Xiangyang Brigade belonged to Huo Family Village Commune.
Located in the northeast of the country, winters here were bitterly cold and long. By late December, the land was already blanketed in silver, covered entirely in white snow.
In previous years, most villagers would have been holed up indoors at this time, but this year was different.
The reason was that Huo Xiao, the village’s most accomplished young man, had sacrificed his life just over three months ago. Before his body had even grown cold, his newlywed college-educated wife had abandoned the elderly and children in the household and run away.
What’s more, she had taken the money with her.
How shocking!
How unheard of!
The topic remained as hot as during festive seasons.
Indeed, the Huo household had seen a constant stream of visitors these past few days.
Of course, most people came with good intentions.
Take Zhang Meihua, Huo Xiao’s third aunt, for example. Ever since her nephew’s wife disappeared, she had been deeply concerned about Huo Xiao’s mother, her elder sister-in-law Hu Xiu, practically taking root in her sister-in-law’s house.
“Meihua, you should go back. I’m feeling much better.” After the day’s curious onlookers had left, Hu Xiu half-reclined on the kang bed. She checked on her grandchildren sleeping with rosy cheeks, confirming they hadn’t wet the bed, before weakly urging her sister-in-law to return home as well.
Zhang Meihua was tall and sturdy, her square face radiating honesty. She sat cross-legged at the foot of the kang, a winnowing basket containing chestnuts beside her, skillfully peeling the prickly shells.
Hearing this, she glanced at her sister-in-law who had aged considerably and said gloomily, “I’d be doing these same chores back home anyway. What difference does it make where I do them?”
Ever since the news of her nephew’s sacrifice arrived, her sister-in-law had fallen ill. She remained sickly for two or three months, and just when she was finally recovering, her daughter-in-law caused this trouble. The once beautiful woman now had white hairs and had become as thin as a stick.
Zhang Meihua wasn’t good with words, unable to offer comforting phrases. Fearful that her sister-in-law might do something drastic, she could only keep a close watch.
Besides, with her presence here, the gossipers would show some restraint since her husband was the brigade accountant.
Having been sisters-in-law for decades, Hu Xiu easily guessed her concerns and persuaded helplessly, “I still need to raise Miao Miao and Guo Guo. I won’t do anything foolish.”
That’s true. Zhang Meihua stretched her neck to admiringly gaze at the fair, chubby Dragon and Phoenix Twins. Just as she was about to say more, the solid wooden door creaked open.
Following immediately was the somewhat shrill voice of the second sister-in-law, Chen Guilan: “Sister-in-law, Old Secretary is here to see you.”
Compared to the sturdy and taciturn third sister-in-law Zhang Meihua, the second sister-in-law sandwiched in between was petite but sharp and assertive.
Sure enough, no sooner had her reasonably pretty melon-seed shaped face appeared before them than words came tumbling out: “Sister-in-law, don’t take this the wrong way, but you’re just too soft-hearted.” Why are we saving face for that girl from the Lin family? Everyone in the village says she must have run away, otherwise why would so much money and clothing be missing? In my opinion, why bother looking for such a wife? Let her elope or remarry as she pleases. The important thing is to demand the money back from the Lin family! And what’s more, we should get additional compensation!”
She wanted to add that if her sister-in-law really didn’t need the money, it could be given to their family. Unlike her sister-in-law’s only heir, she, Chen Guilan, had given birth to six children and life was very tight for them.
But seeing her sister-in-law’s emaciated, pale appearance and Old Secretary who had followed her in, she ultimately just pursed her lips, pulled a handful of sunflower seeds from her pocket, plopped down by the kang, and started cracking them.
Hu Xiu ignored her clamorous sister-in-law and instead straightened up slightly to address the Old Secretary, who wore a Lei Feng Hat and a patched thick coat layered with more patches, his face weathered by hardship. “What brings you here? Please, have a seat. Meihua, go brew some tea to warm the Old Secretary up.”
Zhang Meihua: “Right away!”
The Old Secretary set down the cloth bag in his hand, brushed the snow off his clothes, and sat on a bench not far from the kang bed. Waving his hand, he declined, “No need for such fine things. Plain water will do.”
Hu Xiu paid no heed and instructed Meihua to continue, also reminding her to prepare a cup of sugary water for Guilan. Then, she turned back to the Old Secretary. “I’m really fine. I’ll be up and about tomorrow. But you—the snow is deep and the roads are slippery outside. If anything were to happen…”
“Cough… What could happen? I’m perfectly fine… cough… As for you, it’s good that you’ve come to terms with things. Life is full of hardships, but we must carry on, mustn’t we? Besides, you have to think of your two young grandsons…” The Old Secretary, advanced in years, tended to ramble. After going on for a while, he lit his tobacco pipe, took a couple of puffs, and then, as if remembering something, pointed to the small bag on the table. “I brought you a few catties of grain. It’s not much, but it’s fine grain—good for nourishing your health.”
Hearing this, Hu Xiu could no longer remain seated. She quickly interjected, “That won’t do. You must take it back. I truly lack nothing to eat.”
This wasn’t mere politeness. Though Hu Xiu’s husband had passed away early, leaving only one son, her in-laws, younger brother-in-law, and sister-in-law had all been supportive. Moreover, she had many brothers in her own family and was capable herself. Life had never been particularly hard for her, especially after her son joined the army and began sending back his allowance.
The Old Secretary glared. “This isn’t from me alone. Everyone agreed to it. We’re looking after the family of a martyr—the organization encourages it. It’s just… Xiao… what a pity.” By the end, the usually loud-voiced old man was stroking his tobacco pipe and muttering softly.
At these words, Hu Xiu, who had already cried all her tears, blinked. Even though her son had been gone for over three months, the pain in her heart remained sharp.
Seeing this, Chen Guilan, who had been happily sipping her sugary water, quickly changed the subject. “Old Secretary, why bring that up? If you ask me, we ought to gather some men, arm ourselves, and go confront the Lin family. Their daughter ran off with all that money—we can’t just let it slide.”
Hearing this, Hu Xiu set aside her grief and swatted her sister-in-law. “My in-laws are good people. They came by today, returned some of the money, and said they’d scrape together the rest later. Besides, we still don’t know what really happened with Tingting. Don’t go ruining people’s reputations with baseless talk.”
What she didn’t say was that she hadn’t wanted to take the money in the first place. No matter what, it was their family who owed a debt—such an outstanding young woman had entered their home only to become a widow.
But her mother-in-law had tossed the money down and run off.
Recalling how the other woman’s eyes were swollen from crying and her lips blistered with sores, clearly having suffered greatly these past few days, any resentment Hu Xiu might have felt dissipated.
Especially since the stack of money included large bills, small change, odd amounts, and notes both new and old—it was plainly scraped together with great difficulty.
It was precisely because the Lin family had such integrity that Hu Xiu suspected her daughter-in-law’s disappearance might be due to some unforeseen circumstance.
A family so reasonable would surely have raised a child who understood propriety.
Chen Guilan hadn’t expected the Lin family to actually repay the money so readily. Clicking her tongue in surprise, she remarked, “Well, isn’t that something? Could it be that a fine bamboo has produced a crooked shoot?”
Old Secretary was equally astonished and was about to ask more when someone called from outside, “Is anyone home?”
The voice sounded unfamiliar. After exchanging puzzled glances, Zhang Meihua, who had been shelling chestnuts by the kang, went to open the door.
A short while later, she returned with a middle-aged woman in a military overcoat.
Old Secretary recognized the visitor and rose in surprise. “Secretary Wang? What brings you here?”
“I’ve come with good news!” The newcomer was none other than Wang Chunling, secretary of the Huo Family Village Commune.
Naturally, Wang Chunling was familiar with Huo Xiao, the most accomplished military officer from the commune. Especially after his sacrifice, she had paid close attention to his family as martyrs’ relatives. Thus, she was quite aware of the incident where Huo Xiao’s wife had taken the money and fled.
Now that there was a turn of events, she had rushed over personally. Barely settling on the stool, she eagerly announced, “Lin Ting called!”
“What?!”
Her words sent shockwaves through the room, stunning everyone present.
After a long pause, Hu Xiu was the first to react. Her eyes red, she struggled to move to the edge of the kang, ignoring her dizziness, and urgently pressed, “I knew Tingting wasn’t a bad child! Secretary Wang, please tell us quickly—where did Tingting go? Was she facing some difficulties?”
Wang Chunling didn’t beat around the bush. She relayed the reasons Lin Ting had given her over the phone, concluding with a sigh, “…She just wanted to confirm whether Huo Xiao’s sacrifice was real. Comrade Lin Ting even said that if it were true, she still owed it to their marriage to bring Huo Xiao’s belongings home. She was worried you wouldn’t agree to her going to the military, so she left secretly. In her haste, she forgot to leave a message. But realizing you must be frantic, she called as soon as she reached Hu Shi.”
Upon hearing the explanation, everyone’s faces lit up with relief and emotion—except for Chen Guilan. She felt things weren’t so straightforward. Setting aside the melon seeds she’d been snacking on, her sharp eyes narrowed with doubt. “If she wanted to go, why take all the family’s money?”
Wang Chunling replied, “Comrade Lin said she wouldn’t use the money. She took it in case Huo Xiao was merely injured and needed funds…”
Here, Secretary Wang sighed again. “You see, educated folks like her approach everything with a proactive mindset. It’s better to see for oneself. Whatever the outcome, at least there’s closure, right?”
Of course, she didn’t entirely believe everything Lin Ting had said. But since this explanation benefited everyone involved, she chose to accept it as truth and saw the need to act on it promptly.
Hu Xiu was more than willing to believe this version of events. Her entire demeanor brightened. “That makes sense, it really does! Tingting did the right thing. The child has a good heart.”
Old Secretary added, “What matters is she’s safe. I’ll explain things to the village later—we can’t let everyone misunderstand such a fine girl.”
Secretary Wang nodded emphatically. “Yes, we must clarify this. I’ll go with you to the broadcast station and announce it over the loudspeaker.”
With that, she grew restless and stood up to leave. Her urgency was understandable—the incident had caused severe damage. Huo Xiao was a martyr, a regimental-level officer. The idea that his wife had abandoned his family and taken their money before his body was cold was as despicable as the exploitation by landlords.
If this isn’t resolved quickly and word gets to the County Armed Forces Department, even she, the commune secretary, would face consequences.
With that thought, Wang Chunling couldn’t sit still any longer. She retied the scarf she had just loosened and pulled Old Secretary to leave.
Seeing this, Hu Xiu turned to her three sisters-in-law: “Meihua, we need to have Da Hai go to the neighboring village to send a message to the in-laws.”
Hearing this, Zhang Meihua immediately slipped on her shoes, threw on a thick coat, and headed out, her voice especially loud: “Alright! I’ll go right now.”
Secretary Wang slapped his forehead and turned back: “Look at me, I knew I forgot something. Comrade Lin Ting also asked me to notify her family, and someone has already gone.”
Hu Xiu mainly wanted to bring money to the in-laws: “No matter, Tingting made this trip for Xiaozi, so it’s only right that we go personally.”
As she spoke, she called out to her third sister-in-law waiting at the door: “Meihua, have Da Hai come to me first. The snow is deep, so call Da Zhu too—let the two brothers go together!”
Zhang Meihua didn’t look back: “Got it.”
Everyone was overjoyed, except for Chen Guilan, who still felt something was off. She pursed her lips, thinking the reason seemed far-fetched.
But seeing how happy everyone was, she kept her doubts to herself.
Her sister-in-law had finally shown a bit of liveliness—she’d better keep her mouth shut for now.
In contrast to the jubilant atmosphere at Xiangyang Brigade, Lin Ting, who had boarded the train to Rongcheng and still managed to make herself look disheveled, was in a much less cheerful mood.
Over 1,900 kilometers, four days and three nights on a hard seat.
It wasn’t that she couldn’t endure the hardship—given the circumstances, she had to.
But her luck seemed to have hit rock bottom. Not only had she inexplicably traveled through time, but even on a train ride, she ran into trouble.
Across from her sat a mother and son who had taken off their shoes. Who knows how long it had been since they last washed their feet or changed their socks?
The stench from their feet alone could overpower the entire carriage, making her eyes water.
From the moment she boarded, Lin Ting had kept her face turned toward the window, not daring to take a deep breath. Even when her neck ached, she refused to look back.
Just when she thought her luck couldn’t get worse, the woman across from her suddenly raised her voice: “Hey! Miss, move back a bit.”
Her arm was tugged, and realizing the “miss” was her, Lin Ting’s head spun as she turned around.
The woman grinned, revealing yellow teeth: “Miss, move back. My kid needs to pee.”
Without waiting for a response, she reached out to open the window.
A biting cold wind rushed in, making Lin Ting shiver.
Just as she was about to take a few deep breaths of fresh air, she saw a boy of about fourteen or fifteen squeeze up beside her.
Then, to her astonishment, he began unbuttoning his pants toward the window.
In that moment, Lin Ting didn’t even have time to get angry—she instinctively leaned away, narrowly avoiding the urine splashing back from the wind.
But as if heaven thought she hadn’t suffered enough, the woman complained unhappily: “Hey, hey, miss, what are you dodging for? Hold onto my kid—don’t let him fall out!”
Even though Lin Ting prided herself on having good manners, her face turned as dark as a pot at that moment.
She wanted to go home!!!