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The children widened their eyes and looked around upon hearing the shout. Sure enough, a figure was approaching from a distance, it was Wang Zhenhe coming to fetch the children.
Upon returning home, they found the stove and hearth cold, and none of the children were home. Zhang Lan quickly searched the house. Her children wouldn’t disappear without reason. There had to be a note left behind, and indeed, she found a note left by her son on the kang.
Wang Zhenhe arrived, and from a distance he saw the children hunched over, each carrying something on their back. He hurried over to them and, upon reaching them, realized how heavy the load was. Only then did he notice the wild chicken in Mingyuan’s hands, marveling at how capable his children were, catching a wild chicken during their trip.
“Good kids, come on, let Dad carry you. What’s this you’ve got? It’s so heavy,” he said, taking the things from them and feeling how heavy they were. No wonder the children were all hunched over.
“Dad, we picked a lot of chestnuts today. This time, we don’t have to worry anymore. We can come here to pick every day,” Mingyuan exclaimed joyfully.
As they walked and talked, they soon arrived in the village. From a distance, Mingyuan saw a figure moving at the entrance of their house; it seemed like their eldest aunt had returned.
He quickly pulled the others aside. “Bro, sis, I think I just saw our eldest aunt. Let’s not take the chicken back, or it’ll cause trouble if she sees it.”
The older siblings agreed with their younger brother’s suggestion. Wang Qian didn’t quite understand why they shouldn’t take the chicken back and where they could leave it.
Mingyuan held her hand and coaxed her gently, “Sis, how about we sell the chicken? Then next time, I’ll catch another one for you to eat, okay?”
Although Wang Qian didn’t know where they could sell it, she understood the need to protect their property, especially with their eldest aunt’s return likely meaning trouble.
Nodding her head, she said, “Bro, go ahead and sell it. I don’t crave chicken. We can catch one next time. Let’s hurry up and go. Don’t let our eldest aunt see you.”
Leading the way, Wang Zhenhe never imagined that the children had made a decision behind him. Mingyuan and Mingcheng walked ahead, carrying the wild chicken, while the sisters followed with their findings. It was only when they arrived home that their father realized two of the children were missing.
“Xuan’er, where are your brothers? Weren’t they with you?” he asked.
The sisters just smiled at him. “Dad, we’ll tell you once we’re inside.”
Zhang Lan, who was looking outside, saw her husband and the children returning, but noticed two of her sons were missing. She saw her daughter’s smiling face and figured that nothing had happened to the children. They probably went to do something else.
“Wife, come and see. Our children have had a great harvest today. Look at all these things,” Wang Zhenhe said, showing his wife the bountiful harvest.
Setting down the basket she was carrying, Zhang Lan also took the basket from her eldest daughter. “Oh, so much! Children, lie down on the kang and rest for a bit. As soon as they come back, we’ll have our meal.”
Wang Zhenhe still remembered what his daughter had said. “Daughter, where did your brothers go?”
“Dad, they went to the livestock purchasing station to sell the chicken and make some money,” she replied.
Upon hearing this, Wang Zhenhe’s face fell. “Those two rascals didn’t even discuss it with me. Today is your eldest aunt’s birthday, and I was planning to use that chicken to add a dish for her.”
Hearing this, Zhang Lan became upset. “What are you saying? Our children worked so hard to catch that chicken, and you were planning to give it away. You’re really something. Can’t you see we’re struggling to put food on the table? Instead, you’re concerned about your sister. I’ve never seen you show such concern for our children’s birthdays. I’ve never seen a father like you.”
Zhang Lan’s words left Wang Zhenhe speechless. This was a question he had never considered before. While growing up, everyone had always deferred to their younger siblings, and he had gotten used to it over time. He had started to see his own children as adults, forgetting that they were all under ten, while his siblings had long since grown up.
Feeling remorseful, Wang Zhenhe hugged his daughter. “Daughter, it’s Dad’s fault. I’ll treat you all better from now on.”
Before Wang Qian could speak, Wang Xuan spoke up, “Dad, missing a few mouthfuls of food won’t kill us. We don’t mind, but you must treat Mom well. Look, the scar on her face has only just healed. Seeing that scar makes me want to slap our eldest aunt. She shouldn’t bully Mom like this. Let her try picking on second aunt, and they’d have slapped her by now. She’s only daring to bully my mom.”
The children’s words brought tears to Zhang Lan’s eyes. They might not speak much, but they understood everything.
This time, Wang Zhenhe was thoroughly defeated by his daughter. No wonder the children had been so quiet recently. “Um, Xuan’er, we shouldn’t lower ourselves to her level. After all, she’s our elder. You can’t do this. If it gets out, it won’t reflect well on you.”
Wang Xuan pursed her lips and didn’t say anything more, but Wang Qian wasn’t having it. “Dad, if our eldest aunt is acting out, should Mom also act out? How could she stand by and watch while our eldest aunt hits Mom?”
Zhang Lan and her daughters couldn’t help but cheer for her words. This girl was truly remarkable, hitting the nail on the head when it mattered.
At this point, Wang Zhenhe understood that his children were settling scores today. He couldn’t say his mother was mistaken, nor could he answer the children’s question. He had to play it safe. “Darlings, let’s live our own lives. We don’t need to worry too much about others.”
Wang Qian remembered something else. “Mom, quickly hide all the things we picked up. If someone comes later, we won’t be able to keep them.”
She was worried that someone from their family might come and easily take away the things they had worked so hard to gather today.
Before their mother could act, Wang Xuan was the first to open the large cabinet and put a bag of chestnuts inside. Just as she closed the door, their small house’s door was pushed open.
Wang Mei’s plump, round face appeared. “Brother, big sister is here. Come over and sit with her.”
As she entered Wang’s small house, Wang Mei’s eyes were everywhere. It was her first time entering her brother’s house, and when she saw the basket of chestnuts on the floor, her face immediately lit up. “Bro, you’re the best. You know I love chestnuts. I won’t be polite then,” she said, taking the basket and preparing to leave.
“Wait, you’re taking things without asking who they belong to. You’re going too far,” Wang Qian intervened, seeing that her parents couldn’t speak up.
Wang Mei paused at her niece’s call, but then turned back to her brother with a pitiful look. “Bro, didn’t you pick these for me?”
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