The 1970s: Married First, Fell in Love Later-Chapter 59 - 58: Chilled to the Heart

By the time they left the Liu Family’s house, it was already noon. They hadn’t eaten or had so much as a sip of water, and they’d even gotten into a fight.

At this hour, the ox-cart heading back was already gone.

Xue Yue was a little hungry. She glanced at Mrs. He and thought, ’Forget it. I won’t mention food. Let’s just head back.’

They walked for nearly two hours under the midday sun to get back. Xue Yue was famished, and the long walk had left her completely exhausted.

Upon returning home, she quickly mixed a bowl of powdered milk and ate two peach pastries. Without bothering to cook a meal, she went straight to the kang bed to lie down.

Back at the old house, Mrs. He lay down as soon as she returned, not saying a word.

It wasn’t just sadness over Erya being given away; it was, more profoundly, disappointment in He Yun.

She had given birth to four children. He Yun was the youngest and the only girl. Her older brothers had always let her have her way, and the old couple had doted on her. When He Yun had insisted on marrying Liu Jian Country, they hadn’t stopped her, afraid of breaking her heart. But now, it seemed they had fostered this kind of nature in her.

A chill crept into Mrs. He’s heart, one she couldn’t stop.

Mr. He had heard from He Nan that Erya had been given away. Seeing his wife on the kang bed, looking as if her very soul had been torn from her body, he could only sigh in regret. Their daughter had been raised all wrong.

Mrs. He fell ill. For several days, she lay on the kang bed without getting up.

She didn’t come over to Xue Yue’s place. Xue Yue knew Mrs. He had suffered a considerable blow.

「Two days later.」 He Lang returned. He had bought a bag of apples for Xue Yue in the provincial capital.

Only after returning did he realize his parents hadn’t come over to stay the night these past two days.

"Mother’s sick. But it’s no trouble, I’m fine on my own."

"She’s sick again?"

Xue Yue told He Lang about their trip to the Liu Family’s house. "Erya was already given away two months ago, and at a train station no less. There’s no way to find her now. That’s why Mother got sick from anger after coming back from the Liu Family’s."

He Lang’s face darkened. "I’ll go over and see."

When Mr. He saw He Lang enter, he took the pipe from his mouth.

"Third Son’s back."

"Dad."

He Lang looked at Mrs. He lying on the kang bed.

"Mother, I heard you’re sick again?"

Seeing He Lang, Mrs. He slowly sat up on the kang bed. Her complexion wasn’t good.

"My legs have been so weak these past few days, I can barely get out of bed. I haven’t been over to keep your wife company. Is she alright?"

"She’s fine, Mother. How are you? Why don’t I take you to the hospital?"

Mrs. He shook her head. "It’s nothing, just anger. I’ll be fine in a couple of days. Third Son, your sister, she..."

As Mrs. He spoke, she started crying again.

He Lang went to his mother’s side with a helpless sigh, gently patting her back.

"Don’t cry anymore. You’ll make yourself sick from anger. If you really can’t get over it, I’ll go give the entire Liu Family a beating."

Mrs. He’s sobs hitched, and she shot He Lang a glare.

"You think I don’t want to? If I wasn’t afraid the police would arrest me, I’d kill them all! My poor Erya... she could already sit up on her own around the New Year. I have no idea who the Liu Family gave her to. Will she be beaten? That damn Liu Family! And your sister... Tell me, what sin did I commit in a past life to give birth to such a cruel, heartless daughter?"

At the mention of He Yun, He Lang’s face turned cold. "Mother, stop worrying about others and just take care of yourself. Look at your age. How can you let yourself get into this state? Or was that midnight rush to the hospital last time not scary enough for you?"

Mrs. He sighed. "I just can’t understand it. They’re all my own children, how can they be so different?"

Mr. He said, "Even the dragon’s nine sons are all different. We spoiled her when she was at home. Besides, she made her own choices. Let’s just hope she doesn’t regret them later."

Mrs. He shot her husband a glare. She wanted to say something, but she knew it was true—He Yun had made her own choices.

He Lang listened to his mother ramble for half the day at the old house as she dredged up one childhood story after another. He only left to go back once he saw her spirits had lifted a little.

That night as they were going to bed, Xue Yue also brought up He Yun.

She sighed and said, "Your sister is truly heartless. A one-year-old child, and she just gives her away like that. Now, all she cares about is the youngest. When we were there the other day, Daya was washing clothes in the courtyard all by herself. I couldn’t bear to watch. Daya’s only about Tuanzi’s age."

He Lang sighed. "She’s never had a mind of her own. At home, we always let her have her way. The only time she ever showed any resolve was when she insisted on marrying Liu Jian Country. My dad didn’t approve; he wanted to find her a steady, capable man from the countryside. But she raised hell, and since Liu Jian Country was a factory worker, they eventually let her have her way. They gave her the bride price and everything. By her second year of marriage, she was coming home every other day to sponge off us, grabbing what she could and leaving. She only reined it in after Second Sister-in-law threw a fit. She has no say in the Liu Family, and after giving birth to two girls in a row, her in-laws and Liu Jian Country were both displeased. So, she was influenced and adopted their preference for sons over daughters."

Xue Yue thought, ’No matter how little backbone a woman has, she shouldn’t be able to just give her own child away. That’s not a lack of backbone; that’s just heartless.’

Xue Yue asked He Lang, "If I give birth to a daughter, would you be disappointed?"

He Lang rubbed Xue Yue’s belly. "As long as they’re mine, I’d love them even if they were a mouse."

"Ow—easy, easy."

He Lang patted Xue Yue’s hand, which was pinching the flesh on his waist.

Xue Yue didn’t let go. "That’s what you get for saying such things. You’re the one who has mice for children."

He Lang chuckled. "It was just a figure of speech. I’d be happy with a boy or a girl. As long as it’s yours and mine, I’ll be happy."

Xue Yue released her hand, the corners of her mouth turning up. "That’s more like it."

「In mid-July.」 Xue Xingzhou arrived.

"Xiao Yue’er."

"Xiao Xia? What are you doing here?" Xue Yue was pleasantly surprised to suddenly see Yang Xiaoxia pop out from behind her brother.

Yang Xiaoxia ran over and linked her arm through Xue Yue’s. "I’ve graduated! We can’t take the college entrance exams right now and I can’t find a job, so I had no choice but to go home. I’ve been sitting around for half a month, bored to tears. Then I happened to run into your brother on his way to see you. He told me you were pregnant, so I tagged along for a visit!"

As she spoke, she peered down at Xue Yue’s stomach. "So where’s the baby?" ’It’s so flat, I can’t see anything at all.’

Xue Yue said with a smile, "It’s only been a little over two months. Of course you can’t tell."

Yang Xiaoxia sighed and rested her head on Xue Yue’s shoulder. "You have it so good here. The moment I entered the village, I saw your big, tiled-roof house. So grand! You’re living in the lap of luxury, just the two of you in a house this big."

"Then don’t go back. Stay with me for a while. You’ve graduated anyway."

Yang Xiaoxia nodded vigorously. "That’s exactly what I was thinking."

Xue Xingzhou watched the two of them with a resigned look. Here he was, a grown man, standing right there, and they were acting as if he were invisible. He shook his head, took the meat he was carrying into the kitchen, and set it down.

Inside, Yang Xiaoxia was still looking over the furnishings in Xue Yue’s room. "This cabinet is gorgeous! When I get married, I’m going to have a modular set just like this made."

Xue Yue handed her an apple and teased, "Thinking about getting married?"

Yang Xiaoxia pouted and sat down on the edge of the kang bed. "It’s my mom. For the half month I’ve been back, she’s been nagging me about it every single day, saying I’m not young anymore and it’s time to get married. She even went to find Matchmaker Zhang a couple of days ago."

Xue Yue looked at her. "You didn’t come here just to hide from your mom, did you?"

Yang Xiaoxia gave Xue Yue a mischievous wink.

The corner of Xue Yue’s mouth twitched.

"Brother Xue, you’re here!"

A man’s voice suddenly called out from the courtyard.