Chapter 80: The '60s Farm System (46)

"Where is your Yang Yang? I haven't heard news of her for a long time. She went to the countryside earlier than Qiqi, right?"

"That's right. We haven't seen Yang Yang come back in all these years. How is she doing in the countryside? Is she married? Did she take the College Entrance Examination? Did she say when she's coming back?"

The neighbors' chattering questions made Yu Huizhu's face drop instantly.

Whether Xie Yang is doing well or coming back is none of their business!

Back then, that little hussy swindled three hundred yuan out of her, pried open the doors of the food cabinet and the cupboard at home, and packed up all the good things she had hidden away—every time she thinks about it, her heart still aches!

Don't think she doesn't know that Xie Zhaohua, that muddle-headed man, actually hid such an important matter as his pay raise from her! He even secretly remitted money to that little hussy.

Because of this, she had a huge fight with her husband and was so angry that she went back to her maiden home for a few days.

She had wanted her husband to take the initiative to soften his stance and hand over the portion of the salary that had been raised.

But the man, who had been cowardly and spineless his whole life, was uncharacteristically firm for once at that moment.

He said that Xie Yang was his daughter too, that going to the countryside was already very difficult, and that remitting 5 yuan to her would let her live a little better in the countryside; the family wouldn't go hungry or cold just because of 5 yuan less.

He also said that Xie Yang was filial, sending him tea leaves, seaweed, and dried shrimp for him to brew tea and make soup.

Yu Huizhu was so angry at the time that her face twisted. In a fit of rage, she gave Xie Zhaohua the cold shoulder every day and stopped cooking at home. With cold pots and cold stoves every day, if he was so rich and capable, he could eat at the Canteen every meal!

As luck would have it, the list for the new batch of Educated Youth came out at the end of the year.

Xie Qi, who would turn sixteen after the New Year, was prominently on the list.

But because of this cold war, it ended up that Xie Qi had to go to the countryside too.

It was only because Xie Zhaohua said: "Since you think going to the countryside isn't that bitter, then let Qiqi go too. The children in the family should be treated equally. We'll remit 5 yuan to her every month then, too."

Her poor Qiqi, her life in the city ruined by her stepfather, carried her luggage to the countryside after the New Year.

Because she didn't know how to do farm work, she suffered a lot as soon as she arrived. Later, she was almost bullied by local hooligans and had to hastily find a local to marry.

Thinking of this, Yu Huizhu could not suppress the hatred in her heart, especially hating this spawn left behind by Xie Yang's short-lived ex-wife. Who is hoping for her to return? She wishes she would die in the countryside!

Xie Yang, whom Yu Huizhu was hoping would die in the countryside, was currently standing in the courtyard of the Steel Mill Family Quarters where her aunt lived, carrying a large parcel twice her size.

Just because she asked, "Is Xie Chunlan home?", she was surrounded by a crowd of aunties.

"Looking for Chunlan? She went out and doesn't seem to be back yet. Who are you to her?"

"You must be the niece she often talks about, right? You two look somewhat alike."

"Oh! You are Chunlan's niece? But aren't you working in Chuan Nan? Why are you back?"

"Did you get into college and return to the city?"

Xie Yang had sat on the train for four days and three nights. She didn't get a headache from the various noises on the train, but she was getting a scalp-tingling headache from this group of aunties.

She smiled helplessly: "Can you wait for me to put my luggage down at my aunt's house first?"

"Oh my, look at us just talking and forgetting you're still carrying luggage. Such a big parcel, aren't you tired?"

"Hurry upstairs! Your aunt went out, but her father-in-law and mother-in-law are home."

Xie Yang hurried upstairs.

The women who had been talking to her watched her back disappear into the stairwell before returning to the faucet to continue washing clothes and vegetables.

The topic of their conversation also shifted from the trivial matters they had been chatting about a few minutes ago to Xie Chunlan's niece who had suddenly returned to the city.

"Is she really Xie Chunlan's niece? Isn't that Aunt Huizhu's stepdaughter, Xie Yang?"

Among the women was a young daughter-in-law named Yang Xiutao who had married into this family quarters two years ago. Her mother was a colleague of Yu Huizhu in the same workshop, and the two were very close.

Before Yang Xiutao was married, she often heard her mother mention Yu Huizhu's troublesome stepdaughter at home.

But yesterday, when she went to the Cotton Textile Factory to find her mother, she ran into Yu Huizhu. She didn't hear her mention that her stepdaughter was also returning to the city; instead, she heard her say that her Xie Qi had gotten into a technical secondary school and was coming back.

"No! I have to send word to Aunt Huizhu!"

Yang Xiutao took her half-washed clothes home and hurriedly went to the Cotton Textile Factory.

As it turned out, the guard said Yu Huizhu had taken the day off and wasn't at the factory, so she had to tell her mother about it.

Yang Mu said in astonishment: "The daughter left behind by the Xie Family's first wife has also returned to the city? This is bad! Is she here to cause trouble on purpose because she heard Qiqi got into technical secondary school? Let's go! Mom will go to the Xie Family with you!"

Thus, Yu Huizhu, having learned the news, felt as if she were facing a formidable enemy.

What!!!

That little hussy has returned to the city too?

Could it be that she also got into a technical secondary school?

College is impossible!

That little hussy's grades when she was studying weren't as good as her Qiqi's. Qiqi didn't even get into college, so how could that little hussy possibly get in!

If she managed to get into a technical secondary school, it must have been pure luck!

At the thought that Xie Yang might have also gotten into a technical secondary school and managed to return to the city, Yu Huizhu felt as uncomfortable as if ten thousand ants were gnawing at her at once.

Hearing Yang Xiutao say that Xie Yang had brought back a large parcel taller than herself and had gone to Xie Chunlan's house first, Yu Huizhu felt even worse.

What kind of good things did she bring back?

At this moment, Yu Huizhu heard a neighbor downstairs shouting that her Qiqi was back.

Yu Huizhu ran downstairs to meet her eldest daughter.

Although Xie Qi was working in the countryside on the outskirts of Pingcheng, she had left early in the morning and arrived home by noon.

But because the brigade wouldn't issue introduction letters before, she hadn't been able to return to the city even though she was close by, so the neighbors in the family quarters hadn't seen her for a full eight years.

Upon seeing her thin frame and dark complexion, everyone fell silent.

Except for Yang Xiutao.

Having just seen Xie Yang earlier, she couldn't help but compare the two now that she saw Xie Qi, and she whispered into her mother's ear:

"Mom, even though they both went to the countryside, Xie Yang not only didn't get thin, but she also seems to have grown much taller than I remember. Her skin is white and tender, just like tofu."

As she spoke, Yang Xiutao touched her own face:

"Whiter and more tender than me; you can't tell at all that she's an Educated Youth who has been in the countryside for nine years. If I didn't know her age, I would have thought she was a seventeen or eighteen-year-old girl!"

"Do you think she's been living quite well in the countryside? I even heard from our neighbors in the building that her aunt receives packages from her every few days. If she weren't doing well, how would she have the heart to mail packages back to her hometown..."

Yang Xiutao didn't speak very loudly, but since Yu Huizhu was standing right next to her, it was hard not to hear.

Yu Huizhu had originally been teary-eyed and wanting to share a mother-daughter reunion hug with Xie Qi, but because of this, she subconsciously looked at the bundle in Xie Qi's hand.

In fact, it couldn't even be called a package; it was just a small cloth bundle draped over her elbow. Judging by the size and softness of the bundle, it was likely just a change of clothes that Xie Qi had in the countryside.

Both had gone to the countryside to join the production teams, yet Xie Yang had gone a year earlier than her Qiqi, and not only was she neither dark nor thin, but it was said she had grown taller and become prettier.

Both had gone to the countryside to join the production teams, yet Xie Yang mailed packages to her aunt every few days and even brought back a large package that was said to be taller than she was when she returned to the city, while Xie Qi had nothing but a small bundle that could only hold one change of clothes.

At this moment, Yu Huizhu couldn't describe what she was feeling inside.

"Qiqi! My Qiqi..."

She wailed loudly and grabbed Xie Qi in a hug.

Everyone assumed she was crying over the hardships her daughter had endured all these years, but perhaps only she herself knew what she was crying about...