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

The rumors circulated for several days, but Huang Guoping still hadn't shown up.

The villagers ate sunflower seeds, all watching Huang Zhuzi make a fool of himself.

Everyone said that Huang Zhuzi was so desperate for his father that he ran out of the village to greet him several times, but he didn't even see a ghost.

Liu Dahua heard this news.

The breath that had been hanging in the air was finally released.

It's better if they don't come back.

If he doesn't come back, life can continue peacefully.

Shrimp ponds by the sea.

The aerator was spraying water.

Huang Xiaoxiang's eldest son, Dawei, was shirtless, standing in waist-deep water, trying to retrieve a net.

"Dawei, lower the net port a bit. Don't let the bottom leak out," Liu Dahua shouted from the bank.

"I understand, Grandma." Dawei wiped the sweat from his face and pulled the net hard.

Liu Dahua took a step forward, intending to reach for the net rope.

The muddy ground beneath her feet was slippery from the water, and she suddenly slipped and lost her balance.

With a "thump".

Liu Dahua and the net crashed into the ditch.

"Grandma." Dawei threw down the net and waded towards the shore.

A strong hand grabbed Liu Dahua's arm first and lifted her out of the muddy ditch.

Liu Yidao frowned and used a dry towel to wipe the mud off Liu Dahua's face.

"Why are you in such a hurry? This mud is slippery and soft. What if you hurt yourself?"

Liu Dahua wiped her eyes and looked at herself.

Half of his body was completely wet; his hair, face, and trouser legs were covered in dark brown mud.

My clothes clung to my body, and when the wind blew, they felt chilly.

"At your age, you're still so distracted." Liu Dahua sighed and shook the mud off her hands.

"There are no clean clothes in the thatched hut." Liu Yidao shoved a towel into her hand. "You should hurry home and change. It's hot today, and the mud will give you heat rash."

"Okay. I'm going back."

Liu Dahua took off her mud-filled rubber boots, finding them uncomfortable to wear, and simply carried them in her hand.

Roll up your sleeves and trouser legs.

They walked barefoot, stepping on the scorching hot pavement, towards the village.

We walked all the way to the fork in the road near Huang Zhuzi's house.

Suddenly, a commotion arose ahead.

There was a man's loud voice, a woman's crying, and a few fawning laughs mixed in.

Liu Dahua's heart skipped a beat, and she quickened her pace.

Turning the corner, the road was completely blocked in the middle.

Huang Zhuzi's voice was the loudest: "Life in our village is so much better now. My house isn't in the center of the village, but it's close to the sea. You can see the sea view from the second floor, and it's not far from the food factory either."

A few strangers ahead.

The old man at the head of the group had a neat mustache, wore a sun hat, a brand-new floral shirt, crisp trousers, and shiny leather shoes.

He was radiant, his back was ramrod straight, and he exuded an air of triumph.

A woman in her early forties was standing next to the old man.

The woman wore an elegant long dress and had her hair styled in wavy curls.

Her skin was fair and smooth, without any signs of sun damage, and although there were a few fine lines around her eyes, she was still captivating.

That gentle and serene demeanor was cultivated through the kindness of time and being cherished by a man.

Behind them stood four young men and women; the man was wearing stylish jeans and a shirt, and the woman was wearing a beige dress.

They were looking around at the scenery with a mixture of curiosity and disdain.

Liu Dahua was stunned.

Her gaze was fixed on the old man's face.

It's Huang Guoping.

The man who left more than thirty years ago, whose face is now blurred even in my dreams.

He not only came back.

And she brought back such a glamorous family.

Liu Dahua looked down at herself.

His trousers were uneven, and he was covered in black mud.

His gray hair was stuck messily to his forehead.

A pair of large, deformed feet, constantly soaked in seawater, walked barefoot on the dirt road.

She instinctively hid the hand holding the shoes behind her back, quickly unrolled the sleeves that were rolled up to her elbows, and then frantically tried to pull down her trouser legs.

"Mom, why are you blocking the road?"

Huang Zhuzi rushed out from the crowd and shoved Liu Dahua aside, saying, "Don't block the way."

Liu Dahua took half a step back.

Before he could even stand properly, Huang Zhuzi pointed at Huang Guoping, his face flushed with laughter, "Didn't you see my dad's back? You're standing here looking like a mud monkey, deliberately making people uncomfortable."

Standing to the side, Huang Laosi, with a beaming smile, said to Huang Guoping:

"Guoping, this is Zhuzi's mother."

The surrounding villagers erupted in whispers, their eyes filled with all sorts of expressions.

Mocking, spectating, and gloating all piled onto Liu Dahua's back.

"Look at that guy's new wife, and then look at the old lady who's still at home. Tsk tsk, the old lady will never be as pretty as him in her entire life," someone in the crowd muttered.

Huang Guoping was slightly taken aback when he heard what the fourth brother said.

He frowned, squinted, and looked Liu Dahua up and down.

He took a long time to admit it.

His gaze swept from Liu Dahua's gray hair, across his face covered with wrinkles and dark spots, and finally settled on his tattered shirt stained with mud.

He simply couldn't reconcile the image of the frail, mud-covered old woman before him with that of the vibrant, beautiful Liu Dahua of yesteryear.

Huang Guoping took half a step back.

He turned to look at Huang Laosi, his tone filled with disbelief.

"Fourth Brother, you're kidding. You mean... this is Da Hua's mother?"

The surroundings fell into a deathly silence.

Liu Dahua's hand, which was gripping her trouser leg, froze in mid-air.

She stopped breathing.

Huang Zhuzi darted over like a monkey again, "Dad, this really is my mom, Liu Dahua. Country people aren't as good-looking as city people."

Huang Guoping gasped.

He looked at Liu Dahua again, his eyes no longer showing surprise, but only undisguised disdain.

"Is it really Liu Dahua?" Huang Guoping gripped his wife's hand tightly. "How come you look older than my mother? You look... at least twenty years older than us."

"It's not that Zhu Zi is saying this, but I wouldn't recognize him on the street. He doesn't look like he did when he was young at all."

"Old, ugly, and slovenly; how come she has so many age spots at her age?"

The beautiful woman next to him nudged his shoulder lightly with her elbow, playfully scolding him:

"What nonsense are you talking about? Give people some face."

The woman said this, but a hint of hidden relief surfaced in her eyes.

Before she came, she was worried that Huang Guoping would be sentimental and miss his wife back home.

Now I've seen it with my own eyes.

This isn't a love rival, she's just an old beggar woman.

She could outshine the old lady in front of her without even saying a word; she looked older than her mother.

A burst of laughter erupted from all around.

Aunt Huang spat out a mouthful of sunflower seed shells and chimed in with a pursed lip:

"Guoping, this woman can't do heavy work; it ages her quickly. Dahua likes to go to the sea and spends all her time in it. A few days ago, she looked like a black monkey."

Laughter entered Liu Dahua's ears from all directions.

She was thunderstruck.

He was stripped naked and left to bake in the blazing sun.

Having not seen each other for decades, she thought the man would feel some guilt.

Even without any feelings, even if it's just a simple "You've worked so hard raising the child all by yourself."

Not a single word.

All they could see was disgust and disbelief. They were disgusted that she hadn't maintained her youthful, vibrant twenties, and that she had become this repulsive, old woman.

"Alright, alright, stop watching the commotion." Huang Zhuzi felt embarrassed. "Dad, Auntie, let's go inside. It's hot outside, let's ignore these spoilsport."

He didn't even spare a glance for his own mother.

Liu Dahua stood frozen in place, wishing she could disappear into a crack in the ground.

But his legs felt like they were made of lead, and he couldn't move an inch.

"stop."

A thunderous roar cleaved in from the periphery of the crowd.

Song Xianglan pushed aside the loafer blocking her way and strode to the middle of the road.

She glanced at Liu Dahua's miserable state, and sparks flew from her eyes.

She grabbed Liu Dahua and pulled her behind her.

"Who are you? What do you want?" Huang Guoping stopped and stared at the woman who had suddenly appeared, displeased.

"What are you doing? I'll teach you a lesson." Song Xianglan put her hands on her hips, pointed at Huang Guoping's nose, and started yelling:

"A little loach dipped in salt water, thinking it's seafood, huh? It's been out there for over thirty years, bringing back a whole host of foreign stench, acting like it's some kind of object."

Huang Guoping's face turned ashen:

"You shrew, whose door wasn't properly locked and you were let out?"

"I released him specifically to bite you, you beast." Song Xianglan's voice was shrill. "He lay on a woman's body and shook three times, leaving behind a seed, and you disappeared without a trace."

I don't need you to carry me, I don't need you to give birth to me.

You go to the other side to build your career and live your carefree life. When you're rich, you can marry a delicate woman more than ten years younger than you. You'll be living like a carefree god.

Huang Guoping's current wife's expression changed, and she tugged at Huang Guoping.

"Guoping, let's go inside. Don't bother with this country bumpkin."

"You want to come in? No way."

Song Xianglan stood in the courtyard gate and said, "Have you ever cared about this mess back home for even a day? Have you ever cared about your paralyzed father?"

Your mother, that gossipy old woman, only knows how to cause trouble for others all day long, and she keeps saying nasty things to insult Da Hua.

You brothers are like mangy dogs, all talk and no action, just pushing your mother straight to Da Hua's house.