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Hearing that she could go to school, Afang was both happy and worried.
Happy because her sister said she could finally attend school, worried that their parents would find out and stop her. But after all, she was still a child—her happiness and worries came and went quickly. Before long, her steady breathing filled the room as she drifted off to sleep.
The next morning, Cheng Yuanyue got up as usual to make breakfast.
It wasn’t that she wanted to—
But early on, Shen Xiuying and the others had already gone to the fields. If she waited for them to come back and cook, who knew what time they’d eat.
“Afang, go wake up Big Brother.” She was up working, so her brother couldn’t just laze around.
Afang hesitated, her voice timid: “I’m scared.”
“What’s there to be afraid of? Just knock on the door. Tell him if he doesn’t get up, I’ll come drag him out myself.”
Twenty-two years old, yet he neither worked the fields nor helped with chores. Every day he just waited for his two younger sisters to serve him while he dreamed about finding a wife.
Afang first tapped softly on the door. From inside came her brother’s angry roar:
“What are you knocking for! Call me after breakfast is ready!”
Startled, Afang flinched at his tone. But soon she knocked again, this time saying loudly:
“Big Brother, it’s Second Sister who told me to wake you. She said if you don’t get up, she’ll come herself.”
The moment her words landed—thud!—a heavy sound came from inside, like something falling to the floor. Before she could ask what happened, her brother rushed out in a panic, clothes thrown on hastily, buttons undone.
The shadow of Yuanyue threatening to cut off his manhood yesterday still lingered. He didn’t dare delay even a second.
Seeing her once “emperor-like” brother scramble out of bed just because she mentioned her second sister, Afang realized Yuanyue’s actions yesterday really had scared him.
So Big Brother was afraid of losing his manhood? Afang couldn’t help but secretly giggle.
“Yuanyue!” Cheng Jiafu rushed into the kitchen at once. “The moment you call, I’m up. I’ll tend the fire!”
Since childhood, the family had never let him step into the kitchen. He knew absolutely nothing about housework.
Yuanyue glanced at her flustered brother fumbling to stuff firewood into the stove. Her lips curved slightly. It seemed her brother wasn’t entirely hopeless—just too spoiled. He had long taken it for granted that she and Afang should serve him.
Yesterday she scared him once. Today she only mentioned it, and he jumped to his feet. Clearly, he was the type to fear the hard way—a coward, yes, but not irredeemably bad.
“Big Brother, I’m taking Afang to register for school later, so I only made a little breakfast. As for Mom and Grandma’s, I’ll have to trouble you. I’ve already put rice in the pot. Just remember to stir it now and then, or the bottom will burn. And here—peel and dice these sweet potatoes, add them in, and cook them together.”
Afang carried two bowls of eggs out.
Jiafu swallowed hard at the sight.
Eggs—before today, those were always reserved for him. Yuanyue and Afang never even got a taste.
He wanted to eat too, but didn’t dare. He still remembered the threat of being cut.
“You’re taking Afang to enroll? Did Mom and Dad agree?”
He vaguely remembered them saying no—arguing that Afang had already learned to write her name and recognize plenty of characters after two years, which was enough. No need to study further.
“I’m paying with my own money. I don’t need their permission.” Yuanyue carried the eggs out and called Afang over to eat.
Afang ate cautiously, constantly glancing at the kitchen, afraid her brother might suddenly rush out and snatch her bowl.
But even after she finished, he never came. Only occasional coughing came from inside, like he’d choked on smoke.
When Yuanyue went in to check, he was fumbling clumsily with the sweet potatoes, chopping uneven chunks that didn’t even look as good as a child’s attempt.
“Big Brother, thank you for today. I’ll take Afang now.”
“Go on, I’ve got the house covered.”
Yuanyue tidied Afang up, took her by the hand, and headed toward the neighboring elementary school.
Meanwhile, Shen Xiuying and Grandma Cheng were working in the fields. Looking up, they spotted Yuanyue leading Afang away.
“Mother, look at her. Not home cooking breakfast, dragging Afang off somewhere instead. Yesterday she must’ve been possessed—daring to scream and wave a knife at us after one trip to town. Today we need to teach her a lesson, remind her that in this house, she has to obey and never climb over our heads.”
“She climb over us? What a joke.” Grandma Cheng spat in her palm, rubbed it, then picked up her hoe again. “Yesterday she went mad—I figured she’d been bullied in town and gave her some leeway. But don’t think just because she waved a knife once, I’m scared of her. I’ve eaten more salt than she’s walked roads. Her little tricks? Nothing to me.”
“But Mother, Liu Shuhong took her to town for a blind date yesterday. Did it work out or not? Nobody’s given us word.”
Shen Xiuying’s face darkened at a thought: “Mother… could it be that the man she met yesterday got scared off by her too?”
“Did she look like someone who scared the man off? More likely the man didn’t like her and bullied her instead.”
“No way. If he bullied Yuanyue, how could he not take her as his wife? I have to go ask Liu Shuhong what exactly happened. Is this marriage happening or not? We need an answer. And she better not turn this into another excuse to bring up Jiafu’s fight.”
“You were the one who let Liu Shuhong take her. If something really happened, you share the blame too.” Grandma Cheng glanced toward the house, where smoke curled up from the chimney. “At least she still knows to make us breakfast before running off.”
“No, I have to find Liu Shuhong and ask what went down yesterday. Is this marriage settled or not?”
“Fine, let’s go. I want to know too. That girl came back acting like a lunatic. Something must’ve happened in town.”
So they set off for Wu Family Village, leaving the men to work a little longer.
The school was near Wu Family Village.
“Mother, look—aren’t Yuanyue and Afang heading toward Wu Village too?” Shen Xiuying frowned. “What are they doing there?”
“Follow them. Does she really think she can marry herself off without family approval? No one would dare agree.”
“Wait… their direction—it looks like the school.”
“The school? What would they be going there for?”
Realization struck them both at once: “To enroll Afang?”
“Mother, we can’t allow that! Tuition is fifty-two yuan. Yuanyue doesn’t have that kind of money.”
“Exactly. School’s already started days ago. No one registers this late.” Grandma Cheng thought for a moment. “She has no money, so it’s impossible anyway.”
“Let’s just go to Liu Shuhong’s first. That matter is more important.”
Believing Yuanyue couldn’t possibly afford it, they dismissed the thought and hurried toward Wu Family Village.