War Jingchun, by misfortune, found herself with the child she didn't want gone.
She wasn't as heartbroken as Peng Fei, nor as angry as Peng's mother. On the contrary, in that instant, she even saw hope again, gaining the motivation to live well.
As long as she was here without any attachments, she would eventually find another chance to leave.
Mom and Dad, I'm still alive, I'm okay, you're still waiting for me, right?
She went to the mountain, gained nothing, and her wife fell ill. She needed to rest and recuperate with good food.
Peng Fei was helpless. He had no chicken left at home for her, so he had to borrow from the neighbors.
Peng Fei stayed home to take care of her, while Peng's mother went to work alone, seething with anger.
When she returned and found him brewing chicken soup again, she immediately lost her composure.
"This life is unbearable! Others marry a wife, but you brought back a living goddess! Pampering her with delicacies every day, even a mountain of gold would be eaten away! Let alone that we don't have a mountain of gold! Are you trying to anger me to death? Will you only be at peace after I die? Huh?"
"Since she came, you stopped working and farming. She's just a hen that doesn't lay eggs, aren't you ashamed? You've disgraced the Peng family, don't you know!"
"Do you know what people outside are saying about you? I'm too embarrassed to even learn from you! How can you disappoint me so much? What can I say about you!"
"Fei, be more sensible, listen to your mother's advice, women aren't spoiled like this..."
No matter how much she scolded, Peng Fei didn't retort.
Because he knew his mother had a point.
After the autumn harvest, they had to plant next year's wheat. If the land wasn't thoroughly plowed, the yield would definitely not be as good as in previous years.
He didn't know when they could repay the outstanding debts, and Zhan Jingchun's health was poor, requiring nourishment every now and then. If the harvest was poor again next year, life would only get worse.
In fact, he was more anxious than his mother.
As the pillar of the family, who would want to see their home in such a state? He had been thinking of solutions lately.
Earlier, he heard from his uncle that the mine in Qililitun was still short of two workers. He wanted to go then, but his uncle feared the danger and disagreed. Now, he couldn't afford to be so picky.
After finishing dinner in silence, Peng Fei locked the door and went to his uncle's house.
When his uncle heard that he wanted to go to the mine, he still disagreed.
Peng Fei insisted, "You know our family's conditions better than anyone. If you don't let me earn money, I'll never be able to repay your debt. My cousin is also about to get married... I'll just work for a few months, and when it gets cold at the end of the year, I'll come back. We can't be without money for the New Year, can we?"
It was a case of helping in an emergency, not poverty.
Their family, with a widowed mother and children, had been helped by his uncle before. Now that Peng Fei had grown up, it wasn't feasible for his uncle to keep subsidizing them.
He was already a man with a wife and a future father, and he had to shoulder the burden sooner or later.
After much deliberation, his uncle reluctantly agreed.
"Then you must be careful. If something happens, this family will truly collapse. Your mother won't be able to live either."
Peng Fei understood that the mine paid high wages precisely because of the high risk. He was earning money with his life.
He hadn't lived enough yet, so he definitely couldn't afford an accident.
That evening, Peng Fei told his mother about his plan to work at the mine. His mother reacted as strongly as his uncle.
"Don't you feel bad unless you're constantly trying to anger me? You just said you weren't working hard, and now you want to go to the mine. What good will it do you to anger me to death?"
Peng Fei said he didn't intend to anger her.
"I'll just work for a few months, and I'll come back by the end of the year, okay? I'll be careful. If others can do it, why can't I?"
"Others are others, you are you!"
"But others are also people, they have families, elders, and children. If everyone thought like you, the mine wouldn't be able to operate. Alright, I've already decided to go. I've asked my uncle to make arrangements for me, so don't try to persuade me anymore. I will definitely come back safely."
Peng Fei's tone was firm as he made the decision. After a few seconds, his attitude softened.
"I haven't asked you for much since I grew up, Mom. This time I'll be gone for several months, and I need you to do me a favor."
Peng's mother knew what it was without him saying it.
It was probably about not being able to trust this woman and asking her to take good care of her.
It was ironic, really. She was young, acting like a living goddess all day, and expecting a middle-aged woman like her to serve her.
It was truly infuriating.
"Don't worry, Mom isn't stupid. I spent so much money to buy her; what good would it do me if she were gone? I won't make things difficult for her, don't you worry about it, just take care of yourself."
That night, Peng Fei went to bid farewell to Zhan Jingchun again.
He told her he was going to work at the mine and might only be back once every ten days or half a month. He asked her to take good care of herself at home and that they would have a prosperous New Year at the end of the year after he earned money.
Zhan Jingchun hadn't expected that after all her efforts, he was just going to work in another village, doing dangerous manual labor.
Indeed, people with narrow horizons and from different social strata couldn't communicate.
She was too lazy to waste any more words. She had lived enough and wanted to find the most pathetic way to die. If he wanted to go, let him go.
That night, Peng Fei, filled with reluctance, lay beside her and held her tightly.
All his longing was conveyed through his touch.
Unfortunately, Zhan Jingchun didn't care.
The next day, he had to travel. He got up early, packed his bags, ate breakfast, and set off on his journey to work.
Zhan Jingchun slept until late morning. She went to the toilet, and her stomach growled. She wanted to eat, but she was too embarrassed to call Peng's mother, so she endured the hunger.
But she could endure hunger, not thirst.
By noon, Peng's mother hadn't spoken to her proactively. She was so thirsty that she had no choice but to knock on the door and call her.
After calling for a long time, Peng's mother finally came to the door and asked coldly what she wanted. Zhan Jingchun said she wanted water.
Peng's mother handed her a ladle of cold water.
Zhan Jingchun had just lost her child and was still bleeding. The weather was getting colder, and she was being told to drink cold water?
She knew Peng's mother disliked her, but she didn't expect her to be so cruel.
"You're a woman too, you should know you can't drink cold water at a time like this... I won't drink it, give me hot water."
Peng's mother sneered, "Look at you, acting so high and mighty. My son gave you a little face, and you think you're a young lady? You want me to change it to hot water? You should at least call me 'Mom,' shouldn't you? You've been in this house for so long, and you've never shown me any respect. Do I have to serve you? Did I owe you in my past life?"
Zhan Jingchun was angered by her words and refused to drink the water, returning to lie in bed.
Both thirsty and hungry, she endured the whole day. It wasn't until Fangfang came back from school in the evening that she was given a bowl of noodles.
Naturally, it was just a few vegetables, bland and tasteless.
Zhan Jingchun hadn't expected that her life would become like this just one day after Peng Fei left.
Fangfang had no say at home, and complaining to her was useless. She gritted her teeth and ate.
After dinner, Fangfang saw that the basin she used for the toilet hadn't been emptied and offered to do it. Zhan Jingchun didn't refuse.
Because she had never emptied it herself, she was accustomed to being served.
Unexpectedly, as Fangfang reached the door, she was scolded by her mother.