Chapter 11

Xiang Dagen finished his conversation with Liu family father and his son in a daze, unsure how he managed to bid them farewell. Wandering aimlessly around the village, he overheard countless complaints about how Xiong’s family was being mistreated by Mrs. Xiang. His heart felt heavy, and his steps dragged as though weighed down.

Pear Blossom tugged at his sleeve and said, “Dad, what are you thinking? It’s rare for you to have a day off, yet you still look so stern.”

Xiang Dagen glanced at Pear Blossom, now nearly as tall as his ears, then at the vast barren field before them. Changing the subject, he said, “Girl, they say you’re fast at running. Let me see if it’s true. Run for me.”

Pear Blossom perked up at the suggestion, eager to show off. She grinned and said, “What’s the fun in running alone? Dad, why don’t you race me?”

Xiang Dagen was momentarily taken aback but then burst into laughter. “Alright, girl, you dare challenge me?”

Pear Blossom put her hands on her hips and teased, “Don’t underestimate me, Dad. You’re not exactly young anymore—can you even keep up?”

Xiang Dagen had joined the military at seventeen and married Xiong at twenty. Compared to his younger brothers, who married at sixteen, he had been a late groom. As the eldest, his children were also born late. 

His eldest sons were nineteen and twenty, but his eldest daughter, Pear Blossom, was only fifteen.

At thirty-five, Xiang Dagen was considered a “senior” soldier in the military. It was no wonder Pear Blossom teased him so mercilessly.

He lightly knocked her on the head and said, “Mind your words. Who says I can’t keep up? Your dad trains in the barracks every day. You think I’m afraid of a little girl?”

Pear Blossom clutched her head, laughing with excitement. “Alright then, let’s race.”

Nearby, Erniu chimed in, “I want to race too!”

Xiang Dagen pointed to a large open field ahead. “We’ll run there—from this end to the other, back and forth five times. Whoever finishes first wins. Daniu, you count for us.”

Daniu, ever earnest, nodded. “Got it. Go ahead, Dad. I’ll keep track.”

And so, Xiang Dagen, Pear Blossom, Erniu, and Xinghua lined up side by side. At Daniu’s signal, they took off, sprinting across the field.

For Xiang Dagen, this kind of running was routine. Though age had taken some toll, his years of training had built endurance and explosive power. In the first round, he easily outpaced the others.

Pear Blossom, caught off guard, was quickly left behind. Refusing to accept defeat, she pushed herself harder to catch up. The wind roared past her ears as she steadily closed the gap.

By the third lap, Xiang Dagen remembered this was a friendly race with his children, not military training. He considered slowing down to avoid discouraging them, but then he saw a figure rapidly approaching. To his astonishment, it looked like someone was about to overtake him.

He assumed this must be Pear Blossom’s second lap, but Daniu shouted, “Dad! Big Sister is already on her third lap! She’s about to pass you!”

Xiang Dagen’s heart skipped a beat, his chest pounding. How could his little girl, a mere teenager, outrun him, a veteran soldier? Determined not to lose, he gritted his teeth and surged forward, chasing after the leopard-like figure ahead.

The two raced neck and neck until, in the fifth lap, Pear Blossom overtook Xiang Dagen and won the race with a resounding lead.

When Xiang Dagen reached the finish line, he was grinning from ear to ear. If Pear Blossom were still a child, he’d have lifted her up and spun her around. This was his daughter—fast as lightning.

Pear Blossom herself didn’t know how fast she could run, but beating her father made her confident in her abilities. Panting, she walked up to him with a cheeky smile, asking for her reward.

“Dad, do you admit defeat?”

Xiang Dagen laughed heartily and gave her a thumbs-up. “I admit it. You’re amazing, my big girl!”

Pear Blossom grinned proudly. “So, what’s my reward?”

“What do you want?” Xiang Dagen asked with a smile. He had three silver taels from the previous night. No matter what she asked for, he was determined to grant her wish.

Pear Blossom thought for a moment and said, “Dad, let’s visit Grandma’s house. We haven’t been there in years, and I miss Grandma, Grandpa, and my uncles.”

Hearing this, Xiang Dagen felt a pang of guilt. Years ago, he had eloped with Xiong, marrying her without her parents’ blessing. He hadn’t treated her as well as he should, often being away for long stretches. In over a decade, he had never visited his in-laws. He felt deeply ashamed.

He looked at the sun, noting it was still before noon. His in-laws lived in Shangyang Village, a two-hour walk away. If they stayed for two hours and left with half an hour of nightfall left, they’d be home by dusk.

He nodded and said, “Go to the Qin family and call your mother. Tell her to get ready—we’ll visit your grandma’s house today.”

Pear Blossom was overjoyed. Forgetting her exhaustion, she ran off toward the Qin household.

Xiang Dagen turned to the other children and said, “Let’s go home and change. We’re heading out soon.”

On the Qin family’s side, Mrs. Xiong was chatting with Aunt Qin when she heard her husband was planning to visit her family. She froze, stunned as if hit by a pie. She hadn’t been home in five years. 

These years, her mother-in-law had tightly controlled the household finances, leaving her with not even a single copper coin to spare. She couldn’t bear to go home empty-handed, nor let her parents know how hard her life had been and worry them. 

So, she simply hadn’t gone. But this time, Xiang Dagen had given her a wonderful surprise.

Thinking of the three taels of silver Pear Blossom had given her the night before, her heart raced as she said, “Alright, I’ll go home then.”

Aunt Qin smiled and said, “Dagen really did something thoughtful for once.”

Mrs. Xiong couldn’t stop smiling, her eyes reddening as she became a little incoherent. “Oh, I don’t expect much from him… Let’s not talk about it, sister-in-law. I’ll head home first.”

“Go quickly then,” Aunt Qin urged. “It’s a two-hour trip to Shangyang Village. It’s not close. If you ask me, don’t walk. Have Dagen bring over our ox cart. Your family of six will fit just fine.”

Mrs. Xiong was thrilled, thanked her repeatedly, and hurried back home to change clothes.

There weren’t any new clothes at home, just patched ones. She picked the one with the fewest patches.

Watching his wife sift through her clothes, Xiang Dagen felt a pang of guilt. “We’ll pass the market on the way. I’ll buy some fabric for you and the kids to make new clothes.”

Mrs. Xiong glanced at the door and said, “No. You didn’t hand over any silver when you came back this time. If we go out and start buying this and that, your mother will surely suspect you’ve hidden money.”

Xiang Dagen frowned deeply.

The family worked quickly and were soon ready to go.

When Mrs. Xiang saw the neatly dressed family, her face darkened. “Where are you going?”

Xiang Dagen replied, “I’ve been in the army for years and haven’t had the chance to visit my in-laws during festivals. Now that I’m back, I plan to go see them. Mother, could you spare a few coins so I can buy a couple of pounds of meat to bring along?”

Mrs. Xiang widened her eyes. “Dagen, did I hear you right? You’re asking me for money? Yesterday you didn’t hand over a single coin, and now you’re asking me for some. There’s not a penny left in this house. Where am I supposed to get money for you?”

“Well, I can’t go empty-handed.”

“Then don’t go. In these hard times, we can’t even feed ourselves properly, and you’re worried about visiting in-laws? You’re so troublesome.” She shot a sharp glare at Mrs. Xiong.

Seeing this, Pear Blossom stepped forward. “It’s not my mother who wants to go. I want to visit Grandma.”

Xiang Dagen stopped her and said, “Mother, it’s me who wants to go. It’s been so many years; it’s only right to visit. If you don’t have any money to spare, I noticed there are some chickens in the coop. I’ll take a couple of them.”

When Mrs. Xiang heard this, she snapped, “How dare you, Dagen! You’ve earned so much in military pay all year but brought none of it home. Now you want to take our chickens? Those chickens are for laying eggs for your third brother! His studies are taxing on his brain, and he needs the eggs to keep sharp. But you? You want to give them to your in-laws? How is your third brother supposed to study in peace?”

Hearing this, Xiang Dagen felt a deep chill in his heart. “All those years I brought home so much of my military pay, and not once did I hear a kind word from you. This year, when I lost my silver, you treated me like this. 

It truly breaks my heart. Since you don’t see me as a son, from now on, any money I earn will be spent in the army. Not a single coin will come back here.”

With that, he grabbed his wife and children and stormed out of the house.

Mrs. Xiang, watching them leave, couldn’t resist cursing loudly enough for the entire village to hear.

Xiang Dagen’s chest heaved with anger. Mrs. Xiong squeezed his hand and said, “It’s alright. We have our own silver.”

“It’s not about the silver. It’s the humiliation. How can a mother treat her son like this? Would you ever treat Daniu and Erniu this way? Of course not. So why can they act like this? If not for the villagers witnessing her giving birth to me, I’d doubt I’m even their son, more like a servant they picked up.”

As he spoke, this proud seven-foot-tall man couldn’t hold back his tears.

Mrs. Xiong, seeing this, felt heartbroken. “Don’t rush. We’ll figure it out. All these years, I’ve seen it but couldn’t say anything. I thought life would just muddle along. But now that you’ve seen the truth, at least you can live more freely in the future.”

Xiang Dagen sniffed. “I’m fine in the army. It’s you who has suffered.”

“What daughter-in-law isn’t tormented by her mother-in-law?” Mrs. Xiong gave a bitter smile. 

“Thankfully, the children are growing up now. Better days are ahead. Oh, by the way, Aunt Qin said we could take their ox cart. It’ll make the trip faster.”

Xiang Dagen, still simmering with anger, said, “The other villagers treat us better than my own parents. It’s maddening.”

He took a deep breath, calmed himself, and headed to Qin’s house.

The Qin family’s ox cart was spacious and even had a cover to shield against rain. Xiang Dagen thanked them profusely before helping his wife and children onto the cart. He climbed up front to drive, shouted for the ox to move, and they were on their way.

The younger children, except for Pear Blossom, were riding an ox cart for the first time. They found it fascinating, leaning on the sides and chattering excitedly. Mrs. Xiong looked on with a smile.

Seeing his wife so happy for the first time in years, Xiang Dagen’s heart ached. He waved the whip and said, “Xiufang, what do you think we should buy for your parents? It’s been so long. We should make it a bit grand.”

Mrs. Xiong smiled. “What can you do with just three taels of silver? I think two pounds of pork will do. Keep one tael for yourself in case you need it for medicine if you get sick, and I’ll keep one tael at home as a backup.”

“What would I need silver for? I’m healthy.”

“Just take it.”

“No. I don’t need it. If I ever do, I’ll use my next military pay. The rest will always be left for you.”

Mrs. Xiong was pleased to hear this, but she couldn’t help feeling worried. When the two old folks at home found out they wouldn’t be getting their allowance, who knew what kind of trouble they might stir up?  

Still, even in the past, when her husband handed over money every year, it hadn’t made the elders treat the main family any better. 

She and her children had endured plenty of hardship regardless. If they could keep the money this time, they might as well hold onto it.