Sun Guifeng had not remained idle after that. From the moment she was forced into the Li family, she began fighting back in every way she could.
Step by step, she slowly tightened her control over Zhao Depeng. At first through tears, then through complaints, then through carefully planted grievances whispered beside the kang late at night. Zhao Depeng was clever but love headed man to begin with.
Add Wang Chunhua's constant favoritism toward her natal relatives, and it did not take long before Sun Guifeng learned how to steer the household atmosphere to her advantage.
Whenever Chen Meilan entered the room, there would suddenly be more work left unfinished. Whenever Li Guoqiang sent money or supplies back home, Wang Chunhua would somehow find reasons to redistribute them elsewhere. And whenever conflict arose inside the Li household, Sun Guifeng always made sure the fire quietly spread toward Chen Meilan.
At the same time, she also secretly spread rumors about Wang Xiuying throughout nearby villages. About how she smiled and associates freely with men.
But Wang Xiuying was far more shameless than she had expected. Not only did those rumors fail to crush her reputation, Wang Xiuying instead carried herself even more arrogantly afterward.
Especially after securing factory employment in Anshan few years back. Just that incident alone was enough to make her furious.
Because she knew exactly how Wang Xiuying had gotten that factory assignment. The memory surfaced for only a moment before Sun Guifeng forcefully suppressed it again.
Her jaw tightened. No, she did not even want to think about that matter. Just recalling it made her blood boil harder.
Suddenly... Bang! The wooden dipper in her hand flew across the room and smashed violently against the mud-brick wall, splitting cleanly into two pieces before falling onto the floor.
Zhao Hongmei jumped backward in fright. Her mother's face had already twisted with fury.
"No!" Sun Guifeng shouted, her voice nearly breaking. "That bitch is not stepping into my house again!" Her chest rose violently.
Zhao Hongmei swallowed nervously. Even she felt frightened seeing her mother like this. But at the same time, she also remembered the system task.
Ten Protagonist Halo Points.
She could not afford to lose them. Especially not now. Taking a cautious breath, Zhao Hongmei steadied herself before speaking carefully.
"Mother…" she began softly, "don't you want my brother to become the only university student in the entire village?"
Sun Guifeng frowned deeply at her daughter's words and looked at her sharply, suspicion and irritation mixing within her gaze. "What are you trying to say?" she asked coldly.
Zhao Hongmei forced a bitter smile onto her face and lowered her voice as though speaking with difficulty, "Mother… haven't we already tried everything we could?" she said softly. "We tried provoking Li Jianhua into leaving school, but we couldn't. Aunt Meilan is also determined to keep him studying. And these past few days…" Her brows furrowed deliberately. "Even Li Shuying has changed completely. Nothing is following how we planned anymore."
As she spoke, she carefully observed Sun Guifeng's expression. Sure enough the anger in her mother's eyes gradually shifted into contemplation.
Zhao Hongmei immediately continued while the opportunity remained, "Mother, I think…" she hesitated slightly before speaking more firmly, "it might actually be a good thing that Aunt Xiuying is coming."
The moment those words fell Sun Guifeng's face darkened instantly, "You little dead girl!" she snapped. "Have you lost your mind?"
But before her mother could erupt again, Zhao Hongmei hurriedly stepped forward, "Mother, listen to me first!" Her tone became quicker, more persuasive, "I know you hate Aunt Xiuying. But think carefully, who hates her even more than you do?"
Sun Guifeng paused slightly.
Zhao Hongmei's eyes gleamed faintly, "It's Aunt Meilan. And Aunt Xiuying hates Aunt Meilan just as much." A subtle smile slowly appeared on Zhao Hongmei's lips, "In that case… why should we dirty our own hands?" Her voice dropped lower, "Let them fight each other. Let them tear each other apart while we simply sit behind and add firewood to the flames. As the old village saying went, When tigers fight in the mountains, the fox waits below."
Sun Guifeng's tightly furrowed brows loosened slightly.
Seeing this reaction, Zhao Hongmei immediately pressed forward, "Mother, even if you run to the hospital now to confront Grandmother, what will happen?" she asked softly. "Grandmother will only scold you, curse you, and protect aunt Xiuying as always. In the end, won't you only make yourself angry? She is coming anyway. So why let that woman ruin your mood and health?"
Sun Guifeng's expression gradually calmed. Though hatred still remained in her eyes, the earlier explosive rage had clearly weakened.
Zhao Hongmei secretly rejoiced inwardly. Then she delivered the final bait, "And Mother…" she said carefully, leaning closer, "if I get along well with Li Fengying and quietly stir things from behind the scenes…" A calculating smile flickered across her face. "Do you think Aunt Meilan will still be able to live peacefully?"
Sun Guifeng's eyes narrowed.
Zhao Hongmei lowered her head slightly and spoke almost in a whisper, "I can make sure tensions inside their family grow worse and worse. And if things continue escalating…" She paused deliberately before continuing, "…perhaps Aunt Meilan herself will eventually stop interfering and I'll instigate Li Jianhua to quit school."
Zhao Hongmei's voice softened further, "Mother… just endure for now and think about the future instead."
Her eyes sparkled as she painted the image slowly, temptation hidden within every word.
"One day, Brother Xiaojun will become the only university student in the entire village. He will pass the college entrance examination. He will receive state job allocation and Urban household registration. At that time our family will rise completely."
Her tone gradually turned almost dreamlike, "We won't need to envy aunt Xiuying anymore just because she became a canteen records clerk in a railway equipment factory. My brother Xiaojun will stand far above her. And we will finally hold our heads higher than everyone else."
A subtle smile slowly spread across Sun Guifeng's face as Zhao Hongmei's words sank into her mind. The fury that had been burning within her moments earlier gradually subsided, though traces of suspicion still lingered in her eyes.
She narrowed her gaze at her daughter and asked sharply, "So… you want to become friends with that bitch's daughter?" Her tone was cold and probing.
Zhao Hongmei immediately shook her head, "No, Mother, you misunderstood me," she said quickly. "I'm not saying we become truly close to them. I'm saying we use that mother-and-daughter pair and kill two birds with one stone."
Sun Guifeng stared at her daughter for several long moments. In the end, she merely looked away. She neither agreed nor refused. But that silence alone was already enough.
Zhao Hongmei secretly released a breath of relief before continuing carefully, "Mother, you know better than anyone how shameless Aunt Wang Xiuying is." Her voice lowered with disdain. "If a woman can give birth to a daughter without marrying and still strut around openly in public without caring about gossip, then just think how thick-skinned she truly is. In all these years," she continued, "have you ever once seen her lower her head because of people's criticism? She simply laughs it away and keeps living comfortably."
Zhao Hongmei shook her head lightly, "There's no way people like us can directly fight someone like that without dirtying our own hands." Her eyes gleamed cunningly, "So instead of confronting her ourselves, why not stand aside quietly and let her do the dirty work? Meanwhile, our family can focus on building our own future."
Hearing those words, Sun Guifeng gradually fell into thought. The resentment she carried toward Wang Xiuying had been buried inside her heart for many years, festering like an old wound that never healed. Yet now, as she imagined Wang Xiuying and Chen Meilan standing against one another, two women who despised each other to the bone, a strange sense of satisfaction slowly rose within her.
Her lips finally curled upward. Then suddenly she chuckled. "Good," she said slowly, "Very good." The earlier rage in her expression finally disappeared completely.
Seeing this, Zhao Hongmei inwardly rejoiced. At last her mission could proceed smoothly without provoking her mother further.
But just as relief settled into her heart, Sun Guifeng suddenly turned toward her again, her expression becoming stern once more.
"However you must stay cautious. That bastard girl cannot possibly be any better than her vicious mother. I already suffered once because of Wang Xiuying." Her fingers tightened against her sleeves unconsciously. "You absolutely cannot repeat my mistakes."
She looked directly at Zhao Hongmei, "So even if you approach Li Fengying…" she warned coldly, "you must always keep your guard up. Never trust her completely."
Zhao Hongmei immediately nodded obediently, "Don't worry, Mother," she replied softly. "I know exactly what I'm doing. I will never allow Li Fengying to overshadow me."
Sun Guifeng studied her daughter quietly for a moment before finally nodding.
This time, she said nothing further. The matter for now was settled.
Meanwhile, Zhao Hongmei lowered her head slightly to conceal the delight hidden within her expression. Everything was finally moving according to her plan once again.
By the time dinner ended, night had already settled heavily over Shitou Village. Everyone from the Li family had eaten at the communal canteen except Li Shuying.
Since she had earned work points for the day, her meal portion had been distributed to Li Jianhua instead.
For a long time, Li Shuying tried recalling the details surrounding He Baogen's death from her previous life. The harder she forced herself to remember, however, the more fragmented the memory became. Sixty years was simply too long. Many things had already blurred beyond recognition.
She only remembered the result, He Baogen had died during winter. After that, Widow He's life had completely collapsed. But how exactly it happened, she could not remember. That uncertainty made her increasingly uneasy. In the end, Li Shuying could only temporarily suppress the matter.
There was no use tormenting herself tonight. With that thought, she entered her system space once more.
Inside the kitchen area, she quickly prepared herself a bowl of boiled egg soup. After eating, Li Shuying did not rest immediately.
Instead, she began organizing the system space carefully. Harvesting crops, replanting seedlings and processing stored produce.
Finally, she separated several items she intended to bring out tomorrow. Tomorrow she planned to visit Zhang Junyi again. If possible, she wanted to quietly sell some supplies and earn more money.
By the time everything was finished, the outside world had already become completely silent. When Li Shuying returned to reality and pushed open the wooden window slightly, cold night air immediately drifted into the room.
The village had long fallen asleep. Most houses were dark. Only a few faint oil lamps still glowed weakly behind paper windows.
Li Shuying slowly exhaled. Now she could only hope tomorrow's sweet potato planting would proceed smoothly. Otherwise, all the effort she had spent would become meaningless.
She than turned around slowly and climbed onto the kang beneath the thick cotton quilt. Exhaustion gradually seeped through her body. Just as she closed her eyes, however, she suddenly frowned slightly. She felt as though she had forgotten something important. She lay there quietly for a long while, thinking carefully.
But in the end nothing came to mind and eventually, sleepiness overcame her exhaustion. "Forget it…" she murmured softly. Then, little by little, she drifted into sleep.
Meanwhile, in another room of the house, Chen Meilan remained completely awake, absentmindedly twisting the corner of her blanket between her fingers.
Everything that had happened today replayed endlessly inside her mind. Especially Zhang Xiuli's words, that Wang Xiuying was coming back.
And not merely for a short visit, she would remain in the village until after the New Year. That single piece of news had unsettled Chen Meilan entirely.
Even now, merely thinking of Wang Xiuying's name made her chest tighten.
That woman's face, her smiling eyes, her seemingly carefree manner and her deliberately casual words, every single thing about her reminded Chen Meilan of humiliation she had never truly forgotten.
Some wounds did not bleed openly. But once touched again they still hurt just as deeply.
And now that woman was returning to the village once more. Returning to reopen wounds that had only barely scarred over.
Her fingers slowly tightened around the quilt.
Worst of all, what if Li Guoqiang also returned on leave during that period? The mere thought alone made a chill run through her body.
It was not that she distrusted her husband. Li Guoqiang had never once given her reason to doubt him.
But fear was not always rational, especially for women. Mainly in matters of the heart.
And Widow He's always said, "Men ah… their hearts are like drifting water. Who can truly hold them forever?"
Chen Meilan bit her lip lightly. Her gaze slowly drifted toward the hand mirror Liu Lingmei had lent her earlier. It still lay beside her pillow, carefully wrapped in a faded piece of blue cloth.
For the entire evening she had not dared touch it once. She knew what years of hardship had done to her. She knew she no longer resembled the young woman who had once followed her father through villages carrying medicine satchels and herb baskets. The girl who had once turned heads wherever she walked was long gone.
At least... that was what she kept telling herself. Yet tonight, after hearing Wang Xiuying's name again, an uncontrollable urge rose within her heart.
She wanted to know. She wanted to see exactly what remained of the woman Li Guoqiang had married all those years ago.
Would she still be able to stand before Wang Xiuying without lowering her head? Or had time already defeated her?
Her fingers tightened around the blanket. After a long silence, she finally pushed aside the quilt and climbed off the kang. The cold floor sent a chill through her feet. Holding the wrapped mirror carefully, she quietly opened her door.
The house was silent.
She first stopped outside Li Jianhua's room, then Li Jianguo and Li Jianmin's room and finally, she paused outside Li Shuying's room.
Only after confirming that all her children were sleeping did Chen Meilan finally release a small breath of relief.
She made her way into the living room. The darkness inside seemed endless. She struck a match and with a faint hiss, the kerosene lamp came alive. Warm yellow light spread across the room.
Chen Meilan sat down slowly on the kang near the table. The mirror rested quietly in her lap. For a long time she simply stared at it. Then, with trembling fingers, she began unwrapping the cloth. Her heartbeat grew faster and the room seemed strangely quiet.
Finally the mirror was revealed. Her hands shook as she slowly raised it and looked.
The instant her reflection appeared the mirror nearly slipped from her hands. A strangled gasp escaped her lips and her pupils trembled violently. For a moment she simply stared, unable to believe what she was seeing.
"W...What..." The words caught in her throat, "What have I become...?" Tears immediately flooded her eyes.
The woman staring back at her felt like a stranger. Years of working beneath scorching summers and freezing winters had left their mark without mercy.
Her skin, once fair and delicate, had become rough and weathered. The relentless sun had darkened it into an uneven wheat-bronze color. Countless days bent over fields beneath wind and dust had stolen its softness long ago.
The skin around her cheeks appeared dry and thin. Winter cracks and old frost damage had left faint marks near her jaw and the corners of her mouth. Her face itself had become noticeably gaunt.
Years of food shortages and constant labor had slowly hollowed her cheeks, making her cheekbones appear sharper than they should.
Malnutrition had stolen the healthy fullness of youth. Fine lines spread from the corners of her eyes. Tiny creases lingered around her lips. Not deep enough to belong to an old woman. Yet far too many for someone only thirty-three years old.
She was thirty-three, yet the reflection staring back looked closer to fifty. Even her hair showed traces of silver among the dark strands.
Chen Meilan's hand began trembling uncontrollably. This wasn't the face she remembered. She remembered a young woman with smooth skin and bright eyes.
A woman villagers once compared to spring peach blossoms. Where had she gone? When had she disappeared?
A sob escaped her lips, then another. Tears rolled freely down her cheeks. She quickly covered her mouth with both hands.
Her shoulders shook violently, but she dared not cry aloud, the children were sleeping, she could not wake them. So she buried every sound inside her chest and cried silently beneath the dim kerosene light.
Tears streamed silently down her cheeks as years of buried grievances surged from the depths of her heart.
How many years had it been? How many nights had she swallowed her tears and endured alone? Even she could no longer remember.
After marrying Li Guoqiang, she had imagined a simple life. Not a rich life. Not a glorious life, just a peaceful one.
A husband who respected her. Children who grew up healthy. A warm home. That was all.
But after Li Guoqiang returned to the military, reality had struck her harder than any winter wind. From the moment she entered the Li household, she had become little more than a beast of burden.
Before dawn she would rise. After midnight she would sleep. Every day was the same, from fetching water to working in the fields and carrying firewood, everything fell on her.
When others slept, she worked. When others complained, she remained silent and continued working.
Wang Chunhua never stopped ordering her around. Nothing Chen Meilan did was ever enough. If she finished one task, another immediately followed. If she sat for a moment, Wang Chunhua would accuse her of being lazy. If she worked too slowly, she was scolded. If she worked too quickly, she was accused of showing off. It was as though her very existence had become a fault.
Even during the busiest farming seasons, Wang Chunhua demanded she work in the fields alongside the men. The work was so heavy that many women could barely endure it. Yet Chen Meilan had no choice.
Even when she was heavily pregnant with Li Jianguo and Li Jianmin, twins and had a two years old Li Jianhua to tend to. She did not earn sympathy. It only earned more criticism, "If other women can work, why can't you? Pregnancy is not an illness, so stop acting delicate."
There were days when her back hurt so badly she could barely straighten herself. Days when her legs trembled from exhaustion. Yet she never dared complain.
Then there was the money. Li Guoqiang faithfully sent his military allowance home every month. But Chen Meilan never saw a single fen.
Wang Chunhua controlled everything. According to her, Li Guoqiang's earnings were filial money. Money owed to the step mother who had raised him. What right did a daughter-in-law have to touch it?
Whenever Chen Meilan needed cloth, medicine, shoes, or even malted milk to feel her little toddlers, she had to earn it herself.
Meanwhile, Sun Guifeng's children never lacked anything, malted milk, better cloth, warmer shoes and extra food.
After childbirth, Sun Guifeng rested properly on the kang while she attended to household chores.
But when Chen Meilan gave birth? The confinement period that every woman treasured became a luxury she was never granted. Before a month had even passed, she was already back at work. Working until her stitches ached and her body felt ready to collapse and her recovery never came.
And because her body had been pushed too hard, too soon, she struggled to produce enough milk for her sons.
She still remembered those desperate days.
Li Jianhua, Li Jianguo and Li Jianmin had been little more than toddlers. Their tiny faces were thin. Their cries weak from hunger. So she did what no mother wished to do.
She volunteered for the manure pits. The filthiest work in the commune. Every day she carried buckets of human waste from collection pits to distant fields. The stench soaked into her clothes. Yet she endured it. Because the money earned there were slightly higher. Enough to buy a tin of malted milk.
At that memory, Chen Meilan's tears flowed even harder. No woman should have endured such hardships. Many would have broken and have run away, yet she endured until she was officially separated few years ago.
Not because she was stronger than others, because every time she looked at her children, she found another reason to continue. A mother could endure hunger, humiliation, exhaustion. But she could not endure watching her children suffer. That alone had carried her through countless dark nights.
And beyond her children, there was another reason, Li Guoqiang. She knew he did not know the full extent of her suffering and she never dare tell him as most of the time he was stationed far away and was on the battle fields, so she wanted him to be worry free and not distracted while serving the country. And whenever he returned on leave, she would smile and tell him everything was fine.
So she endured for the family she wanted to protect. She endured because she believed that one day the bitter winter would pass and spring would eventually arrive.
But now as she stared at the tired woman reflected in the mirror, Chen Meilan suddenly felt, whether that spring would ever truly come or not, she had actually lost herself to the struggle and survival in this winter.
She wept until her throat was parched, and there were no tears left to shed. After a while, she composed herself and attempted to rise and make her way to the kitchen for some water. Just as she was about to stand, she noticed the water canteen on the table.
She picked it up, unscrewed the cap, and gulped down the water in large swigs until her throat felt refreshed and relieved.
Then she gazed into the void. She now realized how far she stood compared to Wang Xiuying, who was now a worker in the city. She understood that she couldn't confront that woman, not only due to her lack of confidence but also because she felt inferior to her at this moment.
She had completely lost, to time, to herself, and to that woman.