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

Liu Yidao took two deep drags of his cigarette, then stubbed it out on a brick.

He turned around and took another one from Liu Mazi's hand.

He lit it with a match and finished it in a few puffs.

"I'm off to work." Liu Yidao picked up his basket and got on his tricycle.

I delivered the goods to town.

Liu Yidao went home.

Push open the gate to your own yard.

At the base of the wall, the large-flowered bougainvillea is blooming bright red.

Several potted roses were arranged haphazardly, their leaves glossy green.

The vegetable garden in the backyard has straight ridges, and all kinds of fruits and vegetables grow lush and vibrant, with not a single weed to be found.

A house with a woman.

Clean and lively.

Liu Yidao went to the well to fetch water to wash his hands and then went into the kitchen.

He took the bamboo basket, picked out a few red-skinned sweet potatoes, peeled them, and cut them into chunks.

I scooped water into the pot, grabbed a handful of dried sweet potatoes, and threw them in to boil.

After simmering for a while, add the sweet potatoes and cook for a bit longer.

Big Flower just loves sweet things.

Then, he took out a piece of preserved radish from the black porcelain jar, chopped it up, and cracked two eggs into it.

Heat oil in a pan, and with a sizzling sound, the aroma of fried radish and eggs fills the yard.

Finally, I stir-fried a plate of clams.

I stir-fried a plate of water spinach.

The food was set on the table, but there was still no movement at the gate.

the other side.

Beside the Waiting-for-Husband Rock.

Liu Dahua sat down on the rocks, the sea breeze making her hair messy.

When Song Xianglan pulled her out of the hospital, she was defiant.

But after Song Xianglan left, Zhu Zi's words felt like barbed knives scraping at her heart.

The Huang family members were openly and secretly gossiping that Huang Guoping was still alive, and that her remarriage was a sign of her being unfaithful and unable to control her desires.

She didn't care if others laughed at her.

But her own son felt ashamed of her; it's true that the knife stabbed by the closest person hurts the most.

"What will outsiders think of our Huang family?"

"Could you go and get a divorce from Uncle Liu first?"

Zhu Zi's words kept echoing in her mind.

Liu Dahua covered her face with her hands.

Tears streamed down my fingers.

She endured decades of hardship.

They worked like slaves in the Huang family, making a living by fishing during the day and staying up late at night to do housework and tend their private plot.

She took care of her father-in-law, tended to his bodily needs, served her mother-in-law, and desperately raised her two young children.

In the end, she became a sinner against the Huang family's reputation.

She reached out and touched the Waiting-for-Husband Rock beside her.

The stone was polished smooth.

For countless days and nights, she sat here, feeling the stones. This place is also a haven for countless women who are alone in their empty rooms; they are not afraid of physical exhaustion, but of mental exhaustion.

Song Xianglan was bold and daring.

But Liu Dahua was just a village woman with little courage.

Song Xianglan said that Huang Guoping definitely got married over there.

But what if Huang Guoping doesn't get married?

What if Huang Guoping had toiled for decades and returned with a clean record?

If she remarries, she will truly become a slut despised by everyone.

Wherever I go, people will talk behind my back.

This regret and fear of the unknown choked her, making it hard for her to breathe.

The sea breeze carries a salty, astringent scent.

She cried herself to sleep.

Wipe away your tears with the back of your hand.

No matter what others say, you still have to go home.

Liu Dahua pushed open the gate to her own courtyard.

Liu Yidao stood up from the table and went to meet him. Da Hua lowered her head, not daring to look at him.

Liu Yidao didn't mention Zhu Zi or Huang Guoping.

He turned and went into the kitchen, poured water from the thermos, rubbed a hot towel, and came out.

"It must be windy at the beach, right? You've got sand all over your face. Wash your face." Liu Yidao handed over a hot towel.

Da Hua took the towel, put it on her face, and her eyes welled up with tears again.

She wiped it haphazardly a couple of times and handed the towel back.

Liu Yidao pulled a round tin box with a red flower printed on it from his pocket. "I saw that the face cream on your counter was empty, so I stopped by the supply and marketing cooperative in town this afternoon and picked up a new box for you. And this clam oil too."

He unscrewed the cap of the clam oil.

"Give me your hand," Liu Yidao said.

Da Hua tucked her hands in. "We're about to eat, so I'm wiping them with grease."

"Give it to me." Liu Yidao grabbed her hand without saying a word.

Da Hua's hands were very rough, with thick calluses all over her palms.

When the seasons change, it starts to shed its skin, and in winter it cracks and blisters, becoming as rough as an oyster shell hanging on a reef.

Over the years, Zhu Zi had never seen her hands.

Only her daughter-in-law, Haiyan, is thoughtful; she once bought her clam oil, and her daughter would eagerly help with chores when she came home.

In the years she'd been with Liu Yidao, this rough man forced her to apply perfume every day, and even went to town in winter to buy her gloves.

Liu Yidao scooped out a lump of butter and carefully spread it on the back of her hand, rubbing it in little by little with his thumb.

"You need to really rub your hands," Liu Yidao said, looking down. "Old Song's hands are plumper and softer than yours. You're her older sister, you can't let her out there. You should rub them every day and take good care of them."

"Old Song used to be as skinny as a monkey, with barely any flesh on his cheeks. Now he can have two pounds of flesh hanging down."

Da Hua's throat tightened, and tears splattered onto Liu Yidao's hand.

"Old Liu..."

"Dinner's ready." Liu Yidao tightened the lid, afraid Liu Dahua would say something he didn't want to hear. "The sweet potato soup is so thick and sweet. Eat first."

The dinner table.

The only sounds were the clinking of bowls and chopsticks.

The dried sweet potatoes were cooked until soft and tender, turning a reddish-yellow color.

The sweetness traveled from the tip of my tongue all the way to my stomach.

Liu Yidao picked up a large mouthful of water spinach and stuffed it into his mouth, then ate a couple of bites of sweet potato.

"Big Flower." Liu Yidao put down the bowl.

Da Hua's hand trembled.

"The accounts from the seafood tanks are settled today; this batch of shrimp sold for a good price," Liu Yidao said calmly. "Tomorrow I'll take you to town. To the gold shop."

Da Hua looked up at him.

"I'll take you to get a set of gold jewelry made," Liu Yidao said, looking at her. "I think the gold bracelet on Song Xianglan's wrist is quite pretty. People say that women with good fortune wear gold. Let's get one made too."

Da Hua panicked. "Why buy that? I'm not wearing it. If I bump into something while working at sea and lose it, I'll be heartbroken."

Liu Yidao picked up his chopsticks and took a piece of preserved radish and egg.

Place it in a large floral bowl.

"You won't need to go to sea anymore," Liu Yidao said, his voice low but heavy. "I've told you so many times. We can make money from those ponds our family owns. Uncle also sends money back home. We're not worried about food or drink."

Da Hua gripped the chopsticks in her hand tightly.

"You're getting on in years. From now on, just stay home, grow some vegetables, and tend to your flowers. The seaside is too windy and the waves are too big, so don't go there anymore. Just stay home and enjoy your retirement." Liu Yidao finished the soup in his bowl in one gulp.

Da Hua's eyes were red-rimmed as she lowered her head and desperately swallowed the sweet potato soup.

Others think she's a disgrace.

But the man in front of her was willing to risk his life for her.

She would never let go of this life, no matter what.

Under the century-old banyan tree at the village entrance, there are several benches with missing legs.

The village's "intelligence center".

Several withered old women and men sat in the shade of a tree, each holding a pipe.

Today's topic revolves around the Huang family.

"Have you heard? Guoping will be home in a few days. Where will Dahua put her face now?"

Aunt Huang spat out a mouthful of sunflower seed shells and continued, pursing her lips:

"She's completely disgraced. She went to town to earn that measly little money, and her heart became wild. No matter how Zhu Zi tried to persuade her, she wouldn't listen; she insisted on hanging out with that old bachelor surnamed Liu."

An elderly woman with a wrinkled face next to him shook her head.

"Women can't go out and earn money. If they have a little money, they can't even keep their homes. Their belts are too loose."

Aunt Huang leaned closer, speaking mysteriously, "Do you really think she's innocent? Years ago, she went out to sea to fish with a bunch of men every day. My mother-in-law confided in me that Da Hua was having sex with several men at sea all by herself. It's a terrible thing."

"Really?" Several old women stared wide-eyed. "Ugh, that's shameless!"

"Would I lie? My mother-in-law scolds her every day for wronging Guoping, haven't you heard it?" Aunt Huang rolled her eyes. "When we go fishing, are there any men willing to take us? Why do they only take Dahua?"

Huang Xiaoxiang jumped off the tricycle.

As soon as I walked behind the banyan tree, I heard all these vicious words clearly.

Her head exploded with a buzzing sound.

The mother was splashed with dirty water by this group of idle, gossipy old women who had nothing better to do.

She can't stand even a little bit.

"Heavens above! Earth below!" Huang Xiaoxiang jumped directly in front of them, put her hands on her hips, pointed at the group of people, and cursed, "Whose family member has hemorrhoids and is farting everywhere like this?"

The elderly people were stunned by the shout.

Huang Xiaoxiang showed no mercy, pointing her finger at them all.

"Look at you, with your toad bellies, bowlegs, bulbous noses, and filthy mouths. Jealousy has distorted your appearance. What else can you do besides venting your frustrations under the tree?"

Aunt Huang's face turned purple with anger. "Huang Xiaoxiang, what's wrong with you? You're even swearing at your elders. Don't you know any manners?"

"Who do you think you are, an elder?" Huang Xiaoxiang rolled her eyes at her. "Some people are so anxious about stuttering, but my mom is picked up and dropped off by Uncle Liu on his motorcycle. She has gold rings and silver bracelets on her hands."

She can buy lobster if she wants to eat it today, and kill a chicken if she wants to. If she wants to eat out, it's just a matter of a word. Look how sour you gossipy old women are, who can't bear to eat meat for ten days or half a month!