Xie Chuntao worked with a whirlwind of energy in the kitchen, finally able to display her full culinary skills. In the past, even the most clever wife couldn’t cook without rice, but today was different. With so many large fish and the flour, oil, and grain gifted by the villagers, she was determined to put together a magnificent feast.
The hot oil sizzled as she stewed four large fish, lining the rim of the iron pot with a circle of white flour flatbreads. The fish bladders and intestines weren’t wasted either; she stir-fried them with vibrant red chilies. She also used a piece of the meat sent by the village chief’s wife to simmer a dish of tofu with pickled plum vegetables and pork. Aside from the fish and meat, she prepared a spinach and egg soup.
The dining table was set in the main hall, groaning under the weight of the dishes. The aroma filled the air, making everyone’s mouth water.
“Mother, I’ll bring the food into the room for you,” Xie Chuntao whispered as she lifted the curtain to the main room.
“No need, I’ll go out and eat with everyone,” Madam Zhen replied. She tucked the quilt around Little Fuyuan, who was sleeping soundly. The baby’s pink mouth occasionally made a tiny sucking motion—she was heart-meltingly cute.
Afraid of waking her sister-in-law, Xie Chuntao moved softly. She carried the bedridden Erlang to the dining table, and Madam Zhen covered his legs with a heavily patched cotton jacket.
Bai Da Zhuang, Bai Zhao Mei, and the others gathered around the table. The scent of fish and meat wafted into their noses, making their appetites surge. However, since Grandmother Bai had not yet sat down and Bai Muban had not yet returned, no matter how hungry they were, they didn’t dare lift their chopsticks. They had to wait for the family to be whole and for the elders to give the word.
But it smelled so good! It was almost impossible to resist.
“Chuntao, set some food aside in a bowl for your father. We won’t wait for him,” Grandmother Bai said as she stepped into the hall, carrying a large bowl.
Xie Chuntao took the bowl and carefully selected several of the best pieces of fish to set aside.
“Alright, I know you’re all starving. Eat,” Grandmother Bai commanded as she took her seat and lifted her chopsticks.
The family dug in. It had been so long since the Bai family had tasted meat! The last time was during the previous New Year when they had pork dumplings. It had been nearly a year of nothing but clear soup and watery rice. The adults could endure it, but the children were famished for something substantial. Bai Zhao Mei, Dalang, and Sanlang’s chopsticks moved like raindrops; even little Sanlang ate with desperate speed.
Yu Jingui ate like a starving wolf, specifically picking out the tender meat from the fish bellies.
Xie Chuntao and Madam Zhen exchanged a look. They shared the same thought: they would eat less to leave more meat for the children. Consequently, the mother and daughter-in-law focused solely on the tofu and vegetables.
Grandmother Bai glanced up, tapped the table with her chopsticks, and addressed the two women. “Who are you doing this for? Not eating fish? Not eating meat? Who are you leaving it for? Your husbands and sons?”
Madam Zhen and Xie Chuntao’s chopsticks faltered.
“I’m telling you, the women in this house work just as hard as the men. Do they not have hands or legs? Do they need you to sacrifice your food for them?” Grandmother Bai said bluntly. “If you aren’t going to eat, don’t bother cooking in the future. It’ll save us some grain.”
She then turned her fire toward the men, starting with Bai Da Zhuang. “Are you all emperors or high officials? Do you need your wives and mother to step aside for you? If you want people to defer to you, see if you actually have the ability first. What, did you catch a few fish and now your tails are in the air?”
Bai Da Zhuang went silent.
Yu Jingui, acting as if she had been given a royal decree, chimed in, “If they won’t eat it, I will! I could eat a whole fish by myself in one go.”
Grandmother Bai didn’t give her an ounce of face. “You’re a pig, so of course you could eat that much.”
Xie Chuntao and Madam Zhen knew that Grandmother Bai had a sharp tongue but a soft heart; she was simply looking out for them. Under her stern gaze, they finally reached for the fish.
Having been scolded by his grandmother, Bai Da Zhuang reached out with his chopsticks. He first placed a piece of tender fish belly into his mother’s bowl, then a piece of the tail into his wife’s bowl. Finally, he gave the fish head to Grandmother Bai. “Grandma, you love the fish head!”
Grandmother Bai’s expression softened slightly, though she still grumbled, “Your grandmother isn’t so old that she can’t lift her own chopsticks. I don’t need you to serve me.”
Bai Da Zhuang could only offer a sheepish smile.
Bai Zhao Mei and Dalang followed suit, serving food to their respective mothers. Sanlang looked at Yu Jingui and decided his mother didn’t need any help, so he picked up two pieces of fish—one for his cousin Erlang and one for Grandmother Bai.
Grandmother Bai was deeply comforted. Yu Jingui might be unreliable, but thankfully, Sanlang hadn’t been corrupted by her influence.
The winter days were short. By the time lunch was finished and the dishes were washed, the sky had already begun to darken.
Madam Zhen sat by the bed, taking apart the white silk jacket. She stuffed it with fresh, light cotton and began refashioning it into a small coat and a pair of trousers for Little Fuyuan. Xie Chuntao and Yu Jingui sat nearby.
This was the first time Yu Jingui had closely observed her sister-in-law. Despite her inner resentment, she had to admit the girl was heart-stoppingly cute—delicately carved like a porcelain doll. She rubbed her own belly, praying that her own daughter would be just as beautiful.
“Mother, how do you have so many good things? I’ve never seen you bring these out before,” Yu Jingui said. Seeing Little Fuyuan lying on a squirrel-fur cloak and the expensive white silk in Madam Zhen’s hands made her feel quite bitter.
She had heard from her own mother that Madam Zhen was different from typical village women; she was someone who had seen and worn fine things before. When Yu Jingui married the second son, she had wanted a small red silk jacket, but the Bais refused, claiming they had no money. It turned out they did have fine things; Madam Zhen was just keeping them for herself.
Using such high-quality fabric for a mere girl… This was just the beginning, and they were already this biased. She feared her own daughter would be ranked far behind this sister-in-law.
“It’s just these two pieces. It would be a waste to let them sit, so I’m giving them to your sister,” Madam Zhen said calmly.
“Exactly. Mother’s things should go to Little Auntie,” Xie Chuntao said, leaning over to gaze at Little Fuyuan with a smile. She suddenly remembered she had a piece of soft silk fabric in her own room; she decided she would make an outfit for her sister-in-law as well.
Yu Jingui cursed Xie Chuntao for being a sycophant in her mind. “Mother, if it all goes to Little Auntie, what will my daughter wear when she’s born?” she asked bluntly.
Madam Zhen was usually kind to her daughters-in-law, but Yu Jingui’s questioning made her displeased. She replied firmly, “When you have a daughter, do you think I would mistreat my own granddaughter?”
“I—”
“Da Zhuang’s mother!”
Yu Jingui was cut off by a voice outside calling for Madam Zhen.
“That sounds like Auntie Xia. I’ll go see,” Xie Chuntao said, standing up.
Upon hearing it was the old woman from the Xia family, all three women looked startled. Outside, Auntie Xia stood by the fence, her wooden clogs covered in snow. Had it not been for a soft “baaing” sound, they wouldn’t have noticed she was leading a goat; the snowy-white animal blended perfectly with the winter landscape.
Xie Chuntao was filled with astonishment. The Xia and Bai families had not associated with each other for years. Even if they crossed paths in the village, the Xias ignored the Bais.
“Auntie Xia, it’s freezing out. Please, come inside,” Xie Chuntao said, masking her surprise as she walked to the fence.
Auntie Xia remained still and handed the lead rope to Xie Chuntao. “…I heard your mother’s milk hasn’t come in. My family happens to have a nursing goat that just gave birth. Take it.”
“Auntie Xia…” Xie Chuntao hesitated, unsure whether to accept. Grandmother Bai was out visiting, and Madam Zhen was inside; she didn’t dare make the decision to accept a gift from the Xia family on her own.
With a creak, Madam Zhen pushed open the door. Seeing Auntie Xia by the fence, her heart felt heavy with complex emotions. “Sister Xia…” she called out.
“To give birth to a child at such an age… you have the ability to bear them, but no ability to raise them,” Auntie Xia said, her voice sharp with sarcasm.
Madam Zhen felt a stir in her heart. After all these years, Auntie Xia was finally willing to speak to her. “Sister Xia, please come in and sit.” Her voice was thick with emotion.
“No. I’m covered in the winter chill; I wouldn’t want to startle your daughter,” Auntie Xia refused coldly. She added, “Qinghe sent this goat over this evening. She came by this morning and heard your mother-in-law trying to borrow a goat…”
At the mention of her daughter, Qinghe, Auntie Xia’s voice wavered. “Qinghe is far too stubborn… Da Zhuang’s mother, now that you have a daughter of your own, don’t teach her to be as honest and soft-hearted as Qinghe.”
“Sister Xia…” Madam Zhen didn’t know how to respond to the mention of Qinghe.
“If you don’t take this goat inside, let it freeze to death here.” Auntie Xia shoved the rope into Xie Chuntao’s hands, turned around, and walked away into the snowy night.
Watching Auntie Xia’s silhouette vanish, Madam Zhen felt a whirlwind of conflicting emotions. If it hadn’t been for that incident years ago, Qinghe would have been a daughter-in-law of the Bai family. If it hadn’t been for the Yu family’s schemes against her second son…
Ultimately, it was her second son, Bai Er Zhuang, who had been “blind and deaf,” falling into the Yu family’s trap and failing such a wonderful girl like Qinghe. After Er Zhuang married Yu Jingui, Qinghe had married into a neighboring village. Word was her life wasn’t easy, yet she had still sent a goat.
“Mother, the goat…” Xie Chuntao asked cautiously.
“Put it in the pen. Then, take two of the larger fish and leave them at Auntie Xia’s door. Whether she keeps them is up to her,” Madam Zhen instructed.