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After dinner, the Shen family members dispersed to their respective rooms. Shen Zifu and Shen Zigui’s family began discussing Shen Zi’an and his wife who had just moved out.
Wang shi inquired, “How did Fourth Younger Brother’s place turn out?”
Shen Zifu glanced up at Wang shi, wondering if his wife had found out.
Wang shi, fixing her shoe, raised her head to give him a sideways glance and huffed, “I know you too well! You definitely went to help Fourth Younger Brother tidy up. Otherwise, why return so late? You even entered right after Third Brother. Do you think I’m foolish?”
Shen Zifu lowered his head, explaining, “Fourth Younger Brother has it tough! He’s always been considerate at home. It’s only natural for brothers to support each other. Please don’t be angry, dear.”
“If I were truly angry, would you still be sitting here?” Wang shi glared at him. She acknowledged her husband’s good qualities but criticized his soft nature. If she didn’t assert her authority, he might not amount to much. Despite not being as unreasonable as he thought, she was irritated at being taken for granted.
Their children watched and chuckled from the sidelines. It was a familiar scene where their father always seemed to come up short in these exchanges.
Shen Zifu chuckled along with the children, relieved that his wife wasn’t too upset about him helping Fourth Younger Brother. He began sharing stories of their day’s activities, including praising Su Zhi for her gentle manners and particularly complimenting her cooking.
The family members were surprised, doubting how corn congee could be so delicious since it was just basic household food they were familiar with. However, knowing Shen Zifu’s honesty, they became curious and intrigued.
Especially Wang shi, who had been upset that Shen Zi’an hadn’t married her cousin, was disdainful towards Su Zhi. Reflecting on the day of their marriage when Su Zhi seemed timid, she found it hard to believe the glowing praise. Yet, recalling Su Zhi’s calm demeanor when labeled as a jinx in front of everyone, she started to feel perplexed.
While the atmosphere in the main house was lively, the second house felt slightly somber.
In the second house, Li shi and Shen Zigui sat quietly. After Shen Zigui finished recounting the day’s events, the children attentively observed them, creating a serene room. Eventually, Li shi suggested Shen Zigui put more effort into his work before falling silent.
“If only we could have our own share,” she mused wistfully.
Chunyue pursed her lips, stealing a glance at her father before lowering her head. She understood the impossibility of dividing the family estate. With her aunt and uncle unmarried, and still reliant on family funds, a division seemed out of reach. If not for Fourth Uncle marrying Fourth Aunt, he too would have been considered a laborer bound to the family.
Chuncao nodded in agreement, expressing, “If we split, whatever we earn would be ours to spend freely. Mother wouldn’t have to constantly appease that annoying Third Aunt just because she hasn’t borne a son!”
Chunyun, still young, chimed in, “Fourth Brother took my candy, and Third Aunt scolded me, calling me a loss.”
Li shi’s eyes welled up with tears, and Shen Zigui felt uncomfortable. While not having a son was a regret, daughters were cherished. Hearing such remarks was disheartening. However, the possibility of splitting the family was slim. With unmarried siblings and the aspirations for Shen Ziju to become an official, family income relied heavily on the land. If the family divided, the land would be divided too. Additionally, they contributed to the communal funds through farming and embroidery earnings. These funds would no longer be shared with the parents if they separated, so the parents were resolute against a division.
The atmosphere in the second house was heavy and subdued.
As the night passed with mixed emotions, changes were afoot. The next morning, it became evident that the Shen family was missing Shen Zi’an’s tall figure, while smoke rose from a household across the river.
Su Zhi awoke to find Shen Zi’an absent from bed, detecting the scent of smoke signaling his breakfast preparations. Reflecting on the warmth of the previous night, a smile unconsciously crept onto her face. This life, with someone who loved and cared for her, providing warmth when she was cold and cooking for her when hungry, was what she had always hoped for. Sleeping together through the night and waking up to greet the dawn, facing each day and night together from youth to old age, was a beautiful prospect. After a lifetime of experiences, she had finally found someone willing to bring her happiness, feeling incredibly fortunate.
“Wife, you’re awake. I’ve made porridge. Come and have some. We only have porridge for now. Once we tidy up the house, I’ll go buy some rice and flour, do some hunting, endure a few days without until then,” Shen Zi’an announced as he entered, helping Su Zhi with her coat and expressing concern as he observed her face. The weather had cooled, her condition slightly improved but the blemishes remained. Determined to earn more, he resolved to take her to see a better doctor soon to prevent a relapse when the warmer weather returned next year.
After finishing their porridge, Su Zhi fed the remaining porridge to the chickens. Soon, Shen Zifu and Shen Zigui joined Shen Zi’an to work on repairing the house. Despite its dilapidated state with a leaking roof and walls needing a bit of plaster, a few repairs with grass and additional plaster would suffice.
The three men worked together diligently and quickly completed the repairs.
They hurried back before mealtime, aware that Shen Zi’an had only taken a small bag of corn husks from home. With winter approaching, even if they worked hard, they needed to be frugal in preparation for the harsh winter months, a challenging time for farmers without sufficient provisions.
Watching the eldest and second son of the Shen family leave, Su Zhi remarked to Shen Zi’an, “It’s interesting how siblings from the same mother can have such different personalities.”
Su Zhi had only seen the third son, Shen Ziping, briefly during their departure from the Shen household. She noted that while he didn’t look bad, his restless eyes gave an unfavorable impression, especially considering the commotion caused by Sun shi and her children. This made her suspicious of Shen Ziping’s character.
Su Zhi had never met Shen Ziju, but she pondered how the family scrimped and saved to provide for his education. He was a person who had never been present during the family’s trials and tribulations. She couldn’t say she disliked him, nor did she particularly like him.
As for Shen Zhu, she appeared pampered, attractive, and displayed a hint of intelligence. However, when everyone regarded her as a jinx, causing trouble for herself, Su Zhi found it challenging to warm up to her.
Shen Zi’an nodded, describing the personalities of each of the five children born to Shen Zhang shi. Since Su Zhi was now his wife, he felt it necessary for her to understand the personalities of each family member to avoid any misunderstandings if they were to meet in the future.
As they tidied the courtyard, a voice outside called for Shen Zi’an, prompting him to step out to answer the call.
“Brother Zi’an, are you home?”
Upon hearing the voice of a man, a slight smile appeared on Shen Zi’an’s face. Seeing Su Zhi swiftly cover her face, he turned to open the door.