Chapter 23: Not the Women’s Director, but the Women’s Director’s Mother.

Every household was poor, so to save kerosene, activities essentially stopped after dark. This meant Yu Xiulan’s home visits couldn’t take place in the evening.

Tonight, she only planned to visit two families.

The first stop was Tian Guizhi’s house.

When Yu Xiulan arrived, Tian Guizhi was inside shouting at Bao Xiao Yu. “You worthless money pit! What can you even do? You can’t even hold a bowl properly!”

Bao Xiao Yu was sobbing and begging, “I was wrong, Mom! Please don’t hit me…”

Standing at the courtyard gate, Yu Xiulan rolled her eyes and shouted, “Tian Guizhi! You’ve got company!”

Her booming voice caused the yelling inside to abruptly stop. A moment later, Tian Guizhi came out, warily checking if Yu Xiulan was holding anything threatening, and asked, “Yu… Xiulan Jie, why’d you actually come?”

“Call me Teacher Yu.”

Tian Guizhi curled her lip. “Fine, Teacher Yu.”

Not waiting for her to open the gate, Yu Xiulan pushed it open herself. “I’m here for a home visit.”

A home visit? What nonsense was that?

Tian Guizhi chuckled. “Xiulan Jie, you’re too funny, coming up with these terms.”

Yu Xiulan snapped, “Teacher Yu.”

“Alright, alright, Teacher Yu.”

“I won’t go inside. Let’s just talk here,” Yu Xiulan said as she spotted a wooden stool and sat down. “Where’s Xiao Yu? Call her out so I can take a look.”

“What for? She’s working.”

Yu Xiulan ordered, “I said call her out. It’s dark, what work can she possibly be doing?”

“You’re not the women’s director anymore, why act all high and mighty,” Tian Guizhi muttered under her breath. But seeing the glare from Yu Xiulan, she raised her voice, “Xiao Yu! Didn’t you hear? Get out here already!”

Bao Xiao Yu emerged with her head hanging low, her whole demeanor timid and fearful.

Tian Guizhi pointed at Bao Xiao Yu disdainfully. “Look at her, so small-minded. Not like your two capable daughters, Teacher Yu.”

Hearing her mother’s words, Bao Xiao Yu shrank even further. Yu Xiulan bluntly replied, “My daughters turned out well because my husband and I raised them that way. If your daughter’s not generous, it’s because you didn’t raise her right.”

Tian Guizhi defended herself without shame, “As long as I raise my sons well, that’s enough.”

Yu Xiulan: “…”

The audacity.

“Alright, let’s call Bao Qixing out,” Yu Xiulan said curtly. “I’ve got something to say to him.”

Inside, Bao Qixing, who had been eavesdropping by the door, shivered and was nearly in tears.

The eldest son, Bao Qizhi, gloated. “Our Teacher Wu is much kinder.”

“Bao Qixing! Come out already!”

With a look of misery, Bao Qixing shuffled out, his posture hunched.

On the surface, he looked just as timid as Bao Xiao Yu.

Yu Xiulan turned to Tian Guizhi and said, “Look at how you’ve raised them. Does he look confident to you?”

“That’s because you scared him,” Tian Guizhi retorted without even glancing at Bao Xiao Yu. Instead, she pulled Bao Qixing into a protective hug. “You better not hit my son!”

“Other parents tell me if their kid misbehaves, I should give them a good beating as long as it’s not on the face.”

Bao Qixing trembled, and Tian Guizhi became even more distressed. “That won’t do! My kids mustn’t be hit.”

The blatant favoritism made Yu Xiulan’s liver ache with anger. She felt so invested in her role as a teacher. “Fine, then I just won’t bother with your son.”

“That’s not okay! We paid tuition,” Tian Guizhi grumbled. “You have to teach my son properly.”

Yu Xiulan took two deep breaths to compose herself before stiffly getting to the point. “Bao Qixing is only seven years old, but he’s constantly zoning out in class and can’t sit still. Delaying his schooling by a year won’t hurt.”

Bao Qixing hung his head, too guilty to look up.

But Tian Guizhi was having none of it. “Maybe you just don’t know how to teach! Why would my son misbehave otherwise?”

This woman was insufferable!

Yu Xiulan felt her temper flaring. “You can’t even recognize a single character, and you’re saying I don’t know how to teach?”

“When Zhao Mian was teaching, my son was fine! She’s got a middle school diploma, unlike you. Who knows how much of your ‘education’ is fake?”

Yu Xiulan wanted to punch her but restrained herself. “If I didn’t know how to read, do you think I could be a teacher? Enough of this nonsense. Let’s talk about Xiaoyu. She’s already nine years old—why isn’t she in school yet?”

“What’s the point of schooling for a girl?”

“What’s the point? My eldest daughter doesn’t earn a wage now? My second daughter didn’t become a women’s director because she’s educated? Their wages and work points don’t help support the family?”

Tian Guizhi dismissed her argument. “Even if she doesn’t go to school, Xiaoyu’s work points will still go to the family.”

“Such shortsightedness! Work points are nothing compared to what she could earn with an education.”

“Well, whatever she earns in the future will just benefit someone else’s family,” Tian Guizhi muttered, unwilling to invest in her daughter. “As long as my two sons succeed, that’s enough.”

Yu Xiulan: “…”

With a bitter tone, Tian Guizhi added, “Besides, my family isn’t as well-off as yours, able to afford schooling for a girl.”

“Well-off? What well-off? Do you think money grows on trees in my house?”

Yu Xiulan, fuming, stood up. “Don’t argue with me. I’m not the women’s director anymore, but I’m still the mother of the women’s director!”

Flustered by her outburst, Tian Guizhi muttered, “I didn’t mean anything by it… but I still don’t have the money. Xiaoyu has to stay home to work.”

Yu Xiulan realized there was no reasoning with her, so she threw down a curt “Just wait for my next visit” and stormed out.

She needed to gather her thoughts before tackling this again.

The first home visit was a complete failure, and Yu Xiulan carried her frustration to the next one.

At the Song family’s house, the child, Song Wenrui, was in the courtyard breaking twigs for firewood.

Yu Xiulan’s tone was sharper than intended. “Where’s your mother?”

Song Wenrui obediently stood up, greeted her, and answered, “My mom’s not feeling well. She’s lying down.”

Lying down again…

Yu Xiulan stomped into the house like a fighting rooster.

On the kang, Wang Yinghui struggled to sit up and weakly greeted her, “Third Aunt.”

The house was at least clean, which softened Yu Xiulan’s expression slightly. “No need to get up. I came to talk.”

Wang Yinghui gave her an apologetic smile. “Please have a seat, Third Aunt.”

Yu Xiulan sat on the edge of the kang and got straight to the point. “Wenrui should be starting school this year. He’s such a sensible child; you can’t let him fall behind.”

Wang Yinghui lowered her head and started to cry. “Third Aunt, you know my health isn’t good. We’re barely surviving on the production team’s subsidies. Where would I find the money to send him to school?”

Song Wenrui came in with a bowl of water, and seeing his mother crying, quickly set it down to comfort her. “Don’t cry, Mom. I won’t go to school.”

Wang Yinghui hugged him tightly, sobbing harder. “Xiaorui, I’m so sorry…”

Holding her, Song Wenrui apologized to Yu Xiulan. “Grandma Yu, my mom gets out of breath just moving a little. I’m worried about her, so I don’t want to go to school.”

Yu Xiulan gestured around the tidy house. “Look at this place—it’s clean and orderly. What are you so worried about? Don’t you understand what’s more important?”

“I cleaned it,” Song Wenrui admitted.

Yu Xiulan: “…”

So his mother truly did nothing. Even the daughters of landlords didn’t live like this.

Though she felt some sympathy, her frustration overwhelmed it. “You call me Third Aunt, so I have to speak plainly. If you feel sorry for your child, then pull yourself together! Look at yourself these past two years—what have you turned into? No one gets better lying on a kang all day. Get moving! Do some light work around the house, exercise a bit, and you’ll recover gradually!”

Wang Yinghui buried her face in her son’s shoulder, her sobs making her whole body tremble.

Song Wenrui started crying too, pleading, “Grandma Yu, please don’t be mad…”

He was only eight years old.

Yu Xiulan looked at him, her heart softening at the sight. Her tone gentled as she asked, “And the apple chunks? Don’t they bring any back for your mom?”

Song Wenrui lowered his head and stayed silent.

Yu Xiulan sighed. “Yinghui, having such a thoughtful son must be a blessing from a past life. How can it not outweigh all those troubles?”

Wang Yinghui’s crying grew louder. “Third Aunt, my parents are gone… how can I just let it go?”

Her sobbing turned uncontrollable, so much so that she could barely catch her breath, alarming Yu Xiulan.

Quickly dropping the subject, Yu Xiulan consoled her with a few kind words before leaving for the day.

As she walked out, Song Wenrui followed her and whispered, “Grandma Yu, as long as my mom stays alive, it’s okay if I don’t go to school.”

Yu Xiulan replied, “You’re a filial son, but there’s a difference between simply being alive and truly living. You can’t just scrape by like this.”

Song Wenrui clenched his tiny fists tightly, saying nothing.

The second home visit ended in failure as well.

When Yu Xiulan returned home, she lay on the kang, tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep.

Zhao Jianguo asked, “What’s the matter?”

Sitting on the blanket, Yu Xiulan angrily said, “That Tian Guizhi is truly heartless! A daughter isn’t a part of her own flesh and blood? She treats her like a servant from the old landlord days—doing all the work and still getting scolded or beaten!”

“And then there’s Wang Yinghui. Why have a child only to make them suffer? You didn’t see it, but that tiny kid does all the chores, inside and out. It’s heartbreaking to watch.”

“They live next door. Lending a helping hand wouldn’t even be much effort.”

“But it’s not just about that,” Yu Xiulan said with concern. “If this keeps up, what will happen to the boy in the future?”

“What did Principal Gu say to you?” Zhao Jianguo asked.

Frustrated, Yu Xiulan replied, “He said that since I used to be the women’s director and had influence in the production team, he hoped I could persuade more families to send their children to school.”

“A new doctor treating patients has to start with the common illnesses. Who tackles rare and difficult cases right away?” Zhao Jianguo reasoned.

After thinking it over, Yu Xiulan realized he was right.

“Feeling better now?”

“I’ll visit other families tomorrow,” she said.

The next morning, Yu Xiulan got up early, reenergized, and started organizing her list of visits.

The team members all had to work during the day, so she planned to visit one household before they headed out to the fields.

Zhao Ke, still groggy and achy, struggled to get dressed. Sitting by the window, she saw her mother heading out with great determination.

“….”

She hadn’t even eaten breakfast yet.

Compared to her, Zhao Ke felt utterly useless.

That day, Yu Xiulan’s first stop was at Wang Changhe’s family, all the way at the west end of the village—Aunt Dong’s house.

They had two grandsons nearing school age.

Standing outside the courtyard, Yu Xiulan called out.

The family was having breakfast in the main room. Aunt Dong heard her and came out, inviting her in. “Xiulan, come on in.”

Yu Xiulan walked into the courtyard and followed her into the main room.

The moment she stepped inside, she felt dizzy.

Oh my goodness! A sea of children!

The entire family greeted her in unison, filling her ears with a cacophony of “Auntie” and “Grandma.” She couldn’t distinguish who was calling what, so she just smiled in response.

Aunt Dong and Wang Changhe had four sons: the eldest, Wang Xiangjun; the second, Wang Xiangwen; the third, Wang Xiangquan; and the youngest, Wang Xiangping.

The two eldest had married early.

The eldest had four sons, ranging from 11 years old to 2 years old, and his wife, Zhao Huahua, was now expecting again.

The second son had three sons, aged 7, 5, and 3.

Yu Xiulan had come to discuss school for Wang Xiangjun’s 8-year-old second son and Wang Xiangwen’s eldest son.

“Have a seat, Xiulan,” Wang Changhe said, gesturing.

Not wanting her voice to be drowned out amidst the crowd, Yu Xiulan dragged a stool to the doorway, creating some distance.

After sitting down, she decided to ease into the conversation with small talk. She turned to the pregnant Zhao Huahua. “Huahua, your belly… it’s so round.”

With her limited experience of guessing the gender of a baby based on the shape of the belly, she suspected it was another boy.

Aunt Dong evidently thought the same. Her tone carried the pride of someone whose hen had just laid an egg. “Looks like it’ll be another boy. My daughters-in-law have such strong wombs!”

In the village, there were families desperate for sons who couldn’t seem to have any, while the Wang family’s boys kept coming. It was truly a case of feast or famine.

Yu Xiulan couldn’t help but comment, “When they grow up, marrying them off will cost a fortune.”

“That’s what your Uncle Changhe and I are worried about.”

“What’s there to worry about? Isn’t your third son about to get engaged? Once he’s married, it’ll be the fourth son’s turn.”

Aunt Dong, however, didn’t look particularly thrilled. She glanced at her youngest son, Wang Xiangping.

Xiangping, feeling guilty, lowered his head and focused on scooping porridge.

Aunt Dong snorted and turned to Yu Xiulan. “What brings you here so early?”

Yu Xiulan’s gaze shifted from their breakfast table to the children, noting their patched sleeves exposing their arms. Clearing her throat, she asked, “Xiangjun, Xiangwen, your boys are of school age. When do you plan to send them?”

Xiangjun and Xiangwen exchanged glances, unable to answer.

Yu Xiulan then looked to their wives.

The eldest daughter-in-law, Zhao Huahua, kept her head down, silently feeding soup from the porridge to her youngest son.

The second daughter-in-law, Zhou Xiuli, spoke bluntly. “Auntie, you’ve seen our situation. My child’s schooling will have to wait a few years.”

Wang Changhe and his four sons sat there silently.

Yu Xiulan understood their situation all too well. Rubbing her fingers on her knees, she said, “Sending children to school affects their entire lives. Think it over carefully.”

Aunt Dong sighed. “Life’s hard enough right now. Who has the luxury to think that far ahead?”

Wang Yinghui buried her face in her son’s shoulder, her sobs shaking her entire frame.

Song Wenrui started crying too, pleading, “Grandma Yu, please don’t be mad…”

He was only eight years old.

Yu Xiulan’s heart softened at the sight, and her tone mellowed. “Did Apple Ding stop bringing food for your mom?”

Song Wenrui lowered his head without a word.

Yu Xiulan sighed. “Yinghui, having such a thoughtful son must be the result of great fortune from a past life. Why can’t that balance out the troubles in this one?”

Wang Yinghui’s crying grew louder. “Third Aunt, my parents are gone… how am I supposed to let it go…”

Her sobs were so intense, she seemed to be gasping for air, scaring everyone in the room.

Yu Xiulan quickly changed the subject, offering a few words of comfort before stopping the conversation altogether.

As Yu Xiulan was leaving, Song Wenrui escorted her out and said quietly, “Grandma Yu, I’m fine not going to school as long as my mom stays alive.”

Yu Xiulan replied, “You’re a filial son, but staying alive comes in different forms. It’s no good just scraping by.”

Song Wenrui clenched his little fists tightly but said nothing.

The second home visit ended in yet another failure.

Back home, Yu Xiulan lay on the kang, tossing and turning, unable to sleep.

Zhao Jianguo asked, “What’s the matter?”

Sitting up on the bedding, Yu Xiulan angrily recounted, “That Tian Guizhi is truly heartless! Isn’t her daughter flesh of her flesh? She treats her like an old maid in a landlord’s house—working endlessly, only to be beaten and scolded!”

“And then there’s Wang Yinghui. Do you have kids just to make them suffer? You didn’t see it, but that little boy is working inside and out—just looking at it breaks your heart.”

“The neighbors are right across the way. Lending a hand now and then wouldn’t hurt them.”

“But it’s not just that,” Yu Xiulan fretted. “If these kids keep muddling along like this, what’s going to happen to them in the future?”

“What did Principal Gu say to you?”

“He said I used to be the women’s director and had some influence in the production team. He hoped I could persuade the members to send more kids to school.”

“Well, new doctors don’t start by treating rare diseases. They work on common ailments first.”

Yu Xiulan thought about it and realized he had a point.

“Feel better now?”

“I’ll try other homes tomorrow,” Yu Xiulan decided.

The next morning, she regrouped, sorted through her list, and prepared to visit each household.

Knowing the members worked during the day, she planned to visit one household before they headed to the fields.

Zhao Ke had just gotten up, his body achy. He struggled to dress, then sat by the window, watching as Yu Xiulan energetically headed out the door.

“…”

She hadn’t even had breakfast yet.

In comparison, Zhao Ke felt like a waste of space.

Yu Xiulan’s first stop that day was the home of Wang Changhe, also known as Aunt Dong’s house, at the west end of the village.

The family had two grandsons nearing school age.

Standing outside their courtyard, Yu Xiulan called out.

The family was eating breakfast in the main room. Aunt Dong came out at the sound of her voice and invited her in. “Xiulan, come in.”

Yu Xiulan entered the courtyard and followed Aunt Dong into the main room.

What she saw immediately made her dizzy.

Oh my goodness! So many boys packed into one space.

The entire Wang family greeted her in unison.

Yu Xiulan’s ears were filled with a cacophony of “Auntie” and “Grandma,” leaving her unable to distinguish who was speaking. She responded with a general smile.

Aunt Dong and Wang Changhe had four sons: Wang Xiangjun, Wang Xiangwen, Wang Xiangquan, and Wang Xiangping.

The eldest two were married.

The eldest had four sons, ranging from 11 years old to 2 years old, and his wife, Zhao Huahua, was pregnant again.

The second son had three boys, aged 7, 5, and 3.

Yu Xiulan was there to discuss schooling for Wang Xiangjun’s second son, who was 8, and Wang Xiangwen’s eldest son.

“Xiulan, have a seat,” the family patriarch Wang Changhe invited her.

Not wanting to be drowned out in the noise, Yu Xiulan dragged a stool closer to the door, away from the crowd.

Once seated, she planned to ease into the topic with some small talk. Turning to the pregnant Zhao Huahua, she remarked, “Huahua, your belly… so round.”

Based on her limited experience in guessing the sex of unborn children, it seemed likely to be another boy.

Aunt Dong evidently thought the same and remarked as if celebrating a hen laying an egg, “Looks like another boy. My daughters-in-law are really something!”

Several families in the village struggled to have sons, while the Wang family seemed to have an endless supply. Truly, it was a case of feast or famine.

Not wanting to seem tactless, Yu Xiulan commented, “When they grow up, finding wives will be quite costly.”

“That’s exactly what your Changhe Ge and I are worrying about,” Aunt Dong sighed.

“What’s there to worry about? Isn’t your third son about to get engaged? After his wedding, it’ll be the fourth son’s turn.”

Aunt Dong’s face showed little joy as she glanced at her fourth son, Wang Xiangping.

Wang Xiangping, feeling guilty, lowered his head and focused on his bowl of corn porridge.

Aunt Dong let out a huff before turning to Yu Xiulan. “What brings you here so early?”

Yu Xiulan glanced at the patched clothes of the children and cleared her throat. “Xiangjun, Xiangwen, your boys are of school age now. When do you plan to send them?”

Wang Xiangjun and Wang Xiangwen exchanged looks but said nothing.

Yu Xiulan turned to their wives.

The eldest son’s wife, Zhao Huahua, caressed her belly and silently fed porridge broth to her youngest.

The second son’s wife, Zhou Xiuli, was more direct. “Auntie, you’ve seen our situation. Schooling will have to wait a couple of years.”

The entire family sat silently.

Yu Xiulan, understanding their struggles, rubbed her fingers on her knees and said, “Schooling affects a child’s whole life. Think it over carefully.”

Aunt Dong sighed. “It’s hard enough to manage the present—how can we worry about the future?”

Yu Xiulan’s third home visit ended in yet another fruitless attempt.

Back at home, she sat at the dining table, sighing heavily.

Zhao Ke and the other two exchanged glances, silently debating who should try to console her.

Zhao Feng lowered his head, a clear refusal to act.

Zhao Ke’s hand trembled slightly as she held her bowl, signaling that she was “unable to perform such a thankless task today.”

Zhao Jianguo cleared his throat. “Another rough one?”

Yu Xiulan shot back irritably, “What do you think?”

“You—”

Before Zhao Jianguo could finish, the sound of crying from outside interrupted him.

“Zhao Ke! Come out quick! My mom and Aunt Dong are fighting again!”

Zhao Ke hurriedly set down her bowl and rushed outside. However, her unsteady legs caused her to bump into the edge of a stool, prompting a sharp intake of breath. “Hiss—”

Yu Xiulan followed, curious to see what was happening.

It was Dong Ni’er at the door.

Yu Xiulan, with her quicker pace, got ahead of Zhao Ke. “Dong Ni’er? What are they fighting about this time?”

Dong Ni’er wiped her tears, hesitant to explain.

Zhao Ke hobbled over, rubbing her leg. She recalled something she had seen earlier in the courtyard of the team committee office. “Did the thing about you two dating get found out already?”

Yu Xiulan’s brows furrowed. “Dating? Who’s dating who?”

Zhao Ke explained as she walked. “Wang Si Ge.”

Dong Ni’er sniffled. “It’s just… that day when I went to fetch water, I forgot my bucket. Si Ge brought it back for me, and my mom saw it. She went to confront Aunt Dong about it yesterday.”

Yu Xiulan sighed. “…With those two always at odds, it’d be a miracle if they didn’t start a fight over your relationship.”

Now wasn’t the time to discuss it further, though.