The Lu family’s main house had no stove, and the cold was so sharp that every exhale came out white. The old newspapers pasted over the windows rattled in the wind, “flap-flap,” while the brick bed was covered with a worn blue quilt, the stitching nearly worn smooth. Two daughters-in-law sat cross-legged on the bed, stitching shoe soles. The coarse hemp thread scraped through the thick fabric with a sharp “shhh,” harsh in the quiet room, yet carrying an odd, uneasy rhythm.
The eldest daughter-in-law, Li Cuifen, was tall and broad-shouldered, with rough hands. It took her three tries to thread her needle. She sneaked a glance at Chen Xiulian, who was sitting on a small stool at the edge of the brick bed, twisting cotton thread, her mother-in-law’s eyes lowered, seemingly unaware of her. Finally, she couldn’t hold back: “Mom, can you believe it—the girl from Shanghai actually showed up?” Her voice was low, but deliberately audible to Chen Xiulian. “Look at our situation! Another mouth to feed would strain us even more! And it’s a city girl, delicate and soft—what use would she be? Married in, is she just going to sit around like some little princess?”
The second daughter-in-law, Wang Qin, was small and thin, her face waxy yellow, seemingly meek, but she was quicker than anyone to add: “Exactly! With our third son as he is, the whole family relies on your little savings and the work credits we earn. Adding someone to eat for free, we’ll probably have to tighten the belt for Tiedan and Shitou’s schooling money!” She even patted the child, Tiedan, playing nearby, her eyes full of concern for him—but every word was aimed to needle Chen Xiulian’s heart.
Chen Xiulian sat on her small stool, twisting a ball of old cotton thread. Her fingers were rough and cracked, the joints protruding. She moved the thread slowly, but her fingers paused at their words. When her third son, Lu Zhanxiao, retired from the military, she had collected a large settlement on his behalf, under the pretext that it would be kept safe by her. That money was the family’s working capital, the education fund for her two grandsons, and the leverage that allowed her to be the unquestioned authority in the house. But now this Shanghai girl had come, a potential threat—who knew if she’d lay claim to that money?
She was annoyed. Originally, her late husband had insisted on arranging this engagement, citing that the girl’s father had saved him in the past. But the man was dead, and now they were stuck with this troublesome girl.
“Enough!” Chen Xiulian’s voice was cold, cutting through the room. “The girl hasn’t even entered the house yet, and you two are already gossiping like this! If word gets out, people will think the Lu family can’t manage guests!”
Though her words were a reprimand, inside she agreed with much of what she had said. Li Cuifen and Wang Qin exchanged a glance, falling silent, though their stitching slowed, eyes sparkling with anticipation of the upcoming drama.
Just then, outside the yard, Wang Dazhu’s booming voice carried like a clap of thunder across half the residential area: “Aunt Lu! Are you home? Your future daughter-in-law, Comrade Su Wanning, has arrived! From Shanghai!”
The sound hit the three women like lightning. Li Cuifen dropped her needle with a “clack” onto the bed, Wang Qin stopped her work, and both exchanged a look, a cold, schadenfreude-filled smile curling on their lips—finally, they would see what this “city girl” looked like!
Chen Xiulian’s brow furrowed, displeasure nearly spilling over. She put down her cotton thread, slowly stood up, adjusted her faded gray cotton jacket, straightened her clothes, and with a stiff expression, lifted the door curtain and stepped out. Li Cuifen and Wang Qin hurriedly dropped their work as well, forgetting even the needles on the bed, and followed, one after the other, eyes full of scrutiny and hostility.
Su Wanning had just jumped down from the tractor cart, her feet landing on the frozen, hard dirt road. She hadn’t even steadied herself when three sets of eyes immediately fell on her, sharp and probing.
Li Cuifen was the first to rush forward, her voice loud and coarse, dripping with condescension, her gaze like dull blades slicing back and forth over Su Wanning: “Oh, so this is the delicate little lady from Shanghai? You’re so skinny—bet a gust of wind would blow you over! Our winters here in the Northeast freeze your ears off, and working the fields is exhausting—do you think your body can handle it?”
Wang Qin moved in next, her eyes fixed on Su Wanning’s satchel. She smirked, disdain evident in her tone: “Just brought this little bit? Tsk tsk, I thought city girls from Shanghai were rich. Turns out, not at all! Looks like you came empty-handed, planning to leave with a full hand—that’s some clever scheming!”
They volleyed barbs back and forth, each word laced with sharp disdain, making their contempt for Su Wanning plain. If it had been the original girl, facing such an onslaught, she would have been scared speechless, tears threatening to fall.
After a long time of speaking, seeing Su Wanning remain completely unmoved, as if their insults had hit only cotton, they gradually lost interest. Their voices grew smaller and finally fell silent, though their eyes still glared viciously.
Only then did Su Wanning speak, her voice soft, calm, but clear: “Eldest sister-in-law, second sister-in-law.”
Simple words, neither humble nor arrogant, with no hint of flattery or resentment—just natural, like greeting acquaintances. Li Cuifen and Wang Qin were taken aback, unsure how to respond, staring at her blankly, their irritation mounting.
Behind them, Chen Xiulian stood with her arms crossed, observing coolly. She hadn’t intervened in the daughters-in-law’s provocation, wanting to gauge the strength of this future third daughter-in-law, perhaps to see if she would retreat. But seeing Su Wanning handle it so calmly, a flicker of subtle surprise crossed her sharp eyes—the Shanghai girl was not what she had expected; she was no pushover.
Li Cuifen, unwilling to admit defeat, forced a fake smile and reached out with her calloused hand to pinch Su Wanning’s arm: “Let me see—surely this city girl’s skin is as soft as tofu, nothing like us who work in the fields…”
Her hand was almost touching Su Wanning’s sleeve when Su Wanning barely furrowed her brow—she hated being touched without permission and was about to sidestep.
“Why are you all blocking the doorway? What’s this behavior? Don’t you think it’s embarrassing enough?” Chen Xiulian’s voice rang out sharply, scolding the daughters-in-law for losing decorum, as if the bickering at the door was a disgrace to the Lu family.
Li Cuifen froze mid-motion, hand suspended awkwardly, the smile gone, her face ugly and stiff. She muttered, “Mom… I just wanted to get close to Comrade Su…”
Chen Xiulian ignored her excuse, stepping in front of Su Wanning, coldly sweeping a look at Li Cuifen and Wang Qin: “We have a guest in the house, and you don’t even offer her a cup of warm water to settle in—just clucking and squabbling at the doorway? Comrade Su came from far away. She’s not here to be picked over! Remember, this is the Lu family. We have our rules.”
Though it sounded like a rebuke of her daughters-in-law, it also set the rules for Su Wanning—she was a guest, not here to assert herself. Li Cuifen and Wang Qin lowered their heads, grudgingly making way.
Chen Xiulian then turned her attention back to Su Wanning, her tone neutral but condescending, “Since you’re here, come inside first. It’s windy out; don’t catch a chill.” She turned and walked toward the main room, her steps steady, not offering to help with Su Wanning’s luggage.
Su Wanning watched Chen Xiulian’s upright but distant figure, calm as ever. She had expected the Lu household to be hard to enter, but so what? She hadn’t come seeking protection or to curry favor—she was here to escape Su Yuling. If it didn’t work out, she would simply return to the sent-down youth dormitory.