Chapter 17
Ye Qingzhi had asked the brigade leader, Second Great-Uncle, and the others not to spread the news of her selling the house and the private plot, at least not until she had packed her things and “returned” to her parents’ home.
Otherwise, Wei Youliang and the other relatives would surely come to make a scene, demanding she return the money and take back the house and land. This was something Second Great-Uncle’s family and Wei Youfu did not want to see.
If the money was snatched by Wei Youliang, she and her two sons wouldn’t be able to survive, and they would have to rely on the village for support. This was something the brigade leader and the others definitely did not want.
The cadres and Second Great-Uncle looked at each other. With this combination of threats and incentives, they had no choice but to promise to keep it a secret.
Ye Qingzhi didn’t expect them to keep it a secret for long, just four or five days would be enough. By then, she would have taken the children to join the army at the base, and it would be too late for Wei Youliang and the others to do anything.
The next day, she observed for a while and confirmed that the news hadn’t spread. Otherwise, such explosive news would surely be the talk of the town.
Besides, if Wei Youliang had found out, he would have already come to her door with the other relatives.
After coming home from work in the morning and having lunch, she continued to dry various vegetables.
“Qingzhi.”
She looked up and saw Auntie Ye and He Qiming’s aunt walking over with things in their hands.
“Auntie, Aunt, come in and sit down.” Ye Qingzhi washed her hands and, seeing them sweating, quickly poured them some cool honeysuckle tea.
He Qiming’s aunt had been observing since she entered the courtyard. The two orange trees were laden with fruit, sweet potatoes were planted along the wall, and various dried vegetables were laid out to dry on the ground. By the water vat, there were a dozen or so fresh, large cabbages. The house was neat and clean. It was clear that the owner was a hardworking and tidy person.
“Qingzhi, it’s only been a few days, and you’ve gotten even prettier,” she said, her gaze turning to Ye Qingzhi. Capable and beautiful. Qiming has found a real treasure this time.
But during the recent busy farming season, the sun had been so harsh that everyone else had gotten several shades darker. Not only had Ye Qingzhi not gotten darker, but she had even become a little fairer. Could it be that because she was getting married, she had stopped working and had been staying at home to lighten her skin?
“Really? I’ve been working in the fields every day recently. I feel like I’ve gotten much darker. But you, Aunt, you look like you’ve lost a lot of weight,” Ye Qingzhi said, noticing the doubt in her eyes and offering a subtle explanation.
“Not at all. You look fair and tender. It’s good to be young. A little sun doesn’t hurt,” she said, enviously touching Ye Qingzhi’s face, then her own.
Sigh. She had also been a great beauty in her youth. Now, look at her. Time truly spared no one.
“Qingzhi is only twenty-five, the most beautiful time in a woman’s life. Of course she’s tender. Your hands are all calloused. Be careful not to scratch her face,” Auntie Ye teased with a laugh.
After sitting for a while, He Qiming’s aunt went to the backyard. Seeing the lush sweet potatoes, scallions, ginger, garlic, and green vegetables, and the two spirited hens wandering around, it was a picture of vitality.
“It’s about time. Let’s go to Dayang Village now,” Auntie Ye urged.
After giving her two sons some instructions, Ye Qingzhi openly followed them to Dayang Village to see He Qiming’s house.
“Dahong, where are you all going?” Third Auntie He asked, her eyes constantly darting towards Ye Qingzhi with curiosity.
“Just taking my friend for a walk,” He Qiming’s aunt said with a smile, deliberately being vague.
The more she acted this way, the more curious people became. At least, Third Auntie He was very curious now.
“Have you seen those two before? Which village are they from?”
“The older one looks like Wei Youfu’s wife from Houxi Village. I haven’t seen the younger one before,” He Dashan said, shaking his head.
“Is that Wei Jiancheng’s wife from Houxi Village?” someone said uncertainly.
“Wei Jiancheng? The one who was gone for several years and just died of an illness outside?” Third Auntie He’s eyes lit up.
“Yes, yes, that’s him. I heard he found another woman and had several children with her. The one just now is his wife. I saw her from a distance once. I didn’t expect her to be so beautiful up close,” Fourth Auntie He said, nodding.
“He abandoned such a beautiful wife? How beautiful must his other woman be?” He Dashan asked, puzzled.
“Hmph! Who knows what you stinking men are thinking? You don’t want your good wife at home, but you treat any piece of trash outside like a treasure,” Third Auntie He pouted.
“Hey, Third Auntie, we’re not like that. Don’t lump us all together,” He Dashan quickly denied.
“Hey, what do you think… where is Sister Dahong taking her?” Fourth Auntie He was more curious about this.
Third Auntie He’s eyes darted around. “Isn’t that the direction of Qiming’s house? Don’t tell me she’s trying to introduce her to Qiming?”
It wasn’t impossible. He Qiming was divorced with two children, and Ye Qingzhi was a widow with two children. In a way, they were a good match.
“No way. Qiming is an officer now. It wouldn’t be hard for him to marry a young, unmarried girl. Why would he choose a widow?” He Dashan thought it was unlikely.
“You don’t understand. Qiming is a soldier. He’s not home for many days a year. When he’s busy, he might not come back for a whole year. Can a young, unmarried girl endure that?” Third Auntie He shot him a sideways glance, thinking he was too naive.
Everyone thought about it. That’s right. Marrying He Qiming meant living apart, sometimes not seeing each other for a whole year. A young, unmarried girl would be a living widow. Over time, she might not be able to remain faithful.
Wasn’t that what had happened with his ex-wife? Although the He family had kept it a secret, they were all from the same village. Many people knew about Xu Baoli’s affair.
Besides, he had two sons. A young girl wouldn’t know how to take care of children as well as Ye Qingzhi, who was already a mother.
Moreover, Ye Qingzhi wasn’t old and was very beautiful. They had just caught a glimpse of her from behind—she had a nice waist, a nice bottom, and a full chest.
Most importantly, Wei Jiancheng had been gone for six years, and she had raised two children all by herself. She never meddled in other people’s business, never joked with men, and kept her home and affairs in perfect order. They hadn’t realized before what a good woman she was.
“I wonder if this match will work out. If not, I’ll introduce her to a relative of mine,” Fourth Auntie He said, liking Ye Qingzhi more and more.
“Forget your relative. Isn’t Yongyao also without a wife? A widow and a widower, a perfect match,” Third Auntie He said, thinking it was more and more suitable.
Meanwhile, the group finally arrived at He Qiming’s house. To avoid suspicion, this was Ye Qingzhi’s first time here.
It was a two-room house made of blue bricks and tiles. The courtyard had a cobblestone path, with two large flowerbeds on either side, planted with cockscomb and canna lilies, and a patch of henna, which was in full bloom.
Seeing her looking at the flowers, He Qiming’s aunt pouted.
“It’s not that I’m badmouthing people behind their backs, or that I’m siding with my own family. But I really can’t stand Qiming’s ex-wife. Look at this, a perfectly good yard all planted with flowers. And the backyard too, she insisted on planting fruit trees and not a single vegetable. She even had to beg others for a scallion.”
Ye Qingzhi couldn’t really respond to that, so she just smiled.
Mainly because she thought the flowers were quite beautiful, and she was even happier to hear that there were fruit trees in the backyard.
His aunt continued to complain, “Not like you. The moment I entered your yard, I liked it. The front and back yards are full of vegetables and sweet potatoes to fill the stomach. That’s how a proper life should be lived.”
At the mention of Xu Baoli, she was filled with anger. Always planting flowers and reading books. She didn’t even graduate from elementary school. What’s with the pretense of being cultured?
She didn’t take care of the children, didn’t do housework, didn’t work for work-points, and didn’t even tend to the private plot. A country woman who had to spend money to buy vegetables. It was laughable.
And a person like that dared to have an affair. It was only because their family valued their reputation and didn’t want to blow things up. If it had been any other family, they would have broken her legs long ago.
Auntie Ye knew it was awkward for her to respond, so she tugged on the aunt’s arm. “It’s all in the past. Let’s not talk about it. This is Qingzhi’s first time here. You should show her around.”
Say what you will, He Qiming’s ex-wife had good taste. The backyard not only had a grape trellis but also a swing. There were two peach trees and two cherry trees. According to his aunt, she had planted them not because the fruit was delicious, but because the flowers were beautiful.
There was even a well, with a stone trough built next to it, so one could stand while washing clothes without straining one’s back.
Just as Ye Qingzhi was about to say she liked the trough, she heard his aunt start to complain again.
“Qiming’s house isn’t far from the village well, but Xu Baoli said she couldn’t carry the water and insisted on digging a well here. Then she said it was tiring to squat while washing clothes and had this trough built. Lazy people are always full of excuses. She had nothing to do all day but come up with these frivolous ideas.”
Ye Qingzhi silently swallowed the words on the tip of her tongue and gave an awkward smile.
She once again thanked her “ex-wife-in-law” for her gifts. Because of her, she now had everything she wanted, and without having to bear the blame.
“Qingzhi, what are you going to do with these fruit trees? If you ask me, just cut them down for firewood. They take up so much space that could be used for vegetables. They’re an eyesore,” his aunt said with disgust.
No way! She loved peaches and cherries. And she also wanted to plant loquats and plums. A pear tree would be nice too. And two orange trees in the front yard, or maybe jujube trees, so she could dry the fruit and take it with her.
“Aunt, I think these fruit trees are growing quite well. Let’s just let them be. I’ll prune them later, and they’ll surely bear a lot of fruit next year. With so many children in the family, eating some fruit will be good for their health. We can also dry some to have as snacks,” she said, explaining the benefits of the fruit trees.
Every word was for the sake of the children, which made his aunt very happy. Not like Xu Baoli, who said she planted trees to look at the flowers, which had made her and Yang Fuzhen furious.
“What about this grapevine? Are you keeping it too? It’s so big, it blocks the sun, so nothing can grow underneath,” she said, thinking the grapevine took up too much space.
Ye Qingzhi looked at the grape trellis, which she also liked, and said with a smile, “We can plant some shade-loving herbs. With so many children, if they have a headache, fever, or internal heat, we can just pull some up and make a decoction for them. The grapes can be dried into raisins or made into wine. When Qiming comes back, he can drink it with Uncle and the others.”
“That’s right, that’s right. You’re so thoughtful. Then let’s keep it. Anyway, there’s still the private plot. The vegetables grown there will be enough for you and the children,” his aunt said, extremely satisfied with her arrangements.
Ye Qingzhi was also very satisfied with the house. But she had been here for a while and hadn’t seen the two children, so she asked.
“They’re at the old house. Come on, let’s go there now,” his aunt said with a broad smile, pulling her along.
They had already been informed, so the He family was all at home, waiting.
As soon as they entered the courtyard, a tall, thin woman greeted them warmly.
“You must be Qingzhi, right? I’m Qiming’s older sister-in-law, Li Hehua. We’ll be family from now on. If you don’t mind, just call me sister-in-law,” she said with a cheerful smile.
The second branch of the family had already split off, so there was no conflict of interest between them. Of course, she wouldn’t make things difficult for Ye Qingzhi.
On the contrary, because He Qiming was an officer and would give his parents five yuan a month for their living expenses, and most of that money was spent on this household, the first and third branches would only flatter her, hoping to persuade her to give more.
As soon as she entered the house, before she could even get her bearings, a little figure rushed over and hugged her leg, making her stumble.
“Oh, Yangyang, did you miss Auntie?” she said, happily picking him up. But seeing his red eyes, she immediately frowned. “What’s wrong? Why are you crying?”
Yang Fuzhen said with a cheerful smile, “It’s nothing. He was just playing with his cousin.”
Cousin? She must be talking about He Qiming’s younger brother’s son.
Ye Qingzhi glanced over and saw a little boy, a head shorter than He Jingyang, hugging a woman’s leg and staring at her with wide eyes.
Seeing her look over, the woman smiled and said kindly, “My name is Wang Xiuhua. This is my son, He Jingrui. He’s just over a year old. He was just playing with Yangyang. Isn’t that right, Yangyang?”
Although her tone was gentle, Ye Qingzhi felt a hint of a threat in it.
She looked down at Yangyang. Seeing him pouting and not speaking, she asked softly, “Yangyang, are you alright?”
He shook his head and hugged her neck tightly. “I’m fine. Auntie, when is Papa coming back?”
“Your papa is coming back tomorrow.” She held him and looked around. Not seeing He Jingyan, she asked, “Where’s Jingyan?”
“Oh, that child can’t sit still. We told him to wait for you at home, but he insisted on going to gather pine needles with the other boys in the village,” Li Hehua said with a helpless expression.
Ye Qingzhi smiled. No one liked to work, especially an eight-year-old boy. And Yangyang’s red eyes all pointed to the fact that they had been wronged in this house.
But she hadn’t officially married into the family yet, and it was a matter between his family and his children. She couldn’t interfere. When he came back, she would tell him and let him handle it.
“Second sister-in-law, I just heard you say that Qiming is coming back tomorrow?” Wang Xiuhua asked with great familiarity, as if they had known each other for a long time.
Ye Qingzhi didn’t refute it. She and He Qiming were already engaged, so she could accept the title of “second sister-in-law.”
“Yes, that’s what he said in the letter,” she said with a smile.
After chatting for a while, Auntie Ye stood up to leave with her. But Yangyang clung to her and wouldn’t let go. She had to coax him for a long time before she could leave under his reluctant gaze.
At the village entrance, she saw He Jingyan carrying a full basket of pine needles, his face flushed from the sun, and sweat pouring down his back. Her heart ached at the sight.
“Why did you get so much? You’re small and not very strong. Half a basket would have been enough. Don’t strain your bones, or you won’t grow tall,” she said, taking his basket and turning to Auntie Ye. “Auntie, I’ll take Jingyan home first.”
“Alright. I’ll wait for you at the intersection outside. It’s good for you to spend more time with the children,” Auntie Ye nodded.
“No need,” He Jingyan said, following behind her.
“Let’s go.” Seeing that there was no one around, she said in a low voice, “I know you’re a sensible child, but don’t be too sensible. You’ll be taken advantage of.”
He Jingyan pressed his lips together and said nothing, just followed silently behind her.
Seeing that he wasn’t talking, she didn’t say any more. When they were almost at the He family’s old house, she handed the basket back to him. “Go on in. Your dad is coming back tomorrow. If you’ve been wronged in any way, just tell him. The squeaky wheel gets the grease.”
Back in Houxi Village, or rather, just as they were entering the village, she and Auntie Ye were surrounded.
Auntie Lin: “Qingzhi, where did you and Auntie Ye go?”
Auntie Li: “Qingzhi, did you go on a blind date? Whose family? How was it? Tell us!”
Auntie Wang: “That’s right, Auntie Ye, whose family? Do we know them? Qingzhi is a good girl. We won’t agree if he’s not good enough.”
“Is it any of your business?” Auntie Ye said, glaring at her with a smile. “They haven’t officially met yet. We’ll talk about it after they do.”
“What? They haven’t met yet? Who is it?” Auntie Wang was so curious she was practically scratching her heart.
Unfortunately, neither of them would say. Those who knew He Qiming’s aunt just smiled knowingly and didn’t rush to reveal the answer.
Ye Qingzhi had thought that Wei Youliang would come to ask her about it, but he hadn’t shown up.
It was better that he didn’t. It would save her the trouble of arguing with him.
After a good night’s sleep, Ye Qingzhi put on the same clothes she had worn when she first met He Qiming. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to wear new clothes; it just wasn’t the right time yet.
At nine in the morning, she was distractedly chopping cabbage, almost cutting her hand several times. She finally gave up and started to pick over the vegetables instead.
“Qingzhi, come quickly,” Auntie Ye said, waving to her from the courtyard gate.
Ye Qingzhi felt her heart skip a beat. She took a deep breath and walked out calmly.
“Qingzhi, Qiming is waiting for you at the village entrance. Hurry up,” Auntie Ye said, then suddenly grabbed her. “Did you bring your household registration book?”
Ye Qingzhi felt the book in her pocket and nodded. “I did.”
She walked as calmly as she could to the village entrance. Seeing He Qiming’s tall and straight figure, her heart began to pound like a drum. “He Qiming.”
“Qingzhi.” Seeing her smiling brightly, his heart pounded just as hard. He walked towards her and said with a smile, “Qingzhi, I’m back.”
“Mm. Let’s go,” she said with a light laugh.