Faced with Zhang Jinlin’s bewildered stare, Li Baoying thought to herself, "You were just as wicked in your last life, letting me starve to death. No one could be worse than you."
But he was just a child; he wouldn’t understand a thing.
Forget it. Let him throw his fits. As long as she didn't have to witness it, anyone could fight anyone they wanted.
As dusk fell, Old Lady Lin dragged Lin Xiaohong back home, and soon after, the sound of arguing erupted from the Lin household. In those days, every family either had low earthen courtyard walls or no walls at all, so the sound of their squabbling could not be contained.
Li Baoying sat in her courtyard and listened for a moment.
"Xiaohong, I’m telling you, you are not allowed to be with that educated youth ever again!" Old Lady Lin shouted, beside herself with fury.
"Why not?" Lin Xiaohong asked, clearly unconvinced.
"There is no why. Just listen to your mother, and you’ll be fine. I’m not trying to harm you."
"I don't want to. I think he’s a good person. He said he’s willing to stay here for me and even offered to marry into our family."
"Lin Xiaohong, you… you’re going to be the death of me! I said you aren't to go find him, and you aren't! Otherwise… I’ll break your legs!" Old Lady Lin spat out in anger.
The sounds outside died down quickly. It seemed Old Lady Lin, afraid of the neighbors seeing her shame, had dragged Lin Xiaohong inside to lecture her.
Li Baoying thought that was the end of it. But to her surprise, when she returned home at noon the next day, Lin Xiaohong appeared. The moment she entered the yard, she pouted and rolled her eyes at Li Baoying.
"Sister-in-law, were you the one who told my mother where I was yesterday?"
Seeing her expression, Li Baoying guessed that she was blaming her for the scolding she’d received from Old Lady Lin. But Li Baoying had only mentioned seeing her by the riverbank; she hadn't said anything else.
"I only said I saw you by the riverbank, nothing more. Your mother was searching for you like a madwoman, and since you were looking for her too, I just happened to mention it."
Lin Xiaohong was not pleased. "Who told you to tell her you saw me on the riverbank? Do you just hate seeing me happy?"
Li Baoying thought to herself that it was no wonder she had ended up the way she did in their past life—she really deserved it. She had spoken so well of her, yet here she was, accusing her of wishing her ill.
"What is that supposed to mean? Did I do something wrong by telling your mother where I saw you? Are you saying I should have pretended not to see you, letting her go crazy with worry, just so you could be 'happy'?"
"Lin Xiaohong, your sister-in-law has to tell you this: you’re a young girl. What if something happened to you out there all night long? Who would be blamed then? Would you come running back to accuse me of intentionally withholding information from your mother, trying to see you get into trouble?"
As she spoke, she casually dumped the water from her bowl into the yard.
Lin Xiaohong retreated in disgust, stamping her feet. "What are you pouring? That’s disgusting!"
"It’s dishwater," Li Baoying replied. "I’m in my own yard; I don’t find it disgusting."
"Ah! Your dishwater just splashed on me! How gross! How could you do that?" Lin Xiaohong shrieked, hopping around.
Li Baoying had heard that the girl was a germaphobe, but she hadn’t realized it was this severe. Someone like her shouldn't have been born in the countryside; she belonged in a wealthy city family.
"That’s gross to you? I have a basin of foot-soaking water inside I haven't dumped yet. Wait a second, I’ll bring it out and show you."
As Li Baoying walked toward the house—she hadn't soaked her feet the night before, so of course, there was no foot-soaking water—Lin Xiaohong was so terrified at the mention of it that she turned and ran. "That’s so gross! Who leaves foot-soaking water until the next day to dump?"
As she walked away, she plotted how to get back at Li Baoying, and when she saw Old Lady Lin upon arriving home, she immediately had an idea.
Before long, Old Lady Lin came stomping over, looking furious. "Li Baoying, how can you, as a sister-in-law, bully my Xiaohong like that?"
Li Baoying was just heading out and was blocked by the old woman.
"Auntie, how have I bullied your Xiaohong?" she asked, maintaining a pleasant tone.
"My daughter said she came to chat with you, and you either splashed dishwater or foot-soaking water on her! Is that true?" Old Lady Lin demanded. "Xiaohong is only eighteen. If she said something wrong, you, as her sister-in-law, should just point it out to her. Why go to such lengths? Don't you know my daughter has been clean since she was a child? She isn't some dirt-caked village girl!"
Zhang Hua, who was playing with stones in the yard with Zhang Jinlin, paused and asked in confusion, "Brother, who is Grandma Lin calling a dirt-caked girl?"
Zhang Jinlin answered without thinking, "I didn't hear clearly, but it sounds like she’s talking about Auntie Xiaohong."
Old Lady Lin became even angrier. "See? See? Your own children are calling people names! I used to think you were a good person, but I never expected you to teach your children like this!"
Li Baoying knew immediately that Old Lady Lin was just venting anger that her daughter had stirred up. She didn't panic. She waited until the old woman finished before calmly explaining what had happened that day, adding a few colorful details about how Lin Xiaohong had complained that she had revealed her whereabouts.
She concluded, "Auntie, I really regret opening my mouth to tell you I saw Xiaohong by the riverbank. If I hadn't said anything, none of today's trouble would have happened."
"It’s all my fault. Now I’m caught in the middle and no one is happy. Don’t worry, from now on, no matter who I see your daughter with, I won’t say a word. It wasn't my business to begin with. Look at this loose mouth of mine!"
As she spoke, Li Baoying gave her own cheek a light slap.
Old Lady Lin finally realized what was happening: all the talk of splashing water was just a distraction her daughter had cooked up, and in all likelihood, the girl had run off again!
"Oh! I’ve been played! My apologies, Baoying, I have to go!"
Old Lady Lin stormed off in a hurry. She was determined to stop her daughter from seeing that young educated youth again, even if she had to threaten her with her own life.
Li Baoying watched her rush off and smiled quietly. Some people’s endings were destined, simply because they weren't worthy of a better one—much like her own previous life.
After the sixteenth of the first lunar month, Zhang Jinlin and Zhang Jintian started school, and the household returned to its usual rhythm. Li Baoying saved up fifty eggs, which she took to the supply and marketing cooperative to exchange for money and coupons. With money in hand, her heart felt at ease.
Lin Xiaohong’s romance with the educated youth was finally broken off under her mother’s threats.
In the warmth of March, the spring breeze brought nature’s bounty, and Li Baoying went out with a basket to pick tender willow leaves.
She blanched the leaves, tossed them with salt and vinegar, and added a drop of sesame oil—it tasted quite unique. Zhang Jintian loved the dish; he squatted by his mother’s side, happily watching her wash the leaves.
Zhang Jinlin stopped loitering by Zhang Shun’s door. After being beaten a few times, he finally grew obedient and resigned to his fate, knowing that with Zhang Xiangwei in the house, his biological parents would never acknowledge him.
It would be better to play the part of the filial son in his stepmother’s home to please the whole family, so they wouldn't cast him aside. So, he also squatted by Li Baoying’s side and watched, though he didn't actually like the taste of the willow leaves; they were a bit bitter.