Spring plowing was about to begin as spring arrived in March 1987.
Ten-year-old Li Weihao, nine-and-a-half-year-old Li Weiyan, eight-and-a-half-year-old Li Weibo, and Chen Fu were in the second semester of second grade.
Li's mother cooked for her three grandsons and one grandnephew in the county town.
They lived in a courtyard bought by her younger son, not far from her elder daughter-in-law's family.
If anything happened, they could help. Yan'er could also return to his maternal grandfather's home to continue practicing martial arts.
During every winter and summer vacation, the elderly woman and four children would be picked up by car and brought back to Kushan.
...
Grandma took the four older brothers to the county town again.
Li Weili, holding her cousin Chen An and cousin Li Weiyu, voiced her opinion to her mother.
"We are all six years old, why aren't we allowed to go to school?"
"School enrollment is in the latter half of the year, after the summer vacation. Are you sure you want to go to school this year?"
Li Weili moved her left and right hands. The two being pulled on each side nodded quickly.
"Little uncle's wife (little aunt), we want to go to school too."
Tian Jing glanced at her daughter. "Alright, then you all go to your great-grandfather's place at the east end of the village for preschool education first."
Li Weili wanted to regret it, but her mother's words blocked her.
"A gentleman's word is as good as his bond, not to be taken back even by a team of four horses. Unless you admit you are being unreasonable."
After dropping the three noisy children off at the courtyard to add some fun for the lonely grandfather, Tian Jing leisurely nurtured seedlings in the east side room with her young son.
"Tian Jing."
Ouyang Meihua darted in. Just as she was about to enter the main hall, she saw the door to the east side room was open.
She stepped into the east side room. "Quick, come and see the excitement."
"What excitement?"
Seeing Tian Jing wasn't interested, Ouyang Meihua picked up the well-behaved Ranran and walked outside.
"Hurry up, Lin Er'lai and Fang Qiuhong are back."
They are back already?
It's only been two and a half years, right?
If you deduct the weekends over three years, it seems about the same.
Let's go take a look.
By the time Tian Jing and Ouyang Meihua arrived, the courtyard gate of Lin Er'lai's house was already surrounded by villagers.
Le Xia waved at the two.
The two of them, with their child, entered Lin Guangde's courtyard.
Tian Jing held Ranran, Ouyang Meihua held Le Xia's hand. The three adults and one child stood on the wall separating them from Lin Er'lai's house.
An excellent vantage point for a show.
Fang Qiuhong was pushing Lin Er'lai.
"You heartless man, I bore you three children, and you want a divorce just like that? For what reason?"
"Inside, I couldn't settle accounts with you. Now that I'm out, you can forget about getting rid of me."
Lin Er'lai had changed. He had become silent, and his demeanor had grown steady.
In contrast, Fang Qiuhong had become even more restless and arrogant.
Lin Er'lai blocked the courtyard gate, not allowing her in. "Please have some self-respect. We are already two separate families."
"Nonsense, I didn't agree to the divorce. You forced me to."
"If I hadn't divorced, Hua'er and Duo'er would have been abused to death by you. You are not fit to be a mother, get out."
Seeing Lin Er'lai's anger, Fang Qiuhong changed her strategy. "I have been studying legal knowledge for two and a half years. I will no longer mistreat them."
Lin Er'lai remained resolute. "The harm has already been done. Is it enough for you to admit your mistake? You must stay away from them."
Unable to get Lin Er'lai to budge, Fang Qiuhong started to be unreasonable. "Tell me, do you have another woman, that's why you are unwilling to take me back?"
Lin Er'lai's patience wore thin. "Can you stop spouting nonsense? We came out together today, and you've been following me."
"If you come back, I still won't have custody of Hua'er and Duo'er. What exactly are you making a scene about?"
Fang Qiuhong's eyes lit up. "That's perfect. We don't want those two money-losers anymore. Let's get a birth permit and have another child. I have a premonition, this time it will definitely be a boy."
Fang Qiuhong's words not only chilled the villagers but also Hua'er and Duo'er, who were standing by with their second granduncle, watching.
Lin Guangde walked over with his two grandnieces. "Er'lai, I can afford to raise these two grandnieces. As long as you give up all your rights, we will go through the adoption procedures right now."
Lin Er'lai refused. "No, Hua'er and Duo'er are my daughters."
Lin Guangde pointed to the two girls beside him. "Look at how much they have changed in the past two years. Think about how they were before. Do you have the right to be a father?"
"Look at your indecisiveness now. Don't make me sue you again."
Nine-year-old Lin Hua'er was no longer the frail and timid girl she used to be. She was growing better than ordinary rural girls and, inheriting Fang Qiuhong's fair skin, she was a beautiful little girl.
Three-and-a-half-year-old Lin Duo'er was a bit smaller than children her age, but she was very cute, with a rosy, plump little face.
Fang Qiuhong also turned to look. At this turn, she was surprised to see how outstanding her two daughters had become.
She quickly walked towards the two girls. "No, these are my daughters."
"Get out!" Lin Guangde angrily scolded Fang Qiuhong as she approached.
"Don't forget, your guardianship qualification has been revoked. At that time, I showed kindness and kept Er'lai's."
"Now, I regret it. Lin Er'lai, are you a man or not?"
Being spoken to like this by his second uncle, how could Lin Er'lai still hesitate? If he hesitated any longer, he wouldn't be a man.
He drove Fang Qiuhong away. "Fang Qiuhong, get out of Kushan quickly. If you dare to come back and cause trouble again, I will report you for harassing me and committing indecency. I'll send you back inside."
Indecency was not only a crime for men but also for women.
Fang Qiuhong had learned legal knowledge, and so had Lin Er'lai.
Fang Qiuhong pointed at Lin Er'lai. "You're ruthless. Just you wait, I won't let you off easily."
Lin Er'lai retorted disdainfully, "Besides going to your uncle, do you have any other options? Your uncle only came out half a year ago, right? He was expelled as soon as he went in."
"That's why you've been clinging to me and afraid to go back to your mother's home."
"Hmph!"
Fang Qiuhong turned and left without looking back. "I will find a way to deal with you."
The excitement was over, and the villagers dispersed.
Lin Er'lai wanted to approach his two daughters.
Lin Hua'er retreated. "We don't want to come back. We want to stay with Second Granduncle."
"Hua'er?"
Lin Er'lai exclaimed in disbelief, "Is Dad not good to you?"
"He's not."
Lin Hua'er shook her head. "Compared to Mom, he was better before. But the life we had at Second Granduncle's house, that was a real life."
"I understand now. You are as selfish and vicious as Mom. Even though it was understandable for me to help with chores at three years old, what about Duo'er?"
"Did you not see how Mom treated Duo'er? You saw it, but you didn't say anything. Because you also wanted Duo'er to be gone so you could continue to have sons."
"You are too scary. I don't want to go back. I'm afraid that in a few years, you'll marry us off for a high bride price."
"We don't want to go back. We don't want a father like you."
Taking advantage of Lin Er'lai's stunned silence, Lin Hua'er pulled her sister and hid back in Second Granduncle's courtyard.
Lin Guangde shook his head and sighed. "Er'lai, it's not just Fang Qiuhong's actions that have hurt the children's hearts, but your approach is the same."
"When the children were young, you could deceive them because they didn't understand. When they grow up, they will figure it out."
"Parents should not deceive themselves, nor should they deceive their children."
Tian Jing and the others had already jumped off the wall when Lin Hua'er entered the courtyard.
She pulled Ouyang Meihua, preparing to leave. This was an internal family matter for the Lin family and had nothing to do with her.
She had clearly seen Lin Wulai's new daughter-in-law secretly glare at Lin Hua'er and Lin Duo'er just now.
Ouyang Meihua had also seen it, but she was reluctant to leave. "Lin Guangde, you haven't chosen a good daughter-in-law for your fifth son."
"If you want to keep Hua'er and Duo'er, you should divide the family. Otherwise, the two children still cannot grow up in a healthy family."
Tian Jing pulled her. "Let's go. You've said everything you should and shouldn't have said."
Only then did Ouyang Meihua leave, following Tian Jing's pull.