Fireworks, however beautiful, are only a transient brilliance.
When the dazzling light in the sky gradually fades, it eventually has to return to darkness.
Fortunately, the people of Fengjing set off firecrackers, mixed with children's laughter and frolicking, thus avoiding the loneliness after the prosperity.
"People are the foundation of the country!" Xu Mo sighed as he looked up in the yard.
Chang Yan's pupils shivered slightly, he quickly lowered his eyes, turned around and went back to the dinner table in the main hall.
Jiang San and Jiang Si were playing finger guessing games, the loser had already drank dozens of cups, and was dead drunk.
Even so, he still did not forget to hug the brother in front of him and cry, "I miss them, I miss them!"
The one being hugged turned red-eyed, secretly enduring the urge to sob.
Who doesn't miss them, doesn't miss the brothers who lived together day and night, doesn't miss the family members who grew up together, doesn't miss those who are far away in the north.
Jiang San and Jiang Si hugged each other and cried.
Wen Zhiyun endured again and again, and tears still rippled in his eyes.
Zheng Ruqian clenched his fists, not knowing what he was thinking.
Chang Yan's steps stopped, his pupils trembled again. He remembered Third Brother who went far north, and thought of Big Brother who was running east and west for the imperial examination fraud case.
Complicated thoughts lingered in his chest, blocking him uncomfortably, making him unable to speak out or swallow it down.
He should do something.
...Right?
A clear and crisp laugh suddenly came from behind. It was his sister coming in. She always missed Third Brother. If she saw this crying scene, it would be a big mess.
Chang Yan stopped thinking randomly, turned around and dragged the chubby girl away. At the moment she entered the house, he ran to the courtyard door.
Jiang Sheng raised her smooth little face with a blank expression, and whispered, "What's the matter, Fifth Brother, is there something?"
Nothing.
I was just afraid you would start crying, so I brought you out here.
Before Chang Yan could explain, there was a sound of tiptoeing behind him.
He hurriedly pulled Jiang Sheng to hide behind the water tank. In the flickering candlelight, they saw a graceful figure with a bamboo basket over her shoulder walking out, pulling out the door bolt, and deliberately closing the door when she left.
Is it her?
The siblings stood at the door in doubt, unable to figure out the meaning behind her actions.
Coincidentally, Zheng Ruqian sneaked out of the main hall and saw the two standing there dumbly. He asked strangely, "If you're not eating or watching the fireworks, what are you doing here?"
Jiang Sheng couldn't say it.
It was Chang Yan who calmly said, "Since Second Brother is here, let's go find out."
The three siblings gently opened the door and followed.
The woman ahead was burying her head while walking, completely unaware that three small tails were following behind her.
On a day when the whole family was reunited, she left without saying goodbye to anyone in the family. She walked silently from the second courtyard for a whole tea time before stopping in a dilapidated alley in the west of the city.
Even Jiang Sheng was surprised. She didn't know Fengjing had such a broken alley.
But the woman looked calm as usual. She walked to the end of the alley where there was a small shed made of broken tiles that seemed to be used to store discarded items. At the moment, there were sounds coming from it as if someone was living inside.
The woman knocked on the door and called out, "Sister Miao."
The leaky door of the broken house opened, revealing an emaciated woman, with a 10-year-old girl behind her. They both had disheveled hair and weary faces.
Seeing the woman, the little girl's eyes lit up and she called out, "Auntie Zhang."
Zhang Xianglian sighed, took out several pieces of warm pastries from the bamboo basket, and half a leftover pork elbow. "Good girl, go eat with your mother."
The little girl's eyes almost shone. But she still waited for her mother to nod before taking the pastries and elbow and putting them on the table.
"Sister Zhang, thank you for always bringing us food these days, and finding us such a shelter." The Miao woman said, with tears streaming down her face, "It's all because my husband is cruel-hearted. Just because I couldn't give birth to a boy, he insisted on driving my daughter and me out without leaving us any clothes, silver or money. He wanted us to starve to death outside!"
The Dayu Dynasty had strict laws. Most commoners were monogamous. Basically no one dared to take concubines.
Many men who wanted to remarry could only vent their frustrations on their wives, beating and humiliating them was a common daily occurrence. If the woman couldn't stand it and ran away, the blame would be on her, while the man could happily remarry.
If the wife was killed, the man could even claim compensation to use as betrothal gifts for the new wife, and for subsequent living expenses.
When it comes to human evil, this man is even more vicious than Zhou Jianren.
There was only sympathy in Zhang Xianglian's eyes. She said gently, "The more this is the case, the more you have to live your own life and not let him have his way."
"But I don't have household registration or identity. I can't do anything." The Miao woman cried even more. "If we divorce, the child would have to be handed over to him, but he definitely won't treat Da Ya well. I... I don't feel assured!"
She looked back at the girl who was drooling while looking at the pork elbow, and her tears flowed even more freely.
The Dayu Dynasty's laws also stipulated that women could file for divorce, but they could not take the children with them.
Children always belonged to the father.
So many women endured humiliation and abuse for the sake of their children, so that the children could grow up healthy, until the husband died, before they could obtain peace.
But by then, they would have long had white hair and wrinkles.
Youth is fleeting, beauty fades, who still has their springtime youth?
Zhang Xianglian held the Miao woman's hand tightly. She suddenly recalled what Jiang Sheng had said, "It would be great if women could also divorce their husbands."
Yes, it would be so great if women also had the right to divorce and take away the children.
"Let's think about what to do with the child's matter slowly. As for you, I plan to talk with the main house, and ask them to let you come help me. " Zhang Xianglian whispered, "But you have to get a divorce first. My family is kind, they won't mind you taking some leftovers, but we can't cause them more trouble."
The Miao woman nodded with tears.
The two talked for a few more sentences before Zhang Xianglian told her to go back and eat with her daughter, then turned and closed the door with a long sigh.
Perhaps because it was too late, after the fireworks, the sound of firecrackers also gradually faded.
Most of the laughing and frolicking people had gone home to rest, and the wide streets became unusually empty with fewer people.
A cold wind blew by, bringing a hint of bleakness.
Zhang Xianglian was quite calm at first, but as she walked, she felt there were footsteps behind her. She gradually became nervous, her heart beating faster and unconsciously sped up her pace.
But the footsteps behind also accelerated, becoming more and more dense, as if about to catch up at any time.
Zhang Xianglian was terribly scared. She picked up the bamboo basket and was about to run.
Fortunately, the familiar crisp voice rang out in time, "Auntie, it's me!"
