Jianshe,Qiuye's father,who was an honest and down - to - earth farmer, had studied in a private village school for several years. His literacy and integrity led the villagers to elect him as the production team leader. However, his unwavering commitment to speaking the truth earned him the resentment of some who preferred to hide behind falsehoods.
Both Lijuan and Jianshe lost their fathers at a young age. Raised by their mothers in large, prosperous families that employed dozens of farmhands, they grew up cautious and timid. But Lijuan's experience was different. After her father's death, her grandparents doted on her excessively. Unlike her mother, Yu Qin, Lijuan's character was shaped more by indulgence than strict discipline.
As a child, Lijuan loved playing with her friends. Whenever she stayed out a little too long, her mother would force her to kneel, demanding she reflect on what she'd done to violate the standards of proper ladylike behavior. Later, as a mother, Lijuan imposed the same harsh rules on her daughter, Qiuye. Deep down, Lijuan yearned for freedom, but influenced by her upbringing and the social environment, she lacked the foresight to consider Qiuye's future. She simply replicated the way her mother had raised her. If Qiuye came home even a few minutes late from school or lingered outside to play, she'd be made to kneel and endure a scolding.
In fact, Lijuan's childhood was much happier than Qiuye's. Her grandparents not only spoiled her but also sought to educate her. In an era when foot - binding was still common among girls, they spared Lijuan from this painful tradition, which was quite progressive for the time. They even sent her to a town school. But upon seeing the teacher, a foreigner with a high - bridged nose and blue eyes, Lijuan was so frightened that she burst into tears. She refused to go back the next day, and her grandparents, reluctant to distress her further, didn't force her. This incident contributed to the development of her willful and self - centered nature.
After marriage, Lijuan found that her husband's family was not as well - off as her own. Despite being loved dearly by her mother - in - law, whenever she was unhappy, she would immediately return to her parents' home, where she could enjoy good food and comfortable living. With the change in rural policies, both her natal and marital families had to earn work points to survive. Yu Qin adapted quickly to this new reality. Even before the policy changed, she had risen before dawn and worked until late at night. Now, instead of taking care of dozens of people, she only needed to provide for her small family. But Yu Qin was a person who couldn't stand idleness. After finishing the household chores and farm work at home, she would ask her family to pull her to the fields in a flatbed cart. When no one was available, she would hobble to the fields with the help of a walking stick, her bound feet making each step a struggle. Thanks to her hard work, the family, though not wealthy, could live comfortably.
Yu Qin worried constantly about Lijuan, who couldn't endure the hardships of farm work and kept returning to her parents' home. Whenever Lijuan came, Yu Qin couldn't bring herself to scold her too much, though she sometimes nagged about her daughter observing wifely virtues and not returning home so often. Since Lijuan's grandoarents were always happy to see her, Yu Qin felt she had no right to interfere. Each time Lijuan returned to her husband's home, Yu Qin would prepare a large amount of food and daily necessities for her. Sometimes, Yu Qin even accompanied Lijuan back to help take care of the children and clean the house, only to rush back to her own home right after. In Yu Qin's mind, her primary responsibility was to take care of her own small family, and only by doing so could she feel at peace.
Lijuan, in contrast to her mother, was impulsive and free - spirited. Accustomed to a carefree childhood, she hated being controlled. During busy times in the production team, she sometimes fainted, a consequence of her poor health after giving birth during a famine. Unlike Yu Qin, who endured everything silently and never wanted to trouble others, Lijuan made it clear whenever she felt unwell or unhappy. She would take time off without hesitation, even if her children were crying and in need of care. This self - centeredness, which might seem selfish today, was actually her way of self - protection. Without it, she might have exhausted herself in those harsh conditions and never lived to be over 90.
Jianshe, too, lost his father to a sudden illness, leaving him and his mother in poverty. His mother, a hard - working and resilient woman, taught him to be honest and down - to - earth. She encouraged him to study in the private school whenever he had time. As a result, Jianshe became one of the more educated people in the village and was elected as the production team leader. He took his work seriously, but Lijuan's frequent returns to her parents' home distressed him deeply. Their lack of communication and understanding led to frequent conflicts. After each argument, Lijuan would flee to her mother's home more often. In his pain and loneliness, Jianshe responded to the advances of a village widow, and they developed an ambiguous relationship.
When Lijuan discovered this, she told her younger brother, Lai Ming, Yu Qin's adopted son. Lai Ming, protective of his sister, immediately organised his fsmily members. That night, Jianshe was tied up and thrown into a cattle shed. The next day, he was paraded through the village as a public disgrace. This humiliation took a toll on his health. Subsequently, the production team exiled him to a remote mountain area to work as a forest guard. From then on, he became a stranger in his own village.
Despite his disgrace, Jianshe still felt responsible for his family. He secretly cultivated small patches of land near the forest and grew crops. When the harvest season came, he would carry the grains home on a shoulder pole, always under the cover of night. He was too proud to face the villagers, feeling ashamed of his past. However, Lijuan seemed unaffected by the whole incident. Their marriage was arranged, and in her eyes, cooking and washing for his children was the most she could do for him. She didn't know how to develop a loving relationship with her husband. Since her own mother had endured life alone, Lijuan's only expectation of her husband was that he bring home money to support the family.
In such a tense and unhappy family environment, the children lived in constant fear. Ming, Qiuye's elder brother and the only son, was especially sensitive and irritable. Favored by his mother, he believed it was his duty to ensure that his sisters behaved like proper ladies. Any deviation from the strict rules of propriety would trigger his anger.
Amidst all this chaos, Qiuye remained unaffected. The family's neglect gave her the freedom to be herself. She found comfort in books and spent hours lost in thought, observing the beauty of nature. She could sit by the roadside for hours, fascinated by a butterfly or mesmerized by the dewdrops on leaves. Her inner world was a haven where no one could hurt her, a world where she was a carefree princess.
Some villagers, with malicious intent, would tease her about her father's affair. "Qiuye, have you seen that woman your father is with?" they would ask. Qiuye, innocent and straightforward, would answer seriously, recounting the few times she had seen the woman. As she walked away, the villagers would exchange knowing looks and laugh. "Is she ten years old already? How can she be so naive?" they would whisper. Qiuye, confused and hurt, would quickly retreat into her own world.
The days when she delivered meals to her father in the mountains were the happiest for Qiuye. Carrying a basket of food, she walked along the path lined with wildflowers and green grass. On sunny days, she would pick the most beautiful flowers and arrange them beside the food in her basket. These moments, free from the family's constraints, were a precious gift. And after she gave the food to her father, Jianshe would let her play freely in the forest, allowing her a brief but joyful escape from the harsh realities of life.