Chapter Fifty-Four Uncle

On the 28th day of the twelfth lunar month, the sky was cloudless.

The biting cold wind seemed to be somewhat tempered by the festive atmosphere of the approaching Lunar New Year's Eve, and the sunlight shone down, bringing warmth.

The county government office also affixed a seal, and Xiong Zixiang finally got leave.

He took off his official robes and put on a thick, casual cotton-padded coat, exuding a relaxed and carefree air.

In the preparation room, Zhang Yili was packing the last few items into a large bamboo basket.

Two pieces of high-quality pork belly, wrapped in oil paper and with alternating layers of fat and lean meat, were specially reserved by Zhang Dashan. There were also several packets of sun-dried sweet potato chips and radish strips, a jar of crisp pickled cabbage made by Aunt Wang herself, and a small packet of persimmon cakes bought in town and coated with snow-white sugar frosting.

Xiong Zixiang walked in, looked at his busy wife, and asked, "Is everything ready?"

"Okay, everything's ready." Zhang Xiaoyi patted the edge of the basket and straightened up. "Looks like Dad and Uncle should be done packing by now, right? Shall we set off?"

"Let's go." Xiong Zixiang nodded, picked up the heavy bamboo basket, and easily carried it on his shoulder.

The two locked the courtyard gate and went to the original courtyard to pour food for Dazhuang.

After Dazhuang had eaten his fill, he was put back on the cart and they arrived at Zhang Dahe's house.

Her uncle's family and her father were also dressed neatly and were waiting for them.

Zhang Dashan carried his old satchel, which was used to store pig-slaughtering knives. It was bulging inside, presumably containing some rare items for his cousin.

Aunt Wang carried a small bundle in her hand, which contained snacks for Xiao Nan'er to eat on the road and pastries for her cousin.

"Everyone's here? Let's go!" Zhang Dahe waved his hand, his voice booming.

Dazhuang pulled the heavy cart, rolling over the frozen official road at the village entrance, heading towards Nianping Village in the neighboring county.

The wheels creaked and groaned as they rolled over the thin snow and hard earth.

On both sides of the official road were vast fields.

The harvested land lay bare, covered with a thin layer of frost that had not yet melted.

In the distance, the bare trees had gnarled and twisted branches.

Occasionally you can see one or two small villages, with frost on the roofs and smoke from the chimneys blown crookedly by the wind.

The cold wind persisted, stinging my face.

Zhang Liuyi wrapped her scarf tighter and buried her face in the thick collar.

Xiong Zixiang sat next to her, his tall figure shielding her from much of the wind.

He reached out and tucked Zhang Xiaoli's somewhat cold hand into his warm sleeve to warm it.

Zhang Liuli looked up at him and then grabbed his hand in return.

“This road is even more frozen than in previous years.” Zhang Dahe rubbed his hands together, looking at the tire tracks. “Dazhuang pulls it steadily. It doesn’t buckle even with so many people on it. It’s a good animal.”

“Dazhuang made a good choice. Yuan Ge’s side… I’m afraid he hasn’t finished preparing the New Year’s goods yet. Let’s go and take a look. If it’s not enough, we can buy him some more,” Zhang Dashan replied.

Aunt Wang tucked a stray hair behind her ear and pursed her lips: "Hey, what's the point of buying anything? It'll be a waste of time. Of the three of you brothers, Yuan is the most solitary! He's all alone in this empty courtyard, and he's a scholar. How could he possibly manage these things?"

"We don't even know if he'll like what we brought. He has a very keen sense of smell. Last time, I painstakingly fried some yams, and he frowned, complaining that they had a rancid, oily smell!" She recalled the unpleasant experience last time, her tone tinged with grievance.

Zhang Liuli recalled his cousin Zhang Dayuan, whom he remembered as a thin man with a scrutinizing gaze and a refined manner of speaking, who was indeed not easy to approach.

The atmosphere on the cart became a little tense as soon as he finished speaking.

Zhang Liuyi smiled and smoothed things over, saying, "Auntie, Uncle Yuan may seem cold on the outside, but he's a good person at heart. We're close friends, so the thought is what counts. He's all alone, and his life must be lonely. If we go and visit him, he'll surely be happy."

Zhang Dahe quickly chimed in, "That's right. Back then, our family was so poor we couldn't even afford to eat. If it weren't for Brother Yuan, he wouldn't have had enough to eat while he was studying, yet he still managed to squeeze out food to help us. He copied books until his eyes were blurry, and did accounting until midnight, saving food for us. Otherwise, Dashan and I would have been starving. He wasn't targeting you, he just... didn't like that greasy stuff."

Upon hearing this, Aunt Wang remembered how difficult her husband and Brother Dashan's early years had been, and her expression softened a bit. She muttered, "Oh... is that so? Well... I was being petty."

She seemed a little embarrassed and didn't say anything more, instead lowering her head to adjust Xiao Nan'er's scarf.

Xiong Zixiang listened without interrupting, silently driving the car, his grip on Zhang Xiaoyi's hand tightening, the wheels creaking as they headed north.

After a long and bumpy journey, past noon, we finally arrived at Nianping Village.

The village is small, nestled beside a small, frozen river.

Zhang Dayuan's home is at the end of the village, a small, somewhat lonely courtyard.

The courtyard wall was made of adobe bricks, and some parts had peeled off. The gate was tightly closed, and the old Spring Festival couplets pasted on the lintel had long since faded and turned white, with the edges curling up slightly in the cold wind.

Zhang Liuji got out of the car and knocked on the door. After several knocks, a somewhat wary voice came from inside: "Who is it?"

“Brother Yuan, it’s me, Dahe, Dashan, Liuji, and the others. We’ve all come to see you!” Zhang Dahe shouted at the top of his lungs.

There was a moment of silence inside, then the footsteps quickened noticeably.

The latch was pulled open, and with a creak, the door opened halfway.

Zhang Dayuan stood inside the door; he was thinner than Zhang Yili remembered.

He was wearing a faded blue cotton long gown, with a worn gray cotton vest over it.

Her hair was neatly combed and tied up with a wooden hairpin.

His face had deep wrinkles and his complexion was somewhat pale.

At that moment, those eyes were scanning the large group of people outside the door.

"Oh...it's you guys." He quickly opened the courtyard gates to let everyone in.

"Why did the whole family come all over in this freezing weather?"

"It's almost Chinese New Year! I've been thinking of you, so I came to visit!"

Zhang Dahe smiled and directed Zhang Liuji and Xiong Zixiang to unload the items from the car.

Zhang Dayuan's gaze fell on Xiong Zixiang, a young man he didn't recognize, and he asked inquiringly, "This is...?"

“This is my son-in-law, Xiong Zixiang.” Zhang Dashan quickly introduced him to his cousin: “It’s their first year of marriage, so according to custom, they have to come together to meet each other.”

Zhang Dayuan nodded to indicate that he understood, and his gaze lingered on Xiong Zixiang for a moment, which was considered a greeting.

Watching them busily carrying things into the yard, he frowned slightly, especially when he saw the two strips of pork belly wrapped in oil paper. His nostrils twitched involuntarily, revealing a hint of disgust.

He stepped aside to clear the doorway to the main room: "...Come in, it's cold outside."

The main house consists of three low mud-brick rooms. The main room is simply furnished with an eight-immortal table, two armchairs, and an old bookshelf against the wall, on which some thread-bound books are neatly stacked.

In the corner were piles of coarse grain cakes of varying sizes wrapped in red paper and a few handfuls of dried vegetables. They were clearly New Year's gifts from the villagers, who were grateful for his hard work as a teacher and his loneliness without children.

A small charcoal brazier burned weakly inside the room, offering little relief from the chill.

Everyone placed the New Year's goods on the floor of the main room. Zhang Dayuan's gaze swept over the pile of things, and finally he couldn't help but speak up about the pork: "This meat... has a strong fishy smell. In this freezing weather, what's the point of bringing it? The journey is long, and it's probably not fresh anymore."

As soon as he said that, he seemed to realize that he had gone a bit too far, and quickly glanced at Zhang Dashan.

Zhang Dashan's smile was a little stiff, and he subtly patted his father's back.

Zhang Dahe laughed heartily, seemingly unconcerned, and explained, "Brother Yuan, this is top-quality pork belly that Dashan specially saved for you. It's very fresh; someone personally slaughtered it yesterday. Look how thick and meaty it is. It'll be delicious whether stewed or used in dumplings. I know you don't like fishy smells, but this is the best we have at home. Just make do; once it's cooked, the fishy smell will be completely gone."

Zhang Dashan also gave a muffled "hmm" and added, "I picked it on purpose."

Zhang Dayuan was speechless after being hit by Zhang Dahe's loud voice and Zhang Dashan's muffled response.

He coughed lightly, a little awkwardly, "Alright... then let me put Liu Ji in the kitchen, you can sit here." He pointed to the two armchairs and several benches.

Everyone sat down, and the atmosphere became more relaxed than before.

Zhang Dayuan seemed to realize that his words had been a bit harsh. He cleared his throat, turned his gaze to Xiao Nan'er who was nestled next to Aunt Wang, and his expression softened considerably, becoming more affectionate: "This is... Liu Ji's child? Her name is Nan'er?"

Aunt Wang quickly responded and nudged Xiao Nan'er, saying, "Nan'er, call him Uncle."

Little Nan'er called out timidly in a low voice, "Uncle."

"Hmm," Zhang Dayuan nodded, his kind expression becoming even more pronounced.

He got up, walked to the old bookshelf, took out two books that looked old but were well preserved, walked back and handed them to Xiao Nan'er, his voice softening unconsciously: "Take these, they are for your first lessons, the Three Character Classic and the Hundred Family Surnames. Study hard, learn to read and write, that is the right way."

He stroked the spine of the book and handed it to Xiao Nan'er.

Xiao Nan'er took the book with a blank expression, and Aunt Wang and Zhang Dahe, knowing it was a valuable item, quickly thanked her.

Zhang Dayuan waved his hand, then turned his gaze to Zhang Liuyi and Xiong Zixiang.

He looked at the newlywed couple; one was heroic and composed, the other bright and capable. Sitting side by side, they seemed exceptionally well-matched.

He was silent for a moment, as if he was choosing his words carefully, before finally speaking slowly, his voice much gentler than before: "You... have just gotten married, and you are living in harmony and mutual respect, which is a rare blessing. From now on... live a good life together, support each other, and grow old together."

Zhang Liuyi and Xiong Zixiang quickly stood up and replied, "Thank you for your kind words, Uncle Yuan!"

"Mm," Zhang Dayuan responded, his lips twitching slightly upwards.

Seeing them like this reminded him of his deceased wife and son, and his lips drooped again.

After sitting for about half an hour, the water was boiled, and they drank a cup of coarse tea. Then Zhang Dashan and the others got up to say goodbye.

I also know that my cousin is a quiet person and doesn't like being disturbed by many people for a long time.

As everyone crowded around and walked out, Zhang Dahe lagged behind. While Zhang Dayuan was talking to Zhang Yili and Xiong Zixiang, he turned around and slipped away unnoticed to the gate of Brother Wang's house next door.

Brother Wang was squatting under the eaves picking up farm tools when he saw Zhang Dahe coming over. He quickly stood up and asked him what was wrong.

With a smile on his face, Zhang Dahe grabbed Wang Laoge's arm and pulled him slightly towards the inside of the courtyard gate, away from Zhang Dayuan's line of sight.

With his other hand, he took out several strings of copper coins strung together with red rope from his pocket, stuffed them into Brother Wang's hand, and lowered his voice.

"Brother Wang, quickly put it away and listen to me." He glanced in the direction of Zhang Dayuan's courtyard to make sure no one was paying attention.

"This little bit of money isn't much, it's just a small token of my brother's and my appreciation. We're entrusting it to you and your wife, hoping you two will take good care of my older brother in the future."

He pressed down hard on Wang's hand, which was trying to push him away: "You know my brother, he's stubborn and proud, and he can't bring himself to ask for favors! But in this freezing weather, we're really worried about him carrying water, chopping wood, or running errands by himself, and he refuses to come with us."

“A close neighbor is worse than a distant relative. Please, both of you, keep an eye on him. If anything happens, please, please let us know! This money is just a small token of our appreciation for your hard work. It's enough to buy you some snacks and tea. Please accept it, but please, please don't let my older brother know! He'll be furious if he finds out. We're begging you!” Zhang Dahe held Wang Laoge's hand tightly and earnestly pressed the few strings of cash firmly into his palm.

Brother Wang was an honest and simple farmer. He was a little confused by the falling copper coins, but after hearing the worry he expressed for the aloof old scholar, he understood the situation quite well.

He weighed the money in his hand and nodded heavily: "Don't worry, Mr. Zhang, I've got your word in mind. My wife and I will definitely keep a close eye on Mr. Zhang. If anything happens, we'll definitely let you know! We'll keep this money and use it to take care of Mr. Zhang!" He carefully put the money into his pocket.

Zhang Dahe finally breathed a long sigh of relief: "Thank you, thank you so much, Brother Wang, I'm counting on you for everything!"

He dared not linger any longer and quickly caught up with the group who were still saying goodbye, as if nothing had happened.

Zhang Dayuan was standing at the gate of the courtyard, his heart filled with the sorrow of parting, and he did not notice the commotion next door.

He remained serious, but the slight hoarseness in his voice when he said goodbye to Zhang Dashan and Zhang Dahe revealed that he was not entirely unmoved.

Zhang Yili and Xiong Zixiang also said goodbye to Zhang Dayuan.

Xiong Zixiang clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Uncle Yuan, take care of yourself."

Zhang Liuyi said gently, "Uncle Yuan, we'll come to see you again when we have time."

Zhang Dayuan nodded, his gaze sweeping across everyone's faces: "Drive carefully, the road is slippery."

The group left the courtyard and closed the creaking wooden door.

After walking a few steps, Zhang Liuyi couldn't help but look back. He saw that slender figure still standing at the gate, watching them through the crack in the door.

On the way back, the atmosphere was much more relaxed than on the way there.

Dazhuang was also tired, and his pace slowed down a bit.

As the sun sets, it paints the sky a warm orange-red, gilding the desolate winter fields with a soft golden glow.

Aunt Wang held Xiao Nan'er in her arms, afraid that the child would be blown by the wind.

Xiao Nan looked through the two old books. Although she couldn't understand them, she found them fascinating.

"Sigh..." Aunt Wang looked at the book in Xiao Nan'er's hand and couldn't help but sigh, "Brother Yuan is a bit strange, and his way of speaking is... However, when it comes to giving Xiao Nan'er her first book, he really does seem like a proper uncle."

“That’s just his mouth!” Zhang Dahe laughed nonchalantly. “He’s always been like that since he was a kid, but he’s warm-hearted inside.”

Zhang Dashan drove the cart, a slight smile playing on his lips, his meaning unspoken.