“So, for the sake of my future sister-in-law and your career, you should be more careful.”
Being scolded by his younger sister, Song Jing turned red. “I… I understand now!”
He was still feeling shaken. As a soldier, he knew that if Xu Laidi had caused trouble, he might have been able to handle it in the moment, but it would have definitely affected his future chances for promotion.
It turned out his sister’s earlier warnings were spot on. Thankfully, he hadn’t been alone, and Gao Le had managed to handle the situation in time.
Taking the opportunity, Lin Zhen declared, “I’m sharp. I’ll never let any other woman cling to me in the future!”
Song Wei: … You are really good at talking.
She rolled her eyes. “With your thick brows and straightforward face, you don’t exactly look like someone with a lot of schemes.”
Lin Zhen, flustered, almost started swearing oaths.
He said earnestly, “I… I look fierce, and other girls don’t like that. Only you do.”
Song Jing’s face darkened. “What’s that supposed to mean? That my sister has no taste?”
Lin Zhen: ….
It seemed no matter what he said, he was wrong. Of course, Song Wei wasn’t blind-otherwise, what did that make him?
Lin Zhen clamped his mouth shut, realizing he should’ve stayed quiet.
Looking aggrieved like a scolded dog, he gave Song Wei a pitiful gaze.
Holding back her laughter, Song Wei reached out and ruffled his prickly hair.
Lin Zhen instantly felt comforted, grinning wide enough to show all his teeth.
Song Jing turned away, unable to bear the sight.
The incident with Xu Laidi falling into the water had caused a stir, but the village had its fair share of sharp minds, particularly among the seasoned elder women.
At first, the urgency of the situation left little time for thought, but now that everything had settled, the old ladies began to gather and gossip. Soon, they uncovered several questionable points.
It had to be said that Xu Laidi wasn’t exactly clever. Acting on impulse, her entire plan was riddled with flaws.
“I saw Xu Laidi sneaking toward the river earlier. I called out to her, but she ran off quickly. At the time, I thought, she was rude!”
“My grandson said she jumped into the water herself. He didn’t notice anything wrong-why would she try to drown herself?”
“That doesn’t add up. If she was really trying to commit suicide, she wouldn’t have screamed for help the moment she hit the water.”
“What exactly happened? Oh right, she kept calling for Comrade Song to jump in and save her, but didn’t he say he couldn’t swim?”
“Something’s fishy about this.”
Aunt Wang spat out a melon seed shell. “I’ve been seeing Xu Zhiqing hanging around Comrade Song lately. Maybe she’s taken a liking to him. Do you think she might’ve jumped into the river on purpose, hoping he’d save her?”
“What could she hope to gain? That’s just too extreme.”
The old ladies huddled closer, their voices dropping as they speculated.
“Think about it. Last time Su Zhiqing fell into the river and Luo Dazhuang saved her, she ended up marrying him even though she didn’t want to.”
“That was a mess. The village gossips made it worse, spreading rumors about Su Zhiqing and Luo Dazhuang. They claimed the two were sneaking around and even had secret trysts in haystacks.”
“You didn’t know? It was Luo Dazhuang’s mother who spread those rumors. I overheard that wretched old woman bragging about it once. She specifically sought out the biggest gossipers to get the word out.”
Aunt Wang interrupted, “Enough about Su Zhiqing. Let’s focus on Xu Zhiqing and Comrade Song. Isn’t this situation just like Su Zhiqing’s? If Comrade Song had jumped in and saved her, Xu Zhiqing would’ve clung to him. What if she accused him of being indecent? If Comrade Song didn’t want to be investigated, wouldn’t he have to marry her?”
Connecting the dots, Aunt Wang spat angrily, “What a shameless idea! Xu Zhiqing has some nerve, thinking she can tie down someone as good as Comrade Song. Just imagining it makes me furious!”
“Exactly!”
The other old ladies chimed in, equally indignant. “My niece is a hundred times better than that Xu Zhiqing.”
Determined to help, they decided to go to Song Wei and warn her. After all, they had a good relationship.
At that moment, Song Wei and Song Jing were eating at Lin Zhen’s house.
The old ladies showed up right after lunch, dressed in thick padded coats, brimming with energy.
“Song Zhiqing, we need to talk to you about something.”
“Oh, Comrade Song is here too? Perfect, this concerns you as well.”
“Lin Zhen is washing dishes again. What a good man. Song Zhiqing, you’d better hold on to him. Once his leg heals, he’ll be even more of a catch-a tall, handsome man who can cook and clean. There aren’t many like him in our village. You can count them on one hand.”
Lin Zhen felt a swell of pride. These grannies knew how to compliment.
They should keep going.
But the old ladies soon shifted the topic to Xu Laidi.
“We thought things over and realized something’s off. Xu Zhiqing must’ve been waiting by the river, hoping Comrade Song would come along so she could jump in and make him save her…”
As they pieced together their observations, Song Wei couldn’t help but marvel.
You really couldn’t underestimate these uneducated village women. They might not have formal schooling, but their life experiences were like an encyclopedia.
Song Jing, meanwhile, was thoroughly embarrassed.
Yesterday, his sister had scolded him. Today, the old ladies were schooling him.
Yet their concern warmed his heart. He and his sister didn’t have many relatives. Their mother had passed early, and their father and stepmother weren’t reliable. Aside from an uncle, they had no family to turn to.
Having so many elder women surrounding him, sharing advice and showing care, was a new and touching experience.
“Boy, you’ve got to be sharp. Don’t let yourself be fooled.”
“Exactly. You almost fell into Xu Zhiqing’s trap this time.”
Song Jing nodded quickly. “I understand now. Thank you, aunties.”
Inside, he felt genuinely moved.
Lin Zhen handed out some snacks to the old ladies, who happily accepted.
These grannies had their quirks, but their personalities meshed well with Song Wei’s.
Just then, a young girl ran up, saying breathlessly, “Sister Song, a big sister asked me to tell you that old bachelor Liu and his mother have gone to the educated youth dormitory!”
Hearing this, Song Wei and the old ladies all stood up simultaneously.
Grabbing a handful of dried fruit, Song Wei headed for the door.
“Let’s go! I didn’t expect old bachelor Liu family to act so quickly.”
“Is Xu Zhiqing alright? If she is sick and can’t handle the situation, what will the Liu family do?”
Song Wei reassured them, “She’s fine. Last night, Su Fang made her a lot of ginger soup. She’s fully recovered now.”
It turned out Su Fang had taken the initiative to care for Xu Laidi, especially after hearing that Liu the bachelor’s family intended to propose. She had even used the spiciest old ginger for the soup.
Unaware of the deeper implications, the old ladies commented, “Su Zhiqing is such a kind person. It’s a pity she’s had such a hard life.”
Sometimes, I use “Zhiqing” sometimes “Educated Youth” based on what fits better. Also, the old ladies call Song Wei “Song Zhiqing.” While they’re close enough to call her Song Wei, the original text specifically used “Song Zhiqing,” so I kept it as is in my translation.
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