When Gu Yuwei heard the people from the "cowsheds" were being brought back, she imdiately wondered if her parents would be returning too. At the thought, her heart began to race, and she felt a desperate urge to find out what was happening with her family.
He Ze wasn’t ho at the mont, leaving just her and their daughter. Last year, Gu Yuwei had given birth to a little girl nad He Ziyu, who was not yet a year old.
Gu Yuwei looked at her daughter, who was sleeping soundly on the kang. ’She probably won’t wake up for a while,’ she thought. So she locked the door and went into town to make a phone call.
Mrs. He was working in the fields when she saw another village woman hurrying over and shouting, "Mrs. He! You have to go see! I just passed by your second son’s house, and the main door is locked, but I can hear a baby wailing inside! It sounds like it’s been going on for a while. Who knows where the parents are?"
As soon as Mrs. He heard this, she dropped her tools and ran toward He Ze’s house.
When she got to the door, she saw that it was, indeed, locked tight, and a baby was crying inside.
Mrs. He cursed in fury, "Where the hell did the parents run off to? How could they just leave a baby at ho alone? The nerve of them is just unbelievable."
Mrs. He kicked the door a couple of tis, but it wouldn’t budge. Left with no other choice, she rushed back ho to get an axe.
Once she got the door open, Mrs. He rushed inside to find the baby lying on the floor. It had cried itself hoarse, and a large bump was swelling on its forehead. It must have fallen off the kang.
Mrs. He quickly scooped up the child. "Don’t cry, don’t cry. Let Grandma see."
The baby gradually stopped crying, though it was still sobbing fitfully.
Mrs. He waited at the house for a long ti, but Gu Yuwei never returned. Seeing that it was getting late, she had no choice but to take the baby back to the main family house.
On her way back, she happened to run into Gao Cuiyun returning from the fields with her children.
When Mrs. He saw them, her heart lurched, and she almost dropped the baby in her arms.
Xiao Yang saw Mrs. He and ran over to her.
"Grandma, whose baby is that? She’s so tiny!" Xiao Yang said, peering at the bundle in her arms.
Mrs. He tightened her grip on the baby and gave an awkward smile. "It’s no one, never mind."
With that, she hurried into the house.
Xiao Yang scratched the back of his head. "What’s wrong with Grandma?" he wondered aloud.
Gao Cuiyun’s eyes flickered with understanding. Little Chen glanced toward the main house but said nothing.
In the past two years, Gao Cuiyun had aged considerably; gray hairs now streaked her temples. Little Chen had grown into a seventeen-year-old young man, and Xiao Yang was fifteen. Both were old enough now to help with a large share of the family’s work.
However, Little Chen remained gloomy and was silent most days.
That evening, He Ze and Gu Yuwei ca rushing over.
"Mom, soone told you brought the baby here. Is that true?" He Ze asked, anxiously peering into the house.
Gu Yuwei also had a worried expression, her eyes fixed on Mrs. He.
The sight of them made Mrs. He’s anger flare up. "You two are really sothing else! To just leave a baby who’s not even a year old at ho all alone! She’s already crawling! Weren’t you afraid sothing terrible would happen?"
He Ze shot a sideways glance at Gu Yuwei, who lowered her head guiltily. "Yes, it’s... it’s our fault, Mom. The baby—"
"She’s in the room," Mrs. He snapped.
He Ze and Gu Yuwei hurried into the room.
They both breathed a sigh of relief when they saw the baby sleeping on the kang again. But their relief vanished when they saw the large, swollen bump on her forehead. Just then, Mrs. He ca in.
"Soone passing by your house saw the door was locked and heard the baby crying inside, so they ca and told . I went over, but I had to break the lock with an axe to get in. When I got inside, I found her on the floor with that bump on her head. She must have crawled and fallen off."
He Ze nodded, his eyes filled with pain as he looked at his daughter.
Gu Yuwei gently lifted the baby. The child stirred in her arms but didn’t wake. Gu Yuwei then turned and started to walk out with her.
He Ze said to his mother, "Mom, thank you for everything. We’ll head back now."
As they left the house one after the other, they saw Little Chen standing in the courtyard, watching them. A piercing chill emanated from the corners of the young man’s eyes. His gaze was that of a stranger, stabbing at them like a dagger. He Ze faltered for a mont, then quickly followed Gu Yuwei out of the courtyard.
As he watched them disappear into the distance, the young man lowered his gaze. His eyes were as dark and deep as a pool, his thoughts unreadable.
Back at their own ho, He Ze smashed a cup on the floor right in front of Gu Yuwei.
"What was so damned important that you had to leave a baby all alone in the house? If my mother hadn’t broken down the door, who knows what could have happened today! How can you be so reckless?"
Gu Yuwei felt wronged, too. She had gone to town and made several phone calls, but no one had answered. She was already feeling miserable, and then she ca ho to find the door smashed in and her baby gone. She had searched everywhere, inside and out, so terrified that her legs had gone weak and she could barely stand.
"I didn’t do it on purpose! She was sleeping when I left. I figured she’d sleep for a few hours like she usually does, and I’d be back by then. How was I supposed to know she’d wake up early today, crawl around, and fall off the kang?"
"So where were you for all that ti?" He Ze demanded.
Gu Yuwei’s eyes darted away.
"What? You can’t even tell ?"
Gu Yuwei shook her head. "It’s just... that person from the village ’cowsheds’ has returned. I thought that ant my parents might have gone back too, so I wanted to call and ask."
He Ze had only learned about her family’s situation after they were married. "Well? Did you get through?"
Gu Yuwei’s eyes reddened as she shook her head.
He Ze sighed. "Forget it. If they’ve returned, they’ll probably contact you. There’s no use worrying about it."
Gu Yuwei could only nod, but inside, her heart was in turmoil. ’I’ve had enough of this life,’ she thought. ’Ever since I got pregnant two years ago, we’ve only had fifteen yuan a month for expenses. It was barely enough then, and it’s even worse now with the baby. I’ve been using my own money to make ends et, but the hundred or so yuan I had is long gone. Now we’re back to just fifteen yuan a month. Trying to support a family of three on that is impossible. We haven’t eaten at in forever.’
Gu Yuwei had complained several tis, but what was the use? He Ze’s salary was ager, and every month, they had to give fifteen yuan to his other family. It wasn’t optional; the agreent was in black and white. Besides, Mr. He would never allow them to stop paying.
’If my parents were reinstated,’ Gu Yuwei mused, ’then even if I can’t go back to the city, at least I’d have money. Life would be so much better than this.’
Seeing her lost in her somber thoughts, He Ze didn’t offer any comfort. Instead, his heart aching, he moved closer to his daughter to look at the lump on her head.
For the next few days, Gu Yuwei went into town every day. Sotis she would take the baby with her, but when it was too much trouble, she would bring her to Mrs. He and ask her to watch her for a while.
Mrs. He wanted to refuse. ’But if I don’t watch her,’ she thought, ’what’s to stop this woman from leaving the baby ho alone again?’ She had no choice but to begrudgingly agree.
She was also careful to do it secretively, terrified that Gao Cuiyun would find out and cause a scene.
In truth, Gao Cuiyun had known since the very first day. But she wouldn’t cause a scene. Over the past two years, she had co to terms with everything and no longer cared. Now, her only wish was to raise her children. Little Chen was already a young man; it would be wonderful to see him married in a few years.
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