Font Size:
Early in the morning, just as the sky was beginning to lighten.
Old Tan was carrying vegetable seeds and rice, preparing to go to the barren land to plant vegetables. He had just stepped out of the courtyard when he ran into the village head’s wife.
The village head’s wife, Liu Shi, was the daughter of a fish vendor from Pingyang County. While not exactly wealthy, her family was never short of food or clothing. However, she had adopted a somewhat business-minded attitude, always keen on being frugal and calculating every little detail.
With a fierce expression, she stormed into the courtyard and, glaring, demanded, “Tan family, didn’t our family give you a hen last year?”
Old Tan was momentarily taken aback, then replied, “Yes, that’s right. You did give us a hen.”
Liu Shi placed her hands on her hips, raised her head, and said, “Well then, return the hen to us now.”
Wan Chunmei, carrying her child as she stepped outside, furrowed her brow and said, “Liu from the village head’s family, that hen was compensation for the loss we suffered! Now you want us to return it? That’s unreasonable.”
Liu Shi extended her finger, pointing directly at Wan Chunmei, and retorted, “That hen wasn’t compensation! You came to us with an axe and stole it! Hurry up and return it! Or I’ll report this to the county authorities!”
Liu Shi was known for her unreasonable nature, and today, she seemed determined to get the hen back.
Old Tan stepped forward, his face reddened with anger as he placed his basket down. “No way! Since the hen has been given to us, it’s now ours!”
Upon hearing this, Liu Shi stamped her feet twice, slapped her thigh, and began crying and shouting, “The Tan family is bullying us! They’ve stolen our old hen and refuse to give it back!”
Her voice was loud enough to attract attention from the entire neighborhood.
The loud shouting startled little Qiyue in Wan Chunmei’s arms, causing her to wake up with a cry.
“Waah!” Little Qiyue began crying loudly.
Wan Chunmei tried to calm her down, rocking her gently while glaring at Liu Shi. “Go ahead, make all the noise you want! Even if you tear up the ground, we still won’t give you the hen!”
Liu Shi leaped up, pointing a trembling finger at Wan Chunmei’s nose as she yelled, “You old hag! A bunch of shameless people, stealing from others and not letting go! You’re nothing but a gang of bandits!”
Wan Chunmei shot back angrily, “Liu from the village head’s family! Did you eat shit or mix urine in your mouth? You stink, you’re disgusting—how about trying to accumulate some good karma for once?”
Wan Chunmei, fuming with anger, continued to scold, but her child in her arms cried louder and louder. As she tried to comfort her, she turned to head inside.
“What did you just say?!” Liu Shi, her anger boiling over, stepped forward, ready to grab Wan Chunmei.
Old Tan quickly stepped between them, shielding his wife. “What do you think you’re doing? Want to start a fight? Liu Yejun, listen to me—today, not only will you not get the hen, but even a single feather, you won’t take away!”
“You—!” Liu Shi trembled with rage.
She had been married to the village head for many years, and the villagers always treated her with respect. But the Tan couple—these two were nothing like that, scolding and being aggressive.
The more Liu Shi thought about it, the more wronged she felt. In a fit of anger, her mind clouded, and she rushed forward, snatching the child from Wan Chunmei’s arms and attempting to throw it to the ground.
Little Qiyue was thrown into the air, falling straight down.
Tan Yiliang and Tan Erqian, who had just stepped outside, couldn’t help but shout, “Sister!”
“Qiyue!” Wan Chunmei rushed forward to catch her, but she was still a step too late. The child was about to hit the ground.
Just then, a small figure suddenly appeared from somewhere, catching little Qiyue in mid-air.
The figure appeared to be around eight or nine years old, with a delicate, fair-skinned, handsome face that seemed much more mature than his age. He held little Qiyue seriously in his arms, his deep eyes focused intently, as though weighing something in his mind.
Little Qiyue stopped crying, blinking her big, watery eyes as she looked at the small, porcelain-like boy in front of her. Despite his youth, it was as if his lips were gently curling into a smile, something a baby like her wouldn’t yet know to do.
A warm breeze blew through, carrying the scent of grass and trees, lifting the small tufts of hair from the boy’s forehead.
The tiny baby reached out with her chubby little hands, grabbing at the strands of hair, and tightly clenched them in her fist.
“Third Brother!”
A voice called out. The small boy snapped out of his trance and looked up toward Tan Yiliang and Tan Erqian, who were rushing over.
“Eldest Brother, Second Brother.”
This small boy was none other than the Tan family’s third son, who had been ill for many years.