Widow Remarries in Sixties

Jiang Mingchuan had been gone for over ten days without any news, leaving Jin Xiuzhu somewhat worried. She took her daughter to Captain Yan’s house.

Captain Yan had also been busy and hadn’t returned for several days. Wang Ling had been at home recently because of the heavy snow. The factory had been closed for a few days due to the snow.

Wang Ling worked at a textile factory in the city but had voluntarily transferred to a factory in the county last year due to poor efficiency. She thought she could return home daily instead of only once a week if she worked in the city. She was now the deputy director.

The factory’s poor performance and the director’s upcoming retirement led to minimal oversight. With the heavy snow causing many issues, the director ordered a halt to production, sending all workers home. This also helped save money as the factory struggled to pay wages.

When Jin Xiuzhu arrived, Wang Ling was at home altering clothes, resizing her husband’s old clothes for her son. She used an old sewing machine discarded by the factory.

Boys around twelve or thirteen grow rapidly, and Wang Ling couldn’t afford new clothes, so she altered adult clothes instead.

Jin Xiuzhu watched curiously. It was her first time seeing such a device and found it very interesting.

Wang Ling expertly operated the sewing machine, her hands deftly handling the fabric while her feet swiftly worked the pedal.

She managed to converse with Jin Xiuzhu simultaneously, “Don’t worry. They won’t be back for at least a month after going out for disaster relief. Last summer, Lao Yan went out for flood relief for two months and returned with a broken arm. They not only rescue people but also divert floods and help build houses. The people’s soldiers are meant to serve the public.”

Jin Xiuzhu frowned, realizing the extent of Jiang Mingchuan’s duties. It was unlike the officials and soldiers in the Dajing Dynasty. They never cared about the people’s lives and only worried about how much they could exploit.

After leaving Wang Ling’s house, Jin Xiuzhu went to the army gate to check for any letters. Finding none, she left.

The snow on the road was deep, and Jin Xiuzhu couldn’t help but laugh at her daughter’s struggle with her short legs. “I told you to stay home, but you didn’t listen.”

Fu Yanyan pressed her lips together and stubbornly trudged forward.

Jin Xiuzhu smiled and said, “I wonder where you got this stubbornness from?”

Then she knelt in front of her daughter, “Come on, I’ll carry you.”

Fu Yanyan hesitated, staring at her mother’s back.

Jin Xiuzhu glanced back, thinking her daughter didn’t trust her, and reassured her, “Come on. The snow is thick, and it won’t hurt if you fall.”

Fu Yanyan clenched her hands at her sides, then slowly stepped forward, raising her hands awkwardly.

Jin Xiuzhu had never carried anyone before, but she had seen other parents in the residential area do it. She reached back, hooked her hands under her daughter’s legs, and stood up with effort. The child was heavy, and it took all her strength to stand upright, wobbling slightly before steadying herself. She adjusted her position and started walking.

Fu Yanyan initially tensed up but gradually relaxed after a while. The wind that had stung her face was now blocked by Jin Xiuzhu’s body, providing much-needed warmth.

She looked at the back of her mother’s head and, driven by some impulse, carefully rested her face on her mother’s back. Jin Xiuzhu’s hair, cold and smooth, carried a faint fragrance. She could even hear Jin Xiuzhu’s heavy breathing.

This was the first time Jin Xiuzhu had carried her, and the feeling was very peculiar.

Jin Xiuzhu asked why she didn’t stay home.

Fu Yanyan felt a pang of discomfort. Despite her past resentment, meeting her mother again in this world made her want to stay close.

Back home, He Yan was already busy preparing lunch in the kitchen. Hearing the noise outside, he came out with a spatula, seeing his mother and sister covered in snow. He quickly helped brush off the snow and said to Jin Xiuzhu, “Aunt Fang brought a letter earlier. It’s for our family. I left it in the living room.”

Jin Xiuzhu took off her coat and hung it on the wooden rack by the door. She put on a lighter cotton jacket from the rack and nodded, “Okay.”

He Yan returned to the kitchen to continue cooking. Jin Xiuzhu went to the living room and took out the letter to read.

She had thought it was from the newspaper, but upon closer inspection, it wasn’t. The letter was addressed to Jiang Mingchuan, sent by his adoptive parents from the capital.

In the room, her daughter was eating a small bowl of braised pork with radish. He Yan had specifically set aside a small portion for her before finishing the cooking.

In the past, Jin Xiuzhu wouldn’t have approved, but now she usually turned a blind eye, allowing some leniency at home.

As time went on, Jin Xiuzhu was willing to forgo some of her strict rules. She gradually realized that a family’s happiness was the most important thing.

Jin Xiuzhu opened the letter and saw that the tone of the writer was much more sincere this time. They wrote about how heavy the snow was this year and how cold the weather had become.

The couple missed their son, who was enduring hardships away from home, and they invited Jiang Mingchuan to come back to the capital for the New Year. They expressed their desire to meet his wife and two children. They also mentioned that his adoptive father was getting old and his legs were becoming increasingly frail, with knee pain so severe that he could barely walk…

These words didn’t affect Jin Xiuzhu much, but if Jiang Mingchuan saw them, he would probably feel deeply guilty.

Jin Xiuzhu curled her lips and said to the little head next to her, “They’re not his biological parents.”

Fu Yanyan looked up at her, puzzled.

Jin Xiuzhu smiled, “If they truly cared about their child, they wouldn’t complain about their ailments to him. Look at Aunt Qian, does she save anything good for herself? No, she always leaves it for her son. It’s the same principle.”

Fu Yanyan fell into deep thought, suddenly recalling a long-forgotten memory.

In her past life, after “Jin Xiuzhu” divorced, she took Fu Yanyan south. Life was tough at first, and they were even scammed. They squeezed into a few square meters of a small shack. One night, it rained heavily, and the noise woke her up. She opened her eyes to see “Jin Xiuzhu” sitting beside her, holding an umbrella to shield her from the rain.

Although “Jin Xiuzhu” wasn’t always very kind to her, she did experience some warmth from her.

Dinner was two dishes and a soup: braised pork with radishes, shredded potatoes with peppers, and tofu cabbage soup.

These days, Fang Min had been eating with them. Every time she saw He Yan prepare so many dishes, she couldn’t help but marvel.

Commissar Zhu had also taught her to cook, but she could never get it right and even ruined a pot once. After that, he didn’t let her cook anymore.

Jin Xiuzhu heard that Fang Min’s hometown was also the capital, so she couldn’t help but ask, “Are you going back to the capital for the New Year?”

She thought they could travel together if Fang Min was going.

Fang Min shook her head, “I probably won’t. I went back once this year.”

The time she returned was for her grandparents’ death anniversary. It was the only time each year she would go back to the capital. She wasn’t close to her family, and her parents favored her sister more.

However, over the past few years, as her parents aged, they started to pay more attention to her, but she didn’t like it.

Jin Xiuzhu nodded and then mentioned the letter from the capital she received today, “I don’t quite understand. If we go back for the New Year, is there anything we should be mindful of?”

Fang Min, feeling Jin Xiuzhu’s kindness, wanted to reciprocate. She thought for a moment and then shared what she knew, “Just bring some gifts when you go back. You can make some pastries and bring some sweets. There aren’t many rules in the capital.”

She paused, seeming to remember something, and looked at Jin Xiuzhu hesitantly before adding, “I heard that Jiang Mingchuan’s parents arranged a childhood betrothal for him, but after his parents passed away, it was never mentioned again. Later, the girl he was betrothed to married his younger brother, the son of his adoptive parents. They have a son and a daughter now.”

Jin Xiuzhu raised her eyebrows in surprise.

These were things Fang Min’s grandmother had told her. Her grandmother knew Jiang Mingchuan’s mother’s family. The small villa not far from her grandmother’s house used to belong to Jiang Mingchuan’s mother, though she wasn’t sure if it still did.

Her grandmother had once wanted to introduce Jiang Mingchuan to her, but her grandfather disagreed. He said Jiang Mingchuan was too quiet and wouldn’t talk much, and if she didn’t speak either, they’d be like two mute people together. Moreover, Jiang Mingchuan’s adoptive family had a lot of troubles, and her straightforward nature would make her an easy target for bullying.

Grandma thought it over and agreed, finally choosing Political Commissar Zhu for her.

Looking back now, Fang Min felt guilty for causing her elderly grandparents so much worry.

She shared everything she knew with Jin Xiuzhu. In the eyes of others, Jiang Mingchuan’s adoptive parents were exceptionally good people, but her grandparents didn’t seem to think so. Fang Min added, “If you go, it’s best to be cautious.”

Fang Min rarely spoke ill of others, so after saying this, she felt a bit embarrassed and lowered her head.

Jin Xiuzhu understood her good intentions and smiled. “Don’t worry, I never let myself get taken advantage of.”

Fang Min nodded, recalling a scene she had witnessed before, and felt it made sense. Jin Xiuzhu was much more capable than she was.

As they were finishing their meal, a loud argument suddenly erupted from upstairs. The four people at the table instinctively paused their eating.

The voices were so loud that they were impossible to ignore. They heard the old lady’s sharp voice cursing:

“All you do is bully me, an old woman with a good heart. Look at you, married for so long without any sign of a baby, and you still dare to give me attitude? How dare you?”

“This is my house. You’re leeching off us, eating and drinking for free, and you even brought along a burden. My grandson doesn’t even get candy while you stuff your face with sweets every day, spending my son’s money to raise someone else’s child. How shameless can you be?”

“That troublemaker Liu Hongyue just couldn’t stand to see our family doing well, and now she’s getting her retribution, isn’t she? And you, heartless wretch, didn’t even have the guts to speak up when things went wrong. That fool Jin Xiuzhu actually believed your lies. If you ask me, it wasn’t Liu Hongyue who reported it, it was you scheming behind everyone’s back…”

Before the old lady could finish, there was a sudden loud bang from upstairs, followed by her frightened scream.

It sounded like something had crashed to the ground, the impact felt most acutely by Jin Xiuzhu and the others living below. He Yan was so startled he dropped his chopsticks.

Fang Min’s eyes widened in shock.

Jin Xiuzhu calmly reassured her, “You’ll get used to it. Let’s eat.”

Fang Min: “…”

After finishing the meal, Jin Xiuzhu escorted Fang Min to the door. Seeing that the door next door was closed, she was about to shut her own door when she heard footsteps from above. Looking up, she saw Zhao Yun coming down with a sullen face, carrying her child.

The old lady upstairs opened the door and cursed, “You think leaving will scare me? If you’ve got the guts to leave, don’t bother coming back, you jinx!”

Zhao Yun spotted Jin Xiuzhu, hesitated, then quickly lowered her head and hurried past.

The girl in her arms was crying and sobbing, “Grandma doesn’t like me.”

Even as Zhao Yun walked away, Jin Xiuzhu could hear her whispering, “She’s not your grandma…”

Jin Xiuzhu closed the door and sent the two children, who had been watching the commotion, off to do their homework before she started to clean up the dishes.