Chapter 27: Second Granduncle

At noon, Song Jinxiu and her group finally entered the village.

Song Fuquan was driving the ox cart and headed straight to the Lizheng’s house.

The few villagers they passed along the way were in a hurry, barely stopping.

“Oh, Chunsheng’s back? Your leg’s all healed now, huh?”

Song Chunsheng replied, “Yes, it’s healed. But I still can’t work in the fields. The physician said I need to rest for another month.”

“Well, of course,” someone said. “They say it takes a hundred days to recover from muscle and bone injuries. Even after a month, don’t do anything heavy. Wait till you’re fully healed.”

Another person chimed in, “So, where are you staying now that you’re back? If you’ve got nowhere to go, I can take one person in. Any more than that, though, and I can’t manage.”

“No need, Uncle. I’m staying at Grandpa Lizheng’s house.”

“All right then. Good. You all go on home. I’m helping build your house, so I’ve got to hurry back.”

“Thank you for your hard work, Uncle.”

“What hard work? We’re getting fifteen wen a day—it’s not like we’re doing it for free, hahahaha.”

It turned out all these people were helping with the construction.

Grandfather Lizheng explained, “There are a lot of folks working, and I don’t have the energy to worry about meals, so I’m paying a bit more. Twenty wen for skilled workers, fifteen for laborers. I’ve been keeping track of everything in the ledger. We’ll go over it together later, you and me.”

Song Chunsheng quickly said, “Grandpa, whatever you decide is fine. There’s no need to go over the accounts.”

He and his sister had already discussed it—this one thousand taels would be handed over to Grandfather Lizheng to manage. The house was being built according to the blueprint Song Jinxiu had drawn, and the land would be purchased as Grandfather Lizheng saw fit. Whether he bought more or less was up to him.

After all, if the old Song family found out they were building a house and buying land, they would definitely come and make trouble.

Even if they had been adopted out, they couldn’t very well go beat up their biological father. That’s why they would have to rely on Grandfather Lizheng to stand up for them in the future.

In truth, they were well aware that, given Grandfather Lizheng’s character, he would never treat them unfairly.

Grandfather Lizheng laughed and said, “Even if you don’t want to go over the accounts, I’m still keeping the records for you.”

“I was hesitant about buying too much land at first—worried your Father and the rest might come trying to take advantage. I felt indignant on your behalf. Actually, I had it all planned out. If they really came to stir up trouble, I’d just spend a bit of money to sever their so-called debt of raising you once and for all. But now, things are different. The adoption papers are properly done, and everything’s aboveboard. From now on, you have no ties whatsoever to your Father and his family. Even if you were sitting on a mountain of gold, it wouldn’t have anything to do with them. Everything belongs to our third uncle’s branch now, hahahaha…”

Song Fuquan covered his face. Grandpa, you’re so embarrassing. That’s still Brother Chunsheng’s biological Father, you know. Is it really okay to gloat like that?

Grandfather Lizheng laughed heartily, then turned to the Song sisters. “And you two—after you’re married, the fried sesame pastries you bring home during New Year’s will all be mine! Ah, just thinking about it makes my heart feel sweet!”

Song Jinxiu smiled. “If you want sesame pastries, I can buy some for you right now.”

Grandfather Lizheng shook his head. “It’s not the same. Eating them now just doesn’t have that taste.”

In this region, it was customary for a married daughter to bring home a fried pastry during her first return to her natal family.

It was made with eggs, white sugar, and wheat flour, left to ferment, then kneaded into dough and rolled into thick rounds. These were cut into large rectangular pieces and deep-fried in oil.

The fried sesame pastries came out golden, crispy, sweet, and fragrant.

Some daughters, feeling sorry for their parents’ hard lives, would bring sesame pastries every time they returned to their maiden home. The ones who brought a lot were always praised as filial daughters.

“You’re back?”

Grandma Lizheng heard the ox cart pull into the yard and hurried out from the house.

“Oh my, Chunsheng’s back too? You’ve made a full recovery?”

Grandma Lizheng was in high spirits today as well. With Chunsheng now officially adopted into the third uncle’s household, she could finally hold her head high in front of the old patriarch.

She only had two sons of her own. When it was first proposed that Chunsheng be adopted into Third Uncle’s household, she hadn’t objected aloud, but she had felt deeply upset inside. Naturally, her expression hadn’t been pleasant.

She didn’t know if Third Uncle had sensed her unwillingness, but not long after, he abruptly announced that he would remain unmarried and childless for life.

Because of that, her father-in-law had been cold toward her ever since.

But today, when she went to bring him his meal, the old man had been in an unusually good mood and even praised her cooking.

She’d also heard from her husband that Chunsheng and his siblings had come into a large fortune—enough, he said, to purchase over a hundred mu of land.

At first, she had been green with envy. But after her husband broke it down for her, saying that now Chunsheng and the others were adopted into Third Uncle’s line, their good fortune would still bring benefits to their original household, her jealousy began to ease.

Not to mention anything else—during the New Year and other holidays, would that child ever come empty-handed?

Their family already owned more than fifty mu of land. Aside from Song Dashí’s household, no one else could compare.

Otherwise, how was it that only their two families could afford to send grandsons to study?

And now, the grandson that Song Dashí had cast aside had brought a fortune with him and was adopted into their household instead. Hmph! If Song Dashí’s wife—that sharp-tongued shrew—found out, who knows if she might drop dead from rage. Just thinking about it made the Lizheng’s wife feel delighted.

Grandma Lizheng beamed with joy. Before Chunsheng could answer, her eyes suddenly widened.

“Oh my goodness! Is that Jinxiu and Jinfang? And—Qiusheng? Heavens, how have you all changed so much? I almost didn’t recognize you!”

Song Jinfang asked in surprise, “Grandma Lizheng, how did you know my sister’s name is Jinxiu and mine is Jinfang?”

“Oh, I heard it from your Brother Fuquan. He said you all have proper names now, and that you especially insisted on being called by them from now on—no more using Sanya and Wuya. So of course I remembered.”

“Mhm.”

Song Jinfang immediately grinned. “Grandma Lizheng, you really have a good memory. Grandpa Lizheng keeps forgetting that my name is Jinfang.”

Grandfather Lizheng chuckled. “I won’t forget anymore. Little Jinfang, and don’t call me Grandpa Lizheng anymore either. Now that we’re family, just call me Second Grand uncle.”

“Yes, Second Grand uncle!”

“Hahaha, good! Old woman, have you cooked yet? The children must be hungry. Where did the eldest and second families go?”

“They went to deliver lunch to the eldest and second sons. Chunsheng’s house can’t be left unattended, so they didn’t come back for the noon meal.”

As she spoke, she added, “I’ll start cooking now. I didn’t know Chunsheng and the others were coming back today, so I didn’t prepare that much.”

Jinxiu quickly said, “Second Grand Auntie, I bought rice and flour, and also brought back some steamed buns and vegetable pancakes. Let’s eat the buns and make some noodle soup.”

As she spoke, she picked up a sack of rice and headed straight for the kitchen.

Grand Auntie Lizheng quickly stopped her. “Oh no, keep that rice and flour. Save it for when you move into your new home.”

“This is for our family to eat now. What we’ll eat later is a different matter. Second Grand Auntie, we have money now,” Song Jinxiu said with a playful wink.

Second Grand Auntie Lizheng chuckled and gave her a light slap. “Who goes around talking like that about their own family?”

Second Grand Uncle Lizheng was inwardly delighted by her saying our family, but he still tried to keep a stern face as he scolded, “Even so, that won’t do. You’re all still young. If you’re not careful, even if you were sitting on a mountain of gold, you could squander it all away.”

Song Jinxiu quickly nodded. “Got it. I’ll be thrifty and manage the household wisely. I won’t spend recklessly.”

After the family finished their lively meal together, the four siblings could hardly sit still.

Their new home—their home! In the county, they’d had no chance to see it, but now that they were back, how could they possibly resist going to take a look?

Song Jinxiu said, “Big Brother, wait a moment. I’ll make you a pair of crutches and pull you on a flat cart—we’re going to see the house.”

Song Chunsheng nodded. “All right.”

Fuquan added, “I’ll come with you.”

Making crutches was simple—just find two sturdy branches with forks.

Fuquan wrapped some old, unwanted clothing around the forked parts. Song Chunsheng tucked them under his arms, took a few careful steps, and nodded. “They work.”

Song Fuquan then fetched a flat cart and said with a grin, “The crutches are fine for short distances, but for a longer walk, better to ride the cart.”