章)November 8th, the beginning of winter.
The vitality is stagnant, the grass and trees wither, and the hibernating insects hide.
In the early morning, the farm was shrouded in a thin mist like gauze.
The withered grass and gray branches were covered with fluffy white frost.
There was no wind in the fog, and the low-hanging gray branches were rubbed by the passing shoulders.
The branches were hooked and shaken, and the white frost fell on the shoulders.
Zhenzhen pulled the cart without stopping, and casually raised her hand to pat off the white frost on her shoulders.
The black wheel rims rolled, and the cart followed the footsteps, leaving clear tracks behind the shallow footprints.
They stopped in front of the production team leaders house.
Zhenzhen raised her hand and patted the gate twice, and soon she heard someone coming to the gate to open the door for her.
It was the production team leader who came to open the gate.
When he opened the gate and saw Zhenzhen, he said in a normal tone: "Are you still going to the market?"
Zhenzhen nodded and handed the two cents in her hand to the team leader.
There was nothing to greet too much.
Zhenzhen paid the money and pulled the cart to the market.
When she arrived at the market, she found a place to set up a stall and sell her own things.
Zhenzhen was selling bean sprouts.
Because there were not many bean sprouts today, she started to close the stall before the market was closed at noon.
When closing the stall, someone came over and asked, "Do you still have bean sprouts?"
She shook her head, "Weve sold them all today."
After closing the stall, she pulled the cart back home.
When she was almost at the village, she ran into two women from the same village and team - Hongmei and Cuilan.
When they met, Zhenzhen smiled and greeted them.
After greeting them and walking away, Hongmei and Cuilan chattered about Zhenzhens gossip -
"The war is completely over. I heard that the last batch of troops were withdrawn ten days ago."
"It looks like Shi Huaiming must be dead."
"He has been gone for five years without any news. How could he still be alive?"
"She became a widow just half a month after her marriage. She has been widowed for five years. Zhenzhen is really miserable. Alas..."
"Oh, whats miserable? Didnt you see that she is like nothing happened all day long?"
"Alas, please stop saying that. Zhenzhen is so pitiful. She might cry secretly in her bed every night."
"Whats so pitiful about it? This is her fate. In the final analysis, she is destined to have no good life. Maybe Shi Huaiming is her unlucky person. How happy she was when she married Shi Huaiming. Who would not say that she is blessed in this life? Shi Huaiming is so outstanding among us. He is educated, capable, and has a good appearance. Who would have thought that she would be a widow after being married for more than half a month. So people should not be too proud."
"You are not jealous of Zhenzhen, are you?"
"I am jealous of her? I am jealous that she will be a widow for a lifetime after being married for more than half a month?" The voice was slightly lowered. "Looking at her, Shi Huaiming probably didnt sleep with her. Shi Huaiming didnt like her at all."
"Anyway, there is no child. If you ask me, its better to remarry. Will she really be a widow for Shi Huaiming for the rest of her life? With Zhenzhens appearance and temperament, and without the burden of children, it is not difficult for her to remarry."
"Whats the use of having a good appearance and temperament? Remarrying depends on her mother-in-laws opinion."
"Thats right. Aunt Shi should be reluctant to let her remarry."
"I spent so much money to marry a daughter-in-law. How much work can she do at home? If I were reluctant, I would be reluctant..."
...
***
Zhenzhen returned home with an empty cart. Her mother-in-law Zhong Minfen had just prepared lunch.
Niece Shi Danling and nephew Shi Xingguo also came back from school.
Washed his hands and sat down to eat.
Zhenzhen took out the money she earned today and gave it to Zhong Minfen, saying to her: "Mom, I sold 28 cents today."
Zhong Minfen put the money away and sighed: "Its getting colder. Its hard to grow bean sprouts. I wont sell them."
The weather will get colder in winter. Its hard to grow bean sprouts. The money sold every day is not enough to cover the cost.
Take today for example. After deducting the 20 cents paid to the production team, what is the remaining 8 cents enough for?
She was busy growing bean sprouts at home. Zhenzhen went to the market to sell bean sprouts every day. It was almost a waste of time.
I can’t sell bean sprouts anymore. I’ll try selling some roasted nuts after a while.
The Chinese New Year will come in two or three months, and it’s the time to eat roasted nuts.
Zhong Minfen used to support her family with this small business, but in the past two years, it seems that these small businesses can’t make much money to make a living.
To sell things at the market, you must first pay the production team.
Two cents a day, after paying the money, there is almost nothing left for you to earn.
Zhenzhen didn’t say anything, just nodded and said, “Yeah.”
No matter what Zhong Minfen wanted to sell, she would help along.
The last bit of bean sprouts was sold out.
After lunch, while waiting for her nephews and nieces to go to school, Zhenzhen picked up a tool and planned to go to the production team to work.
But before she left the house, she was called back by Zhong Minfen.
Zhong Minfen said to her, "Zhenzhen, take a break. It doesnt matter if you take half a day off. You can earn a lot of work points. Go to our field and pick some vegetables. Well make salted pork and vegetable rice tonight."
Make salted pork and vegetable rice?
Zhenzhen was curious, "Is there a happy event?"
Zhong Minfen stretched out the last word and said, "Today is the beginning of winter."
Yes.
Today is the beginning of winter.
***
Zhenzhen listened to Zhong Minfen and took a break at home for half a day.
Although she said she was taking a break, she didnt stop working - she and Zhong Minfen sat in the yard together to bask in the sun and do needlework.
Zhenzhen lowered her head and worked seriously. When Zhong Minfen was tired, she put down her hands and looked at her for a while.
The sun shone down with warm warmth, caressing her gentle face and brightening every strand of scattered hair.
Although they have been married for five years, Zhenzhen still looks like a young girl, with narrow shoulders and waist, tight face, clear eyes, and facial features like those drawn with a fine brush. Her long black hair is tied into two braids.
Sitting in the warm sun, she is as quiet as a daisy in spring.
Zhong Minfen looked at her and then regained her concentration.
She seemed to have something to say, but hesitated for a while and didnt say it.
Zhenzhen raised her head and met her eyes, and saw something unusual.
She looked at Zhong Minfen with curiosity and asked, "Mom, whats wrong?"
Zhong Minfen smiled, "Nothing."
After chatting, the words she wanted to say were suppressed again.
She did needlework for half a day and chatted for half a day.
When the sun set behind the treetops, Zhenzhen took a wicker basket and went to her private plot.
She pulled up a few large green vegetables that had been hit by frost in the field, and came back to tie an apron to cook.
Zhong Minfen put the needle and thread into the basket, put away the basket and went to the kitchen to help.
Zhenzhen washed a piece of salted meat with fat and lean meat, put it on the chopping board and carefully cut it into square pieces.
Zhong Minfen was picking vegetables next to her, and her face looked full of worries again.
After hesitating for a while, she finally said, "Zhenzhen, I have been thinking about something these days."
Zhenzhen was cutting the meat seriously, "Mom, whats the matter?"
Zhong Minfen was silent for a long time, took a deep breath and said, "Huai Ming... will definitely not come back..."
Hearing this, Zhenzhen stopped cutting meat, holding the knife on the chopping board without moving.
Zhong Minfen gave birth to three children in her life, and Shi Huaiming was the third.
Because the Shi family and the Lin family have a good relationship, and Shi Huaiming is only three years older than Zhenzhen, they are just right, so the two families arranged a baby marriage for Zhenzhen and Shi Huaiming since childhood.
Five years ago, Zhenzhen and Shi Huaiming got married under the arrangement of their parents.
But just three days after the wedding, the government suddenly called for conscription. Shi Huaiming was a man with ideals and ambitions. The country needed people at this time, and he also wanted to serve the motherland and contribute to the country at this special time, so he signed up.
More than half a month later, he was successfully selected to join the army, so he packed his bags and went to fight.
There was no news after he left, and he had not been seen for five years. His family thought he had died on the battlefield.
Especially this year, the war ended and the troops withdrew completely.
The kitchen was quiet for more than ten seconds.
When Zhenzhen raised the knife in her hand, Zhong Minfen said again: "How about I make the decision and ask the matchmaker to find another family for you, and you can remarry. Lets pick the best one, and you dont have to worry about the dowry, I will pay for it."
She didnt want to leave Zhenzhen to be a widow in their Shi family for the rest of her life, it was too hard.
She herself had been raising children alone for decades, and she knew best how difficult it was.
Now Zhenzhen is still young, has a good personality, is capable, looks pretty, and has no children, so it is easy for her to find another good man.
Zhenzhen gently dropped the knife in her hand and cut out a row of diced meat.
Without much hesitation, she squeezed out a voice from her throat and said, "Mom, I wont marry."
Zhong Minfen continued to lower her head to pick the green vegetables in her hand, picking off the stalks one by one, "If you dont marry, will you live like this for the rest of your life? From a selfish point of view, I dont want you to marry, because staying at home means one more person to work. But I cant let you live so hard. It has been five years, and this kind of life should end."
Zhenzhen shook her head, as if to get rid of her words.
She still whispered, "I wont marry."
Zhong Minfen sniffed and scooped water to wash the vegetables, "Dont say you wont marry yet, lets find a matchmaker first. If we meet a good and suitable one, we will marry. If not, we will wait."
Zhenzhen still refused, "I dont want to see it either."
Zhong Minfen put the washed vegetables back on the table.
She looked at Zhenzhen, her eyebrows were like a river, "Zhenzhen, the troops have been completely withdrawn, Huaiming cant come back."
Zhenzhen forced a corner of her mouth, her eyes were slightly wet, she looked up at Zhong Minfen and said, "Mom, cant I live with you?"
Zhong Minfens eyes were also wet when she heard it.
She raised her sleeve to wipe her eyes and said, "Forget it, lets not talk about it, lets cook first."
Zhenzhen sniffed and continued to cut the bacon.
Cut all the bacon into cubes and put them in a large bowl to soak in water.
She turned around to scoop rice from the rice jar, poured it into the dustpan to shake off the chaff in the rice, and then picked out the fine sand.
After the rice is washed, soak it in a rice bowl for a while, and then cook it with the bacon.
When the rice is almost steamed, stir-fry the greens.
The greens are also chopped, put into the pot with hot oil and stir-fry for a while until they are soft, and then sprinkle a little salt.
When the greens are stir-fried, the rice is steamed just right.
Mix the greens with the rice and simmer, and wait for a while.
While waiting, Zhenzhen stir-fried the remaining greens again.
There are no seasonings, but they are still stir-fried and served on a plate, together with pickled vegetables and dried radish.
The savory aroma drifted out of the kitchen, and suddenly a voice came from outside: "Wow, what are you cooking today? It smells so good!"
Before Zhenzhen and Zhong Minfen could say anything, the other people in the family came back.
These other people were the eldest family of four - the eldest Shi Huaizhong and his wife Chen Qingmei, as well as their daughter Shi Danling and son Shi Xingguo, who were Zhenzhens nephews and nieces.
The one who spoke before entering the door was the niece Shi Danling.
When they entered the kitchen, Zhenzhen was digging lard from a small enamel pot.
Zhenzhen smiled and said, "Today we have salted pork and vegetable rice."
The lid of the pot was opened, and the aroma of salted pork and vegetable rice instantly filled the whole room, and even Shi Huaizhong and Chen Qingmei couldnt help swallowing their saliva. Shi Danling and Shi Xingguo were so greedy that they leaned over the pot directly.
Watching Zhenzhen mix lard into the rice, Shi Xingguo swallowed his saliva and asked, "Aunt, why is it so delicious today?"
Zhenzhen mixed the rice and said, "Today is the beginning of winter."
No wonder, its a festival.
These days, only festivals can make you eat a little better.
This salted pork rice smells fragrant, looks tempting, and tastes even more fragrant, glutinous, fresh and salty.
Occasionally having such a good meal is enough to satisfy half a year.
Shi Danling and Shi Xingguo lay beside the pot and stared at the rice in the pot.
After Zhenzhen mixed the lard and served the rice in the bowl, the two of them came over to help carry the bowl to the table.
Without even putting down the schoolbag, he washed his hands and came over to sit down and prepare to eat.
Chen Qingmei picked up the chopsticks and said with a smile, "Zhenzhen, your cooking skills are comparable to those of the chefs in the county."
The rice was steamed to the right softness and hardness, without a trace of excess moisture, and it would not be hard when chewed in the mouth.
Shi Danling nodded like a garlic, echoing, "Aunts cooking is very delicious."
Zhenzhen picked up a piece of green vegetable and put it in her bowl, "Then eat more."
There was meat and vegetables in the rice, and she could eat two large bowls of rice without eating.
Shi Danling opened her mouth and took a big bite, and her eyes instantly curved into crescents.
She and her brother Shi Xingguo ate voraciously, and Shi Huaizhong and Chen Qingmei ate quickly.
Zhong Minfen and Zhenzhen ate slowly.
Zhong Minfen had something on her mind, so she didnt say much at the dinner table.
After the meal, when Chen Qingmei was left alone in the kitchen to wash the dishes, she spoke and said to Chen Qingmei, "I want to find a matchmaker to find a partner for Zhenzhen and let her remarry. She doesnt want to, so please help me persuade her."
Zhong Minfen has been thinking about this for the past two years, and Chen Qingmei knows it.
Zhong Minfen has never said it, maybe she still has some fantasies in her heart, thinking that Shi Huaiming may not be dead. But now that the troops have all withdrawn, the remaining fantasy in her heart is gone.
So, she said this idea out loud.
She is the mother-in-law. If she doesnt let her go, Zhenzhen will not be able to leave. After all, it is unknown whether Shi Huaiming is dead or alive.
If she is sure that Shi Huaiming is not dead, Zhenzhen will not be able to remarry without a divorce.
A widow is not a widow, and no one can marry her.
"Mom, are you willing to let her go?" Chen Qingmei washed the dishes and looked at Zhong Minfen.
Zhenzhen has been in the Shi family for five years and has become a family with them. They have a deep relationship.
Zhong Minfen sighed and said, "I treat her as my own daughter. Why should I be reluctant to let her get married? As long as she is willing, I will help her with the dowry and let her marry again in glory."
Chen Qingmei lowered her head to wash the dishes and didnt speak for a long time.
After washing the dishes, she piled them up and put them in the cupboard. She lifted her apron to wipe her hands, as if she had thought it through. She looked at Zhong Minfen and said softly, "Okay, Ill go and persuade her later."
Zhong Minfen nodded, "You are all young people, easy to talk to."
Chen Qingmei did not immediately go to Zhenzhen to persuade her.
She went back to her room and chatted with Shi Huaizhong for a few words, telling him Zhong Minfens thoughts.
Shi Huaizhong was not surprised. After a moment of silence, he said, "Do you really want her to be a widow like this for the rest of her life? Just listen to your mother. Go and persuade her. She is still young and should not live this kind of life."
Chen Qingmei nodded at him.
After washing up in the evening, Zhenzhen combed her long hair under the oil lamp.
Chen Qingmei came at the right time, first sent Shi Danling to play with Shi Xingguo, then sat down on the edge of the bed and said, "Zhenzhen, sister-in-law has something to tell you."
Zhenzhen turned her head to look at her, thought for a while and said, "Sister-in-law, I wont remarry."
Before she even started, she was interrupted by Zhenzhen, and Chen Qingmei was a little speechless.
Before she could say anything else, Zhenzhen put down the comb and whispered, "If you dislike me, dont want me to stay in Shis house, and think that I am a hindrance here, I can go back to my parents home."
"Zhenzhen, we dont mean that." Chen Qingmei hurriedly explained, "We wish you could stay."
She frowned and subconsciously leaned in front of Zhenzhen, "But havent you had a hard time in the past five years?"
Zhenzhen shook her head and answered simply, "No."
Her brother, sister-in-law, and mother-in-law were all good to her, and her nephews and nieces also liked her, so she didnt feel that it was hard.
Chen Qingmei reached out and took her hand, "Zhenzhen, listen to my sister-in-law, you are still young, beautiful, good-natured and capable, it is not difficult to find another good man. But if you wait for a few more years, I am afraid it will be difficult to find one."
Zhenzhen lowered her eyebrows, "Then dont look for it."
Chen Qingmei couldnt help but take a deep breath.
After a moment, she said, "Is this how we will live our whole life?"
Zhenzhen raised her head and looked at her, "Sister-in-law, why cant we live like this?"
Chen Qingmei saw the stubbornness in her eyes.
She was stunned for a while and hadnt answered the question yet, when Shi Danling suddenly came in from outside.
After Shi Danling came in, she squatted down and hugged Zhenzhens arm, looked at Chen Qingmei and said, "I wont let my aunt remarry!"
Chen Qingmei squinted at her, "What does it have to do with you, a little kid?"
Shi Danling tightened Zhenzhens arm, "I dont care, I just wont let my aunt remarry!"
Zhenzhen turned to look at her, raised her hand and touched her head, "Dont worry, my aunt wont remarry."
Shi Danling smiled and rubbed her furry head against Zhenzhens arm.
Chen Qingmei wanted to say something else, but she was not in a good mood.
She looked at Shi Danling and then at Zhenzhen, let go of Zhenzhens hand and said, "Forget it, I dont think I can persuade you, you should think about it carefully, this is a lifelong event, you must think it through, understand?"
Zhenzhen nodded at her, "I will, sister-in-law."
Since she couldnt persuade him, Chen Qingmei didnt say anything more.
She got up, smiled and rubbed Zhenzhens head, then rubbed Shi Danlings head, and went back to her room.
She went back to the room and lay down on the bed.
Shi Huaizhong asked her: "How is it?"
Chen Qingmei shook her head, "She still doesnt want to, let her think about it again."
Shi Huaizhong sighed softly, "Im afraid she will regret it later."
Chen Qingmei: "Lets talk about it later."
In Zhenzhens room.
Zhenzhen and Shi Danling also lay down on the bed.
Since Shi Huaiming left, Zhenzhen has slept with Shi Danling.
At the beginning, Shi Danling was only five or six years old, and now she is a little girl in her early teens.
As if she was afraid that Zhenzhen would run away, Shi Danling fell asleep hugging Zhenzhens arm.
Zhenzhen couldnt sleep, lying in the night blinking her eyes, thinking of Shi Huaiming.
Five years later, she still remembers his appearance very clearly.
On the wedding day, he wore a Zhongshan suit.
His hair was carefully combed, and he was straight, energetic and handsome.
***
In the morning, he got up when the morning star lit up in the east.
After the family had breakfast together, Shi Danling and Shi Xingguo, brother and sister, carried their schoolbags to school. Zhong Minfen was too old to do heavy work, so she stayed at home to do some simple housework.
Zhenzhen didnt go to the market to sell bean sprouts today, so she went to work in the production team with Chen Qingmei and Shi Huaizhong.
Before going to work, Zhong Minfen grabbed Chen Qingmei and whispered, "What do you mean?"
Chen Qingmei shook her head, and Zhong Minfen didnt say much, and let her go.
In the end, Zhenzhen had to make her own decision on this matter, and they could only persuade her from the side, but there was nothing they could do if they couldnt persuade her.
There was not much farm work in the countryside after the autumn harvest.
Now the production team is carrying out winter pond mud picking activities.
The water in the village ponds was drained one by one, and the strong male members were asked to shovel the mud at the bottom of the pond and throw it on the shore. After the mud was dried, all the members carried it to the fields with poles.
The mud was used to fertilize the land, and there would be a good harvest next year.
The workers in the team gathered together for half a day.
The strong men did the heavy work, and the weak women did the light work.
At noon, the members did not go home to eat, but directly lit a fire on the shore, and three or five people sat together to roast sweet potatoes.
Zhenzhen sat together with three young women who were about the same age as her.
Two of them were Hongmei and Cuilan who greeted her at the entrance of the village yesterday, and the remaining one was called Xiuzhu.
The four people sat by the fire and roasted sweet potatoes.
Hongmei held a dry twig in her hand, dug a few firewood piles, looked at Zhenzhen and said: "Zhenzhen, Shi Huaiming has been gone for five years without any news, didnt Madam Shi ask you to remarry?"
Zhenzhen didnt want to talk about it, pursed her lips slightly and said: "I dont want to remarry."
Hongmei stared at her, "Are you stupid?"
Zhenzhen smiled and said nothing.
Cuilan also said in a low voice: "Zhenzhen, if Madam Shi agrees, you should find another one while you are still young, dont delay. Its not easy to be a widow, you have to think about yourself. No matter how good Huaiming is, he cant come back."
Zhenzhen still didnt say anything.
Hongmei said again: "I said you are unlucky. You married a man as good as Shi Huaiming, but you cant control this fate. Just find another one. Its better than being a widow."
Zhenzhen lowered her eyebrows and looked at the crackling firewood, and said: "I like being a widow."
Hongmei, Cuilan, Xiuzhu: "..."
After a moment, Hongmei sneered, "Why dont you understand good and bad words?"
Zhenzhen still stared at the flames, "I understand, you are saying that I have a hard fate and I cant be a good man, and I cant live a good life."
Hongmei: "..."
The expression on her face froze instantly.
Cuilan and Xiuzhu were also a little embarrassed.
To ease the embarrassment, Cuilan used branches to dig out the firewood pile, dug out the first roasted sweet potato, wrapped it with dry leaves and sent it to Zhenzhen, saying to her: "Zhenzhen, you eat first."
Zhenzhen didnt say much and reached out to take it.
She was about to peel the sweet potato when she heard a deafening shout: "Aunt! Third Aunt!"
All the members on the river bank heard the sound and turned to look.
Zhenzhen looked over with the sweet potato, and saw Shi Danling carrying a schoolbag and running towards them like crazy.
She was waving her hands in the wind while running, holding a yellow object in her hands.
Zhenzhen stood up and walked towards Shi Danling.
When Shi Danling ran to her, she looked at Shi Danling and asked: "Danling, whats wrong?"
Shi Danling held her knees and panted. After panting for a long time, she said: "Aunt, my third uncle... my third uncle..."
Her third uncle?
Zhenzhen tilted her head and looked at her.
When the other people in the team heard her words, they also looked at her, waiting for her to continue.
Shi Danling took a breath and straightened up. With a bright light in her eyes, she said in a clear and trembling voice: "Aunt, my third uncle is not dead! He wrote to me!"
What?
Zhenzhen suddenly He was stunned and blinked at her.
The other members on the riverbank were also stunned when they heard this.
Shi Danlings eyes were filled with tears, and there was a clear cry in her trembling voice, more excited, "Aunt, its true, my third uncle is not only alive, but also became the head of the regiment! He is now an officer!"
"Bang——"
The sweet potato in Zhenzhens hand fell off and fell on the dry grass leaves at her feet, rolling a few times and lying in the middle of the grass leaves.
Zhenzhen was stunned and blinking, as if she couldnt hear anything, and the only sound in the world was her own "beating" heartbeat.