My sister-in-law from Qingdao

Seeing how cunning Ma Deqiang was, I immediately said firmly, "Village chief, let's just call the police. The police can tell who's good and who's bad."

The village chief knew what kind of person Ma Deqiang was, so he turned to the accountant who had come with him and said, "Call 110 to report it."

The accountant took out his phone, but before he could make a call, Ma Deqiang suddenly knelt down.

"Uncle, I was wrong, I know I was wrong. I just drank some cat urine and my mind went out of control. Please don't call the police, okay?"

Looking at his pathetic state, I recalled his earlier attempts at sophistry.

I kicked it.

"Ma Deqiang, listen to me carefully. We're from the same village and grew up together. If you do anything disrespectful again, I'll break your legs."

Ma Deqiang was clearly unconvinced, but he still nodded with an embarrassed smile and said, "I'll change, I'll definitely change."

"Get lost, nobody wants to see you."

Ma Deqiang got up from the ground and slunk away.

The village chief looked around before saying to Su Xiaoya, "Sister-in-law, Chen Fang is a good boy, but he's not coming back. Since your mother-in-law and father-in-law don't recognize you anymore, and you don't have any children, please don't come back anymore."

After the village chief finished speaking, he left with the members of the village committee, leaving only my cousin-in-law Su Xiaoya, my parents, and me in the room.

My dad glanced at my mom, and my mom glanced at me. I didn't know what to say.

My cousin's wife sat on the bed, her eyes vacant and sorrowful.

My mother suddenly stepped forward and grabbed Su Xiaoya's hand.

"Child, my nephew is dead. From today onwards, you are my daughter. Come and go as you please. You can come to my house whenever you want."

My cousin's wife was stunned for a moment, then suddenly hugged my mother's waist, rested her head on her body, and burst into tears.

Seeing this scene, I felt a pang of sadness, a feeling I couldn't quite describe.

Ten minutes later, my mother led Su Xiaoya to my house.

That night, my cousin-in-law slept with my mother, while I slept in my own little room.

When I went to the bathroom, I heard my mom chatting with Su Xiaoya, but I couldn't hear what they were talking about.

The next day, when I woke up, I saw my mom sitting by my bed.

My mother stroked my head and said earnestly, "Son, after you return to Qingdao this time, tell your sister-in-law never to come back again. The Chen family won't tolerate her."

I sat up abruptly.

"Mom, didn't you say she'd be your daughter from now on? Didn't you say she could come to our house whenever she wanted?"

My mother shook her head with a wry smile and said, "Silly child, do you think that's possible? If Su Xiaoya comes to our house often in the future, won't our family's reputation be tarnished?"

"But why did you say that last night?"

"After what happened last night, how could I leave her there alone? What if Ma Deqiang suddenly comes back and ruins her life?"

Society is tough these days. In every village, there are many unmarried men, all of whom are eagerly waiting for someone to marry them.

I sighed softly; my mother was right.

My mom suddenly changed the subject and said, "Didn't you meet a good girl in Qingdao? If you can't, why don't you ask your sister-in-law, Peach Blossom, to help you find one? Girls from the countryside aren't bad either."

My mother's words reminded me of Tang Xiaofu and Tang Yanran. I wonder what those two girls are like now.

If I had to choose one of these two women to be my wife, I would still choose Tang Xiaofu.

"Silly boy, what are you daydreaming about? Didn't you hear me?" My mom tugged at my ear and shook it gently.

"Mom, I heard you. I don't have anything right now, and I don't want to be in a relationship. I have a good job. Once I've made money and bought a house and a car in Qingdao, I'll definitely find you a beautiful daughter-in-law."

My mother sighed softly, patted my shoulder, and said, "Son, it's your father and I'm not capable enough. If your father and I had earned a lot of money, you wouldn't be so aggrieved."

I smiled and said, "Mom, you and Dad are the best parents in the world. You work hard in the fields to support my schooling, and that's the greatest kindness you can give me."

"We'll be happy as long as you succeed. Alright, that's enough. Your sister-in-law should get up too. After breakfast, your dad and I have to go to the fields. You two go back now."

I'm telling you this one last time: stay away from your sister-in-law in the future; after all, she's a widow.

What's wrong with widows? Aren't widows human beings?

I wanted to argue, but I only thought about it in my mind and didn't say it aloud. I just nodded and said:

"Mom, don't worry, my sister-in-law will never come back."

On the way back, my cousin's wife looked somewhat forlorn. She sat in the passenger seat without saying a word.

She leaned slightly towards the window, looking out at the desolate and cold world.

On the low mountain, the leaves of the trees have turned yellow and withered, and the crops in the distance and nearby show signs of decay.

The autumn harvest is basically over, but there are still some scattered crops in the fields.

Seeing this scene filled me with countless emotions, yet I was unable to express them.

Sometimes I think to myself, I wish I were a poet.

But I am not; I am just an ordinary mortal.

As I was driving and lost in thought, my cousin-in-law suddenly turned around and asked, "Chen Dong, do you think your sister-in-law is a jinx?"

A chill ran down my spine, and I quickly shook my head, saying, "Don't talk nonsense. Who told you that? Did my mother say it? She's really getting senile."

My cousin's wife grinned.

"My aunt is such a good person, how could she bear to say such things about me? It was yesterday when we were visiting the graves, I overheard some women gossiping on the side, saying I was a jinx, that I was a vixen, and that I was seducing you."

"That's how all village women are. They're all talk and no action. If they're not capable, they can only be gossipy. Don't mind them," I comforted my cousin-in-law.

"I don't mind at all, whether they call me a vixen or a jinx, I don't mind, but I do have one small regret."

"What's the regret?"

"You say I'm a vixen, and everyone in the village says I'm seducing you, but the problem is I really didn't seduce you."

I feel like I'm getting the short end of the stick. Chen Fang's dead anyway, and I'm a widow now. How about I seduce you sometime and see what happens?

Su Xiaoya turned to look at me, her eyes filled with sorrow and tenderness.

Her eyes were red-rimmed, and her conflicted expression was truly heartbreaking.