Chapter 21: Reason

The family made their way back cheerfully in the moonlight, taking the rural path this time due to the cart. Although it was a longer route and they couldn’t traverse the fields and ridges like the children did, they enjoyed each other’s company, and time flew by. Before they knew it, they were back at their small house outside the wall. Since Wang Zhenhe hadn’t eaten, Zhang Lan lit the oil lamp and busied herself with cooking. Wang Zhenhe and the children unloaded the cart and brought everything inside. Seeing the day’s haul, Wang Zhenhe was surprised by the amount they had gathered.

Mingyuan brought over a stone and cracked a walnut for his father to taste. “How is it, Dad? Is it delicious?”

The children eagerly watched as Wang Zhenhe nodded and said, “Yes, it’s really delicious. It’s oily and flavorful. What is this?”

“It’s a walnut. Mom knows all about it,” replied Zhang Lan.

The mention of walnuts got Wang Zhenhe and Zhang Lan thinking. Turning to his wife, he asked, “Zhang Lan, could these be from the batch of walnut trees we grafted a few years ago? I thought they had all died. How could they still produce walnuts?”

“I wonder about that too. Maybe a few survived, and we just never noticed. Given the vast expanse of trees, it’s not surprising that they were hard to find. It’s quite lucky that the children discovered them,” replied Zhang Lan nonchalantly. She wasn’t particularly impressed by the situation, considering it fortunate that their children had found the walnuts. If it were someone else, even if they had seen them, they might not have recognized the trees.

Wang Zhenhe began to marvel at the day’s labor, finding every discovery quite miraculous. “Today is truly a big harvest. You even found wood ears and mushrooms. That’s no small feat.”

Seated on the heated brick bed, Wang Qian asked, “Dad, has Eldest Aunt left yet?”

Hearing his children still concerned about the situation, Wang Zhenhe hesitated but decided to tell the truth. “She hasn’t left yet. In a while, we brothers will personally discuss this matter. It’s almost time.”

Outside, voices of several men were heard. “Third Brother, come over quickly! We’re waiting for you to start the meeting,” came from the next door, likely his second brother calling.

As Wang Zhenhe was about to get up, his wife stopped him. “Remember to maintain your position. We don’t know the situation at Eldest Aunt’s home. Where did the grain go? You need to figure it out. Don’t just give in to her demands. Don’t forget, our family’s grain for the second half of the year is still insufficient.”

After casting a hesitant glance at his children, Wang Zhenhe turned and went out. The children finished packing, sealing the sacks of walnuts and covering the smaller ones in cloth bags. Even if someone passed by, they wouldn’t know what was inside.

Once they finished packing, the next-door commotion grew louder, accompanied by a woman’s sobbing. The children listened in silence to the voices next door, hearing their second uncle’s opposition, their grandmother’s scolding, and their eldest aunt’s weeping, all blending into an irritating cacophony.

The sharp voice of the elderly lady tested everyone’s eardrums. “How did I raise you good-for-nothing lot? Hurry and bring back grain! I’m telling you, Wang Mei, you must give us the grain. If you don’t, I’ll report your unfilial behavior to the revolutionary committee. You’ll all end up parading through the streets. I’ve never seen such unfilial sons like you.”

As the elderly lady’s voice faded, the second uncle’s voice followed. “Mom, you’re pushing us onto a dead-end path. You know our family’s situation. Eldest Sister deserves it. It’s her own fault for being so vain. Just for a watch, she sold our grain. Now she has the nerve to ask us for it. Wang Mei, I advise you to sell the watch and buy back the grain. Although it won’t be as much, it will still be enough for your family.”

The children, along with Zhang Lan, finally understood that Wang Mei had sold the family’s grain to buy a watch, shifting her focus to her maternal family.

However, Wang Qian was skeptical of this explanation. Wang Mei was not foolish and was known to be quite astute. How could she do something so foolish? There might be more to the story than met the eye. Even if she bought the watch, there was her uncle’s earnings, and as far as she could remember, there had been no significant expenses for the Wang Mei family in recent years. Buying a watch with their resources shouldn’t have required selling grain.

The second uncle’s loud voice from next door echoed the suspicions she had just pondered. It seemed her second uncle was astute enough to quickly see through the discrepancies.

Then, the voice of the usually reticent elderly man next door suddenly rang out with a thunderous shout. The sudden outburst startled the children and Zhang Lan, who were eavesdropping.

“Wang Mei, you’d better come clean about the grain. If you don’t explain yourself, you won’t be getting a single grain from our Wang family,” the elderly man demanded.

The old man rarely lost his temper, but when he did, everyone in the house had no choice but to listen. As the saying goes, when an honest person gets angry, it’s enough to frighten anyone.

There was no more sound coming from next door. It seemed that Wang Mei’s voice was too soft to carry through.

Unable to hear any further information, the exhausted individuals lay on the now-warm heated brick bed. The children, worn out from the day’s labor, had fallen asleep on the bed before even removing their clothes. When Zhang Lan came to call them for dinner, she found them all fast asleep, their mouths still slightly wet with drool.

After adjusting the children’s positions and setting up their bedding, she carefully undressed each child and tucked them into bed.

At that moment, Wang Zhenhe returned from the neighboring house after the meeting. Zhang Lan glanced at him, and his expression wasn’t very reassuring. It seemed their family was truly in for a difficult time.

“Zhenhe, what did your father say?” Zhang Lan asked directly about the result, which was what concerned her the most.

“Sigh, our family is contributing 20 catties, Second Brother’s family 50 catties, and our father 100 catties. That’s all there is. We’ll deliver the grain first thing tomorrow morning,” Wang Zhenhe replied.

Learning the outcome, Zhang Lan was unsurprised. This was how their family had always been. Whenever one of the girls caused a scene, everything would be resolved. “So why did Eldest sister lose the grain?” she inquired.

“Why? She hardly ever participates in labor; how could she receive a fair share? There isn’t much left after distribution. She spent the money she had on a watch, and now this is the result,” Wang Zhenhe defended his elder sister’s honor, but Zhang Lan knew exactly what kind of person Eldest Sister was.