When Chang Dazhuang returned in the evening, Aunt Liu told him about the day’s events. The couple could only sigh. “It was meant as a kindness, but we ended up causing them trouble.”
Chang Dazhuang remained silent. By nature, he was honest and simple, and since it involved his own family, he didn’t know what to do.
The utility room was cramped, and they didn’t lower their voices around the children. Chang Shan and Chang Shui looked at each other; at sixteen and twelve, they were old enough to understand the situation, and they felt both angry and embarrassed. Only five-year-old little Chang Yu, sensing the oppressive atmosphere, pulled a small cloth bundle from her robe. She opened it carefully and said in a clear, sweet voice, “Don’t be angry, Mother. Have some candy.”
Sister Shen had given it to her yesterday. Her older brothers hadn’t wanted any, and she couldn’t bear to eat it herself, so she had saved it until now.
Aunt Liu took a piece and tucked it into the girl’s mouth, stroking her head. “Mother won’t eat it. You keep it for yourself, Xiao Yu.”
Seeing Xiao Yu nod with a beaming smile, Aunt Liu felt a pang of bitterness in her heart.
Chang Dazhuang was not Madam Zhang’s biological son.
Old Man Chang had five children.
The eldest daughter, Chang Huaihua, and the eldest son, Chang Dazhuang, were born to his first wife, Mrs. Lin. Mrs. Lin had passed away just a few days after giving birth to Chang Dazhuang.
Two years later, Old Man Chang married his current wife, Madam Zhang.
Madam Zhang had been married before. Her first husband died while performing corvée labor, leaving behind a son who came with her to the Chang family. His surname was changed, and he became Chang Erzhuang.
Madam Zhang then bore Old Man Chang another son, Chang Sanzhuang, and a daughter, Chang Tingting.
Chang Tingting was born when Madam Zhang was nearly forty. Now seventeen, she was extremely pampered. She lived a life of leisure, expecting everything to be handed to her, and put on the airs of a young lady all day long. In contrast, little Chang Yu was only five, yet she had to help with chores and cut grass for the pigs; if she didn’t bring back a full basket, she wasn’t allowed to eat. Her small hands were already covered in thick calluses.
Chang Sanzhuang was the youngest son and had also been spoiled since childhood. He was the father of Madam Zhang’s first grandson, Chang Ziming. Chang Ziming was sixteen, only a few months younger than Chang Shan. However, in Madam Zhang’s heart, he was her only legitimate eldest grandson.
Chang Ziming had been clever from a young age, so Madam Zhang had grit her teeth and sent him to the village school in the county seat. He had already passed the Xianshi and Fushi and was a proper Tongsheng. He only needed to pass the Yuanshi next year to become a Master Xiucai.
The last time Qingshui Village had produced a Xiucai was over a decade ago. Every time Madam Zhang thought of this, her heart swelled with pride. Chang Ziming held a transcendent status in the household, and even Chang Tingting had to step aside for him.
Chang Ziming also had a thirteen-year-old sister named Chang Ning’er. Her original name was Chang Huahua, but “Ning’er” was a name Chang Ziming had given her after he began his studies. Chang Ning’er loved to show off this name in front of her friends, feeling superior as if she possessed a natural aura. Names like Xiuxiu or Juanjuan were, in her mind, incredibly rustic. Chang Tingting had been jealous of her for a long time because of it.
The two of them had accompanied Chang Sanzhuang to the county seat today to visit Chang Ziming and had only returned at dusk.
Although Chang Erzhuang was not Old Man Chang’s biological son, Madam Zhang took pity on the fact that he had lost his father at a young age and suffered through lean years with her, so she doted on him as well. After ten years of marriage to Mrs. Lyu, he finally had a son, Chang Tianbao. Now eight years old, the boy was also heavily indulged.
Only Chang Huaihua and Chang Dazhuang were left in an awkward position. Ever since Madam Zhang entered the house, they had rarely known a good day. The heavy, exhausting labor usually fell to the two siblings. Chang Huaihua was two years older than Chang Dazhuang and had matured early, learning at a young age how to read people’s expressions. She often humbled herself and flattered Madam Zhang just to beg for a few extra bites of food for her brother. She had practically raised Chang Dazhuang herself; if not for his sister, he likely would have starved to death long ago.
Because of her brother, her marriage was delayed, and she didn’t marry until she was twenty. She had married Mrs. Liu’s elder brother, whose family was also destitute, making their lives even harder than those of the Chang family. In truth, when Chang Huaihua was young, she was pretty and knew how to handle people; she had even earned a bit of favor with Madam Zhang and could have married into a better situation.
However, when it came time for Chang Dazhuang to take a wife, the person Madam Zhang had her eye on was not Mrs. Liu, but a family named Li from a neighboring village. The Li family had a relative who worked in the county yamen, so their life was better than most.
Their only daughter was plain-looking, arrogant, and mean-spirited. She remained unmarried well into her twenties. For some reason, she took a liking to Chang Dazhuang. Not only did they ask for no betrothal gift, but they also offered twenty taels of silver as a dowry. Madam Zhang had agreed without a second thought.
Old Man Chang usually didn’t involve himself in household matters. Moreover, it was difficult for poor families to arrange marriages, let alone for a man like him who had lost his first wife. Being able to marry the decent-looking Madam Zhang was already considered a stroke of great luck. Consequently, he tended to follow her lead and turned a blind eye to her actions.
Chang Huaihua knew that if her brother married such a woman, his life would be ruined. She secretly went to the village head to plead for help and arranged for him to marry into the Liu family before Madam Zhang could finalize the other arrangement.
She knew Mrs. Liu was capable and thorough. Her family were hunters and were desperately poor. She had an older brother and two younger brothers.
Since Chang Huaihua had no money for a betrothal gift, she could only arrange an exchange marriage. On the day Mrs. Liu married into the Chang family, Chang Huaihua boarded a borrowed donkey cart and went to the Liu family.
Because the twenty taels of silver Madam Zhang had anticipated vanished, she utterly loathed this daughter of her husband’s late wife and detested the newly-wed Mrs. Liu as well. In all these years, Chang Huaihua had never returned once, and Mrs. Liu rarely visited her own family.
Madam Zhang’s own two sons were lazy and loved to eat, so nearly all the work fell onto Chang Dazhuang’s shoulders. The same was true for the younger generation. Mrs. Liu’s three children were not to Madam Zhang’s liking either; she was always hitting or scolding them. Whenever there were new clothes, good food, or fun toys, they were reserved for the families of the second and third sons. Chang Shan was the eldest, yet he still wore Chang Ziming’s hand-me-downs. As for Chang Shui and Chang Yu, they had never even seen new clothes.
Seeing little Chang Yu satisfied with a single piece of candy, Mrs. Liu felt her heart breaking. It didn’t matter how much she suffered, but she didn’t want her children to suffer with her.
“Xiao Shan is sixteen now; he’s at the age to start a family. We should start paying attention to that.” After a pause, she added in a low voice, “Aunt Lan privately offered me two hundred taels of silver. I didn’t take it all, only twenty taels—they don’t have it easy either. I’ve hidden it well. I was thinking that while we have the money, we should handle his marriage sooner rather than later.”
“You decide what’s best.” Chang Dazhuang knew she was afraid of Madam Zhang finding out. “I’m useless. I’ve let you suffer all these years.”
Aunt Liu’s face reddened, and she chided, “What nonsense are you talking? The children are right here.” Seeing Chang Shan and Chang Shui both leaning in to listen, she snapped, “What are you two listening to? Go to sleep!”
In her youth, Aunt Liu had been quite pretty. Although decades of hard labor had carved many wrinkles into her face, in Chang Dazhuang’s eyes, those marks were what made her most beautiful. At that moment, he simply stared at her foolishly without saying a word.
Chang Shui looked at his older brother with a grin. “Mother, you must find a gentle sister-in-law. She can’t be like Second Aunt, whose voice is so loud the whole village can hear her. And she can’t be like Third Aunt, whose smile makes a person’s skin crawl.”
Aunt Liu was amused by his words. “Alright, alright. I’ll definitely find a good one.”
Chang Shan said gloomily, “I’m still young. I don’t want to get married yet.”
“Wanghu is only a year older than you, and he already has two children.”
“That’s only because they were twins,” Chang Shan argued.
“That’s still two,” Aunt Liu replied, unbothered. “We still need to keep an eye out. There’s plenty of time. Now, go to sleep.”