By the time Ling Xi got home, it was already evening. She hadn’t let Xiao Jue walk her into the village, to avoid the bloodsuckers of the third household latching on and being a nuisance.
Yu Lian was anxiously discussing going out to search for her daughter with Su Changhe. “Xi’er still hasn’t shown up. What if something’s happened to her?”
Remembering how Xi’er had seemed to wise up after this hospital stay, Su Changhe felt she probably wouldn’t get into trouble easily, but he couldn’t help worrying about his daughter. Just as he was about to go look for her, he saw Ling Xi push open the door and walk in.
Yu Lian hurried over and hugged her. “Xi’er, where did you go? Why are you back so late?”
Seeing her parents’ eyes full of concern for her, Ling Xi felt a warmth in her heart. She took off her back basket and said sneakily, “Ma, I went to North Mountain. I caught lots of good stuff!”
Charmed by her daughter’s careful, secretive manner, Yu Lian ruffled her sparse, yellowish hair. “What good stuff? Let Ma have a look.”
She only asked casually, not expecting her thin, tiny daughter to actually bring anything back. But when she saw Ling Xi pull a pile of wild pheasant and duck eggs straight out of the basket, she was astonished. These eggs, plus the ones Su Aihua had given them earlier, would be enough to feed the second household for a month!
Then Ling Xi pulled out a palm-sized baby rabbit and said confidently, “We’ll fatten it up before eating it.”
Seeing how much her daughter liked it, Yu Lian didn’t say anything discouraging like “what would we even feed it,” and readily agreed.
And that wasn’t all. When Ling Xi hauled out a string of fish, Yu Lian was truly stunned. Five fish on a string—carp and crucian carp both—heavy enough to make Ling Xi’s two thin arms wobble, and they looked very fresh.
“Oh my, daughter! Where did all these fish come from?” Now even Su Changhe was dumbfounded.
The fish in Huaixing Village’s river had long since been fished out—how could anyone catch so many at once? He knew his daughter had become more capable, but he never imagined she’d become capable to this degree.
Ling Xi smugly lifted her little chin, eyes curving. “I traded for them. One pheasant for five fish.”
“That’s my clever girl!” Su Changhe didn’t bother questioning whether it made sense, and proudly patted his daughter’s head.
It was Yu Lian who felt puzzled. How many times would someone have to be hit on the head by a door before they’d trade five fish for one pheasant?
Oh well, she’d already brought it home—she couldn’t very well return it.
She looked at her daughter fondly. “Xi’er hasn’t eaten yet, has she? Ma will go get you some food! Changhe, make your daughter some fish stew, and have some yourself.”
She had made dinner tonight, deliberately adding a bit of white rice, and under Old Mrs. Su’s furious glare, she’d saved a bowl for Xi’er—it was keeping warm on the stove right now.
Su Changhe obediently began scaling the fish, taking out an earthenware pot to make stew for his daughter.
Playing with the rabbit, Ling Xi asked him, “Pa, where’s Grandma and the others?”
In the past, whenever she came home late, Old Mrs. Su and Wang Guiqiu would be sitting in the courtyard just waiting to scold her. That was why she’d hesitated a bit before coming in—she could avoid giving the third household any fish, but Old Mrs. Su was her father’s own mother after all; not giving any would get people talking.
She hadn’t expected the courtyard to be completely empty. All that worry for nothing.
“Xingchen is back. He’s over at your grandma’s place,” Su Changhe replied.
Ling Xi understood. No wonder Old Mrs. Su hadn’t come out—turns out her precious grandson had returned.
Su Xingchen was the eldest son of the third branch, attending high school in the county town. He was handsome and excelled in both character and studies, not much behind Su Xinghui, who always boasted about his good grades. Old Mrs. Su doted on this grandson the most—every time she mentioned him, it was when she and Wang Guiqiu were at their proudest.
Except Su Xingchen wasn’t quite like the rest of the third branch. He had a mild, indecisive temperament and had never really bullied the original owner—he had simply chosen to look the other way when she was being bullied.
As father and daughter were chatting idly, a sudden argument broke out in the courtyard, and if you listened carefully, you could hear Yu Lian’s voice.
Ling Xi pushed open the door just as Yu Lian questioned, suppressing her anger: “Third Brother’s wife, that rice was set aside for Xiaoxi by me. If Xingchen wants to eat, go cook something else for him. What right do you have to take Xiaoxi’s meal?”
Ordinarily she wouldn’t have made a fuss over such a small matter—the rice was gone, she’d just cook more. But Wang Guiqiu wouldn’t let her open the grain cabinet at all, saying the day’s food allowance had already been exceeded, and that if everyone wasted grain like she did, the Su family would be scraping by come year’s end.
Rubbish! The only reason the grain ran over was because Wang Guiqiu’s son had come home!
Su Xingchen boarded at school, where there was grain and ration tickets, and his money came from the family. Yet instead of staying properly at school, he ran home and ate Xiaoxi’s food—what right did he have?
“Second Sister-in-law, how can you say that! Xingchen finally comes home for a visit and you won’t even let him eat—aren’t you ashamed to call yourself his second aunt?” Wang Guiqiu shouted.
Just from listening outside, one could guess what they were arguing about. Su Changhe’s expression darkened, and he carried Ling Xi into Old Mrs. Su’s room.
The third branch was all gathered there—even Su Changping, who was always running off somewhere, was present. Old Mrs. Su sat on the kang watching her two daughters-in-law argue, making no move whatsoever to intervene.
In the entire room, only Su Xingchen looked awkward; everyone else wore expressions of perfect entitlement—including Su Xinghui, who had once lived in an era of fairness and democracy.
Su Changhe walked straight up to his younger brother. “Third Brother, aren’t you going to do something about this?”
Su Changping instinctively shrank back, but then remembered that the man before him was no longer the high-spirited second brother of old, and straightened his back. “Second Brother, you know what my wife’s temper is like. How could I possibly control her?”
Not at all surprised by this response, Su Changhe turned to Old Mrs. Su on the kang. “Mother, Xiaoxi still hasn’t eaten.”
The moment Old Mrs. Su saw Ling Xi, she thought of the pig leg incident, and her anger flared up at once. “Now she’s clamoring to eat? Where was she at mealtimes? Xingchen just got home and you’re already making a scene—are you determined to break that boy’s heart?”
“Mother, Xiaoxi is just eating a meal. How does that break Xingchen’s heart?” Su Changhe’s tone was rather cold.
Meeting those deep, weathered eyes of his, Old Mrs. Su felt a rare flicker of guilt. All her children had come from her own flesh—how could she not love them?
But she was only doing it for the sake of her second son and his wife. Who knew how many more years Sanya had to live? In the end, they would have to rely on Third Brother’s wife for support in old age. Xingchen was a boy with a good heart, and he surely wouldn’t mistreat his second uncle in the future.
Convinced she was right, she nevertheless unconsciously averted her gaze. “Second Son, do you know why Xingchen came home today?”
Su Changhe shook his head. He didn’t know, and he didn’t care.
Before the old woman could finish, Su Changping eagerly cut in: “Xingchen picked up a bag of money and ration tickets, and not only did he not spend any of it, he returned it! And guess what, Second Brother? The bag’s owner turned out to be from the provincial military district, and they said once he graduates, they’ll get him a job at the steel factory!”
He could finally show off in front of his second brother, swaying his head with delight as he carried on like a storyteller.
“Of course! My Xingchen is going to be a worker at the steel mill—can’t we treat you all to a meal?” Wang Guiqiu said smugly.
Just as the words fell, a loud shout came from outside the door: “Sus! Changhe! Changping! Soldiers have driven up to your house—come out quick!”
Wang Guiqiu’s face lit up at once. “They must be here to thank our Xingchen!”
Su Changping hurriedly rushed outside, as if afraid no one knew he was Su Xingchen’s father.
Only the old lady managed to keep her composure, putting on airs as she strolled slowly out the door. “That’s our country’s soldiers for you!”
At this, Su Xinghui couldn’t resist twisting the knife, chiming in: “That’s right, our soldiers have the most conscience. Didn’t they give Sanya a pig’s leg last time?”
Old Mrs. Su’s face darkened, and she deliberately raised her voice: “Who could be as promising as our Xingchen!”
Yu Lian was so aggrieved that tears welled up in her eyes, and Su Changhe’s face was taut as well.