Starting a new chapter in life

There are eight siblings in my family. I'm the sixth in line, but we separate the boys and girls in the birth order, so I'm the third. I have three older brothers and two older sisters, and two younger sisters.

Actually, there should have been three younger sisters. Xiao Jiu was born in the famine year of 1959. There were many children in the family and not enough food, so she was not saved. Perhaps her mother's early death was also related to the fact that Xiao Jiu was not saved, which caused her depression.

I'm the middle child, unlike Jingyan, the youngest and the fifth child. She grew up pampered by her parents, and even though the family didn't have much, they always gave her the best. My eldest brother was the same; he doted on the fifth child the most.

I'm not as carefree as my eldest and second eldest sisters, nor am I as easygoing as my fourth sister, so I've always harbored some resentment towards my fifth sister.

She doesn't know that I don't like her. I love cleanliness. Every year, the girls in my family get a new set of clothes. My sisters would wear them as soon as they got them, but I, who love cleanliness and beauty, would always hide my clothes and only wear them on holidays.

Seeing my sisters' clothes no longer brand new, while I wore new clothes and was looked at by them with envious eyes, my vanity was greatly satisfied.

However, this practice became less effective as Jingyan grew up. No matter how I hid my clothes, she would always find them, and then I would run out to play with the other children, digging in the sand and rolling in the mud. I wouldn't come back until my clothes were completely ruined.

I was angry and chased after her with a stick, but I wasn't as strong as her. Not only could I not catch her, but I also exhausted myself. Since I couldn't hit her, I could only tell my mother. Although my mother dotes on the fifth child the most, she treats everyone fairly. Seeing that my clothes were ruined, she could only make me a new set as an appeasement.

Back then, I always looked forward to growing up. After I got married, I would never allow Lao Wu to visit my house. She was so annoying. Getting rid of her was my biggest wish during my teenage years.

So when my aunt, who had married into the Great Northern Wilderness, came to my house to find a wife for her eldest son, and I was chosen, I was willing, even if it meant leaving my hometown.

Full of hope, I married into the Great Northern Wilderness. When I first saw Sijun, I didn't actually like him. His skin was dark with a reddish tinge, and he wasn't very good-looking.

My aunt probably realized I wasn't interested in him, so she told me to stay here for a while and get to know him. If I still didn't like him, she would send me home. I didn't want to go home so early and get bullied by Lao Wu, so I stayed.

During our time together, Sijun was indeed very good to me. I'm not a good cook, and I'm quite delicate. I'm also not good at using the stove in the farmhouse... Looking at it this way, I realize that I've actually had a very comfortable life at home. Other girls can do everything, but I've never experienced so much hardship.

If I didn't do something well, Sijun would take the initiative to help. People are all made of flesh and blood. Over time, I even started to find my face, which I didn't like at first, pleasing to the eye. When my aunt asked me again, I lowered my head and shyly agreed to the marriage.

After the marriage, my aunt decided that we would separate our households. My aunt and uncle would live separately, Sijun and I would live separately, and my younger brother Sichen would move to live at his workplace.

Sijun was originally a demobilized soldier with a formal job. He earned 27 yuan a month, and after we got married, he didn't have to give any money to his parents; he gave it all to me. So, his financial situation was quite good.

The year after my marriage, I became pregnant and gave birth to my eldest son, Ronggang. My aunt's family valued their eldest grandson very much, and the elderly couple took the child away as soon as he was weaned. Although I didn't have a formal job, I still managed to get the title of Women's Director because of Sijun, and I had some income every month. I was living a really good life.

Two years later, I gave birth to my second child, Rongqiang. The second child was not popular with his grandparents, so my aunt did not offer to take him in to take care of him. I retired and stayed at home to take care of the child myself.

When he was transferred to take up his new post as company commander, I went with him. We had our second child, and the three of us lived quite well in the company. The only downside was that I also had to work in the fields to earn work points.

I have a strong will. Although I am always a bit delicate, I can't stand being worse than others. So I work very hard every day. I can get full attendance with eight work points a day. I am quite well-known in the company. People don't say that I am the son of Company Commander Li. They just say Jingxian.

Of course, even after all these years of marriage, I don't do any housework except for cleaning and washing clothes. Sijun does all the work, from large items like bed sheets and duvet covers to cooking, shoveling snow, and sweeping the yard. He does it voluntarily and I don't have to ask him to.

My eldest son returned to my side when he was eight years old. Because he was about to start primary school, his grandparents, who were not very educated and could be said to have little education, were afraid of hindering their grandson's future, so they sent him back.

My eldest son is filial, and my youngest son is smart. They never cause trouble outside, which makes my life much easier. As the children grow up, I can almost let go of the housework. Occasionally, when I'm in a good mood, I'll cook some noodles, which is all the housework I do at home.

My happy life eased my resentment towards my fifth sister since childhood. After she arrived in Shanghai and wrote to me with her address, we kept in touch, though not frequently. Perhaps distance makes the heart grow fonder? Our sisterly bond has actually grown even closer than when we were younger.

I thought I could live a peaceful and uneventful life like this forever, but accidents never fail to happen, only they are late. In my second son's senior year of high school, a woman came to my door. She bluntly said that she had taken a liking to Sijun and that the two of them had already had a relationship. She said that if I didn't divorce him, she would go to Sijun's workplace and cause trouble, accusing him of rape.

Although it was already the 1990s, having affairs was not uncommon and would not lead to imprisonment or criticism. However, Si Jun was a person within the system, and in this small place, he had risen to the rank of section chief, which was considered a bright future.

If this gets out, he'll definitely lose his job. Actually, I was thinking of just getting rid of him; I don't care about a tainted man. But when I saw my second son come out of the second bedroom after hearing the commotion, I hesitated.

I don't care about his father's future, I even wish I could destroy it and make him taste the pain of betrayal. But this place is too small, and even a small thing can become public knowledge. My two sons shouldn't have to bear the gossip of others for their father.

I was thinking about divorce, but I was also unwilling to give up. In this conflicted state of mind, my mental state was very unstable, and I neglected my second son during his crucial senior year of high school, which resulted in his unsatisfactory college entrance examination results, which were only good enough for him to attend a vocational college.

When Rongqiang returned from checking the school results, looking dejected, he locked himself in his room. It was then that I realized my failure. I wasn't a good mother, because my own mood had affected my child, especially during this crucial period that would impact his entire life.

At this point, my hatred for Sijun reached its peak. Divorce, absolutely divorce, and he had to leave with nothing. Didn't that woman want him? Then give it to her. Anyway, she wouldn't get any money. The children were grown up too; even without a complete family, I couldn't accept a broken one.

Even after making the decision, I still lacked confidence, so I called Jingyan for reassurance. Lao Wu didn't disappoint me; she not only firmly supported my idea of ​​divorce but also considered the negative impact on the children after the divorce and suggested that we go to her.

At that time, I didn't want to give up any hope, so I made a bold decision. I got the divorce certificate and then took my two children and left for Shanghai. At that time, I was driven by sheer courage and didn't think about the future at all.

Once we arrived in Haishi and calmed down a bit, I started to worry about the future. In this unfamiliar city, how would we support ourselves and Rongqiang pay for his tuition? I couldn't expect Jingyan to support me for the rest of my life, and even if she was willing, I wasn't.

Jingyan knew my personality and suggested that I set up a chicken farm on Changxing Island. I was unsure of myself, but I was determined to do it. Jingyan helped me with the start-up capital, factory buildings, land, and so on. At this point, my pride was the least useful thing, so I didn't care about my pride and obediently accepted Jingyan's help.

Fortunately, the chicken farm finally got started. I couldn't stand the smell of chicken manure, but I could overcome all difficulties in order to make money. My boss also felt sorry for me and did more work than me. Gradually, the chicken farm got better and better, and we supplied almost all the eggs to the food-related shops on Changxing Island.

The moment I paid back all the money Jingyan lent me, I hid under the covers and cried. I could finally let out the breath I had been holding back for the past two years, and the anxiety and pressure in my heart were greatly relieved. So, even without a man, I can raise my two sons better by working hard.

This realization was even more exhilarating than my second son getting into a top-tier university. I took even better care of the chicken farm afterwards. I had to earn money to buy houses for my two sons and help them get married.

I only ran the chicken farm for thirteen years. When others wanted to get involved, I took my boss's advice and sold it. Anyway, I had savings and felt at ease. I'm getting old, and it's time for me to enjoy my retirement.

The promise to buy houses for the children was not fulfilled. Both sons are capable and bought new houses on their own. I helped them with the down payment when they didn't have enough. Actually, I also wanted to buy a house for myself.

Perhaps it's the deep-seated Chinese attachment to home that makes people feel uneasy without owning their own house, but in the end, I didn't manage to buy that house.

Jingyan and Zhijun, a married couple, are moving to Beijing with their child. They're worried about leaving their house on Changxing Island empty, so they asked me to stay and help look after it. It's a very nice house, and it's a real shame to leave it vacant. They don't want to rent it out, and if it stays empty for too long, it'll just become useless.

I really got a great deal. After moving in, I kept the house clean and the vegetable garden in perfect order. I also planted flowers and plants along both sides of the path and along the walls. Seeing the flowers in full bloom made me feel really good.

At the time, I only intended to stay for a short period of time, but I never intended to live here for the rest of my life. Jingyan and her family settled in Beijing. Later, Jingyan passed away due to the pandemic. She was only 65 years old when she passed away. My third sister is still alive and well. How could she have passed away before me?

Jingyan passed away early, but Zhijun also passed away a few years later. They were buried in Yangzhou. Although I am old, every year around Qingming Festival, either the eldest or second eldest son will come back and drive me to the Yangzhou cemetery to visit their aunt and uncle.

As for me, perhaps because I'm open-minded or have a good attitude, I lived alone in my house on Changxing Island until I was eighty-eight years old. What an auspicious number! Neither Sijun nor Lao Wu outlived me.

I think the main reason I've lived this long is because I have a good mindset. Although Sijun and that mistress got together and that woman even gave birth to his son, so what? That kid wasn't good at studying. I heard he only got into a junior college, and it wasn't easy for him to find a job afterward.

Actually, he later contacted his two sons privately without my knowledge, but I just didn't care. He did wrong me, but he genuinely loved his two sons. I won't stop my children from receiving their father's love, as long as he doesn't cause trouble for me, I can turn a blind eye.

He also asked the second son to help him find a job in Haishi for his later child. The second son came back and asked for my opinion, but I rejected it. If he wants to spoil his child, he can do it himself; he shouldn't try to take advantage of my son.

Furthermore, what's the point of bringing his son to Haishi? Are they coming with their child just to cause me trouble? If his son is capable of finding a job and establishing himself in Haishi, I can't stop him, but asking my son for help? Dream on!

The second son was obedient. Seeing that I disagreed, he didn't help. In the end, I didn't ask where his son went or how he did. We're all scattered in different places, never to see each other again. Very well, very well.