Chapter 4

Nonsense?

No, what does this old man mean?

Grandma Lu was in the middle of saying something passionately when, out of nowhere, her husband interrupted her. She was already unhappy, and when Grandpa Lu scolded her for making trouble, her anger flared up. She yelled, then jumped up from the bed:

“Good! Old man, you’re trying to get rid of me, aren’t you? You’re tired of your old wife, right? Tired of me being old and not able to work for the Old Lu Family anymore!

Ah, I’ve had a tough life! Since I was seventeen and married into your Old Lu Family, I’ve worked like a beast, doing all the chores and bearing children. And now, in the end, this heartless old man doesn’t want me anymore!

What’s the point of me living!

I might as well just go and die!”

After saying that, Grandma Lu jumped off the bed, trying to crash into the wall. Hearing the noise, the members of the Lu Family rushed into the room, with Lu Dashan leading the way and blocking Grandma Lu, who was acting like she wanted to die:

“Mother, what are you doing?!”

Lu Ershan followed closely behind, holding Grandma Lu’s arm, and pretended to persuade her:

“Please, mother, don’t scare us like this.”

Grandma Lu was stopped by her two sons but still tried to act like she was going to kill herself. Grandpa Lu, seeing this, suddenly felt his eyelids twitch. He slammed the ceramic teacup from the table onto the ground and angrily shouted:

“Everyone shut up! Or I’ll beat you!”

When Grandpa Lu said this, the entire Old Lu Family was shocked. What on earth was going on with the old man today? Why was he so furious?

Grandma Lu, who had just been shouting, immediately quieted down. She had been married to Grandpa Lu for decades and had never seen him so angry. She mumbled to the furious Grandpa Lu:

“What’s wrong with you, old man? You’re like a burning stick, spitting fire?”

Grandpa Lu looked at his submissive wife and sighed:

“Wife, when will you change your temper?

Think about it. Since Old Third’s family moved in, you and your daughter-in-law have been fighting all the time like two hens with inflated necks. We’ve finally managed to get Old Third’s family separated, so why are you still picking on them like before?”

Grandpa Lu hadn’t even finished speaking when Grandma Lu got mad again. She glared at him with her drooping, sharp eyes and coldly snorted.

“It’s all because Old Third married a shrew!”

“When other families’ daughters-in-law come in, aren’t they all respectful to their mothers-in-law, treating them like their own mothers?

But look at Old Third’s wife, Jiang Chunzao. She eats and drinks from the Old Lu Family, and her father, that butcher, kills so many pigs every year and sends pork and pig bones to his daughter every day. Not only does this Old Third’s wife not show any respect to her mother-in-law, but she also pushed us to separate families! How can I not be angry?!”

At this point, Liu Hongyan, who had been standing by, added fuel to the fire:

“That’s right, mother. Ever since we separated, I can smell meat stewing every day from Old Third’s house. And Old Third’s family never once brought a bowl of that stew to us. How unfilial!”

With Liu Hongyan’s words backing her up, Grandma Lu grew even angrier, pounding her thighs in frustration: “That damn Jiang Chunzhao!”

Grandpa Lu glanced at Liu Hongyan, who was standing smugly, and retorted: “Bullshit! I stay at home all day, how come I never smell that meat stewing from Old Third’s house? Eldest, have you smelled it?”

The Eldest Sister-in-law, who had been quietly observing, turned pale when Grandpa Lu addressed her. She hurriedly shook her head: “No, Father, I haven’t smelled it.”

Grandpa Lu grunted and then asked the others in the room. What could they say? They could only shake their heads. Liu Hongyan stood there, her face red with embarrassment as Grandpa Lu scolded her in front of the whole family: “Everyone else didn’t smell it, only you who did? What, are you a dog with a nose that can smell everything?”

Grandma Lu, seeing that her old man wasn’t siding with her, hung her head and said: “You’re really biased toward Old Third’s family, aren’t you? Don’t forget, Dashan and Ershan are our real sons. Old Third isn’t!”

Grandpa Lu got upset too and snorted: “You’re right that Old Third isn’t our biological son, so don’t take the ten yuan a month he gives you as filial money.”

That’s impossible!

Ten yuan was quite a lot of money! Nowadays, a worker in the county only makes twenty or thirty yuan a month, and they have to support a whole family.

In the countryside, ten yuan was considered a big money!

When she thought of these ten yuan, Grandma Lu jumped up and said: “Why can’t I take it? Why shouldn’t I take it? It’s the third son’s filial piety to me, his mother. Why would I refuse it!”

Grandpa Lu coldly responded: “Now you remember that you are the mother of the third son? Old woman, don’t make trouble, be a human being! If you make trouble again and anger the third son’s family, her father, the butcher, will come to the door, and we will have a hard time!”

Grandma Lu who was not a human being: “……”

——————

On hot summer days, for the villagers of Lujia Village, the most relaxing time of day was during dinner.

The summer evening breeze swept away the heat of the day. As twilight fell, every family carried their dining tables into the yard to eat, and the Jiang family was no exception.

In the small kitchen of the Lu family courtyard, Jiang Chunzao was quickly cleaning the big carp that Xiao Shitou had caught earlier that day. Xiao Moli, holding her little face, stood nearby and asked:

“Mom, are we having fish tonight?”

While scrubbing the pot, Jiang Chunzao smiled:

“Yes, tonight we’re having delicious braised carp. Are you happy, little one?”

“Happy!”

Xiao Moli cheered and, in her babyish voice, praised Xiao Shitou, who was helping with the fire:

“Mom, today’s big fish was caught by brother. Isn’t brother amazing?”

“Of course, our little Shitou is the best.”

Jiang Chunzao returned from washing her hands in the yard and caught sight of Xiao Moli, whose little head was proudly puffed up, her hair sticking out in all directions. Jiang Chunzao couldn’t help but chuckle.

This little girl was always talking about her brother, and it was clear these two siblings got along very well.

Jiang Chunzao chopped the green onions, glanced at Xiao Shitou, who was shyly smiling while tending to the fire, and kindly said:

“Shitou, be careful when adding firewood, don’t burn your hands.”

Xiao Shitou nodded, his big eyes sparkling.

The braised carp that Xiao Shitou had caught made for a satisfying meal for the three of them. The rich, flavorful fish combined with soft white steamed buns was simply delicious.

Later, when it was time for bed, Xiao Moli couldn’t stop hiccupping. Xiao Shitou, though more restrained, had also eaten his fill, his little belly sticking out. The two little ones were still eyeing the remaining half of the braised carp in the kitchen, which made Jiang Chunzhao, who was rubbing their little bellies, both amused and a little concerned.

The braised carp was tasty, but the two kids couldn’t just eat to their heart’s content, could they? Even as she tried to persuade them to stop, they wouldn’t listen.

But as Jiang Chunzao thought back to the difficult years when the two kids had suffered under her care, with no food to eat, she felt a pang of guilt. Remembering those days, she almost wanted to give herself a hard slap!

—————

The next morning, before the sun had even risen, the two children, still wrapped in their quilts, were woken up by the delicious smells coming from the kitchen. They quickly put on their little clothes and ran to the kitchen, their eyes widening in surprise.

What… where did all these fish come from?

Covered in the smell of fish, Jiang Chunzao looked up at their astonished expressions and smiled: “Ah, my good little ones are awake so early? Perfect timing! Shitou, Moli, look at this, these are fish I specially bought for you in the town. There are more than ten of them! This will be enough for you two to eat for a long time.”

Later, after eating so much fish they nearly burst: …