Wu Guihua was so excited she could hardly contain herself. She ran out to the vegetable garden, cut a handful of chives, pulled up a good number of weeds, and carefully put them in the storeroom.
After waiting two days, she went in and out more than a dozen times. Sure enough, the chives and weeds were still exactly as they had been when she’d first laid waste to them.
So she put off her plan to tidy the house. Turning into a busy little bee, Wu Guihua happily harvested every ripe fruit and vegetable in the storage space and stashed it in the storeroom.
In the end, she had thirty-two baskets of apples, thirteen baskets of snow pears, forty baskets of peaches, and more than two hundred pounds of dates. She also gathered over a hundred pounds of chives, and a hundred pounds altogether of scallions and bok choy!
All that remained were the medicinal plants on the distant hillside, whose age she couldn’t begin to guess.
In her previous life, Wu Guihua had often gone into the mountains to gather herbs for money to support her family, but the number of medicinal plants she knew was limited.
The herbs in the storage space were precious. It would be a shame if she picked them carelessly, so she could only wait a little longer.
But she knew the large-leaf chrysanthemums with their little white flowers growing at the foot of the mountain very well. The last time she went to the Military District, she had secretly given some to Wang Yun as a “welcome gift.”
The only question was, when would Wang Yun discover it?
Wu Guihua was waiting for the show to begin.
Wang Yun had just entered the military family compound when she sneezed twice.
Seven or eight days had passed, and most of the swelling and bruising on her face had gone down, but the storm Wu Guihua had brought with her still hadn’t let up.
The school had told her to rest and recover; she could return to work in a few months.
It sounded considerate, but Wang Yun knew the school was looking for a reason to dismiss her.
She smoothed her disheveled hair. The spot on her scalp where her hair had been yanked out still felt a little chilly.
A few young wives were gathered around the water tap, washing clothes together. They took the initiative to greet her.
“Oh, Teacher Wang, you’re back. How’s Xiaojun? Does he still have a fever?”
“He’s a little better.”
Wang Yun gave a vague answer and hurried upstairs, but she still couldn’t keep the gossip from reaching her ears.
“Honestly, some people are just too good at putting on an act. They look cultured and kind, but they’re cruel underneath. That child had only been left with her for a few days, and he still ended up sick.”
“Exactly. Battalion Commander Li’s wife made sure to tell them to take good care of the child before she went home. Seems they just let it go in one ear and out the other.”
“You don’t know the half of it. She’s busy at night, you know. How would she have time to tuck the child in?”
“Haha, right, she’s busy! I used to wonder why an old married couple were so clingy all the time. Now I get it. A proper wife can’t compare to a stolen one!”
Wang Yun slammed the door shut. She raised the clothes in her hands as if to throw them down, but couldn’t bring herself to.
After the house had been emptied, Li Hongyuan had hurriedly managed to get a few tables and stools from the logistics department, but there were still countless things missing.
She hadn’t changed her clothes in ages. The set she was wearing was covered in stains, and even she could smell how foul it was.
Yesterday, she’d tried to borrow a set from a coworker she used to be close to, but the woman wouldn’t even open the door for her!
That was already enough to make her miserable. And then there was the little brat Wu Guihua had left behind. He was practically made of paper. There were no quilts at home, so Wang Yun had covered him with a coat for the night. By morning, he had a fever.
Li Hongyuan hadn’t been sent on a mission, so he could see the child when he came home at night. She couldn’t just neglect him; she had no choice but to take him to the hospital.
Most of the doctors and nurses there were military dependents too, and they passed the ward three times a day.
She had to put on a show of being attentive and considerate, coaxing the little brat. By the end of the day, she was so exhausted she wanted to kill someone!
When Li Hongyuan came back and saw the young wives gathered in the courtyard, he pulled his cap low to hide his bruised, swollen eye and hurried inside.
Hearing him, Wang Yun quickly rubbed her eyes red and began to cry softly.
“Why are you crying again? Are you feeling unwell?”
Li Hongyuan put his arms around Wang Yun and comforted her, trying to suppress his irritation.
“Don’t worry. I just found someone else to scrounge up a few industrial coupons. Tomorrow I can buy pots, bowls, and everything else for the house.”
Wang Yun choked back a sob and leaned against him.
“Hongyuan, I’m not afraid of hardship. After all, when I came with you to the army, we had nothing, and we got through it just fine. I’m only…”
“Only what?”
“Only worried about you. You’ve risked your life for so many years, and just when you were finally about to be promoted, Guihua came and made a scene—and now you’ve lost everything.”
Her words struck home. Li Hongyuan resented Wu Guihua even more.
The organization had called him in for another talk just now. Another battalion commander had been appointed to fill the vacancy of Deputy Regimental Commander. His dream of promotion was completely over!
Political Commissar Huang had advised him to keep his head down; if he put in a few more years, he might still have another chance.
But Li Hongyuan couldn’t accept it. He hated Wu Guihua even more.
Even if she felt wronged and dissatisfied, she’d already held on for twenty years. Couldn’t she have held on a little longer?
He hadn’t sent allowances home, but it wasn’t deliberate. He wasn’t exactly living comfortably, supporting his sister-in-law and two children.
Besides, there was a house and land back in their hometown. They could have found something to eat. How could she have gone hungry?
In the end, Wu Guihua was simply unreasonable!
Wang Yun watched Li Hongyuan’s face discreetly, then wiped away her tears.
“Guihua misunderstood us, and I can understand that. She’s never lived here, so she doesn’t know how hard things are for you. But how could she be so heartless toward Xiaojun, her own son?
“Even I, his aunt, can’t help feeling sorry for him. He’s so little, burning with fever and mumbling for his mother, with no appetite and nothing but skin and bones.
“Should we find someone to take Xiaojun back to her? A child will grow better with his own mother.”
Li Hongyuan frowned, remembering Wu Guihua’s fierce manner. It unnerved him.
“No. I promised Wu Guihua I’d take care of Xiaojun. I can’t go back on my word. I think she knows Xiaojun is in poor health and is trying to make me give in. Let’s keep him a while longer. It’ll mean more work for you, but please take extra good care of him for now.
“Tomorrow, buy him a tin of malted milk. Give him plenty, and he’ll be better soon.”
Wang Yun ground her teeth in resentment. A tin of malted milk cost dozens of yuan. How could they afford it now?
Even if they could, she had children of her own. Why should that brat get any?
But she couldn’t say what she really thought. She forced a smile, acting as if she had Li Hongyuan’s best interests at heart.
“All right. We’ll just cut back on our own food. We have to make sure the child gets better. Xiaojun is your own flesh and blood, after all…”
“Yun’er, I knew you were the kindest, most virtuous woman.”
Li Hongyuan sighed and complained.
“It’s all that shrew Wu Guihua’s fault. When my elder brother died, I took on the responsibility of supporting two family branches—that was something Mother agreed to. All these years, you’ve taken care of me and this household here, saving Wu Guihua so much trouble, and she’s still not satisfied!”
Wang Yun sighed. “If anyone’s to blame, blame me. My heart belongs to you. I knew that living with you meant our relationship would never be proper, but I couldn’t bring myself to leave. Otherwise, I could have taken the children and endured a little hardship; at least I wouldn’t have to live with people pointing fingers behind my back.”
Li Hongyuan felt even more sorry for her. “Don’t worry. Those people outside have nothing better to do. They’ll forget about it in a few months.”