Sure, here is the translation of the provided Chinese text into English, following all your specified rules:
Su Grandma’s thoughts immediately turned to making dinner.
“Alright, what filling does my good child want? Vegetable or meat?”
As Su Grandma spoke, she began to consider what dishes were at home and which ones were suitable for making dumplings.
“Radish and meat? Cabbage and meat? Or perhaps pickled cabbage and meat?” Su Grandma asked before Su Xiaotian could even reply.
“I want pickled cabbage and meat, Grandma, make it!” Su Xiaotian said, hugging Su Grandma’s arm.
Su Grandma said happily, “Okay, it’s getting warmer, we need to finish the pickled cabbage quickly.”
“Grandma, add more scallions, they’re delicious!” Su Xiaotian said without hesitation.
Su Grandma looked at Su Xiaotian dotingly and said, “This little mouth is getting more and more particular. I really don’t know how it grew this way.”
Su Xiaotian said with a sweet, beaming smile, “It’s because Grandma spoils me.”
Su Grandma said no more and busied herself with scooping out the pickled cabbage, chopping it, and mincing the meat.
When it came to food and drink, Su Grandma was never one to be stingy, especially now that the family’s conditions had improved so much. She was always thinking of ways to let the children eat better.
“Grandma, I’ll help you peel the scallions!” Su Xiaotian offered.
The other children in the Su family immediately gathered around to help, and the grandparents and grandchildren were all harmonious and happy.
However, after her brothers arrived, Su Xiaotian instantly felt that she had no role to play.
Even the simplest task, peeling scallions, was snatched away.
She could only stand by and watch, bored.
Having too many brothers didn’t seem like a good thing after all!
“Xiaotian, go tell your aunt next door to come over to our house for dumplings tonight,” Su Grandma suddenly remembered her daughter and called out loudly.
Finally having something to do, Su Xiaotian quickly responded, and hopped to the neighbor’s house to call her.
Su Manxiu next door was reading a book, sitting quietly by the window. Her gentle and elegant demeanor showed no trace of her former hardship from a few years ago.
Little Chen Xiuyuan was sitting beside her, playing with some wooden shavings as toys.
Mother and son sat quietly, like a painting.
This peaceful scene was disrupted when Su Xiaotian knocked on the door with a loud bang.
“Auntie, Auntie!” After knocking twice, Su Xiaotian shouted loudly, as if afraid Su Manxiu wouldn’t hear.
“Xiaotian is here?” Su Manxiu quickly went to open the door for Su Xiaotian.
“Auntie!”
“Why are you here at this hour?”
“My Grandma sent me to tell you to come to our house for dumplings tonight. Grandma is making pickled cabbage dumplings.”
As Su Xiaotian spoke, she couldn’t help but smack her lips.
The dumplings Grandma made were always delicious; the taste was truly indescribable.
Upon hearing the word “dumplings,” little Chen Xiuyuan immediately dropped the wooden sword in his hand and ran towards Su Xiaotian with his short legs.
“Dumplings, dumplings! Eat dumplings!”
Although the little boy’s speech wasn’t fluent, only managing a few words at a time, each word was very accurate.
Su Xiaotian smiled and patted Chen Xiuyuan’s head, saying, “Come on, Sister will take Xiuyuan to eat dumplings.”
Chen Xiuyuan unceremoniously left his mother aside and, holding Su Xiaotian’s hand, walked towards the old Su family’s yard.
The two little ones had already started walking, paying no mind to whether Su Manxiu was following.
Su Manxiu shook her head helplessly.
The two houses were close, so she didn’t worry and let them go.
Su Manxiu first placed a bookmark she had made into her book and then closed it.
She added a little more coal to the stove, partially sealing it, before closing the door.
Before leaving, she went to the kitchen to get her apron.
With a house full of children, her mother couldn’t manage alone, so she had to go next door to help with the dumplings.
Stepping out of the door with light steps, Su Manxiu’s face was full of smiles.
She took out a lock, locked the door, and then turned around, only to see a woman, likely in her thirties, standing behind her.
Su Manxiu was startled and almost fell.
“Comrade, be careful!” the woman said, with a strong local accent, but understandable.
Behind the woman stood two children, dressed in rags, who looked about seven or eight years old.
All three pairs of eyes were staring roundly at Su Manxiu.
Being stared at made Su Manxiu feel rather uncomfortable.
She couldn’t help but look herself up and down. Her clothes weren’t dirty, her pants were fine, and her shoes were okay.
The woman forced a smile and asked softly, “Comrade, may I ask if you know where Chen Zi’an lives?”
Su Manxiu was stunned at first, then she looked the woman up and down.
She was sure this was a stranger she had never seen before.
She was very curious, who was this woman?
Why was she looking for Chen Zi’an?
“May I ask who you are?” Su Manxiu asked.
“I am Chen Zi’an’s wife! I’ve come to the city to find him,” the woman said with a shy smile.
Su Manxiu’s expression changed instantly.
Chen Zi’an’s wife?
Chen Zi’an’s wife?
Then who was she?
If Chen Zi’an had a wife, what did that make her? A concubine?
Su Manxiu felt dizzy and almost collapsed.
“You say, you say you are Chen Zi’an’s what?”
Su Manxiu felt she must have misheard. How could Chen Zi’an possibly have another wife?
Chen Zi’an had clearly said before that he didn’t have a wife.
He wouldn’t lie to her, nor would he deceive her.
The woman mumbled, but still said, “I am from Chen Zi’an’s hometown, his, his wife!”
She hadn’t misheard; this woman indeed claimed to be Chen Zi’an’s wife.
Su Manxiu desperately wanted to firmly believe Chen Zi’an, but a hint of doubt crept into her heart.
She instantly felt as if breathing had become difficult.
Heh heh!
She had truly become the kind of woman she despised the most.
“Comrade, do you know where Chen Zi’an lives?”
The woman felt that the woman in front of her must know Chen Zi’an, so she pressed further.
People in the brigade said Chen Zi’an lived here, and furthermore, they heard Chen Zi’an had become an official.
The woman’s not-so-pretty eyes looked at Su Manxiu with longing.
Su Manxiu stared fixedly at the woman, saying nothing, but repeatedly scrutinizing her.
The woman’s gaze flickered, and she suddenly pulled a photograph from her pocket, as if afraid Su Manxiu wouldn’t believe her, and thrust it directly in front of Su Manxiu.
“Comrade, look, I even have a photo with Chen Zi’an.”
Su Manxiu looked, and the man in the picture was indeed Chen Zi’an.
However, it must have been Chen Zi’an from many years ago, looking young and naive, unlike his current steady demeanor.
But it was undoubtedly Chen Zi’an.
Su Manxiu’s body trembled uncontrollably, and she quickly leaned against the nearby wall to steady herself.
Seeing the photograph, Su Manxiu felt that even if she wanted to believe Chen Zi’an, she couldn’t.
A woman holding a photo with Chen Zi’an couldn’t possibly have no connection to Chen Zi’an.
Su Manxiu suddenly felt that the happiness she had once believed in was like a joke.
But Su Manxiu had a strong personality; even knowing she had become a joke, she still refused to be weak.
Even if she had to exit, she would do so with dignity.
“He lives right here!”
Su Manxiu felt as if her throat was stuffed with cotton, dry and uncomfortable, but she had to say these words.
She felt sympathy for the woman and children in front of her.
She could empathize.
She herself had been abandoned by a man years ago.
Even though several years had passed, the pain was merely buried deep in her heart.
The appearance of the woman in front of her brought back those nightmarish pains.
However, she found it hard to believe.
Chen Zi’an had actually lied to her.
She had asked Chen Zi’an before, and he had clearly said he was single.
Chen Zi’an’s original wife had come knocking, and what was she to do?
Su Manxiu wanted to escape, but she knew clearly that she couldn’t.
Some things didn’t cease to exist just because one avoided them.
“He lives here?” The woman looked at Su Manxiu, then at the door that had just been locked.
Her lips moved, as if she wanted to ask something, but ultimately didn’t.
Seeing the woman’s timid appearance, Su Manxiu’s heart softened again.
Clearly, this woman also didn’t want to face the fact that Chen Zi’an already had another woman in his life.
Her heart ached unbearably!
“Please, come in!”
Su Manxiu sighed heavily, “Why must women make things difficult for women?”
She reopened the door, letting the woman and children in.
“He lives here, but he’s gone to work now, so he’s not home!”
Su Manxiu’s legs felt as if they were filled with lead; each step was difficult.
But she persisted in pushing the door open, allowing the woman and two children to enter.
At this moment, there was no mirror, but if there were, Su Manxiu would have seen how terrible her complexion was.
“Since he’s not here, we won’t come in for now!” the woman hesitated.
However, the child beside her timidly tugged at her clothes and said, “Mom, I’m hungry!”
Then, the other child also said softly, “I’m hungry too, Mom!”
The two children stood at the doorway calling out that they were hungry. The woman was troubled, and Su Manxiu was also troubled.
Were these two children Chen Zi’an’s?
She carefully observed the two children; they bore a slight resemblance to the woman.
However, they didn’t resemble Chen Zi’an at all.
At this moment, Su Manxiu even felt a pang of regret that these children hadn’t inherited Chen Zi’an’s good looks.
She then remembered that she was even thinking about such things.
Chen Zi’an’s original wife had arrived with her children. What would become of her and her Xiuyuan?
Su Manxiu even considered packing her things and going next door, or even to Hongxin Brigade.
Never to return, to avoid facing all of this.
“Comrade?” The woman seemed to notice something was amiss with Su Manxiu and called out softly.
“I was just thinking about something else and got a bit distracted. Please, come inside and sit. Chen… he’ll probably be back in about half an hour.”
After inviting them inside, Su Manxiu, not wanting to face the woman, poured water for the three of them.
While pouring water, she almost dropped the thermos, but managed to steady it in time.
“Have some hot water first, I, I’ll go cook for you!”
Su Manxiu, acting very timidly, dashed out of the main room and ran into the kitchen.
The woman watched Su Manxiu’s retreating figure, her eyes filled with a touch of sadness.
This woman was so beautiful, much more so than herself.
The clothes she wore were also new, without even a patch.
Looking down at her own clothes, she suddenly felt disgusted.
She wanted to live such a good life too!
The woman clenched her fists, as if making a firm decision!
In the kitchen, Su Manxiu finally couldn’t hold back her tears.
She covered her face, tears slipping through her fingers, without making a sound.
She could cry, but she couldn’t let anyone hear; this was her last shred of dignity.
After an unknown amount of time, Su Manxiu finally finished crying and wiped away her tears.
She lit a fire to boil water.
While boiling water, Su Manxiu took out a scallion, washed it, and finely chopped it.
However, the movements she had performed countless times suddenly felt unfamiliar.
With one careless move, Su Manxiu cut her left hand.
Blood immediately flowed down the blade.
The pain instantly brought Su Manxiu back to her senses.
She quickly scooped up a spoonful of water to rinse it, then pressed the wound tightly with her right hand.
The wound hurt, but the pain in her heart was even more unbearable than the wound on her hand.
She wanted to go to the main room to bandage the wound, but thinking of the people in the main room, she ultimately did not.
“Su Manxiu, after two years of good days, how have you become so delicate? You’ve had more serious injuries before, and you got through them!”
Su Manxiu muttered to herself, tears once again welling up uncontrollably.
“You’re so useless, so useless!”
Su Manxiu cursed herself fiercely, wiping away her tears.
However, her tear ducts, which were not usually so active, had somehow become incredibly prolific, so much so that she couldn’t dry her eyes even after wiping for a long time.
The happy life of the past few years felt like a mockery, making Su Manxiu miserable.
The water boiled, and Su Manxiu, with tear-blurred eyes, took out a bundle of dried noodles from the cabinet.
She threw the entire bundle into the boiling water. Su Manxiu was still dazed, almost forgetting to stir with chopsticks.
If she hadn’t heard the sound of the door opening, which startled her awake, the noodles would have likely become mush.
Su Manxiu didn’t bother to think about who had entered; she first stirred the noodles in the pot with chopsticks.
She was a farmer and couldn’t stand wasting food.
The dried noodles were thin and cooked quickly. Su Manxiu didn’t want to face everything outside, so she pretended not to hear the sound.
She nonchalantly added salt, soy sauce, and a drop of sesame oil to the pot separately, then scooped the noodles into three large bowls.
Chen Zi’an’s voice came from the yard.
“Xiuer, are we having noodles tonight? I can smell it, and you even added sesame oil?”
Su Manxiu heard Chen Zi’an’s voice but did not reply.
She didn’t know how to answer, nor did she know how to face Chen Zi’an’s family reunion.
With their family reunion, she was the superfluous one.
Chen Zi’an was also curious why Su Manxiu hadn’t responded. Usually, when he came home and Su Manxiu was home, she would come out to greet him.
The aroma of food wafted from the kitchen, so Su Manxiu was definitely in the kitchen.
He decided to walk directly into the kitchen to see what his wife was busy with.
As a result, as soon as he entered, he saw Su Manxiu’s red eyes.
“Xiuer, what’s wrong?”
Chen Zi’an was startled, quickly put down the bag he was holding on the nearby cabinet, and asked anxiously.
Su Manxiu didn’t know how to answer.
If she didn’t answer, it meant she didn’t want to see Chen Zi’an.
But why had this person come to the kitchen first?
She shook her head.
Chen Zi’an, however, sharp-eyed, noticed Su Manxiu’s injured hand.
“How did you get hurt so badly? It’s still bleeding!” Chen Zi’an grabbed Su Manxiu’s hand, his eyes full of concern.
“I just accidentally cut myself while chopping scallions…”
Thinking of the woman and children in the main room, Su Manxiu’s inner armor instantly bristled.
“You go to the main room, don’t mind me!”
Sensing the sudden change in his wife, Chen Zi’an felt a bit confused but didn’t dwell on it.
“You’re getting more and more foolish. Your hand is cut like this, how can I not mind you? Come, let’s go bandage it.”
Chen Zi’an took Su Manxiu’s hand and was about to go out.
Unexpectedly, Su Manxiu suddenly pushed Chen Zi’an away, causing him to stumble.
“No, don’t mind me, I’m going next door!”
After pushing Chen Zi’an away, Su Manxiu ran off in a panic.
Watching her suddenly flee, Chen Zi’an’s eyes were filled with confusion. What was going on?
Why did she run off for no reason?
And where was Chen Xiuyuan?
Where had the little fellow gone?
Since Manxiu was going next door, he might as well take his son next door.
Chen Zi’an stood at the kitchen door, about to call out for his son, when he was startled by the three people standing in the yard.
When did three strangers appear at his house? They were so elusive!
“Who are you?” Chen Zi’an’s face changed instantly.
“Zi’an, I, I am Chunni!”
The woman quickly rubbed her face with her hands, as if trying to wipe away the dust, and forced a smile.
“Chunni?”
Did he know this person? Chen Zi’an tried to recall.
He then stared at the woman in front of him for a long time before finally remembering who this Chunni was.
“Why are you here?” Chen Zi’an’s expression was not good.
Although he hadn’t said anything after returning and learning that his wife had remarried, it was impossible to say he had no lingering feelings.
“I, I…” Chunni lowered her head, not knowing what to say.
Suddenly, she seemed to think of something, pulled the two children forward, almost pushing them over.
“These are my two sons, quickly call him Dad!”
Chen Zi’an’s mouth fell open in shock, speechless for a long time.
At this moment, Su Manxiu happened to return to her own doorstep.
When she reached the entrance of the old Su family’s house, she suddenly thought of a problem.
Even if the woman who came today was Chen Zi’an’s original wife, so what?
She had obtained a marriage certificate and was legally married. Why should she run away?
Even if she had to leave in the end, there should be an explanation.
She couldn’t just leave without understanding.
Because of this thought, she chose to face it head-on, so she returned.
However, as soon as she reached the door, she heard the words telling the children to call him Dad.
The courage she had finally mustered vanished completely in that instant.
The last shred of hope she had harbored also completely disappeared.
They had already called him Dad…
Her mind was filled with only this one thought.
Su Manxiu didn’t want to go in anymore.
She didn’t know what explanation she could get if she went in.
When Su Manxiu stumbled to the neighbor’s house, she startled Su Grandma and the Su children.
“Xiuer, what’s wrong with you?”
Su Grandma dropped the dumpling she was wrapping and rushed to Su Manxiu’s side.
Su Manxiu said nothing, only weeping profusely, completely losing her composure.
Little Chen Xiuyuan, who had been playing with Xiao Ba and Xiao Jiu, was startled to see his mother rush in like this.
The little boy’s lower lip quivered, and he started crying too.
“Mommy is crying, Mommy is crying!” Little Chen Xiuyuan sobbed, still pointing at Su Manxiu with his short, chubby fingers.
Su Grandma helped Su Manxiu to sit down and said, “What’s wrong with you? Look at you, you’ve scared Xiao Yuan.”
Su Xiaotian was also very confused. She had been fine when she went over earlier.
She had brought Xiuyuan over, thinking her aunt was just delayed by something, but how could she be crying like this in such a short time?
Looking at Su Manxiu’s red eyes, it was clear she hadn’t just started crying.
Suddenly, she noticed the blood on Su Manxiu’s hand.
“Auntie, what happened to your hand?” Su Xiaotian cried out.
Su Grandma also noticed that her daughter’s hand was injured.
She quickly found the family’s medicinal powder and a clean white cloth, and bandaged Su Manxiu’s wound.
Su Manxiu continued to shed silent tears, letting Su Grandma tend to her.
Su Grandma grumbled, “You’re all grown up, acting like a child. Crying like this over such a small thing, aren’t you ashamed!”
Hearing Su Grandma’s nagging, Su Manxiu suddenly burst into loud sobs, burying herself in Su Grandma’s arms, crying like a child.
Little Chen Xiuyuan, who had been crying, stopped when he heard his mother crying so loudly. He just stared blankly at Su Manxiu.
It was evident that the child was truly frightened.
Su Grandma was also bewildered, hugging her daughter and not knowing what to say.
In Su Grandma’s eyes, Su Manxiu had always been sensible and had never lost her composure like this.
“Xiuer, don’t cry, you’ll scare Xiao Yuan, and I’m scared too!” Su Grandma comforted Su Manxiu in a low voice.
Su Grandma then gestured to Su Xiaotian, as if asking what was wrong with Su Manxiu.
Su Xiaotian had no idea what had happened in this short time.
“Auntie, please don’t cry, it’ll hurt your eyes. Looking at you, I want to cry too,” Su Xiaotian gently patted Su Manxiu’s back, trying to comfort her aunt.
Su Grandma sighed.
Before, she had suspected her daughter was crying from the pain in her hand, but now she didn’t think so.
Manxiu wasn’t this weak; she must have encountered something else upsetting.
But Manxiu’s family only had three people, and Xiuyuan was still young, so he couldn’t have upset Manxiu.
That left only Chen Zi’an.
“Go next door and take a look!” Su Grandma mouthed to Su Xiaotian.
Su Xiaotian understood and immediately ran out, heading straight for the neighbor’s house.
When she reached Chen Zi’an’s doorstep, Su Xiaotian heard a woman’s voice from the yard.
What was going on?
Why was there a woman talking in Auntie’s house?
Could it be that this woman was the reason Auntie was unhappy?
Su Xiaotian didn’t go in; she simply stood at the door and eavesdropped.
“Chunni, how can you say that?”
Chen Zi’an’s steady voice carried a hint of impatience.
“Why can’t I say that? I am your wife!” Chunni’s tone was full of grievance.
[Author’s Note]
Today’s chapter is a big one, six thousand characters! No more after this, see you tomorrow, my dears. Also, if you have any votes, please don’t forget to cast them!