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After hearing the situation from her young daughter, Zhang Lan considered it and decided to give each of the three children in their eldest brother’s family fifty cents. She felt it was important not to let anyone feel shortchanged. For the two children in their second brother’s family, she didn’t mind giving them the same amount as the eldest brother’s family. Since the eldest brother’s children had been given fifty cents, Zhang Lan decided to give the same amount to everyone, treating them equally.
After lunch, the siblings and Zuo He were all asked by Zhang Lan to gather and sleep together on the kang where Hao Lianchun’s family lived. Children generally preferred to sleep together, and if they didn’t sleep well, it could affect their growth. So, the siblings obediently went to sleep.
This time, Zuo He took the initiative to lie down next to Wang Qian. “Qianqian, let’s sleep. I’ll be next to you,” he said.
Hao Lianchun and Zhang Lan couldn’t help but smile at the affectionate siblings. “Zuo He, why don’t you sleep next to your brother?” they asked.
The elderly lady teased her grandson.
“Grandma, little sister smells nice, and she’s so well-behaved when she sleeps. We’re tired and want to sleep. Close the door, okay?”
Zuo He let out a delicate yawn and soon drifted off to sleep while holding Wang Qian.
Seeing the children gradually falling asleep, the two adults finally left the room, feeling reassured.
In the afternoon, visitors who came to offer New Year’s greetings and exchange visits arrived one after another. The elderly lady helped to receive the guests at home, and everyone was accustomed to the fact that Zhang Lan’s home had many elderly residents.
During the New Year, men and women who rarely had leisure time finally had the opportunity to visit each other’s homes and chat. Even the couple Wang Zhenhai and Wang Juan, who were at home, also came over.
“Aunt, Uncle, Happy New Year to you,” the couple greeted the elderly men and women as soon as they entered. Wang Zhenhai went to the next room to chat with the elderly men, while Wang Juan sat on the kang and chatted with her sister-in-law about the events of the day. “Sister-in-law, you don’t know. Wang Zhenguo came over at noon and asked me to help with cooking tomorrow. It seems that he’s bringing his girlfriend home. I heard she’s the daughter of the director of the Supply and Marketing Cooperative. It looks like it’s a done deal.”
Zhang Lan rarely inquired about the affairs of the old house, usually hearing about them from her sister-in-law or others. It seemed that the matter with the girlfriend was settled, as the other party wouldn’t have come over during the New Year otherwise.
“Sister-in-law, be careful when you go to cook tomorrow. Don’t let the fire get out of control,” Zhang Lan said.
She had a temper, and if Wang Zhi or Han Cui made some sarcastic remarks tomorrow, Zhang Lan was afraid that her sister-in-law might lose control of her temper again, which would completely offend that family. It was said that the old lady had been busy with this marriage proposal.
Wang Juan cracked a sunflower seed. “I’m just going to help out. It’s not a big deal. They were provoking me last time, or else I wouldn’t have lost my temper. Those people can’t keep their mouths shut no matter what. Sigh, being a daughter-in-law is really a thankless job.”
Wang Juan finally understood Zhang Lan’s initial difficulties after a couple of conversations. They had separated from the old house shortly after getting married, so they hadn’t lived with the old lady. Although she knew about some of the issues, she realized that it wasn’t just the old lady’s affairs that were troublesome; hardly anyone in the family was normal.
“Sister-in-law, it’s a good thing you didn’t live with them. Even if you get angry, it’s something that will pass in a few days. If you had lived with them, it would have been much more trouble,” Zhang Lan said.
Whenever Zhang Lan thought about living with those people, there were hardly any happy memories. She had to wake up earlier than a rooster, work harder than an ox, and eat the worst food. It was a sad memory for her.
Wang Juan also knew that Zhang Lan had a tough time during those years, so she quickly changed the subject and talked about the affairs of the second uncle’s family.
Later that night, when the couple was in bed, Zhang Lan mentioned how Hao Lianchun had given her lucky money. Zuo He was also sleeping on their kang, so Zhang Lan didn’t hide anything from him.
“Wife, I wanted to tell you about this too. Uncle also gave me fifty yuan. I didn’t want to take it, but he insisted and was afraid that the other elderly men would see. So, I accepted it,” Wang Zhenhe said, taking out the fifty yuan from his pocket and handing it to his wife. Zhang Lan also counted fifty yuan. Together, the couple had received a total of one hundred yuan. This made Zhang Lan feel particularly embarrassed. “Zhenhe, do you think we shouldn’t have accepted it? I was afraid that Aunt would feel bad if we didn’t take it, so I accepted it. I didn’t expect you to accept it as well. This is quite a sum of money.”
More than a hundred yuan was a significant amount for the couple, especially considering that the elderly didn’t earn money themselves; it was all given by their son.
“Aunt, you should accept it. Otherwise, Grandma and the others will feel embarrassed. Besides, I’m also here. We all need to eat and dress. How can we let your family bear the expenses alone?” Zuo He, acting like a little adult, advised the couple. Wang Qian also chimed in, “Mom, let’s accept this money for now. When we visit Grandma’s house for the New Year, we can bring back some dried seafood and send some to our uncles. Their lives are probably not easy, and sending them some local specialties would be a thoughtful gesture.”
The couple thought it over and realized that they should also show their appreciation. “Zuo He, what do your parents and your uncles and aunts like to eat?” Zhang Lan asked.
Zuo He, with wide eyes, began to think. After a moment, he said, “Uncle was injured in the war. Aunt seems to like seafood. Second Uncle and Second Aunt aren’t picky eaters. My dad likes meat, and my mom likes vegetables and seafood.”
Zuo He had some knowledge about what the family members liked to eat, so he quickly provided an answer. Zhang Lan pondered for a moment. She realized that she couldn’t mail vegetables, so she would have to come up with another plan.
“Mom, don’t we have some preserved tofu at home? You can send that over to them. They might not have it there. Also, you can send over the dried green beans and potatoes that you sun-dried in the summer. They can use them as vegetables,” Wang Qian suggested.
Zuo He eagerly added, “Aunt, my mom also loves tofu. She’ll definitely like it.”
After discussing with the children, the couple decided to send over some seafood, as it might not be readily available there.
The next day, Zhang Lan and her family went to visit her parents. The sisters used to return home together on the second day of the Lunar New Year, but this time the elderly men and women stayed at home. They had already exchanged New Year’s greetings, and it didn’t feel appropriate to visit again on such an important day. Despite Zhang Lan’s continuous invitations, the elderly men and women declined.
However, Zuo He was taken along. Before leaving, he made sure to tell the elderly men, “Grandpas, you wait at home. I’ll go to Grandma’s house to catch some seafood for you to enjoy.”
At this point, Old Wu couldn’t help but feel envious. “Old Zuo, you’re so clever. You even brought your grandson along. This way, you and your wife won’t feel lonely. If only I had brought a grandson with me, it would have been so nice to enjoy the scenery and family reunion here.”
Zuo Zhanshan, however, disagreed, saying, “Old Wu, when we came here, we never expected to meet the Wang family. If we hadn’t met Zhenhe and his wife, our situation might have been different. Would you let your grandson suffer? We didn’t come here for a vacation; we came for labor reform. But, speaking of which, we’re fortunate to have undergone this reform. Otherwise, do you think those who stayed in the city would be better off? They’re basically in and out every few days. I heard that several couldn’t bear it and left. We’re also fortunate to have met this family. Our days of comfort are not far off.”
Old Chen, deeply moved, added, “Yes, otherwise, we wouldn’t even dream of wearing new clothes for the New Year. Look at us now, not only are we free of lice, but we can also bathe occasionally. Where else could we find such good conditions? I’m starting to feel reluctant to leave this place.”
Old Chen had the most to say. After experiencing great joy and sorrow, he seemed to have gained a new perspective. Some things are all about fate. If it weren’t for being with Old Zuo and the others, he wouldn’t have been able to take in the Wang family’s children as apprentices. Staying here seemed to have brought peace to his heart.
Zhang Lan and Wang Zhenhe, with their children, finally arrived at their in-law’s house before noon. Zhang Hua and her two children had already arrived. After greeting each other, they exchanged New Year’s greetings.
Seeing the basket in her brother-in-law’s hand, Zhang Hua quickly took it and asked, “Sister, what good things did you bring for our parents today?”
After opening the package, she saw four items inside. Although she didn’t show it, she couldn’t help but think that her sister was both generous and frugal. She had only brought two items, while they had brought four.
Geng Lianhua noticed her eldest daughter lost in thought and gave her a push from behind. “What are you thinking? Hurry up and come inside. It’s too cold outside. Don’t let the children get frozen. They’ve traveled a long way. Come on, Zuo He, go inside quickly.”
Seeing the adorable little boy, Geng Lianhua felt delighted and led him into the house.
Wang Qian and the others were almost frozen after traveling such a long distance, so Zhang Wanyou quickly helped the siblings take off their shoes and get into bed to warm up.
There were two other children on the kang, whom Wang Qian assumed to be the eldest aunt’s daughter and son.
Qu Wan and Qu Dong, the siblings, didn’t seem very enthusiastic upon seeing them. After exchanging greetings, everyone sat on the kang without much to say.
Qu Dong resembled his father, with a simple and honest appearance, while Qu Wan took after her mother, giving the impression of a clever young girl.
Wang Qian felt that the appearance of the two siblings didn’t quite match up to their family’s standards, possibly due to genetics. Wang Zhenhe had a good appearance, so the children in the Wang family were all of superior quality. In contrast, the Qu family’s children might have taken after their father, clearly not matching up to the others.