Chapter 2: Where does a father's authority manifest itself?

After spending the day moving goods in the county, Yu Chengfu saw his two daughters staring at each other as soon as he got home, and he deliberately coughed.

Nobody paid any attention.

His authority as a father was completely undermined. He wisely went inside, put down the rope bag he was carrying, went into the kitchen to start a fire, and secretly glanced into the yard to watch the commotion.

The first to give in was Yu Xiuxiu. She clutched the hem of her clothes and said in a muffled voice, "I did nothing wrong. Zhao Anwen was just talking nonsense. I only hit him because I was angry." Zhao Anwen was that chubby boy.

Yu Man then asked, "What did he say?"

Yu Xiuxiu remained silent.

From her expression, Yu Man could roughly guess that it was nothing more than some of her gossip. The most talkative people in the village were the Zhao couple. They probably didn't keep their words to themselves, and Zhao Anwen heard them and told Yu Xiuxiu about them.

She stood up, towering about half a head above him, and looked down at Yu Xiuxiu: "Do you know you were wrong?"

The voice wasn't loud, but the courtyard gate wasn't closed, so everyone outside could hear it clearly.

The women who had accompanied Deng San Niang back to the village immediately stopped in their tracks, no longer daring to chat or laugh. Their first reaction was not to peek into the courtyard to see what was happening, but to look at Deng San Niang's expression.

As expected, the smile on her face vanished, replaced by a rather indescribable expression, and the others exchanged glances.

They're all mothers; who could bear to have their unborn child pointed at and cursed by the children left behind?

Moreover, Deng San Niang was not a stubborn person; otherwise, she wouldn't have rushed to the county's embroidery workshop to demand an explanation right after giving birth.

Just then, she forced a smile and said crisply, "I've arrived. Take care, ladies."

She entered the courtyard with the bamboo basket slung over her arm, turned around and smiled again, then slammed the wooden door shut.

Those who still wanted to watch the spectacle said sullenly, "Let's go, let's go back and get some food."

"If you ask me, I reckon there's going to be another big commotion today."

"Keep your voice down, or she might come looking for you with a wood-chopping knife in a minute."

The whispers outside were easy for Deng San Niang to guess. She turned around and glanced at the two people in the courtyard, one big and one small.

Even when she saw her mother come in, Yu Xiuxiu did not soften her attitude; instead, she straightened her back even more: "I did nothing wrong!"

Deng San Niang wanted to cover her face after hearing this silly remark. She quickly looked away, went into the kitchen, placed the bamboo basket lightly on the stove, and then tugged at Yu Chengfu, asking, "How long has it been?"

Yu Chengfu, whose hands were covered in ash from burning firewood, peeked out and glanced over there again, saying, "It's just begun."

Deng San Niang didn't answer, but quickly lifted the lid of the pot. Seeing that there was less millet porridge and pickled radish strips inside, she nodded with satisfaction: "This time it's alright."

These past few days the sun has been strong, and Yu Man is suffering from the summer heat, so he's been eating less.

She tidied the two items aside and then prepared the meal at the usual time. Yu Chengfu was tending the fire when he heard faint laughter outside. He guessed that it was the group of aunties gossiping again. He smiled kindly and asked jokingly, "Aren't you worried about the cost?"

Deng San Niang understood what he meant, rolled her eyes, and didn't want to talk to him. She looked down at the fire and urged, "Make the fire bigger."

After saying that, he turned around and went to the top shelf of the wooden cabinet to take out a rough earthenware jar. He lifted the wooden lid, and the aroma of oil instantly filled the kitchen. Yu Chengfu couldn't help but swallow, and now he was really curious: "Today is not a big day, why are you making so much oil?"

Deng San Niang then lifted the lotus leaf on the bamboo basket, revealing a fish inside—weighing about two pounds.

Since she was going to use oil and fat, she no longer felt the usual pain in her heart. She scooped out a large chunk of pork fat and threw it into the pot. Under the heat of the fire, the white block gradually melted into clear oil.

She placed the whole, prepared fish directly into the pot, and as the oil bubbled, the fish gradually turned golden brown. When the heat was just right, Deng San Niang added some water, covered the pot, and simmered the fish soup.

She glanced at the scene in the courtyard and said, "She came up with a way so that we wouldn't have to harvest wheat in the fields under the scorching sun. Today, when I went to the embroidery shop, I gave the cook the wedding handkerchief I had embroidered a few days ago, and she gave me a fish in return."

When the cook's family was getting married, they specially asked Deng San Niang to embroider a wedding veil, and luckily it was done in time.

Yu Chenghai knew she was stubborn but soft-hearted, so he didn't call her out on it. "Sit down and rest for a while."

Deng Sanniang sat down, then suddenly thought of something: "Go to the county to buy some things another day, and take a trip to the Pei family."

There's a lot of gossip going around in the village these days. Isn't it just because they can't stand that their family is related to the Pei family by marriage? They'll just go and take a look around, and see what other sour things they can say.

Yu Chenghai clearly had something on his mind: "I suppose the Pei family boy should be back from the academy by now."

In the courtyard.

Seeing that Yu Xiuxiu's eyes were red but she still refused to admit her mistake, Yu Man thought to herself that they were indeed a family, all stubborn and unable to bear hearing others speak ill of their own family.

"So you went up and fought him to the death?" Yu Man asked.

"He insulted my sister, so I should beat him up!"

Yu Man removed the stray hairs that had somehow gotten stuck in her hair and explained, "Your mistake was that you went up to fight alone." Her tone remained calm, yet carried a hint of guidance, "He's stronger than you. Didn't you suffer a loss going up alone? Does your forehead still hurt?"

Xiuxiu subconsciously touched her still slightly red cheeks and stared blankly at her older sister.

Yu Man continued her analysis: "Next time you encounter something like this, remember, either don't do anything, or if you do, you have to call Xiao Chun and Er Qiao together. The more people there are, the less likely you are to suffer, understand?"

Xiu Xiu's eyes widened instantly, the hurt and stubbornness within them replaced by an incredulous gleam. Her older sister wasn't angry with her? She was even teaching her how to fight... to win?

A mix of surprise, relief, and joy welled up inside her, and Yu Xiuxiu nodded emphatically, her voice becoming much louder: "I understand!"

"Go wash up, you're as dirty as a little kitten." Yu Man waved her hand, her tone regaining its usual laziness. Watching Yu Xiuxiu's suddenly lively back, she shook her head, the corners of her mouth curving almost imperceptibly.

Her principles have always been flexible: she doesn't provoke trouble, but she's not afraid of trouble either. In particular, she can't stand by and watch her own child being bullied while spouting outdated, pedantic arguments.

Yu Man leaned on the armrest of the bamboo chair, preparing to get up and go to the kitchen to remind Yu Chengfu and Aunt Xiang that it was time to eat. There was also half an ounce of sliced ​​beef left in the wooden cabinet. Just as she stood up, she stepped on something round and hard and slipped unexpectedly.

She instantly lost her balance, and "Ugh—" she fell forward uncontrollably. She tried to adjust her direction, but it was too late. Her forehead slammed hard against the armrest of the recliner with a dull "thud."

The moment the excruciating pain shot through her, everything went black. Countless chaotic images and cacophonous sounds flooded her mind like fragments, as if something had been forcibly pried open by the impact. Before she could even utter a second groan, her consciousness sank completely into darkness.

Yu Xiuxiu, who had just run to the water vat, turned around when she heard the noise. She saw her older sister lying limply on the ground, her forehead covered in bright red blood, her eyes closed, and she was motionless.

"Sister—!" She was instantly terrified, screaming as she rushed over, her trembling hand touching Yu Man's face—it was ice-cold. She whirled around, dashing into the house like a startled rabbit, her tearful cries ripping through the courtyard:

"Father! Mother! Come quick! My sister has fallen! My sister has fallen—!"

Inside the house, Yu Chengfu, who was tending the fire, was still figuring out what to buy. Deng Sanniang was about to lift the lid of the pot when they suddenly heard Yu Xiuxiu's heart-wrenching cries, and their hearts skipped a beat. Yu Chengfu dropped the firewood he was bundling, and the spatula in Deng Sanniang's hand clattered into the pot. The two rushed out one after the other.

"What's wrong? Xiuxiu, what happened to your sister!" Yu Chengfu immediately saw his eldest daughter lying on the recliner, her face deathly pale, the bloodstains on her forehead standing out starkly against her fair skin. His heart tightened, and he nearly fainted. He strode over, his hands trembling as he checked her breath. Though weak, she was still breathing, which calmed him down slightly.

"Aman! Aman!" Deng Sanniang rushed to Yu Man's side, her face filled with genuine panic as she saw Yu Man unconscious. Calming herself, she quickly said to Yu Chengfu, "Don't ask so many questions! Quickly help Aman inside!"

Yu Chengfu quickly responded, slipped his arms under Yu Man's knees and back, and carefully picked her up horizontally. He walked quickly into the house. "Third Sister, quickly go and fetch a basin of clean water and a soft cloth to wipe the blood off her. Xiuxiu, don't just stand there, go and tidy up your sister's bed."

Xiuxiu was so frightened that her face turned pale and her eyes filled with tears. When she heard her father's instructions, she quickly ran into the room and, with trembling hands, smoothed out the thin quilt that was a little messy on her sister's bed.

Yu Chengfu gently placed Yu Man on the bed, his face filled with anxiety as he looked at the bruise and congealed blood on her forehead. Deng Sanniang brought in water, wrung out a damp cloth, and carefully wiped the blood and grime around the wound, muttering with heartache, "This is really... what will happen to a girl with such a disfigurement..."

Yu Chengfu looked at it silently for a moment, then made a decisive decision: "Keep an eye on Aman, I'll go and invite Mr. Wang right now!" Mr. Wang was an old doctor in the county, and his medical skills were quite famous in the surrounding area.

Deng Sanniang quickly agreed, then reminded him, "Don't just walk. I heard from Liu's husband that they didn't need their donkey cart today. Go borrow one quickly, and be careful on the road!"

"Okay." Yu Chengfu went out the door and headed towards the Liu family's house.

Deng San Niang hurriedly agreed, watching Yu Chengfu's retreating figure, then turning back to look at Yu Man, who was unconscious on the bed, and continued to gently dab her forehead with a damp cloth. She then instructed Yu Xiuxiu: "Go and take out the maltose from the jar, put it in the earthenware pot, add some salt, boil a bowl of water and bring it over."

Hearing her mother's instructions, Yu Xiuxiu didn't dare to delay, "I'll go right away!"

She hurried to the kitchen, boiled water as Deng San Niang had instructed, and watched as the maltose dissolved completely. She quickly added a pinch of salt, poured it into a bowl, and then grabbed a palm-leaf fan, fanning it continuously. Only when the water cooled down a bit did she pick it up and bring it to the bedside.

Deng San Niang touched the rim of the bowl and then fed Yu Man spoonful by spoonful.

Fortunately, although the person had fainted, they could still drink some sugar and salt water.

She breathed a slight sigh of relief, and after feeding him the water, she asked, "What happened just now?"

Yu Xiuxiu clutched Yu Man's clothes tightly with her small hands, sobbing incessantly as she recounted what had just happened.

"Is my sister alright?"

Deng San Niang couldn't say anything about it, so she could only reach out and touch the top of Yu Xiuxiu's head, "Once your father brings the doctor back, everything will be fine. Let's take good care of your sister first."