Rebooting 60, let's go on a rampage with the orange cat!

After a long day, Shi Huai'an was finally able to crawl into bed and get a good night's sleep. But he had only been asleep for a short while when he was awakened by the noise and crying of his stepmother coming from the bedroom.

Because the room was partitioned with wooden planks, drafts came from all directions, and the sounds were naturally audible. Shi Huai'an tried to plug her ears, but it was no use. Like a frightened rabbit, she couldn't help but curl up in her blankets and prick up her ears when she heard the intense battle inside.

Sun Lüping cried louder and louder, shouting recklessly, "You old liar! What was I thinking, blinded by greed to marry you? Tell me, before we got married you clearly told me she was just an adopted daughter, sent to the countryside, and that I didn't need to worry about her. Why is she back now? Send her away tomorrow! I have to take care of the old and the young, am I supposed to come to your house to be a beast of burden? I'm not that cheap, do you think I'm easy to bully? You heartless old bastard, you dare to lie to me, I think you're blind!"

Hearing this from the outer room, Shi Huai'an's heart clenched. Terrified, she felt utterly helpless at the unpredictability of the future and the extreme insecurity that filled her. If she were sent back to the countryside again, she would have no hope of ever getting ahead. Next would be marriage, childbirth, and the torment and abuse from her wicked mother-in-law and sister-in-law, forever trapped in those towering mountains.

Shi Renmei felt somewhat guilty and could only lower her voice to explain, "I didn't mean to lie to you. At first, I planned to leave her in the countryside to be my brother's child bride, but she couldn't stand it there and wanted to come back to study, so she borrowed money to come back. Could I really send her back? Everyone's watching. You can't be too cruel, right? The child is quite pitiful. If I don't take care of her, who will? She's called me 'Dad' for over ten years. Besides, she's so grown up now. She doesn't need much care. She can do housework and take care of herself. Why can't you tolerate a child? It's just a matter of feeding her. She's grown up so much. Wouldn't it be a loss if you didn't take her? Think about it. You have no children of your own. Now that you have Huai'an, you have a real daughter! In a few years, she'll get married too. You should see it through to the end. You'll have someone to take care of you in your old age."

"Bah! You think I'd expect her to take care of me in my old age and see me off in my death? Is this just a matter of sharing a couple of chopsticks? It's not as simple as you make it sound, you old devil! You really have a silver tongue for fooling people! Do you think I'm stupid or that I'm easy to deceive? She came back crying and begging to go to school. School doesn't cost tuition? Living here doesn't cost food or drink? These things don't cost anything? What are you trying to prove with your meager salary? Even I, after marrying you, haven't been supported by you, have I? I leave early and come back late every day, carrying such heavy boxes to sell popsicles and sesame candy (a type of sesame candy from the south). I'm busy all year round and still don't earn much money from hard work. Let me tell you, don't expect me to raise your daughter." Sun Lüping became more and more aggrieved as she spoke, clapping her hands and feet and crying with spittle flying everywhere:

"You think I didn't see the new cotton-padded coat you bought for her? Do you really think I'm blind? Have you forgotten what you said when you married me? You promised to make me two new cotton-padded coats, and you still haven't done it. Now you have money to make a cotton-padded coat for this brat? What are you pretending to be rich for? I've worked so hard, saving every penny, to pay for her tuition and buy her new clothes, and you're acting like a saint? Everyone says being a stepmother is hard, but no matter what I do, I'm disliked by everyone. Why should I pretend to be a virtuous stepmother? You have to get rid of her. This family can't have her, it can't have me!"

Shi Renmei remained silent for a long time, then sighed and said, "Just for my sake, stop making trouble! I've already agreed. If word gets out, it'll sound bad, the neighbors will laugh at you, and it'll ruin your reputation. Why bother?"

"Why bother? We can't even get enough to eat, what reputation do I need? Does a stepmother have a good reputation? Doesn't she have her own parents? Send her back to her parents, raise your own child, what are you reluctant to give up? I've long seen through it all, even biological children aren't necessarily filial, who would expect someone else's child to be filial to them? That's just plain stupid. Are you worried that no one will collect your body and carry it up the mountain when you die?" Sun Lüping put one hand on her hip and pointed the other at Shi Renmei's nose, her words becoming even harsher.

Shi Renmei angrily extinguished the snuff bottle, and pushed Sun Lüping away, saying, "I'm scared! I'm scared that I won't be able to face Xiuzhi after I die... Alright... Let's leave it at that. I have to go to work tomorrow, go to sleep."

Sun Lüping lost her balance and swayed before lunging at Shi Renmei in a frenzy, hitting him wildly on the back and wailing, "Oh dear, you old bastard, you useless old man, still thinking about your damned wife! I can't live like this anymore! If you dare push me, I might as well just die..."

Shi Renmei impatiently stepped aside, shoved her to the ground, and said, "I know you regret marrying me, but I never expected you to be so unreasonable. If you keep talking about life and death every day, what's the point... Do whatever you want. Anyway, I promised Xiuzhi I would let her study, and I promised Huai'an I would let her go to school. I can't let down both the dead and the living... If you really can't tolerate her, then leave."

Shi Renmei sighed deeply, feeling a deep regret that he had acted so hastily! He hadn't realized Sun Lüping was so difficult to deal with. He went to bed on his own, completely ignoring the disheveled Sun Lüping.

Sun Lüping was stunned. She had originally intended to make a scene to get the old man to send Huai'an away, but she never expected Shi Renmei to turn around and tell her to leave. This was something she hadn't anticipated at all. Where could she go? She wouldn't even have a place to stay when she returned.

If she hadn't been attracted by his house, urban residency, access to government-subsidized food rations, and his inability to have children, why would she have married Shi Renmei, who was more than ten years older than her?

Wouldn't it be better to earn your own money and spend it yourself? The idea was inspiring, but reality was harsh. She didn't have a formal job, and the policy didn't allow her to set up a stall or open a shop. She could only carry a small box and walk from street to street doing some small business, and she had a very difficult time making a living on her own.

She had a bad marriage when she was young. Her in-laws made her suffer a lot because she couldn't have children, and her husband died young. Going back to the countryside wasn't practical either. Not only could she no longer endure the hardships of rural life, but the house in the countryside was dilapidated and had collapsed. Rebuilding it would cost a lot of money, and since she had no children, she would be bullied if she went back.

After much deliberation, she decided that it would be better to get married than to use her hard-earned retirement savings to build a house. Marriage would provide security, and her housing and food security would be secured. Shi Renmei had recently lost her wife and had no biological children; her adopted daughter had been sent to the countryside. She considered him a good candidate, which is why she arranged the marriage through a matchmaker.

People might not believe it, but it was indeed Sun Lüping who arranged the marriage. Of course, the matchmaker wouldn't say it like that, as it would lower Sun Lüping's status. It all started when she frequently exchanged change at the food company's directly operated store and became acquainted with Xiao Mei, the cashier at Shi Renmei's store. When she learned that Shi Renmei's wife was in the countryside recuperating, she took notice. Not long after Wang Xiuzhi's death, she sent someone to test the waters, and she herself often went to Shi Renmei's side, showering her with attention and trying to win her favor.

Generally, men who learn about Sun Lüping's situation will be somewhat hesitant, as she is considered unlucky for her husbands and infertile. Therefore, men of similar age are unlikely to be interested in her. Although it is said to be about breaking down feudal superstitions, some deeply ingrained beliefs are difficult to change; they are just not openly discussed.

But Shi Renmei didn't care. He had lost two wives himself, so who could be more resilient than him? He didn't care about that, but he felt a little sorry for her. He felt that he and Sun Lüping were in the same boat, and he wanted someone who would care for him and keep him warm in bed. So he went along with it and got together with her.

Who knew that Shi Renmei's adopted daughter would suddenly return, like a persistent ghost, to cause trouble again?

Seeing that Shi Renmei had made a tough statement, Sun Lüping knew that if she continued to make trouble, things would get out of hand. She had no choice but to slink away. Since he wouldn't listen to force, she would try a softer approach and take things slowly.

The sounds inside rose and fell, eventually quieting down. After tossing and turning for most of the night, Shi Huai'an was restless and tormented, unable to sleep soundly. She didn't know if her adoptive father's attitude would change; this uncertainty made her anxious and uneasy.

The next morning, at the crack of dawn, Huai'an got up to boil water and make breakfast. She was used to doing these chores in the countryside, and now she was even more proactive in order to stay and make a living. She saw that there was still some fermented tofu left in the kitchen, so she washed rice and cooked a pot of white rice porridge, stir-fried a plate of pickled mustard greens, and boiled three eggs. Still not enough, she chopped some scallions, added a little salt to the thick flour batter, and made scallion pancakes. The kitchen was immediately filled with a delicious aroma.

Shi Renmei got up first and saw Huai'an busy in the kitchen. She said, "You've made so much. I'm going to enjoy a good meal today."

Huai'an smiled sweetly and said, "If Daddy likes it, I'll make it again in the future."

Shi Renmei felt even more heartbroken. How much suffering had this child endured to become so sensible? Xiuzhi had never allowed her to do these things before. Thinking of Xiuzhi, he felt a lump in his throat and realized that he had let Xiuzhi down on her dying wish.

When Shi Huai'an saw that his father had gone to brush his teeth, he quickly poured hot water into the basin to make warm water.

Shi Renmei smiled and said, "You're so capable. I can do it myself. You can rest for a while."

Huai'an shook his head. "I'm not tired, Dad. What happened to my old schoolbag and textbooks?"

“Everything is safely stored up in the attic. Don’t worry, after you finish eating, I’ll take you to the school to see the principal,” Shi Renmei said while wiping her face and the back of her neck with a towel.

At this moment, Sun Lüping also pushed the door open heavily with a bang, her face cold and silent, and began to brush her teeth and wash her face.

Upon seeing this, Huai'an carefully carried the kettle forward and said, "There's hot water here."

Sun Lüping didn't say anything, her face was very sour. After washing up, she went to eat breakfast by herself. She glanced at the food on the table, feeling heartbroken, but she didn't say anything more.

Shi Renmei then pulled Huai'an to have breakfast together.

Breakfast was eaten quietly. Sun Lüping carried her suitcase and went out. Huai'an breathed a sigh of relief and quickly washed the dishes.

After she finished tidying up the kitchen, she saw that her father had already brought her schoolbag and textbooks down from the attic.

Shi Renmei took her out of the house, first stopping at her colleague Lao Wang's house to ask him to ask for two hours off, and then taking Huai'an to her old elementary school.

The dean of students had a deep impression of Shi Huai'an because she was good at table tennis and had been on the school team. The transfer to her class went smoothly, and she was allowed to continue to participate in the girls' table tennis school team so that she could go to the team for training after school in the afternoon.

Shi Huai'an stayed to teach in Class 7 of Grade 4, while Shi Renmei went to work.

The class he was supposed to be following had already moved up to fifth grade, and having missed a year and a half of classes, Shi Huai'an was definitely falling behind. It was as if he had repeated a grade.

It was late November 1964. School had been in session for about three months, and there was still about a month and a half until the winter vacation. Huai'an was four months shy of turning 14. Fortunately, people started school later in those days, and many started first grade at the age of nine. Because of malnutrition in the past two years, Shi Huai'an was not tall and did not stand out in class. Her classmates were curious and warmly welcomed her.

Shi Huai'an was assigned to sit in the third row, next to Ding Jianming, a mischievous boy who liked to tease the girls. The other girls didn't want to sit with him and kept asking the teacher to change seats, so the seat next to him was often empty.

Now that Huai'an was assigned to sit next to someone, he didn't expect his deskmate to greet his new friend in such a unique way. During self-study, Ding Jianming secretly sprinkled spiky balls on Shi Huai'an's hair and the back of his clothes. He also made funny faces and winked at the students behind him, making them laugh and cheer.

This spiky ball is a common plant, actually called cocklebur. Its fruit is covered with many barbs, which easily stick to clothing and hair. Once stuck, it's difficult to remove, especially for women with long hair, or when it sticks to braids, you have to loosen the braids to take it off.

Shi Huai'an was engrossed in flipping through his new textbook to familiarize himself with the contents, completely unaware of his deskmate's prank. When he saw his classmates looking at him and laughing, he looked up, somewhat bewildered and at a loss.

Class monitor Shao Yuhong walked over angrily. She was a bit violent and grabbed Ding Jianming by the ear, standing up and saying, "Ding Jianming, you didn't follow classroom rules and played pranks on the new classmate. You're punished by having to apologize to Shi Huai'an and stay behind to clean."

Girls develop earlier in elementary school and are generally more mature than boys. In addition, Ding Jianming was relatively young and thin in the class, and the class monitor had a lot of power, so he did not dare to openly disobey and apologized to Shi Huai'an with a smile.

Shi Huai'an, being new to the area, didn't want to strain the relationship or refuse Shao Yuhong's kindness, so she silently thanked Shao Yuhong, blushing, for helping her remove the burrs from her body and head. Seeing this, the female classmates behind her also gathered around, criticizing Ding Jianming while helping to remove the burrs.

School ended at noon, and since everyone was a day student, they all went home for lunch.

To her surprise, when Shi Huai'an returned home, the front door was locked. She took the spare key that Shi Renmei had given her, but she couldn't open the lock no matter what she tried, guessing that her stepmother had changed the lock. She had no choice but to squat outside and wait, but her stepmother didn't appear. So she had to go to school hungry.