Chapter 24 Double Happiness
The train from Hangzhou to Meishan arrived in Xi'an in the afternoon. The family members were busy making a fire and cooking at the right time. Grandma moved a small bamboo stool early and sat at the door, waiting for her granddaughter to come back.
As she turned into the path in front of her house with her bags, she saw her grandmother standing up from the stool with a cane and walking towards her: "Xiaomei! Xiaomei! You're back!"
Hang Liumei rushed forward and hugged her grandmother: "Grandma! You haven't fully recovered yet, why don't you wait at home? Aren't you making me bear the blame during the New Year's Day?"
Grandma was immersed in excitement. She ignored her pouting and raised her hand to stroke her hair and asked, "Are you thirsty? Are you hungry? Are you tired from the journey?"
The elder sister heard the noise and came out to take a look, then immediately turned back and shouted happily, "Dad! Mom! Forget about the pot, my sister is back!"
On the night of New Year's Eve, the family sat happily at the dinner table. Dad took out the Huangguichou wine that his colleagues had given him, filled each of their glasses, and led the toast: "This is the New Year's gift they sent a long time ago, just waiting for our Xiaomei to come back and open it. Now that you are all adults, you can have a drink with the elders. Come, let's celebrate our family's health and reunion and welcome the New Year together!"
Her mother toasted hastily, then stood up and brought out a bowl of noodles and placed it in front of Hang Liumei: "Come on, this is the welcoming noodles your father bought for you this afternoon. These noodles are made with new flour and are so chewy. We can't bear to eat them yet!"
Hang Liumei picked up the bowl, her grandmother scooped a spoonful of fried meatballs for her, and her sister picked up a piece of steamed pork with rice flour for her. Her father asked everyone else not to give her more rice, otherwise she would not have enough stomach for dumplings soon.
The sound of firecrackers outside hadn't stopped since the afternoon, and the house was filled with the familiar atmosphere of an old home. Hang Liumei was living a happy life, but she suddenly missed Sister Xiuchun. She wondered if she and Huang Hanwen would be able to get used to the food in Lanzhou, and how his family treated her.
The family members were all on the same page, and Mom also asked why Xiuchun didn't come this year. When Hang Liumei said she was dating, Mom nodded and sighed, "It's time to talk to her in-laws. When I was her age, your sister was already asking for help. Alas, when the adults don't worry about it, the girls have to bear the brunt of it. Tell her that once they're settled, she can bring her boyfriend over for dinner!"
"Are you addicted to being a mother-in-law? I think it's possible. Your mother is the best at choosing sons-in-law." Dad interrupted.
Hang Liumei then realized that, yes, her sister Liu Zhu had said in a letter half a year ago that she was also in love. Her boyfriend was introduced by the leader. He was the same age as her sister. I heard that he was a writer in the unit and wrote good articles.
"Don't worry, he's agreed to come and pay New Year's greetings on the third day of the Lunar New Year. You'll be able to meet your future brother-in-law then." Grandma whispered to Hang Liumei with a smile. She was a little deaf and thought her voice was very low, but in fact, the other three people had heard it a long time ago. Liu Zhu embarrassedly corrected her grandmother: "Grandma! How can he be your brother-in-law? We haven't even been engaged yet."
"Then if he comes to our house, do you want to go to his house?"
"Of course, let's meet each other's parents first and then ask someone to act as a matchmaker."
"Then why did he come to our house first?"
Liu Zhu was speechless at how her sister could be so straightforward: "Because our family needs to see him first! I will go to his house only after you are satisfied. Otherwise, it will seem like I am too eager."
"There's such a thing as this," Hang Liumei thought to herself. "No one taught us earlier, so Sister Xiuchun was left alone." This New Year's Eve dinner was good in every way, but she was a little worried because she cared about Qi Xiuchun, so it wasn't as perfect as in previous years.
Before she knew it, it was the day when her future brother-in-law would come to visit her. Hang Liumei was no longer the hot commodity she had just returned home. The whole family dressed up that day, and she helped prepare to welcome the guests. She went out early in the morning with her meat coupons to buy pig ears and braised chicken feet, and came back to help her mother prepare the hot dishes without getting tired. Nearing lunchtime, Liu Zhu led her boyfriend in with gifts in hand: "Dad, Mom, Grandma, Xiao Meng is here. Xiao Meng, this is my sister Xiao Mei. As I told you, she works in cultural relics protection in Dunhuang."
Hang Liumei called him Brother Xiao Meng. Xiao Meng nodded in agreement. "Hello, sister, you've done a great job." Hang Liumei saw that he was well-mannered and well-mannered, a very spirited young man. She couldn't help but compare him with Huang Hanwen, and felt that the latter looked like a sour scholar.
The day of farewell arrived again. No matter how familiar a destination is, leaving home is always difficult. Grandma's back hadn't healed as hoped, so her parents stayed home with her. A new twist: her sister and future brother-in-law walked Hang Liumei to the station. The three young people had more common topics to talk about. Xiao Meng explained that now that the Gaokao (National College Entrance Examination) had been reinstated, he was preparing for the self-taught university entrance exam, and Liu Zhu planned to join him. They encouraged Hang Liumei to seize the opportunity to improve her education and then transfer back to Xi'an to reunite with them.
Hang Liumei had considered leaving Dunhuang, but she couldn't imagine what she could do afterward. She even worried, somewhat presumptuously, about the institute's chronic staff shortage and what would happen if she left. So she changed the subject and asked when the two of them were planning to get married. Liu Zhu said they would finalize the plan within the year and would write to let her know when the time came, asking her to come back to see her sister off.
When Hang Liumei returned to Dunhuang, Qi Xiuchun had already returned.
"Sister Xiuchun! How is it? Are his family members nice? Are you used to the food? Can you get along with them?" Hang Liumei didn't even bother to put down her luggage, and threw out a string of questions like firecrackers.
"Happy New Year, Happy New Year. The fifteenth day of the first lunar month hasn't even arrived yet, and the New Year hasn't even ended. We should say auspicious words when we meet, but you don't even bother to greet me and instead come to interrogate me. I have so many questions, I don't know which one to answer."
Seeing Qi Xiuchun's cheerful face and new clothes she had never seen before, Hang Liumei thought that she had a good trip, so she breathed a sigh of relief. While sorting her luggage, she tried to pry Qi Xiuchun's mouth: "You have a lot of questions, so answer them one by one. I am also your family, so I have to care about you."
Qi Xiuchun said everything was fine. Huang Hanwen's sister and brother-in-law had already settled down in Lanzhou, and he also had a younger sister who was adopted by his uncle and was attending school in Hanzhong. The whole family had gathered to see Qi Xiuchun. She described Huang Hanwen's family as well-behaved, his mother simple-minded and gentle, his sisters curious about her, and he was able to make his own decisions. They would all be easy to get along with in the future.
"It seems that you think their family is good. Then when will you take him back to northern Shaanxi?"
"We're leaving tomorrow. I'm two years older than Hanwen, and his family thinks we can't delay any longer at our age. We should get married sooner rather than later to avoid any complications. I'll come back and explain things to the director, and then I'll wait for him to pick me up."
The two sisters were only together for one night before parting again. That night, neither could sleep, and Qi Xiuchun excitedly told Hang Liumei about their future plans. Huang Hanwen was being assigned to teach in a village below for six months, hoping for a promotion upon his return. However, he didn't intend to remain a teacher forever, and during the Lunar New Year, he discussed a job transfer with his uncle. If they were to get married, they would hold it in Lanzhou or Dunhuang, without a gift or dowry, and have Hang Liumei be their bridesmaid...
In this way, within a year, both of Hang Liumei's sisters got married.
She was unable to make it back for Liu Zhu's wedding. She received a letter from home saying that everything was perfect except for her. The newlyweds sent her wedding candy and photos, saying that they were waiting for her to go back at the end of the year to take a real family photo.
Qi Xiuchun and Huang Hanwen hastily set up a few tables of wine in the county town. Only her younger brother came from her family to support the occasion. The child was tall but not smart, so he was useless. All the work had to be done by her colleagues from the research institute.
Qi Xiuchun tied her hair up, pinned a pearl flower, bought a new dress, and happily became a bride. Hang Liumei met Huang Hanwen's family at the wedding banquet. They all had the same square faces and facial features, like the Terracotta Warriors, and none of them were as eloquent as Huang Hanwen.
After their marriage, Huang Hanwen transferred out of Dunhuang, leaving his mother with Qi Xiuchun. Xiuchun continued to live and eat at the research institute, but whenever she could, she would go to the county town to take care of her mother-in-law. Coincidentally, Huang Hanwen was on vacation, so the couple could only see each other. This went on for more than half a year, and Qi Xiuchun's sighs became more and more frequent. Only after Hang Liumei repeatedly questioned her did she finally reveal the things she had been suppressing.
"It's all about having a child. Hanwen is the only son of their generation, and now they're all staring at my belly. My mother-in-law talks about having a grandson every time we meet, and Hanwen keeps complaining that the family line will end without a son, and that there won't even be a pounding pot at his funeral. But now, let alone having a son, I can't even conceive. I've seen miracle doctors and tried all kinds of folk remedies. If we can't have a child, we'll have to go to Lanzhou for treatment. Don't you think it would be so embarrassing if this got out?"
"How long have you been married? My sister got married around the same time as you, and she doesn't have any children yet. There's no need to rush. Besides, what era is this? And they still say that only men can smash pots when someone dies? What's that? Can a man bring the dead back to life by smashing them? Isn't that feudal?! Hasn't he heard that women hold up half the sky?"
"I understand their family wants to have an heir, as a family always needs a man, but we don't see each other very often now. I've been wondering if I'm wasting time here. I could find a new job in the county, or even set up a stall. That way, at least I can take care of my family."
Hang Liumei hadn't expected Qi Xiuchun to think this way. She quickly grabbed Qi Xiuchun's hand and tried to persuade him, "The director and the teachers value you so much. Don't give up so easily. What will happen to those unrestored murals and clay sculptures if you leave? What will happen to me? Besides, didn't Huang Hanwen really admire you as an artist? If you quit this job, wouldn't he look down on you too?"
Qi Xiuchun's hand was held weakly by hers, and he stared at the yellow earth on the ground and said, "I just think about it occasionally. Don't worry, as long as I can still do it, I won't leave easily. Let's go. Look, everyone outside is heading towards the cave. Let's not be the last ones left."
Whenever Hang Liumei painted, she would secretly pray to the Buddha. Perhaps because she was devout enough, Qi Xiuchun finally became pregnant and gave birth to a daughter the following spring.
Huang Hanwen saw that the child was a girl, so he left the mother and daughter at the research institute to recuperate after the baby was born. Hang Liumei became their aunt, taking good care of them, as if returning to the days before Qi Xiuchun's marriage when they were still together.
They discussed giving their child a nickname, and finally followed Hang Liumei's suggestion that "Several early orioles vie for warm trees, and someone's new swallows peck at the spring mud" was a good poem, so they decided to name their daughter "Yingying".
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