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Upon returning home at noon, Wang Xuan and her sister set aside a portion to be delivered by Zuo He and Mingyuan to the elderly men. They also kept some for immediate consumption. The remaining cherries were cooked by the sisters. After boiling, the cherry skins and pits were separated. Wang Qian used a colander to remove the waste, leaving behind the desired fruit-infused broth, rich with the unique fragrance of the cherries. She scooped the reddish cherry water into a basin and placed it in cool water to soak, to be enjoyed later when the weather got hot.
As lunchtime approached, the sisters had already prepared the meal. They made a soup with watermelon radish and added some vermicelli. Wang Xuan also added a small handful of dried shrimp provided by Geng Lianhua. Although she only used a few drops of oil, the aroma was delightful.
When Zhang Lan finished work, she went to the vegetable garden to check on things. The early corn in their garden was ready, so she brought back a few ears for the children to eat. The crops in their space were almost ripe, so she wasn’t worried about food shortages.
The addition of fresh corn to the lunch increased the children’s appetites. As the family was eating, Wang Mingjun, the eldest son of their second uncle, rushed in with tears in his eyes. “Uncle, please save me! My mom is going to kill me.”
This was the first time Wang Qian had seen this cousin. The fourteen-year-old boy had tears streaming down his face as he hid behind Wang Zhenhe. Outside, Han Cui came in with a broomstick in hand, chasing after him.
“You little troublemaker, you only dare to hide behind your uncle. Are you afraid of getting a beating?” she scolded as she rushed towards her son.
Zhang Lan and her husband quickly intervened. “Sister-in-law, calm down. Mingjun is still a child. Is it necessary to vent your anger by hitting a child?”
Han Cui, panting, pointed at the child and scolded, “You little rascal, do you know how hard it is for me to render lard? You’ve eaten up all the oil in the house in just one morning. How are we going to live in the future?”
Han Cui was feeling a bit heartbroken as she wiped away her tears. Oil was indeed a precious commodity, and the couple didn’t know how to console her.
“Sister-in-law, since the oil has been consumed by the children, you can’t possibly beat the child to death. Why not just lock the oil away in a cabinet for next time?” suggested Wang Zhenhe.
Wang Mingjun timidly peeked out from behind Wang Zhenhe and said, “Mom, I didn’t eat much of the lard. I just spread it on two pieces of bread. My sister also had some, and I gave some to others. They said that as long as I gave them lard, they would play with me in the future.”
Upon hearing this, Han Cui became furious. “You foolish child! You gave away such a precious thing to others. Today, I will make sure you learn your lesson.”
With that, she brandished the broomstick and chased the child around the yard. The couple had to step in to try to calm her down. “Sister-in-law, he has already eaten it. There’s no point in hitting him now. Let it go. Just remind him to be more careful in the future.”
While Zhang Lan tried to reason with her sister-in-law, Wang Mingjun took the opportunity to slip into the house and lock the door. This prevented Han Cui from reaching him, even if she wanted to.
Unable to reach the child, Han Cui had no choice but to leave. As she departed, she warned her son from outside the house, “You little rascal, just wait and see how I deal with you tonight.”
After seeing off her sister-in-law, Wang Mingjun, who had been hiding in the house, finally came out. He expressed his gratitude to the couple, saying, “Uncle, Aunt, I’m glad you were here today. Otherwise, I would have been in big trouble. But pig fat is really delicious.”
Wang Qian watched her somewhat absent-minded cousin and couldn’t help but feel speechless. At a time like this, he was still thinking about pig fat. “Mingjun, you’ll have lunch at uncle’s house today. Your mom probably won’t scold you again tonight.”
With his nephew’s arrival, the couple invited him to stay for a meal. Wang Mingjun was naturally delighted. Otherwise, his mother wouldn’t have allowed him to eat. However, as soon as he saw Zuo He, he who had just been crying, immediately brightened up and said, “Zuo He is here! Come over to our house to play when you have time.”
The couple couldn’t help but smile at his antics. Children have short memories. Just a moment ago, he was crying like a baby, but now he was all smiles upon seeing Zuo He.
“Mingjun, have some corn. Your aunt just cooked it,” Wang Qian said.
Wang Mingjun wasn’t particularly polite when he visited his uncle’s house, but at least in Wang Qian’s eyes, he showed more manners at the dining table than his younger uncle. At least the other child ate politely, drank the soup, ate the bread, and nibbled on the corn honestly, unlike Wang Zhenguo, who would look at the pot while eating from the bowl.
Wang Mingjun gulped down the soup and mumbled, “Aunt, your food is really delicious. It’s much better than what my mom makes.”
Wang Qian and the others couldn’t help but chuckle. This mischievous child had forgotten all about his mother as soon as he tasted the delicious food.
After finishing his meal, Wang Mingjun ran out to play. The siblings took Zuo He to visit their grandfather and see if there was anything they could help with, such as washing or tidying up.
Zhang Lan stopped the children and asked them to pick some more corn from the vegetable garden to cook, so they could give the elderly men a taste of the fresh corn. The couple then went to work in the fields, where the grass had already started growing, requiring daily weeding.
Mingcheng led his siblings to their land. He, being the tallest, was responsible for breaking the corn cobs, while Mingyuan and Zuo He followed behind, filling the basket. As the four of them carried the corn back, they saw Wang Zhi heading straight to their vegetable garden from the house. This action made Wang Qian feel somewhat neglected. Mingcheng asked his siblings and Zuo He to go back and deliver the corn, while he quietly slipped back with his little sister. Wang Zhi was busy picking corn cobs from their family’s reserved land.
Seeing her aunt’s greedy eyes, Wang Qian had a sudden idea and threw a stone at Wang Zhi. “I’ll beat you, you thief! How dare you steal from our house in broad daylight! Brother, go call the police and tell them we caught a thief.”
Wang Zhi didn’t know how the two of them had returned, but upon hearing the word “police,” she dropped the corn cob and ran home in a panic. She didn’t dare to mess with the police. She might end up being publicly shamed, especially with the current child in front of her.
To be honest, she was really afraid of Wang Qian. She knew she couldn’t afford to provoke her little niece. The girl was ruthless and relentless.
After scaring off Wang Zhi, Wang Qian shouted loudly into her aunt’s courtyard, “Aunt, tonight we’ll sprinkle some 1605 on the corn. If you’re not afraid, come and eat it. I’ll tell you, if our family is missing a vegetable seedling or a corn cob, it’s your doing. You better remember to take good care of our things, or you’ll be the prime suspect.”
Mingcheng covered his mouth and chuckled. He hadn’t expected his little sister to have such a knack for dealing with their aunt.
Seeing her daughter return panting, Zhu Qiyu gave her a disapproving look. “With your timid nature, you still want to eat corn? I think you’d better forget about it in the future. That little rascal from your brother’s family is quite cunning. It’s best for you to avoid causing trouble. You’re not a child anymore. If your reputation gets tarnished, it won’t sound good.”
Wang Zhi pouted and grabbed her mother’s arm, acting coquettishly. “Mom, I just wanted to eat some corn. Who knew they’d come back halfway.”
The gluttonous bug in Wang Zhi’s belly started to act up. The thought of the tender corn being so close yet out of reach made her eager. “Mom, can you ask our third brother to send some over for us to eat?”
Zhu Qiyu also wanted to eat the corn, but after the last incident, she had completely offended her son’s family. Moreover, her son had started to break free from her control, which made her feel uneasy. “Daughter, hurry up and go to work. Tell your brother that I’m ill and want to eat tender corn. Let’s see how he reacts.”
Zhu Qiyu wasn’t entirely sure if her son was still the same as before. Her previous words might have been spoken in a fit of anger, and she wanted to test the waters.
In her eagerness to eat the tender corn, Wang Zhi hurried up the mountain. When the team leader, Liu Changlin, saw her late arrival, he reprimanded her with some dissatisfaction. “Wang Zhi, you’re always late and leaving early. Our team will deduct points for that. When it’s time for bonuses, you’ll have to answer for it. Everyone is watching.”
Although he was dissatisfied with Wang Zhi’s usual behavior, he still considered the issue of a young woman’s reputation and didn’t delve further. Wang Zhi nodded with a smile. “Okay, I understand, team leader. I won’t do it again in the future.”
In the afternoon, while weeding, she lingered by Wang Zhenhe’s side. “Third brother, Mom is sick and wants to eat tender corn.”
However, Wang Zhenhe continued to focus on his work, not even lifting his head. If his mother was well enough to eat tender corn, could she really be considered sick?
Some of the fellow workers nearby looked at Wang Zhi disapprovingly. Everyone in the village knew each other’s business, and Wang Zhi was known for her gluttony. Today, she had come up with such an excuse. One of the workers smiled and said to the others, “You see, some people just can’t be indulged. The more you indulge them, the more they bully others’ wives and children. What a thick skin she has. Thicker than a thousand-layer cake.”
Wang Zhi wasn’t foolish. She could understand the insinuations in their words, but their remarks couldn’t hurt her thick skin.
Seeing that Wang Zhenhe didn’t respond to her, she said, “Third brother, I’ve passed on Mom’s message. Whether you agree or not, you should talk to Mom yourself.”
Afterward, she shot a fierce glare at the person who had spoken ill of her. “Some people don’t appreciate what they have and insist on chasing after what they can’t have. They really don’t know any better. Hmph.” With that, she turned and went back to work in her own field.
Wang Zhenhe was truly disappointed in his sister. His wife had been lying in the hospital, and apart from their father, no one from their family had visited her. Not only that, no one had even offered an apology. Today, the same old topic was repeated.
If his mother had been reasonable, he wouldn’t have bothered to argue with them over a few ears of corn. But he had already made himself clear, and his mother was still playing the same old game. He couldn’t help but feel a sense of sadness, for himself and for the years of selfless dedication he had given.