Chapter 27.2 Partiality

Xiao Hua has grown up a lot because of the delicious food and was wandering around Ah-Lin’s legs. What happened at noon today had some impact on Ah-Lin and he stuck to his mother all the time and followed her around. 

Tang Chunming fed the ewe water and grass, while Ah-Lin fed the lambs nearby Tang Chunming cleaned the sheepfold while Ah-Lin led the ewe for a walk in the yard together with the two lambs, the ground was still boggy after the rain had stopped so Tang Chunming asked Ah-Lin not to run too far.

Da Mao and Er Mao went with their mother to dig for wild vegetables and mushrooms in the back mountains. Tang Chunming had wished to tag along but Zhang Xiu firmly disagreed, although he knew that Tang Chunming was acting earlier and wasn’t hurt, Zhang Xiu was afraid that something might go wrong with his stomach.

Knowing that Tang Chunming liked to eat wild vegetables and mushrooms, Zhang Xiu agreed to leave to him what Da Mao and Er Mao dug up. Tang Chunming, who was sadly confined to his yard, could only gaze at the scenery of the back mountain to enjoy himself.

He wished he could go into the mountains and make some traps, maybe they could be of use, to trap a few rabbits… wait, if he can’t go he can teach Dahan how to make a trap. When the time comes, he can trap rabbits and then get one for them. Hehe, he is so smart, he can’t wait to trap rabbits, he’ll wait for Xiu Amo to come back.

He had learned how to form traps from his father. In autumn when rabbits were fattening, both father and son couldn’t finish the rabbits they trapped, apart from giving them away they could keep them and feast on them until Chinese New Year.

When he went to college in the city, his father’s health was not as good as before, and the opportunities to eat trapped animals decreased. Up until he later returned to his hometown he was not as happy as he had been when he and his father depended on each other.

After cleaning the sheepfold and returning the sheep, he wiped the sweat on his forehead with his sleeves. Ah-Lin tugged at the corner of his mother’s clothes and said in a sweet voice:

“Mom, Ah-Lin will help mother wipe the sweat.”

“Okay, Ah-Lin is the most filial.” No one was as obedient and as considerate as his son. Tang Chunming squatted down with difficulty, his son’s behavior made him happy.

Ah-Lin stood on tiptoes and carefully used a handkerchief to wipe the sweat on his mother’s forehead and nose.

Suddenly there was a loud knock on the courtyard door. Tang Chunming stood upright and looked at Xiao Hua, Xiao Hua was not alert but ran towards the door, it seemed like he was an acquaintance, he took Ah-Lin’s hand saying: “Let’s see who has come.”

“Mhm.”

“Brother Ming, are you at home? I’m Yu Mu!”

A loud voice called out before he reached the door.

“Coming.” Tang Chunming hurriedly responded.

When Tang Chunming opened the door, he did not let him come in and have a rest. Zhang Xiu had reminded him of this.

Yu Mu was also aware of this and stood at the door and said happily:

“Look, my eldest brother and I went to the mountains and hunted a lot of things. Can you help us cook some dishes, the rest will be left for the three children to eat, Brother Ming, I will leave it here just ask Da Mao and Er Mao to send it over when it’s ready” He put down the beetle and left.

Tang Chunming took a look at the beetle, he got what he had longed for. Several rabbits and pheasants were already cleaned and waiting to be cooked.

The person had left, so Tang Chunming brought them back into the yard without being polite. He closed the courtyard door again and said to Ah-Lin:

“Let’s go, mother will make delicious food tonight”

Although rabbits and pheasants are thinner in this season, it is better than nothing. Even little flowers are soaked up.

In the evening, Da Mao and Er Mao came back with their Mother. Knowing that everything they brought would be given to Tang Chunming, the two boys were very diligent.

Their combined share was no less than Zhang Xiu’s, especially the fresh mushrooms, perfect for stewing the pheasant.

There was no need to send Da Mao and Er Mao in the evening after Tang Chunming finished cooking, Zhang Xiu asked his husband to bring most of it to Li Feng’s house, so there was no need for him to go back home later.

The three children and two Mothers ate directly at Tang Chunming’s house. Dashan and the other two men did whatever was convenient for them. They didn’t even limit their drinking, since no one was around to control them.

Zhang Xiu and Tang Chunming were chatting while eating and ended up talking about Zhao Dahu:

“ You and Ah-Lin never got to eat most of the wild animals that Dahu hunted back then, they were sent to town to be sold. If it was like what they said that you and your son were living a good life, you wouldn’t be so thin in the first place. Right now you have gained some fat after a few months and your life here is getting better and better. Forget it, I won’t talk about it anymore, it’s useless anyway he can’t hear it in the otherworld, Brother Axiu will help you find a good man who will love you.”

“Brother Axiu, you didn’t drink, so why are you talking nonsense? Da Mao, quickly give your mother some rabbit meat to stop his mouth.”Tang Chunming said with a smile.

“Mother, eat some meat.” Da Mao obediently took a piece of rabbit meat and put it in his mother’s bowl, Er Mao and Ah-Lin also followed suit. Soon there were three more pieces of meat in Zhang Xiu’s bowl, he couldn’t bear it and laughed.

“Okay, I won’t say it anymore, it’s enough. Then let me talk about my family’s Dashan. You see Dashan is silent but he has us in his heart and knows how to protect the three of us. His mother always scolded him for marrying his ger and forgetting his mother. He just scoffed and didn’t bother, just because Dashan was not as good as his elder brother who could please his mother.” 

“Didn’t Dashan know that he took things to supplement his elder brother’s family? A few days ago he called Dashan back and scolded him, because Dashan didn’t get Feng Xiaozi and Yu Mu to help his elder brother’s family, saying that he favors outsiders and doesn’t want to help his brother. That’s why Dashan and I are considered less filial, so Dashan has to raise his eldest Brother’s son for it to be called filial piety.”

Somehow talking turned into complaining. Which family doesn’t have troubles? It’s inevitable to live a bumpy life. Outsiders see Zhang Xiu and Dashan’s affectionate relationship, and two sensible sons and are envious, who would have known that the grandma at home was also partial.

“I don’t like Bo Mo and Da Bao. Grandma asked my brother and me to bring Brother Da Bao over to learn how to read from Ming Amo. He scolded us after we disagreed.” Er Mao suddenly said.

Zhang Xiu and Tang Chunming were both dumbfounded that such a thing could happen. Seeing that Da Mao lowered his head and gnawed on the bone without making a sound, it seemed like there was such a thing happening.

Zhang Xiu became angry, but because he was not at home and worried about Brother Ming’s health, he just said angrily:

“Are Da Bao and Bo Mo that precious, even the two boys in my family can’t compare, they can’t go to their elder Brother’s house.”

Tang Chunming also knew that Li Dashan was the second eldest brother, and he was separated from his eldest brother after they got married. His Mother lived with his eldest brother’s family. Dashan’s brother’s family initially had only two gers, and there was no boy. At that time Da Mao was already born, and his grandma loved him very much and took the initiative to help Zhang Xiu take care of the child. However, after Dashan’s brother’s family gave birth to a boy, Da Mao slowly lost favor and the family became fond of Da Bao.

Fortunately, Dashan is not like Dahu who heeds whatever his mother says, he still protects his little family and cares about his two children. Seeing his two children being ignored he never let them go to his mother and eldest Brother’s house to avoid being bullied and end up in trouble. He often goes to town to earn some money, so that his two sons can live a good life.

Tang Chunming patted his hand and said: “There’s no need to be angry, even if you and Dashan send people over, I must first be willing to accept them, I am not a professional teacher I just teach one or two words, Da Mao and Er Mao are also hardworking, if it were your nephew came, he would have to go back from where he came from, would it be possible for me to carry out his wishes?”

At Li Feng’s house, Yu Mu took out wine and the three men drank together, after drinking too much and eating enough they started blabbering.

Although Li Dashan usually doesn’t talk much and is quiet, after drinking wine, he became a completely different person and chatted endlessly.

“Li Feng, don’t blame me for talking too much about you, you are already a grown-up your uncles don’t care about your plans anymore. Then why don’t you start thinking about yourself? Take a look after hunting back the wild animals, no one at home knew how to prepare it, and you had to take it to someone else’s house to cook it. If you had a ger at home, you would be able to eat comfortably. People outside don’t know how good my family’s Axiu is?”

Li Dashan who was usually not ostentatious, actually showed a proud expression on his face at the moment.