The place the brigade captain arranged for Shen Jiao was an old building near West Gully at the edge of the village.
It was normally used to store farming tools or fodder for the livestock.
The previous winter, the structure had collapsed beneath heavy snow after years of neglect. The fodder and farming tools had been moved into an empty room at the brigade headquarters.
That spring, the brigade captain arranged for some members to make basic repairs. They had not yet moved the tools and fodder back, so the building happened to be vacant.
That made it available for Shen Jiao.
However, when the brigade captain led her there, she stared at the draughty building in stunned silence.
It was only marginally better than sleeping on the street.
The gaps between the stones in the walls were large enough for someone to push a hand through.
Worse still, the building stood at the very edge of the village. The nearest household was almost half a kilometre away.
For a young woman who had just divorced to live here alone, safety would be a serious concern.
“Uncle, is this the only empty house in the brigade?”
“Jiaojiao, it isn’t that I’m deliberately refusing to give you a better place.”
The brigade captain sighed.
“You understand the brigade’s circumstances. Every family is short of space. Any house in decent condition is highly sought after and was purchased long ago.”
Shen Jiao touched the eighty yuan remaining in her pocket and sighed.
Where else could she live besides this place?
Although the building was dilapidated, it was still better than sleeping outside.
Once again, she regretted asking Qin Zhifeng for so little alimony.
However, remembering Du Lingxiang’s greedy, bitter expression, she knew that even if she had demanded more money, most of it would still have ended up in that woman’s pocket.
Her household registration had been tied to the Shen family’s booklet, after all.
Resigned to her fate, Shen Jiao rolled up her sleeves and began cleaning the place where she would have to live for the foreseeable future.
The moment she saved enough money, she would purchase a job position and rent a room in the city.
As for remarrying, she could consider it after her circumstances became stable.
If Gu Xinguo had not remarried by then, she intended to pursue him.
Apart from having only just divorced, the other reason she had not gone to him immediately was that she did not want to leave herself without any retreat.
While she was cleaning, the news that Shen Jiao had been driven out by her brother and sister-in-law after her divorce and would now live in the ruined house near West Gully spread throughout Shenjia Village.
“Younger Sister, how can you do such rough work? Leave it there. Your older brother will do it for you.”
Shen Jiao was busy when an elderly bachelor appeared.
He wore a thin padded jacket so filthy that its original colour was impossible to identify. His accent was thick, and an obscene smile hung on his face.
There were so many wrinkles across his face that they looked capable of trapping a fly.
“Li Baogen, have you looked at all those wrinkles on your face?”
Another man arrived as he spoke.
“You still have the nerve to call yourself Jiaojiao’s older brother? You’re old enough to be her grandfather.”
The second man was Liu Chengyong, a notorious village hooligan.
He was lazy, idle, and unwilling to work. Although he was already in his late thirties or early forties, he had never married.
No respectable family would allow their daughter to marry such a useless man. Even widows disliked him.
When he heard that Shen Jiao had divorced, he immediately became interested and rushed over to flatter her.
Who could have expected someone else to arrive even earlier?
Naturally, he began mocking his rival.
“Both of you, get out!”
Shen Jiao glared at them.
“This will be my home from now on, and neither of you is welcome here!”
She had originally intended merely to ask them to leave.
However, Li Baogen reached towards her with his filthy hands and began trying to touch her.
The sight disgusted her so badly that she grabbed a broom and struck both men over their heads and bodies, driving them outside.
“Why are you so angry, Younger Sister Jiaojiao?”
Liu Chengyong laughed shamelessly.
“Don’t worry. That pretty-faced educated youth might not want you anymore, but I do.”
“Follow your Brother Cheng, and I guarantee you’ll never lack a man to warm your bed!”
“Get lost!”
Shen Jiao swung the broom even harder.
There was no need to reason with shameless scoundrels like these.
The only solution was to beat them as hard as possible.
Fortunately, the two men also understood that they would not succeed today.
They did not want to push Shen Jiao too far and accidentally allow some other man to take advantage instead.
After making several vulgar remarks, they finally left.
When Shen Jiao returned to the building, all the strength drained from her body.
She had never known that life could be this difficult for a divorced woman in this era.
Not only did she have to endure her husband’s betrayal, but she also had to tolerate the villagers’ gossip and contempt.
Worse still, she had to remain constantly alert against harassment from hooligans and scoundrels.
Tears unknowingly slid down her face.
What had she done wrong to deserve being brought to this unfamiliar time and place to suffer like this?
Her father had not loved her, and her mother had not cared for her, but through sheer stubbornness and refusal to admit defeat, she had still managed to establish a small business of her own in her previous life.
Now, in this world, she had no one to rely upon.
Anyone could bully her.
Had she been a daughter from any other family, those scoundrels would never have dared visit so quickly or behave so openly.
Wasn’t it simply because they knew she had fallen out with her brother and sister-in-law and had no one protecting her?
No.
She had to find a way to guarantee her own safety.
The most convenient and realistic solution was to raise a dog.
Preferably a large one.
Although she had been afraid of dogs since childhood, she could overcome that fear for the sake of her safety.
With that thought, she lost all desire to continue cleaning.
Securing a dog was more urgent.
She did not ask anyone else for help and went directly to the brigade captain.
Firstly, she had dealt with him more than most people.
Secondly, the brigade captain possessed a broader network of acquaintances.
In an era when even people struggled to eat enough, very few families could afford to raise dogs.
Not many brigade members owned one.
Since the brigade captain frequently travelled outside the village, he was the best person to ask.
He readily agreed.
In truth, he was also worried about Shen Jiao’s safety.
A young woman living alone at the edge of the village could encounter trouble without anyone knowing.
A dog would be ideal.
When Shen Jiao left the brigade headquarters, she saw that it was almost noon.
She touched her empty stomach.
Since arriving several days earlier, she had spent all her time rushing from one place to another and had not eaten a single proper meal.
No matter how healthy her body was, she could not continue treating it this badly.
She needed to prepare something simple to eat.
The house contained only some grain she had purchased from the brigade. There were no vegetables.
Fortunately, the spring snow had melted, and many edible wild plants had begun growing in the fields.
She could gather a few handfuls and make do for one meal.
She chose a random spot and collected some catchweed and shepherd’s purse.
Once she returned, she planned to prepare a bowl of dough-drop soup.
A hot bowl would undoubtedly make her feel much better.
However, she had been gone for less than an hour.
When she returned, she discovered that someone had torn open the roof of the ruined building she had barely managed to make habitable.
She entered and looked around.
Not only had her grain been stolen, but someone had also smashed and destroyed the already-dilapidated interior.
The room was now completely uninhabitable.
Someone clearly did not want her remaining in Shenjia Village.
She did not even need to think before deciding who was responsible.
Who else could it be besides Du Lingxiang?
Shen Jiao could not understand how the original owner had offended that woman so badly.
Driving her out of the family home had not been enough.
Now she did not even want Shen Jiao remaining in Shenjia Village.
Furious, Shen Jiao grabbed a wooden stick and prepared to fight Du Lingxiang.
However, as she stepped through the doorway, her foot caught on something.
The stumble cleared her mind and restored a little of her reason.
To the Shenjia Village Production Brigade, she was an outsider.
Although her surname was Shen, she was a married-out daughter and had no blood relationship with the Shen family.
If she created a major disturbance, the villagers would not stand on her side.
Most likely, they would simply try to smooth things over, while Du Lingxiang and Shen Chunshan suffered no meaningful consequences.
Even if she reported the matter to the Public Security Bureau, what then?
Suppose Du Lingxiang was arrested.
Her maternal family still lived nearby.
Their village was next to Shenjia Village, barely a kilometre away.
They could reach Shenjia Village within moments.
If anything happened to Du Lingxiang, her family would only intensify their bullying until Shen Jiao finally left.
There were also the hooligans and scoundrels who had improper intentions towards her.
More importantly, Shen Jiao feared that Du Lingxiang might try to sell her off for money again.
She had to guard against that possibility.
Although they had formally severed ties, outsiders would still regard Shen Chunshan and Du Lingxiang as her brother and sister-in-law.
They might genuinely possess some influence over her marriage.
It appeared that she truly could not continue living in Shenjia Village.
A square face with thick eyebrows and large eyes unexpectedly appeared in her mind.
She remembered the idea she had once entertained.
Shen Jiao raised a hand and forcefully wiped the tears from her face.
Whether or not it succeeded, she had to try.
She immediately turned towards the brigade headquarters.
She needed a letter of introduction.
In truth, she had wrongly accused Du Lingxiang this time.
Du Lingxiang had not been responsible for destroying the building.
As for who had done it, naturally, it had been someone who disliked Shen Jiao.
Meanwhile, in a ward at Linqing County People’s Hospital, Gu Xinguo sat beside his Grandma’s bed and fed her millet porridge.
His heart was extremely heavy.
His Grandma’s condition was worsening.
She could now consume only liquid food.
The doctor said she had perhaps ten days or half a month left.
His Grandma wanted to return to their hometown and did not wish to remain in hospital.
However, Gu Xinguo believed that as long as doctors were nearby, perhaps one day they might somehow cure her.
“Enough. I don’t want any more.”
His Grandma sighed.
“Xinguo, let’s return home. My illness can’t be cured.”
“With the little time I have left, I want to see the old people in the village and speak with them.”
“Grandma, didn’t we agree that you would remain in hospital?”
“There are doctors watching over you here. Your illness might still be cured.”
“Doctors can treat disease, but they can’t change fate.”
She shook her head.
“Every additional day in hospital costs more money. Why waste it?”
“Grandma, isn’t money earned so that it can be spent?”
“You’re not afraid of spending it, but I am.”
His Grandma looked at him sorrowfully.
“You’re nearly thirty, and now you’ve been divorced.”
“Won’t it cost even more money for you to marry again? Why would a good family willingly marry their daughter to a divorced man?”
“I’ve failed your parents. I won’t even live to see you marry and have children.”
“When I meet them beneath the ground, I’ll have no face to look at them.”
Her words cut through Gu Xinguo’s heart like a knife.
He had been careless and fallen into An Qing’s trap.
He had married an unfaithful woman, and now his Grandma would die with regrets.
Even so, Gu Xinguo refused to agree to her discharge.
As long as the slightest hope remained, he would continue trying.
His older sister had married and established her own family.
His Grandma was the only relative he had left who depended upon him, just as he depended upon her.
“Comrade Gu! Gu Xinguo!”
That afternoon, Gu Xinguo visited the doctor’s office to ask again about his Grandma’s condition.
The doctor still had no better solution.
With a heavy heart, Gu Xinguo headed towards the hospital canteen to collect food.
Just before reaching the entrance, he heard a familiar voice calling his name.
He turned around and saw Shen Jiao.
For some reason, the moment he saw her, a secret trace of happiness suddenly rose within him.
A thought flashed rapidly through his mind, disappearing before he could catch it.
“Comrade Shen, why are you here?”
“I came to repay you for saving my life.”
Shen Jiao looked directly at him.
“Didn’t people once say that a life-saving debt should be repaid by offering oneself in marriage?”
“Comrade Gu Xinguo, what do you think?”
“What?”
“Comrade Gu Xinguo, I want to become your wife!”
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