Chapter 81: Bonding

Zuo He was surprised that Wang Qian could recite the poem. “Qianqian, how do you know ‘The Farmer’s Song’ when you haven’t even been to school?”

Wang Qian didn’t hide the fact that she had learned it while studying with her older brothers. This had a significant impact on Zuo He, who silently vowed to study hard in the future and not let his sister surpass him.

When they arrived home, Zhang Lan had already returned. “Auntie, come in and rest. Have you seen Uncle Zuo?” she asked.

The elderly lady nodded with a smile. “I saw him, and he’s doing well. I can finally feel at ease.”

Zuo He proudly held up the goose eggs he had found. “Auntie, we found these eggs outside.”

Zhang Lan affectionately patted the little boy’s cheek. “Zuo He, you’re so capable. Auntie will cook these for you at lunch.”

During cooking, Zuo He was particularly interested in the Wang family’s stove bellows. He eagerly wanted to operate it, and Wang Qian didn’t argue with him, allowing the little boy to try it out to satisfy his curiosity. While she added firewood to the stove, Zuo He operated the bellows, and they worked together quite harmoniously.

The elderly lady sat nearby, helping to prepare the vegetables. “Mom, we’re back,” someone called out. Upon hearing the voice, both the mother and daughter knew that Mingyuan and the others had returned. This little guy always made his presence known before he even arrived.

“Brother, come in quickly. I want to introduce you to a new friend,” Mingyuan called out upon hearing that there was another child at home, and he rushed inside.

“Where is he? Let me see,” Mingyuan ran inside and looked around but didn’t spot Zuo He.

“Here he is. This is Zuo He. He’s the same age as you, but a month younger,” Wang Qian pointed to Zuo He as she introduced him.

“Zuo He, this is my brother, and that’s my older brother, and that’s my older sister,” Wang Qian introduced them one by one.

Zuo He politely greeted everyone, “So you’re Qianqian’s siblings. I have friends now.”

Mingyuan was quite fond of the newly arrived little guy, not only because Zuo He was good-looking, but also because he was polite, unlike others.

“Zuo He, my sister told me early this morning that she had a surprise for me, and seeing you is indeed a pleasant surprise. Come, I’ll take you to play. Let my sister pull the bellows,” Mingyuan said.

Children’s friendships are peculiar; they can start playing together as soon as they meet. Zhang Lan and the elderly lady were pleased to see this outcome.

“Mingcheng, hold on for a moment. This lady is Zuo He’s grandmother. You should also call her Grandma Zuo from now on,” Zhang Lan instructed.

It was the first time the three siblings had seen the elderly lady. Although she was somewhat unfamiliar, her kind smile and aura immediately won them over.

“Hello, Grandma Zuo. We’re taking Zuo He to play. We’ll be back for dinner,” the brothers said as they swiftly ran out of the yard with Zuo He.

The elderly lady smiled as she watched her grandson run out. “Niece, since Zuo He came here, today has been his happiest day. It seems I was selfish. If I had let the child go to the northeast with his parents back then, he might have been happier.”

As she cooked, Zhang Lan replied, “Auntie, you did it for the child’s good. It’s so cold up north. I’m sure Zuo He’s parents wouldn’t want their child to suffer there. They will understand your intentions.”

At lunchtime, Wang Zhenhe returned, carrying a wild rabbit. “Wife, have the guests arrived? I’ll prepare extra dishes for them tonight.”

Upon seeing the male head of the household return, the elderly lady quickly came over to greet him. “Auntie, don’t be too polite. Treat this place as your own home. Don’t feel uncomfortable. I’m not very refined and not good with words. Please don’t be too formal,” he said.

Upon hearing Wang Zhenhe’s words, the elderly lady also smiled. “Nephew, I won’t stand on ceremony, and you shouldn’t treat me as a guest. Let’s consider ourselves as one family and dispense with formalities.”

Wang Zhenhe found the elderly lady very gracious, not at all like a typical rural elderly lady. His first impression of her made him feel close to her. He couldn’t help but think how wonderful it would be if she were his mother. Unfortunately, he had to deal with these troublesome individuals.

“Uncle, I’m Zuo He, and I’m the same age as your son, Mingyuan,” Zuo He introduced himself when he noticed that no one was paying attention to him.

Wang Zhenhe then noticed the other little guest. The child was exceptionally good-looking, and he was sure that the boy would grow up to be a handsome young man.

“Zuo He, let Uncle hold you and see if you’re as heavy as our Mingyuan,” Wang Zhenhe said as he lifted Zuo He. “Zuo He, make sure to eat more in the future and grow stronger. That way even if you get into a fight, we won’t have to worry.”

“Alright, let’s set the table on the kang. It’s time for lunch,” Zhang Lan ordered. Mingcheng quickly went to move the table, Mingyuan fetched the chopsticks, and the sisters helped to serve the dishes. For lunch, Zhang Lan prepared two extra dishes, fearing that there might not be enough food for everyone. She used the goose eggs Zuo He found to make a dish of shrimp stir-fried with soy sauce and a braised fish dish. She also made a cucumber salad, a seaweed cold dish, salted eggs, wild vegetables with dipping sauce, and a pot of clams. For the main course, she made flatbread using a mixture of white flour and cornmeal.

As the family began to eat, Zuo He took a bite of the fish and couldn’t help but praise, “Auntie, the food you made is delicious.”

Mingyuan chimed in, “Of course, my mom’s cooking is delicious. It’s hard to find anyone who can match her. By the way, Zuo He, why don’t you come with us to school in the afternoon? You can listen to the lessons, and you won’t miss too much.” Mingyuan warmly extended the invitation.

“Is that okay? I’m afraid your teacher won’t allow me to enter,” Zuo He expressed his concern, worried about causing trouble for Mingyuan.

“It’s okay. Our teacher in class doesn’t really care. He likes students who study well. Many people skip classes, so you’ll be fine,” Mingyuan assured Zuo He. Zuo He then turned to his grandmother for her opinion. The elderly lady smiled and nodded, “You should go  to listen.”

After a heartwarming meal, Mingcheng took the three of them to school, leaving only the elderly lady and Wang Qian at home.

“Wang Qian, your father seems to be doing well. Why do you keep things from him?” the elderly lady was genuinely curious about the affairs of the Wang family.

In Wang Qian’s view, there was nothing to fear about some things, so she explained everything that had happened in the family to her.

The elderly lady frowned as she listened. “Your father is being foolish. He shouldn’t indulge them like this. If you give them an inch, they’ll take a mile. They’ll corner him one day, and it’s better to be firm now than to suffer later. Filial piety doesn’t lie in this. Your father will understand sooner or later.

“But for now, it’s right not to tell him. Your grandmother has been controlling him for most of his life. It won’t be easy to change that. You should occasionally nudge him in the right direction. I can’t imagine what your grandmother is like. She’s as ruthless as a landlord. Even the landlords don’t treat their own flesh and blood like that. Every family has its own difficulties.”

Wang Qian shared the same sentiments. “Grandma, she’s my biological grandmother. I can’t confront her or argue with her. I feel so stifled. If it were someone else, we would have been able to fight back.”

The events of that day were unforgettable for her, the memories were too painful. Zhang Lan almost died there.

Seeing the hatred in the girl’s eyes, the elderly lady hugged her. “Good child, it’s all in the past. At least your mother is still alive. Just ignore those people. Don’t live in hatred; it will only tire you out. Let’s look forward and live your lives. Let them regret it.”

After chatting, Wang Qian took the elderly lady to the hillside to pick wild vegetables. Having spent a long time in the city, she wanted the elderly lady to experience the unique rural atmosphere, to relax and enjoy.

To her surprise, the elderly lady knew more about wild vegetables than she did. “Grandma Zuo, how do you know so much?”

Perhaps in a good mood, the elderly lady smiled more. “Your grandmother was also from a poor family. We had it worse than you. We didn’t know where our next meal was coming from. Fortunately, I joined the Eighth Route Army and participated in the revolution. Time flies, and I was once as young as a flower. Now I’m old.”

As they chatted and gathered wild vegetables, their baskets were soon filled.

“If only you could stay a few more days, I’d take you to my maternal grandmother’s to go clamming. All worries disappear when you see the sea,” Wang Qian said.

The elderly lady was eager, but she had to report and undergo self-examination regularly. She simply didn’t have the time.

“When there’s a chance in the future, I’ll definitely go with you. I also want to meet your maternal grandmother. What kind of lady raised your kind-hearted mother?” the elderly lady said.

“Grandma, let’s go catch shrimp. We can bring some to Grandpa in the evening,” Wang Qian suggested.

Feeling a bit embarrassed about taking so much, the elderly lady had no choice but to go along with it for her husband’s sake. While at the water channel, Wang Qian even found some crabs, which delighted her. “Grandma Zuo, come over here. There are quite a few crabs here.”

The elderly lady waded over and smiled at the find. “This is a delicacy. We’re in for a treat today. When I was young, I used to catch crabs often. Your skin is delicate, so let me catch them. You can collect them.”

Rolling up her sleeves, the elderly lady looked like a former female soldier. Wang Qian packed the wild vegetables into another basket and used an empty one to collect the crabs. To prevent any escape attempts, she even found a small stick to tap the crabs occasionally.