After the summer vacation of 1960 ended, Gu Yihan started the fourth grade. She was now eight years old, considered a big girl in the countryside. She was also taller than her peers, already standing at one meter thirty.
Gu Hao, now eighteen, had also passed the entrance exam for high school. However, due to the ever-worsening food shortages and increasingly severe disasters outside, the high school had suspended classes.
Gu Yihan attended the village elementary school. Because the situation in Gu Jia Village was slightly better than elsewhere, the school held classes as usual.
During a meal, Grandma Gu said, “You’ve all seen the situation in our village. No matter who comes to our house to borrow grain, we’re not giving them any.”
She sighed and continued, “You’ve also seen those families in our village who helped their relatives. They’ve all become enemies now. Those people eat and drink for free at their homes and act like it’s their right.”
Wang Ni and Zhang Cuihua remained silent, knowing their mother-in-law was referring to them.
“Mother, Daya is already fifteen. It’s time to start looking for a good young man for her,” Gu Dasao, Wang Ni, said anxiously.
Grandma Gu shot her a glare. “What’s the rush? Life is hard for every family these past two years. Only those who can’t afford to eat are in a hurry to marry their daughters off. She’s your own child, why don’t you wish for the best for her?”
Although she favored her grandson Gu Hao the most, she believed she had never mistreated the girls in the family.
Hearing Grandma Gu say this, Gu Dasao didn’t dare say anything more.
In the afternoon, only Gu Yihan and Zhang Cuihua were at home. Grandma Gu had gone to the private plot.
As Gu Yihan was reading in the courtyard, a middle-aged woman with a sallow face and gaunt figure walked in.
The moment the middle-aged woman saw Gu Yihan, she said, “Truly ill-bred. Have all your manners been fed to the dogs?”
Her words completely stunned Gu Yihan. She looked at the woman carefully but had no memory of her. Who was this?
“Your mother was right. You really are an ungrateful wretch. You don’t even greet your own maternal grandma when you see her. A money-losing good-for-nothing is actually allowed to study. Is your grandma blind?”
This infuriated Gu Yihan. “I don’t have such a vicious maternal grandma. Aren’t you just jealous of me because you can’t compare to my grandma?”
Seeing Gu Yihan confronting her mother, Zhang Cuihua stepped forward and raised her hand to slap Gu Yihan.
Gu Yihan nimbly dodged and immediately ran out of the house. She knew she couldn’t stay at home alone. If the two of them ganged up on her, she would definitely be at a disadvantage.
“This daughter of yours is an ungrateful wretch. When she’s old enough, hurry up and marry her off to a formidable man. You can even earn a hefty bride price,” Zhang Cuihua’s mother said viciously.
Zhang Cuihua didn’t respond to her mother’s words. She knew she had no say in Gu Yihan’s matters. “Mother, why are you here?”
Zhang Cuihua’s mother immediately grabbed her daughter’s hand and said, “There’s no food at home. We’ve been starving for days. You must lend some grain to your mother.”
Her voice choked with sobs, Zhang Cuihua’s mother said, “It doesn’t matter if I starve to death, but your brother and your nephew are still young. You only have this one older brother. If something happens to him, and you get bullied at your in-laws’ house, you’ll have no one to back you up.”
Zhang Cuihua was in a difficult position.
She turned and went into the kitchen, took out the grain for that day’s meals, and handed it to her mother. “Mother, all the family’s grain is in Mother-in-law’s room. She takes out what we need before every meal. This is all there is.”
Zhang Cuihua’s mother was instantly displeased. Suppressing her unhappiness, she said, “Daughter, have pity on your mother. We really can’t even get the pot boiling at home. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have shamelessly come to you.”
With that, she began to cry. Zhang Cuihua, at a complete loss, said, “Mother, there’s really no more at home.”
Her mother said anxiously, “Go get it from your mother-in-law’s room! What’s more important, your maiden family or your husband’s family? Don’t you have any sense?”
Zhang Cuihua said, “Mother-in-law doesn’t let anyone go into her room.”
Her mother’s eyes lit up. “Your mother-in-law didn’t say I couldn’t go into her room, did she? I’ll go get it myself.”
Zhang Cuihua’s mother quickly ran into Grandma Gu’s room. Seeing two sacks of dried sweet potatoes and one sack of corn kernels by the door, she heaved them onto her back with all her might and headed straight for the exit.
Seeing her mother carrying so much grain, Zhang Cuihua quickly grabbed her and said, “Mother, you can’t take it all! If you take it, what will we eat?”
“Shitou! Shitou! Hurry, come carry the grain!” Zhang Cuihua’s mother whispered toward the gate.
“Coming, Mother.” Zhang Cuihua watched as her brother picked up the grain and left.
Zhang Cuihua saw her mother turn back to her and say, “Don’t worry, I told your brother to avoid people on his way here. No one saw him.”
Zhang Cuihua cried as she clung to her mother. “Mother, if you take the grain, my mother-in-law will send me back to my parents’ home. She’ll make Aiguo divorce me.”
Zhang Cuihua was truly terrified.
Her mother said happily, “Then just come back home. You’re practically a living widow at the Gu house anyway. Mother will find you a new, better husband.”
After saying that, she shook off Zhang Cuihua’s hand and left.