Chapter 4: Separation (Part 1)

“I don’t know,” Zhiwen admitted. “But Grandma has always seen us as a burden.”

Madam Li turned to her husband, Lin Heng. “Don’t take Qing’er’s words to heart. She’s just a child. She’ll forget about it soon.”

“Yulan, I’m sorry. I’ve made you suffer all these years,” Lin Heng murmured, pulling her into an embrace.

Despite her hardships, Madam Li felt a surge of warmth. Her husband was kind, and their children were filial and sensible. A little suffering was nothing—wasn’t this just how life was for women in the village?

At dawn, Lin Wanqing got up with her sister. While Wanru went off to do chores, Wanqing stayed in the yard to exercise. Her body was far too weak—she needed to build strength.

She started with a few yoga stretches, then began jogging around the house.

Her brothers, puzzled, asked what she was doing. Wanqing explained that she was exercising to stay healthy.

Her youngest brother, Zhiyuan, giggled and joined in, running behind her. Zhiwen and Zhiqin, on the other hand, scoffed. “We run up and down the mountain all the time. No need to do it here.”

Just then, hurried footsteps came from the front yard. Their father rushed past, carrying their mother in his arms, with Wanru following anxiously behind.

“What happened to Mother?” the siblings cried out.

“She fainted,” Wanru said, her voice tight with worry.

The children rushed into the room. Madam Li lay on the bed, her face deathly pale. No one spoke—they simply stared in silent concern.

Lin Heng sat at her side, holding her hand. As she slowly regained consciousness, he insisted, “You’re not getting out of bed today. Your sisters-in-law can handle the work.”

Wanqing quietly slipped away and returned with a bowl of spiritual spring water. She handed it to her mother. Madam Li took a few sips and reassured them, “It’s just an old problem. I’ll be fine after some rest.”

Lin Heng was firm—he wouldn’t let her get up. He told the children to keep an eye on her while he went to speak with his mother. Then, he left.

The children stayed by their mother’s side. Seeing their worried faces, Madam Li forced a smile. “Silly kids, I’m fine.” But the fear in their hearts didn’t subside.

Once they were sure their mother was stable, Wanru prepared to leave for chores.

Even though their eldest aunt was cooking today, she still had to gather pigweed, feed the pigs and chickens, and clean the coop. There was always work to do.

Zhiwen also got ready to leave—he and Huzi planned to go up the mountain to search for bird eggs to supplement their mother’s nutrition.

With just the younger siblings left in the room, Wanqing turned to her mother. “Mother, you must take care of yourself. We need you.”

Her younger brothers echoed her sentiment.

Madam Li smiled gently. “Alright, I’ll rest well.”

Wanqing urged her to finish the water, not leaving a single drop, before feeling reassured.

She knew that in Xishan Village, people only ate two meals a day. Madam Li had been malnourished for years—her fainting spells were likely due to low blood sugar. She sent Zhiqin to check the kitchen for food while she and Zhiyuan stayed behind.

A while later, Zhiqin returned. “Eldest Aunt is cooking today. She wouldn’t let me in. She said we’ll find out what’s for breakfast when it’s ready.”

The kitchen was tightly controlled—Grandma Tian oversaw all the food. She decided what was cooked and how much, making it nearly impossible to sneak an extra bite.

Wanqing wondered if her father had spoken to her grandfather about separating yet. If Grandpa refused, what would they do?

When it was time to eat, Wanqing grabbed her younger brothers and dashed to the dining hall.

The meal consisted of coarse black grain flatbread, a thin gruel with barely a few grains of rice, and boiled beans with pickled vegetables.

As soon as everyone sat down, Wanqing gulped down her first bowl of gruel, then immediately refilled it. Grabbing two flatbreads, she turned to Grandma Tian. “Grandma, I’m taking this to eat with Mother in our room.” Without waiting for a response, she walked away.

Grandma Tian, already fuming that the third branch of the family wasn’t working today, exploded at Wanqing’s audacity.

“Stop right there!” she roared.

But Wanqing didn’t even glance back.

Furious, Grandma Tian shouted, “She won’t get dinner tonight!”

Wanqing didn’t care. She delivered the food to her mother. “Mother, I brought your meal. Eat up.”

Breathless from running, her cheeks flushed, Wanqing looked more alive than ever.

Madam Li studied her daughter. Though still thin and dark from malnutrition, she carried herself differently. Her eyes were especially striking—bright and full of spirit.

Ever since she had woken up from her coma, she had changed. She talked more, was braver, and no longer seemed timid. Had she knocked some sense into herself?

“Mother,” Wanqing’s voice pulled her from her thoughts.

She took her daughter’s hand and shared the meal with her. Bite by bite, they ate, despite the bland taste.

Wanqing chewed slowly, determined to swallow every last bit.

In this era of scarcity, having food on the table was already a blessing.

Mother and daughter ate happily together. A rare smile appeared on Madam Li’s face—it had been a long time since she had felt this close to Qing’er. It reminded her of when Wanqing was still a child.

For Wanqing, this closeness felt natural. The warmth of her mother’s love drew her in, making her instinctively want to be near her. Both of them smiled as they ate.

When Lin Heng and the boys returned, their faces were filled with worry. Seeing the mother and daughter so joyful, they hesitated to interrupt.

But little Zhiyuan blurted out, “Sister, you’re not getting dinner. Grandma said you can’t eat.”

Madam Li was shocked. “Why?”

“It’s fine, Mother. One missed meal won’t kill me.”

“What happened? Tell me, husband.” Madam Li’s concern deepened.

“It’s nothing. Qing’er just spoke back to Mother a little, and she got angry. She’ll cool down later,” Lin Heng reassured her.

“Mother, really, it’s no big deal. It’s not even dinnertime yet. Maybe by then, Grandma will have calmed down.”

Madam Li shook her head. “Your grandma isn’t one to change her mind easily.”

“I’ll apologize later. Maybe she’ll let me eat then,” Wanqing said with a carefree smile.

Madam Li frowned. “Qing’er, you shouldn’t talk back to your grandmother. She’s an elder—you must respect her.”

“Alright, alright, I got it,” Wanqing responded half-heartedly, then left with her siblings to give their parents some space.

Inside Wanqing’s room, her older brother and younger brothers sat with troubled expressions.

Zhiwen said, “I’ll go to the mountains again this afternoon. Maybe I’ll find some wild fruits or bird eggs.”

They hadn’t found any eggs in the morning, but he was willing to try again.

Wanqing, however, wasn’t worried about her grandmother’s words. When dinnertime arrived, she sat obediently at the table, waiting for the meal.

The entire family looked at her in surprise.

Once everyone had gathered, her eldest aunt smirked. “Oh my, isn’t this Wanqing? Didn’t you hear? There’s no dinner for you tonight.”

“Why?” Wanqing asked plainly.

Her aunt let out a scoff and glanced at Madam Tian but said nothing more.

Ignoring them, Wanqing remained seated.

Madam Tian narrowed her eyes at her and declared, “There’s no food for you tonight. Get away from the table.”

Wanqing didn’t move. Why should she leave? She hadn’t done anything wrong.

Seeing her refusal, Madam Tian sneered. “Fine. If you won’t leave, then nobody eats.”

The table fell silent. Everyone turned to Wanqing.

Under their gazes, Wanqing looked directly at her grandmother. “Grandma, why do you treat my mother and me like this? My mother works from dawn to dusk without ever slacking off. Her body is worn out from exhaustion. Now that she’s sick and resting for just one day, you still won’t let her be?”

Smack!

A sharp slap landed on the table.

Madam Tian glared at her. “Are you talking back to me? Go get your mother. She just fainted, didn’t she? It’s not like it’s the first time. Let her come and explain how exactly she’s sick.”

“Grandma, don’t be mad,” Wanru quickly interjected, pulling at Wanqing’s sleeve. She whispered, “Qing’er, ever since you hit your head, you sometimes say strange things. Apologize to Grandma, quickly.”

But Wanqing ignored her sister’s warning and continued, “Grandma, I know you don’t like my mother and me. You think we’re a burden. Since that’s the case, why don’t you just drive us out and let us fend for ourselves?”

“Grandma, you can’t kick Mother and Sister out!” Wanru cried, dropping to her knees before Madam Tian.

At the other table, Zhiwen and the boys also rushed over, kneeling on the floor.

Little Zhiyuan burst into tears. “Grandma, please don’t send Mother and Sister away!” He sobbed and pleaded desperately.

Wanqing hadn’t expected this reaction. Seeing her siblings’ distress, she, too, knelt before Madam Tian and began to cry.

The house was suddenly filled with the sound of sobbing.

Madam Tian was stunned. When had she ever said she was kicking them out? Sure, she had thought about it before, but she hadn’t actually meant it—at least, not yet.

Meanwhile, Lin Heng watched his children kneeling and begging their grandmother. A deep sorrow filled his heart.

He turned to his father, Lin Guangbai, and knelt down before him.

“Father,” he said solemnly, “I have failed in my duty as a son. I can no longer serve you and Mother. Today, I beg you—please allow our family to separate.”