Sometimes, certain things need to be brutally laid out in front of you before you can grasp their full significance. Wang Chunhua had never worried when Dong Shan went up the mountain every day and returned safely. But when she peeled back his clothes to reveal that still-bleeding wound, the stark reality hit her hard. Her heart tightened at the sight, fearing not only for his current injury but also for the possibility of future harm elsewhere.
Seeing her usually carefree sister with a hint of fear on her face, Li Mingwei couldn't help but feel sorry for her. She reached out and embraced Wang Chunhua. "Is your husband ignoring you?" she asked.
"Mm." Wang Chunhua pouted. "He hasn't spoken to me for days, just goes up the mountain every morning."
"Is he healed?" Li Mingwei inquired.
Wang Chunhua shook her head. The wound still looked deep, indicating that recovery wouldn't be easy.
Li Mingwei felt increasingly anxious. Going up the mountain with an injury was even more dangerous. She couldn't help but scold Wang Chunhua, "Sis, why didn't you try to stop him? If something happens to your husband again, what will you do?"
Wang Chunhua felt the urgency too, but since he wasn't paying her any attention, she couldn't muster the courage to confront him.
Li Mingwei felt exhausted dealing with these two stubborn individuals. If only they could channel their stubbornness in the right direction.
After finding out the mountain peak Dong Shan frequented, Li Mingwei waited for him at the intersection after classes. She hoped to mediate between them.
As the evening darkened and Dong Shan was nowhere to be seen, Li Mingwei thought he might have chosen a different path that day. Just as she was about to leave, Dong Shan called out to her.
"Sis, what are you doing out here so late?" he asked.
"I was waiting for you," Li Mingwei replied, her gaze falling on Dong Shan's left hand. Not noticing anything unusual, she asked, "Did my sister say you were injured?"
Dong Shan instinctively touched his arm and then shook his head. Reluctantly, he rolled up his sleeve to show her.
Though the wound had begun to scab over, it still looked severe and Li Mingwei couldn't help but gasp. No wonder Wang Chunhua had been so terrified; what she had seen must have been even more gruesome.
"How did you get hurt like this?" Li Mingwei asked.
"It was from a tree branch," Dong Shan replied casually. "It's fine now, nothing serious. If I were afraid of this, I wouldn't be a hunter."
"But you chose to be a hunter because you didn't have any other options," Li Mingwei pointed out.
With no land, no family, and no education, all he had was his relatively strong physique. Compared to being a laborer, being a hunter was riskier but more profitable.
Dong Shan smiled. "Are you here to convince me not to go up the mountain again?"
Li Mingwei shook her head. "I'm not. Your decisions are your own. I just hope you two can sit down and talk calmly. This deadlock serves no purpose other than wasting time."
Dong Shan felt frustrated too. "Your sister ignores me, what can I do?"
"Huh? My sister says it's you who ignores her."
"I don't know what's wrong with her. Every time I try to talk to her, she just snorts and turns away. Lately, she's been sleeping in Lei's room. How can I deal with her?"
Dong Shan felt unfairly treated!
Li Mingwei clenched her fists. Just as she thought, how could her brother-in-law ignore her sister for so long? She shouldn't have believed her nonsense.
After calming down a bit, she asked, "So, what does my brother-in-law think about this?"
"I still want to go up to the mountains," Dong Shan affirmed. Leaning against a nearby tree, his originally rough voice softened slightly. "I've had enough of being poor. I just want to earn more money. There are many expenses at home now, and I can't afford to quit this job."
When Dong Shan's father was sick, he went door to door borrowing money. Who knows how many disdainful glances he endured just to gather enough money, only for his father to pass away anyway. The doctor said they arrived too late.
As long as one is human, who can guarantee they won't fall ill? He didn't want anyone else in his family to get sick in the future, unable to afford even medicine.
"Although farming can bring some profit, it's still not comparable to hunting. Hunting is risky, yes, but farming also faces the risks of droughts and floods. If you can't plant crops this year, where will Lei's school fees come from next year?"
Li Mingwei nodded in understanding. Whatever one does, there's always a chance of success or failure. Sometimes, everyone is just gambling. If it works out, everyone is happy; if not, they cry together.
"But the problem now is that your sister worries about you, afraid that something might happen to you. Let's not talk about the worst-case scenario, but what if, what if you end up like Yun Sister's husband, unable to do heavy work anymore? What will your sister and the children do?"
"I'm not asking you to make a choice right now. I just want to tell you that you have your worries, and your sister has hers. Your worries contradict each other right now, so you should sit down and discuss if you can find a solution that both of you can accept."
Dong Shan slouched his shoulders, closed his eyes for a moment, then sighed deeply and nodded. "Alright, I'll go back today and talk to your sister properly."
"Okay, but brother-in-law, please don't do this kind of thing again, going up to the mountains in anger with injuries."
"Okay, okay."
Dong Shan scratched his head. Even at his age, he still felt a bit embarrassed to be scolded by his younger sister.
After they finished talking, it was already dark. Dong Shan was worried about her safety alone, so he escorted Li Mingwei back to the Liu Family's house first before turning back home to discuss with Wang Chunhua.
The couple had a heartfelt conversation late into the night. Although they didn't come up with a solution immediately, they reconciled. Wang Chunhua also felt relieved, and her mood improved a lot.
Thinking that this matter shouldn't be delayed, she decided to go to the Liu Family's house to find Li Mingwei and brainstorm some ideas.
"Chunhua, Chunhua, where are you going?"
A woman caught up with her from behind and tapped her shoulder.
Wang Chunhua turned around. "Aunt Lin, I'm going to see my sister. Where are you going?"
"Sister? You mean that sister who married into the Liu Family?"
"Yes."
Aunt Lin frowned. "You'd better not go to her. I don't think she's a good person."
Wang Chunhua immediately wore a displeased expression and retorted, "Aunt Lin, my sister hasn't done anything wrong. How can you say such things about her?"
If it weren't for the fact that Aunt Lin usually had a good relationship with her and had helped her a lot, she would have been scolding her by now.
"Aunt Lin wouldn't deceive you!"
Seeing Wang Chunhua's expression, Aunt Lin glanced around and pulled her into an alley, saying, "I'm doing this for your own good. Do you know what your sister has been up to behind your back?"
"She's trying to get involved with your man!"
"Impossible!"
Wang Chunhua absolutely refused to believe this. Her sister was not that kind of person.
"I'm telling you, I saw it with my own eyes. Yesterday evening, when your man came home late, your sister cornered him near the town entrance. They whispered for who knows how long, and in the end, your man even escorted her back."
"No!" Wang Chunhua realized there was a misunderstanding and quickly explained, "Yesterday, I had a disagreement with Dong Shan. When my sister heard about it, she went to help me talk to him. That's what happened."
"Is that so?" Aunt Lin scrutinized her for a moment, skeptical. "You and Dong Shan actually had a disagreement?"
"Aunt Lin, in married life, there are always ups and downs. We had an argument, and my sister helped me talk to him. We've already reconciled now."
"Fine." Aunt Lin reluctantly believed her but added, "Make sure you know what's really going on in your heart."
Wang Chunhua...
What a colossal misunderstanding!
