An elderly woman nearby gently patted Heidan on the head.
“Good thing Heidan is no longer living with that heartless woman. Now that he’s with Song Zhiqing, life will be better for him.”
“But Song Zhiqing, you need to be careful,” another elder chimed in. “That old lady Lin is shameless. Watch out—she might come asking for money or other things.”
Song Wei nodded. “I understand.”
Heidan clung tightly to Song Wei’s clothing, as if only this could give him a sense of security.
Meanwhile, old lady Lin, who had just been exposed, had completely lost her mind. Ignoring her pain, she unleashed a torrent of curses at Lin Lao’er’s wife, saying every filthy word imaginable. No one could calm her down.
Finally, either from exhaustion or pain, she failed to catch her breath and fainted.
The chaos quieted at last, and the Lin family scrambled to carry her onto a cart to take her to the city hospital.
The village head glanced into the Lin household. Despite all the ruckus, Lin Laotou didn’t emerge, acting as though he hadn’t heard anything.
The village head scowled in frustration.
“That Lin Laotou… What kind of man is he?”
Song Wei also found it odd.
“Isn’t old man afraid of old lady Lin? His reaction is kind of strange.”
She said this quietly, but Aunt Wang next to her overheard.
“Ah, old man Lin has always been like that,” Aunt Wang said disdainfully. “He never gets involved in anything, hates trouble, and is lazier than a pig. Even when he’s out working, he shirks every chance he gets.”
“It is also because of this that the Lin family has been tormented by Old Lady Lin. Old Man Lin only cares about himself. As long as he is not involved, he would not be too sad about the death of his own son.”
Song Wei: …Is there no normal person in the Lin family?
The crowd dispersed, and Song Wei led Heidan home for lunch.
Shuanzi eagerly followed behind, receiving a few pieces of candy as a reward for completing Song Wei’s task.
“Good job, keep it up,” Song Wei said.
Shuanzi beamed, showing off his large teeth. “Don’t worry, boss! Anything you need, I’ll handle it perfectly!”
Shuanzi went on his way, and Li Juan came by to call Song Wei and Heidan for lunch.
“What happened at the village chief’s house?” Li Juan asked.
Unlike the others, Li Juan had stayed behind to focus on earning work points and hadn’t joined the crowd.
Before Song Wei could answer, Gao Le and Zhao Su arrived, carrying bowls with them.
“We’re here for food,” they said, grinning sheepishly.
They brought large steamed buns made with a mix of coarse and fine flour and even brought some flour as a contribution for the meal.
Li Juan, anticipating this, had prepared extra food.
As they ate, Gao Le and Zhao Su animatedly recounted the drama at the village chief’s and Lin family’s homes. Their gestures and expressions were so lively that Li Juan listened with wide-eyed fascination, feeling regretful for missing out.
“All that happened today?!”
“Exactly!” Gao Le said through a mouthful of food. “It’s so lively in the countryside. Back home in our city compound, everyone’s too focused on keeping face to have public arguments like this. If anything happens, it’s all behind closed doors.
Though they no longer cried daily about returning to the city, they found Song Wei’s morning training routine exhausting.
Gao Le glanced nervously at Song Wei.
“Got something to say?” Song Wei asked.
Gao Le frantically shook his head.
Song Zhiqing looked gentle and calm, but she was fiercer than his grandfather when it came to discipline!
By the next day, word of the previous day’s events had spread throughout the village. Those who hadn’t been present deeply regretted missing out.
The most vivid accounts came from the old women who had climbed to the loft to watch the Lin family drama.
Every day, Song Wei saw these women gathered under the jujube tree near the village entrance, chatting loudly while sewing. They exaggerated the events to the delight of their eager audience, who slapped their thighs in regret.
“Why didn’t I go?!” someone lamented.
Song Wei couldn’t help but smile at the lively scene.
When the old women noticed her jogging with her “followers,” they called out greetings.
“Out for a run again, Song Zhiqing?”
“Yes, it’s good for the body,” she replied before continuing on her way.
Once she was out of sight, the women turned their gossip to her group.
“Why do they run every day? Isn’t working in the fields and climbing the mountains tiring enough?”
“Those two male zhiqing wouldn’t leave the dorm otherwise,” Aunt Wang chimed in. “It’s not like they’re worn out.”
Another voice speculated,
“Do you think Song Zhiqing or Li Zhiqing has something going on with those two guys? Why else would they always be together?”
Aunt Wang and her close circle immediately defended Song Wei.
“That’s nonsense. We’d have noticed if there was something. Besides, if there was anything between them, they wouldn’t be so open about it!”
“Exactly. Gao Zhiqing calls her ‘sister’ all the time. If there was something romantic, he wouldn’t say that.”
“And think about it—Song Zhiqing’s so strong. It’d take a brave man to court her!”
Recalling how much weight Song Wei could carry on her own, the women nodded in agreement and dropped the subject.
The weather had grown colder, and most fieldwork was finished. Now, families urged their members to collect firewood from the mountains.
But Song Wei skipped the mountain and headed to town.
She sold her stockpile of medicinal herbs to the hospital, earning 87 yuan. The sale was facilitated by a doctor’s referral note, making the transaction smooth.
The hospital doctor, however, advised her,
“Some of your herbs were poorly processed, which reduced their value. With better preparation, you could earn more. Bring any future herbs here; we’re short on supplies.”
Song Wei nodded. “Thank you.”
Instead of heading home, she visited the local scrap station, hoping to find books on processing herbs.
At the station, she approached the old caretaker.
“Uncle, can I rummage through some papers for wall paste? Here’s something for your trouble.”
She slipped him 20 cents and a few candies.
The caretaker glanced at her before pocketing the offerings.
“Go ahead. Just show me what you pick.”
Song Wei thanked him and ventured into the cluttered yard filled with old furniture, newspapers, and books.
The scrap station was a treasure trove of discarded items, though most were broken or worn out. She wasn’t expecting a miracle but hoped to find something useful.
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