February 11, 1980, the twenty-fifth day of the twelfth lunar month.
Song Ning and Song Wang followed Zheng Chunzhi into her second uncle's courtyard.
Zheng Chunzhi's grandmother had two rooms to herself beside the courtyard.
Zheng Chunzhi's father had paid to build those rooms after her fiancé died in an accident.
Her grandmother had declared her unlucky and adamantly refused to live with them anymore.
Her second uncle's house barely had enough room for his own family. Her father, an honest, decent man, had volunteered to pay for the rooms to keep the peace.
Who could have known that after her father died of illness, her grandmother would conspire with her second uncle to sell Zheng Chunzhi's house?
They said she was a girl who would marry sooner or later, so letting her occupy an entire house was a waste.
Eventually, the Street Office intervened, explaining that the house had been allocated to the Distillery and was collective property that could not be bought or sold.
Only then did they give up.
Zheng Chunzhi led the way. When she entered, her grandmother was huddled beside the kang, warming herself by the fire.
The old woman looked up and saw Zheng Chunzhi. After a moment's surprise, she snatched up a feather duster and began lashing at her head and face.
"You walking disaster! You cursed little bitch! Coming here at New Year! Are you trying to curse these old bones of mine to death..."
Zheng Chunzhi had no time to dodge. She could only cover her head and turn away, bracing herself to take the beating.
Standing behind her, Song Wang panicked at the sight. He hurried forward to shield Zheng Chunzhi, taking those blows for her.
The old woman paused in surprise when a stranger rushed out from behind Zheng