Chapter 73

Jiang Leyun tugged at his sister’s arm, standing on tiptoe to read the letter. “What did Sister Weiyu say?”

Jiang Suihan folded the letter and summarized briefly, “Two things: First, Second Cousin can’t endure the hardship of rural life and has written home asking to return to the city. Uncle and Aunt are trying to figure out a solution. Second, Elder Cousin’s wife has given birth to a son, and Aunt plans to have Weiyu drop out of school to help take care of the baby.”

She couldn’t understand why the grandson was so treasured, but the daughter wasn’t?

What was most irritating was the elder cousin and his wife. If they were capable of having children, they should take care of them themselves. Why should the younger cousin have to quit high school to help them? The youngest member of the family had no say at all?

The elder cousin and his wife went to great lengths to appear virtuous, while they manipulated Aunt to play the villain. Even if the younger cousin was unwilling, she wouldn’t dare go against her mother’s wishes.

Jiang Leyun frowned, “Sister Weiyu is so pitiful! Aunt is really too unreasonable!”

In the past, when they visited Uncle’s home for meals, Sister Weiyu would sometimes find a chance to ask her sister about academic problems. Her textbooks were kept in excellent condition, without any stains or creases. Sister Weiyu loved reading so much, and yet Aunt didn’t allow her to go to school. She must be heartbroken.

Xu Zhao poured a cup of hot water for Jiang Suihan to warm her hands. He had overheard the siblings’ conversation. Though he hadn’t met his wife’s younger cousin, he knew that she was the youngest daughter in her family and the only one who had shown kindness to the siblings. Even in such circumstances, she had secretly come to deliver the message, showing she had her own principles and a clear sense of right and wrong.

“Mingjiang City is far from Li Province, and we can’t do much from here. Furthermore, it’s fundamentally a family matter. They are the biological parents of the younger cousin, and morally, they have the upper hand. The younger cousin is still young, without the ability to earn a living, and relies on her parents. If the situation escalates, it might get worse.”

A fifteen or sixteen-year-old girl without a job and with little money, how could she defy her parents?

What’s more, in this age where all travel requires proof, it is simply unrealistic to run away from home. You may not even be able to leave the city, and you cannot buy a ticket at the train station without proof.

Jiang Suihan held the cup with both hands, the steam obscuring her expression. “So what should we do? We can’t just ignore this situation, can we?”

If others were kind to her, she would return something of equal value. That night, Jiang Weiyu took the risk to come over and report the news. She appreciated the favor and hoped to be able to help.

However, as Xu Zhao had pointed out, the distance and communication difficulties meant that the message was already nearly a month old. By the time she wrote a reply and sent it, time would drag on, and she would be unaware of what might happen in the meantime.

Xu Zhao couldn’t think of a good solution either. After some thought, he said, “Here’s what we’ll do. After the New Year, I’ll write a letter to a comrade of mine who works at the Public Security Bureau. I’ll ask him to check the situation. If the younger cousin is having a hard time at home and doesn’t want to stay, he can bring her here. We can make space in the house.”

Hearing this, Jiang Suihan remembered Xu Zhao’s comrade who had transferred to the Public Security Bureau. With his help, it seemed unlikely there would be major issues.

But bringing Jiang Weiyu here was a temporary solution. Helping in an emergency was one thing, but people needed to strive to improve their own situations. Even if others could help, how often could they be of assistance?

After a simple lunch, Su Ying began preparing for the New Year’s Eve dinner in the afternoon. Jiang Suihan wanted to help, but Su Ying, worried she might get in the way, wouldn’t let her into the kitchen.

Perhaps because of the New Year’s excitement, Jiang Suihan was too excited to sleep and decided to skip her afternoon nap. She wasn’t too tired anyway.

Jiang Suihan pulled out the red paper from home and asked Xu Zhao if he had a brush and ink.

Xu Zhao, who was in the yard plucking chickens, had become quite adept at it. Whenever he was home, he handled the chickens himself.

Hearing the question, he shook his head. “No, only a fountain pen.”

Jiang Suihan felt a bit disappointed but quickly thought, “Well, no big deal. It’s just for fun. I can use the fountain pen instead.”

She instructed her younger brother to bring down a fountain pen and spread the red paper on the table. Noticing that the table had an uneven surface, she adjusted the paper to prevent it from tearing while she wrote.

Jiang Leyun removed the pen cap, holding the fountain pen with both hands and presenting it with a look of reverence.

Jiang Suihan couldn’t help but smile, poking her brother’s forehead. “You’re being silly again.”

Jiang Leyun rubbed his forehead and grinned, showing a row of small white teeth. “Sister, write it nicely. I want to put it on the window in my room.”

Jiang Suihan rolled up her sleeves, confidently revealing her skills. “Don’t worry. I’ve been practicing calligraphy with a fountain pen for years and even learned from a master. My writing is far better than your dog’s crawl. Just keep your eyes open and watch closely.”

Jiang Leyun pouted, unconvincingly. “I’m still young. When I grow up, I’ll definitely write ten times, no, a hundred times better than you.”

Xu Zhao glanced over briefly, smiling. It seemed amusing how even a simple task like writing could become a competition. Lele was just eight years old, and in another six months, she would become a mother. Yet, she still had this kind of childlike, endearing naivety.

Su Ying came out with an enamel basin, noticing her son’s intense gaze on his daughter-in-law with a look of gentle affection. She couldn’t help but click her tongue in mild exasperation.

Xu Zhao met his mother’s teasing eyes and calmly returned to his previous indifferent expression, focusing on his work.

Su Ying set down the basin and approached with a smile. “This character for ‘fu’ (blessing) looks good. Well done.”

Jiang Suihan, slightly embarrassed, knew her skills well enough. Her handwriting was only good enough for self-appreciation at home or impressing an inexperienced child. She wasn’t confident enough to show it to others.

“It’s been a while since I wrote. My hand is a bit rusty. Mom, would you like one for your study?”

Su Ying nodded. “Write a few more. We can put a couple on the front door too.”

Jiang Suihan hesitated. While it was fine to put it up at home, putting it on the door where everyone could see might invite unwanted comments.

Su Ying added, “I bought a lot of red paper. Tonight, I’ll teach you how to make paper-cut decorations. It’s more fun than writing ‘fu’ characters.”

Jiang Suihan had never seen paper-cut decorations before. Her family never used them for New Year celebrations. Her mother was in poor health and lacked the energy, and her father was too absorbed in work to pay attention to such trivial matters.

“Okay, I will definitely study hard.”

Jiang Leyun eagerly raised his hand, “I want to learn too. I want to cut out a mighty tiger.”

Today, Su Ying had put a lot of effort into preparing the New Year’s Eve feast, including braised lion’s head meatballs, braised pork, taro steamed ribs, stir-fried mountain yam with wood ear mushrooms, potato stew with chicken, and sautéed cabbage, totaling six dishes along with a pot of yam and chicken soup.

Jiang Leyun sat at the table, watching the dishes being served with wide eyes, nearly drooling.

Su Ying, after drinking a bowl of soup, lamented, “It’s a pity we didn’t get any fish. Otherwise, we could have made braised fish. It sounds auspicious to have fish every year.”

Jiang Suihan enthusiastically supported her. “There are so many delicious dishes, Mom. You’ve worked hard. Let’s toast to Mom. Well, we’ll use soup instead of wine. I wish Mom good health and all the best in the coming year.”

Xu Zhao glanced at Jiang Suihan, smiling faintly. It was amusing to hear about using soup as a substitute for wine.

Jiang Suihan nudged her brother sitting to her left and whispered, “Hurry up and say your New Year’s greetings.”

The child, taking it seriously, held the soup bowl with both hands and earnestly said, “Auntie, you’ve worked hard. Over the past two months, you’ve taken care of my sister and made so many delicious dishes. I’m really grateful. I wish you happiness in the New Year, may all your wishes come true, and may you have a big grandson or granddaughter next year.”

He tilted his head, with an air of grandeur. “I’ll drink first.”

He attempted to down the soup in one go but drank too quickly, choking on it.

Jiang Suihan found it both amusing and frustrating, patting her brother’s back. “Where did you learn all these nonsense things? Does this bowl of soup have a grudge against you? Can’t you drink it more slowly?”

Su Ying’s eyes crinkled with laughter as she reached into her pocket and pulled out a red envelope. “So good. I was going to give it to you after dinner, but your little mouth is too sweet.”

Jiang Leyun’s eyes lit up at the sight of the red envelope. He cheerfully said, “Thank you, Auntie.”

Jiang Suihan gave Xu Zhao a meaningful look, signaling him to take the lead. She and her brother had already said their greetings, and it was his turn to act promptly.

Xu Zhao picked up the bowl helplessly: “Mom, I wish you a happy new year and good health.”

Su Ying didn’t mind that he repeated what Jiang Suihan had said and continued to smile as she handed out three red envelopes: one for her son and two for her daughters-in-law. “The baby also gets one.”

Jiang Suihan smiled brightly. “Thank you, Mom.”

Feeling the thickness of the envelope, it was quite generous.

Xu Zhao didn’t put the envelope in his pocket but handed it directly to Jiang Suihan. “Here, for you.”

Jiang Suihan smiled and accepted it.

Outside, the wind howled fiercely, and the temperature was very low. It was unbearable to be out for more than a few minutes.

The family gathered around the fire, chatting. Jiang Suihan suddenly craved roasted sweet potatoes. Sister Wu had given them a basket of sweet potatoes a few days ago, and there were still some left.

Xu Zhao went to the kitchen and brought back four sweet potatoes. Perhaps due to the poor soil quality here, the sweet potatoes weren’t very large. The fire was blazing, but there wasn’t much charcoal.

Jiang Suihan, feeling impatient and smelling the roasted sweet potatoes, asked for the fifth time, “Is it ready yet?”

Xu Zhao, holding a thin wooden stick, used it to pull the sweet potatoes from the fire. Jiang Suihan eagerly reached out to grab one but quickly pulled her hand back because it was too hot.

Jiang Leyun, standing nearby and watching intently, received one of the sweet potatoes from Xu Zhao and smiled widely with joy.

Since dinner, Jiang Leyun had not stopped eating. Between cookies, candies, and all the delicious homemade treats, he even took a small bamboo basket and filled it with a generous amount of snacks. The basket was now half empty.

Jiang Suihan couldn’t help but tell her brother, “You should eat less. If you don’t, you’ll have trouble sleeping tonight.”

Jiang Leyun had his own theory: “There are 365 days in a year, and this is the only day we get to eat like this. I have to make the most of it.”

Su Ying quickly added, “It’s okay. We’ll have some hawthorn later to help with digestion.”

Xu Zhao broke the roasted sweet potato in half, peeled off the charred outer layer, and handed it to Jiang Suihan. “You two siblings should eat less.”

Jiang Suihan pretended not to hear, silently eating her sweet potato without responding.

Noticing the time was only a little past seven, Jiang Suihan wanted to go for a walk. Xu Zhao, unable to refuse her request, helped her put on a thick coat, scarf, hat, and gloves, fully gearing her up except for her eyes.

The two walked aimlessly, and Xu Zhao asked, “Are you cold?”

Jiang Suihan nodded and shook her head, “It’s okay. If I get too cold, I’ll head back.”

She looked into the distance and, unsure if it was just her imagination, seemed to catch a glimpse of a light flashing.

She pointed in that direction and said to Xu Zhao, “Look over there. Do you see a light?”

Xu Zhao looked up, focused, and confirmed that there was indeed a light.

His expression suddenly changed, becoming serious. “I’ll take you back. Lock the doors and windows when you get home. Don’t open the door for anyone, no matter what.”

Jiang Suihan, not knowing the full extent of the situation, saw his grave demeanor and said nothing. She simply nodded, “Got it.”

The previously pleasant walk was cut short; they returned home within ten minutes.

Su Ying asked, “Why are you back so soon?”

Xu Zhao repeated his warning to Jiang Suihan, then hurriedly left.