RMCF: Chapter 52

 

Chapter 52

That evening, two square tables were pushed together to make one, and the whole family squeezed in to sit.

Children ate quickly. They wolfed down a few mouthfuls and got down from the table, freeing up spots for the women who had been standing nearby holding their bowls.

"Eat, Second Sister. You must be hungry after walking most of the way here. Now that you're back home, eat more."

Zhang Shixin urged Zhang Shiyue and Guan Xiao'e to eat, playing the role of the eldest brother with great enthusiasm.

Zhang Fangyuan rolled his eyes. Putting two tables together just made the few meager dishes on the long table even more laughable. If he hadn't brought over the meat, and his wife hadn't stir-fried the pig's heart and made that meat-filled bean curd, his eldest uncle wouldn't have much to offer his own sister.

But he kept his mouth shut. Once everyone started eating, he was the first to pick up a piece of bean curd for Xu He.

Today's bean curd was tender, smooth to the palate, but hard to pick up with chopsticks. Making bean curd was complicated; families didn't usually bother unless they had guests, using such time-consuming dishes to show hospitality.

The intention behind making bean curd for Zhang Shiyue was good, but they shouldn't have stopped at just one dish.

Zhang Fangyuan figured he'd better eat two big bowls of rice to make up for the meat he'd contributed. So while Zhang Shixin and Zhang Shicheng chatted with their second aunt, he kept his chopsticks busy, occasionally piling food onto Xu He's bowl.

Eldest aunt joked about their healthy appetites, but Zhang Fangyuan ignored her and ate even more. The Zhang family all knew his temper, so no one said anything further.

Zhang Shixin's two daughters-in-law, seeing so many good dishes, also wanted to eat more, but mindful of their mother-in-law's presence and her teasing of Zhang Fangyuan, they dared not overstep.

“Second Sister, how has Xiao'e's father, Brother Guan, been all these years? I only met him once, at your wedding.”

Zhang Fangyuan was just telling Xu He how delicious the bean curd was—the pickled vegetables and pork slices kept it from being greasy—when suddenly his second aunt set down her chopsticks and her eyes reddened. Everyone at the table froze, looking at each other.

“What… what's wrong?”

Zhang Shiyue took a moment to compose herself before speaking. “Two years ago, the county yamen took her father to the capital for corvée labor. After he left, there was no news. Even though we're illiterate, he could have had someone write a letter for him. We waited and waited, and finally this year, news came.”

At this point, Zhang Shiyue couldn't hold back her tears. “The yamen said he encountered bandits on the way back. He was badly injured and… didn't make it home.”

The table fell silent, shocked. Xu He's heart clenched, he instinctively grabbed Zhang Fangyuan's sleeve under the table. Natural and man-made disasters befell common folks all too often, but hearing it happen to one's own relative was deeply unsettling.

They were lucky to have some spare money to pay their taxes; otherwise, sending the man of the household so far away for labor was truly a gamble.

The men sighed deeply, and the women comforted Zhang Shiyue. Though the tragedy hadn't struck their own homes, seeing a fellow woman suffer like this stirred pity and empathy. Zhang Shixin's two sons were both away trading goods, leaving their wives and children at home; hearing such news naturally made them worry about their own husbands.

“Father-in-law passed a couple of years ago. Now there's no one left in the family. Xiao'e and I were barely scraping by, and this year we sold the old house and the dozen or so mu of poor land just to pay the taxes. We simply couldn't go on.” Zhang Shiyue's voice dropped, and she couldn't help but cry again.

Hearing this, Zhang Shixin exchanged a quick glance with his wife, then asked, “Second Sister, since you've sold the house and land, how do you plan to live? Where will you settle? Will you remarry, taking Xiao'e with you?”

Zhang Shicheng shot his eldest brother a disapproving look. This was no time for such harsh words; why kick your own sister when she's down?

“Those few mu of land barely yielded any grain to begin with. After paying the grain tax and other levies in autumn, there was almost nothing left. And with just Xiao'e and me, we simply couldn't manage it.” Zhang Shiyue understood from Zhang Shixin's tone that he didn't want to take her and Xiao'e in, but she was desperate and had to swallow her pride. “Eldest Brother, I'm not going back this time. Just give us a small room. Xiao'e and I can work; we can do anything.”

Zhang Shixin took a deep breath. He had suspected something was off when his sister suddenly showed up with her child, thought she might need to borrow money or ask for things. He never expected she was coming to depend on them.

“Second Sister, you know how things are in my household. Two grown sons, both married with children of their own. Even though the boys are away most of the year, we simply don't have an extra room right now. Besides, business hasn't been good these past couple of years, and the harvests have been poor. I'm afraid we couldn't give you and Xiao'e a good life.”

“That's right, Second Sister. It's not that your brother is heartless; it's just that our family is struggling too.” Zhang Shixin's wife, Wang Shi, quickly chimed in. “If we had more land and fewer people, it might be different. But the problem is, we have many mouths to feed and only so much land to work. Otherwise, we wouldn't have been willing to let our eldest and second go out and do small trades.”

Wang Shi cast a subtle glance at Zhang Shicheng and He Shi, her words carrying a pointed meaning.

Zhang Shiyue wiped her eyes, a chill settling in her heart. “Eldest Brother, remember that year when the crops were devastated by pests and rain? The family was struggling, couldn't pay the taxes, and it was just when you and Eldest Sister-in-law were getting married. Father and Mother went everywhere trying to borrow money. At the time, the Guan family was poor and couldn't find a wife locally. They passed through our village wanting to take a wife back. Our parents, for your sake and for the family, took two thousand wen and married me off to another county. Now that you're doing well, how can you…”

“We're talking about the present, why bring up old grievances?!” Zhang Shixin's face flushed with anger and shame. “Besides, was it only for me? Your younger siblings still needed to eat! You were going to marry someone anyway. Father and Mother thought Brother Guan was honest and reliable, so they agreed. How was it just for me?”

Seeing an argument about to erupt, Zhang Shicheng quickly intervened. “Second Sister, you left home during the family's hard times. Things got better later. Before they passed, Father and Mother often said they felt sorry for you. All your brothers and sisters had some good years at home, but you alone married away to another county, and for so many years we never knew how you fared. Second Sister, Eldest Brother's family really does have many people. Why not stay at my place? It's not as big as the old house here, but there are only three of us. We can squeeze and make do.”

Hearing that a solution had been found, Zhang Shixin's tone softened. “We all remember your kindness, Second Sister. This is good. Fourth Brother's family has more land. And the land Fifth Brother left for Fangyuan, he's not farming it himself; it's all with Fourth Brother now. Second Sister can help out there and settle in with them.”

Zhang Shiyue hadn't wanted to trouble her younger brother, but her eldest brother's callousness pained her, and she had no choice but to agree.

After the meal, Zhang Shiyue and Guan Xiao'e followed Zhang Shicheng back to his house. Zhang Fangyuan and Xu He walked part of the way with them before parting at the small path.

“Second Aunt, bring Xiao'e over to our place to play another day,” Xu He said as they were about to leave, inviting Zhang Shiyue, whose eyes were still red-rimmed.

Zhang Shiyue nodded. “Alright. You two head back now, it's getting late.”

“Okay, we'll be off then.”

Zhang Fangyuan took Xu He's hand, and they walked together along the small path home. The summer moon was bright, illuminating the way even without a torch. The surrounding fields and ridges were filled with the chirping of crickets and frogs—a sound both serene and clamorous.

Xu He sighed softly.

“What are you sighing about?”

“Second Aunt has so many brothers, yet her life is still this hard. If something ever happens to me, I don't even have brothers.”

Zhang Fangyuan pulled him closer. “Brothers like my Eldest or Sixth uncle, it's the same as having none. Besides, you have me. You won't need to depend on anyone else. Or are you trying to curse me to an early death?”

Xu He shot him a glare. “Talking about death all the time. From now on, just stay out of trouble, and I'll have less to worry about.”

“I don't cause trouble.” Zhang Fangyuan smiled appeasingly. “If the tea stall gets busy, you can ask Second Aunt to help. She'll be glad to. Treating her like a guest will only make her feel like an outsider.”

“I know.”

Zhang Fangyuan added, “When my father was alive, before Second Aunt married, she took good care of him. He used to mention it often. If he knew my Second Aunt's husband had died and she was left with a daughter, helpless and alone, he'd be heartbroken. They've all had hard lives. If Fourth Aunt isn't happy with her staying there…”

“We can take her in.” Xu He finished the sentence Zhang Fangyuan had left hanging.

“You really think so?”

“Our household has few people, which is good for taxes. But once the tea stall opens, we'll probably be swamped. We might need to hire help anyway, and that costs money. If we have enough hands at home to help out, we can breathe a little easier.”

Zhang Fangyuan felt a warm glow. Neither of them had spoken during the argument earlier, but now he realized they'd been thinking the same thing. It felt good, knowing he and his wife were of one mind.

“I was thinking, if no one wanted to take Second Aunt in, I'd invite her to our place. But I figured my Fourth Uncle wouldn't just watch his own sister have nowhere to go.”

Xu He agreed. “Fourth Uncle's family is kind.”

"They are kind, but their place is small. Only two rooms fit for living in. I don't know how they'll manage tonight. They'll probably have to clear out the storage room and make do.”

Even a storage room was something to be grateful for; a place that offered shelter from wind and rain was no small thing. Xu He thought of his own cramped room from before—hadn't that been a storage room too? Even when he lived there, the family still piled their odds and ends into it, leaving him barely some space to put his feet.

He pushed the thought away. He didn't live there anymore. His current home was spacious, with two empty rooms. Even if Zhang Shiyue and her daughter took one, they'd still have one left for children of their own.

“Let's not worry about it now. Let's hurry home, wash up, and rest. You have to go to town tomorrow to set up the stall.”

 

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