Chapter Fifty-Seven: My Mother's Family
On the first day of the Lunar New Year, Zhang Yili and Xiong Zixiang stayed home and rested for a day to get some peace and quiet.
After two lavish meals on New Year's Eve and Lunar New Year's Eve, their stomachs were so full of oil that they could barely breathe, and even their burps smelled of meat. They both felt they couldn't eat anything more; they were too greasy.
That day, the kitchen was quiet and deserted. I only cooked a small pot of millet porridge that was almost as thin as water, cut a plate of crisp pickled radish strips, and mixed a bowl of mustard greens with a few drops of Sichuan peppercorn oil. That was how I managed to get through the two meals.
The food was light and refreshing, making my stomach feel comfortable and not empty, and it made me feel relaxed.
For most of the day, the two of them stayed huddled on the warm kang (a heated brick bed), chatting idly. Zixiang looked at the case files and also picked up a book to read.
In her hand were the two primers that her uncle had given to Nan'er. Nan'er didn't want to read them and would cry whenever he was asked to. So, Zhang Liuji would read to him to lull him to sleep at night. As his aunt, she would just pick them up and look at them to learn how to read.
Listening to the occasional footsteps and children playing outside the window, I enjoyed this rare moment of leisure.
It seems like this is the only day of the year when you can truly calm down and not think about anything.
On the second day of the Lunar New Year, according to old custom, it is the day for married daughters to return to their parents' home.
As dawn broke, Zhang Yili and Xiong Zixiang got up and tidied themselves up.
The New Year's gifts for my maternal family were prepared last night: a bag of fine pastries bought in town, a piece of plain cotton cloth for my cousin-in-law Li Xiulan, and a bag of candy beans for my little nephew Nan'er.
The two walked briskly towards Zhang Dahe's house, which was not far away, in the cool morning air.
As soon as I entered the courtyard, I heard the familiar sounds of pots and pans clattering and voices coming from the kitchen.
Zhang Liuyi's face immediately lit up with a smile, and he called out loudly, "Dad! Uncle! Aunt! We're back!"
"Hey! You're back!" Aunt Wang, wearing an apron, poked her head out of the kitchen, her face beaming with joy. "Come inside and warm up, the fire's burning, it's cold outside!"
Zhang Dashan also came out of the main room, holding a pipe in his hand and smiling: "You're here? I just lit it, come and warm up on the kang!"
Zhang Dahe also came out of the house upon hearing the noise and greeted him with a smile.
Just as Xiong Zixiang put down the New Year's gifts, a small cannonball shot out from the inner room and rushed straight towards him: "Uncle, Uncle, fly high! Fly high!"
Little Nan'er was wearing a new cotton-padded jacket, her cheeks were rosy, and she was so excited to see him that she wanted her uncle to hold her.
Xiong Zixiang smiled, bent down, scooped up Xiao Nan'er, easily lifted her above his head, and then gently put her down, making Xiao Nan'er giggle and shout, "More! More!"
"You, let your uncle catch his breath first!"
Zhang Liuli smiled and patted Xiao Nan'er's head, then, without stopping, went straight into the steaming kitchen: "Auntie, sister-in-law, let me help!" she said to the busy mother-in-law and daughter-in-law.
"Hey, watch out! No need, no need, you rest!"
"I'll do it! I'll do it! Auntie, you go and rest." Unable to refuse Aunt Wang's insistence, she went to rest in the main room.
Only the two women, the sister-in-law and her husband, remained in the kitchen.
Li Xiulan was deftly chopping scallions, while steam rose from the steamer on the stove, where dumplings were being steamed, filling the air with a fragrant aroma.
"Sister-in-law, let me chop it. You can stir-fry the vegetables; it'll be faster that way." Zhang Yili rolled up her sleeves, naturally took the knife from Li Xiulan's hand, and skillfully chopped the cured meat into cubes on the cutting board.
The fire in the stove reflected her smiling face. While chopping vegetables, Zhang Xiaoyi lowered her voice and told her cousin-in-law Li Xiulan about Sanshi'er's encounter with Song Ru at the Song family, as well as Song Ru's troubles and her desire to go out to work.
As Li Xiulan listened, her hands continued moving, stirring the mustard greens and putting them into the wok. She sighed, "Alas, Xiaoru is such a pitiful child, stuck with such a scoundrel of a brother. Her parents are terrified, but this method... is a bit too hasty."
She paused, her gaze distant and tinged with emotion: "If I hadn't met your brother back then—a kind, honest man who knows how to care for others, and someone my family also approved of—I might still be working as a seamstress in some shop. Marriage is something you have to choose carefully; you can't rush it. It's a good thing that Xiaoru wants to go out and see the world!"
The two women, sister-in-law and aunt, were busy in the kitchen while whispering intimate words to each other.
Inside the main room, Xiong Zixiang was so entangled with Xiao Nan'er that he couldn't get away.
After playing high for a few rounds, Xiong Zixiang, worried that the child might hurt his back, coaxed him by saying he would peel an orange.
The two, one big and one small, sat on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed). Xiong Zixiang peeled a big, golden orange and gave it to Xiao Nan'er segment by segment.
Little Nan'er ate with her mouth full of sweet juice, and didn't forget to stuff a piece into Xiong Zixiang's mouth. Then the little guy's eyes darted around and he changed his mind.
Uncle Xiong Zixiang wanted to peel the oranges completely so he could use the peels to make lanterns. With his big hands, Xiong Zixiang could only painstakingly peel the oranges, but unfortunately, he was clumsy and broke two peels. Xiao Nan'er was upset and demanded that her uncle compensate her. Xiong Zixiang stood by helplessly.
Zhang Dashan, Zhang Dahe, and Aunt Wang sat to the side, watching the lively scene with smiles of contentment on their faces.
Just then, there was a gentle knock on the courtyard gate.
"Who is it? The door isn't latched, come in!" Zhang Dahe replied in a loud voice.
Xiong Zixiang was close to the door, so he quickly got up to open it and escape Nan'er's incessant voice.
When the door opened, Song Ru was standing outside.
She was wearing a slightly worn floral cotton-padded jacket, her hair was neatly combed, and she was carrying a small cloth bag. She looked a little reserved, but when she saw Xiong Zixiang, she quickly greeted him: "Brother Zixiang, Happy New Year."
"Xiaoru? Happy New Year! What brings you here? Come in quickly!" Xiong Zixiang was a little surprised and quickly stepped aside.
When Song Ru entered the courtyard and saw the whole family in the main room, she felt even more uneasy and said in a low voice, "I...I came to talk to Sister Xiulan about something."
"Oh, my sister-in-law is in the kitchen! I'll take you there!" Xiong Zixiang said, leading Song Ru towards the kitchen.
Inside the kitchen, Zhang Liuyi was using a long-handled ladle to scoop out golden-yellow pickled cabbage from a large, tall sauerkraut vat, filling the air with a rich, sour aroma.
When she looked up and saw Xiong Zixiang leading Song Ru in, she immediately put down her spoon, wiped her hands on her apron, and hurried over to greet her: "Xiao Ru? Come in quickly!"
She keenly sensed Song Ru's nervousness, and since the young girl's arrival was indeed timely, before Song Ru could even ask to see Li Xiulan, she thought she should let her eat first. She affectionately took Song Ru's arm and said, "It's just in time for lunch! Let's eat first, and we can talk slowly after we finish eating!" Without further ado, she led Song Ru into the main room.
“Sister Xiao, no need, I…” Song Ru tried to refuse, her face turning red with anxiety.
"No need! It's the New Year, you're a guest, how could I let you talk on an empty stomach? Sit down!"
Zhang Liuyi's tone was firm as he pressed her down by the kang table and grabbed a handful of fragrant roasted peanuts, stuffing them into her hand: "Eat something to tide you over! The food will be ready soon!"
Song Ru clutched peanuts in her hand, looking at the Zhang family members who were all smiling at her, feeling extremely annoyed: How could she have been so tactless as to come during mealtime? Now she really couldn't refuse, nor could she leave; she could only sit there awkwardly. She lowered her head, shelling peanuts, her heart pounding.
Li Xiulan worked quickly and efficiently, soon bringing the food to the table.
Steaming hot white rice porridge, tempting steamed dumplings with savory sauce, a plate of glistening cured pork stir-fried with mustard greens, a large bowl of sauerkraut stewed with frozen tofu, and a dish of finely shredded pickled vegetables.
Although it wasn't as lavish as New Year's Eve, it was still much more abundant than usual.
"Come on, everyone, start eating! Xiaoru, don't be shy, make yourself at home!" Li Xiulan greeted them warmly.
The family sat around the table for dinner. Zhang Liuyi and Xiong Zixiang sat next to each other. Zhang Liuyi kept putting food on Song Ru's plate, saying, "Xiao Ru, try this pickled cabbage. My sister-in-law made it. It's so good with rice!"
Song Ru thanked them repeatedly and ate in small bites. The embarrassment and annoyance in her heart gradually faded away amidst the kindness of the Zhang family and the aroma of home-cooked food.
At the dinner table, everyone chatted and laughed, and the conversation was lighthearted.
Zhang Dashan and Zhang Dahe chatted about what farm work they planned to do in the spring, Xiong Zixiang and Aunt Wang teased Xiao Nan'er, and Li Xiulan and Zhang Yili talked about the latest happenings in the village.
Song Ru listened quietly, occasionally revealing a slight smile.
After finishing the meal, Zhang Yili immediately got to work.
As she deftly cleared the dishes, she said to Xiong Zixiang, "Brother Zixiang, thank you for washing the dishes."
"Okay." Xiong Zixiang and her brother rolled up their sleeves without saying a word and started clearing the dishes and chopsticks to take to the kitchen.
Zhang Liuyi pulled up his cousin-in-law Li Xiulan, who had just put down her chopsticks, with one hand, and dragged up Song Ru, who was still a little dazed, with the other: "Come on, sister-in-law, Xiao Ru, let's go to the east wing to talk. It's quiet there."
She hurriedly led the two of them into the east wing where her father lived.
Seeing his daughter's attitude—taking over his room without even saying hello—Zhang Dashan just chuckled and said nothing.
He put down his pipe and winked at Zhang Dahe: "Brother, let's go to the backyard and chop some firewood so we can heat the kang (heated brick bed) a bit more later."
The two brothers got up in unison, lifted the curtain and went out, leaving the three women in the room completely alone, as they had no interest in eavesdropping.
Aunt Wang understood immediately and took Xiao Nan'er to the yard to bask in the sun.
In the east wing, the kang (heated brick bed) was burning warmly.
Zhang Liuli closed the curtain and invited his sister-in-law and Song Ru to sit down on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed).
"Xiaoru, now that we're all alone, if you have any thoughts, talk to your sister Xiulan about them." Zhang Yili poured Song Ru a cup of fried rice tea.
Holding the warm teacup, Song Ru took a deep breath, as if she had found her anchor. She then reiterated to Li Xiulan her thoughts from that day, which she had told Zhang Liuyi: she wanted to go out to work and didn't want her parents to rush her into marriage.
Li Xiulan listened attentively, nodding occasionally.
After Song Ru finished speaking, she put down her teacup and shared her experience: "Xiao Ru, I think your idea is right. Women should have their own ideas and abilities. Back then, I worked two jobs. During the day, I followed the head chef in the restaurant to cut vegetables and learned a lot. At night, I did needlework in the fabric shop. Although the wages were not high, I was protected from the wind and rain."
“I feel more at ease when I earn my own money and spend it myself. Later, I met your brother Liu Ji, and I decided to stay with him because I thought he was a good person. As for me, I don’t have any great skills, but I’m pretty quick and efficient with my hands and feet, and I can do needlework. You see, this is my livelihood.”
She paused, looked into Song Ru's eyes, and continued, "If you want to go out and work, I support you. The key is to see what you want to do and what you are capable of doing. Being quick and hardworking is the most basic requirement. If you also have some skills, such as being able to do accounting, or like me, being good at needlework, then you will have more options and the pay will be better."
"Although you might not earn as much as those able-bodied laborers, it's more than enough to support yourself and save some money. When you have money in your own pocket, you'll have more confidence in what you say and do. When your parents are arranging marriages for you, you can stand up straight and express your own thoughts, right?"
Song Ru's eyes lit up, and she nodded vigorously: "Yes! Sister Xiulan, I understand! I... I'm still okay, I can read some words, and I can do simple accounting. I want to try working for a few days first to see which kind of job suits me better, and I can also learn something."
"That's right!" Zhang Liuyi smiled and patted her hand. "Try it first, and once you're confident, then talk to your parents properly. They're worried about you, so take it slow. Let them see that you can take care of yourself, and they'll be at ease."
A relieved smile appeared on Song Ru's face, and she felt much more at ease.
She felt she couldn't stay any longer; the Zhang family was being far too hospitable, and if she stayed any longer, she was afraid she'd have to stay for dinner.
She quickly stood up and bowed deeply to Li Xiulan and Zhang Liuyi: "Sister Xiulan, Sister Liuyi, thank you so much! Hearing what you said makes me feel much better! I...I'll go back now!"
"Oh, you're leaving already? Why don't you stay a little longer?" Li Xiulan urged.
"No, no, Sister Xiulan, Sister Xiaoxin, you're busy! I'll come another day!" Song Ru said, lightly lifting the curtain and flying home like a migratory bird that had finally found its way.
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