Du Yuanzhou's face changed. In this era, a ten-year-old girl is not yet an adult, but a ten-year-old girl would not be too close to her father, not to mention that Du Yuanzhou and Yu Daya were not familiar with each other.
Du Yuanzhou pushed her away and said, "Go to the street office, the commune leaders, and the Women's Federation. They can help you, but I can't."
After Du Yuanzhou finished speaking, he pulled He Shuli back two steps and closed the door.
Yu Daya stood at the gate of the Du family, crying out of breath. She knocked on the door again and again. The neighbors came out to check several times, but there was no movement from the Du family.
Yu Daya was tired of crying and knocking, so she finally left. Jiang Youtao passed by her, and she glared at Jiang Youtao several times, who was puzzled.
After dinner in the evening, Jiang Youtao saw Old Lady Zhang and others talking in the alley.
The summer evening was also very hot. They wore short sleeves and waved palm-leaf fans in their hands: "Is Teacher Jiang back? How did the children do in the exams?"
After a few years, everyone suddenly attaches so much importance to learning, and these parents also attach great importance to this exam.
"They should have done very well in the exam." Especially the students in her class, they said they could answer many questions.
"I hope everyone can get good grades. This is the first county-wide joint exam. If our Zao Township does well, then our Zao Township will be famous." People of this generation have a strong sense of collective honor. When talking about this matter, everyone is very excited and full of expectations.
"Yes, what are you talking about?" Jiang Youtao waited until they had finished talking before walking over. Old Mrs. Zhang made room for her on a stool.
"We're talking about the old Liu family in Tongfu Lane behind. The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law had a fight this afternoon." The old Liu family in Tongfu Lane has been the center of discussion recently.
Jiang Youtao had heard a lot of people talking about his family during this period: "Why?"
The most talk-of-the-mouth thing about Old Liu's family is the war between the mother-in-law and the daughter-in-law. Her daughter-in-law has only been married for a month, and they're already fighting every few days.
"The mother-in-law can't stand her son being too obedient to her daughter-in-law, and the daughter-in-law thinks her mother-in-law is too controlling, so they fight." Zhang Yubing's wife finished speaking, and then said, "If you ask me, Liu Yufeng's family is indeed a bit too controlling. If my mother-in-law was like her, I would be furious too."
"Yes." Someone agreed with what Zhang Yubing's wife said.
Of course, some people stood up to refute her: "I think Liu Yufeng's family did nothing wrong. His daughter-in-law is indeed a bit lazy. I heard that she even let her husband wash her pants."
Both sides held their own opinions and talked back and forth, just like a debate. Jiang Youtao was among them, eating melon seeds and listening, finding it very enjoyable.
However, their emotions came and went quickly, and soon they started talking about other things, and then the topic turned to the Yu family again.
"The man Zhang Shuixiu married recently is a widower. He gave birth to two sons. The older one is already twelve or thirteen years old. She has a hard life after marriage." Jiang Youtao didn't know why everyone was so well-informed.
"It must be hard. How can it be easy to be a stepmother?"
"It's not easy to be a good person. Don't you feel you can't bear it? Come and take Yu Daya away."
"Her grandparents also allowed it?"
"Why not? She's just a little girl, and she's also a troublemaker. Old Man Yu and Old Lady Wang are waiting for her to come."
Jiang Youtao had something to say about this: "When I came back just now, I happened to see Yu Daya begging Shuli and the her husband to save her, saying that her mother wanted to take her away and give her to her stepfather's son as a child bride."
The person who spoke first rolled her eyes and said, "Yu Daya's words are getting more and more nonsense. Her mother just wants to take her back to be a farmhand. If she remarries in the countryside, she will have to work in the fields to earn work points, do housework, and serve the husband's family. She will be too busy. Besides, if she is really made as a child bride, will her mother tell her?"
"I don't know what Zhang Shuixiu wants. It would be great if she stayed in the commune. If she didn't leave, who would dare to occupy her house?"
"She wants to have a man to hug her and sleep with her at night. Don't you know her? Last time she came to the commune to attend the market, I saw her and chatted with her for a while. She is very satisfied with her current life. She said her man treats her very well and never hits her."
"That's too little to ask of a man."
Someone lowered her voice and said, "Do you think Daya has also been corrupted by her mother? I just saw her go to Shuli's house and she kept jumping on Du Yuanzhou. If the first time didn't work, she would jump on him a second time."
There is always many who have sharp eyes among the masses, and women have very broad imaginations. With just one sentence, they can see through Yu Daya's thoughts.
"It's really possible. Zhang Shuixiu's teaching method can make good children learn bad things. Daya already knows how to think about the future at the age of ten. It's really a sin."
"This is too disgusting. Du Yuanzhou is not much older than her father."
"You said that she had to send her brother to Mr. Du's house before. Did she have some ulterior motives? There are many families in our commune who don't have sons. Why didn't she go to those families to send her brother?"
"It's not impossible. Judging from Zhang Shuixiu's teaching method, Yu Daya might really think so."
There are some things that no one would think too much about unless they are suspected, but if someone first doubts it, everyone will automatically fill in the facts, and then spread the news from one person to ten people, and then to a hundred people, until finally everyone knows it.
Regardless of whether the story was true or not, those who heard the rumor immediately taught their children a lesson.
Jiang Youtao could foresee that after tonight, Yu Daya and her brother would definitely become negative examples for everyone to educate their children.
It wasn't until dark that everyone dispersed.
Xu Manqiu is still reading a book. She has an exam tomorrow and is quite nervous.
"Take your time, don't be in a hurry." Jiang Youtao advised her.
Xu Manqiu nodded, not knowing whether she really heard it or not.
Not long after, Gu Nianwei came back. She took a shower in the newly built bathroom in the yard and wiped her hair with a towel in the yard.
Jiang Youtao placed a small table under the eaves, on which she placed a kerosene lamp, brewed a pot of tea, and placed a footstool in front of the chair. She half-slumped on the chair, taking a sip of tea from time to time.
The days are leisurely and seem very comfortable.
In the 1970s, the air in the sky was not yet polluted, and the night was filled with stars. Jiang Youtao identified the position of the Big Dipper in the sky.
Gu Nianwei sat on the other side and put her feet on a slightly smaller stool.
She also counted the stars for a while and said, "Taotao, after the students finish their exams tomorrow, I will go back to the capital the day after tomorrow."
Jiang Youtao sat up a little straighter and looked at her with confusion: "Why do you suddenly want to go back?"
Gu Nianwei said, "I received a letter from my cousin this afternoon. She said my grandma is dying and asked me to go back to see her."
Gu Nianwei didn't want to go back at first, but after thinking about it carefully, she felt that she had to go back.
She felt bored after staying in the same place for a long time, so she decided to go back to the capital and travel there.
July is the peak tourist season in the capital. She has been to the capital of the 21st century, but she has not yet taken a close look at the capital of the 1970s.
"Then go back and be careful." They are all adults, and each has their own means of self-defense. Jiang Youtao didn't say much: "You'll leave, Manqiu will also go back to Liushugou, and I am the only one left at home."
Xu Manqiu's household registration is still in the rural area. July is the season for earning work points, so she still has to go back.
"How about you go with me?" Gu Nianwei suggested.
Jiang Youtao declined the offer. It was too tiring to sit on a train these days. She didn't want to squeeze in again: "No, no, it's too painful to sit on a train for so long in the summer. I'd better stay here. Just come back early."
Gu Nianwei said, "I will be back in a week at most." Gu Nianwei was not familiar with the Gu family before. This time, Gu Nianwei went back not really to build a good relationship with the Gu family, she just wanted to go out and have fun.
"It takes a week to go back and forth. It will take you at least half a month to go back and forth."
Gu Nianwei had really forgotten this. In her mind, the concept of going out was still at the stage of taking a high-speed train or an airplane.
"I really forgot about it, almost."
The two of them enjoyed the warm summer breeze. Gu Nianwei's hair was dry. It was late at night, and everyone went back to their rooms to rest.
After turning off the light and lying on the kang, Xu Manqiu talked to Jiang Youtao: "Sister Taotao, what do you think I should do if I don't do well in the exam?"
Xu Manqiu was extremely nervous.
"It will be fine. Didn't you take the test? Your grades have always been at the top."
"But..." Xu Manqiu was still nervous.
In the dark night, Jiang Youtao's gentle words came to Xu Manqiu's ears: "It doesn't matter if you don't do well in the exam, Manqiu, you are already great. It has been less than a year since you started studying."
"Your learning ability is better than 99% of the people." Xu Manqiu's learning ability is very strong, and Jiang Youtao can't catch up with it even if she builds a rocket.
People like her are considered geniuses no matter what era they are in.
Jiang Youtao continued, "Just keep your attitude and perform normally. Go to sleep. You have an exam tomorrow."
Jiang Youtao's gentle words filled Xu Manqiu's whole body with strength. She closed her eyes and said, "Sister Taotao, you should go to sleep too."
Fifteen or sixteen years old is the age when children are most sleepy. Xu Manqiu fell asleep not long after she finished speaking.
Jiang Youtao laughed, opened the melon-eating system, and was surprised to find that the cover of Su Jianing's book had turned back to its normal color.
She clicked on the task prompt of the melon-eating system and extracted information about Su Jianing from a group of task prompts.
[ Tongzi, is Lu Xiangqian dying soon? ]
[ No, he is still alive and well. The heroine No. 6 just came to terms with it and discovered the beauty of life. ]
Jiang Youtao's eyes fell on the bottle of peony flowers on the low cabinet that was just opened and still exuding fragrance: [ That's great. ]
The melon-eating system also thinks it's very good. The Su Jianing they met at the beginning had already become paranoid and evil, but now she has begun to live her life seriously.
The melon-eating system feels particularly moved. It is really comforting to see these heroines who were broken down by the small world getting better little by little.
The melon-eating system has been paying close attention to the main characters in the small world No. 8. In the middle of the night, it woke Jiang Youtao up.
[ Du Yuanzhou had a precognitive dream. He dreamed about things that would happen in the future. ] This was of course also the work of Small World No. 8.
He Shuli is the first step for the small world consciousness to save itself, and the second step is to awaken Du Yuanzhou and completely eliminate the possibility of Du Yuanzhou's suicide.
Small World No. 8 firmly believed that as long as the possibility of Du Yuanzhou's attack was eliminated, it would not collapse.
Jiang Youtao sat up from the bed with sleepy eyes. The melon-eating system showed Jiang Youtao the scene of Du Yuanzhou's awakening. He hugged He Shuli tightly and said in a trembling voice mixed with fear that he would never do it again. The two hugged each other tightly in this hot summer night.
Jiang Youtao picked up a palm-leaf fan and fanned herself: [ What about Yu Daya and her two siblings? Didn't No. 8 punish them? ]
The melon-eating system played a video clip to Jiang Youtao: [ This is a clip captured by the consciousness of the No. 8 small world speeding up the time progress. ]
Jiang Youtao looked at the screen.
Eight years later, Yu Daya was 18 years old. Without the careful teaching and training of Du Yuanzhou and He Shuli, she grew up by Zhang Shuixiu's side and learned all of Zhang Shuixiu's ways.
Perhaps she was born with an Oedipus complex, and she successfully fell in love with her stepfather. Her stepfather was not as upright as Du Yuanzhou, so when she threw herself into his arms, her stepfather had no reason to refuse the delicious meat that was delivered to his doorstep.
The two of them secretly carried out their plan under Zhang Shuixiu's nose, but it didn't take long for Zhang Shuixiu to discover their plan.
Their identities changed from mother and daughter to love rivals. In the end, the young and beautiful Yu Daya won out. Zhang Shuixiu and her two daughters were driven out of the house by Yu Daya, just like when Yu Daya was a child, she was driven out of the house by Zhang Shuixiu.
Yu Daya became a celebrity in Zaoxiang Commune. The first impression people had of her was that she had snatched a man's child from her own mother. No matter whether it was a boy or a girl, everyone had a gloomy look on their face when they mentioned her.
There were even some people who speculated how powerful Yu Daya's stepfather was. It was not enough that he had bewitched her mother, but he also bewitched her daughter.
Whenever Yu Daya goes out and walks on the street, people would spit on her.
Yu Daya didn't care about these things, but she felt unhappy. She sat on the kang at night. The man next to her was in his forties. He was very old, and all the bad habits of middle-aged men were evident in him.
Her stepfather was unhygienic and always had a smell on his body. He snored, gnashed his teeth and talked in his sleep at night. Although he didn't hit her, he was always very rude and sometimes hurt her a lot.
Yu Daya always felt that things shouldn't be like this, she shouldn't live this kind of life, her life should be bright and beautiful.
She had a dream at night, and the dream was all about her life in the Du family. After waking up, Yu Daya felt as if she was in another world. She didn't have time to think about why she was living the way she was now. She just wanted to see Du Yuanzhou as soon as possible.
Yu Daya is mature in her thinking. When she first saw Du Yuanzhou at the age of ten, she thought he was handsome and met all her fantasies about a father. In the subsequent interactions, her feelings for him grew deeper with each passing day.
Later, she graduated from college, but her feelings for him remained unchanged. After repeated consideration, she took that step. Du Yuanzhou rejected her, and He Shuli found out.
Yu Daya had no intention of hurting Du Yuanzhou, but she was too angry. The anger of being rejected and the embarrassment of being caught by He Shuli made Yu Daya do something that she would regret for the rest of her life.
When Du Yuanzhou died, Yu Daya was very sad.
On the way to find Du Yuanzhou, Yu Daya was thinking that without the bond of her parents' relationship in this life, her life with Du Yuanzhou would be easier than in the previous life.
In Yu Daya's eyes, He Shuli poses no threat at all. She is younger and more talented than He Shuli. What does He Shuli have? She just has the advantage of being older and having had the experience of having a miscarriage for Du Yuanzhou.
How can you compete with a woman who can't even have children?
Yu Daya walked faster and faster, and soon arrived at Zaoxiang Commune. At this time, Zaoxiang Commune had already become Zaoxiang Town. She followed her memory to Xingfu Lane. Xingfu Lane had not changed much. She knocked on the door, but the person who opened the door was not the person she had been thinking about.
"Excuse me, is this Du Yuanzhou's home?" Yu Daya heard the dryness in her voice and she kept looking into the yard.
The old lady who opened the door looked at the girl outside and narrowed her eyes: "No, his family moved away a long time ago."
"Then do you know where his family moved to?" Yu Daya asked hurriedly.
"How would I know what's going on in other people's families?" the old lady said, and slammed the door shut.
Yu Daya was standing at the door and heard someone in the house asking the old lady who was coming. The old lady said, "They are looking for the previous family. They are probably not real relatives, otherwise they have moved away for three or four years, how could she not know?"
Yu Daya was extremely confused.
She remembered that in her previous life, her family was still here until 1986. How come they moved away now? What went wrong?
Just as she was confused, a group of young men in flowery shirts walked past her, two of them looked so familiar.
Yu Daya walked forward and grabbed one of them. The young men around her burst into laughter and looked at Yu Daya with mocking and disrespectful eyes.
Yu Daya suppressed her uneasiness and asked, "Yu Dachuan, how did you end up like this?"
Yu Dachuan still had a deep impression of Daya. He suppressed his smile and said, "Otherwise, how should I live? Like you, snatching my stepfather and kicking my biological mother out of the house?"
Yu Dachuan followed his companions. Yu Dahe turned around and looked at Yu Daya several times, and was pulled away by Yu Dachuan.
Yu Daya couldn't believe it.
Her two younger brothers are both very outstanding. One graduated from Yenching University and worked in the financial industry after graduation with outstanding abilities. The other graduated from Xiacheng University and worked in a foreign-funded enterprise after graduation. He participated in two major projects at a young age.
Why is this happening? How could this happen? A string of memories suddenly popped into her mind, and Yu Daya suddenly understood.
He Shuli is back, she was reborn. She stopped Du Yuanzhou from adopting her siblings, and after the reform and opening up, she quickly moved away from Zao Township and stayed far away from them.
Yu Daya complained about the injustice of heaven. If she will be reborn, why didn't she do it a few years earlier? He Shuli was clearly reborn, so why did she have to change her life? Isn't it better to live a confused life?
Yu Daya walked out of Xingfu Lane in a daze, but after taking a few steps, she was pulled back by her former stepfather, now her husband.
For the rest of her life, Yu Daya tried many times to leave her stepfather, but she never succeeded. The old man lived for more than eighty years, and when he died, she was already in her forties.
Life had worn her down into a complete rural woman, and she never gave birth to a child. Yu Daya had become the person she once looked down upon the most.
The days of being adopted by the Du family were like a beautiful dream. When she woke up, she was turned back to her original form.
Her two brothers led an ordinary and busy life, struggling for a living all day long. The life they had in their previous life was something they had never even dreamed of.
Jiang Youtao turned off the video clip.
This is the life that Yu Daya should live. The day she was adopted was just like what she said, a dream.
The pride that she had gained through the money and knowledge provided by the Du family was shattered into pieces bit by bit by reality.
Jiang Youtao thought it was good, otherwise Yu Daya would always feel that others owed her something, looking down on this and that, without the slightest intention of repaying a favor.
And now she is stuck in the quagmire, and there will never be another He Shuli or another Du Yuanzhou to pull her out.