When it comes to Taohua (Peach Blossom), everyone within a hundred-mile radius knows her. She was born into a family that wasn’t wealthy, but still well-off enough. Her father was honest and simple, not involved in much. Her mother, who had been adopted by her uncle when she was young, grew up in his household before marrying him. Though she was somewhat clumsy, having lived under someone else’s roof, she was thoughtful and practical when it came to handling situations. She was great at managing both household chores and child-rearing. Despite her strong character, she had four daughters and no sons. So, reluctantly, she gave her four daughters to a family in a neighboring village, one that had no daughters but carried the surname Zhang. That’s where our protagonist, Taohua, comes in.

The elders often say, “With good seeds, there’s no worry about growth,” and before anyone realized, Taohua had reached the age of seeking a partner. The first suitor she met had parents who worked in the city, and they had a good family background. However, after just one meeting, the man rejected her. Here’s what happened.

One afternoon, Taohua and her suitor went to his house together. They spent hours talking and laughing in the room, and before they knew it, it was well past 10 p.m. He suggested he should take her home. She replied, “I have a strange habit: I can’t return home after dark. If I do, I’ll get sick.” As she spoke, she even grabbed his hand. The man, young and shy, quickly withdrew his hand. “I’d like to stay here tonight and go back tomorrow,” she added.

He didn’t agree immediately, saying, “We’ve talked a lot today. I’d like to ask you something. I know it might be a bit early, but I want to know: what’s your impression of me?”

Taohua curled her lips, a bit impatient, and answered without much sincerity, “It’s fine. If I marry you, will I really become a city resident and be able to work in the city?” She was secretly thinking that if she could indeed work in the city, staying there tonight wouldn’t be a waste.

He then led her to his sister’s room where she stayed for the night, and they returned home the next day.

It turned out that the man saw through her urgency to settle down. Taohua had no real affection for him; she was simply using him to secure a city resident status. After marriage, she would think about the next step. Therefore, the relationship naturally ended in failure.

Afterward, Taohua got a job as a ticket seller at a local transport company after using her connections. Not long after, she got involved with the son of a newly rich local family, Wan Lin. She visited his house frequently, calling his parents “uncle” and “aunt,” and even the same-age Wan Lin was somewhat confused.

One evening, after work, Taohua, carrying some pork she had bought at the county market, arrived at Wan Lin’s house. His mother welcomed her in. Taohua explained, “Aunt, I was passing by the market and saw some fresh pork, so I bought two jin (a Chinese unit of weight).”

Wan Lin’s mother said, “You came to visit, not to bring pork.”

Taohua, while speaking, took out a pack of “Ashima” cigarettes—quite popular at the time—“This is for Uncle. Is he not at home? Out doing errands?”

“Wan Lin’s father is always busy. He spends more time napping at home than actually being around. He’s gone to help at a wedding in a neighboring village.”

Taohua nodded, but kept glancing nervously toward the inner room. As an outsider, she had no reason to look further. By the time evening came, Wan Lin hadn’t returned, and Taohua left alone.

When Wan Lin’s father came back, his mother immediately said, “Taohua came today. She bought pork for us and even brought you some good cigarettes.”

Wan Lin’s father said, “I think this girl is okay, but there’s something about her that doesn’t sit right with me. Our Wan Lin is honest and doesn’t speak much. But this Taohua is too clever, full of tricks. She says one thing, but her heart thinks another. It’s hard to say. Besides, this is a matter for the young people; what can we old folks say?”

“I see what you mean. When I told her you weren’t home, she didn’t believe me and looked inside several times. I’ll leave everything to you, both inside and outside the house.”

The next day, Taohua was getting ready to go to the county with the bus driver. When she looked up, she saw Wan Lin standing by a small shop, greeting the driver. She quickly walked over and said, “What are you doing here today?”

Wan Lin replied, “Nothing, just wandering around.”

“Come with me to the city, we can shop around.” Before Wan Lin could respond, Taohua had already dragged him into the bus.

“When I came to your house last time, I didn’t see you, only sat with your mother for a while. Your father was out helping someone,” she added.

“Last time I went to your house, I didn’t see you. I sat with your mom for a while, and your dad went to help someone.”

“When I got back, my mom said you had come over. That day, I went to Nánzhuāng to collect the payment for the road repair project we did for them last time.”

“Did you get the money?”

“Most of it was paid, the remaining balance will be cleared next time.”

“Your family has a wide network. Your father does all kinds of work—transportation, taking on projects. How’s the pig farm doing?”

“It’s just average. But my father loves to get involved in everything. He does all kinds of things. I’m just helping out, running errands.”

“I really envy you for having such a capable father!”

The small car arrived at the county station, and the passengers got off one by one, going their separate ways. Some people asked about the departure time for the afternoon bus. There were still three hours before the next departure. Tàohuā and Wàn Lín went to the Wùmào Commercial Building for a stroll and tried the famous local snack, “stir-fried steamed buns.” Tàohuā suggested that Wàn Lín buy a T-shirt from Yāgé’ěr and a pair of Red Dragonfly leather sandals, and she bought herself a light gray dress, which was convenient for work on the car. After work, Tàohuā got on Wàn Lín’s motorcycle and took a spin around the town.

By doing this, it was clear to anyone that Tàohuā was announcing to everyone that she was with Wàn Lín.

From then on, in flower-filled gardens and moonlit nights, in the city and the suburbs, the two of them were seen flirting and enjoying each other’s company.

Before long, the National Day holidays arrived. In an effort to show her commitment, Tàohuā gave up her spot on the company’s organized trip and handed it to Wàn Lín’s parents, hoping to further tie Wàn Lín down.

Tàohuā put Wàn Lín’s dirty laundry into the washing machine, cleaned it, spun it dry, and hung it on the balcony. She peeled two apples, handing one to Wàn Lín, who was sitting on the couch watching TV, while she ate the other. She said, “The TV commercials say that single people live a luxurious life, a world for two, and a family of three. We, as single people, should move towards that two-person world, and in the not-so-distant future, become a family of three. What do you think? Why don’t you take some action?”

Wàn Lín smiled, unsure of what to say.

Tàohuā continued, “We’ve been together for quite some time now. I can see that you’re a smart, capable person, born into a good family, never lacking for food or clothes. Your father is talented, a big shot in the area. Your mother runs the household, entertains guests, and manages everything on her own.”

“Stop flattering me. My parents are good at what they do; otherwise, how would they have built this family business? But we’re still young. We haven’t experienced much yet, and the future is ahead of us. We still need to work hard.”

“That’s true. I love hearing you talk, Wàn Lín. Unlike the younger generation now, who are all talk and no action. What are your plans for the future?”

“I think my father’s business started in the countryside. Now that it has had some success and adapted to the era of reform and opening up, it is still limited to the rural areas. In the future, I want to be a new type of farmer, someone who leaves the countryside and brings in advanced techniques from outside to use here. At the same time, I want to process our local specialties and turn them into products that can be sold. With the development of society, we’ll see rural people living in cities and urban people living in the countryside.”

“Then we’d better get married quickly, so I can be your assistant.”

“We could develop rural tourism, using our beautiful natural environment and green, organic food to open a farmhouse restaurant. Visitors from afar would come here to taste the food, enjoy the stunning scenery, and relax, reconnecting with nature.”

“That’s a good plan. We’ve eaten so much millet porridge already.”

“When that day comes, I’ll make sure my family lives a happy and prosperous life. The villagers will all have jobs, something to do, and won’t be spending their days playing mahjong and comparing scores.”

“You speak so well! Our future entrepreneur, let’s first solve the immediate problem of eating, shall we?”

After saying this, Tàohuā went to the kitchen, took two tomatoes and two eggs from the fridge, and made a tomato and scrambled eggs dish. She prepared the dough for noodles and let it rest for a while on the countertop. She then placed the pot on the gas stove and turned on the heat. Soon, two steaming bowls of tomato scrambled egg noodles were ready.

Wàn Lín opened a can of fish meat and placed it on the dining table. The two of them sat down, watching the popular TV drama, laughing and chatting as they ate.

Tàohuā picked up a piece of fish, took a bite, and said, “It’s not as tasty as freshly made. You should try the fish I make sometime.”

“You’re just talking big. I’ve never tried it,” Wàn Lín teased.

“If you want to try the food I make, then hurry up and marry me,” Tàohuā said playfully.

“You’re in such a hurry to get married, are you afraid that this beautiful flower will remain unclaimed?” Wàn Lín asked with a smile.

“Look at you. I just want to be with you,” Tàohuā responded.

From then on, the two young people were often together.

In order to secure her relationship with Wàn Lín and make sure he was hers for good, Tàohuā, having learned from her previous mistakes, decided to get pregnant before marriage.

Tàohuā, almost frantic, searched everywhere for Wàn Lín. She finally found him at a friend’s house. Wàn Lín asked, “What’s wrong? What’s going on?”

She took him aside and said, “I haven’t had my period for a long time, I think I might be pregnant. What should I do if that’s the case?” She began to cry as she spoke.

At that moment, Wàn Lín didn’t know how to respond. He hadn’t been thinking about marriage or children. He had just been enjoying their time together. This sudden turn of events caught him off guard. He said, “It’s not that serious yet. I have time today, let’s go to the hospital and get checked. We’ll know for sure.”

“We can go to the hospital, but if I am pregnant, you have to marry me,” Tàohuā insisted.

When the test results came back, Wàn Lín spoke to his parents: “I’m going to be a father, Tàohuā and I… we’re having a child.”

His father said, “How long has this been going on? You young people are too bold.”

His mother added, “We’re not meddling in your personal matters, but Tàohuā has always had a lot of ideas. Once she sets her mind to something, she can make it happen. Your father and I have watched her closely. Marriage and family life aren’t something you rush into; you have to think long-term. We have a reputation to uphold. Getting pregnant before marriage isn’t good for our family’s name.”

Indeed, Wàn Lín’s parents didn’t approve of their relationship, and Wàn Lín himself wasn’t thrilled about the situation either. His family considered the social implications, the stability of their future family, and Wàn Lín’s career development. They decided to break things off with Tàohuā.

Wàn Lín went to Tàohuā and said, “My parents don’t approve of our relationship, and I don’t know what to do.”

Tàohuā’s face, which had been so rosy, immediately darkened. She coldly said, “I’m a virgin, you played with me, and now my stomach is growing bigger. What do you intend to do about it?”

“I didn’t plan for it to happen this way either. We can’t just leave things like this, can we?” Wàn Lín replied, somewhat helpless.

Tàohuā, privately thinking, knew that Wàn Lín’s parents fundamentally opposed the relationship. He was the one who had dragged her into this. The longer they delayed, the harder it would be to resolve. After some careful thought, she decided to get money from him. Money could solve any problem. They weren’t exactly poor, and this time, she would make him pay. After thinking for a long while, she bit her lip and said, “Considering the past four or five years, I’ve been taking care of the child and can’t work, plus the child’s upbringing costs, I need 60,000 yuan. After that, we’ll go our separate ways, and I won’t bother you.”

“You’re being ruthless! We have money, but it wasn’t earned by the wind. It was hard-earned,” Wàn Lín protested.

“Fine. If you’re not concerned about reputation, what do I care? It’s always men who can’t find a wife, but I’ve never heard of a woman who can’t find a partner,” Tàohuā shot back.

In the end, the two parted on bad terms.

Wàn Lín, after thinking things over, decided to pay her 80,000 yuan as a settlement and sever all ties with her.

This time, Tàohuā’s plan backfired. But, ever the shrewd woman, she had no choice but to find another target.

Her parents didn’t respect her, she had no business skills, no family fortune, and no prospects. She ended up with a man called “Old Five,” who was just as aimless as she was. They started a relationship through some mutual connection.

When you’re too close to the situation, you can’t see clearly. Tàohuā was determined not to let her child be born out of wedlock, nor did she want to leave her money idle. She decided to take action, and “Old Five” would be her partner in crime. Using his meager connections and her own sharp mind, they bought a unit in a remote area of the county, quickly furnished it, and soon after, she moved in with her child.