My son drank too much—he’ll come to your home another day to apologize. I’m sorry!” He cupped his hands apologetically to the crowd, then grabbed his wife’s arm and left.
The neighbors gradually dispersed as well, all comforting me. Song’s mother was anxious to get home to see her son and left quickly too. Once everyone had gone, I finally breathed a sigh of relief. That hateful Xie Yanlai, with this incident behind him, would never be able to harm me again.
Zhao Qin glared at me and cursed, “You’re lucky this time! Shameless hussy—even when you seduce a man, someone comes to cover for you!”
I sneered, “I know you want to destroy me, but unfortunately I’m not so easy to bully. You say I seduced someone, so that makes it true? I’m not like certain people who spent someone else’s money and shamelessly refuse to pay it back, pushing their own younger sister out there over and over again. Is Liu Yaolan a pimp? I’m embarrassed for her!”
Zhao Qin’s eyes bulged with rage: “You shameless slut, have you no decency? You can actually say things like that!”
“You’re the ones who did it—am I not allowed to say it? To protect your precious eldest daughter, you sold me off to them. Why don’t you say you have no decency then?”
“You… I’ll tear your mouth apart…”
My father held back the crazed Zhao Qin as she lunged at me to claw at me. “It’s just groundless gossip—what are you yelling about! Zhenzhen, you shouldn’t talk either. What does this have to do with your sister? Don’t say such ugly things again.”
I said nothing, thinking to myself: What does it have to do with her? It was probably her idea in the first place!
“Now you dare yell at me for the sake of this good-for-nothing worthless daughter of yours! When she insults me and Liu Yaolan, can’t you hear it, you bastard?” Zhao Qin slapped my father and stormed into the house. Before long, we heard the sound of basins and bowls being smashed.
I remember when I was four or five, I often heard that racket. Every time, I would tremble all over with fear, not daring to go near her, not even daring to go eat, terrified that her temper would flare and I’d get beaten.
But now I didn’t care anymore, so naturally I paid no attention to her smashing things.
I turned to my brother and said, “When are we leaving?”
“There’s a bus this afternoon.”
“Then help me boil some hot water—I’ll wash these dirty clothes. If we put them on the heated wall, they’ll dry in a bit. Then make something to eat while you’re at it. We can’t go hungry, and there’s that pig’s head too—we can eat a proper meal.”
My brother glanced at me, nodded, and went to light the stove.
I scooped a big basin of water from the water vat, scrubbed the mud off the hems of my pants, and tossed them into the basin to wash.
My father came out at that point, watched me for a while, then sighed, “You’ve been wronged. I know you’ve been wronged.”
I smiled. “It’s nothing. Thanks, Dad—for speaking up for me. I never expected it.”
My father froze for a moment, then shook his head with a bitter smile and patted my hand with his calloused one. “Take care of yourself out there. Be careful.”
My dad was just about to speak when Zhao Qin started crying from inside the room: “I might as well just die! Nobody cares about me! Lanlan, your mom really can’t go on living—Mom only has you left!”
My dad frowned and went back into the room.
I was outside washing clothes, and Zhao Qin’s wailing never stopped. I felt nothing at all. Whatever—let her do whatever she wants. I’m leaving soon anyway.
My brother went in to comfort her for a while, only to get cursed out.
For breakfast we had cornmeal buns with a slice of meat cut from the block. It had been ages since we’d had meat. Even before my rebirth, I’d gone months without a single meal of meat. So I ate with great relish.
My brother went in to call Zhao Qin out, but she was throwing a hunger strike tantrum, insisting that I kneel down and kowtow to her in apology.
I snorted: “Eat or don’t, what did I even do wrong? Why should I kneel to her?” I stuffed my mouth full: “Bro, Dad, eat up! It’s so good!”
In the , Zhao Qin couldn’t resist the smell of the meat and came out. Carrying her bowl, she started eating with a huff, putting away at least half a pound of that layered pork belly, her mouth all greasy. I glanced at her—watching her eat meat like that honestly made me sick. So much meat, and she didn’t even find it greasy. Hmph, sooner or later it’ll kill you with fat.
My dad said, “Your brother’s job is drilling wells—hard work and dangerous. You be careful, a girl like you.”
I nodded. “I know.”
Zhao Qin snorted: “You had a perfectly good job at the garment factory, but no, you had to go out to the wilderness. What, you think there are more men out there or something?”
My dad frowned and said nothing.
I shot Zhao Qin a sideways look. This woman was just frustrated with her own needs, so she assumed everyone who went out was looking for men. Can’t live without a man—pathetic, really.
My brother frowned. “Mom, I know Zhenzhen’s marriage upset you, but there are eight or nine women working at our site too. Everyone’s out there earning money for their families—it’s not dirty like you say. Your temper’s getting worse and worse. What has Zhenzhen ever done to you that you have to target her at every turn? Or is what she said true—that you’re not even her real mother?”
Zhao Qin punched her son hard: “Watch your mouth! I gave birth to her! Who told her to be so disobedient? If she’d just married off properly, this household would be peaceful, but no, she had to show off!”
“Have you still not figured out what kind of person Xie Yanlai is? He could do something so shameless—how could I let my little sister marry into that family!” My brother was getting angry too: “The one the eldest sister rejected, you just force onto the younger one? How can you be so biased!”
“You… you get out of here, all of you trying to drive me to my grave!” She stood up, wheezing and panting, and stormed back to her room.
I kept my head down and kept eating. When I happened to look up, I saw my dad watching me with a complicated expression.
I smiled and put a piece of meat in his bowl: “Here, Dad, eat.”
“Alright, eat up.” My dad lowered his head and ate.
Time passed quickly, and by afternoon we were ready to set off. My brother and I each carried a duffel bag with some clothes in it. Since bedding would be provided at the site, my dad gave me the blanket he’d been using himself.
I went to the vegetable garden and picked some cucumbers and tomatoes—both can be eaten raw—and made some pancakes. I wasn’t sure whether I’d be able to find work over there, and even if I did, there’d be no pay for the first month. Most of my brother’s money was skimmed off by Zhao Qin, and the little he had on hand was barely enough for his own living. Adding me to the mix would only make things harder.