Chapter 3: Arranging the Meeting

Meiniang hadn’t slept well all night. In her twenty-five years of life, she had never once imagined she would one day remarry.

She first met her Husband when she was fifteen. Her heart was filled with joy—who would have thought such a handsome young man existed in this world? He was a scholar. To marry a man like that, she had been willing to endure any hardship.

Life in her Husband’s family had been hard, but she didn’t care. No matter how exhausted she became from all the labor, just one gentle “you’ve worked hard” from him made it all worthwhile.

At seventeen, she gave birth to a son. She could tell her Husband was fond of the child. Who wouldn’t love a chubby, fair-skinned boy like that?

Had it not been for that Prefecture City’s Imperial Examination and the accident that followed, everything might have turned out well. She wouldn’t have become a young widow, her in-laws wouldn’t have died, and her son wouldn’t have turned so quiet and withdrawn.

It had been nearly six years, and yet she had finally made the decision to remarry.

It wasn’t because she lacked the will to endure. It was because she simply couldn’t go on any longer. The mountain of Debt pressing down on them was suffocating. If she could repay it little by little, she wouldn’t have been afraid. But the creditors had already lost their patience.

Her son was her life. If she remarried and the man mistreated Dashun, she would take her child and leave, even if it meant dying to do so. As long as they could endure another seven or eight years, everything would get better once her son grew up.

For now, she had to take it one day at a time—get through these hard days first and worry about the rest later.

She could only hope the man in question was a good one.

Early the next morning, Meiniang got up from the heated brick bed. The region they lived in was to the north, and mornings in the third month of the lunar calendar were still bitterly cold.

Her maternal family lived twelve li away from Changjia Village. There wasn’t much transportation available, so most people traveled on foot. A round trip would take two to three hours.

If she could meet the man tomorrow, she could return early the day after. The chickens in the backyard still needed someone to feed them.

She had been married into the Chang family for only three years before her Husband disappeared. There had once been a few young wives in the village who treated her decently, but soon their in-laws forbade them from associating with her, fearing they might catch her misfortune.

Granny Li from next door had once been kind to her, but her son, Li Daniu, had started to develop thoughts about her. That changed everything—Granny Li was no longer pleased. Her son was still a young man; how could he take in a widow with a child?

No matter how good she was, it wasn’t acceptable. Besides, she had barely been married a few years before her Husband and in-laws all passed away one after the other. Rumors swirled in the village, branding her a jinx—those whispers had never stopped.

Of course, some villagers even said it was her son who was the jinx. Such a young child, yet without any childlike behavior—he spoke and acted like a grown man. People found it strange, unsettling even.

They could talk about her all they wanted, but not her son. Whenever she heard anyone speak ill of him, she would storm to their door, ready to fight if she had to.

Over the past six months, Granny Li had grown distant from their family too.

Meiniang wasn’t someone who lacked social awareness. Since others no longer wished to speak with her, there was no need to force herself on them. Before leaving, she scattered some feed in the chicken coop. If everything went smoothly, she would be back by midday tomorrow. Chickens wouldn’t starve to death just from missing a couple of meals.

Hearing sounds from the kitchen, Chang Shun lifted his head. The light had already begun to seep through the window—it was time to get up.

He hadn’t been to his maternal family’s house many times. It wasn’t on the main road leading to town, so there was little traffic, and his family didn’t own a cart. They could only travel by foot.

Walking over ten li was no easy feat. When he was younger, his Mother had to carry him, but even then, she couldn’t go far—long roads were hard, even with a light load.

Besides, in those early years, Grandmother had still been ill and bedridden. The household couldn’t manage without someone at home.

Now he was older, but a seven-year-old boy’s legs were only so long—he simply couldn’t walk very fast.

There were quite a few people at his maternal grandmother’s house. In addition to his Maternal Grandfather and Maternal Grandmother, his Eldest Uncle had three children, and his Youngest Uncle had two. That made a total of eleven people.

There weren’t many rooms. If he and his Mother went, his Maternal Grandfather would have to share a bed with the cousins—far too much trouble.

His Eldest Aunt was a straightforward and energetic woman who treated him and his Mother well. His Youngest Aunt was also kind, but she now lived in town with her children, helping his Youngest Uncle run a small general store. The business was modest but still better than farming. They barely saw each other once a year, so he didn’t have a strong impression of her.

Chang Shun put on a lightly worn jacket—about half new—which was the best piece of clothing he had for this season.

A quarter of an hour later, the mother and son locked the Courtyard gate. Their house was near the village entrance, so it didn’t take long before they were out of the village.

Meiniang carried a small bamboo basket on her back, which held a piece of cured meat weighing just over two jin. A woman returning to her maternal home should never go empty-handed, and this was the best she could offer.

She wore a half-new, lotus-colored jacket and skirt. The hem of the skirt reached her ankles, outlining her graceful figure. Yet her delicate features were dulled by her slightly sallow skin, taking away much of her natural beauty.

She hadn’t made any new clothes in years. The one she wore now was made from cloth her Husband had bought her long ago; she had sewn it herself.

Thinking of her Husband who had passed away early, and then of the difficult situation she and her son were now in, Meiniang couldn’t help but feel her eyes redden again.

She glanced at her son ahead of her, his little legs trotting nonstop, and silently vowed that no matter how hard the road ahead, she would raise him well.

That way, even in the afterlife, her Husband and in-laws would not blame her for remarrying—instead, they would be grateful.

By midmorning, the mother and son arrived at Hejia Village. Her family lived at the foot of the western hills and did not reside deep within the village, which suited her just fine.

Since becoming a widow, she wished she could wrap herself up entirely. If possible, she would rather live in a place devoid of people than hear others whisper behind her back that she and her son were bringers of misfortune.

At the foot of the western hills lived three families—her maternal family, her Eldest Uncle’s family, and her Third Uncle’s family.

Back then, Grandfather had chosen this location because it was spacious and offered plenty of land to cultivate. With that, his three sons didn’t have to separate. Each family’s house was just a few dozen paces apart—a loud shout would be enough to reach the others.

Over the years, her Eldest Aunt, Third Aunt, and her own Mother had all advised her to take a step forward and move on.

At first, she had observed mourning for her Husband, and then again for her in-laws. In the countryside, a widow could remarry after a year of mourning. She wasn’t plain-looking, so it would have been easy to remarry—but most suitors would only take her as a second wife.

Moreover, few men were willing to raise another man’s son. If it were a daughter, raising her for a few years might at least bring in a bride price. But a son? Not only would you have to raise him, you’d eventually have to marry him off too. Even if he moved out, the family would still have to provide something. It was simply not a profitable arrangement.

He Hushi walked over from the riverside and immediately spotted her younger sister-in-law and the boy. “Meiniang, Chang Shun, you’re here. Walking all that way so early—must’ve worn you out.”

Chang Shun obediently greeted her, “Eldest Aunt,” and then quietly stood behind his Mother.

Meiniang pulled her Sister-in-law aside and spoke softly about her son’s wish to meet the man. Once everyone else arrived, it would be harder to say these things openly.

He Hushi glanced at the child standing nearby and felt a pang of sorrow. Such a smart and well-behaved boy—it was such a shame that his scholar Father had passed so early. Otherwise, by now, he’d already be studying.

“All right. I’ll speak with Mother in a bit and have Daqiangzi run over to Wan Changsheng’s place. If he agrees, we’ll arrange to meet by the riverbank. I’ll go with you and we’ll pretend we’re just going to wash a couple of clothes.”

Daqiangzi was her eldest son, already fourteen this year—just the right age to pass on a message. If she or her husband went, it would draw too much attention, and who knew whether the matter would even work out.

As they entered the Courtyard, her Mother was picking wild vegetables, with her nine-year-old niece, Taohua, helping nearby.

Chang Shun greeted them properly, “Maternal Grandmother, Cousin.”

“Good boy, Dashun. Come sit and rest your feet. I’ll boil you a poached egg in a bit.” Her Mother then turned to her youngest daughter. “You must’ve set out at first light. Have you really thought this through?”

Meiniang glanced around. “Where’s Father and Eldest Brother? Not home?”

Hu Shi replied, “Father and my husband went to the fields. It’s time to plant sweet potatoes, and the paddies need plowing in the next couple of days too.”

Meiniang nodded. It was just the beginning of March—indeed, the busiest time for those in the countryside.

Hu Shi pulled her Mother-in-law aside to speak privately. Granny He gave a glance at her little grandson and felt a wave of pity. Such a young child, forced to grow up so quickly. Her daughter’s nature was a bit soft, so the boy had no choice but to act like a little adult.

“Let Daqiangzi go. It’s good to have them meet. If the Wan family’s boy agrees, and Dashun is willing, let’s move quickly with it. A second marriage doesn’t need to be grand—just bring the man home and live a good life.”