Chapter 19: Aunt Lin Sumei

That night, as Wanru lay in bed, she asked Wanqing, “Is the county town really more lively?”

“Of course!” Wanqing replied. “It’s bustling every day. Sister, you should visit the county town sometime.”

Wanru’s heart filled with anticipation. “Okay!”

Today was the happiest day of her thirteen years. For the first time, she went to the market with enough money and bought things she had never dared to dream of before.

Even though Aunt Liu and Lotus Mother had helped her buy the necessities, the experience had opened her eyes. The feeling of being trusted, of making her own decisions, was wonderful.

Before their family separated from the old house, life under the oppression of their relatives had taken away many joys a young girl should have. She had endured so much at a young age, forced to mature beyond her years.

But today, she had no burdens—she could truly enjoy herself.

Everything at the market was fresh and exciting, but the best part was that they weren’t short on money. She bought things that made her whole family happy. Seeing the joy on their faces felt even better than buying things for herself.

“Qing’er, do you know why Grandma doesn’t like our family?”

“Why?” Wanqing, who was just about to doze off, immediately perked up at the gossip.

“Because Grandma originally wanted to marry her own niece to Father,” Wanru said slowly.

“But Father refused. After Mother married into the family, Grandma never liked her.”

“How do you know this?” Wanqing was curious. Her usually honest and reserved sister was suddenly gossiping?

“Aunt Liu mentioned it at the market. She also said she didn’t know that Father wasn’t actually Grandfather’s biological son. If she had known earlier, we could have separated from the family a long time ago, and Mother wouldn’t have had to suffer for so many years.”

“Why did Aunt Liu tell you all this?”

“Hmm?” Wanru was puzzled. “Was I not supposed to say it?”

“It’s not that you can’t say it, but Aunt Liu doesn’t usually gossip like this.”

“What does ‘gossip’ mean?”

“It means… someone who likes to talk a lot,” Wanqing explained.

“Hahaha,” Wanru chuckled. “Aunt Liu also said that Mother was a great beauty when she was young!”

Wanqing teased, “Sister, do you think Aunt Liu likes you? You’re thirteen now; it’s about time to talk about marriage. What about Brother Huzi? What do you think of him?”

“What nonsense are you saying? I’m not talking to you anymore!” At the mention of marriage, Wanru’s face turned bright red.

“I think Aunt Liu really likes you and treats you like family. Brother Huzi is a good match—you should think about it.”

“I’m ignoring you!” Wanru wrapped herself in the blanket and turned away.

Wanqing genuinely thought it was a good idea. If Aunt Liu liked Wanru, then there would be no mother-in-law troubles in the future. Their families were close, and they knew each other well—much better than an arranged marriage with a stranger.

A woman’s marriage determined her happiness, especially in this feudal society. If Wanru married Brother Huzi, she could stay close to their parents, and both families could support each other. It seemed like a great choice.

But what did Brother Huzi think?

Sigh, she hadn’t paid much attention to their interactions before. She’d have to observe more closely next time.

As Wanqing pondered this, Wanru had already drifted into a sweet dream with a smile on her face.

In the days that followed, the men worked on reclaiming farmland, while the women busied themselves making clothes.

Zhiwen took his younger brothers to collect stones, while Lin Heng swung his hoe, clearing land that would be used for planting vegetables next year.

Madam Lǐ and the others were making cotton-padded clothes, Wǎnrú helped with the sewing, and Wanqing took charge of cooking.

Days passed peacefully.

The weather grew colder, and frost had already begun to set in.

Wanqing didn’t want Madam Lǐ to wake up early every morning and struggle to cook, so she asked Lin Heng to go to town and buy more grain.

She planned to make extra dumplings and steamed buns to freeze, so they could just heat them up in the morning—just like modern frozen food.

The three women sat on the heated brick bed, sewing. Wǎnrú, who could embroider, stitched a small yellow flower onto Wanqing’s handkerchief.

In ancient times, without tissues, Wanqing immediately hung the handkerchief by her side to use. She even said one wasn’t enough and wanted to buy more.

Wanqing was sewing simple straight lines. She didn’t want to do needlework, but Madam Lǐ insisted she learn—after all, what woman didn’t know how to sew?

As they chatted and laughed, Aunt Li’s voice called from outside the yard. Wanqing ran out to greet her. Aunt Li came in, sat on the heated brick bed, and said to Madam Lǐ, “Did you hear? Your younger sister-in-law is back. It seems her husband broke his leg. She’s probably here to borrow money—she’s crying.”

Broke his leg?

Madam Lǐ’s heart clenched. “How bad is the injury? Is it serious?”

Hearing this, Wanqing was also surprised. She tilted her head and searched through the original owner’s memories, finally finding a few fragments about Little Aunt Lin Sumei.

Like a movie playing at triple speed, she quickly reviewed the information and summarized: this little aunt was thin, small, and quiet, with little opinion of her own. But she had always treated their family well. Unfortunately, she had married poorly—her husband’s family didn’t seem very well-off. Ever since her marriage, she had rarely smiled…

And now, with her husband’s leg broken, it was adding insult to injury for an already struggling household.

Medical equipment and treatments in ancient times were not very advanced…

In short, three words: truly pitiful.

Wanqing shook her head slightly and prepared to continue sewing.

“Qīng’er, come here,” Madam Lǐ waved at her. “You…”

——

When she arrived at the old house, it was silent, with no sign of anyone. Wanqing stepped inside but saw no one—had they already left?

She turned and ran toward the village road. At the village entrance, she spotted a distant figure. Wanqing paused, comparing it to the memory in her mind.

It seemed… like the right person?

She sprinted forward, calling out as she ran, “Little Aunt! Little Aunt—”

At this moment, Lin Sumei was wiping away tears, walking unsteadily with heavy steps, completely unaware of the shouts behind her.

She felt miserable. Her husband, Li Zhongyi, had slipped while chopping wood on the mountain and tumbled down, breaking his leg. The village doctor couldn’t treat it, so they went to town, spent a lot of money, but his leg was still not healed.

Now, she was going back to her maiden home to borrow some money to find another doctor for her husband. But her family was poor too. Feeling hopeless, she didn’t know how to face her in-laws when she returned home.

She seemed to faintly hear someone calling “Little Aunt.” Dazed, she turned around and saw a little girl rushing toward her.

“Little Aunt”

Wanqing stood in front of Lin Sumei, panting heavily. She said, “Little Aunt, my mother knows you’re back and asked me to tell you that Father isn’t home today. Tomorrow morning, he will take Little Uncle to the county town to see Doctor Su from Baohetang. Doctor Su has excellent medical skills and will definitely be able to heal Little Uncle’s leg.”

Lin Sumei stared at Wanqing in a daze, her lips moving slightly, unsure of what to say.

“Little Aunt, just go home. Father will come tomorrow morning for sure, and Mother said you don’t need to worry.” After delivering the message, Wanqing turned and walked away without looking back.

When she returned home, she told Madam Lǐ about her conversation with Lin Sumei. Madam Lǐ nodded repeatedly.

When Lin Heng came home and heard about Lin Sumei’s situation, he became extremely anxious. He knew his younger sister well—she would never come back to borrow money unless she had no other choice. If she had returned now, it meant her husband’s injury must be serious.

Seeing how worried her parents were, Wanqing also started feeling uneasy. Their emotions rubbed off on her, making her restless as well. She tried to comfort them, saying, “Father, don’t worry, everything will be fine.

“Tomorrow, you and Brother should go to town and hire a carriage, then head to Little Aunt’s house and take Little Uncle to Baohetang in the county town. Doctor Su is highly skilled—he can heal him.”

She left one thought unsaid: If the injury couldn’t be treated, then it was fate—worrying wouldn’t help.

Lin Heng responded quickly, “Alright, alright,” and anxiously waited for the next day to arrive.

Meanwhile, after leaving Wanqing, Lin Sumei kept wondering—was it really true? Would Third Brother really take Zhōngyì to the county town tomorrow? Could she trust Wanqing’s words? How much would it cost to go to the county town? Where would they get that kind of money?

Lost in thought, she unknowingly arrived home. As she stepped through the courtyard gate, she saw her in-laws looking at her expectantly. For a moment, she didn’t know what to say—she hadn’t borrowed any money.

After a moment’s hesitation, she lowered her voice and said, “My Third Sister-in-law said that tomorrow, my Third Brother will take my husband to the county town for treatment.”

Old Man Lǐ and his wife exchanged glances but remained silent.

Lin Sumei returned to her room, where her eldest daughter, Dàfèng, quickly came forward and called out, “Mother.” Lin Sumei responded softly before heading straight to check on Li Zhongyi, who was lying in bed.

Seeing his wife’s expression, Li Zhongyi could already guess that she hadn’t been able to borrow any money. These days, life was hard for everyone. Smiling, he tried to comfort her, “It’s okay, don’t be sad. I’ll be fine in a few days.”

Looking at her husband’s swollen leg, Lin Sumei couldn’t hold back her tears. He was the pillar of their family, and their children were still young—how could she not be worried?

She wiped her tears and told him, “My Third Brother will come tomorrow. He said he’ll take you to the county town’s clinic. But I didn’t see him myself—it was Third Sister-in-law who said it. Actually, I didn’t see Third Sister-in-law either—it was Wanqing who told me.”

Lin Sumei placed all her hopes on Lin Heng, desperately hoping that he would come tomorrow.

She was so anxious that she couldn’t eat dinner and struggled to sleep. Only when dawn was approaching did she finally drift off into a light slumber.