After a few minutes, the sounds from the courtyard gradually faded.
The crowd shifted their conversation to other topics.
"I went back to my parents' home yesterday and heard that an old widower from my parents' Production Team married a woman twenty years younger than him."
"Oh my, really?"
"My mother told me herself, how could it be false…"
They chatted until it was completely dark before picking up their stools one by one to head home.
Several old women, having thoroughly enjoyed cracking sunflower seeds, held Song Xiu Jun's hand affectionately and said, "Little Song Zhiqing, let's chat together again when you have time."
"Oh my, of all the Educated Youth who've come to our Production Team, I like Little Song the most. The moment I saw her, I knew this girl was a good one."
"Not only is she beautiful, but she's also straightforward. Whoever marries her will be truly blessed."
Song Xiu Jun was also very pleased—she had spent just one pound of sunflower seeds for a pleasant evening. What a bargain!
As she prepared to leave with Wang Danniang, a young man suddenly emerged from the crowd and blocked Song Xiu Jun's path, eagerly saying, "Little Song Zhiqing, it's so late, let me walk you back! I'll carry this stool for you."
"Who are you?" Song Xiu Jun recalled he was the man who had been smiling at her in the crowd earlier but didn't know which family he belonged to in the Production Team.
Wang Damei stepped forward at this point, blocking him with her hand, "Shoo, shoo, get lost! Who needs you to escort her? I'm going the same way as Little Song!"
"Hehe, Wang Danniang, then I'll escort both of you back," the young man said, shaking the long hair on his forehead in what he thought was a stylish manner.
"Look at those two strands of hair blocking your eyes! You have to shake them every few words. Even if you dare to escort us, we wouldn't dare accept! What if you twist your neck halfway and blame us for it?" Wang Damei unceremoniously pushed him aside.
"Wang Danniang, don't block us young folks from making friends. You're not Little Song Zhiqing's elder," the young man retorted unhappily.
"Well, comrade, who exactly are you? I don't even know you, how are we friends?" Song Xiu Jun said impatiently.
"My name is Wang Shanshun. Accountant Wang is my Paternal Uncle," he said, tilting his chin up with a slightly proud tone, "I'm the work-point recorder for the first team."
Song Xiu Jun nodded, "Wang what Shun?"
"Wang Shanshun."
"What Shan Shun?"
Wang Shanshun was speechless and didn't respond.
Song Xiu Jun simply walked around him and, arm in arm with Wang Danniang, headed home.
Several young men of similar age popped up and teasingly punched Wang Shanshun, "Shunzi, didn't you say Song Zhiqing was interested in you? You even said she smiled at you."
"Your boast backfired! She didn't even know your name!"
Another pinched his nose, imitating Song Xiu Jun's voice, "Wang what Shun, what Shan Shun~"
"Get lost!" Wang Shanshun pushed the other person in anger and embarrassment, "Who knows, maybe she was just trying to get my attention."
With his family background, job, and looks, which of his peers in the team could compare?
If Song Zhiqing didn't fancy him, it must be because she had poor taste.
…
Song Xiu Jun, however, was unaware of this conversation after they left.
She was only curious about the village gossip, "Old woman, what exactly happened with that family beating their daughter-in-law earlier?"
No one in the Production Team was unaware of this family's affairs. After all, no other household was like theirs—beating the daughter-in-law every other day. Only the newly arrived Educated Youth were completely in the dark about the brigade's situation, which was why Old woman Wang particularly enjoyed chatting with Song Xiu Jun. Every time they spoke, even when she recounted those stale, trivial matters about the brigade, Song Xiu Jun would show a look of astonishment and burning curiosity.
Such a reaction was the greatest reward for a gossipmonger.
"That couple, Yan Yougen and Wang Chunhua, are the most loving pair in our Xianghong Brigade!"
Song Xiu Jun: "!" What nonsense? How could they be the most loving when he beats her until she howls?
Wang Damei put on a mysterious expression: "That's right, you heard correctly—they are the most loving!"
"Those two have known each other since childhood—practically grew up together. When Wang Chunhua was twelve or thirteen, she followed her mother to remarry into our brigade and took her stepfather's surname, Wang."
"Later, they fell for each other and got married. Yan Yougen takes after his father—neither are good sorts, both beat their wives. But Yan Yougen's mother isn't someone to be trifled with—she fights back. So after his father tried a few times and realized he couldn't gain anything from it, he stopped."
"But Wang Chunhua isn't as fierce as her mother-in-law and doesn't dare fight back against her husband."
"However, Yan Yougen might be afraid of ending up like his father—unable to gain anything if his wife retaliates—so every time he beats her, he apologizes afterward. Wang Chunhua has a soft personality. Her mother and stepfather had children of their own and stopped caring about the daughter from her previous marriage. Her biological father's side cut ties with her because she changed her surname and she's just a girl, so she has no family to back her up. That's why Yan Yougen has no reservations."
"When they first married, Lan Zi stepped in a few times to intervene. Each time, Yan Yougen would kneel in front of a crowd, cling to Wang Chunhua's legs, and weep bitterly, begging for forgiveness. Wang Chunhua would soften, but the next time, Yan Yougen would still beat her."
"Lan Zi has a zero-tolerance personality. Seeing Wang Chunhua beaten repeatedly, she privately advised her to fight back. But Wang Chunhua… guess what she said?"
Wang Chunhua's situation is also special. Despite being beaten so many times, Lin Sulan never advised divorce because if they divorced, the woman would have nowhere to go. So she could only teach her how to fight back, since her mother-in-law is a classic example. If she learned from her mother-in-law, why would she need to suffer like this?
Thanks to Lin Sulan, the feisty women's director of Xianghong Brigade, who often lectured that wives and children shouldn't be beaten, the domestic abusers in the village at least wouldn't go too far on the surface.
The Yan Yougen couple were the Waterloo of Lin Sulan's career.
When Old woman Wang talked about these matters, she would gesture animatedly and even imitate for Song Xiu Jun how Yan Yougen knelt and wept bitterly, begging for forgiveness. She didn't know if her imitation was lifelike, but it was certainly entertaining.
Carried away by her enthusiasm, Old woman Wang wasn't in a hurry to go home anymore. The two sat down again in Song Xiu Jun's small courtyard, each holding a handful of spiced sunflower seeds, chatting while cracking them.
"My Yougen loves me! He just can't control his temper, but it's all because he loves me. See, he doesn't beat anyone else—people only show their bad temper to the closest ones. How could I fight back? When he loses his temper, it's because he's in a bad mood. If I don't comfort him then but instead fight back, I wouldn't deserve to be his wife…"
"Our feelings are deeply affectionate, Aunt Lan. Please don't advise me anymore. People always say it's better to demolish a temple than to break up a marriage. Isn't it too vicious of you to sow discord between us husband and wife? Is it because you and Brigade leader don't get along well that you're jealous of us?"
"No one can come between Yougen and me. He loves me so much, I would never abandon him!"
Wang Danniang shuddered violently.
"After that, Lanzi never dared to interfere with this couple's affairs again. She even declared that if she ever meddled in this family's business again, she would resign as women's director."
Song Xiu Jun was dumbfounded: "Th-this this…"
She couldn't help scratching her head again: "Is this Yan Yougen really that formidable?" This is nothing but psychological manipulation.
Wang Danniang gave her a thumbs up: "Xiao Song, this is why I enjoy chatting with you. You're very perceptive. Many people in our Production Team say Wang Chunhua has mental issues, but I think it's clearly Yan Yougen who's too formidable!"
"Look at this man – he kneels without hesitation, says anything to prevent people from making trouble after being beaten, all that talk about love and whatnot. At my age, I've never heard such words before – it's downright embarrassing."
"There are plenty of sharp-tongued people in our Production Team, but they've all been defeated by this couple. Even Yan Yougen's mother came to advise them, but to this day, the couple still claim to have the best relationship in our Production Team."
Song Xiu Jun shook her head in disgust. What deep affection? Talking about love while never stopping the punches, and fooling around outside too.
Finally, Wang Danniang concluded: "Wang Chunhua is a pitiable person. Although we sympathize with her, because she can't stand up for herself, we don't really enjoy interacting with her."