Divorced woman with child travels through time

The cold wind stung his face. Uncle Liu was wearing a thick cotton-padded coat. Aunt Liu had only bought one for each member of the family after Chen Wenfang repeatedly emphasized that health was the most important thing. Even so, Uncle Liu couldn't bear to get it dirty. He wore a padded jacket over it, and brand-new cotton shoes embroidered with rivers walked on the dirt road. Fortunately, the road had been sunny for two days, so the ground wasn't too damp. He could layer another coat over the cotton-padded coat, but he couldn't layer another shoe. Uncle Liu felt a little sorry for his new shoes. To save money, all of Aunt Liu's family wore the same shade of blue.

Aunt Liu and Dazhuang were the same. They each put on new cotton-padded clothes, then layered jackets, cotton-padded trousers, and cotton-padded shoes. Wearing thick gloves, the biting wind blew fiercely, but their exposed skin felt no chill at all.

Since Shitou was a little younger, Aunt Liu sent him to Chen Wenfang's house so she could keep an eye on him and feel at ease.

Aunt Liu and her group took the official road, first passing through Wangjiazhuang. Then they followed the official road down from Wangjiazhuang to the market.

Except for their faces, the rest of their bodies weren't cold at all, and there was even a stove on the cart, roasting sweet potatoes inside. The charcoal fire was burning hot. Dazhuang even had his collar open. The aroma of sweet potatoes wafted all the way, and as soon as they arrived at Wangjiazhuang, the children surrounded them. Uncle Liu Hai immediately greeted them warmly, "Want some sweet potatoes? Here, have one to try first." Uncle Liu Hai broke off a large piece and divided it into smaller pieces for the children to try.

"Roasted sweet potatoes! Roasted sweet potatoes... Fragrant and sweet roasted sweet potatoes... Don't miss them if you pass by..." This was taught by Chen Wenfang.

Aunt Liu called out her wares boldly. Soon, villagers gathered around, buying pieces one by one. Since she sold them individually, Aunt Liu's prices weren't high. However, Wangjiazhuang was a rural area, and after selling a few, Aunt Liu and Uncle Liu Hai pushed their cart further towards the market.

As soon as you arrive at the market, the aroma of sweet potatoes fills the entire street. After all, there are many people in the middle of winter, and sweet potatoes are a variety that becomes especially fragrant when roasted. They quickly became very popular. Being able to eat a hot roasted sweet potato in the cold winter is extremely satisfying.

In less than half a day, all the sweet potatoes they brought were sold out, and the income was much more than expected. Aunt Liu and Uncle Liu Hai happily packed up their stall, bought glutinous rice, sesame seeds, wheat, and other necessities for Chen Wenfang's family, and then set off on their way home.

The three chatted as they walked. Uncle Liu said, "We really owe a lot to Fang'er this time. She taught us how to roast sweet potatoes and how to hawk them. We only brought thirty jin this time, but we'll bring more next time. We're sure we can make more money." Aunt Liu nodded with a smile, feeling grateful to Chen Wenfang as well.

On the official road, Wang Erniu, wearing a thin padded jacket, walked alone with his child on his back.

Upon entering Yongxing County, Wang Erniu felt quite melancholy. He thought to himself that he probably wouldn't search again this time. For three years in a row, he had searched every year, each time full of hope, only to return utterly disappointed. This time, during his year-long search for his wife in the south, he had originally planned to search for only a year, but because of a businessman's casual, inexplicable remark, he ended up searching for another six months. He traveled all over the country, believing every rumor he heard, but without finding a single trace. Wang Erniu's tall and strong body looked quite dejected.

As I was walking, I ran into an acquaintance on the road.

Uncle Tian saw him and called out, "Hey, Erniu, you're back! Did you find your wife?"

Wang Erniu forced a smile and said, "I didn't find it."

Uncle You Tian said somewhat awkwardly, "It's alright, it's alright. We'll find it eventually, it'll definitely be somewhere." Inwardly, he wanted to slap himself. Why bother asking all this? If they found it, wouldn't they bring it back? The person isn't there, so they obviously haven't been found. Was he even speaking human language?

Suddenly, an idea struck him, and he quickly changed the subject, saying, "Your cousin Chen Niangzi has really become rich since she came to work for you. Why don't you let Chen Niangzi teach you? And when you're rich, you can help us Wang family members too."

Wang Erniu was taken aback for a moment and said, "Chen Niangzi?" You Tianshu said, "That's your cousin. She came here in the first half of this year. Since then, she's dug a well for your family and taught the villagers how to make syrup. She's started a syrup-collecting business and is doing very well. She's made a fortune!"

Wang Erniu continued the conversation, "She's really something, always been a strong-willed person since she was little." He thought to himself, "Where did this Mrs. Chen come from? I do have a cousin, but the man she married doesn't have the surname Chen, and I've never heard of him being a businessman."

Yu Tianshu said earnestly, "When you go back and become rich, don't forget to take us old folks with you. We watched you grow up. I heard that Madam Chen is collecting syrup recently and is preparing to make sugar to sell for the New Year. Go back and ask if you can take us with you. Ah, Erniu, your uncle was so good to you when you were a child. Don't forget your roots."

Wang Erniu remained calm and continued to agree with him, saying, "Okay, okay, I'll talk to her about it later. I'll see if she agrees, and if she does, I'll tell you."

Then Wang Erniu discovered that along the way, many people were telling him about his cousin, Chen Niangzi, including how she single-handedly killed Wang Ximao, who tried to break into his house to rob and kill him. It seemed that his "cousin" was no ordinary person.

After walking for most of an hour, they entered the Great Medicine Mountain along a small path. Wang Hao woke up and said, "Father, I can get down and walk by myself."

Wang Erniu put his son down and said, "Be careful!" He reached out and took his hand, and the two of them, one big and one small, walked silently along the path. Dangerous whispers echoed from the depths of the forest, but Wang Erniu wasn't afraid. He had grown up in these mountains since childhood, running around with his father. He was a skilled hunter, always carrying a bow and arrows and a broadsword. He was running low on money anyway, so if any wild animals came out, he could hunt them down and bring them home to eat.

The forest floor was covered with a thick layer of fallen leaves. The two men trudged along, their steps uneven. Wang Hao, being small, struggled particularly hard. Seeing this, Wang Erniu said, "Let me carry you." Without waiting for Wang Hao's reply, he reached out and scooped him up, hoisting him onto his shoulder. Wang Hao didn't even get the words "I can do it" out of his mouth.

Wang Erniu was tall and had long legs, and was used to walking along forest paths. He took a shortcut and moved quickly, finishing in about half an hour. He arrived behind Aunt Liu's house.

Looking at Aunt Liu's house, Wang Erniu remembered that this family hadn't existed when he left last year. He had heard many stories about Chen Wenfang along the way. Wang Erniu couldn't help but wonder, what kind of extraordinary woman was this—daring to kill someone and also a successful businesswoman?