While the Xu household settled into a peaceful quiet, the other side of the village was anything but quiet.
Huang Zedong had been sitting at home all evening, waiting.
She had spent the entire day going door to door, making sure every ear in Qinghe Village had heard her version of the truth. How that vixen from the city had strutted into Xu Yinchen's home and terrorised the children.
How she had raised her hand against an elder who had done nothing but serve that household with loyalty for over a year. How Xu Yinchen, poor blind fool that he was, had been completely deceived by a pretty face.
She had told it all with great feeling, dabbing at her eyes at the right moments, sighing heavily at others.
And then she came home and waited.
By her calculation, it was simple. Who would Xu Yinchen trust; a woman who had cared for his house and children for over a year, or a girl who had shown up two days ago with nothing but a pretty face?
The answer was obvious. By tomorrow morning, he would come to her door, apologise, and beg her to return.
She was so certain of this that she had already decided she would make him wait a little before agreeing.
She was still enjoying this thought when the door banged open.
Her son Yong De stumbled in, reeking of cheap liquor, his eyes barely focused. He knocked into the doorframe, swore under his breath, and aimed himself in the general direction of his bed.
Huang Zedong was on her feet in an instant.
"Where did you go?" She crossed the room and shoved him. "Why do you always come back looking like this? Did you waste your money on those thug friends of yours again?"
Yong De swatted her hand away without even looking at her.
She wasn't done.
"Why are you so useless?" Her voice rose, sharp and shrill. "Other people's sons work hard, give their parents some rest in old age. But you? You only make me ruin my bones worrying about you!"
She dropped dramatically onto the floor, throwing her hands up. "If only you had married a decent girl! But no, you brought home that brat who took a hundred yuan in bride price and left you within a year!"
She slapped her own knee in frustration. "A hundred yuan! Gone! And what do I have to show for it? Nothing! Because you are utterly, completely useless!"
"Give me your salary." She stood back up and grabbed at his jacket pocket. "You were supposed to be paid today. Hand it over."
Yong De slapped her hand away.
"Ah." He groaned, squinting at her. "So loud."
He fumbled with his jacket. "I didn't get it." A pause, as if even speaking was an effort. "That… that Wen Zian removed me from work today. I don't need to go tomorrow." He yawned. "I'm going to sleep the whole day."
Huang Zedong froze.
"What did you say?"
He had already turned toward his bed.
"Yong De!" She grabbed his arm. "What do you mean removed? Why did they remove you?"
He didn't answer.
She let go of him slowly.
The realisation crept over her, cold and unwelcome. Her son had been given that position at the pig farm because of her. Because she had agreed to take care of Xu Yinchen's household and those three children.
It had been an unspoken arrangement, but everyone in the village knew it. They were jealous of her for it; not only did she receive such good pay, but she had also managed to secure a stable position for her useless son on top of it all.
Yong De, who had been thrown out of every job he had ever held within two months, had somehow kept this one. She had been so proud of herself for that.
And now, in a single day, it was all gone.
Not only had she lost her own position with its generous salary and free access to the household groceries. On top of that, her son had now been thrown out of the farm as well.
That girl had been in that house for two days, and she had dismantled everything Huang Zedong had carefully built over the past year.
Something hot surged up in her chest.
"He removed you, and you came back like this?!" She turned on Yong De, her voice cracking.
"Are you out of your mind? You should have gone straight to that farm and laid yourself down in front of the gate!"
She grabbed him by the collar. "You should have demanded to know how he could do this to you after everything, don't you have any self-respect?!"
She raised her fist and hit him. Once. Twice. Weak, furious blows that he barely registered.
"He throws you out, and you come home drinking?! What kind of son are you?!"
Yong De groaned, pulled himself free, and collapsed face-first onto his bed. Within moments, the sound of snoring filled the room.
Huang Zedong stood over him, chest heaving, staring at her useless, sleeping son.
She pressed her lips together.
So. Xu Yinchen had made his choice.
He had chosen that girl, that city vixen who had been under his roof for two days, over her. Over a year of service. Over everything she had done for that house, those children, his family name.
She walked slowly to the window and stared out at the dark village road.
Fine.
If that was how he wanted it, she would show him exactly what it meant to make an enemy of Huang Zedong in Qinghe Village. She had lived here her whole life. She knew everyone. She knew every secret, every grudge, every loose tongue.
He thought he could suppress her?
A cold smile crept onto her face.
"Xu Yinchen," she said quietly, to the dark outside.
"Since you have chosen to go against me… I will make sure you will regret this decision."