Chapter 2

“Pa!” The sound of a slap echoed.

As soon as Su Xi reached the kitchen door at her Eldest uncle’s house, she stopped dead in her tracks because of the scene inside.

Eldest Uncle’s wife slapped her Grandma’s hand, her slightly waxen and thin face filled with disdain. She scolded, “You just tasted one of those fried doughs a moment ago. How can you still take them? This stuff is precious. Do you still dare to eat it? These are for children. How can you compete with children when you’re this old?”

The old lady withdrew her hand in embarrassment. Her face turned red in shame and embarrassment. Her mouth opened and closed several times. She didn’t know what to say. After a long time, she finally said, “I… I want to get one for Xixi and Nannan. They like fried dough too. The last time they had some was two years ago.”

Eldest Uncle’s wife rolled her eyes at the explanation, not considering this stepmother, who had no blood relation to her husband, as significant. She sneered, “Fine, you can take one for that Xixi girl, after all, she’s from our old Su family’s bloodline. But why should we include that wild child, Xinnan? What right does he have to eat such a precious thing?”

The old lady, Chen Xiangyun, was not good with words. She had a gentle temperament throughout her life and never knew how to argue. Hearing this, her face turned even redder. She hesitated before awkwardly saying, “Xinnan. Xinnan is a good child. Besides, this flour was brought by me.”

Eldest Uncle’s wife, Wang Guizhi, frowned. Just as she was about to say something more, a noise at the door caught her attention. 

When she turned around, she found Su Xi, that brat, standing at the entrance with a cold expression, her dark, deep eyes fixed on her.

Being seen by her niece scolding her grandmother was a bit embarrassing. However, considering she was an elder, Wang Guizhi straightened her back, put on a smile, endured the pain, and casually said, “XiXi, you’re here? Come in quickly. Your cousin is bringing the kids back tonight. My grandson is now a city dweller, so they rarely visit. I made some fried dough. Come and taste one.”

Su Xi, with a large piece of wood she had just pried off the door frame on her back, put on a perfunctory smile and said, “Aunt, can you pack a few for me? I’m cooking porridge at home. I can’t stay for too long; I won’t eat here.”

A few more??? Who do you think you are?

Wang Guizhi’s heart twitched painfully. In the 1960s, many families could barely get by, and some even starved. Even though their family conditions were excellent in the village, they rarely had a decent meal throughout the year, let alone fried dough.

If it weren’t for her excellent cooking skills, she worried that if she didn’t make them herself, this brat would take advantage of her.

“After all, as Aunt said, I am from the old Su family’s bloodline, and this flour is from our family. Logically, our family should get half of it. Otherwise, I’ll talk to Uncle later.”

Su Xi hadn’t finished speaking when Wang Guizhi’s face changed dramatically. Her old man cherished this brat like his own daughter. Especially after his husband’s second brother passed away, he has become even more protective of this brat. If she told him what happened, wouldn’t he give all these good things to that brat?

With these thoughts in mind, Wang Guizhi’s wrinkled face immediately bloomed with a chrysanthemum-like smile. She apologized, “Here! Here! Eldest Aunt didn’t say she wouldn’t give it to you, Eldest Aunt cares a lot about our Xixi.”

After saying this, she skillfully took out a ceramic bowl, gritted her teeth, picked two, and placed them in the bowl. Then, having glanced at Su Xi’s expressionless face, she reluctantly picked another one and added it to the bowl, handing it over to Su Xi.

This time, Su Xi didn’t make things difficult for Wang Guizhi. She readily took the ceramic bowl and forced a fake smile: “Thank you, Eldest Aunt. I knew my Eldest Aunt cared about me the most. We’ll go back and make dinner.”

Chen Xiangyun looked at his granddaughter lovingly and smiled, “Hey!” With a sound, he followed Su Xi’s footsteps and went out.

From a distance, Wang Guizhi still heard Su Xi’s soft voice: “Grandma, teach me how to make pancakes later.”

“You’re still young; you don’t need to bother with these things. Is the bowl too hot? Give it to Grandma. Just focus on your studies. When you come back as a college student, that’s enough.”

“Not hot. I’ve grown up, and I also want to learn to cook to show filial piety to Grandma.”

“Oh, grandma’s obedient granddaughter…”

Wang Guizhi peeked her head out from the kitchen door, feeling sour as she listened to the conversation between the grandmother and granddaughter. 

After confirming that the two had left their courtyard, she spat disdainfully. With Xixi’s grades, going to college? Dream on.

Then, she turned around and found a large chunk missing from the doorframe.

She was furious!

“Ah! Which jerk broke my door?”

Su Xi’s house was just a wall away from Wang Guizhi’s. After a few steps, she returned home.

The old lady placed the oil lamp in the kitchen cabinet, lifted the pot lid, looked at the almost-cooked porridge, stirred it with a wooden spoon, and then looked at Su Xi. She felt a mix of tenderness and pride and said, “Our Xixi is really amazing. She can cook by herself. But you’re still young. Don’t be too stubborn next time. Be careful not to burn yourself. Wait for Grandma to come back to cook. Xixi, like your brother, is going to college. How can she do such rough work?”

Listening to the old lady’s nagging, Su Xi just smiled, neither agreeing nor disagreeing with her words. At the age of 15, whether in the future of the 21st century or in the present of the 1960s, it was not considered young.

Especially now, girls who married early were around fifteen or sixteen.

“Grandma, I’ll go pick two cucumbers and sprinkle some salt on them.” Su Xi, seeing the old lady starting to knead the dough, realized she couldn’t help much and suggested.

Chen Xiangyun thought there might not be many side dishes for dinner and nodded. “Go ahead, just pick them up in the yard. Don’t go to the reserved land. Be careful, and don’t scratch yourself on the bamboo poles.”

Su Xi agreed and wasn’t planning to go to the reserved land anyway, as it was still some distance from their home.

When it came to the Su family, not only were they prosperous in the Hongqi Brigade, but they were also one of the few well-off families in the entire Nanhe Commune.

Uncle Su Chengzhong, the head of the Su family, served as the secretary of the Hongqi Production Brigade. Su Xi’s father, Su Chengxiao, and her mother, Zhou Lan, were also military personnel.

With such backgrounds, in a tumultuous time, they were not only popular and dedicated but also wealthy.

As for the Su family’s ancestors, not going too far back, Su Xi’s grandfather was a well-respected old traditional Chinese medicine practitioner in the nearby area, known for his exceptional acupuncture skills.

Grandfather Su Yaozu was born into a relatively affluent family. In his childhood, he followed an old scholar for a few years, displaying some natural talent for studying.

Just by looking at the name Su Yaozu, one could sense the high expectations the grandfather had for his descendants. The old man hoped his son would pass the imperial examination and become an official. 

However, fate is unpredictable. In 1905, when Grandfather was 19 and preparing to take the examination, the thousand-year-old imperial examination system was suddenly abolished.

At the time, the Su family had some wealth, but they were still a modest household compared to the landlord families with hundreds of acres of fertile land. They simply couldn’t afford to send Grandfather overseas for further studies. Disheartened, Grandfather, who was the only child, couldn’t comprehend the turbulent situation at the time. Reluctant to send his son to an unknown place, and considering that his son was of marriageable age, he decided to shift his focus and have his son learn pharmacology under his guidance.

In this way, Su Yaozu, who was young and ignorant, married and had children according to his father’s arrangement and inherited his father’s medical skills. Although he was not as talented as his father, he could still manage to cure basic illnesses, gaining some local recognition.

A family that accumulates goodness is sure to have blessings.

The Su family had been physicians for two generations, saving numerous lives. A few years ago, during the land reform when the landlords were targeted, the Su family, a minor affluent household, was protected by the villagers and well-intentioned individuals and was classified among the poor peasants.

Grandfather Su Yaozu had two wives in his lifetime. His first wife bore him a son and a daughter. Unfortunately, she passed away due to excessive bleeding during the birth of their second child, this time a daughter, when their son was eleven.

At that time, Su Yaozu was in his thirties, a young man with good looks and excellent skills. Despite having two children, there was no shortage of young women willing to marry him.

But the old man was worried that he would marry a bad woman, which might endanger the well-being of his late wife’s children. To avoid complications, he decided to postpone the matter and said he would consider it when the children grew older.

After six or seven years, when his eldest son reached the age of 18, Su Yaozu finally married Chen Xiangyun, a 22-year-old woman considered ‘old’ due to the impoverished conditions of her family. She was also Su Xi’s paternal grandmother.

Although the age difference between Chen Xiangyun and Su Yaozu is more than ten years, They are typical of the classic case of an older husband and a younger wife; their relationship remained harmonious. Though only four years older than her stepson, Chen Xiangyun had a good temperament, and she got along well with everyone.

Chen Xiangyun had only one son in her lifetime, who happened to be Su Xi’s father, Su Chengxiao.

When Su Chengxiao was born, his half-brother, Su Chengzhong, from the same father but a different mother, was already married. In those times, having many siblings was a sign of strength, but their father was an unusual only child of his generation. He himself had only two children, a son, and a daughter, hoping that the two siblings would be friendly and supportive of each other.

Su Xi’s grandfather is a wise man. He understood that living together as a large family for an extended period could lead to conflicts. So, shortly after the eldest son’s marriage, he decided to split the family. He used all his savings to build two prominent brick houses, separated by a single wall—the large houses that Su Xi now sees.

…….

After picking cucumbers, Su Xi rinsed them with cool well water. She carried them into the kitchen and placed them in a clean basket. Just as she reached for the cutting board and a knife hanging on the wall, her grandma stopped her.

“Leave it be; don’t touch the knife, my good granddaughter. A few days ago, when you fainted, I specially consulted Mang Er from the end of the village. He said your luck isn’t good this year, and there might be a bloody disaster. Be careful; if you were to lie in bed for three or five days, Grandma can’t bear it.”

As she spoke, the old lady remembered her son’s deceased wife from a few months ago, and her eyes couldn’t help but turn red.

The old man had passed away, and her son and daughter-in-law had also left. If not for the three grandchildren left, she might not have been able to bear it.
carry it.

Su Xi had listened to the old lady’s superstitious words and was about to remind her grandma about feudal superstition. Su Xi hesitated when she saw her grandma wipe her eyes.

For some reason, she felt choked. She took a deep breath. She awkwardly changed the subject: “I won’t touch it. I’ve washed them and placed them there. It’ll help with the fire when you’re making pancakes.”

“Ah! Our Xixi is so sensible!”

Seeing the old lady about to burst into tears again, Su Xi quickly asked, “Grandma, where did my brother go? I haven’t seen him all afternoon.”

Upon hearing this, Chen Xiangyun stopped crying, her face full of affection. “Nannan, that child, heard that you haven’t been in a good mood lately. Worried about your health, he went to the Chaoyang River this afternoon to catch fish. If he manages to catch some, I’ll make fish soup for you.”