"This is everything I heard, Mother." Zhao Hongmei could barely contain her excitement as she recounted every detail she had seen and overheard in the fields that morning. From Wang Xiuying's open affection for Li Guoqiang to the villagers' gossip, and finally old Jiao's stories about Wang Xiuying's obsession dating back to childhood, she repeated every word without leaving out a single detail.
She finished with sparkling eyes, waiting eagerly for her mother's reaction. Yet the room remained strangely quiet. Only the crackling of burning firewood beneath the clay stove echoed through the small kitchen.
Zhao Hongmei frowned. Something felt wrong, "Mother?"
She looked toward Sun Guifeng, whose back remained turned as she crouched before the earthen stove, feeding another bundle of dry twigs into the fire. The iron pot above it let out soft bubbling sounds as several wild cucumbers boiled in plain water, releasing only the faintest hint of fragrance.
Ever since returning home, Zhao Hongmei had sensed something unusual. Her mother had been absent-minded the entire afternoon. She hadn't even gone to the commune canteen for lunch as she usually did. Instead, she insisted on boiling a pot of wild vegetables at home.
She seemed... distracted. Almost unsettled. Zhao Hongmei hesitated before speaking again, "Mother... what's wrong? Aren't you happy?" She tilted her head, confusion evident on her face, "This is our chance. This time we can deal with both Aunt Meilan's family and Li Jianhua."
"Didn't you always say that you wanted my elder brother to become the only university student in the entire village?"
Still, Sun Guifeng did not turn around. Only after what felt like an eternity did her low voice finally sound, "...How?"
The single word immediately rekindled Zhao Hongmei's enthusiasm. She hurried closer, speaking excitedly, "Isn't it obvious, Mother? From what Aunt Xiuying herself said today, one thing is certain. She'll do anything to separate Aunt Meilan and Uncle Guoqiang." Her smile widened, "If we quietly help her or even create opportunities for her, wouldn't Aunt Meilan's household descend into complete chaos?" She laughed softly, "Just think about it. If a family is constantly arguing, who would still have the heart to study? The college entrance examination is only two months away. I'm certain Li Jianhua won't be able to concentrate once everything falls apart and when that happens..."
She smiled brightly, "The only university student in the whole village will be my elder brother, everyone will admire you. They'll say you raised the only scholar in Shitou Village."
Her eyes gleamed with anticipation. Naturally, none of that was her true objective. Whether Zhao Xiaojun became the village's only university student meant little to her.
She merely knew that becoming the mother of a university student had always been Sun Guifeng's greatest obsession. That was why she deliberately used those words.
Her real goal had never changed. She wanted to destroy Li Shuying's future. If Li Jianhua's studies were ruined in the process, that would simply be an added bonus. She waited expectantly for her mother's approval.
Instead, Sun Guifeng asked another question. Her voice was unusually calm, "So, you want Wang Xiuying and Li Guoqiang to end up together?"
Zhao Hongmei blinked. She didn't sense anything unusual in the question. With a careless shrug, she replied, "What does it matter whether they actually end up together? Our goal is simply to deal with Aunt Meilan's family, isn't it? As for what happens afterward, that's Wang Xiuying's business."
She chuckled lightly, "Besides, didn't Father and Elder Brother want exactly the same thing?"
The moment those words entered Sun Guifeng's ears, her entire body stiffened. The hand holding the fire poker unconsciously tightened until her knuckles turned white.
Inside her chest, something seemed to twist violently. A sharp pain spread through her heart and her eyes gradually reddened. She lowered her head slightly so her daughter wouldn't notice. The flames reflected in her pupils flickered endlessly.
She bit down hard on her teeth so hard, that her jaw nearly ached. If Zhao Hongmei had been standing in front of her instead of behind her she would have immediately noticed the storm raging across her mother's face.
Li Guoqiang's name echoed through her mind like an old wound being torn open. Teg feelings she has been tried to burry exploded like a raging volcano.
Sun Guifeng slowly closed her eyes. No, she absolutely could not let Hongmei see her discomfort. If her daughter realized that she, too, had feelings for Li Guoqiang countless questions would inevitably follow.
When she opened her eyes again, every trace of emotion had already been suppressed. Her voice regained its usual composure, "Hongmei, you should go outside. I'll call you when the soup is ready."
Although Zhao Hongmei found her mother's behavior rather strange, she didn't think too deeply about it. She simply nodded, "Alright." With that, she turned and walked out of the kitchen.
The wooden door creaked softly as it closed behind her. Only after the footsteps faded away, did Sun Guifeng finally release the breath she had been holding.
Just then, a familiar chuckle drifted in through the kitchen window and Sun Guifeng's body froze.
That laugh, she would never mistake it. Her fingers tightened instinctively around the fire poker before she slowly turned around and the moment her eyes landed on the woman standing outside the window, fury instantly surged into them, "You..."
Wang Xiuying leaned casually against the window frame, the corners of her lips curling upward. Seeing Sun Guifeng's reaction, her laughter only grew louder, "Aiya... Long time no see, Sister Guifeng."
Sun Guifeng's face immediately darkened, "Who are you calling 'Sister'? I'm not your sister."
Wang Xiuying seemed completely unoffended. Instead, she smiled even more warmly before walking around the courtyard and pushing open the kitchen door, "How can you say such hurtful words?"
She sighed dramatically, "Have you forgotten all those good old days we spent together? What wonderful memories they were."
Her gaze casually swept across the earthen stove before settling on the clay pot where several wild cucumbers floated in boiling water. She clicked her tongue, "Tsk... tsk... So this is today's meal? Just boiled wild cucumbers?"
She slowly walked closer, her eyes filled with mock sympathy, "But isn't my cousin Zhao Depeng, serving in the People's Liberation Army? I'm sure his military allowance is enough to support all of you. So why are you still living like this?"
Her gaze slowly traveled over Sun Guifeng from head to toe. She deliberately paused, "Oh Heavens... You've become so rustic, so haggard. Even your hair has turned dry and dull." She shook her head as though genuinely saddened, "How did you end up like this?"
Before her hand could touch Sun Guifeng's sleeve, Sun Guifeng slapped it away, "Enough!" Her voice trembled with anger, "Get out! I don't want to see your filthy face."
Wang Xiuying merely smiled, "What are you saying, Sister Guifeng? I came here especially to visit you. I've already been back in the village for a day, but you never came to greet me. It's been three whole years since we last met." She tilted her head, "Didn't you miss me?"
The smile on her face gradually disappeared and her voice lowered, "Let's talk."
Sun Guifeng's patience finally snapped. Without warning, she swung the wooden fire poker straight at Wang Xiuying, "Get out! We have nothing to discuss! Wasn't I clear enough when I didn't come to see you?"
Wang Xiuying reacted quickly, stepping aside just in time. The poker slammed heavily against the earthen wall behind her. Her expression instantly darkened, "What are you doing? Have you gone mad? I came to speak with you properly as a friend, yet you're trying to hit me? Can't you understand plain words?"
Sun Guifeng's chest rose and fell violently, "Friend? You still dare to pretend? You're no friend. You're a venomous snake who bite the very people who trust you. So stop pretending. You're nothing more than a wolf wearing a sheep's skin."
A trace of coldness flashed across Wang Xiuying's beautiful face, "Oh? And you're pretending to be some virtuous saint?" She folded her arms, "You think you're better than me? Everything I did... I did because I wanted to keep the man I loved." Her eyes narrowed,"But what about you? You married my cousin, bore him children and spent his wages. You lived under his roof and all the while, there was another man hidden inside your heart." She smiled mockingly, "So tell me, which one of us is more shameless?"
Sun Guifeng's pupils contracted violently. Her breathing immediately became erratic. Without another word, she hurried to the kitchen door and slammed it shut. She even glanced anxiously toward the courtyard before lowering her voice, "What exactly do you want? You already forced me out of the way between you and Li Guoqiang. You've gotten what you wanted. If anyone stands in your way now, it should be Chen Meilan. So why are you still dragging me into this?"
Wang Xiuying leisurely crossed her arms, "What? Scared now?" She let out a cold snort, "You think I didn't hear the conversation between you and your daughter just now? Ever since I returned to the village, your daughter has been constantly lingering around my daughter. I already suspected something."
Her sharp eyes locked onto Sun Guifeng, "You were the one who told her to keep an eye on me, weren't you?" Her voice suddenly became colder, "So tell me, after all these years, do you still love Li Guoqiang? Have you truly never forgotten him?"
"Lower your voice!" Sun Guifeng hissed. Her eyes repeatedly darted toward the window. She was terrified Zhao Hongmei or Zhang Xiuli might suddenly return. If anyone overheard this conversation, everything would be ruined. She clenched her fists tightly, "Wang Xiuying, I have nothing to do with Li Guoqiang anymore. You've seen it yourself. I never even went to see him after he returned. If I truly still harbored those thoughts, wouldn't I have been the first person standing before him? So stop talking nonsense and leave me alone."
For several moments Wang Xiuying simply stared at her. Then, unexpectedly, she smiled, "You and I, actually want the same thing."
Sun Guifeng frowned, "What do you mean?"
Wang Xiuying slowly stepped forward, "You think all I want is Li Guoqiang?" She softly shook her head, "No. I want Chen Meilan to lose everything she relies upon. I want her confidence crushed. I want every hope she places in her future to crumble."
Her lips curved into a faint smile, "When a woman watches the people she treasures stumble one after another, her spirit eventually breaks. And once that happens, how long do you think she can continue standing beside Guoqiang?"
She smiled elegantly, "As for her children, if their future becomes difficult, If every opportunity slips through their fingers. That is simply the natural consequence."
She looked directly into Sun Guifeng's eyes, "I know you hate me. I know you blame me for the past. But, Sister Guifeng, the enemy of your enemy, can still become your ally."
"So let us set aside our old grievances for now. First,et's deal with Chen Meilan and her children. I'm sure, you want that even more than I do." Her smile deepened, "After all, I've heard Chen Meilan's children are exceptionally capable. Especially her eldest son. They say he's almost certain to enter university."
She deliberately paused before delivering the final blow, "And I also know, you've always wanted your own son to become the only university student in Shitou Village. So, why don't we help each other?"
Sun Guifeng fell silent. For a long time, neither woman spoke.
Sun Guifeng stared fixedly into Wang Xiuying's eyes, her own filled with disbelief. She still found it impossible to accept what had just happened.
The woman standing before her, was the very person she hated most in this world. The woman who had single-handedly shattered her youthful dreams, who had forced her to bury feelings she had never dared confess.
The woman because of whom she had spent years living with resentment and regret. And now, that same woman had the audacity to stand before her, smiling as though nothing had ever happened, asking for her cooperation. How shameless could a person possibly be?
For a brief moment, Sun Guifeng wanted nothing more than to seize the fire poker again and beat this woman senseless.
Yet, that impulse slowly faded. Replacing it was hesitation. The past could no longer be changed. No matter how deeply she hated Wang Xiuying, no matter how much she regretted those years, nothing could undo what had already happened.
She was no longer the young girl who had secretly stolen glances at Li Guoqiang whenever he passed by. Those feelings had long since been buried beneath years of marriage, hardship, and motherhood.
Now, she was first and foremost a mother. And nothing in this world mattered more to her than her son, Zhao Xiaojun.
The image of her son studying diligently unconsciously appeared in her mind.
Soon afterward, another memory surfaced. The last time Zhao Depeng had returned home from work, he had spoken to her with unusual seriousness, "Whatever happens, you must make sure Li Jianhua doesn't appear for Collage entrance exam."
Slowly, her tightly clenched fists loosened and breathing gradually steadied. Her eyes once again settled upon Wang Xiuying. She still didn't trust this woman.
Not even a little.
If anything, Wang Xiuying was even more dangerous than she had been years ago.
Back then, she had merely been an impulsive young woman driven by jealousy.
Now she smiled while calculating every step. A woman like that was far more terrifying. Sun Guifeng subconsciously swallowed.
Her throat had become unexpectedly dry.
After a long silence, she finally asked in a low voice, "...How?" She looked straight into Wang Xiuying's eyes, "How do you intend to deal with Chen Meilan?"
Her tone was cautious, not because she had already agreed, but because, despite herself, she had begun listening.