On the second day of the Lunar New Year, Li Weihao’s son turned one month old.
Tian Jing bathed early in the morning and changed her clothes from inside out, finally feeling comfortable. Although she had been wiping herself down daily, she still felt sticky.
It was cold, and the Li family didn't plan to host a full moon banquet, yet people started arriving early.
Seeing Little Hu pull up with a cart full of ingredients, tobacco, and alcohol, Tian Jing felt helpless. "Zheng Ge, go get Hao Hao for me. I'll have to ask Mother to find some people to help. With this much stuff arriving, it's impossible not to host a feast."
Indeed, villagers who had planned to visit their wives' families saw Comrade Little Hu arrive with a cart full of goods and immediately turned back home to notify their families.
Soon, people began arriving at the Li family's to offer congratulations.
The Li family's courtyard gate was wide open, with the main hall and the east and west side rooms cleared. The stove was built entirely outside the courtyard, but it still wasn't enough space, so some had to be placed within the yard.
Since almost every household in Kushan had come, even those Tian Jing disliked had shown up.
With the New Year and the baby's full moon celebration, Tian Jing couldn't refuse. She grudgingly welcomed everyone.
Ouyang Meihua wasn't in a hurry to return to her maiden home; she wanted to attend the full moon banquet for the eldest son of the great warrior Tian.
Dà Mài was anxious. "Mother, let's not drink; we'll just eat more dishes."
"Alright, alright, Mother will listen to you."
Tian Jing chuckled inwardly. Ouyang Meihua's fiery temper was managed by her elder cousin and Dà Mài.
Just before the feast was about to begin, Old Mrs. Tian arrived with Chen Yun.
Tian Jing could tolerate others, enduring the full moon banquet, but she didn't want to tolerate the Tian family.
Previously, Tian Jing could consider herself a transient visitor to the Tian family. But after knowing she was the original host, she harbored more hatred towards the Tian family. Their greed and malice were the biggest reasons for the tragedy of her first life.
In her first life, her yearning for family affection led her to have all her wealth swindled by the Chen family.
After confirming her identity, seeing the Tian family again, especially Old Mrs. Tian, who completely followed Old Man Tian's instructions, Tian Jing felt not anger, but sorrow.
The reason the Tian family treated her that way was due to the irresponsible actions of Xiao Wei and Chen Yaoming.
Although later, Grandpa Xiao secretly sent money, the adoptive family had already been chosen.
Li Zhengguo held his son and clasped his wife's hand. "Since Old Mrs. Tian has come forward, she must have a motive. Let's host our guests first."
"Okay."
The banquet was exceptionally rich.
Little Hu had brought half a sheep, half a pig, several large fish, and a big basket of eggs. Combined with the Li family's own pheasants and rabbits, the meal consisted of six meat dishes, four vegetable dishes, and one soup, served with mixed grain rice. Everyone ate with their mouths greasy.
The households Tian Jing disliked had sent their more amiable members to try and mend relations. Naturally, their behavior was polite, and there were no disruptions or attempts to steal food.
Mother Li, holding her grandson, bid farewell to the guests. Everyone offered kind words and gave them a red envelope containing one dime or five jiao as a meeting gift.
After seeing off the guests, Tian Jing took her son back to the room. Old Mrs. Tian, holding Chen Yun's hand, followed Tian Jing into the west room, her eyes scanning the cabinet and the bed-heated kang within.
Tian Jing sneered. "Old Mrs. Tian, if you have something to say, say it. I don't have much patience. Comrade Chen Yun knows what it feels like to be dismissed by me."
Only then did Old Mrs. Tian turn her gaze to Tian Jing. "Jing Yatou is living quite well."
Tian Jing nodded. "Didn't you see? My life is more than just good. I believe you know better than anyone else, and I also believe you regret not treating me better back then.
"But just because you want to make amends doesn't mean I have to accept it. I am no longer the weak, helpless little girl who had to live under your scolding and beatings.
"Don't tell me my current life is thanks to your arranged exchange marriage. If you think you've done me a favor, you're gravely mistaken.
"I only hate you. Before, I disdained to pay attention to you, yet you shamelessly came again and again.
"After taking so much money from the Xiao family, you couldn't even treat me a little better. How dare you show your faces to me?
"I know everything the Tian family has done clearly. My not holding it against you doesn't mean I don't hate you. I just want us to be quits, but you don't want to end it. In that case, don't blame me for being impolite."
Old Mrs. Tian quickly waved her hand. "No, no, no. We've come today to clarify the grievances between the Chen and Xiao families. After all, the Xiao family is no longer in the country. Chen Yaoming was fourteen when you left, yet he didn't want to take you with him. Don't you find that strange?"
What was strange about it? If he had been willing to take her, he wouldn't have engaged in deception for love and money later.
"I said, if you have something to say, say it. Don't waste my time."
Seeing that Tian Jing wasn't curious, Old Mrs. Tian had to speak directly, lest Tian Jing chase her away and her task for the day wouldn't be completed.
Chen Yaoming and Xiao Wei were among the first educated youths sent to the countryside. Xiao Wei was her parents' only daughter and came from the capital, so she couldn't endure the hardships of being sent down.
Chen Yaoming, being protective of his beloved, often helped her, and the two eventually fell for each other.
After a simple wedding banquet, the two were considered married, and the following year, Tian Jing was born.
Just then, there was an opportunity to return to the city for Zhonghe Brigade. The young couple spent considerable effort to secure this opportunity.
Xiao Wei said she would go back first and then find someone to arrange for Chen Yaoming to go to the capital. The Chen family was from the provincial capital and had ordinary financial standing, lacking the influence of the Xiao family.
Chen Yaoming agreed, but he had to work alone and couldn't bring his daughter.
Xiao Wei couldn't take her daughter back either; she would become an undocumented resident. After discussing it, they sent Tian Jing to the Tian family, making her Tian Liguo's twin sister.
After Xiao Wei returned, before she could find someone to arrange for their return to the city, the situation changed, and the Xiao family reluctantly chose to move overseas.
Chen Yaoming not only couldn't return to the city but was also implicated. It wasn't until the early 1970s that he managed to return to the city through his "hard work."
Hard work? Tian Jing scoffed inwardly. Chen Yaoming had sustained a work-related injury while digging a ditch and returned to the city for treatment.
"If that's all you have to say, then you should leave. I already know all of this."
As expected, the old man's prediction was correct; this brat knew quite a lot. Old Mrs. Tian asked the most crucial question, and everything else was just a prelude to it.
"Then do you know who gave the Tian family the gold bars?"
Tian Jing chuckled. "Of course, I do. My maternal grandfather, out of concern for me, secretly sent gold bars before he left. I didn't expect them to be fed to dogs."
"But you only know one part of the story, not the whole."
Old Mrs. Tian didn't care about Tian Jing's insults. "The person who sent the gold bars was surnamed Li, named Li San Zuo, your deceased father-in-law."
"So what? Are you trying to sow discord between us? Or are you trying to say Li Zhengguo's identity isn't good enough for me? Wasn't Li Zhengguo the one you specifically chose for me?"
"Think whatever you want." Old Mrs. Tian stood up to leave. "One last piece of news: the person who gave Chen Yaoming advice and secretly helped him achieve his goal was also Li San Zuo."
"But when Chen Yaoming returned to the provincial capital for treatment, his leg injury was severe. He ended up limping. That autumn, Li San Zuo passed away."
Old Mrs. Tian left with Chen Yun, and Tian Jing fell into deep thought.
In her memory, these last details were absent. Chen Yaoming's limp wasn't obvious, and his injury, though appearing severe, wasn't actually that serious. This showed that the person who helped him was very discreet. The medical conditions in that era were not good. A work injury would surely leave a mark; how could he blame others?