It wasn't entirely accurate to call this person a guest. Strictly speaking, this person was also part of the Red Heart Brigade. It was just that after being away for several years, everyone had subconsciously forgotten about this person. Now, with this person reappearing at the Red Heart Brigade, the impact on the brigade was immense. This person was none other than Kang Yiye.
Kang Yiye was the sixth person from the Red Heart Brigade to be admitted to university this time. Although her grades weren't as good as the other five, she had still managed to get into university. However, after she was accepted, the admission notice was sent to the Red Heart Brigade, but she herself did not return. To this day, the notice was still kept at Su Changjiu's house.
Her sudden return to the Red Heart Brigade on New Year's Eve was like finding a fly in their food for the people of the brigade. It made them feel disgusted! Su Changjiu looked at the woman who appeared at his doorstep, his look of disdain almost impossible to hide. But he could only put on a pretense.
"Captain, why the look? It's not easy for a weak woman like me to live like a tumbleweed," Kang Yiye said, adopting a frail demeanor and giving Su Changjiu a flirtatious glance. Su Changjiu felt utterly disgusted and said coldly, "Are you here to get your admission notice? Wait a moment, I'll get it for you!"
It was the New Year, and Su Changjiu didn't want someone like her to ruin the feng shui of his house. So, after speaking, he intended to close the door. But Kang Yiye was quick-handed and stepped forward, blocking the door of Su Changjiu's house.
"Kang Yiye, what are you doing?" Su Changjiu, afraid to get close to Kang Yiye, took a step back, giving Kang Yiye an opportunity to enter.
"Wife, wife!" the captain shouted in alarm. What did this woman want? He had no relationship with her, so why was she coming to his house?
The captain's wife, who was making dumplings with their daughter Xiaocao, heard her husband's panicked voice and quickly set aside the dough to come out. "What's wrong?"
"Go and get Kang Yiye's admission notice," the captain said, retreating several steps, hoping the woman would leave on her own. At this moment, passersby outside also saw Kang Yiye. The news of Kang Yiye's return to the Red Heart Brigade was thus abruptly known to many in the brigade. Moreover, they knew that after Kang Yiye returned, she went directly to the captain's house.
The captain's wife clearly hadn't expected Kang Yiye to barge in. What was she doing? "Grass's father, go get the notice. I'll chat with Comrade Kang for a bit." The captain's wife saw her husband's terrified look and knew exactly why he was afraid. This woman was a jinx, and she couldn't let her linger at their house.
Seeing his wife arrive, the captain scurried towards the inner room, his steps so fast as if he would be caught by Kang Yiye if he was any slower. The captain's wife couldn't help but want to laugh at this. Her husband had never been so afraid of anyone in his life. After a slight smile, she ignored Su Changjiu and walked directly to the doorway, standing in front of Kang Yiye.
"Auntie, long time no see, how have you been?" Kang Yiye said, flicking her permed hair with a seductive air.
"Comrade Xiao Kang, we are both women. Don't make such gestures at me!" the captain's wife said without mincing words. "Besides..." She paused, looking Kang Yiye up and down several times, making Kang Yiye feel uncomfortable, before continuing. "Besides, don't you know where you came from?"
Kang Yiye's face contorted instantly at the captain's wife's undisguised words. The hardships she had endured flashed before her eyes like a movie. Kang Yiye clenched her fists, wishing she could punch the mocking smile on the other woman's face! Why had she suffered and toiled in the mine? Wasn't it because these women in the Red Heart Brigade couldn't tolerate people? What had she done? She had only exchanged some grain for a few dollars! They all lived by men, so why couldn't she? It was clearly jealousy of her youth and beauty, and the favor she received from the men. These women, out of envy and jealousy, had sent her to that disreputable place! She wanted to show them that she was far beyond their reach.
Thinking that she was now a university student, her expression softened slightly, and a faint smile even touched her lips. "Auntie, I don't believe I offended you in the past. Why are you being so aggressive?"
The captain's wife looked at the seemingly frail and hurt woman with utter disgust. Who was she putting on this act for? She wasn't one of those men who were only interested in straying; how could she feel any pity for her? "You came from the mine. I'm not saying this to be mean, but even a fairy living in such a place for a few years would turn into a common village hen, let alone you!"
This remark, especially the phrase "common hen," made Kang Yiye's face turn red instantly. This woman was too hateful. She hadn't even been involved with her husband, so why couldn't she tolerate her? And why insult her like this? "Auntie, who hasn't been young? I made mistakes in the past and learned my lesson. How can you keep harping on this one mistake?"
"I haven't. It's just that you barged into my house today, and I'm not in a good mood." Hearing the captain's wife's words, Kang Yiye's eyes suddenly reddened. "Auntie, I had no choice! I've been away for so long, and now that I'm back, I don't even have a place to stay. If I don't look for the captain, who else can I look for?"
These words almost made the captain's wife explode with anger. What about the captain? The captain wasn't there to serve a "used shoe"! "Our house can't accommodate a distinguished guest like you!" the captain's wife said with a cold laugh. It wasn't just their family who dared not keep this "distinguished guest"; it was likely that no one in the Red Heart Brigade would dare to house her. After all, what if, while staying with them, she ended up on the couple's kang?
"Auntie, it's right for you to think that way. Comrade Kang is no ordinary person!" a woman's sarcastic voice rang out from outside the captain's house. The captain's wife looked over and saw several women watching the spectacle. The woman who had spoken was the wife of a nephew from the Su family. Her husband had been infatuated with Kang Yiye a couple of years ago and had been away from home constantly. When Kang Yiye was arrested, she had been ecstatic for days. It was no wonder she was unhappy to see Kang Yiye now.
The captain rushed out of the house, handed Kang Yiye's admission notice to his wife, and gestured for her to give it to Kang Yiye. He didn't want to be entangled by this woman over the time it took to hand over a notice. Just as the captain's wife was about to give the admission notice to Kang Yiye, she suddenly saw Kang Yiye bow to the captain.
"Captain, I did wrong in the past, but I am also a member of our Red Heart Brigade. Now that I've returned, you can't just watch me sleep on the streets!" As she spoke, Kang Yiye even shed tears. Her pitiful appearance would have surely drawn a comforting gesture from any man who didn't know who Kang Yiye was. But everyone in the Red Heart Brigade knew that Kang Yiye was not to be trifled with. Moreover, at this moment, there were only one or two men present, while the rest of the onlookers were women, so who would pity her?
"I say, Comrade Kang, why don't you go find Li Changming?" someone suddenly said. Kang Yiye was stunned at first, then her face was filled with disbelief! She had fancied Li Changming back then only because he was the accountant and held power. He could ensure she ate well, lived comfortably, and worked less. Now, that man was useless. She was going to be a university student, and her future life would be so much better. Why would she tie her life to such a man?
This news was brought back home by some of the Su family children who had gone out to play. At that time, Su Taohua and Chi Ge, among others, were gathered at the old Su family's house, waiting for the New Year. When they heard the news, Su Taohua's expression turned a bit grim, but she quickly regained her composure.
"Sister Taohua, it's all in the past."
"Xiuer, speaking of this woman, it reminds me of my child who didn't have a fate with me!" Su Taohua's face turned slightly pale. Li Changming had fought with her for this woman and kicked her in the abdomen, causing her to miscarry their two-month-old fetus. This was something Su Taohua could never forget. The revenge for her child's death was irreconcilable! Su Taohua would never truly forgive Li Changming and Kang Yiye in her life.
"Sister Taohua, perhaps you will have children!" Su Manxiu said with a smile, comforting her. "If you and Teacher Shen have a child, your future days will truly be harmonious and happy!" Although Teacher Shen treated Su Taohua very well, without their own child, there was a missing bond.
"It's okay if we don't have children; we have Xiao Liang, Xiao Gang, and Xiao Mei, which is enough!" Shen Zizhen's voice suddenly chimed in. Su Taohua's face instantly flushed red, and she glared playfully at Shen Zizhen, saying, "My sister and I were having a private chat, how did you hear it!" Shen Zizhen chuckled and found an excuse to leave.
Su Xiaotian was playing with little Chen Xiuyuan in the courtyard. Chen Xiuyuan, with his short legs, toddled after Su Xiaotian, calling her "sister." Shen Zizhen looked at them and suddenly felt that perhaps, as Su Manxiu had said, having a child of their own wouldn't be bad. But thinking of this, his expression turned a bit gloomy. He had sought help from people in the capital, and it was now almost certain that Zhu Yuling's twins were not his. To be married for many years and have his wife give birth to twins that were not his was, in itself, ironic.
Oh well, perhaps it was destined that they would have no children. In the future, he would dote on Taohua's three children as his own. None of the people in the old Su family were curious enough to go see Kang Yiye. They were too busy celebrating the New Year and didn't care about such an unrelated woman.
Meanwhile, Su Changjiu eventually had to arrange a place for Kang Yiye to stay. It was none other than the brigade's primary school. No one else was willing to take Kang Yiye in. Especially the educated youths, they found it shameful and, to some extent, were jealous. They hadn't been able to get into university, so why should Kang Yiye be able to? They even wondered if the political review for university admissions was so simple now, without investigating character. Little did they know that among this group, a letter of complaint had already been written!
The sun was setting in the west, and the sporadic sound of firecrackers echoed through the brigade. The main hall of the old Su family was bustling with activity. With three tables, two placed on the floor and one on the kang, more than twenty people gathered together.
"Our family is prosperous!" Su Xiaojiu suddenly blurted out. Everyone in the room was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter.
"It's not wrong; 'prosperous family' is a good omen!" Shen Zizhen said with a hearty laugh. "However, Xiaojiu, do you think we are all one family?" Su Xiaojiu looked around and nodded solemnly, then said, "Although we are not related by blood, after these years, we have become true family!" In the past two years, even when the situation was not good, the old Su family would secretly send a portion of their New Year's Eve dinner to Chi Ge and the others. In the little one's heart, he naturally treated all these people as family.
Chi Ge and the others also smiled. They had been here for many years and had lost contact with their original family and friends. But having so many family members here was something to be thankful for. Su Xiaotian sat next to Grandma Su, feeling that this was perhaps the happiest moment in life. Her emotions were actually more excited than anyone else present. Others didn't know, but she was very clear that in her previous life, it wasn't like this. Their old Su family was still very poor, and the people of the Red Heart Brigade had not yet lived good lives. Although she couldn't remember how much meat was distributed for the New Year that year, the family as a whole certainly wouldn't have more than twenty jin. And of this, half was taken away by Su Manxiang with some excuse. It was also in this year that the aunts and second aunt, who had always been frugal, finally couldn't help but argue with their grandparents. On the second day of the Lunar New Year, the old Su family split, and the grandparents lived with them. Coming back to life, she could do very little, but she had still led her family down a new path. For Su Xiaotian, this Spring Festival represented more of rebirth and hope.
As the family was enjoying their drinks, Captain Su Changjiu came over with his family, saying they were there to wish Grandpa Su and Grandma Su a Happy New Year. But everyone was perceptive enough to know that he was there to escape his troubles. That woman, Kang Yiye, was not eating or drinking in the primary school, so it was unlikely she wouldn't bother the captain. Grandpa Su asked Su Lao San to pour wine for the captain.
"Since you're here, why not stay a little longer!" Su Changjiu said with a smile, "I could smell the wine from afar. Tonight, I'll have to ask for a few more cups." The women sat at another table, chatting among themselves. After a while, Wang Xianghua announced that she was going to the chicken farm, saying she would be on duty there tonight, letting others rest. Su Laoda took his cotton-padded jacket and went out with his wife, saying he couldn't let his wife spend New Year's alone at the chicken farm. Su Laoda went to the chicken farm, and Su Lao Er said that he would be responsible for the pig farm tonight, letting others go home to celebrate the reunion. Although Qi Liangying found the environment of the pig farm somewhat unpleasant, thinking that the brigade's good life was due to the pig farm, she voluntarily offered to go with Su Lao Er to the pig farm. Grandma Su watched her two sons and daughters-in-law leave, feeling very happy. If it weren't for the devastating news that came on the second day of the Lunar New Year, this would have been the best New Year the old Su family had experienced in years!