Chapter 4

When Song Yuntang was happily eating in the kitchen with the two children—helping themselves to whatever they liked—her uncle’s family was in complete chaos.

As soon as Song Mingde got home and saw the noisy scene, he learned about what had happened. What upset him even more was that Ding Yuzhen had chosen Wang the Lame, a widely looked-down-upon old bachelor in the village. He felt deeply humiliated.

Overcome with anger, he lashed out at Ding Yuzhen, scolding her harshly and acting aggressively.

“You shameless woman!” he shouted. “How could you do something like this and let everyone see? How am I supposed to face people now?”

Song Jiaojiao watched her mother being treated this way but didn’t step in. Instead of sympathy, she seemed more concerned about the embarrassment.

“Mom, if you were going to do something like that, you could’ve chosen better. Why him? That’s just… unpleasant. Aren’t you worried about your health?”

Ding Yuzhen, already overwhelmed by the situation and the humiliation, finally snapped.

She was usually strong-willed and sharp-tongued. If things hadn’t unfolded so suddenly, she wouldn’t have ended up in such a disadvantage.

“Song Mingde!” she shouted, her eyes red with anger. “So what if I did something wrong? Haven’t you done the same? Don’t think I don’t know about your behavior outside!”

“And you, Song Jiaojiao! I’ve always cared for you, and now you’re turning against me? Who do you think I’ve been working so hard for?”

The argument escalated, and the two of them began struggling with each other. Seeing things get out of hand, Song Jiaojiao tried to step in.

“Dad, Mom, stop—ah!”

But in the confusion, she got caught in the middle and ended up getting hurt unintentionally.

What began as a conflict between two people quickly turned into a chaotic scene involving all three of them.

After a while, unable to endure it any longer, Song Jiaojiao burst into tears.

“Are you both out of your minds? Why am I getting dragged into this? If you’re angry, go take it out on Song Yuntang!”

The moment Song Yuntang’s name came up, the tension shifted. The two adults suddenly calmed down a bit. After all, she had always been the one they blamed when things went wrong.

Ding Yuzhen, still flustered, said through gritted teeth, “That’s right! It’s all her fault! She was the one who was supposed to deal with that situation. Instead, she knocked me out and even took the 900 yuan I had!”

At the mention of the money, both Song Mingde and Song Jiaojiao immediately focused on it.

“900 yuan?” Song Jiaojiao said. “Then we have to get it back. We can’t let her keep it.”

Just like that, the three of them—who had been arguing moments ago—became united in their goal. They quickly headed out to find Song Yuntang in the cowshed.

—

In the cowshed:

Song Yuntang and the children, Niannian and An’an, had just finished a satisfying meal. The two kids had never eaten so well before—especially foods like pork and eggs. At first, they were hesitant, worried someone might suddenly interrupt.

But once they tasted the rich flavor, they couldn’t help but enjoy it.

Song Yuntang could tell they had been undernourished for a long time.

Children in that condition shouldn’t eat too much rich food all at once, so she made sure they only had a little and mainly ate steamed buns.

Even so, the children held their buns like precious treasures, their faces full of happiness.

Seeing this made Song Yuntang feel both relieved and a little sad.

“Niannian, An’an,” she said gently, “once you get stronger, you can have as much of these foods as you like.”

The twins looked at her, then at each other, and said together:

“…Mom, that sounds like a dream.”

Even in their dreams, they wouldn’t dare imagine such a life.

After eating, they settled into the cowshed. The children curled up on a pile of straw, still savoring the taste of their meal. Song Yuntang, however, looked around with concern—the place was very simple and uncomfortable.

Just thinking about sleeping there made her uneasy.

At that moment, an angry voice rang out:

“Song Yuntang! You’ve really crossed the line!”

Hearing this, the children immediately tensed up and huddled together.

“Mom, hide!” Niannian whispered. “They’re here again!”

“Don’t worry,” Song Yuntang reassured them calmly. “I won’t let anyone mistreat us anymore. Stay here and don’t move.”

She had already expected they might come, so she was prepared.

Ding Yuzhen rushed in and confronted her, raising her hand as if to strike—but Song Yuntang calmly stopped her.

“You… how dare you stop me!” Ding Yuzhen exclaimed.

Song Yuntang pushed her back slightly and said firmly, “Not only can I stop you, I can stand up to you. If you don’t believe me, go ahead and try.”

Faced with her confidence, neither Ding Yuzhen nor Song Jiaojiao dared to act rashly.

Instead, they shouted:

“Give back the 900 yuan!”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Song Yuntang replied calmly.

“Don’t lie! I received that money earlier, and it disappeared after you approached me. It must be with you!”

“Oh? So you admit you tried to arrange something for me?” Song Yuntang said coolly. “Have you forgotten? I’m still married to Fu Weicheng. He’s in the military, which means this is a protected marriage.”

“What you’ve done could be considered very serious. I could report this, and there would be consequences.”

“You… he hasn’t even come to see you in years!” Ding Yuzhen argued.

“That doesn’t change the legal situation,” Song Yuntang replied calmly. “As long as the marriage exists, it still counts.”

Ding Yuzhen was left speechless. Song Jiaojiao leaned in and whispered:

“Mom… how did she suddenly become so sharp? It’s like she’s a completely different person.”