Si Xiaohui did not believe it, "You're lying." Lijuan witnessed Tong Yao and Jia Qing going on a date.
Si Boyi spoke up as a witness, "She's not lying, my mom and I personally saw her donating the money."
"Really, really donated?" Si Xiaohui felt somewhat guilty. She had been tolerating Tong Yao until she found out that Tong Yao was stealing money, that's when she lost patience.
Gu Hongwei's mother passed away early and his father was paralyzed. Now that he'd been accepted into university but had no money to go, Tong Yao had stolen the money and there was no cash at home to donate, so she became anxious and agitated.
Now they were telling her that Tong Yao had donated the money?
Tong Yao declared with self-assurance, "If you don't believe it, you can go ask Hongwei now."
If it wasn't to clear her name for stealing money and running away, Tong Yao would have given the money to Si Xiaohui to donate.
Second elder brother had spoken, so there was no need to ask, it must be true.
Great, Gu Hongwei can go to college now.
Before Si Xiaohui could be happy, she felt like crying in panic, "It's over, I just called my brother, and said his wife ran away with Jia Qing. Before I could finish, Lijuan's home phone ran out of credit..."
The more Si Xiaohui spoke, the quieter her voice became. Lin Fengying and Si Boyi's faces changed, knowing Si Chen's temperament, they feared that he might return to get a divorce now.
"You stupid girl."
Lin Fengying nervously paced around in circles, urging Si Boyi to quickly call Si Chen and explain everything.
Tong Yao stood still, dumbfounded. Was Si Chen on his way home with a 40-meter long knife?
...
Li City First People's Hospital.
Si Chen, who had just received a call from home, was sitting in his office. His eyes as dark as obsidian stared at a photo on the desk, his thin lips pursed, his expression unchanged for a long time.
On the wedding day, an emergency surgery was suddenly required. A patient needed an operation, and the more experienced doctors had gone to the capital for training. The doctors in the hospital did not dare to perform the operation and called him back.
The operation was a great success, but the subsequent 48 hours for the patient were also important and needed him to monitor constantly.
After a few hectic days, he was exhausted.
A doctor is different from other professions. Mental state is important.
A moment of distraction during surgery can be a matter of life and death. He rested for a day and returned to his routine of moving between the office, canteen and dormitory.
He had initially planned to go home this weekend, but... then Si Xiaohui called.
She said, "Your wife has eloped with Jia Qing from the neighboring village."
He had heard the name Jia Qing before. The son of the village chief in the neighboring village.
He looked at the photo again, his lips pressing tighter.
The photo was sent by Tong Yaohui two years ago. In the picture, the girl was beautiful with fair skin, her hair tied in a ponytail, appearing vibrant and attractive, a typical city belle...
"Dr. Si, I've been looking everywhere for you. Why didn't you rest in the dormitory, and instead came straight to the office?" Yu Shiya pushed the door and walked in. She spoke with Si Chen in a familiar tone. When her eyes met Si Chen's, she flinched, nervously avoiding eye contact with him.
Si Chen was the most talented and youngest handsome doctor in the whole hospital. According to her father, Si Chen's ability would exceed expectations in the future. He was like a young eagle with immature wings, who would one day soar high above everyone else.
Si Chen, without a change in expression, put the picture back in the drawer.
"Not much," Noticing his action, Yu Shiya looked curiously at the drawer, "Doctor Si, whose photo are you hiding in your drawer?"
Si Chen dodged the question, "What did you come to find me for?"
Yu Shiya laughed, "I heard you got a call from home. Are you taking a leave? I'm also going to my relatives' home, I don't know how to ride a bicycle. Could you give me a ride?"
Si Chen opened the medical book on the table, saying indifferently, "I haven't set a time yet."
"Dr.Si, the patient in ward 209 of the inpatient department is not in a good condition." A young nurse rushed in, looking somewhat anxious.
Si Chen frowned, picked up his medical tools and walked out severely. That was him, always serious and unsmiling when it came to matters of importance, exuding maturity beyond his age.
Yu Shiya, who was left behind, gradually lost her expression. Hearing the sound of their footsteps fading away, she curiously glanced at the drawer, hesitated a little, and then pulled it open.
A picture of a beautiful girl instantly came into view.
The girl in the photo looked about seventeen or eighteen years old. She was wearing a light blue dress and a high ponytail. Her skin was as white as jade, she had bright eyes and white teeth, along with a pair of cute dimples on her cheeks—truly a great beauty.
Even as a girl herself, Shiya found it hard to look away.
The background of the photo was a school; could this be Dr. Si's classmate?
No wonder Dr. Si has been married for so long without going home, turns out he has such a beautiful girl in his heart.
Yu Shiya pursed her lips, feeling a little uncomfortable.
...
Shanghe Village approximately has over eighty households. Only Zhang Lijuan and the head of the village have a telephone. Since the head's house was crowded and making calls there would bring about a lot of gossip, Lin Fengying decided to wait until Zhang Lijuan's telephone expenses were paid off.
"Yaoyao, don't worry. Even if Xiaochen returns now, he can clarify things with him and it could be a nice opportunity to go to the city with him."
Tong Yao said openly, "Mom, I'm not worried. A clear conscience laughs at false accusation." Although she was acting nonchalant, in her heart she was genuinely worried. If the two were to divorce because of this, old antique Tong Yaohui would break her legs.
"Right, right, right." Lin Fengying kept nodding.
Si Xiaohui, sitting to the side, pouted without saying anything. After all, it was all caused by her and she was somewhat guilty.
That night, Lin Fengying cooked a pot of rice porridge, prepared a plate of pickles, and specially boiled an egg for Tong Yao. This was the last egg left in the house.
"Yaoyao, make do for a couple of days. Once Xiaochen comes back and takes you to the city it will get better. It's convenient to buy things in the city, and Xiaochen's salary is alright too, it can cover your expenses."
Tong Yao nodded, finished eating, and pulled out two hundred yuan from her pocket and handed it to Lin Fengying, "Mom, about the money stealing thing, it was my mistake. I shouldn't have secretly taken the money and decided to donate it on my own. Thank you for forgiving me graciously. Here's the remaining two hundred yuan."
Actually, Tong Yao had money. When she got married, Tong Yaohui ended up giving a dowry of a thousand yuan. But it was all kept in a bank book.
Before her wedding, Wen Yun specifically told her not to use the money in it unless absolutely necessary. It was a part of her daughter's future livelihood security.
Stealing the money was simply a kind of revengeful and rebellious mindset.
"Take this money to the city to use, there are many places in the city where you might need money." Lin Fengying refused to accept it, "You're suffering a lot after marrying to this place, but rest assured, things will gradually get better."
Si Xiaohui sarcastically added, "So, after having a daughter-in-law, you have forgotten about your own daughter. She takes the money and leaves for the city to enjoy herself, what about us three?"
"Xiaohui." Si Boyi glared at her, "What kind of talk is that?"
"You all favor her." Si Xiaohui, feeling aggrieved, her eyes turned red, she bit her lip and challenged, "Did I say anything wrong? Don't the three of us need to eat and drink?"
Facing her daughter's aggrieved expression, Lin Fengying felt very guilty. To marry off her eldest son, she had also emptied their family's savings. Indeed, it was somewhat unfair to her younger son and daughter.
Tong Yao looked around at the three of them, finally resting her gaze on Lin Fengying, and forcefully stuffed the money into her hands, "Mom, you take this. If you don't, I won't feel good about it."
Lin Fengying hesitated for a while, but eventually accepted it. The family indeed needed the money at the moment.
"Feigning kindness." Si Xiaohui muttered unhappily.
Tong Yao ignored her, finished her bowl of porridge, and went back to her room.
That night, she wanted to take a bath. Upon hearing this, Lin Fengying hurriedly instructed Si Boyi to heat up a large pot of water.
After using the restroom, Tong Yao almost passed out at the sight of the steaming large wooden basin in the room. She had initially wanted to stay in the countryside for a few more days and experience rural life, but now, she genuinely wanted to leave.
Frankly speaking, she couldn't adapt to these conditions.
No wonder the original host constantly complained; it was indeed difficult for a city-raised lady to accept a place where she even had to bathe in a basin.
She used a towel to wipe herself down quickly with water, instantly feeling much better, then gazed in embarrassment as Si Boyi helped her carry out the bathwater.
As she was lying on the bed, there was a sudden crack of thunder outside, followed by a flash of lightning which lit up the room. Immediately after, there was the sound of pouring rain. Remembering the animals' words, Tong Yao was stunned. The things these little creatures said actually all came true.
She was astonished at the realization that she now had her own personal weather forecast.
The moment before, she had found their chatter quite annoying, but now she felt relieved. She could gain much useful information simply by eating melon.
The next day, Tong Yao was awakened by a chorus of crowing roosters and barking dogs, along with the gossiping sounds of flies and mosquitoes.
Mosquito A: "This woman wraps herself like a zongzi when she sleeps. I didn't get a single drop of blood."
Mosquito B: "It's much better at Dazhu's place. He tossed and turned with his wife half the night, and slept like a log. He never reacted, no matter how much I bit him."
Fly A: "I'll go to Lijuan's place tomorrow. She is going to the city to find Si Chen. The food must be good."
Tong Yao: "Eat, eat, eat. That's all you know."
Wait, Lijuan is going to the city to find Si Chen?
It was unsurprising that a village medical prodigy might catch the attention of others. Tong Yao had not yet even seen her affordable husband, but a potential romantic rival had already appeared.
Lin Fengying was cooking in the kitchen, and Si Xiaohui was in deep discussion with her about something. Upon asking, Tong Yao found out that Zhang Lijuan was planning to visit the city the following day, and Si Xiaohui also wanted to go, but Lin Fengying disagreed.
Going to the city meant spending money, and their family's income relied solely on several acres of land.
Their eldest son was already married and starting his own family, so it didn't feel right to continue asking him for money. Their younger son was 23 and had not yet married; he had been helping with farm work at home since he finished junior high school. Tong Yao was a bride whom she had chosen for her eldest son.
Even though her younger son hadn't said anything, she knew he held some resentment in his heart.
She had indeed wondered if she was wrong, but after seeing Tong Yao, she knew she was right.
A golden phoenix like Tong Yao was not suitable for her younger son.
Besides, Tong Yaohui had always funded her eldest son's education with a clear goal. While he said that he didn't care which son Tong Yao married, if she truly married her younger son, his family would surely disapprove.
Sigh!
Now, all she wanted to do was save some money for her younger son's wedding, so her daughter would have to make some sacrifices.
Si Xiaohui had red, teary eyes and didn't say anything. Knowing his family's situation, Si Boyi also stayed quiet.
After understanding the situation, Tong Yao blinked. So, Xiaohui wanted to accompany Lijuan on her trip. Did Xiaohui know Lijuan's intention, though?
After pondering it for a while, Tong Yao suggested: "Mom, if Si Chen doesn't come home today, why don't Xiaohui and I go to the city to find him tomorrow?"
Si Chen was a busy doctor; he may not be able to come home today. Instead of waiting for Si Chen to come home and question him, it might be better to go find him directly.
To be honest, Tong Yao was a bit excited. What would Si Chen's reaction be when he saw his runaway wife suddenly show up?
"You want to go to the city to find Si Chen?" Lin Fengying paused for a moment, then hesitated, "That's fine, but you've never been there before. You won't know the way, right?"
Before Tong Yao could speak, Si Xiaohui frowned and said, "I'm not going with her."
Tong Yao rolled her eyes at Si Xiaohui. If she didn't want to come, so be it. Tong Yao hadn't wanted to bring her along anyway. She turned to Lin Fengying and said, "Mom, since she doesn't want to go, then I'll go by myself. I can read and know how to take the bus."
Si Xiaohui hadn't expected that Tong Yao was serious about not taking her along, and was even rolling her eyes at her. She felt both frustrated and regretful that she had spoken so hastily.
Lin Fengying didn't feel at ease and thought for a moment before saying, "You should go with Xiaohui! I'm not comfortable letting you go alone."
This time, Si Xiaohui didn't say anything.
Tong Yao snickered to herself. Nice try, trying to make her toe the line. She thought again.
She wasn't the type to bully others, nor was she the type to grovel and please anyone.
...
As expected, Si Chen didn't come home that day. That afternoon, Lin Fengying went to Zhang Lijuan's house to make a phone call to Si Chen to let him know. However, Zhang Lijuan hadn't topped up her phone credit, and the call didn't go through. Chen Jinlan scoffed at Lin Fengying during the encounter.
That evening, Si Boyi heated a large pot of water for Tong Yao to bathe. Si Xiaohui complained a few times at the side and was scolded by Lin Fengying. In frustration, Si Xiaohui deliberately spoke loudly in the courtyard.
"You all treat her like a treasure when she is lazy and spends all day eating and sleeping, and can't do anything else. If she were at any other house, she probably would have been beaten to death by her mother and husband-in-law by now. My older brother especially dislikes lazy women—you think moving to the city means you'll live a good life, but you'll probably be sent back here in just a few days."
In her heart, Tong Yao cursed. Who said that being a daughter-in-law meant that she had to bear all the hard work and toil?
It wasn't the busy farming season, and there wasn't much work to do at home anyway. Didn't they manage to do everything just fine before she arrived?
She refused to play the role of a pushover. Anyone could do it, but she wouldn't.
After bathing, Tong Yao packed some clean clothes and listened to the flies and mosquitoes gossip about the village happenings. Then she went to bed for a good night's sleep.
In the morning, Lin Fengying fried two vegetarian dishes and boiled a pot of porridge. The four of them sat around a small, quaint square table, speckled with red lacquer. As soon as they finished eating, they heard Zhang Lijuan's voice from outside the door.
"Xiaohui, are you ready?"
"Yes, yes." Si Xiaohui replied. Immediately, she put down her bowl and chopsticks and rushed out.
Tong Yao went back to the room to change and take her things, happening to make eye contact with Zhang Lijuan as she left. Zhang Lijuan was evidently dressed up; her knee-length pink dress seemed new, as wrinkles were still visible. Her loose hair was adorned with a hair band. Overall, she looked nice except for the pair of socks visible in her handmade cloth sandals, which made her appearance slightly odd.
Zhang Lijuan wasn't fat, but she had a larger frame and was tall, making her the type many mothers-in-law in this era favored. According to the older folks, her large hips were ideal for giving birth to a son.
In comparison, Tong Yao appeared slightly delicate. At one hundred sixty-five centimeters, she weighed only ninety pounds. She had also made an effort to dress up that day, wearing a bubble-sleeve dress with a fitted top and casual bottom. Its light yellow color further accentuated her fair skin.
This type of dress would remain in vogue even in the 21st century.
To match the dress, she wore a pair of white sandals, which she hadn't worn since moving to this house.
The wound on her head had already scabbed over, so she removed the gauze and covered the scab with her bangs. Her long hair draped over her back, with her loose tendrils tied up into a princess-style bun. With her doll-like face, her get-up made her look like a wholesome and pretty high school student.
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