Driven by professional habit, after nitpicking the typos, Lin Ting only pondered for a few seconds before stuffing the letter into her pocket.
She calmly gathered all her belongings and then handed the letter to her mother-in-law during dinner.
Hu Xiu reached out to take it, asking curiously, “What is this?”
Lin Ting replied, “I don’t know who wrote it. It was tucked into the crack of my back window.”
Hearing this, Hu Xiu’s expression turned serious. But when she clearly saw the contents, her face first darkened, then she said disdainfully, “Who wrote this? There are several wrong characters.”
Hu Xiu had never formally attended school, but she was eager to learn, so simple writing wasn’t a problem for her.
Finding that her mother-in-law had the same reaction as her, Lin Ting laughed outright, “My first thought was exactly the same.”
Hu Xiu asked, “Aren’t you angry?”
Lin Ting replied, “What’s there to be angry about? I suspect it’s probably written by some girl who has a crush on Huo Xiao.”
To be honest, Lin Ting truly didn’t care about the threats from the letter’s author.
Whether the sender stumbled upon something by chance or actually knew something, evidence would still be required, right?
However, Hu Xiu wasn’t as open-minded as Ting Ting. She didn’t doubt her daughter-in-law, but she was furious at those who couldn’t stand to see their family happy.
Especially after hearing her daughter-in-law’s speculation, she became even more displeased: “What? Is she trying to force herself into an affair?” This kind of behavior alone was unacceptable—her son was already married.
Lin Ting broke open a steamed bun, stuffed a few pieces of pickled vegetables inside, took a bite, and then said, “There’s no need to be angry. I showed you the letter just to prepare you mentally, since the sender might write to you again.”
Hu Xiu slapped the table, “Let her write! I want to see exactly who has such a black heart.”
For the next few days, Hu Xiu didn’t go anywhere.
She stayed at home preparing for the New Year, but she would occasionally check the back window.
Not only did she keep herself busy, but she even enlisted the twins as little detectives.
Lin Ting tried to dissuade her a couple of times, but seeing how determined she was, she let her be.
After all, Laba Festival had passed, and the New Year was officially counting down—there was truly a lot to do.
Aside from hiring a tailor for new clothes, tasks like dismantling quilts, dusting walls, making lanterns, and steaming rice cakes all had to be done by hand. Just thinking about it was overwhelming.
One day, Lin Ting and her mother-in-law prepared to dust the walls.
It was a big project. The two first covered the Kang with an old bedsheet they hadn’t wanted to throw away.
Then, they put all the miscellaneous items on display into the cabinets before raising brooms tied to wooden poles to sweep away dust and cobwebs from every corner.
The house was newly built and cleaned every year for the New Year, so it wasn’t particularly dirty.
But both the daughter-in-law and mother-in-law valued cleanliness. After all the cleaning, they were still left with sore backs and aching arms, their limbs feeling weak.
Lin Ting leaned back against her mother-in-law and slumped to the floor, nostalgically missing the housekeeping services of later times: “Mom, this is too exhausting. My hands are shaking.”
“Me too… Xiao is the lucky one, just waiting to enjoy the results.” At times like these, even with all her motherly love, Hu Xiu couldn’t help feeling a bit sour.
Lin Ting stifled a laugh. Sometimes, she really found her mother-in-law’s personality quite amusing.
But then again, it made sense—after all, she was only 46. In later times, many fashionable young women were that age…
Just as Lin Ting was thinking about inviting her mother-in-law for skincare next time, a piercing scream suddenly rang out.
Caught off guard, Lin Ting was startled.
Hu Xiu quickly patted her daughter-in-law’s back: “Scared you? Don’t be afraid, they’re slaughtering pigs in the village. Didn’t I tell you this morning there’d be a pig-slaughtering feast today?”
Lin Ting hadn’t forgotten, but this was the first time she’d heard pigs being slaughtered in real life – it was quite frightening.
After sitting a while longer, Hu Xiu was the first to remove the cloth scarf from her head, shaking off the dust before instructing her daughter-in-law: “Come on, stand up straight. Let me dust you off – we need to hurry.”
Lin Ting grimaced as she climbed to her feet, spreading her hands: “I’m not watching the pig slaughter.”
Hu Xiu chuckled reproachfully: “Who’s asking you to watch? We’re going for the slaughter feast, and we need to collect our share of meat.”
“But didn’t they just start slaughtering?”
“By the time we finish cleaning up here and change clothes, it should be about ready.”
Hearing this, Lin Ting didn’t ask further. After being dusted off, she took the cloth scarf and helped clean her mother-in-law in turn.
When they set out for the brigade headquarters carrying the children and locking the door behind them, Lin Ting no longer thought they were leaving early.
They encountered many villagers along the way, each carrying baskets containing large bowls and chopsticks just like theirs.
The mother and daughter-in-law naturally blended into the crowd, chatting and laughing as the rich, overwhelming aroma of meat wafted toward them.
Lin Ting couldn’t help sniffing the air. Mmm… so fragrant, they must have added pickled cabbage too.
Sure enough, just as she had this thought, an auntie beside her remarked: “Pingshun’s wife is really skilled – this aroma is to die for. They say besides pickled cabbage, she added bean sprouts, potatoes, and vermicelli too.”
Another auntie dismissed this: “It’s like this every year. Besides, it’s meat – how could it not taste good? If I cooked it, mine wouldn’t be any worse.”
This immediately drew scoffing sounds from the crowd.
Someone laughed and scolded: “Oh please! If we really let you cook, would there be anything left for us? You’d be hiding pieces everywhere! I remember during the communal kitchen days, you hid a piece of pork liver in your waistband and blood stained your pants, but you insisted it was your period.”
“Th-that’s nonsense! I really was having my period.”
Seeing her flushed and flustered, everyone burst into laughter again.
Having never witnessed anything like this, Lin Ting quietly asked her mother-in-law: “Did she really hide pork liver?”
Hu Xiu nodded: “Poverty makes people do such things.”
True enough…
Living in this environment, Lin Ting had come to understand that most families could eat their fill, but eating well remained a luxury. The Huo family had relatively good conditions in the village, yet they saw pork less than twice a month.
If not for the eggs, fish, and game supplied by her maternal family to supplement their diet, Lin Ting would have been drooling from the aroma by now.
In fact, when they reached the brigade headquarters and stood before several large iron pots steaming with the scent of meat, Lin Ting still couldn’t help secretly swallowing.
It was just too fragrant.
Was it because the freshly slaughtered pork was fresher?
Otherwise, how could it smell this good?
Fortunately, her embarrassing behavior wasn’t unique. Compared to those rooted to the spot around the cooking pots, she maintained some dignity.
Having somewhat justified her actions to herself, Lin Ting wiped the corners of her children’s mouths with their bibs before joining her mother-in-law in the meat distribution queue nearby.
Meat distribution was calculated based on work points. As a new bride, Lin Ting hadn’t earned many work points before winter set in, so she received no share.
No matter how capable Hu Xiu was alone, she could only get about half a kilogram. Fortunately, after supplying the required pigs and distributing according to work points, one and a half sides of pork remained.
Feeling quite flush with cash, Hu Xiu used money and ration tickets to buy several jin of pork with a good mix of fat and lean meat.
After placing it in the vegetable basket and covering it with a cloth, both mother-in-law and daughter-in-law were beaming with joy.
Just then, Lin Ting, who had been immersed in the delight of having meat, seemed to sense something and turned her head to look toward the right front.
There, she met a… made-up face.
To be honest, she was somewhat surprised.
Lin Ting knew that cosmetics existed in this era—after all, even opera performers at temple fairs used them.
But that was for performances. As for makeup in everyday life, this was the first time she had seen it in this day and age.
Only, the makeup was completely smeared, especially the lips, which were blurred beyond description.
Of course, none of that was important. What caught her attention the most was the way the other person was looking at her—a gaze that was both evasive and filled with disgust.
It was impossible for Lin Ting not to connect this person with the owner of that letter.
Meanwhile, Hu Xiu shifted the basket of meat to a different position, placing it right under her eyes, and was about to call her daughter-in-law to leave: “Tingting, have you seen your second aunt and third aunt… What are you looking at?” As she spoke, she followed her daughter-in-law’s gaze and let out an “Oh my!” as she clutched her chest. “Goodness, isn’t that the Qin girl from the Liu Jin family? Why is she made up like that? Like a seductress, it’s downright frightening.”
Seductresses are beauties, it’s monsters that are scary, Lin Ting thought to herself, but out loud she asked, “You know her?”
Hu Xiu: “Of course I know her! We’re all in the same brigade. Her mother is Zhao Sanni, the one who brought us rice cakes the day before yesterday. Remember?”
Lin Ting suddenly understood. Now that she knew whose family it was, she averted her gaze.
For the time being, she had no intention of sharing her suspicions with her mother-in-law.
For one thing, she genuinely didn’t care much about the matter, just as she had said before—everything required evidence.
For another… she had no evidence either.
So… for now, she would just wait to enjoy the pork feast.
There was no helping it—the aroma was simply irresistible.
On the other side.
Ever since she had delivered the letter a few days ago, Wang Xiuqin had been restless, anxiously waiting for Lin Ting’s reaction.
She didn’t dare go and inquire in person, afraid of exposing herself, so she could only subtly ask her parents a few questions each day.
Upon confirming that the other woman had not run away, Wang Xiuqin felt as if her heart were burning with anxiety.
Why hadn’t that wicked woman Lin Ting left yet? When would she finally go?
Driven nearly mad by her thoughts, Wang Xiuqin deeply felt it necessary to see the other’s attitude face to face.
And so, after barely making it to the day of the pork feast, she spent 20 cents early in the morning to borrow an eyebrow pencil from Old Secretary’s Educated Youth granddaughter-in-law to fill in her brows, then used red paper to stain her lips red.
Convinced that after this makeover, she looked even more alluring than that wicked woman Lin Ting, she stepped out under her family’s astonished (or horrified) gazes.
Before seeing that wicked woman Lin Ting, Wang Xiuqin had imagined many possible states the other might be in.
But she never expected it to be like this.
Who could tell her why, after just a few days apart, Lin Ting not only showed no signs of guilt or distress but had instead become even more beautiful?
If not for the old padded jacket she was still wearing, who would believe she was a rural woman just by looking at her face?
Hadn’t she seen those arrogant Educated Youth staring at her? Clearly, before Lin Ting arrived, those Educated Youth had been smiling at her.
No, this wouldn’t do. Wang Xiuqin bit her lip in anger, secretly psyching herself up.
If one plan didn’t work, she could always come up with another. She refused to believe she couldn’t drive her away.
Just then, from among the Educated Youth group, a clean-cut male Educated Youth walked over to Wang Xiuqin: “Comrade Wang, you…”
As he approached, Wang Xiuqin’s heart sank with dread.
Now certain that the person was coming for her, she rolled her eyes and turned to leave immediately.
Heaven knows, most of these Educated Youth couldn’t carry a load on their shoulders or lift anything with their hands. Their work points weren’t even enough to support themselves.
And until ten years later, at the beginning of ’77, the moment she died, these Educated Youth still hadn’t managed to return to the cities.
She had no intention of getting involved with someone like that—what would they eat then? Gnaw on dirt clods?
Seeing this, the male Educated Youth who had intended to remind Comrade Wang that her makeup was smeared awkwardly rubbed his nose.
“I told you not to meddle. Serves you right—many of the locals in the brigade don’t want anything to do with us…” At that moment, several Educated Youth gathered around, and one of them hooked an arm around his buddy’s neck, teasing him.
The male Educated Youth cleared his throat lightly: “Forget it, she probably misunderstood something.”
“Who cares what she misunderstood? But that woman in the navy blue jacket earlier—wasn’t she the military wife who went to the Troop a while back? This is the first time I’ve seen her up close. Wow, she’s really beautiful…”
“I heard she’s even a college student.”
“College… There are no more colleges now…”
“……”
The weather was too cold, and with two three-year-old children in tow,
after getting the slaughtered pig dish, they fed the Dragon and Phoenix Twins two pieces of blood sausage each. The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law each took a couple of bites to satisfy their cravings, then hurried home with their basket.
Once home, they didn’t rest. They dumped the already frozen dishes into the pot to reheat them and splurged once more by making scallion egg white flour pancakes.
The meal was so delicious that not only the adults but even the Dragon and Phoenix Twins kept their heads down, completely engrossed in eating.
Because it was truly so delicious, even several days later, Lin Ting still couldn’t stop thinking about it.
Hu Xiu said, “In five more days, Xiao should be home. Mom still has a few sections of blood sausage stored away. Later, we’ll add two jin of meat and have a proper feast.”
Lin Ting… suddenly didn’t feel so eager to eat it anymore.
At the same time, far away on a train from Rongcheng to Hu Shi, Huo Xiao sneezed without warning.
After a moment, the handsome-looking man curled his lips into a pleased smile… Someone must be thinking of him.