“Thank you for the compliment, Auntie!” Jiang Fusheng wasn’t wearing any make-up, just some face cream, and now, thanks to Mother Xiao’s praise, the rosy glow on her little face was even more pronounced.
Mother Xiao fished some fabric coupons and money out of her pocket. “Here, later on, have Changhe take you for a proper stroll around town. Buy yourself a couple of lovely new dresses!”
“But…” Jiang Fusheng was overwhelmed by the kindness.
“Take them!” The mother-in-law forcefully pressed the items into Jiang Fuseng’s palm.
Jiang Fusheng was overcome with emotion. “Thank you, Auntie!”
“Still calling me ‘Auntie’?”
“Thank you… Mum!”
“Ah!” Mother Xiao nodded with satisfaction, stroking Jiang Fuseng’s little face. “Go on then! Be back early. Mum’ll have dinner ready when you return.”
Xiao Changhong: “Big Sister-in-law, when you get back, I’ll take you for a tour of the village so everyone can see just how lovely my big sister-in-law is!”
“Alright!” Jiang Fusheng couldn’t help but chuckle, feeling deeply touched.
Wah, wah, wah! I’m so lucky!
I’ve found such a lovely mother-in-law! And a sister-in-law too!
She walked over and took the hand of Xiao Changhe, who was already lost in a world of his own, “Brother Changhe, let’s go!”
“Mm.”
All the way there, Xiao Changhe remained in a daze; it was she who led him along the whole time.
It wasn’t until he held the bright red little booklet in his hands that he realised he wasn’t dreaming.
Such a beautiful wife—she really was his!
“Brother Changhe, are you hungry?”
Her sweet, melodious voice reached Xiao Changhe’s ears, snapping him back to reality. “Are you hungry?”
“No, no, no! If you’re not hungry, let’s go shopping!” Jiang Fusheng said excitedly.
Xiao Changhe nodded. “Let’s head to the credit union first.”
Jiang Fusheng gave a soft ‘mm-hmm’ and linked her arm through his as they walked out.
Credit unions in this era were quite different from those of today. There were no ticket dispensers, no air conditioning, no computers—only stifling heat, a cacophony of noise, and the clacking of abacuses.
The credit union hall was packed with people. Worried she might feel unwell, Xiao Changhe asked her to wait for him in the shade of the trees outside the door, where it was cooler.
Jiang Fusheng had barely been standing there for a moment when she heard someone calling, ‘Jiang Laidi!’
The voice sounded vaguely familiar, so she turned to look.
“Laidi! It really is you!”
A woman with short hair, wearing a blue polo-neck, fitted dress and white low-heeled trainers, hurried towards her.
With every step she took, her pearl earrings and necklace glistened in the sunlight.
Jiang Fusheng blinked, and quickly recalled who this person was.
“Meiling… it’s been ages.”
This was none other than her former self’s best friend, Zhao Meiling—gentle, beautiful and kind-hearted, and a city girl to boot.
She’d come to the countryside in response to the national call, and had happened to end up in Heping Village, where she’d met her.
However, after she’d married into the Qian family, for reasons unknown, Zhao Meiling had rarely seen her.
Zhao Meiling stood before Jiang Fuseng, scrutinising her closely. She furrowed her brow slightly, her tone tinged with disappointment: “Laidi, tell me the truth—have you gone back to the Qian household again?”
“Why do you ask that?” Jiang Fusheng asked, puzzled.
“A few days ago, I took my students to another school to observe lessons. When I returned, I heard that you’d been thrown out of the Qian household. I knew you’d head home first, and given your parents’ temperament, they’d surely try to persuade you to return to the Qians—that’s why… that’s why I asked.”
Having said this, Zhao Meiling sighed deeply, her eyes clouded with sadness.
Over the past three years, although the Qian family appeared to be treating Lai Di well, she had actually investigated the matter. In front of outsiders, the Qians paid her no mind whatsoever.
Lai Di must have suffered a great deal of injustice whilst living with the Qians.
As a close friend, she truly did not want to see Lai Di return to the Qian family!
Jiang Fusheng pursed her lips, smiled, and shook her head: “I’ve got nothing to do with the Qian family anymore.”
“Really?!”
Jiang Fusheng: “Absolutely!”
Zhao Meiling’s eyes lit up. She slung her handbag over her elbow, took Jiang Fuseng’s hand, and comforted her: “Lai Di, don’t be sad. Qian Weidong isn’t a decent sort. Now that you’re divorced, you’ve escaped the sea of suffering! You’re single now, so let me find you a decent man in the city and introduce you to him!”
Jiang Fusheng teased, “Would a decent man in the city even want a divorcee like me?”
“What’s wrong with being a divorcee! You’re so beautiful, hard-working and have such good character—everyone would be fighting over you! Besides, you’re my best friend, Zhao Meiling. I’ll look out for you from now on!” Zhao Meiling said, her tone both gentle and domineering.
Jiang Fusheng chuckled. “Meiling, there’s actually something that’s been weighing on my mind for a long time. I’ve been wanting to tell you.”
“Go on.”
“After I married Qian Weidong, I moved into town—just a few streets away from you, so it wasn’t far. But time and again, you refused to see me, and eventually you stopped contacting me altogether. I thought you were cutting ties with me, I…” Jiang Fusheng paused; she wasn’t sure whether she should continue.
She really wanted to ask Zhao Meiling straight out: if refusing to get in touch before was like cutting ties, why could she act so affectionate now that they were meeting?
Zhao Meiling’s smile froze, then dissolved into a sigh. She let go of Jiang Fusheng’s hand, her face full of guilt.
“Laidi, I’m the one who’s let you down. ‘Truth be told, I didn’t want this either. My parents know you’re my best friend, and they know you married Qian Weidong. It was they who wouldn’t let me have any contact with you.’
“Why?
“Because the Zhao and Qian families have a feud—the sort involving loss of life. Laidi, I didn’t mean to ignore you. My parents are in poor health, and I didn’t want them to get upset with me again. In my heart, you’ve always been my best friend! When I heard you’d left the Qian family, I was shocked and overjoyed. I wanted to go and find you, but I’m teaching and couldn’t spare the time. I was planning to go to Heping Village at the weekend, but I never expected to bump into you today whilst I was out running errands. I, I…”
By the end of her sentence, Zhao Meiling couldn’t hold back any longer, and her eyes filled with tears.
Jiang Fusheng reached out and embraced Zhao Meiling. “Meiling, you haven’t done anything wrong. We’re good friends—we always have been. I’ve got no ties to the Qian family anymore, so you don’t need to avoid me from now on.”
Zhao Meiling returned the embrace and wiped her eyes. “As long as you don’t hold it against me, Lai Di… By the way, what are you doing outside the credit union?”
“Waiting for my husband.” Jiang Fuseng let go of her and pulled a red booklet from the pocket of her dress. “Here!”
“Husband? But… but didn’t you divorce Qian Weidong? You… have you got married again?” Zhao Meiling was stunned.
“Yes, and it’s someone you know too.”
“Someone I know? Who on earth…” Zhao Meiling took the marriage certificate, opened it, and her eyes widened. “Xiao Changhe?! How could it be him?”
Back when she’d been sent down to Pinghe Village, she’d heard others talk about the Xiao family—that he looked fierce, had a terrible temper, and was quick to resort to violence.
As if a thought had struck her, Zhao Meiling gripped Jiang Fusheng’s shoulders and asked earnestly, “Laidi, tell me, did someone force you into this marriage?”
“I married him of my own free will.”
“How could that be… What on earth has happened these past two days since you left the Qian family?”
“It’s a long story. You go and run your errands first; I’ll come and see you another day to tell you.”
“It’s still early… Oh dear, it’s already this late!” Zhao Meiling raised her wrist to glance at her watch. “All right then, I’ll come and see you at the Xiao family’s this weekend.”
“All right.”
It wasn’t until Zhao Meiling’s figure had disappeared that Jiang Fusheng lowered her arms and turned around, only to collide with a moving ‘wall’. The pain made her clutch her nose and let out a wail.