Chapter Fourteen: No Fate in This Lifetime

Sun Xudong looked at her like that, reached out, and wiped away her tears with his thumb. Mo De and he exchanged glances, both momentarily stunned.

“Comrade Liping, the girl you saw yesterday is my fiancée. She’s very ordinary, just a regular workshop worker at our factory. My parents like her very much. If there are no complications, I will marry her according to my parents’ wishes.”

Song Liping’s eyes widened as she stared at him. She wasn’t unaware of the bitterness in his words. This was an arranged marriage. Such a fine man as Sun Xudong—how could that woman be worthy of him?

“Xudong, you’re a young man of the new era—educated, cultured, thoughtful. Are you really willing to accept your family’s arrangement and marry such a coarse woman? Look at me! Haven’t our time together, our conversations, and our connection meant anything?”

Sun Xudong’s mouth twitched sharply. Liping’s pretentious words made him uncomfortable. If she weren’t so beautiful, a person with her temperament wouldn’t even catch his glance.

He pulled out twenty yuan and ten jin of ration coupons from his pocket and slowly pushed them toward her.

“Comrade Song Liping, I’ve already paid for the meal. Take this money for yourself. Take good care of yourself and don’t make me worry. Sigh… I’m the only son in my family, and my parents are getting old. I dare not defy them. Liping, it’s my fault. We’re not fated in this life. Maybe the next.”

After speaking, Sun Xudong turned and left the restaurant.

Song Liping stood there stunned for a long while, then grabbed the money and rushed out after him. She looked around but could not see Sun Xudong’s figure anywhere. Thinking of his words, a sharp pain gripped her heart.

Such a good man like Sun Xudong—how could fate be so cruel to him? How could his parents treat him so? Such a passionate, dreamy, romantic man forced to live a lifetime trapped in a loveless marriage.

They truly loved each other. She was the one Sun Xudong held closest to his heart. Why did Heaven take away her husband so early, only to snatch away the man she finally loved? Why such torment?

Song Liping put the money and coupons into her pocket, clutched her chest, and struggled to calm her emotions. After a while, she steadied herself and headed home.

The cotton mill had been doing well lately. Even the canteen workers received a raise. Wei Yao was busily working, and as soon as she finished, Yang Yonglian quickly pulled her aside.

“Sister Wei, I’ve got some news. The communal vegetable patch in the countryside is selling radish roots leftover after cutting the cabbage cores for two mao a load—take as much as you want. Want to go? If you do, we can go together tonight. I’ll help you borrow a tricycle.”

“Really? Yes, yes, I want to go! After removing the cores, the cabbage still has plenty of leaves left. I can make pickled cabbage and other dishes. I’ll go, thank you, Yonglian.”

Yang Yonglian waved her off—it was nothing. Winter was coming, and everyone was stocking up on cabbages and coal. Wei Yao, raising two kids alone, had big expenses; every bit saved helped.

“What about Yangyang and Huihui? It’ll be cold at night. You can’t bring them, right?”

“I asked the neighbors to watch them. We’ll go at seven in the evening.”

With that settled, Wei Yao quickly picked up the children, cooked for Song Yang, fed Song Hui milk, packed the necessary diapers, and took both children to the neighbors’ house.

She brought the elderly couple three steamed egg cakes as a gift.

Recently, she had been getting along well with the neighbors. Knowing she would go to the countryside at night to collect radish roots, they thought she was a practical woman. Plus, with the two well-behaved kids, they were happy to help watch them briefly.

Though she had plenty of fresh vegetables from her space, nothing left without a trace; wind leaves sound, and her situation could not withstand scrutiny. She could not rely solely on her space and did not want anyone to suspect her.

Late that night, Wei Yao and Yang Yonglian’s group arrived at the commune’s vegetable patch. The guard charged two mao each to enter. Wei Yao was pleasantly surprised—the patch she came to hadn’t been cleaned out thoroughly. Likely some lazy commune member.

She took her sickle and began harvesting quickly. While working, she noticed a row of radishes left unharvested at the edge of the cabbage field. Taking advantage of no one watching, she uprooted them all.

Using the cabbage leaves as cover, she loaded all the radishes onto the tricycle. As they prepared to leave, Wei Yao pulled Yang Yonglian aside and told her about the vegetable patch, handing seven or eight radishes to her and quickly pushing the cart away before she could refuse.

Back home, she unloaded the vegetables, covering them with an old cotton jacket belonging to Song Mingrui, then went to the neighbors’ to fetch the children.

Song Yang opened his eyes drowsily, called out “Mom,” and fell asleep again.

Wei Yao cradled the children, softly humming a lullaby until he was deeply asleep, then placed him in bed.

Looking at the two well-behaved children in bed, a rare tranquility filled her heart. Sometimes she wondered, was the frantic, hysterical woman from her past life really her?

But no matter what, she was content with her current life. Even if rumors sometimes spread about her, she did not care. Time spent worrying about gossip was better spent living well with her children!

On her day off, she busied herself at home. Besides the radish roots from the countryside, she also took out fresh cabbage, radishes, carrots, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and scallions from her space, neatly arranged in the kitchen corner. Mustard greens were pickled and hung all over the yard. Mustard green dumplings were sliced and pickled with dried radish, spread out on two bamboo mats.

When Song Yang woke up, he saw the yard full of food and his small mouth opened wide enough to fit an egg.

“Wow! Mom, you’re amazing! Did you make all these?”

“Yes, Yangyang. Mom started early this morning. Look at these vegetables—all pickled by Mom. When it gets cold, we won’t lack anything to eat. Look over there, Mom even planted some spinach. When it grows, I’ll make you spinach and egg soup.”

The little one cheered joyfully, then suddenly ran to Wei Yao and hugged her tightly.

“Mom, you’re the best! You’re the best mom in the whole world.”

“You’re just sweet-talking me. Hungry, huh? Come on, Mom will help you wash up. Breakfast is heating on the coal stove—milk, eggs, meat buns, and millet porridge. Eat whatever you want. For lunch, I’ll make carrot meat patties. They’re delicious too!”

Song Yang smiled, his little mouth curling up. Every morning he woke up to so much good food. He truly was the happiest child in the world. If only Dad could come home sooner. The New Year was approaching, and he wanted to celebrate it with Dad, Mom, and little sister.