My sister's village was several li from our parents' home. She had three children and normally had to do farm work, so she rarely visited her parents.
Zhan Jingchun had only met her two or three times, and each time it was when she herself was unwell. Therefore, she hadn't spoken much with her and had almost no impression of her.
There was no love or hate to speak of, so she spoke to her rather politely.
"We're fine. Are you tired? Please sit and rest."
"Not tired, not tired." My sister was polite and reserved. "We came by plane, it was fast and comfortable. We were just scared, Peng Fei he..."
Zhan Jingchun said, "I don't know either. We'll ask the doctor later. Standing here is blocking people's way, let's sit down."
My sister quickly turned to call her mother.
"Sit, sit, Chun Chun said standing here is blocking people's way, let's all sit and talk."
The simple and honest brother-in-law helped their mother to sit on the chairs opposite them.
Although Madam Peng dared not say a word to Zhan Jingchun, Zhan Jingchun couldn't help but scrutinize her.
She's really so old. She's truly so old.
To think that she was two years younger than Jiang Nan Fang, yet she looked twenty years older.
How had she not noticed her hair had turned so white before? Not yet fifty, and her hair was almost entirely silver.
Her white hair was haphazardly tied into a braid at the nape of her neck. It was long and white, somewhat resembling a white-haired witch.
Her face was full of wrinkles, her eye bags prominent, and her eyelids drooped. Her entire face was dry and creased, very much like the simple and suffering peasant depicted in a famous painting.
When she used to be at their home, she always worked in the fields, always wearing that set of worn, gray clothes. Today, she had changed into a clean outfit.
But like Fang Fang's, the quality was very poor, and the style was very old-fashioned.
Sitting there, she looked like a pitiable, poor old woman.
Zhan Jingchun suddenly couldn't hold any grudges against her.
She was illiterate and had lived for decades without ever leaving the town.
She didn't read books, newspapers, or watch television, and had no communication whatsoever. In such a secluded environment, how could one expect her to have high aspirations, a broad perspective, or to understand her?
Being able to raise her three children without abandoning them and cultivate the land was a success for her. She shouldn't have measured her by her own standards.
Seeing Zhan Jingchun constantly staring at her mother, Fang Fang intentionally tried to get them to reconcile.
She ran to her mother's side, winked, and nudged her leg.
Madam Peng cautiously looked up at Zhan Jingchun, then at Chen Dongyang and Tiantian. Her mouth opened and closed, but she still dared not speak.
It was also at this moment that the brother-in-law noticed a man was present.
That man was tall and upright, with a complexion like jade. Although the clothes he wore were simple, they highlighted his excellent demeanor. His features were young and handsome, like a male celebrity on television.
Although he knew that speaking to him was presumptuous, it wouldn't be good not to say hello.
Awkwardly, he took out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket.
"You're Chun Chun's, cough, cough, have a cigarette."
It was evident that the brother-in-law wasn't very old, but the sense of inferiority brought on by poverty made him seem subservient. He was already shorter than Chen Dongyang, and the way he subserviently offered him a cigarette was truly heartbreaking.
Seeing his large fingers covered in indelible scratches, stained with mud, and with black dirt lodged in his fingernails, Chen Dongyang deeply understood his mindset.
After all, he too had been truly poor for a time.
Although he hadn't smoked for a long time, let alone such cheap cigarettes, he still accepted it.
"I am Chun Chun's second brother-in-law, thank you."
Seeing that he had accepted the cigarette, as if Chen Dongyang had taken a liking to him, the brother-in-law hurriedly smiled and took out a lighter to light it for him.
"I'm also a brother-in-law, Peng Fei's brother-in-law. Hello, hello."
Chen Dongyang didn't want to refuse him, and with a smile, he patted his shoulder.
"We can't smoke here. Let's go over there. Excuse me everyone, we'll take our leave for a moment."
The two men, whose appearances and demeanors were extremely mismatched, walked side by side towards the staircase.
Tiantian looked at Chun Chun, pulled her to sit down, and the two of them returned to their chairs.
Tiantian sized up the three people opposite them for a while before speaking.
"Are you Peng Fei's mother?"
Madam Peng flinched all over, tremblingly lifting her eyelids.
"Ah, I am..."
"Hello, I am Zhan Jingchun's elder sister."
"Ah, uh..."
"I didn't expect you to come so quickly. Did you buy a house in town?"
Seeing her mother too nervous to speak, trembling like a sieve, the sister nudged her with her shoulder and spoke for her.
"My mother is a bit nervous, don't be like her. We didn't buy a house. There's a processing plant in town now, built by Peng Fei. We all work there. As soon as we got the news, we set off."
"My mother always says she's sorry to Chun Chun and deeply regrets the past... Chun Chun, I apologize to you on behalf of my mother."
"We didn't know at the time, but we all told her afterward. Truly, Peng Fei was furious. When he heard what you did, he ran from the mine to find you, fought with that family, injured them all, and even got taken to the police station."
"That person threatened to have him imprisoned for life. The family spent ten thousand yuan to bail him out. Peng Fei also wanted to sever ties with her. Mother deeply regrets it. The whole family criticized her. Truly, she knows she was wrong, so please don't hold it against her."
"Considering her age, if you're still not satisfied, you can scold me, hit me a few times. If that's not enough, I'll kneel for you, and I'll apologize on her behalf."
Saying this, the sister suddenly knelt on the ground, startling the two sisters opposite them.
In this civilized society, they had never had anyone kneel to them before.
Zhan Jingchun immediately went to pull her up, but Tiantian held her back.
"Look at you, just talk. What is this? This is Nancheng, and everyone here is civilized. This kind of thing is not done here. Hurry and get up."
Hearing that the other party looked down on this behavior, the sister reluctantly got up.
Seeing her daughter perform such a significant gesture only to be embarrassed, Madam Peng could no longer sit still.
However, before she could even speak, her nose started to feel sore.
"Chun Chun, I, I deserve to die. I'm senile! I've never seen money before, and I was blinded by greed. I'm truly sorry to you, I've truly wronged you!"
"What your sister just said is absolutely true. I'm not deliberately deceiving you; I truly know I was wrong. Ever since you left home, I've felt uneasy and couldn't sleep. I deeply regret it. But the Li family had great power and influence, and I didn't dare to go to them. Fortunately, Peng Fei later said you had escaped."
"Honestly, only then did I feel a little better. Regardless, you're home now and unharmed, so please don't hold it against this old woman, alright? I've wronged you, I've truly wronged you..."
Although the apology was of no use, and her apology wasn't very sincere, since the words had been spoken, Zhan Jingchun didn't want to hold a grudge for a lifetime.
"Alright, stop talking for now. This is a hospital, and it needs to be quiet. Let's all be quiet for a while."