Song Jing was indeed a big help to Song Wei while he stayed.
With him around, Song Wei easily completed her full work quota every day, often finishing early.
Song Jing once again realized how capable his little sister truly was. He also saw firsthand that she was thriving in the countryside.
For instance, yesterday, the woman who showed him the way was quite close to his sister and had even sought her out for a chat.
And his sister was…very interested.
“Old Lin’s family is fighting again? This time, is it still Old Lin hitting his wife?”
Song Wei’s interest was piqued. She nearly dropped her work to rush over and watch the drama.
“No wonder no one from the Lin family brought lunch today. Lin’s second son and his family probably ran back home to eat after getting hungry.”
The older women, just as enthusiastic about gossip as Song Wei, quickly gathered to discuss the latest happenings.
“Lin’s second family has started slacking off too. They used to earn seven or eight work points a day, but now they barely manage four or five. Yesterday, the old woman scolded them so loudly that even bystanders couldn’t bear to listen.”
“She scolds her husband’s kids harshly. How can she favor her own so blatantly?”
“And what does old man Lin see in her?”
“For all these years, she’s been pining for someone else. Yet, old man Lin just endures it. Tsk tsk…”
Ever since Old Lin publicly revealed yesterday that Dahai wasn’t his biological son, it had become an open secret in the village. Only old lady Lin refused to admit it.
Carrying a large basket of radishes, Song Wei rushed off energetically, with Song Jing following behind, also loaded with a basket.
Watching his sister’s skinny legs move so quickly, Song Jing couldn’t help but worry she might get crushed under the weight. Yet, she was faster than him.
Even now, Song Jing felt disoriented witnessing her boundless energy.
“Brother, let’s skip the work for now and go watch the drama.”
With Song Wei leading him, they followed Auntie Wang, expertly navigating their way to Old Lin’s house.
The scene was still chaotic. Most villagers were out in the fields, so the audience here consisted mainly of elders and children.
“I can’t live like this anymore! At my age, getting beaten by my husband… I bore children for you, and now you treat me like this in my old age? You heartless old coot! I must’ve been blind to marry you. Might as well hang myself and be done with it!”
Old lady Lin sat on the ground wailing dramatically, slapping her thighs and cursing.
Song Jing, unfamiliar with such scenes, felt a bit out of place as he watched.
Song Wei pointed at the old Lin family and said, “I brought Heidan from their home.”
Song Jing had already heard some things about Heidan-not only from Song Wei but also from the village women who gossiped about his pitiful situation. Heidan had it far worse than Song Wei ever did.
Heidan was also Lin Zhen’s brother, which made their relationship with the Lin family clearly strained.
Auntie Wang filled in the gaps for Song Jing, recounting incidents between Song Wei and the Lin family.
It was only now that Song Jing learned the Lin family had bullied his sister in the past.
Though his sister hadn’t suffered any real losses, just hearing about it made Song Jing dislike the Lin family even more.
At that moment, he started to understand his sister’s excitement.
Seeing people you dislike struggle and argue-it was oddly satisfying.
Old man Lin sat smoking on a stool, watching his wife’s tirade.
“Second son, go call the village chief and elders. We’re dividing the family!”
The argument between the old couple had started because Old man Lin’s elder brother had beaten both old lady Lin and old man Lin the day before.
Old lady Lin, unwilling to accept the beating, had taken her daughter-in-law and daughter to Old man Lin’s elder brother’s house to make trouble, demanding compensation and outrageous terms.
Enraged, Old Lin’s elder brother chased them halfway through the village with his walking stick before storming into the Lin household and thrashing old man Lin as well.
Before leaving, he threatened to remove old man Lin from the family records, scaring him into action.
Now, old man Lin wanted to divide the family, but his wife wasn’t having it.
Song Wei listened to the chatter about old lady Lin’s misadventures, feeling a bit regretful she hadn’t witnessed the spectacle herself.
She asked, “How’s Old man Lin’s elder brother doing?”
Auntie Wang replied, “He’s fine. Lin Zhen and his eldest son were with him. With those two around, old lady Lin and her daughter wouldn’t dare act up.”
“Lin Zhen was there too?”
Auntie Wang nodded, her eyes fixed on old lady Lin as she suddenly sprang up from the ground, clawing at old man Lin.
“You’re not dividing the family! Second son, if you dare walk out, I’ll break your legs!”
The couple started fighting again.
Song Wei watched with shining eyes, her ears perked up as Auntie Wang continued speaking.
“Lin Zhen helped Old man Lin’s elder brother, but the old hag cursed him terribly. Not that it did her any good-she got a few good whacks with the walking stick for her trouble.”
Seeing how well his sister fit in with the gossiping elders, Song Jing was at a loss for words.
He finally understood why Auntie Wang had said she and Song Wei were like sisters (best friend 🤣) when she guided him yesterday.
The way they joined in gossip and drama made them seem like peas in a pod, regardless of their age gap.
“Wow, old man Lin’s face is a mess. It’s like he’s been caught in a net!”
Old lady Lin, though old, fought fiercely. Old man Lin wasn’t her match and ended up with deep claw marks crisscrossing his face and even lost some hair.
“You crazy hag! Do you want me to divorce you right now?”
Old lady Lin pointed a finger at him. “Go ahead, try it! Divorce me, and I’ll hang myself from the rafters in your bedroom and haunt you for the rest of your life!”
Old man Lin was livid, deeply regretting his decision to marry such a madwoman. Not only had she pined for someone else all these years, but she had also borne him a son who wasn’t his. Worse, she was partly responsible for the death of his real son.
But regrets were useless now.
In the end, the family wasn’t divided that day because the elderly couple ended up in the hospital.
The Lin family’s frequent chaos provided endless entertainment for the village gossip group, keeping spirits high as people worked.
With no more drama to watch, Song Wei dragged her brother back to the fields.
Before they could start working, they stumbled upon two men crying on a ridge-Gao Le and Zhao Su.
These two city boys hadn’t suffered much during the harvest season but now struggled with the physical labor of pulling radishes in the cold, their hands swollen and red like pig’s trotters.
Song Wei sighed, “What’s wrong with you two now?”
Song Jing, seeing two grown men his height huddled together and crying, could barely stand to look at them.
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