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Zuo He displayed the demeanor of an elder brother, persuading Zuo He to finish all the rice in his bowl.
The food was finally served, but the bride and groom had yet to make an appearance to offer toasts and cigarettes. As the banquet was coming to an end, the guests were still waiting for the newlyweds to show up.
Some disgruntled guests complained, “This is really unlucky. We paid for the meal, but we have to endure this. We could have put up with the mediocre food, but not seeing the bride and groom? Has anyone experienced such a thing? Damn, even the banquet hosted by Zhenhe’s family was better. Despite being poor, they are resilient. Look at Wang Zhenguo’s wedding. I think they’ve done too many unethical things, which is why it turned out like this.”
Unsatisfied, some guests left in a huff. Wang Qian and the others put away the remaining uneaten food in the cabinet. Wang Chun, tired from the day’s work, hurried home and saw the children from the eldest and third families putting the food into the cabinet. She was touched by their actions. She had been working hard all day and hadn’t received a word of thanks from her sister-in-law. The children from the other families were more considerate.
“Qianqian, have you all eaten?” Wang Chun, exhausted and aging, had been busy all day and hadn’t even had a sip of water. Seeing the tired look on the old lady’s face, Wang Qian felt sorry for her. The old lady was the first to show kindness to their family when they arrived.
“Grandma, come and rest. I’ll pour you some water to drink. You haven’t eaten yet, have you? We’ve saved some food for you. Why don’t you eat a little now and have a proper meal at our place later?” Wang Qian suggested.
Wang Chun nodded with a smile. “Good child, you all treat me so well. I’m really hungry and thirsty.”
The children on the kang quickly got off, poured water, and served the food. After drinking a cup of warm water, the old lady felt better and quickly ate a few bites of the food, despite knowing how burnt it was. When she saw that the bowls on the table were almost empty, she couldn’t help but nod in approval. These children were promising and hadn’t wasted the food, which was a testament to the good upbringing they had received from the adults in the family.
As Wang Qian and the others were inside, accompanying the old lady for dinner, a sudden burst of shouting and crying erupted outside. Wang Qian found the situation somewhat exasperating. It seemed that Wang Zhenguo and Zhu Qiyu had truly stirred up trouble, as almost all the unexpected incidents had occurred on the same day.
“Something’s not right. There’s a fight outside,” Wang Minglin hurriedly reported the situation as he came inside to see what was happening.
Wang Xuan was feeling overwhelmed by the day’s events. “Brother, who’s fighting now?”
Wang Minglin chuckled, “Guess who’s fighting. I bet you won’t be able to guess.”
No one could figure out who would be foolish enough to start a fight at a time like this.
Seeing everyone’s confusion, Wang Minglin revealed the answer, “I’ll tell you. It’s Zhu Jianshe and one of the bride’s escorts. I didn’t catch the reason, but they both threw punches. Dad and Uncle managed to break it up. You should have seen the guy—his nose was bleeding from Zhu Jianshe’s punches.”
Wang Chun, who was listening nearby, seemed to have a knowing look in her eyes, something that Wang Qian couldn’t quite understand. However, she felt that the old lady seemed to know something.
But Wang Qian didn’t have the heart to investigate who was right or wrong. Getting into a fight at a time like this was probably not a good sign.
“Grandma, please continue eating. We’ll head home for now,” Wang Qian said.
“Wang Chun smiled and said, ‘Alright, you all don’t stay out too late. Go back early and don’t worry the folks at home.'”
As Mingcheng and Zuo He led a group of people outside, they ran into two stout figures who blocked their path like towers.
The siblings looked up and saw that it was their older cousin’s two sons, Da Zhu and Er Zhu. Their expressions seemed unfriendly, and Mingcheng’s tone turned cold.
“What’s this? Cousin, are you planning to escort us home?” Wang Qian was surprised to see the two sons of Wang Mei. They were incredibly overweight, a rarity in those times. If there were overweight individuals, they were naturally so, but these two seemed to have eaten their way to such a state. It was no wonder, as they were Wang Mei’s sons, and it seemed that the love for food ran in the family.
“Escort you home? Dream on. I haven’t settled the score with you for making my parents kneel last time. Are you dreaming at a time like this?” The two sons of Huang Youcai may have been as plump as pigs, but they were as slick-tongued as they come. This was Wang Qian’s first impression of them.
The sons of Huang Youcai were truly a chip off the old block, just like their mother, with a sharp tongue and a stubborn attitude.
Zuo Hao stepped forward, facing the two men, and Zuo Yu and Zuo He followed suit. Their beautiful eyes widened, and an imposing aura unconsciously emanated from them. The brothers from the Huang family couldn’t withstand the pressure from the Zuo brothers.
“What’s the matter? You want to fight? Fine, the three of us will play with you two,” Zuo Yu said bluntly to the other party.
Realizing that the Zuo brothers meant business, the Huang brothers wisely chose not to engage and instead glared fiercely at Mingyuan and then left.
Wang Qian sighed, realizing that these two had inherited their father’s intelligence. They knew they were outnumbered and wisely chose to retreat. This was in stark contrast to Wang Mei’s repeated confrontations, which even she found admirable, though she summed it up as foolishness.
With the guests leaving, having eaten what they could, the atmosphere was somewhat subdued. Wang Qian was certain that many would discuss the day’s events when they returned home.
“Brother, let’s go back. We’ve fulfilled our obligations, had our meal, and the rest is none of our concern,” Ming Shan said. The three siblings decided to part ways with Mingcheng and head home.
Meanwhile, Wang Zhenhe and his wife were helping with the funeral arrangements at Zhang Yongxi’s house. As the evening approached, the others who had nothing to do began to return.
Upon seeing the basin of food on the stove, the couple found it amusing. They wondered if the children hadn’t eaten lunch and had brought back the entire table of food.
“Wang Qian, did you all have enough to eat at lunch? Why is there such a large basin of food?” Wang Zhenhe asked.
Before Wang Qian could respond, Mingyuan interjected, “Mom, the atmosphere was so tense that we couldn’t eat. We had agreed with our cousins from Uncle’s family to take some food home. We ate sparingly, and when the later dishes turned out too salty, we treated them as pickles. We just had a bowl of sorghum rice, and that was enough.”
Hao Lianchun began sorting the food they had brought back, preparing to cook. “Lan, we can steam these dishes for dinner. You can make some dry rations. It’s a shame that the food from your in-laws’ house doesn’t taste as good as what you make.”
After returning home, Zuo He and the others recounted the day’s events to their grandmother. Hao Lianchun found it somewhat amusing. She couldn’t help but wonder about the character of this family, as they seemed to encounter such rare occurrences.
“Sister-in-law, I’m here,” Wang Juan hurried over to vent her frustrations after dealing with her in-laws’ affairs.
“Hey, sister-in-law, are you done with your tasks?” Zhang Lan, surprised by Wang Juan’s arrival, quickly ushered her to the kang to rest. She had heard about the events at the old house at noon and could tell that her sister-in-law was truly exhausted.
Wang Xuan handed her a glass of water. “Aunt, have some water.”
Wang Juan gratefully patted her niece’s head. “Our Xuan’er is so considerate, knowing that her aunt is thirsty. Sister, you’re lucky you didn’t go today. We worked ourselves to the bone helping out. I didn’t even have a sip of hot water. Oh, and don’t get me started on the food we made today. It was too salty. What a waste.”
After finishing the water, Wang Juan rested on the kang for a while before speaking again. “Sister, do you know why Zhu Jianshe fought with one of the bride’s escorts? I couldn’t believe it. Yang Liu was flirting with the man during the wedding procession, and Zhu Jianshe caught them. That’s why they fought. It’s embarrassing to even talk about it. That man isn’t a good person either. He knew Yang Liu was married and still flirted with her. It’s disgraceful.”
Wang Juan remembered something else. “Sister, I brought back some leftovers. I’ll have Mingshan bring them over to you later. There isn’t much left, as our mother-in-law took most of it. We could only take what was left. At least the leftovers will add some flavor to our meals.”
Zhang Lan quickly waved her hand. “Sister-in-law, there’s no need. Keep it for yourselves. Mingyan also brought some leftovers back at noon, and it all looks good. You keep it for yourselves. There’s always a time to finish the leftovers. I’ll just have to get used to having less oil and seasoning. By the way, now that the wedding party has left, do you still need to prepare several tables for the evening?”
Wang Juan nodded helplessly. “That’s right. Tonight, it’s just me and my second sister’s family preparing dinner. I reckon only a few daughters-in-law from my sister-in-law’s family will be able to come and help. This wedding has been so troublesome. I feel upset just thinking about it. We prepared a big feast, but it didn’t end well.”
She remembered she had some candy in her pocket and quickly took out two pieces. “Here, share these with Mingcheng and the others. There were so many people today, and your older brother couldn’t attend to all the children. This candy is from Aunt. Come and have some.”
After venting, Wang Juan had to return to continue cooking.
During dinner, Zhu Qiyu wanted to eat the meal that the new daughter-in-law had specially selected for her at lunchtime. In rural areas, there is a custom where the new daughter-in-law sets aside a bowl of delicious food for her mother-in-law at lunchtime to express gratitude for raising her husband and to show that she will continue to be filial to her parents after marriage. This bowl of food represents the first act of filial piety.
However, Ma Fenqing had not made this preparation at all. In the evening, the Wang family invited the laborers and leaders from the production team and brigade to dinner, which was an unwritten rule in rural areas for celebrating joyous occasions. It was customary to invite leaders to dinner to show respect and to strengthen relationships.
Zhu Qiyu didn’t see the bowl of food set aside by the new daughter-in-law, and she felt somewhat dissatisfied. However, with so many people around, it wasn’t convenient to say anything, so she just wore an unhappy expression.
But Ma Fenqing felt deeply wronged. This was a once-in-a-lifetime event, and their family had turned it into a mess. Not only had she lost face, but she also felt that she had lost her dignity. She wondered how her colleagues would mock her when she returned to work.
The family finally sat down for dinner, but the absence of Wang Zhenhe’s family was keenly felt. Wang Deshan looked at the table filled with joyous children and felt a tinge of regret. He couldn’t help but feel that the meal lacked flavor without Wang Zhenhe’s family.
The most joyous diners at the table were Wang Zhi and his two nephews. Wang Zhenguo and his brothers were dining with the leaders and laborers. Wang Mei took a bite of food and said, “Mom, Huang Youshi has been promoted to a member of the factory’s revolutionary committee. We’re going to have good days ahead.”
Wang Juan knew her sister-in-law loved to show off. She wasn’t sure what a member of the revolutionary committee was, but she suspected that it meant enjoying privileges. She had her doubts.
Wang Jiang’s daughter, Wang Li, happily said, “Congratulations, Aunt and Uncle. Does this mean you’ll have more say in things from now on? By the way, Aunt, can you help me get a military uniform? You look so good in it, and I want one too.”
Wang Mei glanced at her husband, and Huang Youcai subtly nodded. With a smile, she said, “What’s the big deal? I’ll take care of it. It’s just a military uniform. I’ll have your uncle get one for you next time.”
Upon hearing Wang Mei’s tone, Wang Mingjun, the son of the second sister, couldn’t let it go. Why should his sister have something that he didn’t?
“Aunt, I want a set too. Several students at our school have military uniforms, and they look so cool. Can you get me one so I can stand out too?” Wang Mingjun said.
Wang Mei frowned slightly, but she agreed readily. If they wanted a set, they would get one. It was better to keep everyone in the family satisfied, especially since they were borrowing money from others.
Wang Mingshan and the others also wanted military uniforms, but they didn’t particularly like their aunt and didn’t feel any emotional attachment to her. They decided not to ask for anything, as they didn’t want to be a bother. As long as they had clothes to wear, it was fine.
Wang Juan was relieved that her three children were sensible. She knew that the children wanted to wear military uniforms, but she didn’t want to ask her sister-in-law for anything. She wasn’t going to take advantage of her like that.
Zhu Qiyu quietly called her youngest son over and whispered something to him. However, when Wang Zhenguo heard about it, he was unwilling. “Mom, why can’t I? Why did I get married if I can’t do anything? What kind of rule is this? I might as well not get married at all.”
Zhu Qiyu, feeling exasperated, grabbed her son’s ear and said in a low voice, “Nonsense. You were the one who got into this mess first. Now you have to be obedient. If something goes wrong, I’ll hold you accountable. Listen to your mother. Endure for a couple of months, and it will be fine. This is a critical period, and you can’t afford to make mistakes. Be careful not to upset your mother-in-law, or your job will be in jeopardy.”
Wang Zhenguo was more concerned about his job than anything else and grumbled reluctantly, “I understand.”
During the meal, Wang Mei praised the urban lifestyle, but Wang Juan and the others dismissed it as empty talk. This time, Huang Youcai remained silent, and Wang Juan noticed that he seemed even more sullen. He probably felt embarrassed after the last incident and rarely spoke about his affairs.
Han Cui enthusiastically added more meat to Huang Youcai’s plate. “Brother-in-law, you’ve had a busy day. Eat more. You can’t neglect your health. The revolutionary cause still needs people like you. Your second sister’s family will follow your lead and have some soup.”
Wang Juan couldn’t help but find it amusing. Han Cui was always eager for personal gain, and she never missed an opportunity.
Outside, the sound of crying from Zhang Yongxi’s house resumed. Ma Fenqing, feeling annoyed, pushed her bowl away. “I’m full. You all take your time. I’m going back to my room,” she said, leaving without looking back.