Chapter 7

The usually honest and simple-minded Xiang Dagen was left dumbfounded by his mother’s two questions. He muttered, “I brought silver back with me when I came home.”

“Silver? But where is it now? You’re such a big, burly man who’s even been in the army. Who would dare to steal your silver?!”

Xiang Er and the others, who were eating in the house, heard that the eldest son had returned and ran out to see. 

They were shocked to find that after so long, Xiang Dagen hadn’t brought any silver back and had the audacity to lie and say it was stolen. Xiang Er looked as though someone had stepped on his tail, his face dark as he said, “Dagen, I didn’t expect you to be this kind of person. 

Our parents have raised you for so many years, and it wasn’t easy. You don’t think about them, but at least consider your wife and children. Look at what they’re eating—barely visible white porridge! Dagen, I really misjudged you.”

Xiang Dagen’s second wife and third wife were also pointing fingers and criticizing him from the side.

Even Xiang Dalang chimed in lazily, “Uncle, could it be that you spent your silver keeping a mistress outside? I really feel sorry for Aunt.”

“You—” Xiang Dagen was speechless, feeling as though he was swallowing bitter gall. He had no idea when he lost the silver, and now, unable to provide any, his family was treating him this way.

“I didn’t do anything wrong by the family. I just accidentally lost the silver.”

Mrs. Xiong said, “Her father, it’s gone, it’s gone. Anyway, you’ve really paid the silver, and we mother and child still have to drink our porridge.”

Pear Blossom also chimed in, “Father, you don’t know, they eat pork in the small kitchen while we, in the main house, haven’t had a single piece of meat. Your money hasn’t been spent on us even a single copper. 

Last month, when mother fell ill with a fever and asked for a few copper coins to buy medicine, she was scolded by grandmother and didn’t get any. We had to use cloth soaked in water to bring down her fever.”

When Mrs. Xiang heard this, she became enraged. “Every day, all you do is spread rumors. When have I ever treated your mother harshly? There was no silver at home to begin with; where would I get copper for medicine? Your father has been suffering from foot pain for so long and hasn’t treated it; he’s been saving for the kids’ education.”

“Do you dare say you didn’t eat meat behind our backs?” Pear Blossom, rarely assertive, became aggressive.

“Where would the meat come from? We’ve been drinking porridge for months, skimming off the oil with chopsticks. You just speak nonsense all day.”

Pear Blossom, upon hearing this, walked over and grabbed her father’s arm, pulling him towards the kitchen, saying, “Father, let me show you whether Azu and grandmother or the second and third households are secretly eating meat.”

Xiang Laotou hurriedly made eye contact with his second son and eldest grandson, signaling them to stop her, but Pear Blossom, having gained strength recently, along with Xiang Dagen, who had been a soldier, was much stronger than Xiang Er and Xiang Dalang. She pushed them aside easily.

Xiang Dagen felt disheartened by his parents’ attitude, and seeing his children, like bean sprouts, compared to the second and third households, it was like night and day. 

Now his eldest daughter was so stubborn, and his wife didn’t stop her, which made him feel something was wrong. So, he decided to go along.

The two of them marched towards the small kitchen, and as they reached the door, the smell of meat greeted them. The third daughter-in-law quickly ran ahead to hide the half-plate of pig ears and leftover fried eggs on the table, but she was too late.

Xiang Dagen looked at the mess on the table and saw Xiang Qilang, with his round belly, happily eating a piece of pig ear. Thinking back to the clear porridge and wild vegetables his wife and second daughter had eaten earlier, this burly man suddenly felt unable to hold his composure.

Finally, Mrs. Xiang squeezed into the kitchen, glaring at Pear Blossom with hatred, wishing to tear her apart. 

She turned to Xiang Dagen, trying to please him, “These pig ears were meant to be taken out for your wife and children to eat, but who knew you’d come back and make such a fuss? We didn’t manage to get it out in time.”

Xiang Dagen understood the situation instantly; without saying a word, he grabbed Pear Blossom and pulled her out of the small kitchen. When they returned, they met his wife by the door, and her resentful gaze made him feel ashamed.

Pear Blossom said, “Father, yesterday grandmother tricked me into thinking she was taking me to the city to buy candy, but then she sold me to two men. I ran fast and managed to come back.”

Xiang Dagen was stunned and turned to his anxious mother, grinding his teeth as he asked, “Mother, did you sell Pear Blossom to the city yesterday?”

“Don’t talk nonsense; that didn’t happen. She went to the city herself because she’s greedy for food. Maybe someone took a fancy to her and caught her, then blamed it on me.”

Xiong sneered, “We’ll know if she was sold in a few days. I heard this morning that two people came to the city saying that an old woman and a woman took their granddaughter to sell, giving ten taels of silver. But now the person is missing, and they suspect she ran back home. 

They wanted to come into the village to check, but they were driven away. They’ll probably be back soon, so just wait for the silver to be returned.”

Even though his wife said this, Xiang Dagen couldn’t help but suspect it, despite not wanting to believe it.

Lao Xiang sternly said, “Dagen, don’t listen to the gossip from the women. It’s all nonsense. How could a father sell his own granddaughter?”

Xiang Dagen, feeling dazed, waved his hand and said, “Forget it, father, don’t say anything; I just want some peace and quiet.”

Mrs. Xiang still thinking about the three taels of silver, asked, “Dagen, which road did you take into the village, the west road or the north one?”

The west road was the main road, while the north road was smaller but closer.

Xiang Dagen understood what his mother meant and felt powerless. He said, “I came in from the north road. It’s getting dark, and we probably won’t find it now.”

“By morning, it will already have been picked up by someone. The second son, call the eldest son and the big girl, light some torches, and go look for it.”

Xiang Dalang, although tempted by the silver, didn’t want to be bothered with mosquitoes in the dark. He looked at Xiang Dagen and thought that he probably didn’t want to hand over the silver, and lazily said, “Uncle, maybe the silver was never lost, or maybe you didn’t bring it back at all and are making us search for it in vain.”

Xiang Dagen couldn’t be bothered to explain. He dragged his wife and children back to the west room.

Lao Xiang glared at his wife and said, “Look at what you’ve done, making everything a mess.”

Mrs. Xiang, unwilling to admit fault, said, “How was I supposed to know he’d come back suddenly? And look at him; it’s clear he doesn’t want to hand over the silver.”

“I think you’re just obsessed with money.”

“Don’t act like you don’t love money. Yesterday, those ten taels of silver were tightly clutched in your hands.”

Lao Xiang glared at her and said, “Why didn’t you pay attention while cooking? You let those little brats see the pork. Now Dagen’s estrangement from us is growing deeper.”

Mrs. Xiang muttered unhappily, “How were they supposed to know? Those little brats must have a nose like a dog, they can smell the meat from so far away, even knowing about the fried eggs.”

“Let’s just go eat.”

When Xiang Dagen returned, the second and third households had only eaten halfway. Lao Xiang hadn’t even put his wine cup down and silently sat back at the table.

The third daughter-in-law, feeling uneasy, said, “His older brother is back. It’s so late, he must not have eaten. Should I bring some food over to him?”

Mrs. Xiang, unsure, glanced at Lao Xiang. Seeing that he ignored her, she muttered, “Didn’t you hear how loudly he slammed the door when he went into the west room? He probably doesn’t care for the food at home.”

When the third daughter-in-law listened to her mother-in-law’s words and didn’t dare to say anything more. She silently added half a bowl of rice for her son, while the others picked up their bowls and continued eating.

In the room on the west side, Xiang Dagen sat silently at the bedside.

The younger ones noticed that their father was clearly unhappy, and none of them dared to disturb him. Pear Blossom  quickly took her younger siblings to another room, leaving space for their parents.

After not seeing each other for nearly a year, and this was the situation when they met, Mrs. Xiong also felt a strange discomfort in her heart. 

Thinking that her husband had traveled all afternoon and probably hadn’t eaten, she said, “You’re hungry, right? I’ll go to the kitchen and see if there’s any food left, and I’ll bring you some to fill your stomach.”

Xiang Dagen stopped her and said, “No need to go. If they still consider me their son, they should bring it to me themselves.”

Xiong sighed and said, “Now that you’ve lost the silver and your parents are unhappy, there’s probably no one to bring you food.”

Xiang Dagen heard this and lay back on the bed, feeling uncomfortable. He had expected that after not seeing his family for nearly a year, they would be happy to see him, but instead, because of the loss of a few taels of silver, his mother had said such hurtful things. This was something he couldn’t accept.

“Do you think my parents really see me as their son, or do they only want me to bring back silver? Otherwise, am I just dispensable to them?”

Xiong forced a bitter smile and said, “It’s not just about the silver. The family also relies on you to serve in the military. If you don’t go to the Enjun, your second uncle will have to go instead.”

Xiang Dagen said, “Since they want me to serve in the military and bring back silver, shouldn’t they treat me better? I’ve served in the military for almost twenty years, I’ve done enough for this family.”

“But you didn’t dare to say you wouldn’t go, did you? No matter how they treat you, you still have to continue serving in the military.”

Xiang Dagen didn’t know how to respond, sighed, and said, “Today, holding Xinghua and Erniu, they were light as a feather. Then I look at my second and third younger brothers’ sons, and each one is raised fat and healthy.”

Mrs. Xiong felt the same discomfort in her heart upon hearing this. She wiped her tears and said, “It’s all my fault for not being capable. The children followed me, and we couldn’t even have enough food. Every day it was just thin porridge and wild vegetables…”

Xiang Dagen quickly sat up and hugged his wife, saying, “How could this be your fault? You see, now that I’ve returned, no one at home even asked me to eat. They’re treating me like this, let alone you and the children.”

He then looked at his wife and said, “Look at you, you’ve lost even more weight compared to the last time I saw you. Pear Blossom just mentioned that you were ill not long ago. Are you completely better now?”

“I’m fine now. The children are very filial. When I had a fever, they all stayed with me, not daring to close their eyes at night. They took turns dipping clothes in water to bring my fever down. 

Pear Blossom borrowed some copper coins from Widow Dong in the village and bought some medicine for me. After taking it for two days, I’m completely better now.”