Font Size:
Not long after, Wang Juan brought news to Zhang Lan that Ma Fenqing had given birth to a baby boy. “Sister, did you see? Our mother-in-law is over the moon. It’s just a boy, but I’ve never seen her so happy when we had our sons. The difference is just too stark. Our sons are also treasures, born from our own flesh and blood.”
Wang Juan was truly indignant. When she had given birth to her son, she hadn’t eaten anything good during her confinement. But now, she saw her mother-in-law preparing a stew of old hen for her younger son. That hen was still laying eggs. When she had given birth, her mother-in-law had been unwilling to sacrifice an old hen for her, and instead made do with a rooster.
Seeing Wang Juan’s expression, Zhang Lan knew she was feeling puzzled. “Sister-in-law, don’t be angry. It’s been so long, and they’ve probably forgotten. If you keep dwelling on this, it’ll only torment yourself. Let them do as they wish. We’ve been doing just fine without old hens. By the way, how many eggs do you plan to give Wang Zhenguo for the birth of his child?”
After being prompted, Wang Juan remembered the purpose of her visit. “Sister, I plan to give him twenty eggs and a three-foot long red cloth. What about you? Will you be giving a gift?”
Zhang Lan looked somewhat hesitant. “Sister-in-law, to be honest, I don’t want to give a gift. I don’t want any association with them. Besides, Wang Zhenguo didn’t even come to pay respects to our family when he got married. Do you think I’d be foolish to suddenly send him eggs? I’ll wait for Zhenhe to come back before deciding.”
Wang Juan understood the complexities between the families, and then shared her own plan. “By the way, sister, I heard that Huang Youcai helped Wang Zhi find a job in the city. But I’m not sure if it’s true. The mother-in-law said she’ll go over in a couple of days to check.”
The news Wang Juan brought surprised Zhang Lan. “Sister-in-law, really? Huang Youcai, of all people, found Wang Zhi a job? I hope he’s not trying to sell her. Every time I hear of Huang Youcai taking someone to the city, I think of what he did, trying to sell our eldest daughter. I have zero trust in that man.”
Seeing Zhang Lan’s reaction, Wang Juan realized she had been genuinely frightened back then. “Sister, Wang Mei’s own sister – she wouldn’t sell her, would she? She wouldn’t pass our mother-in-law’s scrutiny. She’s too smart for that. She wouldn’t push her own sister into the fire. We shouldn’t worry about her. But I noticed our younger sister doesn’t seem well. She hasn’t even gone to the city, but she’s already like this.”
Wang Juan imitated Wang Zhi’s current expression and demeanor, which made Zhang Lan burst into laughter. “Sister-in-law, it’s like her eyes have reached the sky. Is she not tired?”
“By the way, do you want to raise some chicks this year? I heard we have a quota to meet at the cooperative, and we can’t sell our egg-laying hens. Our livelihood depends on their eggs,” Wang Juan added.
Zhang Lan agreed, “Sister-in-law, I’ll take six more roosters. That should help meet the quota. I can’t bear to sell our egg-laying hens. They bring in money for us.”
“Alright, I’ll ask my mom to keep some chicks for us when I return. By the way, I’ve noticed Wang Zhenguo hanging out with those people again. Can you believe it? He barely escaped with his life last time, and yet he hasn’t learned his lesson. But then again, I heard they found some treasure last time. I’m not sure if it’s true, but that rascal hasn’t let a word slip,” Wang Juan added.
Wang Juan was intrigued by these rumors and was eager to see what Wang Zhenguo had obtained.
However, Zhang Lan chuckled and said, “Sister-in-law, forget about what Wang Zhenguo has obtained. Have you ever seen him give anything to his nephews and nieces? Once something is in his hands, we can forget about ever seeing it. We should be glad if he even remembers what we have. Plus, those are all things from the deceased. I feel uneasy just holding them. It’s best if you don’t go see. Do you remember why they fell ill in the first place? If it weren’t for Zhenhe and my daughter, it would have been touch and go whether he survived.”
In this simple and traditional rural community, items associated with the deceased were generally avoided. Zhang Lan’s words made Wang Juan feel a bit apprehensive.
“Sister, it’s a good thing we didn’t ask to see. Otherwise, who knows, those things might have found their way to us. Let him keep those things. They’re not acquired by good means and probably won’t bring good fortune,” Wang Juan responded.
The birth of Ma Fenqing’s child, especially a boy, was a significant event in the village. However, as the timing didn’t seem to align, with the child appearing premature, speculation arose among the villagers. People looked at the elders in the Wang family with a mix of curiosity and ridicule.
In an attempt to dispel suspicions, Zhu Qiyu claimed that the grandchild was premature. Yet, no matter how eloquently he spun the tale, people weren’t easily fooled. Those who had experience with childbirth could easily tell that the baby lying on the heated brick bed was healthy and substantial, not resembling a premature baby at all.
The rumors began to spread, and even when Ma Fenqing returned to work after her postnatal confinement, people continued to gossip behind her back.
Fortunately, the members of the Wang family had thick skins. If it were someone else, they might have been shunned. Eventually, the matter passed, and no one used it to torment them.
Zhu Qiyu as overjoyed to have a grandson, especially one born to her beloved youngest son. She spent her days cuddling her precious grandchild and praising him to everyone she met.
Her behavior undoubtedly affected the other grandchildren. Even those in the families of her eldest and second sons felt that her behavior was excessive. They had never received such treatment when they were young.
Ma Fenqing’s status in the Wang family soared after giving birth to a son. While she was busy with work and rarely involved in household matters, she devoted time to playing with her child after dinner and left the rest to the elderly lady.
Nonetheless, Zhu Qiyu was content. In her eyes, her daughter-in-law was capable. She often managed to bring home some discounted goods from the cooperative, and she didn’t mind her doing additional work for the family given the benefits.
As for Wang Zhi, she was thrilled to be starting work in the city soon. None of the other girls in the area had such an opportunity. With everyone’s interests momentarily balanced, peace had returned to the old Wang family residence.
In the evening, Wang Zhenhe and his family went into the space to sow the new season’s crops. With Wang Zhenhe’s help, the burden on the mother and daughter was significantly reduced.
As the couple cut the crops in the front, Wang Qian followed behind, gathering and stacking the wheat that had been set aside.
Surveying the heavy wheat ears in his hands, Wang Zhenhe felt a sense of contentment. “Wife, I feel like our daughter’s crops in the space yield more than those in the production team. Look at these wheat ears, they are so full and abundant. In the future, we won’t have any trouble eating steamed buns every day. I used to dream of having a meal of steamed buns whenever I wanted. Now that dream has come true.”
Zhang Lan wiped the sweat from her forehead and said, “That’s right. I used to think like that too. But now we should keep a low profile. If people see us eating well, they might start asking where we’re getting all the good food from. That would be trouble. If we want to enjoy good food, we have to do it discreetly at home.”
Wang Zhenhe, still focused on cutting the wheat, responded, “Absolutely. If we openly enjoy good food, we’re asking for trouble. It’s better to keep a low profile. We’ll eat discreetly.”
Wang Qian chuckled quietly. Even her father now knew to be discreet and cautious. “Dad, we need to go to the city this Sunday. We should take all the grain to sell and get the soybean oil processed in the city. If it’s kept around here for too long, it will cause trouble eventually.”
Understanding his daughter’s concern, Wang Zhenhe replied, “I agree. Once we’ve sold everything, we can buy a wall clock for the house. We need something to keep track of time, especially now that they are both entering high school. It will help us manage our time better.”
On Sunday, Wang Zhenhe took Wang Qian to the city. While waiting for the bus, they unexpectedly saw Wang Mei and Wang Zhi.
Wang Zhi, dressed in new clothes, stood beside Wang Mei. Wang Qian found the situation awkward. She couldn’t understand why Wang Zhi was so proud. Wang Mei’s attitude was aloof, and she seemed tired, as if her eyes only saw emptiness.
When Wang Zhenhe approached, Wang Mei gave a disdainful snort and remained silent. Following her sister’s lead, Wang Zhi no longer called him “big brother,” simply nodding in acknowledgment.
Wang Qian and her father didn’t feel the need to address the discomfort. Since the sisters didn’t acknowledge them, there was no point in trying to engage with them.
Fortunately, more people arrived to catch the bus, many of whom were going to the city to visit relatives. Wang Zhenhe recognized some of them, and as they gathered, the atmosphere became less awkward.
As Wang Qian and her father boarded the bus, they glanced back to find the sisters glaring at them with malicious intent. As soon as they realized they had been seen, the sisters quickly averted their gaze.
“Dad, did you see the way they looked at us? They act as if they have a right to harm others. Their eyes could burn holes through us,” Wang Qian remarked.