After using the restroom, Tong Yao almost passed out at the sight of the steaming large wooden basin in the room. She had initially wanted to stay in the countryside for a few more days and experience rural life, but now, she genuinely wanted to leave.
Frankly speaking, she couldn't adapt to these conditions.
No wonder the original host constantly complained; it was indeed difficult for a city-raised lady to accept a place where she even had to bathe in a basin.
She used a towel to wipe herself down quickly with water, instantly feeling much better, then gazed in embarrassment as Si Boyi helped her carry out the bathwater.
As she was lying on the bed, there was a sudden crack of thunder outside, followed by a flash of lightning which lit up the room. Immediately after, there was the sound of pouring rain. Remembering the animals' words, Tong Yao was stunned. The things these little creatures said actually all came true.
She was astonished at the realization that she now had her own personal weather forecast.
The moment before, she had found their chatter quite annoying, but now she felt relieved. She could gain much useful information simply by eating melon.
The next day, Tong Yao was awakened by a chorus of crowing roosters and barking dogs, along with the gossiping sounds of flies and mosquitoes.
Mosquito A: "This woman wraps herself like a zongzi when she sleeps. I didn't get a single drop of blood."
Mosquito B: "It's much better at Dazhu's place. He tossed and turned with his wife half the night, and slept like a log. He never reacted, no matter how much I bit him."
Fly A: "I'll go to Lijuan's place tomorrow. She is going to the city to find Si Chen. The food must be good."
Tong Yao: "Eat, eat, eat. That's all you know."
Wait, Lijuan is going to the city to find Si Chen?
It was unsurprising that a village medical prodigy might catch the attention of others. Tong Yao had not yet even seen her affordable husband, but a potential romantic rival had already appeared.
Lin Fengying was cooking in the kitchen, and Si Xiaohui was in deep discussion with her about something. Upon asking, Tong Yao found out that Zhang Lijuan was planning to visit the city the following day, and Si Xiaohui also wanted to go, but Lin Fengying disagreed.
Going to the city meant spending money, and their family's income relied solely on several acres of land.
Their eldest son was already married and starting his own family, so it didn't feel right to continue asking him for money. Their younger son was 23 and had not yet married; he had been helping with farm work at home since he finished junior high school. Tong Yao was a bride whom she had chosen for her eldest son.
Even though her younger son hadn't said anything, she knew he held some resentment in his heart.
She had indeed wondered if she was wrong, but after seeing Tong Yao, she knew she was right.
A golden phoenix like Tong Yao was not suitable for her younger son.
Besides, Tong Yaohui had always funded her eldest son's education with a clear goal. While he said that he didn't care which son Tong Yao married, if she truly married her younger son, his family would surely disapprove.
Sigh!
Now, all she wanted to do was save some money for her younger son's wedding, so her daughter would have to make some sacrifices.
Si Xiaohui had red, teary eyes and didn't say anything. Knowing his family's situation, Si Boyi also stayed quiet.
After understanding the situation, Tong Yao blinked. So, Xiaohui wanted to accompany Lijuan on her trip. Did Xiaohui know Lijuan's intention, though?
After pondering it for a while, Tong Yao suggested: "Mom, if Si Chen doesn't come home today, why don't Xiaohui and I go to the city to find him tomorrow?"
Si Chen was a busy doctor; he may not be able to come home today. Instead of waiting for Si Chen to come home and question him, it might be better to go find him directly.
To be honest, Tong Yao was a bit excited. What would Si Chen's reaction be when he saw his runaway wife suddenly show up?
"You want to go to the city to find Si Chen?" Lin Fengying paused for a moment, then hesitated, "That's fine, but you've never been there before. You won't know the way, right?"
Before Tong Yao could speak, Si Xiaohui frowned and said, "I'm not going with her."
Tong Yao rolled her eyes at Si Xiaohui. If she didn't want to come, so be it. Tong Yao hadn't wanted to bring her along anyway. She turned to Lin Fengying and said, "Mom, since she doesn't want to go, then I'll go by myself. I can read and know how to take the bus."
Si Xiaohui hadn't expected that Tong Yao was serious about not taking her along, and was even rolling her eyes at her. She felt both frustrated and regretful that she had spoken so hastily.
Lin Fengying didn't feel at ease and thought for a moment before saying, "You should go with Xiaohui! I'm not comfortable letting you go alone."
This time, Si Xiaohui didn't say anything.
Tong Yao snickered to herself. Nice try, trying to make her toe the line. She thought again.
She wasn't the type to bully others, nor was she the type to grovel and please anyone.
...
As expected, Si Chen didn't come home that day. That afternoon, Lin Fengying went to Zhang Lijuan's house to make a phone call to Si Chen to let him know. However, Zhang Lijuan hadn't topped up her phone credit, and the call didn't go through. Chen Jinlan scoffed at Lin Fengying during the encounter.
That evening, Si Boyi heated a large pot of water for Tong Yao to bathe. Si Xiaohui complained a few times at the side and was scolded by Lin Fengying. In frustration, Si Xiaohui deliberately spoke loudly in the courtyard.
"You all treat her like a treasure when she is lazy and spends all day eating and sleeping, and can't do anything else. If she were at any other house, she probably would have been beaten to death by her mother and husband-in-law by now. My older brother especially dislikes lazy women—you think moving to the city means you'll live a good life, but you'll probably be sent back here in just a few days."
In her heart, Tong Yao cursed. Who said that being a daughter-in-law meant that she had to bear all the hard work and toil?
It wasn't the busy farming season, and there wasn't much work to do at home anyway. Didn't they manage to do everything just fine before she arrived?
She refused to play the role of a pushover. Anyone could do it, but she wouldn't.
After bathing, Tong Yao packed some clean clothes and listened to the flies and mosquitoes gossip about the village happenings. Then she went to bed for a good night's sleep.
In the morning, Lin Fengying fried two vegetarian dishes and boiled a pot of porridge. The four of them sat around a small, quaint square table, speckled with red lacquer. As soon as they finished eating, they heard Zhang Lijuan's voice from outside the door.
"Xiaohui, are you ready?"
"Yes, yes." Si Xiaohui replied. Immediately, she put down her bowl and chopsticks and rushed out.
Tong Yao went back to the room to change and take her things, happening to make eye contact with Zhang Lijuan as she left. Zhang Lijuan was evidently dressed up; her knee-length pink dress seemed new, as wrinkles were still visible. Her loose hair was adorned with a hair band. Overall, she looked nice except for the pair of socks visible in her handmade cloth sandals, which made her appearance slightly odd.
Zhang Lijuan wasn't fat, but she had a larger frame and was tall, making her the type many mothers-in-law in this era favored. According to the older folks, her large hips were ideal for giving birth to a son.
In comparison, Tong Yao appeared slightly delicate. At one hundred sixty-five centimeters, she weighed only ninety pounds. She had also made an effort to dress up that day, wearing a bubble-sleeve dress with a fitted top and casual bottom. Its light yellow color further accentuated her fair skin.
This type of dress would remain in vogue even in the 21st century.
To match the dress, she wore a pair of white sandals, which she hadn't worn since moving to this house.
The wound on her head had already scabbed over, so she removed the gauze and covered the scab with her bangs. Her long hair draped over her back, with her loose tendrils tied up into a princess-style bun. With her doll-like face, her get-up made her look like a wholesome and pretty high school student.