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

Everyone chatted and laughed for a while.

The plates on the table were mostly empty.

Song Xianglan ate a few extra bites today, which is unusual for her, and now her stomach is bloated.

"Lin Fang, bring me a clean lunchbox." Song Xianglan pointed to the plate of braised pomfret in soy sauce, which was still more than half full. "Pack this fish up and take it home for me."

Lin Fang: "Aunt Song, are you saving this for tomorrow morning?"

"Yes." Song Xianglan nodded. "Tomorrow morning, I'll cook a pot of sweet potato porridge and serve it with the leftover braised pomfret in soy sauce. That will be just right for our stomachs."

The ugly woman stood beside him, picking her teeth and saying:

"Xianglan is right. The fish roe and liver should be soaked in the broth, frozen overnight, and then eaten with the aspic the next day. It's the perfect dish to eat with rice."

Lin Fang moved quickly and grabbed a large aluminum lunchbox.

He carefully placed the fish, along with the broth, inside the pot, sealed it tightly, and handed it to Song Xianglan.

"Aunt Song, why don't you just come over to my place for breakfast tomorrow morning?" Lin Fang suggested. "It's too much trouble to cook a pot of sweet potato porridge. I'll make peanut soup and some noodle soup tomorrow morning. Or I can buy you a bowl of duck noodle soup."

Song Xianglan waved her hand and took the lunchbox.

"No matter how many different options there are outside, at my age, what I crave most when I come back from a business trip is still a bowl of sweet potato porridge. It makes me feel completely comfortable."

Liu Dahua laughed and said, "I also eat sweet potato porridge every few days. I got tired of eating sweet potatoes when we were living in hard times, but now I find them delicious again."

Liu Chunhua: "Sweet potato porridge made with white rice is different from sweet potato soup."

The dinner party ended, and everyone headed outside.

Liu Yidao had already pushed the old-fashioned 28-inch lever to the doorway.

Liu Dahua sat sideways in the back seat and reached out to wrap her arms around Liu Yidao's waist.

Liu Yidao pushed off with his foot, and the wheels rolled steadily across the cement road, moving away smoothly.

As Liu Chunhua stepped out of the store, Wang Jianguo, the outgoing brigade leader, stood under the streetlight with his hands behind his back, waiting.

After retiring in recent years, Wang Jianguo, the brigade leader, acted like an old man.

The two chatted idly as they slowly walked away.

That leaves Song Xianglan and Liu Chounu.

The two of them carried their belongings and walked home, their steps uneven.

I had just walked across the main road from the food factory when I heard hurried footsteps behind me.

"Sister Song, wait for me."

The two turned around and saw Widow Wang jogging after them.

"You're walking so fast." Widow Wang caught her breath and walked side by side with Song Xianglan.

"Don't put so much pressure on yourself. If you're afraid of running a shop, go work in a factory. Don't shoulder all the burdens." Song Xianglan glanced at her. "Things will be better once your children are born."

Widow Wang chuckled twice:

"A huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders. I really have to thank Sister Song for this. How long do you plan to stay this time?"

"I'm not leaving for now." Song Xianglan switched to carrying a lunchbox. "The factories in Shanghai and Shenzhen won't be finished until next year. I'll just stay home and keep an eye on things while I rest."

The moonlight shone on the cement road, making it appear gleaming white.

The light from the streetlamp shone on Widow Wang's face.

Song Xianglan tilted her head and glanced at her a few times.

Widow Wang was in her early forties. Years of hard work had kept her strong and healthy. Although there were a few wrinkles on her face from the hardships of life, her features were still regular and her figure was still good. Compared to the other women who were without water and electricity, she had quite a bit of charm.

"Chrysanthemum Red." Song Xianglan stopped.

Widow Wang also stopped: "What's wrong?"

"I couldn't say it directly at the dinner table," Song Xianglan said, her tone softening slightly. "Your children are all grown up now; in a few years, they'll be able to take over the family business. Are you just going to keep putting off your own affairs like this?"

Widow Wang was stunned for a moment.

"What could I possibly have to do? Raising these boys to adulthood and finding them wives, that would be my mission."

Song Xianglan scoffed, "That's your job as a mother. You're a woman, not just a mother."

"That's all women are like."

"Don't try to fool me with those old almanacs." Song Xianglan wasn't buying it and continued walking. "You weren't even thirty when your husband died, were you?"

"Twenty-eight years old." Widow Wang lowered her head and kicked at the pebbles on the roadside.

"I've done enough for him by staying with him for over ten years. I broke up with Yang Dashan when I was fifty-one, and now I'm living a very happy life on my own," Song Xianglan said bluntly. "You're only in your early forties, you have a long life ahead of you. Do you really want to cling to that 'remain faithful to one' archway to your grave?"

Widow Wang hurriedly looked up: "Sister Song, I didn't intend to erect a memorial arch... He doesn't deserve it."

"If you don't want to build a virtuous reputation, then find a living person who understands your feelings and lives a fulfilling life." Song Xianglan interrupted her, "No matter how deep your feelings are for your man, he's just a skeleton that will crumble to dust at the slightest breeze now."

Is he capable of climbing out of his coffin to help you with farm work? Is he capable of pulling your cart? Or is he capable of taking on your burdens and giving you advice?

After a long pause, Widow Wang finally managed to utter a sentence:

"I didn't mean that. My child is already so grown up, if I were to look for another man at my age, people would gossip about me."

"Who dares to gossip behind my back?" the ugly woman interjected from the side. "It's only natural for men and women to love each other! You've carried this burden alone for so many years, aren't you tired and lonely?"

"We're all women, let's be frank," Song Xianglan said in a low voice, "You've been a celibate for over ten years, sleeping alone in that big bed at night, the blankets always cold. Don't you really want a man?"

Widow Wang blushed even more.

This time even my ears got burned.

"Sister Song, what... what nonsense are you talking about?"

Liu Chounu couldn't help but laugh, nudging Widow Wang with her elbow: "What's there to be embarrassed about? If you meet the right person, be bold. Don't be like those old feudalists who are faithful to one woman until death."

The ugly woman was given the example of Liu Dahua.

"Look at Da Hua. When she first got together with Liu Yidao, she was all shy and hesitant, afraid of being laughed at."

She tells me privately now that she wishes she had met Liu Yidao ten years earlier. If she had, she could have given him a healthy baby boy. He wouldn't be childless now.

In the very bones of women of their generation.

Once you've decided on a man, the most direct way to express it is by wanting to have an heir for him.

Widow Wang heard this.

A tall figure inexplicably popped into my mind.

Two days ago, Zhao Shengli stood in the yard chopping wood with an axe, sweat dripping down his neck.

The muscles on his back are bulging and look very strong.

Zhao Shengli spoke to her from the ladder, his gaze intense and burning, making her heart flutter.

Widow Wang shook her head and flung the shadow away.

She glared at the two of them reproachfully.

"I just wanted to have a chat with you two older ladies. Are you two teaming up to make fun of me?"

Song Xianglan burst into laughter, her laughter carrying far through the night sky.

"Why am I teasing you? It's because you're young and healthy." Song Xianglan stopped laughing. "I think it's not a bad thing for you to find someone to lean on. Go back and think it over carefully."

The three people were talking.

We reached a fork in the road.

Turn left at Song Xianglan's and Liu Chounu's houses. Continue straight ahead to see Wang Widow's house.

"I'm going back now." Widow Wang waved her hand, quickened her pace, and slipped away, her back view looking somewhat like she was fleeing in panic.

Song Xianglan watched her retreating figure, then smiled and shook her head.

I had just turned the corner and taken two steps when a sharp curse suddenly came from the alley ahead.

"That bastard Yu Pengfei, may he never come back."

That shout was particularly jarring in the quiet night.

Liu Chounu perked up and immediately grabbed Song Xianglan's arm: "Come on, come on. There's trouble at Granny Yu's house again. Let's go see. Yu Pengfei really hasn't disappeared and isn't coming back. His wife is here again, making a scene at Granny Yu's house, demanding money."

Song Xianglan didn't want to join in the fun, but Liu Chounu dragged her along, so she had no choice but to follow.

Not far away, we saw that the gate of the Yu family's courtyard was open.

The house was brightly lit inside, and several broken washbasins were thrown in the middle of the yard.

The eldest daughter-in-law of the Yu family, disheveled and dirty, stood with her hands on her hips at the entrance of the main room, cursing loudly into the room.

"Does Yu Pengfei act like a father? He doesn't care about life or death. Has he ever cared for any of his family members, big or small? He's found someone else outside and left me to suffer in this godforsaken place."

The eldest daughter-in-law's voice was so shrill it could blow the roof off.

"What sins did I commit in my past life to marry into your Yu family? My eldest daughter, Xiaoying, spends all her time fooling around with that blond-haired hoodlum in town."

The two sons neither study nor farm. They loiter around all day and are clearly turning into good-for-nothings.