Chapter 45

·

·

·

Protagonist:

Li Xiulan

Wang Zhanggen stayed at home for a total of five days.

During these five days, his relationship with Li Xiulan went from intense conflict at the beginning to gradually easing later on.

And all of this was achieved through Li Xiulan's silent endurance and compromise.

Wang Zhanggen never truly reflected on his mistakes.

In the two days before his departure, he was already absent-minded, muttering from time to time about needing to hurry out and find work.

Li Xiulan knew he wasn't really thinking of finding work at all; he was probably missing that woman outside.

She saw through it but didn't call it out, because she felt there was no longer any need to pursue the matter.

As long as Wang Zhanggen kept his promise and sent money back every month from now on, she would be perfectly content.

On the morning of the fifth day, Wang Zhanggen finally left.

Li Xiulan took the three sons to the village entrance to see him off.

Wang Zhanggen carried a worn-out luggage bag made of a snake-skin bag and climbed onto an old tractor.

The tractor crawled slowly with a coughing sound, belching thick black diesel smoke that mingled with the yellow dust slowly rising from the rear.

That day the sky was blue and the clouds white.

Li Xiulan surprisingly felt not a shred of parting sorrow; on the contrary, she heaved a heavy sigh of relief.

The man she once longed for day and night had finally left, yet she felt unburdened.

Life is sometimes this complex, this contradictory.

Everything once believed without doubt cannot withstand time's grinding; in the end it weathers into dust.

The three sons didn't seem all that sad about their father's departure either.

After seeing Wang Zhanggen off, they went about their business: Wang Dashan went to school, while Wang Erhai and Wang Xiaohua went to play with other village kids who didn't attend school.

Li Xiulan walked back from the village entrance, passing the convenience store she and Niu Chunsheng had built up together.

At this moment Niu Chunsheng was busy selling goods to children.

He saw Li Xiulan pass by and wanted to greet her, but the hand raised in mid-air lowered again after a second thought.

Reality is like an impenetrable film; Niu Chunsheng knew that he and Li Xiulan were destined to have fate but no destiny in this lifetime, and with his conscience and principles he could never do something that would destroy another's family.

Li Xiulan has a husband and three sons; if he pursued her under these circumstances, that wouldn't be loving her — it would be harming her.

After these days of reflection, Niu Chunsheng realized a truth of life:

If it is true love, one should know how to let go.

The hand held high slowly lowered unconsciously; Niu Chunsheng continued greeting the children buying snacks, revealing a radiant smile, and in that instant everything was also released.

Li Xiulan looked back; she didn't see Niu Chunsheng's aborted gesture to wave, she saw his radiant, sunshine-like smile toward the children.

She too smiled knowingly, then turned and went home to do farm work.

Because she had already given away the mulberry fields to others in order to run the convenience store, Li Xiulan could not raise silkworms again in the short term, so she had to look for other farm work to do.

She planned to clear wasteland and plant cassava; she heard cassava could earn quite a lot of money and was easy to grow — both dry land and paddy fields could grow it successfully.

Li Xiulan went to find Village Party Secretary Liang Yuanchao and asked him which untilled fields were still available for use.

Liang Yuanchao told her there was a plot on Shanbei, about ten mu or so; before Reform and Opening it was used by the production brigade to grow tea leaves, but because it was near Luan Zang Gang no one had used it, and it had lain fallow for many years. If Li Xiulan wanted it, he could give it to her for free — she could just go clear it and use it directly.

Li Xiulan was immediately overjoyed.

With Liang Yuanchao's permission, she went straight to clear the wasteland.

She worked hard to keep herself busy, so she wouldn't think so much.

Through her efforts, that stretch of barren mountain dry land gradually turned into patch after patch of yellow fields, planted with ridge after ridge of cassava.

She cleared land while taking care of the children.

Sometimes she would take the children to the fields, sometimes let them play in the village on their own.

Wang Erhai and Wang Xiaohua were both big enough now to play on their own, so Li Xiulan didn't have to work so exhaustingly anymore.

This day Li Xiulan shouldered a hoe and carried two bamboo baskets, with Wang Erhai and Wang Xiaohua sitting in the baskets; she went to clear wasteland as usual, and when she passed the Village Entrance Convenience Store she saw a new face inside the store.

It was a young woman, looking about eighteen or nineteen, with a tender, green appearance.

"Mama, I want to eat an ice pop!"

Wang Erhai whined for an ice pop.

"I want one too, I want one too!"

Wang Xiaohua also whined for one.

The two swayed back and forth in the baskets, making Li Xiulan's shoulders ache.

"All right, you two wait here!"

Li Xiulan set them down and went into the store.

"One pack of Three Brothers."

Li Xiulan handed over five fen.

Three Brothers is a brand name of ice pop; back when Li Xiulan was still at the convenience store, she often stocked Three Brothers ice pops, and many village kids liked to buy them, especially those with siblings — one pack and several people could eat together.

"Brother Chunsheng, why can't I find Three Brothers in the freezer?"

The young woman searched the freezer, didn't find Three Brothers, and called out to Niu Chunsheng in the store.

Niu Chunsheng came out from inside, saw Li Xiulan, and immediately froze.

Li Xiulan saw him, and her gaze also couldn't help but dodge.

"Sister-in-law Xiulan, long time no see."

Niu Chunsheng greeted Li Xiulan.

Li Xiulan's inner heart trembled.

She heard Niu Chunsheng call her Sister-in-law Xiulan, no longer calling her Sister Xiulan.

She knew what that meant.

She had thought she had already let go, but for some reason, her inner heart couldn't control the surge of emotion again.

"Brother Chunsheng, do you know this elder sister?"

The young woman asked with a smile.

"Hehe, from the same village, how could we not know each other? Sister-in-law Xiulan, the three brothers are gone, how about an old ice pop?"

Niu Chunsheng had a simple and honest smile on his face.

Li Xiulan squeezed out a smile:

"Forget it, I only brought five jiao in small change."

After speaking, she turned around and left.

She was afraid that if she didn't leave, she couldn't help but lose control of her emotions.

Niu Chunsheng watched Li Xiulan's receding back, and a hint of emotion also appeared on his face.

Suddenly, he opened the freezer, took out three mung bean ice pops, and ran up.

He caught up with Li Xiulan.

"Sister-in-law Xiulan, for you!"

Li Xiulan immediately panicked:

"No no no, I didn't bring that much money."

Niu Chunsheng forcibly stuffed them into her:

"Only take five jiao from you, three popsicles, two for your child, one for you, just take it!"

Niu Chunsheng forcibly stuffed the ice pops into Li Xiulan's pocket; Li Xiulan couldn't refuse and could only accept.

"Chunsheng, thank you."

Li Xiulan said thank you, then holding the ice pops, she hurriedly left as if fleeing.

She could no longer hold back her tears.

Wiping tears while walking away quickly.

Niu Chunsheng watched Li Xiulan's back as she secretly wiped tears and left, his heart filled with mixed feelings.

"Brother Chunsheng, what happened to her?"

The young woman ran up, holding Niu Chunsheng's hand, and asked curiously.

Niu Chunsheng smiled bitterly:

"Nothing, she... is having a hard time..."