The Great Wednesday lasts for eleven years.
Changjia Village, Jiao County, Yong'an Prefecture.
In the twilight, Mei Niang looked at her son who was driving the chickens into the pen in the backyard. She felt very worried. She didn't know how to talk to her son about it, but she could not delay the matter any longer.
She is twenty-five this year, and her son Chang Shun is already seven and a half years old. Six years ago, her husband went to the provincial capital for an examination, but he died in a landslide on the way. Several of his classmates who went with him were also missing, but everyone else was found, except him, alive or dead.
We spent all the money in the family to hire someone to look for the body, and the result was that it must have fallen under a deep cliff and had been there for several days, so the body was definitely gone.
Soon after, my already frail father-in-law died of illness. My mother-in-law was so heartbroken that she stayed in bed for two years and borrowed a lot of money from outside, but still lost his life.
In the past two years, creditors have come to her house to demand repayment. Everything that needed to be sold has been sold, and she really can't hold on any longer.
Three days ago, my eldest sister-in-law from my mother's family said that a man from Wanjia Village, not far from my mother's family, came to propose marriage. He was a very nice man. He had served in the military for seven years. His parents were gone, and his brother and sister-in-law had separated. Now he was alone. He was a very good marriage candidate, especially if the other party was willing to have children living together.
Her sister-in-law from her natal family advised her that there were not many suitable people like her, and if she missed this opportunity, she would never have it again. She had no elderly people to take care of her and no stepchildren to raise her, so families like this would not make things difficult for her child.
She was moved.
It's not that she wants to get married, but her sister-in-law said that the other party is willing to give a dowry. If she sells the land and pays off the debt, the extra money can be used to send her son to a private school.
Her son was so smart and had already reached the age of enlightenment. Even if he used this money to study for two or three years, he would be able to work as an accountant in the town in the future, which would be better than working in the fields. Besides, his father was a scholar.
She would not go to a family that did not want the child. How could a seven-year-old child survive if she was left behind? Even if she was left to be taken care of by her clan relatives, they might not take good care of her child just because they got the land. So the mother and daughter had to die together.
This son was a little boy with a lot of independent ideas since he was two or three years old. He was not like other children who played around in the village. At a very young age, he helped her carry water and do housework, and when he had nothing to do, he would dig earthworms and raise chickens.
It's true that the child raised ten chickens, and the money from selling eggs every month was basically enough to cover the daily expenses of the mother and daughter, but it was not enough. She was not a capable woman, and she didn't dare to go to the market to do business alone, and she didn't know what to do to make money.
The only good thing is her cooking skill, but what's the use? She can't run a stall by herself, and she doesn't have the capital to open a shop. Her embroidery work is average and she can't make much money a month. She owes a foreign debt of 16 taels and 5 cents. What can she do with this little money?
Her mother's family was already poor, and had already burdened them a lot over the years. She really couldn't bear to burden them any further. Facing the clansmen who were asking for debt, she could only lower her head and whisper over and over again that she would pay it back as soon as possible.
But how can we pay it back? Apart from the basic living expenses, the mother and daughter can only save two taels a year. If they have a headache or a fever, there will be nothing left. When will we pay back so much money?
It will take at least another ten years for the children to grow up. How will they spend these ten years? How will they repay the debt? The creditors can’t wait any longer.
There were only a few rooms in the house, acres of land, and a pile of tattered clothes and quilts.
"Dashun, come here, mother has something to tell you."
Chang Shun looked at his mother, whose eyes were somewhat evasive, and hesitated to speak, "Mom, are you in trouble?"
Mei Niang nodded, but the words came to her lips but she couldn't say them out loud. Should she tell her son that she wanted to get married and take him with her?
She couldn't say this. She was not the only widow in the village. Those who had sons would basically not remarry and would live with their sons because those who remarried usually could not take their children with them. If they really took their children with them, it would be difficult for them to live a good life as a burden.
"Nothing, come and wash your hands and eat."
The young woman hurried to the kitchen. No matter how difficult the life was at home, there were still three meals a day. Now it was March, and wild vegetables were out. Today's dinner was wild vegetable porridge.
There was a bowl of pickles and a few pieces of steamed bacon on the table. Chang Shun drank the porridge obediently with these dishes. His mother's cooking skills were very good, and the simple meal was not bad in his mouth.
Mei Niang watched her son eating in small bites. His wrinkled face looked very much like his father. His father was that kind of person. Even when he was eating wild vegetables, he would eat them as if they were delicacies from the land and the sea.
She once loved him very much.
It has been six years now since he passed away. No matter how reluctant she was, time has worn away the pain. She wanted to live, raise her son safely, and pay off her debts, so she had no choice but to get married.
Otherwise, she would also be willing to stay with her son for the rest of her life. After waiting for ten years, she would be able to become a mother-in-law and play with her grandchildren. Unfortunately, that is not possible.
After her son put down the bowl, she gritted her teeth and said, "Dashun, mother has decided to remarry."
Chang Shun felt confused. Was it really necessary to take this step?
As far as he knew, it was rare for a remarried woman to bring her son with her. Even if she did, it would be hard to be a burden. Besides, the clan leader also had to have dignity. If the Chang family's boy was taken to someone else's family to be raised, they would lose face.
But he is only seven and a half years old this year and cannot live alone. His father's branch has been the only son for three generations. His grandfather is gone, and his father is gone too. The closest relative is his uncle, who is three generations away. For the sake of the land, they will take him in, but they may not raise him.
A seven or eight-year-old child in the countryside can already do a lot of things. If that were the case, he would become a poor, helpless little kid who could be bullied by everyone.
Mei Niang saw her son opening his mouth in surprise, obviously with fear in his eyes.
"Dashun, mother wanted to live with you, but she spent all her money on treating your grandparents, and sold her land. Now she only has one acre of land left, and she is still in debt of sixteen and a half taels. Since last year, people have been coming to collect the debt.
It is reasonable for people to ask for debts. After all, it has been several years. In these years, we gave away any good things we got to these people just to repay their favors. But if we don't repay the debts, these favors will no longer be able to be maintained.
There is a man who returned from military service in the village opposite your grandmother's house. He separated from his brother and sister-in-law and had no elderly people. He promised to take you there, otherwise your mother would stay with you even if she died.
Your aunt said that the man is willing to give a dowry. With this dowry, we can sell the land and house, pay off the debt, and have some extra money. Mother wants to use this money to send you to a private school. Even if you can't pass the imperial examination in the future, it would be great to study for a few years and work as a small accountant in the town."
It's okay to be happy and relaxed from time to time.
There used to be five people in this family, but now there are only the two of them, mother and daughter. Life is not easy for an orphan and a widow. They work hard to make ends meet and have to be careful not to let people gossip about them.
"Mom, have you seen this man?"
Mei Niang blushed: "I haven't even told you yet, how can I meet him?"
Chang Shun believed this. His mother was the typical woman who obeyed her husband after marriage and her son after her husband's death. She would definitely not remarry behind his back.
"Mom, I can agree to let you remarry, but I have to meet this person first."
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