Font Size:
Not long after Zhang Lan and her daughter left the space, Mingcheng and the others returned from gathering grass. Mingyuan saw a large fish on the stove and asked excitedly, “Mom, are we having fish stew for dinner?” The siblings hadn’t eaten much for lunch, as the food at home was portioned out. They had decided to eat less to make things easier for their mother.
Seeing the excitement in her son’s eyes, Zhang Lan gently touched his face and said, “Mingyuan, did you not eat enough at lunch? Wait, I’ll get something delicious for you.”
She then took out some steamed buns from the cabinet, one for each child. “Mingcheng, take your siblings out to play for a while. I’ll stew the fish for you.”
Mingyuan’s eyes lit up when he saw the steamed buns. He grabbed one and said, “It’s delicious. Mom, I’m going out to play with my brother and sister.”
As they were at the age where they loved to play, and had been busy all day, the children were naturally delighted to go out and play when their mother told them to.
“Brother, this is for you to eat. I’ll have just one,” the steamed buns were small, and there wouldn’t be enough to share with everyone, so she chose to give it to the youngest, Mingyuan.
The two brothers ran outside, leaving the two sisters at home. Wang Xuan also didn’t feel like going out to play, especially as it was getting dark. She decided to stay at home and help her mother with some chores.
While the mother and daughter were cooking in the kitchen, Wang Qian slipped into the space. She remembered that she hadn’t planted the ginseng seeds from last time. She quickly buried the seeds in a corner of the space and then lay down on the kang, thinking about her future plans.
“Mom, Dad and the others will be back soon. Get the food ready,” Mingyuan and Mingcheng each brought in some firewood, which was leftover from the house construction and could only be used as fuel.
The mother and daughter had almost finished cooking, with only the fish soup left to make. Just as they heard that the others were returning, Zhang Lan put the fish in the pot.
Mingcheng entered the room and saw his sister lying on the kang. He thought she might be sick and quickly felt her forehead, but it wasn’t warm.
“Brother, I’m just taking a break. I was tired from this afternoon. Have you finished all your homework?” Despite the family event, Wang Qian was still concerned about her brothers’ studies. She didn’t want the family matters to interfere with their education, as the family would rely on the two boys in the future.
“Sis, we’ve finished our homework at school,” Mingyuan said, pulling her to the side to make room for the dinner table.
“Brother, finishing homework isn’t enough. You have to understand everything. If the teacher gives you similar problems in the future, you should be able to answer them. That’s when your homework is truly complete,”
Mingcheng, seeing his sister’s scholarly look, found it amusing.
“Little sister, why don’t I teach you how to read in the future? By the way, you can also see if we all understand.” He said.
Wang Qian took her brother’s words seriously and said, “Brother, let’s make a deal. I’ll learn with you in the future. If I learn everything, we can all go to college together.”
She knew that the college entrance exam would be reinstated in 1977, so she needed to tutor the children well. Perhaps they could produce college students in the future.
Mingcheng chuckled and said, “Sis, your idea is good, but our teachers have said that there’s no college entrance exam now. Your wish might not come true.”
Wang Qian felt it was necessary to educate the two children properly. “Success only comes to those who are prepared. If the college entrance exam is reinstated in the future, and you give up too early, will you regret it? If you get into college, Mom and Dad will be able to eat better and visit the city. You need to study hard for this goal. Look at how much hardship Mom has endured to build our house. She still insists on your education. Do you know why? She wants you to go out and see the world. In the future, if you have the ability, our family won’t be bullied, especially by people like aunt.”
Wang Qian couldn’t afford to talk about big ideas at the moment, and even if she did, they might not believe her. The changes in the future would be too significant, and she couldn’t reveal them. So, she could only use filial piety to impress the two children, hoping they would listen.
Wang Qian’s words had a profound impact on the two brothers, and they fell into silence. “Sis, I will definitely study hard in the future. Even if it’s only for Mom, I will go to college and never let people like our aunt bully us again,” Mingyuan said, making a firm decision without waiting for his older brother to speak.
“Yeah, what my brother said is right. I will study hard just like you,” Mingcheng added.
Zhang Lan couldn’t believe that her youngest daughter had already made plans for the future of her two sons while lying on the kang.
Wang Zhenhe returned with the carpenters and his older cousin to have dinner. The three siblings quickly got off the kang to make room for the guests.
“Sis, you don’t need to prepare much. The lunch you made was so delicious that we’re still savoring it,” the eldest cousin joked.
Zhang Lan smiled and brought the dishes to the table. “Big brother, it’s nothing special. In the afternoon, the children and I caught some fish by the river, so I decided to cook it for dinner.”
The siblings brought the prepared meals to the guests, including a plate of cold clam meat, a plate of stir-fried mushrooms, a pot of stewed fish, and a large bowl of fish soup. Zhang Lan finished preparing the meals and took the children to the stove to eat the additional portion she had prepared.
In rural areas, the female host and children usually don’t join the guests at the table. Only the male host accompanies the guests for the meal. However, if there are male children in the house, they can join the guests at the table. Mingcheng and Mingyuan, however, preferred not to join the guests at the table. They felt more comfortable eating with their mother and sisters.
After dinner, Zhang Lan heated a large pot of water for the elderly guests to take a hot bath. After a long day, a hot bath would be especially refreshing, and it would also help prevent lice.
The next day, everyone went to school or work, leaving her alone at home. After feeding the chickens, she leisurely made her way to the reservoir. She pondered about catching some fish, as it wasn’t feasible to collect water in the space without risking damage to the crops. She remembered obtaining some fish hooks from her grandmother’s house and decided to give them a try. However, as she hurried back, she unexpectedly encountered her lazy and gluttonous aunt at her grandmother’s doorstep.
She harbored no positive feelings for this woman. Although the real Wang Qian had passed away, deep-seated resentment lingered in her memory. This woman didn’t belong here, and even without these feelings, she couldn’t bring herself to like her. Nevertheless, she still maintained basic courtesy and greeted her aunt, who arrogantly ignored her.
“Such lack of manners,” she muttered softly before turning and heading back home, paying no attention to the woman’s reaction.
Upon hearing her niece’s words, Wang Mei initially didn’t understand who she was referring to. By the time she realized, the child had disappeared. She was about to go inside to scold the child but remembered her purpose for coming today, so she suppressed her anger.
After connecting the fishing line and hook, Wang Qian noticed that her aunt had left. She wondered what mischief her aunt might be up to today.
She took the baited fishing hook and went to find a bamboo pole in the street. These were typically used to build trellises for beans, but she didn’t see any harm in borrowing one for a while. She would worry about returning it later, as it wouldn’t make much of a difference. A seven-year-old girl carrying a long fishing rod made her way to the reservoir.
While cutting tree branches on the mountain, Wang Zhenli noticed Wang Qian by the reservoir. He knew she was his cousin’s child and initially worried about her safety, fearing she might fall into the reservoir. However, after observing her for a while, he realized that she was quite resourceful. To prevent herself from falling, she had found a spot by the water with a large rock and sat down to fish. Her little feet were firmly planted on the rock, showing her fear of falling. Wang Zhenli couldn’t help but smile at the sight of his cousin’s adorable and clever daughter. Feeling reassured, he stopped paying attention to her and continued with his work.
The next day, after everyone had gone to school or work, she found herself alone at home. After feeding the chickens, she leisurely made her way to the reservoir. She had decided to catch some fish, using a larger fish hook this time to ensure that only big fish would bite.
Soon, a fish took the bait. She played with the fish for a while before reeling it in. To her surprise, it was a large fish, weighing over three pounds. She dragged it to the shore and discreetly stored it in the water tank in the space, where five other large fish were already kept.
She continued fishing, catching a total of six fish by midday. The water tank in the space was almost full, so she decided to head home.
Upon returning, she found her parents, Zhang Lan and Wang Zhenhe, back from work, but they both looked upset.
“Mom, did you and Dad have a fight? Why do you both look so upset?” She couldn’t fathom what could have caused her parents to be in such a state.
Zhang Lan sighed heavily, her fair face tinged with a hint of frustration. “Silly girl, how could your dad and I fight? It’s your aunt who came over.”
Wang Zhenhe also sighed. Wang Qian couldn’t understand why Wang Mei’s visit had affected her parents so much. “I don’t understand why you two are so upset. What’s the matter with my aunt’s visit? I greeted her this morning, but she didn’t even acknowledge me. I think it’s best to avoid her in the future. She doesn’t care about our family.”
Hearing her daughter’s words, Wang Zhenhe’s face turned red, whether from agitation or embarrassment for his sister.