"Okay, I'll listen to you. When the time comes, Mom will give the food money to your grandma right in front of your uncles and aunts." Zhang Minzhen patted her daughter's head, realizing her daughter had a much more innate grasp of these social nuances than she did.
'It's true that children from poor families mature early.'
Thinking of all the ways her daughter had changed just today, her eyes began to sting with tears again.
"Right. We need to take everything important with us today. We have to be prepared for this to be our only trip," Gu Nuan Nuan continued reminding her mother. They didn't need to haul away pots and pans, but they absolutely had to take all of their essential personal belongings. Otherwise, once things turned ugly, who knew what would have happened to their things by the time they came back for them? They might be disposed of or already divided up amongst the family.
"That makes sense. I'll listen to you." Recalling the usual disposition of her husband's family, Zhang Minzhen instinctively agreed with her daughter. After being pulled away by her daughter earlier and witnessing how opinionated she was, Zhang Minzhen subconsciously stopped seeing her as just a simple child. As a result, she could truly listen to what she had to say.
Her mother's change was subtle, but Gu Nuan Nuan noticed it, and her mood instantly lifted.
The mother and daughter's clothes for all four seasons, plus essential toiletries and Gu Nuan Nuan's schoolbooks, didn't amount to much. Everything fit into a single bundle wrapped in floral cloth. And because Gu Nuan Nuan insisted on carrying her own schoolbag, the bundle looked even smaller.
She sighed internally at the sight of their meager luggage. As she pulled her mother away, she felt not a single shred of attachment to this place.
"Hey! Zhang Minzhen, where are you off to with your daughter? Didn't Gu Jinhua say her second brother—your younger brother-in-law's family—was coming back from the city today? It's almost noon. How come you aren't back at your in-laws' house?"
The mother and daughter hadn't been gone long when they ran into He Xiulin. She also worked at the supply and marketing cooperative and had the day off today. Unlike Zhang Minzhen, He Xiulin was a permanent employee and usually looked down on Zhang Minzhen, barely giving her the time of day. However, she was particularly close with Zhang Minzhen's sister-in-law, Gu Jinhua.
Of course, there was a reason she was taking the initiative to speak to Zhang Minzhen today.
She and Gu Jinhua had made plans a few days ago to go shopping in the city today. But just as they were about to leave, Gu Jinhua suddenly announced that her second brother was returning to town. That meant Zhang Minzhen couldn't cover her shift, as she had to go back and help with the cooking.
With an excuse like that, He Xiulin had no choice but to accept that their trip to the city was off. After all, every time they went to the city, they ate lunch at Gu Jinhua's second brother's place. Since his family was coming back to town today, they'd have nowhere to get a free lunch even if they went. Still, being unable to go to the city for any reason left He Xiulin feeling disgruntled.
She never expected to run into Zhang Minzhen at this hour.
'Though from the looks of it, Zhang Minzhen doesn't seem like she's heading back to her in-laws' to do chores. It looks more like she's packed her things to return to her own family...'
'Who cares what she's up to, anyway? Hmph. Since she doesn't have to go back and cook, maybe Gu Jinhua's second brother changed his plans and isn't coming back today. If he rescheduled, why didn't Zhang Minzhen cover Gu Jinhua's shift on time? Why did she have to ruin our trip to the city?'
He Xiulin eyed Zhang Minzhen and Gu Nuan Nuan with suspicion. A flicker of anger ignited within her, and her tone soured as she spoke.
'You've got to be kidding me. Can't even leave the house without running into some lunatic.'
Gu Nuan Nuan rolled her eyes. One look at her mother's stoic, indifferent expression and she understood everything. 'This must be one of Mom's and my aunt's colleagues. The kind who's chummy with my aunt and looks down on my mom.' Her attitude was strikingly similar to her aunt's. 'Birds of a feather really do flock together.'
Seeing her mom completely ignore the woman, with no intention of responding, Gu Nuan Nuan smiled to herself. 'This is exactly how you should treat someone like her,' she mused. 'You look down on me? I'll just ignore you even harder.'
'A taste of their own medicine.'
'Grandma's side of the family still doesn't know that scumbag dad had acid thrown on him,' she remembered. 'Heh, what a waste it would be not to use this perfect, ready-made mouthpiece.'
'Besides, first impressions are everything.' In the short time since they'd left the house, she had already keenly felt the curious stares of several onlookers. An idea sparked. She turned to He Xiulin and asked, "Auntie, you know my aunt, right?"
"Yes, I know her."
Just as He Xiulin was feeling awkward and losing face from being completely ignored by Zhang Minzhen, she heard Gu Nuan Nuan's question. At that moment, it was like music to her ears, and she nodded quickly.
But after answering Gu Nuan Nuan, she grew indignant. 'Since when did Zhang Minzhen grow a spine? How dare she ignore me when I speak to her?'
'Hmph, I'll definitely tell Gu Jinhua about this later. How can I swallow this insult without getting back at her? Anyway, most people at the cooperative know Gu Jinhua looks down on Zhang Minzhen, her little brother's wife. The two of us have tripped her up and slandered her behind her back plenty of times. As long as it doesn't cause any real harm or get her pay docked, it's fine.'
She recalled Gu Jinhua saying that Zhang Minzhen had no say at home. She had to hand her entire monthly salary over to her second brother-in-law, and was only allowed to keep one yuan as pocket money. The thought made He Xiulin's anger subside considerably.
'What a waste of that pretty face. What's the use of being good-looking? She's not just dumb as a rock, she can't even keep ahold of her man's heart. She's just a total pushover, someone her husband's family can mold and shape however they want.'
Gu Nuan Nuan had no idea so many thoughts had flashed through He Xiulin's mind in an instant. She composed her face into an angry expression, raised her voice, and said, "Then you should hurry and tell my aunt! Tell her to get my grandma and go to the hospital. My dad had sulfuric acid thrown all over his head and face by the father of that man's own son and daughter, and he's in the hospital right now!"
After Gu Nuan Nuan finished, she saw from the corner of her eye that several people were starting to gather closer. She nodded to herself in satisfaction and immediately dropped another bombshell. "But just now at the hospital, my dad said he was broke. He only has about ten yuan on him and told my mom to go ask my grandpa and grandma for help. But Mom gives him her entire salary! It was only after the debt from building our house was paid off two years ago that he started giving her one yuan a month for spending money. If *he* says he's broke, where is Mom supposed to get any money?"
Gu Nuan Nuan's words successfully captured the attention of the surrounding crowd.
This wasn't just the dormitory area for the supply and marketing cooperative; the dorms for the grain station and the school were here too. All told, there were a lot of people around.
The town wasn't very large, and it was always the same faces. Since Zhang Minzhen worked as a clerk at the cooperative, a great many people knew her by sight. The image of her pulling her daughter along while carrying a bundle was already quite conspicuous. More than a few people had been curious, but most had only wondered privately if she and her husband had fought. 'Is that why she's packed her things and is taking the child back to her family?'
Now, Gu Nuan Nuan's words struck like a clap of thunder, sending a jolt through the crowd.
Zhang Minzhen secretly squeezed her daughter's palm and shot her a look of mild reproach. She wasn't ready to have her family's dirty laundry aired in public for all to see.
Gu Nuan Nuan squeezed her mother's hand in return, giving her a reassuring look that said, 'Calm down.' 'Mom is just too soft-hearted,' she thought. 'If I don't seize this chance to get the truth out there first and create a strong first impression, who knows how Grandma's side of the family will twist the story later.'