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Seventeen Years as a Concubine
墨書 Inktalez
In 1984, at the age of 29, I met Wen Huaxiang while working at a small factory in the village. She was 28 then, already married to Chen Qingzhang, who was 17 years her senior, and they were living a rather frugal life. I only occasionally helped them with farm work, fixing the roof or fetching water, purely as a neighborly gesture. However, I soon found myself drawn to this woman before me.
She wasn't particularly beautiful, but there was an indescribable gentleness about her. I clearly remember that day when her husband, Chen Qingzhang, went to the county for business, and I helped her repair a broken pigpen. After finishing the work, she poured me a bowl of hot tea, and our fingers accidentally brushed against each other.
That brief touch felt like an electric current coursing through my body. Summoning my courage, I took her hand for the first time. She didn't pull away; instead, she lowered her head, her cheeks slightly flushed.
Thus began our illicit affair. We started meeting secretly in a small grove on the edge of the village, like thieves. Each time we met, I was so nervous that my palms would sweat, terrified of being seen by anyone in the village and even more afraid of being discovered by Chen Qingzhang.
As time went on, I sensed that Chen Qingzhang seemed aware of our relationship but chose to remain silent for reasons unknown. "He actually knows about us," Wen Huaxiang whispered to me one day. "But he's getting old and his health isn't good. With all the heavy work at home, he appreciates your help."
Eventually, Chen Qingzhang began inviting me over for meals. The first time I went, I was so nervous that I could barely hold my chopsticks. Yet he acted as if nothing had happened and even poured me wine himself. The three of us sat around the dining table; the atmosphere was strange yet oddly harmonious.
I gradually became a regular visitor at their home. Whenever I returned from working out of town, I would bring money and gifts for Wen Huaxiang. Before long, I found myself living with them.
At first, the villagers whispered and pointed fingers at us, but eventually they grew accustomed to it. In this isolated little mountain village, as long as no trouble was stirred up, everyone could turn a blind eye to it.
As for me, I never considered how long such a relationship could last.
I only know that every time I see Wen Huaxiang's smile, my heart feels at ease. Most of the money I earned from my job went to her, helping her buy furniture, repair the house, and improve our lives. Chen Qingzhang never questioned this.
My relationship with Wen Huaxiang became public like this. I was no longer a secret lover but the "second husband" of this household. Chen Qingzhang and I had clear divisions of labor: he took care of the farming work in the fields while I worked outside to earn money and helped with heavy chores when I returned. Wen Huaxiang looked after our meals and daily needs.
The three of us lived under one roof for seventeen years. Seventeen years—neither long nor short. During these years, I experienced the most peculiar times of my life. I didn’t have my own home, yet I shared a home with others. I didn’t have a legal wife, but I had a partner in practice.
Until October 2000. That day, I returned from working in Changsha with over three thousand yuan in my pocket. On the way, I thought about using this money to buy Wen Huaxiang a new outfit and get some new appliances for the house. But as soon as I reached the village entrance, I overheard some old men chatting.
"Wen Huaxiang is quite something now; two men aren't enough for her, and she's hooked up with Gui Lao San," said a hunched old man.
"Yeah, I've heard they're almost living together, and that Hu Dongli is still in the dark!" another old man chimed in.
My mind went blank with shock. Gui Lao San was that idle guy in the village who spent his days hunting wild game with a shotgun. I suppressed my anger and hurried towards Chen's house.
I pushed open the door and saw Wen Huaxiang cooking while Chen Qingzhang sat outside basking in the sun.
"I'm back," I said stiffly, placing the money on the table. "I heard there's a new guest at home recently?"
Wen Huaxiang's hand paused for a moment, but soon resumed chopping the vegetables. "Who have you been listening to?"
"Everyone in the village knows about it. Am I the only one left in the dark?" My voice rose slightly.
Chen Qingzhang glanced at me briefly before lowering his head again, as if this matter had nothing to do with him.
In that moment, I felt an unprecedented anger. After seventeen years of giving so much, was this the outcome I received?
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