Chapter 3 — The Wife I Rescued In The Snow

That night, neither of us said another word. The next day, Hua Tue changed. She leaves all the housework to me. As for myself, I closed the door and stayed in my room. I used to peek through the door. She is reading a book. I don't know where she found those old textbooks. She read extremely attentively. Read it once and it's over for the whole day. When it was time to eat, her eyes were bloodshot. The body also quickly became thinner. I was heartbroken and stewed chicken soup for her. She only took a few sips, then went back to reading. I looked at her back, feeling empty. I feel she is slowly moving away from me. Going into a world that I completely did not understand. The day I registered for the exam, I went with her. I ride the family's large frame bicycle. She sat in the back, holding a cloth bag, inside were her books. We bumped all the way to the district. The registration point was crowded with people. Hua Tue is very calm. Fill out the application, pay the money, everything is smooth. When she received the exam notice, her hands shook slightly. On exam day, I drove her to the exam center. The test site is located at the district's number one high school. The front gate was filled with parents taking their children to take the exam. I parked the car and went inside with her. At this moment, a familiar voice called me back.

"Tham Son? Why is your kid also here?"

I turned my head to look. Is the village chief. His son also took the university exam this year.

“Uncle.”

I called out. The village chief smiled and came over and patted my shoulder.

“Bring your wife to the exam?”

He casually asked a question, his eyes fell on Hua Tue. Just take a look. The smile on the village chief's face immediately stiffened. His eyes widened, as if he had seen a ghost. The mouth opened and could not be closed for a long time. He pointed at Hua Tue, his fingers shaking like fallen leaves in the autumn wind.

“She… she…”

Hua Tue saw the village chief, his face also turned pale for a moment. But calm was quickly restored. She nodded slightly to the village chief, as a greeting. Then pulled my sleeve.

“Tham Son, I'm going in here.”

I replied, still not understanding what happened. Hua Tue turned around and walked into the exam hall. I watched her back disappear into the crowd. The village chief still stood in place, his face full of panic. He pulled me hard into a corner. The power is so great that it's scary. He leaned close to my face and lowered his voice. His voice trembled until he couldn't make a sound.

"Tham Son! You... you tell me the truth!"

“Do you know who she is?”

“Your kid is really brave!”

04

The village chief's words were like a sharp ice spear piercing the back of my neck. The blood in my body immediately turned cold.

“Uncle, what do you mean by that?”

I grabbed his arm, my voice trembling.

“What do you mean?”

The village chief shook my hand away and took two steps back, as if he was avoiding a terrifying epidemic. His eyes looked at me filled with fear.

"Tham Son, Tham Son, you're so confused! Do you know what kind of background the people in your family have? That's not someone that dirty hands like us can get involved with!"

My head was pounding, completely blank.

“I don't know what you're talking about.”

I mumbled.

“Don't you know?”

The village chief smiled coldly and lowered his voice.

“Six years ago, people from the district police used to carry photos and quietly come to the village ask about."

“They were looking for a female student who had run away from the province.”

“The person in that photo... looks exactly like your wife!”

Province. Police. Every word was like a hammer hitting my heart. Is the person I took home a fugitive being sought by the police?

“She… what crime did she commit?”

I felt my teeth chattering.

“If I knew, could I still stand here and talk to you?”

The village chief looked unlucky. He gasped, pointing at me.

“I thought this was over, who would have thought... who would have thought she would hide in your house!”

“Still hiding for six years!”

“Your kid… you really want to kill our whole village!”

The more the village chief spoke, the more agitated he became, and saliva splashed all over my face. I don't avoid it. My whole body stiffened.

“So… what to do now?”

“How? What else can be done!”

The village chief gritted his teeth.

“Wait for her to finish the exam, quickly take her away!”

“Take it as far as possible!”

“Let's pretend we've never met this person!”

“Otherwise, when her family comes to find you, you won't know how you die!”

Her family... My heart sank again. It was possible for the police to work silently, scaring the village chief to this extent. In the end, what kind of existence is her family? Having finished speaking, the village chief waved his hand, turned and left.

“You take care of yourself.”

Before leaving, he threw back a sentence. I stood alone in the corner for a long time. The sun shines on me, but I don't feel any warmth. Hands and feet are cold. I remember the past six years. It turns out there were all signs. It's just that I was so stupid, immersed in the peaceful days of having a wife and home, that I didn't realize it at all. I cycled home. When I arrived, my heart was still full of anticipation. When returning, the wheel looked like it was filled with lead. Every time you pedal, you have to use all your strength. When I got home, it was almost dark. I parked the car in the yard. The lights are on in the house. I pushed the door and walked in. Hua Tue returned home from the exam and was sitting at the table reading a book under an oil lamp. Hearing the noise, she raised her head.

“Are you home yet?”

She asked, her voice still the same as usual.