Zhang Jintian said, "Thank you, Mom!"
Li Baoying shook her head. "What are you thanking me for? Just eat well and get your strength back—that’s worth more than anything."
Zhang Jintian nodded and finished his porridge and the egg cooked in brown sugar. His complexion had become so rosy that it made Li Baoying beam with joy for a long time. Now that her son’s health was improving day by day, she refused to believe that Heaven could easily take him away from her!
After breakfast, Zhang Jiandan headed out as usual, taking Zhang Jinhe with him. Zhang Jinhe would be thirteen after the New Year; although he wasn’t an adult yet, years of labor had made him tall, with his shoulders already reaching Zhang Jiandan’s. His skin was a healthy, sun-kissed wheat color. Following his father to work in the winter had left his hands rough and cracked, some spots even oozing blood.
Li Baoying caught up to the father and son and grabbed her second son’s hand. "Jinhe, Mom bought some moisturizing ointment for you yesterday. Put some on quickly." As she spoke, she handed him a tin of ointment she had spent eight cents on at the supply and marketing cooperative the day before. She knew his hands were chapped and frostbitten; she had neglected him in her past life, but she wouldn’t do that again.
Zhang Jinhe took the ointment, feeling overwhelmed by the favor. "Mom, I can’t use this much. I’ll put some on with Dad, and you should take the rest back to keep. Look, your hands are frostbitten, too." He scooped a little out for his father, then a little for himself, and tried to return the rest to Li Baoying.
"No need. My hands will be fine once the weather warms up. I’m washing and scrubbing at home every day anyway; it would be a waste for me to use it. You take it and use it slowly with your father." Li Baoying waved her hand, refusing to take it back.
Zhang Jinlin, who had been eavesdropping in the courtyard, looked at his own fingers and felt a pang of jealousy. His hands needed care too—why didn't she give any to him? He decided he wouldn't stand for it. He would go out for a stroll later to see if he could find clues about his biological mother, ask her why she didn't want him, and see if she regretted it now.
When Li Baoying returned, she saw her youngest son scurrying away toward the chicken coop. She raised an eyebrow but went into the house, pretending not to notice.
"Cluck, cluck! Cluck, cluck!"
A series of happy announcements rang out from the coop—two more chickens had laid eggs!
"Mom, the chickens laid eggs again!" Zhang Jinlin shouted happily.
Li Baoying heard the clucking and rushed out to collect the eggs. Including these two, three chickens had laid today. Her eldest son had already eaten one this morning, so she thought she would save these two. With that in mind, she left the coop and headed back inside, ignoring Zhang Jinlin’s greedy gaze.
Zhang Jinlin followed her in. He wanted to eat the eggs, but he didn't dare ask. He watched his stepmother place the eggs into a basket and cover them with a cloth, and all his hope vanished. He walked out of the room in silence.
The weather was nice, and the sun felt warm on his skin. Zhang Jinlin stuffed his hands into his pockets and stepped out of their courtyard.
As soon as he reached the gate, he saw a family of three walking toward him. He quickly turned to head back inside, because the people approaching were none other than Liu Cui, her husband, and their son, Wang Yuhang.
Fear often attracts what one fears most. Just as he tried to hide, Wang Da caught up and grabbed him by the back of his collar. Wang Da hoisted him up like a chick and barked, "You little brat, what are you hiding for?"
With his feet dangling off the ground, Zhang Jinlin was terrified. He stammered, "No... I’m not..."
"Cut the crap! I don't care whether you are or not. Give me the money, or I’ll drag you away and throw you down the well!" Wang Da threatened, glaring at him.
Liu Cui stood by, egging them on while holding her son. "That's right, throw him in the well! This little punk is too rotten and stingy."
"Brother Wang, I don't have any money, I really don't..." Zhang Jinlin started crying; he hadn't received a single cent of that money.
"Don't lie to me! Spit out the money my mother-in-law gave you! That old woman is too stingy to spend money on her own grandson, but she actually gave it to you?" Liu Cui said, hands on her hips.
"I don't have it, my mother didn't give me any—"
"Bullshit!"
"Waaah! I really don't... Mom! Save me!" Zhang Jinlin cried out at the top of his lungs.
Li Baoying heard the crying and rushed out to check. When she saw her youngest son alone at the gate, she froze for a second, then grabbed a kitchen knife and walked outside the courtyard.
Down the alley, two figures sprinted away and vanished at the corner in a flash.
Li Baoying walked back, holding the knife. "What are you crying for? If they dare to bully you, do you dare to go sit in front of the Wang family's door and cry?!"
Zhang Jinlin stopped crying. He thought it over and decided to follow his stepmother’s advice; otherwise, he wouldn't dare step out of the house again. Maybe he could even squeeze a few more cents out of them. This time, he would keep it for himself.
Li Baoying watched him climb off the ground and head toward the Wangs' gate with the resolve of a martyr. She couldn't help but chuckle. Her youngest son actually had some talent; otherwise, he wouldn't have won her partiality in their previous life. She set the knife back inside and crouched behind the courtyard gate to listen.
Apart from the eldest son's family, the rest of the Wangs were huddled inside on this cold day. With no food in their bellies, they preferred staying home, especially since it had been a year and they had no desire to go out and work.
Zhang Jinlin knocked on the Wangs' gate, sobbing, and then gave a vivid, dramatic reenactment of being threatened by Wang Da’s family.
"You little brat, what are you hiding for?" he mimicked in a male voice.
"No... I’m not..." he replied in his own voice.
"Cut the crap! I don't care whether you are or not. Give me the money, or I’ll drag you away and throw you down the well!"
"That's right, throw him in the well! This little punk is too rotten and stingy."
...
"Bullshit! Spit out the money my mother-in-law gave you! That old hag is too stingy to spend money on her own grandson, but she actually gave it to you!"
Old Lady Wang and her husband usually got a headache just seeing the kid, but now, hearing him mimic the tone and actions of their eldest son and his wife, their faces turned beet red with embarrassment. They were too ashamed to be seen!
They were already mortified and had intended to just coax the boy to leave, but when they heard the phrase "old hag," Old Lady Wang’s temper flared. She grabbed Zhang Jinlin by the collar. "Jinlin, tell me, did Liu Cui really call me an old hag?"
Zhang Jinlin had originally planned to act out the part where his stepmother came out with a knife to save him, but since his collar was grabbed again, he abandoned the performance and nodded. "Yes, that’s exactly what she said." He knew perfectly well whether or not she had said "old hag"—he was being intentional about it.
Old Lady Wang let go of his collar and pulled out two stools, offering one to Zhang Jinlin. "Sit here and wait for them. I want to confront them. If it’s true, I’ll beat her to death! That Liu Cui, she’s become lawless, daring to curse me behind my back! I’m going to find her mother later and have a word!"
Zhang Jinlin had wanted to sit and wait for the couple to return so Old Lady Wang could vent his frustration for him, but now he suddenly felt his backside aching. "I... I have things to do, I’ll go first. You can wait for them yourself." He paused. "My only request is that you make them stop bothering me, or else... or else... my mom will come with a knife and slash them!"
"My mom is very fierce, you’d better believe me..."
Old Lady Wang looked on with a bewildered expression as he turned and ran away, unable to fathom why Li Baoying would be coming to slash people with a knife.