Ye Zhiyuan, the eldest son of the Ye family, is now 27 years old. Ye Zhiheng, the second son of the Ye family, is now 22 years old. The youngest child of the Ye family is Ye Zhifang, aged 20, who has some intellectual deficiencies.
Fortunately, she was born into the village chief’s household, which is now considered one of the better-off families in the village. Even a black-and-white television is a rare possession, owned by only a few households in the village.
Since the family hasn’t split up, all seven members of the Ye family sit together for meals.
The Ye family’s dinner is quite abundant: Sauerkraut and Pork Stew with Vermicelli, stir-fried shredded potatoes, and a cold mixed side dish of mustard greens and radish strips. The staple food is Cornmeal Flatbread.
However, placed in front of Ye Zhifang was an extra bowl of Brown Sugar Ginger Water and a Boiled Egg, which Mother Ye had prepared for her daughter in the kitchen afterward.
Ye Zhifang clearly sensed the displeased looks from her sister-in-law and nephew. Eggs are considered precious in rural areas, as many families raise chickens in their homes and sell the eggs in town. Most of the Ye family’s eggs end up in Ye Zhifang’s stomach, which explains why she is so fair and well-nourished.
Ye Zhifang had no time to deal with these family members who harbored ill intentions toward her. She picked up the egg and was about to crack it on the table when her mother snatched it away.
“Oh, my dear, this isn’t for eating. Let me help you with it.”
Mother Ye couldn’t even wait until after the meal. She took the freshly boiled egg and rolled it over the swelling on the back of Ye Zhifang’s head.
Ye Zhifang felt the warmth of her mother’s care. Aside from some pain, it was an effective way to quickly reduce the swelling. After rolling it a few times, her mother tossed the egg onto the table.
As the eggshell cracked, the egg white peeked out. An egg rolled like this wasn’t inedible, and Ye Zhifang didn’t hesitate—she cracked the egg open and popped it into her mouth.
If she were of normal intelligence, she might have given the egg to her parents or her youngest nephew. But as things stood, Ye Zhifang had the mental age of an eight-year-old, so keeping the treat to herself was exactly what she was expected to do.
“You silly child, no one’s going to fight you for it. Hurry up and drink the Brown Sugar Ginger Water. You’ve been playing outside all afternoon—don’t catch a cold.”
Under the watchful eyes of the entire family, Ye Zhifang ate the whole egg and drank a bowl of Brown Sugar Ginger Water, while her four-year-old nephew had only dry Cornmeal Flatbread in his bowl.
“Little Fang, Mom said you wanted to eat fish. Tomorrow, Eldest Brother and Second Brother will go catch fish for you in the river. From now on, don’t go near the river outside the village anymore, so the family won’t worry.”
Eldest Brother’s simple and sincere words warmed Ye Zhifang’s heart. He was also the most educated in the family, having graduated from high school. When the college entrance exams were reinstated, he could have taken them, but he chose to stay home for the sake of the family. With their father’s help, he now works as the village clerk, handling collective documents, copying notices, recording meetings, and issuing certificates for villagers. This job suited his literacy skills perfectly.
Second Brother disliked studying and only had a junior high school education. After that, he worked alongside the villagers doing farm labor. His muscular build clearly showed he was a manual laborer.
Ye Zhifang clapped her hands in delight. “Great, Eldest Brother! I want to eat Braised Fish and Steamed Fish. If there are lots of fish, we can keep some alive and save them for the New Year.”
Father Ye kept his head down and ate without saying a word. After all, the New Year was just around the corner, and the fish in that river weren’t public property—anyone who wanted to catch fish could try. But very few people actually managed to catch any. If it were that easy, the villagers would have long since caught fish to sell at the market for money.
After the meal, Eldest Sister-in-law cleared the table and washed the dishes alone in the kitchen. She also had to boil a pot of water for the whole family.
Meanwhile, Ye Zhifang sat wrapped in a quilt on the warm kang, watching TV. The more Eldest Sister-in-law thought about it, the angrier she became.
She had been married into the Ye family for five years now, and for all five years, she had been doing household chores alongside Mother Ye. But this sister-in-law of hers lived a life of luxury—she never lifted a finger for any chores, not even washing her own underwear. Mother Ye took care of it all.
Eldest Sister-in-law couldn’t help but wonder: if Mother Ye were gone one day, would she, as the eldest daughter-in-law, end up having to wash her sister-in-law’s clothes?
Why was it that, as women, she had to work like a servant after marrying into the Ye family, while the other got to live like a pampered young lady?
Fuming, Eldest Sister-in-law returned to her room, still seething with anger. Unable to hold it in, she started complaining to her husband.
“Zhiyuan, don’t you think Mom is so unfair? There are plenty of eggs at home, yet she won’t give one to our son. And that Brown Sugar Ginger Water—our son was running around outside all day, but Mom didn’t offer him a single bowl. Sometimes I wonder if you’re even a real member of the Ye family.”
Eldest Brother was winding fishing line in his hands. He used to enjoy fishing in the river, but fish weren’t easy to catch. After going often, he eventually learned what bait worked for which fish.
Luckily, there was still some lard at home. Tomorrow, he could take some, put it on the hook, and catch carp and crucian carp. Usually, there were more crucian carp and fewer carp.
Unexpectedly, Eldest Brother lost his temper. “How many times have I told you not to compare yourself to my sister? What’s the big deal about missing one egg? The kid eats plenty of meat. It’s not like the family is starving or leaving you and him without clothes. Back when my dad wasn’t the village chief, after my sister was born, he was elected village chief. All these years, as long as my sister is safe and sound, my dad’s position as village chief has been secure. My dad always says my sister is the family’s lucky star. No one should ever mistreat her. I don’t want to hear you say things like this again.”
Eldest Sister-in-law turned her body away, not wanting to argue with her husband about this. Lucky star? She had never heard of such a thing—it was just superstition in the Ye family.
By nine in the evening, every household in the village had turned off their lights and gone to sleep, including the Ye family.
Ye Zhifang slept next to Mother Ye, lying on the warm kang under a quilt with a silk cover—the best one in the house.
As for whether she was a lucky star or not, Ye Zhifang had no idea. All she knew was that her job was to eat, drink, and be waited on every day.
The next morning, Ye Zhifang slept until the sun was high in the sky. On the kang, only her bedding remained unpacked. No one was in the room, but there seemed to be movement in the kitchen. It turned out to be Eldest Sister-in-law and Da Sao’s Mother chatting about everyday matters.
Eldest Sister-in-law had suffered from insomnia the night before. After thinking for a long time, she finally came up with a way to get rid of her sister-in-law: find her a family to marry into. That way, the whole family would only care about their son, not this useless sister-in-law.
“Mom, Xiaofang will be twenty-one next year, already at the age for marriage. Why not have a matchmaker find her a husband after the New Year?”
Eldest Sister-in-law thought happily to herself that as long as Mother Ye agreed, she would immediately find a matchmaker to arrange a man for her sister-in-law. A normal family wouldn’t marry her, but at least she was a woman capable of bearing children. Finding a lame man or a widower—someone would still be willing to take her.