Chapter 12 Gao Family Matters

Zheng Xianghong said, "They're from Zhang Ji's, right? That boy loves Zhang Ji's meat buns and steamed buns the most. You keep them and eat them. Your aunty already had soup noodles outside before coming back."

"I've already eaten. Maybe aunty could leave them for the team leader and Brother Gao," Xia Xiao suggested. She had already eaten large meat buns. It would be embarrassing to take these two steamed buns back home; it wouldn't be right to take advantage like that.

Zheng Xianghong shook her head, "I've already bought them food. Since that boy bought these for you, you should keep them."

As Zheng Xianghong spoke, she still felt that her youngest son's feelings towards Xia Xiao were unusual, and she wasn't being overly sensitive. She knew her son well. Not to mention his sisters, even Guifang from his younger uncle's family hadn't received such good treatment from her youngest.

"Let me take a look at your feet," Zheng Xianghong said.

Xia Xiao quickly took off her shoes and socks, exposing her feet for Zheng Xianghong to see. She felt relieved that she didn't have athlete's foot, which would have been rather embarrassing.

"Oh dear, these two blisters have gotten so big. I'll just pluck some herbs from the front door, pop them, and apply the herbs, and you'll be fine," Zheng Xianghong said as she was about to head outside. Just then, she saw Gao Jiaxing returning with a few stalks of herbs.

Zheng Xianghong said, "This is it. Us country folk use this whenever we get bruises or bumps; it works like a charm."

Xia Xiao recognized the herb. She had seen such herbs in her childhood, but she hadn't seen them since she grew up.

"Aunty, I can manage by myself; you don't have to trouble yourself," Xia Xiao said. Initially, she really didn't know how to treat it and was more afraid of getting an infection that could worsen it.

Now, being in the production team, Xia Xiao really couldn't afford to get sick. Seeing the needle and herbal medicine, Xia Xiao now knew what to do.

"No need, you just sit. My grandfather was a barefoot doctor, and my mother learned this from him. Your team leader admired me for knowing a bit about this."

Zheng Xianghong spoke with pride, "In the future, if you have any minor ailments or pains, just come to me. Last time you were bitten by a venomous snake, my second son sucked the venom out, but didn't know to give you herbal medicine. I did tell him about it before. Fortunately, you were fine, otherwise, I would have really scolded him."

Zheng Xianghong wiped the needle with alcohol, popped the two large blisters for Xia Xiao, and then mashed some medicine for her to apply.

"Thank you, aunty." Xia Xiao was very grateful. After the blisters were popped and the fluid had drained, with the medicinal juice applied and bandaged, her feet indeed felt much better.

"Why be so formal with your aunty? When you go back, just don't touch water," Zheng Xianghong advised. Xia Xiao nodded. She wanted to thank Gao Jiaxing but didn't see him, so she let it be. In the end, Xia Xiao left the last two steamed buns at the Gao family's house and did not take them with her.

Xia Xiao was truly grateful to the Gao family from the bottom of her heart. She was the type of person who reciprocated kindness with kindness. The Gao family had been good to her, so she was willing to be close to them.

Yet at the same time, Xia Xiao wondered why Zheng Xianghong was so kind to her. Thinking about herself, she felt she had nothing to exploit.

Moreover, with her confidence somewhat boosted by having her own space.

After interacting more with Zheng Xianghong and spending a lot of time in the production team, Xia Xiao also learned about some matters concerning the Gao family. Although Zheng Xianghong wouldn't talk about them, the gossip-hungry women in the village were numerous, and Xia Xiao found it hard not to overhear.

Zheng Xianghong's relationship with her parents wasn't good; she barely had any contact with them. Also, because her father had another woman, her mother died of anger. Zheng Xianghong's brother was serving in the army, and during that tough period, her father remarried, making Zheng Xianghong's life miserable; she had no choice but to join the army and seek support from her brother.

It was there that Zheng Xianghong met Gao Guoqiang, introduced by her brother, and Gao Guoqiang filed a marriage report with the army.

In the village, Li Shengmei often sought favor from Gao Jiaxing's grandmother and earned the approval of Old Lady Gao, who planned to betroth her to Gao Guoqiang. However, the sudden appearance of Zheng Xianghong was not approved by Old Lady Gao. Nevertheless, Gao Guoqiang's marriage report had already been approved by the military leaders. Gao Guoqiang and Zheng Xianghong received their marriage certificate, and Zheng Xianghong joined the army as his spouse.

Old Lady Gao had given birth to nine children—four sons and five daughters. Whether they were abandoned or fostered out right from birth, it was clear how much Old Lady Gao favored boys over girls.

Team leader Gao Guoqiang was the third eldest. The first and the second were also soldiers, but the eldest had died early, and the second had sacrificed his life on the battlefield not long after Gao Guoqiang's marriage.

Old Lady Gao considered Zheng Xianghong an unlucky star, believing she jinxed her sons, and was even less welcoming towards Zheng Xianghong.

Zheng Xianghong first gave birth to three daughters, while Li Shengmei had a son after getting married; this stark contrast made Old Lady Gao dislike Zheng Xianghong even more.

Despite often being with the troop, whenever Zheng Xianghong returned, Old Lady Gao wouldn't even let her in the house. If she did manage to enter, Old Lady Gao would find ways to make life difficult for her and even got physical at times.

Later, after having three daughters, Zheng Xianghong had two sons one after the other, which made her life a bit easier. Also, when she was pregnant with Gao Jiazhi, her brother was killed in action, and Gao Guoqiang got injured. Fortunately, he was in the army; if she had been under Old Lady Gao's care, Zheng Xianghong wasn't sure she would have survived.

Just when things were looking up, Old Man Gao fell ill, and Gao Guoqiang was discharged from the army and returned to village life with Zheng Xianghong and the children.

Old Lady Gao became even more convinced of Zheng Xianghong's hard fate and unlucky influence. Now that her two eldest sons had moved out, Old Lady Gao and Old Man Gao lived with their youngest son. Old Lady Gao would rather die than accept Gao Guoqiang and Zheng Xianghong, refusing to let Zheng Xianghong cross her doorstep, fearing she would bring her bad luck.

But when Zheng Xianghong's three daughters reached marriageable age, Old Lady Gao again wanted a say in their marriages. This time, Zheng Xianghong stood her ground and married off her daughters elsewhere, strongly disagreeing with Old Lady Gao's arrangements. The relationship between the mother-in-law and the daughter-in-law was like fire and ice.

Hearing all this, Xia Xiao couldn't help but feel sympathy for Zheng Xianghong. Observing her consistently bright, sincere, and enthusiastic demeanor, one would never guess her hardships.

Recalling a recent meal at the team leader's home, Xia Xiao wondered whether Old Lady Gao, who deemed Zheng Xianghong an unlucky star, would eat the dumplings Zheng Xianghong had meticulously prepared and sent over through Gao Jiaxing.

However, Xia Xiao wasn't one to meddle in others' affairs. Her relationship with Zheng Xianghong hadn't reached a point where she concerned herself with the Gao family's issues, so Xia Xiao chose to stay oblivious.

With more than half a month left until the Spring Festival, Xia Xiao finished writing her letters. Each member of the production team received some grain based on their work points, which Xia Xiao planned to mail back to S city.

At the Youth Point, many had sent their share of grain home, and Xia Xiao joined them. There was still food in the team, and they were not going hungry.

Xia Xiao had also planted some sweet potato cuttings in her space, as they were easier to grow than other crops.

Before the new year, Xia Xiao took another trip to the county and bought three baby chicks, raising them in her space.