Widow Remarries in Sixties

Zhao Yun returned upstairs to find the door of the house ajar. Before she even entered, she heard the old lady’s sharp voice berating someone inside.

“How did I end up with such a useless son? You can’t even control your own wife.”

“All you do is defend her, but her heart isn’t with you. She’s always thinking about someone else.”

“That Liu Hongyue isn’t any good either. She arranged this marriage for you, thank goodness she’s gone now, or I’d have cursed her to death. Otherwise, I’d have scolded her to death. Ha! A hen that doesn’t lay eggs.”

“Why couldn’t you have met someone like Jin Xiuzhu downstairs? She’s beautiful and capable. What can your wife do? Just laze around the house, eating and drinking…”

Zhao Yun couldn’t listen any longer. She pushed the door open and  walked in. The man sitting on the stool looked up, meeting her gaze with a hint of scrutiny in his eyes.

The old lady bent over, sweeping the floor, and seemingly on purpose, swinging the broom a few times in Zhao Yun’s direction.

Zhao Yun ignored her and went straight to the room to check on her daughter.

The old lady was somewhat afraid of Zhao Yun. After dealing with her for so long, she always ended up on the losing end. Once Zhao Yun left, the old lady finally dared to mutter, “Look at that deadpan expression. Does she treat this place like her home? She looks down on you.”

Yang Yao pursed his lips and lowered his eyes, whispering, “Stop talking.”

Seeing her son’s lack of backbone, the old lady felt pained and said, “I’m just worried about you. Tell me, what kind of woman can’t you find? Why are you so afraid of her?”

Yang Yao remained silent.

The old lady wanted to say more, but Yang Yao stood up and left. Watching her son’s slumped shoulders, she pursed her lips, feeling utterly disappointed.

In the room, Zhao Yun was teaching her daughter to read. Noticing his entrance, she didn’t even lift her head.

At night, as they lay in bed, Yang Yao looked at the woman lying with her back to him. After some hesitation, he moved closer and embraced her from behind. The woman’s body stiffened. Yang Yao’s hand moved, attempting to get closer, but she suddenly grabbed his hand.

Although she didn’t say anything, her attitude was clearly rejecting him.

Yang Yao felt a coldness settle in his heart. Silently, he withdrew his hand and turned over, facing away from her.

Zhao Yun stared at the curtains, her emotions in turmoil. She knew Yang Yao was good to her and liked her very much, but for some reason, every time he touched her, she felt repulsed.

She didn’t like him.

But to say she was deeply in love with Jiang Mingchuan wasn’t accurate either. It was just that she couldn’t accept feeling inferior and that Jiang Mingchuan had chosen someone else over her. She couldn’t stand seeing the two of them living better than she did.

A couple of days later, He Yan came back from school and told Jin Xiuzhu that Yang Yingxiong’s father had taken him to confront Qi Kang’s father, explaining that his son was not only beaten but also falsely accused, and asked Qi Kang to stop spreading rumors.

Captain Qi, upon hearing this, confronted his son with a stern face. After learning the truth, he gave Qi Kang a beating.

Now, Yang Yingxiong’s father gave him some pocket money and meal tickets every week. If there was no food at home, Yang Yingxiong could go to the canteen to eat.

These past few days, Yang Yingxiong has been much happier. He even treated He Yan and Wei Ningqing to two buns to thank them for giving him buns and shelter that afternoon.

Now, the three boys went to and from school together every day. After school, Yang Yingxiong would go to Wei Ningqing’s house to do homework. Knowing that his stepmother had a strained relationship with He Yan’s mother, he didn’t dare go to He Yan’s house downstairs.

He would stay until almost dinnertime before going home. He told his friends that he didn’t have a room at home. He shared a room with his grandmother, who slept in the bed while he slept on the floor, and she didn’t let him tell his father.

He Yan and Wei Ningqing advised him to tell his father, but Yang Yingxiong just shook his head, “It’s no use. As soon as my grandmother starts crying, my dad gives in.”

Wei Ningqing didn’t understand, “Then why does your stepsister have her own room?”

Yang Yingxiong replied matter-of-factly, “Because she has a mother.”

He didn’t seem sad at all, even cheerfully telling them, “I have money now. If I’m hungry, I can go to the canteen to eat, and Grandma doesn’t even know. Before, whenever my dad wasn’t home, she wouldn’t cook for me and would hide the rice and eggs.”

He Yan and Wei Ningqing felt sorry for Yang Yingxiong, so they secretly saved some of their snacks to give to him. Yang Yingxiong didn’t take them for nothing. Every time he ate their snacks, he would help them with their chores.

***

Jin Xiuzhu hadn’t seen Qian Yufeng for some time, so she took advantage of the nice weather to visit the Wu family with her daughter.

When they arrived at the Wu family’s house, Qian Yufeng was not at home. Aunt Wu said she had gone back to her parents’ home because her sister-in-law had quarreled with her mother. Her sister-in-law had run back to her own family that morning.

Jin Xiuzhu chatted briefly with Aunt Wu, left some pastries, and then went home with her child.

That afternoon, before it got dark, Qian Yufeng returned from her parents’ home. She had likely heard that Jin Xiuzhu had looked for her, so she especially came by with a handful of fresh vegetables.

Her face looked a bit haggard, and her hair was messy, clearly having not rested well. Without needing Jin Xiuzhu to ask, she started pouring out her troubles, “You’re lucky you don’t have to deal with in-laws, sister-in-laws, and other relatives. I feel like I’m stuck in the middle, pleasing no one. My husband’s family thinks I bring all the good stuff to my own family, and my family thinks I’m taking advantage of them.”

“I went home with good intentions to mediate, but my mom blamed me for stirring things up. What did I do wrong? It was my mom who told me that all the things I brought home were taken by my sister-in-law to her own mother’s house, so I just asked her to remind my sister-in-law. I don’t know what my mom said to her, but they had a big fight.

Of course, it’s not fair—those things were from what I saved from my two children’s mouths to honor my parents and feed my nieces and nephews. How can my sister-in-law take them back to her own family? She got so mad she ran back to her own family, saying I take a lot of things every time I go back.”

“How ungrateful! She only sees what I take away, not what I bring. Does she think I’m taking just a few vegetables? She must be blind if she can’t see the money I bring back. You tell me, why is my life so hard? Now my mom is blaming me too.”

Jin Xiuzhu didn’t know how to comfort her. She had never experienced this kind of situation, where one is caught between family conflicts like Qian Yufeng. She could only say, “When people are angry, they say all kinds of things. It doesn’t mean they don’t know the truth deep down. Things will get better once the anger subsides.”

Qian Yufeng sighed, “That’s all I can hope for. I’m just too soft-hearted. A few kind words from my family, and I’d give them my all. But thinking about it, my parents haven’t treated me that well. As a child, I had endless chores, and now that I’m married, I still can’t relax even when I go back to my parents’ home.”

Jin Xiuzhu looked at her.

Qian Yufeng smiled helplessly, “You might not understand. If my mom praises me, I feel energized all over. But afterward, I always regret it. Why can’t I toughen up and stand up for myself?”

Hearing this, Jin Xiuzhu showed a sympathetic expression.

Qian Yufeng sniffed and smiled, “It’s all in the past. I came because my mother-in-law said you were looking for me. What’s the matter?”

“Nothing much. I hadn’t seen you for a few days and missed you a bit.”

Hearing this, Qian Yufeng felt a lump in her throat and suddenly couldn’t speak.

She and Jin Xiuzhu were just friends, yet Jin Xiuzhu would miss her after a few days and even bring some food to visit her. In contrast, she gave her all to her family and was repaid with accusations of causing trouble and jealousy.

Jin Xiuzhu patted her on the shoulder and said, “Take good care of Daya in the future. Don’t let her suffer as you have.”

Qian Yufeng was stunned by these words.

After sending Qian Yufeng out, Jin Xiuzhu turned around to find her daughter staring at her with wide eyes.

She smiled and asked, “What’s wrong?”

Fu Yanyan shook her head, silent for a moment before she couldn’t help asking, “If Aunt Qian herself isn’t living well, why does she treat sister Daya like that?”

Jin Xiuzhu also felt sorry for Daya. Otherwise, with her temperament, she wouldn’t have said such a thing, “Some mothers can sacrifice everything for their sons but can’t stand to see their daughters living even a bit better than themselves.”

It was the first time Fu Yanyan had heard such a statement, and she was somewhat surprised.

Qian Yufeng returned home exhausted. Pushing open the door, she saw her husband and mother-in-law chatting in the living room, their faces smiling as they looked up at her return. Their smiles faded slightly upon seeing her.

She had also mentioned the incident at her parents’ home this time. Her mother-in-law didn’t say anything, but Erzhu blamed her for only caring about her parents’ family and not her own.

Despite feeling somewhat uncomfortable, she dared not say anything and went straight to the kitchen. Daya was busy stir-frying vegetables, and the pungent smell of chili made her cover her nose with one hand while holding the spatula with the other.

Seeing her approach, Daya’s eyes lit up, and she called out, “Mom.”

Qian Yufeng rolled up her sleeves, took over the spatula, and asked, “Where’s your brother?”

Daya turned around to chop vegetables, replying, “He went out to play.”

Qian Yufeng nodded. She calmly watched the vegetables stir-frying in the pan, her hands busy but her mind elsewhere.

She thought about her mother-in-law, who, despite outwardly being fair and just, unconsciously favored her son, and about her husband, who claimed to be the head of the family but never knew how to care for her. She also thought about her parents, who favored her brother, believing that sons were family while she was just water splashed out…

Finally, she took a deep breath, pursed her lips, and suddenly took out a few candies from her pocket that Jin Xiuzhu had given her. Jin Xiuzhu said candies were sweet and could ease the bitterness in her heart.

But even so, she couldn’t bear to eat them and intended to bring them back for her two children.

Whether it was Jin Xiuzhu’s suggestion to treat Daya better or her own guilty conscience, she took out all the candies from her pocket, a total of five.

She unwrapped one and ate it herself, leaving the remaining four candies in Daya’s pocket. Seeing Daya’s surprised expression, she stubbornly said, “Eat them yourself. Don’t tell your brother.”