He shouted, "I also did a good deed despite my crimes. You can’t treat me ! Gu Junming, I’m still your brother-in-law!"
Gu Junming sneered, "You’re no longer part of our family. Even if you’re my brother-in-law, I won’t let you go!"
"We’re from the same village. If you dare to steal our child, I’ll fight with you!" Su Minjian couldn’t care less about being the village chief now. He picked up a stone from the ground and was about to hit Ding Quan with it. But Gu Junming stopped him; if you hurt him, you still have to pay compensation.
Everyone felt frightened inside. If they were hurt by people from that village, it wouldn’t be good. Father Wang didn’t care; as someone who had been on the battlefield, he thought a little injury to his son was nothing.
Mrs. Wang said, "You should change your clothes. Check the wounds; there should be gauze at home, right? Find it, and I’ll help you change it."
"Mom, let Sun Chan do it." Wang Shufen smiled.
"Yeah, I’ll do it." Sun Chan said and blushed.
Mrs. Wang smiled and nodded. She didn’t say anything else, as it was most fitting for her to do it.
Wang Shufen and the others were about to head back. Before leaving, she said, "Let’s not make fish tonight. Let’s make something light."
Gu Junming hurriedly smiled and said, "Don’t let me affect your festival, I can eat some meat. You eat what you want."
Ding Kang shouted a few more words at his uncle and then went out to play. He didn’t know what his father had done.
Mrs. Wang was making New Year’s Eve dinner with her daughter, and with her son back, her mood improved.
Sun Chan was helping Gu Junming change clothes and bandage the wounds, relieved to see that his injuries were just superficial.
"Try not to get water on these wounds for a few days. If you get a fever, take some medicine."
"I understand. I’ve already taken medicine." Gu Junming stared straight at Sun Chan.
She was not even a meter away from him, his gaze was too direct, making Sun Chan’s ears feel hot. Coupled with helping him bandage his wounds, seeing his exposed muscles, she felt inexplicably flustered. In her previous life, although she got married and had a marital life, she was always passive and fearful during those times.
She never felt this kind of panic before; her heart was pounding, and she didn’t dare to look up.
"Why are you staring at me?" She nudged Gu Junming.
Gu Junming simply smiled, saying nothing. After finishing the bandaging, he grabbed Sun Chan’s hand and kissed the back of her hand: "Thank you, my wife, you’re so good to me."
Sun Chan’s face reddened, and she pulled her hand back, "We’re not married yet, why call me your wife."
"It’s only a matter of time." He lightly embraced her into his arms.
"It’s New Year’s Eve today, haven’t you called the city?" Sun Chan changed the subject.
"No, I haven’t had the time. Only the village committee has a phone; I’ll call tomorrow instead. I need to rest; I haven’t slept well for two days." He was very tired, kissed her forehead, and collapsed onto the kang bed.
Sun Chan helped cover him with the quilt, watching him fall asleep, and then went out to help cook the meal.
Mrs. Wang stewed an old hen with potatoes, a dish that was both tasty and sweet. She also made spare ribs, fried balls, dumplings, and some northeastern home-style dishes; the dinner was very sumptuous.
But Gu Junming kept sleeping, so they didn’t wake him. Setting aside a portion for him, everyone ate together.
Mrs. Wang kept serving food to Sun Chan, making her feel embarrassed.
"Don’t be shy, eat more."
Ding Kang also served her food: "Eat, Aunt!"
"Yes, eat more. You’re not very strong." Wang Shufen laughed.
Father Wang nodded repeatedly: "Yes, being too skinny is not good. Serve her more meat!"
Sun Chan was very touched in her heart. So many people cared for her, something she never experienced in her previous life.
It was her first time having New Year’s Eve dinner with so many people. They all treated her as family, and she secretly decided to treat them well in return.
Meanwhile, things were much more desolate at Sun Lijuan’s place, dozens of miles away.
In previous years, they would go to her uncle’s place for New Year. But ever since the incident at Xiong’er Ridge, Zhao Xiuxia and Zhao Biao, Zhao Long, had cut off contact. Even when they went, those sisters-in-law would treat them with disinterest. Although the Xiong’er Ridge people didn’t come to the village to cause trouble, they would yell and curse when they occasionally met during the market day, hating Zhao Xiuxia to the core.
Zhao Xiuxia could only spend New Year’s with her daughter in the village.
However, the mother and daughter were incapable of managing anything, idle and dependent. The village’s land was there, but now Sun Chan wasn’t home to work; who would farm it? So the yield was pitiful, and they had no money left.
Zhao Xiuxia was helpless. On New Year’s Eve, there were only a few cabbage dumplings and a big bowl of tofu with potatoes on the table.
Sun Lijuan had never suffered before, took a few bites, and started complaining: "I can’t eat this! Ma, there’s no meat!"
"Isn’t there meat in the dumplings? Just make do."
"You call this meat?"
Sun Lijuan irritably said, "Every household is eating delicacies, and you want me to eat this?"
"What can we do? So much money spent on your treatment, and you have to go to school! Draining our resources with no income coming in, I can’t make money appear for you! This is already good enough. After these dumplings, I don’t know when we can have another decent meal." Zhao Xiuxia was also exasperated.
Life is extremely difficult now, luckily there are some corn grits, but they won’t last until summer, won’t they?
Sun Lijuan gritted her teeth, "That damn Sun Chan, it’s all her fault! If it weren’t for her, we wouldn’t be in this mess!"
Normally, Zhao Xiuxia would have joined in cursing Sun Chan, but today she was too tired: "Think about your future! Cursing her won’t help, you can’t have kids now, and can’t change anything by cursing her to death. Thank goodness Gu Junming promised to find you a job. Try finding someone divorced with kids when the time comes."
Sun Lijuan was extremely annoyed, but she knew her mother was right. The more she thought about it, the more irritated she became; she threw down her chopsticks and walked out.
"Where are you going?"
"Just going for a walk. Don’t follow me!" Sun Lijuan said impatiently and ran out.
Walking in the village, hearing the sound of firecrackers, she started feeling anxious.
As she walked, she saw a figure ahead—it’s Ding Hu, Sun Chan’s first love.
Sun Lijuan smiled slightly and walked towards him.
Ding Hu had been kicked out by his wife.
Last year, he had the idea to go to the city to work, and after much persuasion, Liu Mei agreed. Who would’ve known that he’d lose the money right after getting off the train, wandering around the city for two days like a headless fly, before borrowing money from a fellow villager to return home.