Mother Yang wasn’t feeling well.
Her body ached, but her heart hurt even more.
Back then, when Yang Wenping—her fourth child—had been admitted to a junior college, he was the first young man in their entire neighborhood to do so.
Everyone had flocked to congratulate her.
Even her sisters-in-law and the old matriarch treated her with more respect.
Matchmakers nearly wore out the family’s doorstep.
She and Father Yang had even discussed it privately.
Wenping was promising.
As parents, they couldn’t become a burden to his future.
When the time came, his wife should be someone he truly loved.
But later…
When Factory Director Zheng sent word that he wanted the two families to become in-laws…
She had been tempted.
Painfully tempted.
Before Liberation, the Zheng family had been one of the city’s most prestigious clans.
Even afterward, talented people had continued to emerge from the family.
Though they weren’t as influential as before, they had weathered the recent political movements without being criticized or persecuted.
Moreover, Zheng Yuyin’s father was a factory director at the flour mill, and her eldest uncle also held a position there.
In the old days…
The Yang family and the Zheng family wouldn’t even have belonged to the same social world.
Mother Yang would never have dared dream of such distinguished in-laws.
Then she thought of her third daughter.
She had gone to the countryside in the spring, crying all the way.
Not a single letter had come home since.
Her eldest son was still in Northeast China, living through bitter winters with no hope of returning.
If they became relatives of the Zheng family…
Could Factory Director Zheng perhaps use his connections…
To help those two children return to the city?
Mother Yang thought long and hard.
When Yang Wenping came home on holiday…
She finally brought up the proposal.
She remembered that day perfectly.
Everything happened exactly as she’d expected.
The moment she mentioned his elder brother and third sister…
Wenping agreed without hesitation.
As always…
He was considerate.
Too considerate.
Afterward, she’d always felt guilty.
She not only gave him more pocket money…
She also encouraged him to spend more time with Zheng Yuyin.
If they truly fell in love…
Her own guilt would ease a little.
When the engagement was arranged…
She had gritted her teeth and sent a bride price of five hundred yuan.
Most weddings cost only a hundred.
She deliberately gave five times that amount.
She didn’t want the Zheng family looking down on them.
She didn’t want anyone looking down on Wenping.
And she especially didn’t want the neighbors saying her son was marrying above his station.
Last year, after Wenping graduated, he waited and waited for his job assignment.
The notice never came.
She worried so much she couldn’t sleep.
Whenever she overheard people sneering,
“So what if Yang Number Four studied all those years?”
“It was all for nothing!”
“He’s even more useless now!”
…she wanted nothing more than to rip their mouths apart.
Then…
The day Yang Yuan told her the truth…
Blood rushed to her head.
The room spun around her.
She had nearly collapsed.
This…
This was the child she was proudest of.
How could the Zheng family…
How could Zheng Yuyin…
Do something like this?
How dare they?
“Wenping is such a good child…”
Mother Yang sobbed uncontrollably.
“I’m the one who failed him.”
“When my youngest left home…”
“I was so heartbroken I could barely function.”
“Whenever Yuanyuan cried…”
“It was always Wenping who comforted her.”
“He was only nine years old.”
“But he already knew how to take care of me.”
“He’d get up before dawn…”
“Stand in line to buy eggs…”
“And cook me brown sugar with eggs.”
Her voice broke.
“I’ll never forget…”
“Those little hands carrying that enamel bowl to my bedside…”
“Telling me to drink while it was still hot…”
Covering her face, she cried until it turned bright red.
Tears seeped through her fingers.
Father Yang’s own eyes reddened.
Holding his wife, he gently soothed her.
“Wenping won’t blame you.”
“You’ve already done your best.”
“He isn’t married yet.”
“He’ll meet someone better.”
His voice had become hoarse as well.
Quietly, Yang Yuan tiptoed away from the east room.
Some things simply couldn’t be judged as right or wrong.
Least of all matters of the heart.
The anger could eventually fade.
The engagement could be broken.
But feelings already given…
Could never truly be taken back.
Neither could the pain.
She glanced toward Yang Wenping’s room.
Night had fallen.
Yet he hadn’t even turned on the light.
She wondered if he’d already gone to sleep.
He wasn’t a man of many words.
A little slow and awkward at times.
But Zheng Yuyin had been the first woman he’d ever loved seriously.
The first woman he’d imagined spending his entire life with.
Yang Yuan let out a long sigh.
Hopefully…
The snow will stop tomorrow.
Maybe everything will feel a little better after one night’s sleep.
The next morning…
The sky really had cleared.
Bright sunshine reflected off the fresh snow, dazzling the eyes.
Having eaten her fill, Yang Yuan fully embraced the life of a homebody.
Wrapped in a quilt on the homemade sofa…
She sat beside the coal stove roasting sweet potatoes while reading little illustrated storybooks.
At noon…
Yang Wenping deliberately came home just to cook lunch for her.
Yang Yuan’s eyes curved into happy crescents.
Zheng Yuyin really doesn’t know what she’s lost.
Look at my Fourth Brother.
He was equally capable in the living room and the kitchen.
Those hands could both write elegant essays…
And expertly wield a wok.
He wasn’t remotely chauvinistic.
He cleaned his own room.
Washed his own clothes.
Even in the twenty-first century…
A man like this would be nearly impossible to find.
Tilting her head upward at a forty-five-degree angle, Yang Yuan silently made a wish.
I’m not asking for much.
Dear heavens…
Just send me a boyfriend like my Fourth Brother.
That’ll be enough.
After waking from an afternoon nap with an aching back from lying around too long…
She suddenly heard a noisy commotion outside.
Quickly throwing on her padded jacket, she hurried out to see what was happening.
“Oh…”
“It’s another show from the south courtyard!”
The visitor was Officer Hong from the Educated Youth Office.
Yang Yuan recognized him immediately.
He was the very official who had repeatedly come to pressure her into going to the countryside.
He looked furious.
“Comrade, watch your language.”
“We’re carrying out government policy.”
“Comrade Ma Yingying meets the qualifications for being sent to the countryside.”
“She’ll be contributing to rural development.”
“You keep talking about money and benefits.”
“I can report you for that.”
“Report me?”
Song Can’s stepmother exploded.
“You report me?”
“I’ll report you first!”
“My Yingying is only twelve!”
“She’s undernourished already.”
“She hasn’t even grown properly!”
“Sending her to the countryside is murder!”
“I want to know…”
“Who signed her up?”
“Which blind fool can’t stand seeing our family live peacefully?”
Her spit sprayed all over Officer Hong’s face.
It turned out…
Someone had secretly registered Ma Yingying for the educated youth program as well.
Officer Hong had come today to deliver Song Can’s train ticket.
While doing so, he’d casually reminded them that Ma Yingying should prepare herself and wait for further notice.
That single sentence…
Had detonated Song Can’s stepmother like a hornet’s nest.
Neighbors poured out from every direction.
Officer Hong, being a grown man, couldn’t very well scream back at a woman.
His face turned bright red.
“Going to the countryside is in response to Chairman Mao’s call.”
“It supports rural construction.”
“Tell Comrade Ma Yingying to prepare.”
“Otherwise…”
“If her political attitude is considered negative…”
“And she’s deemed to be undermining the socialist revolution…”
“She’ll undergo ideological reform.”
With that, he turned to leave.
The moment she heard the words ideological reform…
Song Can’s stepmother’s face turned deathly pale.
She instantly realized how serious this had become.
Panicking, she grabbed Officer Hong’s leg.
“Comrade!”
“Leader!”
“I misspoke!”
“I’m crazy!”
“Everything I said just now was nonsense!”
“Ma Yingying is a good child!”
“Our family has always been poor peasants!”
“We’re good people!”
“Song Can!”
“Song Can volunteered!”
“She’s my own daughter!”
“Ma Yingying is going too!”
“The sisters will build the countryside together!”
“Comrade!”
“Ma Yingying signed up voluntarily!”
“We support rural construction!”
“We support socialism!”
She cried and wailed uncontrollably.
Tears and snot covered her face.
Officer Hong said a few more perfunctory words, finally freed his leg, and escaped as quickly as possible.
The woman collapsed onto the street.
Hands trembling…
She repeatedly told every passerby that her daughter had volunteered willingly.
That their whole family wholeheartedly supported rural development.
Yang Yuan immediately guessed the culprit.
Song Can.
It simply made too much sense.
If she’d been in Song Can’s shoes…
She would’ve gone even further.
Send Ma Yingying to Northeast China.
Send the stepmother to the Northwest.
Go build the Great Northwest.
After all…
Women hold up half the sky, don’t they?
Unfortunately…
Yang Yuan guessed wrong.
The matter had nothing to do with Song Can.
Even Song Can herself wondered…
Who handled this so cleanly?
“You were the one who signed me up, weren’t you?”
“It was you!”
“You didn’t want me taking your factory job!”
“Yesterday Mom told us to complete the transfer paperwork!”
“You refused!”
“So you secretly registered me for the countryside instead!”
“I’m going to beat you to death!”
Crying hysterically…
Ma Yingying lunged at Song Can…
Grabbing a fistful of her hair.