Chen Liyun had always been decisive. Once her mind was made up, there was no reason to delay. Now that she had three children to raise on her own, she had to look out for herself and the little ones first. If she did not divide the crops on those eight mu of land quickly, trouble would follow the moment Qi Hongwei returned to claim them.
Any man who could abandon his wife and daughters while she was still recovering from childbirth was someone she could never trust. He was capable of anything. Rather than let him take it all, it was better to keep half for herself and give away the rest. That way, she would secure enough grain to feed her family of four while repaying those who had helped her.
She picked some green beans and eggplants from the vegetable plot in front of the house. Chen Shu hurried to wash them and set them by the stove.
As Chen Liyun chopped the vegetables to stir-fry, she instructed her daughter, “Shushu, run over to your second uncle’s house and ask him and your second aunt to come over. Make sure you bring them both. If your second aunt refuses, tell her I have something very important to discuss with her.”
Chen Shu did not move.
She knew just how mean her second aunt was, and her aunt’s three sons were just as bad.
“Mom, why do you need to see Second Aunt?” she asked.
Chen Liyun found a moment to look at her daughter. Though only seven, Chen Shu was the eldest child in the family. If Chen Liyun became too busy to look after everything in the future, Changchang and Abao would depend on their big sister.
Chen Liyun hesitated, then decided to treat her like a little adult. Pausing her vegetable chopping, she bent down slightly and said, “It’s about our family’s farmland. In the past, your grandparents and your second uncle helped harvest the crops, but that was before your father asked for a divorce. Now that we’re separating, even if your grandparents still help out, they might not let me keep everything from the fields. If they don’t, how will I feed the three of you?”
Chen Shu understood this all too well. Every year her grandparents helped with the farm work, they always demanded something in return, taking away either two bags of peanuts or two sacks of corn cobs. Her parents had argued about it many times, but her father always sided with his parents.
Later, she overheard the villagers gossiping. They said her mother was useless for giving birth to three daughters in a row, leaving her father without a son to carry on the family line. Because of that, her grandparents felt compelled to look out for him. If things truly did not work out, her father would have to remarry.
Getting married in the countryside was expensive, especially for a second marriage, so her grandparents naturally had to hoard every penny they could for him.
Her little mind raced.
Now that her parents were divorced, her father would probably remarry soon. If that happened, her grandparents might seize this year’s entire harvest for themselves.
After all, she and her sister were just girls, children their grandparents had always called money-losing burdens, barely sparing them a second glance.
Forgetting for a moment that her second aunt was no saint either, she blurted out, “All right, I’ll go right now.”
Without giving Chen Liyun another chance to speak, she spun around and sprinted out the door.
Chen Shu really did manage to bring Qi Chaoyi and Wang Fengying back with her.
The couple had returned home at different times, and Wang Fengying had just finished cooking lunch. The family was about to sit down to eat when Chen Shu arrived.
Qi Chaoyi had hurried over out of concern, while Wang Fengying followed along, intrigued by the “important matter” Chen Shu had mentioned.
The two houses were not far apart, but Wang Fengying dragged her feet on purpose, asking as she walked, “Daya, what important thing does your mother need to tell us?”
With her short legs, Chen Shu could not keep up with Qi Chaoyi and was only slightly ahead of Wang Fengying. Hearing the question, she frowned and looked back. “Second Aunt, don’t call me Daya anymore. My mom gave me a new name. Shushu, Chen Shu.”
“Oh, Chen Shu now, are we?”
Wang Fengying grinned, but the smile faded halfway. Chen Shu? Grabbing the girl by the arm, she demanded, “What’s going on? Even if your name is Shushu, it should be Qi Shu. Why are you using Chen?”
“My parents got divorced,” Chen Shu replied calmly. “My dad didn’t want the three of us sisters, but my mom did. So naturally, our surname is Chen now.”
Even as she said this, her expression remained placid.
Wang Fengying’s amusement vanished completely. It was true that she had always competed with Chen Liyun to win favor with Old Madam Qi, but that was just how sisters-in-law were. One was always trying to outdo the other, and she had never thought she was in the wrong. But children were a different matter. She was not a vicious person by nature.
Looking at the skinny girl in her patched, worn-out clothes, she remembered that her brother-in-law, Qi Hongwei, earned several hundred yuan a month. By all rights, his family should have been living well. Instead, who knew who had ended up benefiting from his money.
Chen Liyun had foolishly jumped into the river yesterday and nearly drowned. Had she died, these three girls would have been left in a truly pitiful state.
“Let’s go,” Wang Fengying said, keeping the rest of her thoughts to herself as she picked up her pace.
The couple arrived at Chen Liyun’s place one after the other. She had just tossed green beans and eggplant into a pot to make a big stew. With the fire burning under the stove, she called Chen Shu and Chen Chang over to watch it before leading the couple into the main room.
As a woman who had also given birth to three children, Wang Fengying knew all too well that moving around like this during postpartum recovery would severely damage one’s health, even if Chen Liyun seemed steady on her feet.
When Wang Fengying had her three sons, her mother-in-law had not looked after her either, but her own mother had stayed for a few days, her mother-in-law had sent some food, and Qi Chaoyi had stayed by her side day and night.
Chen Liyun, on the other hand, had lost her mother. Her mother-in-law probably got a headache just looking at those three granddaughters, and her husband was demanding a divorce on top of that.
Wang Fengying sighed and took a seat quietly without saying a word.
Chen Liyun found this somewhat surprising, since she remembered her sister-in-law as a difficult person to get along with. Still, that had nothing to do with what she needed to discuss. Once the couple sat down, she got straight to the point.
“I asked you here about the crops in my fields. Eight mu is too much for a woman alone to handle. I was thinking of letting my sister harvest half, and leaving the other half for you to harvest.”
Wang Fengying was not one to let herself get shortchanged, and she immediately exploded. “Chen Liyun, have you lost your mind? What nonsense are you talking about? We have ten mu of our own land to tend to. We can’t even finish our own work, so how could we possibly have time for yours?”
Standing up, she turned toward the door and called out to Qi Chaoyi, “Let’s go. I thought there was something important to discuss, but it turns out she just wants to take advantage of us!”
Wang Fengying had three sons. The eldest was six, and the younger two were four-year-old twins. When the land had been allocated three years ago, all of them had received their share.
Qi Chaoyi did not budge. “Mom and Dad told me to lend a hand here,” he said.
Wang Fengying was on the verge of losing her temper again when Chen Liyun cut in. “I won’t have you harvest it for nothing. Once the public grain quota is handed over, you can keep half of what’s left, and just give me the other half.”
“What did you say?!” Wang Fengying cried, so startled she nearly choked on her breath.
“If you don’t believe me, I can put it in writing,” Chen Liyun said. “No matter how much grain you bring in, I only want half.”
In other words, even if they withheld a little extra for themselves, she would turn a blind eye.
Wang Fengying’s eyes lit up instantly. Having three sons sounded impressive to outsiders, but it came with plenty of quiet hardships. Feeding them was one thing, but later they would need an education, new houses, and wives. Every single step cost money. Anything extra they could get now meant fewer worries down the road. This was an incredible stroke of luck.
“Yes, of course, no problem at all!” she said quickly. “Look, Sister-in-law, we’re all family here. If we can lend a hand, we definitely will. Don’t you worry about a thing. Once the harvest is in, the kids’ father and I will deliver your share of the grain right to your doorstep!”
While Wang Fengying beamed with joy, Qi Chaoyi clearly disapproved. Chen Liyun had already gathered what kind of man he was from the way he had brought over money earlier.
Before he could voice an objection, she cut in, “Then it’s settled. I’ll give the remaining four mu to my sister’s family, and I’ll take half the grain from them as well. Since you’re both family, I figured there was no need to look elsewhere. It’s always best to keep things between relatives. If you didn’t agree, I’d have to find outsiders, and then I’d just worry about them making outrageous demands or cheating me in the end.”
“That’s so true! Outsiders can never compare to family,” Wang Fengying chimed in, her eyes darting around thoughtfully.
“Actually, Sister-in-law, you know the kids’ father and I are both strong workers, and we have three sons at home…”
Nobody knew her better than her own family. The moment Wang Fengying opened her mouth, Qi Chaoyi knew she wanted to claim all eight mu of land. He quickly sprang to his feet, grabbed her by the arm, and hauled her toward the door.
“Come on, let’s go. It’s settled, then. Let’s hurry home for lunch so we can get out to the fields early this afternoon.”
Wang Fengying tried to protest, but Chen Lihong was already walking up with a small bamboo basket on her arm. Between the newcomer’s arrival and her husband’s firm grip, she had no choice but to leave, sulking all the way.
Chen Lihong watched them walk out before turning to her younger sister. “What was that about? What did your sister-in-law come here for? Surely she’s not making trouble for you at a time like this?”
Chen Liyun smiled, shook her head, and patiently explained the situation once more.
Following her into the kitchen, Chen Lihong flatly refused to hear of it. “What nonsense are you talking? You’re my own flesh and blood. Helping you out when times are hard is only natural. Stop treating me like a stranger, or I’ll really get mad at you. And honestly, what were you thinking? You should have kept all eight mu. Your brother-in-law and I could have easily helped you manage it. But look at you, giving away half of it just like that!”
Chen Liyun only smiled as Chen Lihong chattered on. She watched her sister finish stir-frying the dish in the wok, wash it clean, and pour in fresh water. Reaching into the bamboo basket, Chen Lihong took out six eggs all at once and cracked them into the simmering water to poach.
In Chen Liyun’s memory, Chen Lihong had already brought a bamboo basket of eggs the day after Abao was born. Barely half a month had passed, and here she was with another full basket.
With a young child to care for and Qi Hongwei away in the county town for long stretches, Chen Liyun raised only pigs, no chickens. Yet even if Chen Lihong kept chickens at home, giving away this much food risked trouble. Her husband might not object, but her in-laws were another matter.
Besides, working four mu of land was exhausting enough, let alone eight.
Once Chen Lihong finally finished rambling, Chen Liyun spoke up. “I’ve already given my word, and there’s no taking it back. Sister, I know you love me and want the best for me, but Leilei and Jingjing both have school fees to pay. I’m deeply grateful when you help me out, but if you give too much, I can’t feel at ease. You’re my sister, but my brother-in-law isn’t my brother by blood, and his parents have no ties to me at all. If you keep bringing food over here all the time, they’re bound to resent it. My divorce left me no choice, but your husband treats you well, your in-laws are good people, and you have Leilei and Jingjing to look after. Please, just listen to me this once.”
That was how life went once a woman married: parents-in-law above, children below, and a husband in the middle.
Chen Lihong was the sort of sister who would give eight cents out of every dime to Chen Liyun, yet she knew her husband and his parents had grown resentful of her constant support for her maiden family. After a moment of silence, she finally nodded.
She had brought a chicken over yesterday, and her husband had not spoken a single word to her since last night. If he found out she had carried over a basket of eggs today, he would only be angrier.
Still, if they took half the harvest from the four mu of land as Chen Liyun suggested, his anger would vanish entirely. Chen Liyun was giving the other half to Qi Chaoyi’s family anyway, so Chen Lihong figured accepting it would not hurt. If her husband or his parents ever complained again, she would have a solid defense, as her sister’s offer was far more generous than the small things she had brought over.
It would also make it much easier to help Chen Liyun in the future.
“All right, let’s leave it at that for now,” Chen Lihong agreed. “Just promise me that if you run into any trouble, you’ll let me know right away.”
“Of course,” Chen Liyun said happily.
The five poached eggs were soon ready.
Chen Lihong stirred in a bit of brown sugar, then ladled one egg each for Chen Shu and Chen Chang, placing the remaining three in Chen Liyun’s bowl. She was in no hurry to leave, urging her sister to eat while leaning out to glance toward the main house.
Lowering her voice, she asked, “Xiao Yun, what are you really planning? Have you thought about what to do next?”
“I want to find Qi Hongwei as soon as my confinement month is over and get our divorce certificate,” Chen Liyun replied. “After that, I plan to raise the three girls myself. I’m wondering if I can fight to keep this house. He works in the county anyway and will probably remarry there. If I stand firm, I should be able to get it, right?”
In the countryside, women had no land rights of their own. If she failed to secure the house, she would be left homeless. While she might stay with her parents for a few days on her own, moving back with three children was completely out of the question.
Chen Lihong looked at her in shock. “You’re taking all three of them with you?”
Chen Liyun took a sip of the sweet soup, her voice resolute. “Yes. Sister, I’ve made up my mind. I can’t bear to give up any of them, so I won’t even think about remarrying for a while. I’ve already figured out a way to earn money. Shushu is older now, and Changchang is growing up fast. They’ll soon be able to help with plenty of chores. Providing for the four of us won’t be a problem.”
Chen Lihong strongly disapproved of her sister’s plan. Still, as a mother who loved her own son and daughter to the marrow of her bones, she understood. Her eyes reddened, and she stopped trying to dissuade her, pausing for a long moment before saying, “Fine, let’s leave it at that for now. Focus on raising the children a bit more. You’re still young anyway, and if you change your mind in four or five years, it won’t be too late.”
Village girls married young, and Chen Liyun was only twenty-five. In four or five years, she would merely be around thirty. By then, even the youngest child would be four or five, making it easier to leave if she chose to.
Chen Liyun had not expected her sister to give in so easily. Feeling genuinely fortunate, she held back from repeating her resolve never to remarry and to spend the rest of her life solely with her three daughters.
Instead, she nodded with a smile. “Right, raising them a bit more comes first. But Sis, I doubt Qi Hongwei and his parents will hand over the house without a fight. When the time comes, I might need you and Brother-in-law to lend a hand.”
Chen Lihong agreed without hesitation. “Of course. When the time comes, I’ll go back and bring Dad and Eldest Brother, and I’ll let Eldest Sister and Second Sister know, too. Don’t be afraid. Our family isn’t short on people. Even if it comes down to a brawl, we won’t need to fear the Qi family!”
Chen Liyun smiled and nodded, feeling far more confident about the future.