Old Mrs. Song is reborn; get out of here, you scumbag husband and illegitimate child!

Zhou Fang still gritted her teeth and followed him into the house.

As soon as you enter, you can smell a faint sandalwood scent, just like the furnishings in the room, exuding an arrogant air that he can't fit in.

He placed the bags on the table, his voice muffled:

"Mom, these are New Year's gifts for you and Dad. That's a coat and leather boots for Xiyang, and there's a hundred yuan in this envelope for her to keep as living expenses."

Mother An glanced at the pile of things.

When he saw those obviously expensive leather boots, his eyelids twitched for a moment, but he quickly regained his aloof demeanor.

"Little Zhou."

Mother An picked up her teacup, blew away the foam, and didn't ask him to sit down.

"Let's be frank. Look at these things, and then look at yourself. Even if you wear new clothes, you can't wash away the smell of mud."

Living a real life isn't about putting on a show of wealth when you're not. How long would it take you toil in the fields to save up this much money?

Zhou Fang kept his head down.

His fists were clenched tightly.

"When west Yang married you, it was out of necessity, a marriage of convenience. It was her bowing down to an unfair life."

Mother An put down her teacup. "Do you want her to be tied to your poor, remote village for the rest of her life because of her two children?"

Zhou Fang suddenly looked up.

"I will treat her well, and I can make money too."

"Make money?"

Mother An scoffed:

"Making money by trading goods is all we need; that's never been our goal. Didn't you see how happy west Yang and Qing Nian were laughing together? Has she ever laughed like that in that Koizumi Brigade?"

This sentence is like a rusty dagger.

That week, my heart was constantly being stabbed.

He wanted to argue.

I think west Yang also laughed.

But most of the images that flashed through my mind were of An Xiyang holding a child and staring blankly at the kerosene lamp.

And that phrase, "I hate Captain Koizumi."

Seeing that he didn't speak, Mother An pressed her advantage:

"Qingnian, this kid, comes to see Xiyang during the holidays. They plan to take the postgraduate entrance exam together after graduation, and even go to the United States for further studies together."

Are you planning to go with Xiyang and be supported by them, or are you going to smuggle yourself into Chinatown to wash dishes?

"I'm not targeting you personally."

An's mother's tone softened somewhat, but it still sounded more like a gesture of charity:

"I don't want my daughter to go against her own heart for some so-called promise."

If you don't believe me, let's make a bet. See if she comes home early tonight like she promised you.

Zhou Fang felt as if a piece of burning coal was stuck in her throat.

It was so hot that he couldn't speak.

"I have to go now. See you next year... I..."

He turned and left, his steps unsteady, as if he were fleeing in panic.

The door clicked shut.

The fake smile on An's mother's face vanished instantly.

She walked to the telephone and skillfully dialed a number.

"Hello, is this Professor Zhang's house? Could you please find An Xiyang... Oh, Xiyang, this is your mother."

An's mother's voice became incredibly gentle, "Zhou Fang said he was in a hurry to sell goods and left first because he was afraid of delaying things."

He also told you not to rush back, that it's a rare opportunity to get together with your classmates and have a proper chat. He added that he'd come see you again after the New Year when he's less busy.

Anxi Yang on the other end of the phone was stunned for a moment.

He then let out a long sigh of relief.

Although I felt a little disappointed, thinking that Zhou Fang left in a hurry, I felt more of a sense of relief.

The group of students were discussing the latest Western literary movements.

She was completely engrossed in listening.

She couldn't bear to leave now.

"Okay, Mom, I'll be home later."

I hung up the phone.

Mother An smugly hummed and looked through all the things Zhou Fang had brought.

"Tsk, how much money did they borrow to buy these things and pretend to be rich?"

The night in the city grew deeper.

The wind picked up even more.

Zhou Fang hadn't gone far; he squatted down under a sycamore tree opposite the entrance to Anjia Alley.

He turned up his collar to block the wind.

He huddled in the shadows, like a forgotten stone.

He is waiting.

He didn't believe his mother's words.

She said she would come back early, and she really will.

Time passed by, second by second.

The streetlights cast a dim yellow glow.

There are fewer and fewer pedestrians on the street.

It wasn't until after 10 p.m.

The crisp sound of a bicycle bell drifted from afar, accompanied by a burst of cheerful laughter, which sounded particularly jarring in the quiet winter night.

Zhou Fang froze.

Slowly raise your head.

Under the streetlights.

Fu Qingnian rode a brand-new bicycle, with An Xiyang sitting on the back seat, wearing a large men's coat.

"That theory is really interesting. Qingnian, you're right, we really should see more of the outside world." Anxi Yang's voice was filled with excitement, her cheeks were a little red from the cold wind, and her eyes were sparkling.

Fu Qingnian pedaled his bicycle, his voice gentle:

"I was also inspired by my classmate's words. If we can go to the United States for further studies together in the future, the world there is truly wonderful."

The bicycle stopped in front of Anjia's house.

An Xiyang jumped out of the car, took off her coat, and handed it back to Fu Qingnian.

I rubbed my frozen arms.

"Comrade Fu Qingnian, I wish you a smooth journey to study in the United States."

Fu Qingnian took the coat but didn't put it on immediately. Instead, he looked at her affectionately.

"Comrade Anxi Yang, I also wish you success in pursuing your studies in the United States in the future. This is not just a wish, but also my hope."

An Xiyang's smile faded slightly.

She lowered her head and shuffled her toes on the ground.

Shaking his head bitterly:

"I'm afraid I can't go. I have a family, I have children, and... Anyway, you can show me the beautiful scenery of America for me."

"Are you afraid that country bumpkin won't let you leave?"

Fu Qingnian pushed up his glasses, his tone filled with undisguised disdain:

"west Yang, he shouldn't be so selfish. He's just a frog in a well, he's never seen the sky, yet he wants to break your wings and trap you in that well to bear his children. He's greedy, selfish, and cowardly."

"A peasant finally gets to eat swan meat, but he wants to keep the swan by his side for life, afraid that the swan will fly away."

Zhou Fang, hiding behind a tree, dug her fingernails deep into the bark.

They didn't even feel the pain when they scratched it until it bled.

"Country bumpkin," "mud-legged fellow," "frog in a well"... every word felt like a slap in the face.

He waited for An Xiyang to refute him.

Even just one harsh word against Fu Qingnian would be fine.

An Xiyang was silent for a moment, then gently shook her head: "No, Qingnian, don't say that. He... he's actually a very good person."

But it's only very good.

She didn't say "I love him" or "I don't want to leave him".

Zhou Fang felt as if his blood had frozen instantly.

He listened to their farewells, watched An Xiyang enter the room, and watched Fu Qingnian ride away on his bicycle.

He didn't even have the courage to stand up and question them.

Why?

When asked why she didn't come back earlier,

When asked why she didn't tell him she wanted to go to the United States, she replied...

Ask her if she also felt that he was that bumpkin who broke her wings.

What separates them is not just a thousand kilometers, but an invisible, intangible chasm that they can never cross.

Zhou Fang didn't know how she got back to the hotel.

Upon entering.

He startled Wang Zhi and the others.

The man's face was deathly pale, and his eyes were bloodshot, as if he had lost his soul.

Without saying a word, he grabbed the bottle of liquor on the table and poured it into his mouth, choking on the spiciness without stopping.

"What's wrong with you?" Erhei was so frightened that he quickly tried to snatch the bottle away.

Zhou Fang clung tightly to the bottle, refusing to let go.

After downing a bottle of liquor, he collapsed to the ground, wailing loudly.

"Xiyang... Anxiyang..."

He called out the name over and over again, crying with snot and tears streaming down his face, like a child who had suffered a great injustice.

The several grown men in the room looked at each other in bewilderment.

No one dared to speak.

Finally, Wang Zhihe's eyes also reddened.

He thought of Qiao Zhaodi, who was divorced, with three young children at home.

Wang Zhihe grabbed Zhou Fang from the ground and started wailing as well:

"Brother! What terrible things have we done?"

The two embraced and wept bitterly, their cries shaking the heavens.

Erhei said, "I think we shouldn't let our wives go out to study. Once they do, they become too wild."

Song Fei, who was smoking a cigarette to the side, suddenly said:

"Stop talking nonsense. Xiangdong's wife also went out to study, and she's doing fine. To put it bluntly, it's because we're incompetent and can't keep people around."

That was a really harsh blow.

Zhou Fang cried even harder, wishing she could rip her heart out to see if it had turned into ice crystals.

……

At this time, the Koizumi Battalion...

It's the busiest time before the Lunar New Year.

The chimneys of every household were filled with the smell of cooking oil, the aroma of fried New Year's treats.

Wearing an apron and holding long chopsticks, Song Xianglan was frying golden sweet potatoes in the oil.

Shen Huijun assisted from the side.

Song Tingting wasn't idle either, even while taking care of her two children in the yard.

Help carry firewood.

Chunxia and Widow Wang and the others helped with the washing and cleaning in the yard. Even Lin Fang and Erhua closed their shop and came over to help clean.

Song Xianglan directed everyone to thoroughly clean the house, inside and out, and even Zhou Fang's house next door.

"Lanlan, why did you clean Zhou Fang's house so thoroughly? He's not even home," Liu Chounu asked while cracking sunflower seeds.

Song Xianglan took the fried pork out of the water and drained the oil.

He said meaningfully, "He'll be back soon. I just wonder if he'll come back smiling or crying."

Song Tingting is wiping Erbao's nose.

Hearing this, he looked up, his face full of curiosity:

"Mom, Zhou Fang should be happy to see your sister-in-law, so why did she come back crying?"

Song Xianglan did not speak.

Shen Huijun explained in a low voice, "Tingting, you don't know. An Xiyang's mother has always looked down on Zhou Fang, thinking that a country girl is not good enough for her college student daughter, and she's been trying to find ways to make them divorce."

Song Tingting exclaimed in surprise:

"But they already have two children, and their relationship used to be so good. How can they just get a divorce like that?"

She looked at Da Bao and Er Bao playing in the mud with small shovels in the corner of the yard and felt a pang of sadness.

The adult world is terrifying.

It can change in an instant.

Erbao, with his bottom sticking out, was digging into the mud cracks at the base of the wall with a broken tile.

Normally, Song Tingting would have gone to her in the morning and given her a good scolding by pulling her ear.

But seeing Erbao's bewildered look today, my heart ached.

She walked over silently.

"Erbao, don't use the tiles. Use this new shovel to dig."

Erbao's eyes lit up, and he took it.

"Thank you, Auntie."

Song Tingting patted his head, then peeled a White Rabbit milk candy and stuffed it into Erbao's little mouth, which was covered in mud: "Eat up, is it sweet?"

"Sweet!" Erbao smiled, his eyes narrowing into slits.