Supported half by Wang Shufen’s arm, half by her own faltering steps, Lin Wanxing entered the mourning hall.
Mother Gu’s eyes were swollen like walnuts. Seeing Lin Wanxing, she merely lifted her eyelids slightly in acknowledgment before sinking back into her grief.
Her attitude was not warm; it even held a faint, elusive trace of transferred resentment.
Old Gu squatted by the threshold, smoking his pipe. Smoke wreathed his deeply lined face, leaving only boundless indifference.
The gazes of the other Gu family relatives were fixed on her, their whispered conversations dying down.
Their eyes were full of detachment, coldness, scrutiny, and blame, as if she had no place being there.
The Gu family’s lack of welcome for the original host was certain.
They considered her unlucky—barely engaged, not yet married in, and already believed to have “overcome” Gu Jianbin. If not for her, maybe Jianbin wouldn’t have died.
The grief and bitterness of parents burying their child, they laid it all at the original host’s feet.
The pity was, the original host had truly internalized this baseless accusation.
She believed she had indeed “overcome” Gu Jianbin, which filled her with intense anxiety and inferiority.
To prove she wasn’t a jinx, the original host, like a fool, had bustled about, trying in every way to please the Gu family.
With humble offerings, she attempted to earn even a shred of their approval.
However, the Lin Wanxing here now was different.
She stood still, utterly unresponsive to the Gu family’s rejection and hostility.
She simply kept her eyes lowered, lips pressed tight, appearing as if Gu Jianbin’s death had left her numb with shock.
Lin Wanxing’s parents stood on either side of her, both somewhat uneasy due to the Gu family’s icy reception.
Seeing Lin Wanxing silent, they had to step forward.
Wang Shufen’s face wore a cautious, almost ingratiating expression. “In-laws… Wanxing… Wanxing just recovered a bit and insisted on coming to see Jianbin, and to kowtow to you both.”
“…”
Mother Gu acted as if she hadn’t heard, her weeping growing louder.
Lin Wanxing saw through it clearly.
The Gu family wouldn’t openly call her a jinx, but they would deliberately create an atmosphere of “you owe us an enormous debt.”
They wanted her to feel ashamed, anxious, and forever unable to hold her head up in front of them.
If it were the original host—that plow-ox tamed by tradition—she would likely be on her knees by now, tears streaming, endlessly apologizing and expressing guilt.
Unfortunately, the one standing here now was Lin Wanxing.
She remained silent, offering no words.
Wang Shufen, thinking she was too grief-stricken to speak, spoke for her: “In-laws, if there’s anything we can help with, please just say. Don’t stand on ceremony with our Lin family.”
Finally, Mother Gu spoke.
She stopped crying, her voice unbearably hoarse. Her swollen, walnut-like eyes fixed on the Lin family, her tone cold. “Our Gu family isn’t completely gone yet. We don’t need outsiders’ help.”
Wang Shufen’s face stiffened, but she forced a smile and insisted, “Look at what you’re saying. Since our families are engaged, we’ll be family from now on. How can we be outsiders?”
As she spoke, she tugged at the still-numb and unresponsive Lin Wanxing beside her. “Our Wanxing, this child, her heart was set solely on Jianbin. Everyone in the village saw it. She’ll definitely stand by Jianbin, never leaving nor abandoning him!”
Lin Jianguo sighed and picked up the thread. “That poor child Jianbin, gone so young, not even a wife brought home… it’s a heaven-sent regret! Even if… even if he’s gone, our Lin family still acknowledges this marriage bond!”
“Wanxing must enter your household, properly tend his memorial tablet, and fulfill filial duties in his stead. That’s the only way to be worthy of Jianbin’s glorious sacrifice for the country!”
Lin Jianguo’s words were firm and forceful.
He couldn’t imagine the torrent of scornful gossip that would drown him if his daughter refused to marry after Gu Jianbin’s glorious sacrifice.
His lifetime’s reputation for honesty and decency would be utterly ruined.
Hearing him say this, a flicker of something unreadable passed through Mother Gu’s swollen eyes.
“You mean… Lin Wanxing will still marry into our family?”
If the Lin girl was truly willing to enter their household as a widow, it would save some face for the Gu family.
Besides, having a daughter-in-law at home to serve them would be beneficial, after all.
“Of course! Of course she must marry in!” Wang Shufen quickly nodded in affirmation, fearing that any delay might give people cause for gossip.
“Our Wanxing, alive or dead, is a Gu family member! This will absolutely not change!”
The expressions of the Gu parents softened slightly as they began earnestly considering Wang Shufen and Lin Jianguo’s words.
The other Gu family relatives in the mourning hall also reassessed Lin Wanxing, as if evaluating whether an object still held value worth keeping.
At that moment, a girl wearing a light-white floral-patterned blouse and dark polyester trousers walked over. Her skin was slightly sallow, and her features were somewhat delicate. Her name was Gu Xiuxiu, Gu Jianbin’s younger sister.
Gu Xiuxiu looked Lin Wanxing up and down with a trace of contempt, taking in her submissive, downcast eyes and silent demeanor. Her gaze wasn’t as overtly cold as her parents’, but it held no goodwill either. She looked down at Lin Wanxing as if she felt Lin Wanxing should be kneeling there.
Lin Wanxing happened to glance up at that exact moment, meeting Gu Xiuxiu’s eyes directly.
Instantly, the plot details related to this sister-in-law from the original book flooded her mind.
Gu Xiuxiu was no easy character. She had always been cold toward the original host.
In her attempts to win Gu Xiuxiu’s favor, the original host had given and sacrificed in every way possible: offering her the best food, yielding the finest fabric to her. When both fell ill, the original host, burning with a 40-degree fever, still insisted on brewing medicine for Gu Xiuxiu, who merely had a cold and cough. She once carried Gu Xiuxiu to the hospital in a heavy downpour, breaking her own leg in the process. Seeing Gu Xiuxiu study hard for the college entrance exams, the original host even sold her own hair to buy nutritional supplements for Gu Xiuxiu. Later, when Gu Xiuxiu married, suffered domestic violence, and needed protection, it was the original host who stepped in, getting her ribs broken by Gu Xiuxiu’s brutal husband. When Gu Xiuxiu wanted a divorce, went into business in Southeast Asia, and pursued the life of a “new era woman,” it was the original host who cared for the child Gu Xiuxiu left behind, raising it through thick and thin.
Gu Xiuxiu had taken the “sister-in-law’s” sacrifices for granted. Only after achieving success and status was she slightly moved, deigning to call the original host “sister-in-law” as if bestowing a favor.
Lin Wanxing inwardly scoffed at the book’s ridiculous plot.
To hell with being moved!
Who needed Gu Xiuxiu’s “sister-in-law”?
Faced with Gu Xiuxiu’s slightly superior gaze and the expectation of being fawned over, Lin Wanxing chose to ignore her completely. Her eyes rested on Gu Xiuxiu’s face for only a second before moving away, showing no intention to ingratiate herself. Instead, she treated Gu Xiuxiu like air, refocusing on the patch of ground near her feet, her face still wearing the numb expression of one whose heart had died from grief.
Gu Xiuxiu was taken aback.
Why was Lin Wanxing different from what she expected?
Shouldn’t she be filled with panic and guilt for having “overcome” her eldest brother?
Shouldn’t she be anxiously trying to please every member of the Gu family, afraid of having wronged them?
Shouldn’t she be terrified of doing something to incur their displeasure?
A flicker of inexplicable anger rose in Gu Xiuxiu’s heart.
Since Lin Wanxing had this attitude, don’t blame her for giving her a hard time later!
Gu Xiuxiu bit her lip, secretly making up her mind.
…
Lin Wanxing paid no mind to Gu Xiuxiu’s petty thoughts.
She “grievously” interacted with the guests who had come to pay their respects.
From time to time, she used her sleeve to dab at the corner of her eye, her voice choked with sobs as she intermittently expressed her sorrow.
“Auntie Wang… I… my heart aches so…”
“Uncle Li, thank you for coming to see Brother Jianbin.”
“Brother Zhang, Brother Jianbin… he left… so suddenly.”
Lin Wanxing seemed even more heartbroken than Gu Jianbin’s own parents.
But everyone could understand.
To be widowed before even entering the marriage… who could bear that?
Seeing Lin Wanxing’s pale, pretty face etched with despair, yet still showing resilience, the guests present felt a surge of sympathy and admiration for her. Such a lovely young woman, knowing full well her entire life would be buried here, yet still behaving with such devotion and loyalty—it was truly rare.
No one knew what to say, they could only offer their condolences one after another, urging her to accept fate and mourn with restraint.
No one knew that Lin Wanxing was actually gathering information.
She needed to find a good “next home” for herself. There was no way she would truly remain a living widow for that scoundrel.
Lin Wanxing quickly got a handle on the situation and found a suitable “target.”
Her gaze settled on a young man with a steady, composed air. He had regular features, neatly combed hair, and wore a crisp Zhongshan suit. He was the nephew of the Red Flag Commune’s Party Secretary, working as an accountant at the town’s supply and marketing cooperative, meaning he was on the state grain ration. In the Red Star Production Brigade, even the entire Red Flag Commune, he was considered one of the best eligible bachelors.
Him it was.
Lin Wanxing didn’t want to waste any more time, fearing delays might bring complications.
Just then, the master of ceremonies for the funeral cleared his throat and called out in a hoarse voice, “Fellow villagers, relatives and friends, please now step forward in turn to pay respects to the heroic martyr, Comrade Gu Jianbin—offer incense and see him off—”
The guests formed a somewhat uneven line.
Lin Wanxing kept her head down, blending into the crowd, inching slowly forward.
The Gu family stood on one side of the altar table, watching every guest who stepped forward to bow and offer incense.
Soon, it was Lin Wanxing’s turn to stand before the altar table.
Behind the curling wisps of smoke was Gu Jianbin’s black-and-white photo, seemingly watching her.
The Gu family was also watching Lin Wanxing.
Their emotions were complex. There was lingering, transferred anger, and cautious scrutiny.
Their expressions toward her weren’t exactly good, but not entirely bad either. They held onto their intention to continue “evaluating” her, waiting to see her future performance before deciding whether to accept her as part of the Gu family.
Lin Wanxing stumbled to the altar table, staring vacantly at Gu Jianbin’s photo. Her lips trembled, as if she had a thousand words to say.
The next moment, as if stimulated by immense grief, Lin Wanxing lunged forward without warning, throwing herself almost entirely onto the altar table.
Under everyone’s stunned gazes, she grabbed the black-and-white frame holding Gu Jianbin’s photo and clutched it tightly to her chest.
“Brother Jianbin!!!”
She let out a heart-wrenching, piercing wail.
Everyone was shocked by her sudden, intense action; for a moment, no one stepped forward.
Then, Lin Wanxing seemed to take a sharp, deep breath, as if overcome by the ultimate peak of sorrow. With a swing of her arm—
Crash!
A crisp, jarring shattering sound shattered the silence of the mourning hall.
In the distance, crows startled into flight, their wings flapping chaotically.
The wooden frame splintered into pieces, shards of glass scattering everywhere.
Gu Jianbin’s black-and-white photograph slid to the ground, lying crumpled amidst the wreckage.
Inside the mourning hall, an absolute silence fell.
Only the distant, harsh, grating caw of crows remained.
Everyone was dumbfounded, as if frozen in place.
Had Lin Wanxing really dared to smash Gu Jianbin’s memorial portrait?!
Mother Gu was the first to react. She let out a sharp cry, trembling all over as if she’d been stepped on.
“What are you doing? You—you—”
The words “jinx” almost flew from her lips.
But a shred of reason remained. As the family of a martyr, she couldn’t openly say such ugly words.
Gu Xiuxiu and the other relatives quickly gathered around, their faces a mix of shock and fury.
“Lin Wanxing, what is the meaning of this? What did Jianbin ever do to wrong you, that you would treat him like this!”
“Jianbin’s body isn’t even cold yet, and you’re making a scene here?”
“This is utterly outrageous! No one behaves like this!”
Wang Shufen was also greatly frightened by Lin Wanxing. The Gu family’s anger was terrifying. Her face pale, she could only pull at Lin Wanxing’s sleeve, speaking incoherently, “Wanxing, get on your knees! Apologize, quickly!”