Chapter 8: Let Me Show You

Song Daqian was still around, though he had injured his leg last year and had been bedridden ever since. Whenever there were small matters in the Song family, they would look to Song Erquan for justice. For major issues, the two brothers would consult each other.

The chicken incident had also been managed by Song Erquan. It turned out that the homes of Song Laoda and Song Laosan were not far apart from one another. Both families owned a speckled hen that looked strikingly similar.

To distinguish between the two chickens, they tied different colored cloth strips to the legs of their respective poultry. However, one day, one of the speckled hens went missing, and the cloth strip from the surviving chicken fell off.

This led to a dispute between the two families, resulting in their two wives quarrelling fiercely. Eventually, the matter escalated to Song Erquan, who, uncertain about ownership, decided to kill the hen and split it between the two families.

On the surface, the issue seemed resolved, but it turned into a lingering sore point between the two families, as they firmly believed the hen belonged to them and felt the other had malicious intent, leading to the bird’s death.

Now, as the situation reared its head again, Song Erquan sat on an old stool, his brow furrowed as he puffed smoke. The haze obscured his features for a moment before he tapped his pipe against the bottom of his shoe.

“Brother-in-law, there are so many people watching. Look at yourself; what kind of example are you setting? In a few years, Liangzuo will be ready for marriage; don’t you want him to have some pride?” he scolded. “Wangshu, go get a stool for your Third Aunt to sit on.”

Song Xiaoxiao, inhaling the fishy smell emanating from her catch, froze for a moment. She was barely over four years old—what did it mean that in a few years, she’d be ready for marriage? In a few years, she’d still be underage!

The elderly woman sobbed as Song Wangshu helped her sit on the bench, wiping her tears, “Second Uncle, with Laosan and Wangshan gone, how are we, the widows and orphans, supposed to survive?”

Apart from Song Laer, who was present, the elderly woman was the oldest in the room. Her determined chaos left the younger generations helpless to intervene.

As darkness fell, Bian Xiuqin couldn’t stand it anymore. She stepped forward, “Third Aunt, stop crying. Crying doesn’t bring justice. Our purpose here is clear: we want proof that your Liangzuo is indeed a boy. We’ve invited Second Uncle just to witness so that no one can twist the facts and take away the Song family’s land.”

“You wicked woman! Who’s trying to seize the Song family’s land? We’re only claiming our rightful portion. Did your dead brother offend you, or did my good grandson brush against your sensitive nerves? You’re just a daughter-in-law brought into our family, trying to assert your power.

You’re a junior who shouldn’t be bouncing around in front of me,” the elderly woman shot back fiercely.

Song Xiaoxiao was tightly wrapped in her mother’s embrace, the fish she held pressed uncomfortably against her chest.

In one ear, she heard the elderly woman battling words with the daughter-in-law; in the other ear, the soft, sorrowful whispers of her mother lamenting, “My child, how are we going to live from now on? What will we face when living in the village? Oh, heavens, why can’t you open your eyes and see us, the widows and orphans?”

Looking up at her heartbroken mother, an inexplicable sorrow washed over Song Xiaoxiao. There was little she could say, so she took her tiny hands and patted her mother’s arm to provide comfort.

“What’s going on? Why is everyone gathered near Wangshan’s courtyard?”

“Oh, you just got back from the fields, didn’t you? This commotion started this afternoon. Wang He’s wife overheard Chengjiao say Liangzuo isn’t a boy, so she came over to check!”

“Really? Can we trust what a kid says? Surely it was just a joke, and she took it seriously. Who doesn’t know that Liangzuo is a boy? We all live in the village; that can’t be false.”

“But you can’t say that easily.”

“How else should we think?”

“Let me ask you this: your house is near Wangshan’s, have you ever seen Liangzuo running around naked or in open-crotch pants?”

“I haven’t seen that.”

“Then there you have it! Before this, Wang He’s wife said every boy runs around naked as a child, but no one ever saw Liangzuo.”

“Do you really believe that? Everyone knows Liangzuo was born to a grieving Wang Shi. He’s always been an ailing child; the herbs never left his house. It’s a miracle he survived at all. They’ve babied him to the extent that he rarely leaves the house; it’s only this year that they’ve allowed him to go outside.”

The crowd nearby was chattering, each person sharing their perspective, some siding with the Laosan family while others favored the Laoda side.

Just then, someone shouted, “We’re all neighbors and kin, aren’t we? Don’t we want to find out if Liangzuo is truly a boy? Why not let him take off his pants for everyone to see?”

“Yeah! It’s that simple; you’re just bickering over nothing. Let’s find out and we can all go home for dinner.”

Finally, Song Laer stood up, glaring at Bian Xiuqin and then at the third sister-in-law. He spoke slowly, “Sister-in-law, let Liangzuo show everyone. This way, he can clear his name, and everyone can see for themselves.”

However, the elderly woman merely sat there with her face buried in her hands, crying.

Wang Chunlan clutched Song Xiaoxiao tighter, her chest pressed against the fish head, causing discomfort. At this moment, she understood that it was time for her to step up. Gently pushing her mother away, she gazed up at the sky, now able to spot the bright star.

She took a couple of steps toward Song Erquan, “Second Grandpa, it’s Liangzuo’s fault that has caused Grandma and Mother to suffer. Since the day I was born, I’ve worried them both. They sheltered me carefully; afraid my sickly body would suffer. I am deeply grateful for their care. I originally thought I would be able to assist Grandma and Mother as I grew stronger, but who knew yesterday that Chengjiao would scare me with worms, leading to my predicament?”

At this point, Song Xiaoxiao found herself tearing up, even though her logical side didn’t wish to cry. The tears flowed uninterrupted, and her voice choked as she continued.

In her mind, she recognized this as a reaction of the body.

Suddenly, she dropped the fish she was holding, placing both hands on her waistband, loosening the sturdy blue cloth belt.

“I am the man of the house! I need to protect Grandma, Mother, and my two sisters. You want to see what I have? I’ll show you. From now on, if anyone dares to slander us again, I won’t let it go lightly. I, Song Liangzuo, am not a coward!”

As she shouted that, her hand suddenly released, and the oversized blue trousers slid down from her waist.

Wang Chunlan, witnessing this scene, jumped up from where she had been kneeling, as if springs had been installed in her legs, reaching out to grab Song Liangzuo and pull him close, “Liangzuo, my child, what are you doing?!”

Just as her arm was about to touch Song Liangzuo, the elderly woman stepped in and blocked her hand, “Let them see! Let them open their eyes wide and see if Liangzuo is truly a boy! I want to see who dares bully us after this.”

Wang Chunlan had no idea what the elderly woman and Liangzuo had been up to that evening. Thinking that Liangzuo, as a girl, would not be able to keep her secret, she wanted to say something, but she couldn’t catch her breath, and instead, a cry of despair escaped her lips as she fainted dramatically.