Zhu Fangfang laughed lightly and said, "Second sister-in-law, we're all family. We used to eat from the same pot. It's just that everyone's busy now, so it's become inconvenient. Why don't we go back to eating together like before and help each other out?"
Zhao Chunhua glanced at her, thinking that this woman was truly shameless.
"Do you see this?"
She pointed at her own face.
"What's wrong with your face?" Zhu Fangfang asked.
She forced a smile and said, "Do you think the word 'idiot' is written on my face?"
"Second sister-in-law, what do you mean by that?" Zhu Fangfang asked.
"Otherwise, how would you have the nerve to come here and speak so righteously?"
Zhao Chunhua rolled her eyes at her in annoyance.
Zhang Laosan snapped back with an unpleasant expression, "Who said we're trying to take advantage of you? We have food to eat. We don't need to rely on you to support us."
Zhao Chunhua spat, "Tsk, who cares about your little bit of food?"
The two of them had always been idle and never did any real work. They only liked to freeload on food and drink, and in truth, they didn't have much stored at all.
"I'm afraid it's almost finished.
Get out of here! If you dare come back again, I'll beat you up!"
Zhao Chunhua bent down, picked up a wooden stick, and swung it hard, snapping it in two.
The third family's couple were so frightened that they fled in disgrace, afraid that if they were even a step slower, Zhao Chunhua's stick would land on them.
This scene happened to be witnessed by the eldest wife.
Bai Xiaowei covered her mouth and laughed sarcastically. "Oh? Aren't you just asking for trouble?"
You two are useless, Zhang Defu sneered.
Zhang Laosan and Zhu Fangfang had already suffered a loss at Zhao Chunhua's hands and were burning with anger. When the eldest wife mocked them as well, they immediately exploded.
A fierce quarrel broke out.
"Useless? And what about you?" Zhang Laosan shouted. "Aren't you still living like a servile life every day, not even daring to breathe too loudly?"
What did you say, Zhang Laosan?
That sentence hit the sore spot, and Zhang Defu immediately turned angry and embarrassed.
"Who are you calling servile? Say it clearly!"
The two families argued so fiercely that they nearly came to blows, if not for the villagers who rushed over to mediate.
Zhao Chunhua found it rather amusing. The two families usually got along well, yet now they were quarreling like enemies.
Her children craned their necks, eager to watch the spectacle.
"Don't watch them anymore. Go back to sleep. We have to travel tomorrow," Zhao Chunhua commanded.
At her words, they immediately obeyed and returned to their temporary shelter.
"Wear a mask while you sleep, and don't take it off unless you're drinking water or eating."
She glared at them sharply, ensuring every mask was properly worn. Only then did she lie down under a thin blanket, close her eyes, and drift off to sleep.
The cold wind howled through the cave all night. Even with the fire burning, everyone shivered from the chill.
It was a long and grueling night for the entire group.
By morning, many team members had caught colds, and some even ran high fevers.
Zhao Chunhua once again reminded her family to wear masks and avoid anyone showing cold symptoms, then hurried off to speak with the village chief.
Zhang Ruoan had also caught a cold the previous night, and a dizzy headache had been plaguing him ever since.
"Village chief, more and more people are catching colds. We can't go on like this. We have to find a way to solve this problem."
Zhang Ruoan shared her concern. During a famine, falling ill could be deadly.
And with no doctor in their team, no one could prescribe medicine. If someone got sick, all they could do was endure it.
Zhao Chunhua said, "There's nothing else we can do for now. Let everyone make a few masks and wear them, it will help somewhat. You should also remind everyone to be cautious on the journey and pick some herbs to boil for drinking."
"Are these masks really going to help?" He asked doubtfully.
Zhang Ruoan nodded, glancing at the cotton mask on her face.
"How can it be useless? Look, I'm fine, and so are the children."
Even hearing her reassurance, he remained skeptical.
Seeing this, Zhao Chunhua let out a quiet sigh and said nothing more. There was only so much she could do with gentle advice.
The whole day passed as they walked, stopping occasionally, but they found no herbs. Their progress was slow, and they couldn't even locate a temporary shelter. That night, they were forced to spend it out in the open.
Although the cave had been damp and cold the night before, it at least offered some protection from the wind and rain. The open space, however, provided no shelter, making it even more unbearable for those already suffering from colds.
That night, fevers rose one after another, and coughing echoed without pause.
Rain began to fall in the middle of the night, the cold droplets waking everyone from their uneasy sleep.
Everyone had to pack up quickly and travel through the rain all night, searching for shelter. It wasn't until dawn that they finally came across a barely usable mountain temple.
Those already sick were soaked through, and after the night's ordeal, more than half of the villagers had collapsed.
Even some of the strong young adults began coughing, not to mention the frail elderly and the children.
More and more people fell ill. Only Zhang Tianbao and his siblings whom Zhao Chunhua had insisted always to wear masks remained healthy.
By now, several people had finally recognized the importance of masks.
Zhao Chunhua didn't need to say another word. Everyone began wearing them on their own, consciously.
Others saw this and realized just how effective masks could be.
When the village chief had mentioned it the day before, no one had taken it seriously. Now, after suffering the consequences, regret spread among them.
"I didn't expect these masks to work so well. Look everyone in Zhang Erfang's house is fine."
If i had known, I would have worn it earlier. I wouldn't be suffering like this now."
Zhang Defu and Zhang Laosan, already weakened from past injuries, now fell ill as well. Their coughing was harsh and relentless, shaking them to the core.
Everyone in their family had been infected and felt miserable.
When the two families learned that Zhao Chunhua had given masks to the village chief's family but hadn't reminded their own, fury overtook them. They rushed toward her, eyes blazing with anger.
"You are such a cruel woman, so heartless! You only care about pleasing the village chief and ignore your own sick family. Are you even human?"
Zhang Defu jabbed a finger at Zhao Chunhua's nose as he shouted at her.
Zhang Laosan and Zhu Fangfang had initially tried to stay in her good graces, but after being rebuked once more, they now sided with the first wife.
"How can you be so merciless to your own people? If your deceased husband saw how you're acting…"
Before he could finish, Zhao Chunhua suddenly interrupted.
"He will definitely praise me for doing the right thing!"
"What did you say?"
They stared at her with wide eyes, unable to believe what they were hearing.
"You already know how you treated me in the past without me even saying a word. But my husband will certainly support me!"
Her face darkened as she sneered.
"Don't act serious in front of me! I didn't tie your hands. If you can't even do something this simple, you can only blame yourself for being useless!"
When Zhao Chunhua spoke, not only did the people from the first and second families fall silent, but even the surrounding villagers felt a pang of shame.
They were foolish, unwilling to make the masks which made them suffer.…
Finally, it was the village chief, Zhang Ruoan, who stepped forward to calm the tension.
"If you cause trouble again, don't follow our team. Go your own way!"
Zhang Defu clenched his teeth, feeling that the village chief was clearly taking Zhao Chunhua's side.
He didn't dare voice his complaint directly to Zhang Ruoan, so all he could do was swallow his anger and seethe silently.