After meeting up with Man-ger and the others, the four of them carried large and small bags and hurried towards the village. As they passed through a small alley, they heard a woman shouting and cursing.
”You old codger, where’s the money? Didn’t you hide your savings for your funeral? How could you have lost a single penny?”
Then, the old woman’s hesitant voice rang out, “It’s not that I don’t want to take it, it’s just that we really don’t have any left. Your father-in-law used it all for his funeral when he passed away.”
”Stop pretending! You didn’t contribute a single penny to your grandson’s wedding. Is this how you treat a babysitter?”
”Didn’t your father-in-law hand over all his money to you when he passed away? I really don’t have any money left.”
”You old codger, you still dare to argue? Have you forgotten who’s been taking care of you all these years? I’ll teach you a lesson you won’t forget!”
Meng Wan vaguely felt that the old woman’s voice sounded familiar. He took two steps forward and realized something was wrong. Why did Song Tingzhou, who was following behind him, stop?
Song Tingzhou had been holding back, but as he passed by that alley with his fists clenched, he finally couldn’t hold back any longer.
”Wan-ge’er, you and Dali go first, I’ll catch up in a bit.” After he finished speaking, he hurriedly walked into the alley.
Meng Wan was both worried and unsure of what had happened, so he dared not follow him rashly and could only stand there anxiously.
Man-ger and Dali looked at each other, confused, unsure whether to stay or leave.
As Meng Wan watched Song Tingzhou enter a house, he gritted his teeth and said, “Dali, I’ll go in and take a look. If anything’s wrong, I’ll call you, and you can go in and help. If I don’t call you, you can leave after a while.”
Dali readily agreed, “Okay!”
Meng Wan hurried after him and saw Song Tingzhou standing protectively in front of an old woman, being scolded and pointed at.
”You little brat, you think you’re so tough now? Have you forgotten how you used to live in my house a few years ago, eating and drinking all my food and drinks!”
In the small courtyard, a middle-aged woman in her thirties stood on the steps, hands on her hips, yelling at Song Tingzhou.
Meng Wan finally understood after hearing her words. It turned out that this woman was Song Tingzhou’s aunt. Looking at the old woman behind Song Tingzhou, he realized that she was indeed Chang Jinhua’s mother, whom he had met before.
Chang Jinhua didn’t even inform her brothers and mother about his engagement to Song Tingzhou, which must mean that the two families are really at odds now.
Song Tingzhou was not a good debater; he was simply protecting his elderly grandmother and preventing his aunt from taking further action.
Meng Wan hid by the door and pondered for a while. After all, society nowadays is not as convenient as it is in modern times, where you can just pick up your grandmother and leave.
Now that the Chang family has a son, there is absolutely no reason for the maternal grandmother to move into her daughter’s house. Even if she were willing, Song Tingzhou’s uncle’s family would not let her go for the sake of their reputation.
Song Tingzhou is a junior, and he plans to pursue a career in government in the future. Arguing with them at this juncture will only damage his reputation.
Even though he is angry, he has no choice but to endure it for now.
Once Meng Wan understood the crux of the matter, he put on a smile and walked into the courtyard, interrupting the continuous insults from Song Tingzhou’s aunt, Madam Chang.
”This must be your aunt, you look radiant.” She was so engrossed in her swearing that her face turned red and her neck thickened.
Aunt Chang looked at Meng Wan suspiciously, “Who are you? What are you doing at our house?”
Song Tingzhou, who had been constantly criticized, finally emerged from his silence, “Wan-ge, you go first, I’ll be there in a bit…”
”Don’t speak.” Meng Wan was furious. Song Tingzhou was still young, and no matter how mature he looked, he still had some youthful impetuosity. He had barged into someone’s house so rashly that all he would get was a scolding, which wouldn’t change anything. If he left, his grandmother would only face even harsher criticism.
”Oh, so you two are from the same family. My good nephew has grown up quite a bit. His one husband ran away, and now he’s hooked up with another one?” Aunt Chang said sarcastically.
Meng Wan’s hair wasn’t tied up, so he must be an unmarried young man. Going to a relative’s house with a man outside the marriage before marriage is certainly considered improper.
Meng Wan was stunned for a moment. What did she mean by “his one husband ran away”? Damn it, Song Tingzhou was actually a divorcee.
However, he recovered in an instant and smiled at Aunt Chang again, “Aunt, you are too kind. I am Cousin Tingzhou’s fiancé. I came to the market today to do some small business. I was passing by your house when my cousin insisted on coming in to visit you and Uncle, so I had the nerve to come. Here is some fruit for the children. Please don’t mind.”
Aunt Chang didn’t hear a word of what he said about fiancé, his small business, or his visits to them; her eyes were fixed on the two bags of pastries in Meng Wan’s hand.
”Did you buy this for me?” Aunt Chang stretched out her hand.
Meng Wan pulled her hand holding the pastries back and laughed, “Aunt, isn’t it a bit inappropriate for us to talk in the courtyard?”
Aunt Chang slapped her thigh and warmly took Meng Wan’s hand. “Oh, look at me, I’ve been so busy talking. Come in and sit down, young man. Tingzhou, help your grandmother inside. She’s old and her memory isn’t good. She lost her money again today, so I was just saying a few words to her. Please forgive her.”
Meng Wan carried the two bags of pastries and went into the house first. Seeing this, Song Tingzhou helped his grandmother and walked in as well.
The old woman patted her grandson’s wrist. “I’ve seen this boy before. His name is Wan-ge’er, right? He’s a good boy. Treat him well in the future. Your grandmother is old and doesn’t have many days left. You don’t need to come to see me.” Her words were filled with a deep sense of desolation.
Song Tingzhou pursed his lips. It was his fault. If he had passed the imperial examination and become a scholar, Chang Jinhua wouldn’t have to suffer such contempt. His aunt would not have treated his grandmother so badly because of him.
Even after they got inside, Meng Wan didn’t let go, clutching the two packets of pastries tightly until Song Tingzhou helped his grandmother in.
The Chang family’s house was fairly clean, with quilts neatly stacked on the kang (a heated brick bed). A three-year-old child was playing with his hands on the kang, his fair face bearing a small, vermilion mole, in a similar position to Meng Wan’s, but lower down, completely on his face. He seemed to be a ger.
Aunt Chang picked up the child and kissed him, “Yu-ge’er, look who’s come to see you? Your sister-in-law has brought you cakes.”
Meng Wan hurriedly explained, “Aunt, you’re mistaken. I call you aunt out of kinship. Although my cousin and I are engaged, we’re not married yet. If word gets out that you’re calling me aunt, I really… I…”
Meng Wan feigned shame and sadness, covering his eyes with his hand and pretending to cry, “I’d rather just smash my head against the Chang family’s door!”
Aunt Chang’s eyelids twitched, and she almost couldn’t maintain her smile. “Auntie is wrong. Yu-ge’er, come and call your brother.”
Whoever comes to visit and keeps talking about being hanged? They’re just as unlucky as their sister-in-law. If it weren’t for those two bags of fruit, who would let them into the house!
Meng Wan burst into laughter through his tears, “Brother Yu is so cute, let me give you some fruit.”
He opened the expensive layered cake package and handed a piece to Yu-ge’er. He then gave a piece each to his maternal grandmother and Song Tingzhou, and took one for himself to eat.
”The fruit sold in the shop is really delicious, Aunt, why don’t you try some?” He spent so much money, wouldn’t it be a huge loss if he didn’t eat a piece before leaving!
Aunt Chang’s face was long and drawn. In her eyes, these two bags of fruit already belonged to her family. She was heartbroken to see so much of it being divided up, but she couldn’t take it from him. Afraid that Meng Wan would take another bag, she hurriedly said, “Wan-ge’er, Auntie doesn’t want any. Your uncle hasn’t come back yet. Auntie will put the fruit away for your uncle.”
Knowing he couldn’t go too far, Meng Wan handed the rest of the fruit to her, saying, “Since it’s for my uncle, Aunt, please put it away quickly. If my cousin and I move to town in the future, we’ll definitely bring fruit to visit often.”
Aunt Chang accepted the fruit and then smiled again. “You’re such a clever boy. If you really wanted to, you could have just come to our door. We’re true relatives; there’s no need to send gifts every time.”
After getting a wife, how could he still buy a house in town? That brat squandered so much money on his studies, does Chang Jinhua still have any money left?
Originally, Aunt Chang intended to collect the snacks and send them away, but after hearing Meng Wan’s words, she had more to think about.
This fiancé is so generous; he’s clearly not the type to save money. If they do end up living in town, it’ll be easy to get things from him.
Meng Wan stood up and said seriously, “The proper etiquette must be observed. My cousin Tingzhou’s cousin’s aunt was reported to the county government for being disrespectful to her parents-in-law. I heard that she was not only beaten twenty times, but also, at the age of thirty or forty and with two children, she was ordered by the county magistrate to be divorced by her husband’s family.”
Aunt Chang looked on incredulously, “The county magistrate is involved in this kind of thing?”
Meng Wan said it so truthfully, “Of course! If it weren’t for my cousin’s classmate telling him, how would we know about the county magistrate!”
Song Tingzhou got up with him and also lied like Meng Wan, “It was my classmate who told me that he had been to the county government office.”
Seeing Aunt Chang, who was stunned by his combination of persuasion and coercion, Meng Wan smiled and said, “Aunt, my cousin and I will take our leave now.”
Aunt Chang smiled insincerely: “Young boy, aren’t you going to stay? Why don’t you stay for a meal before you go back?”
Meng Wan looked at the little boy in her arms and said, “Auntie has to take care of the elderly and the young every day, so we won’t trouble her. Auntie, please stay here. It’s cold outside, don’t let the child get cold.”
The old lady sat listlessly in the corner of the kang (a heated brick bed). She didn’t get up when they were about to leave, and kept her head down wiping away tears.
Meng Wan felt sad too, and said to her through the curtain, “Grandmother, did you like the fruit today? We’ll bring you some more next time. We didn’t buy much this time, just enough for you to have a taste. The rest will have to be left for Uncle.”
Now, whenever Aunt Chang hears this, she unconsciously feels like she’s being set up, as if she’ll be reported for abusing her mother-in-law and be beaten the next second.
”Your uncle can’t possibly finish all those old-fashioned snacks. I’ll take them to my mother-in-law’s room in a bit.”
Once the door is closed, no one will know whether she really took it or not, but at least it can restrain her a little and prevent her from hitting and scolding his grandmother at the drop of a hat.
Song Tingzhou could also understand this. After leaving the Chang family’s gate, he lowered his voice and said to Meng Wan, “Thank you.”
Meng Wan was still feeling the pinch of spending a fortune on fruit to prepare for the New Year, and he had only eaten one piece himself when he noticed that Song Tingzhou was in a bad mood—he was in no mood to comfort him!
He’s still in a bad mood!
”Wan-ge’er, what’s going on? Are you and Ting-zhou alright?” Even though Man-ge’er and Da-li hadn’t heard anything, they still didn’t leave. The couple waited for them at the intersection for quite a while.
In comparison, Meng Wan is not very genuine; he is someone who is extremely good at hiding her emotions.
Putting aside his mourning for the expensive pastries, he raised the corners of his mouth to Mange’er and said in a slightly raised voice, “My aunt’s natal family lives in that lane. I went in and sat for a short while, leaving a couple of catties of fruit for the elderly folks; however, seeing that my uncle’s wife was getting ready to cook a meal, I didn’t feel it was appropriate to stay any longer.”
There were three or four families living in the alley, and some of them were openly standing on their doorsteps listening to gossip.
After Meng Wan and the others left, the group of middle-aged women exchanged knowing glances and made faces.
”It’s neither early nor late, and there’s not even smoke coming out of the chimney. What kind of food are you cooking?”
”Are you stupid? That’s just them making excuses because they don’t want to keep their guests.”
”That’s really stingy. I heard they even brought snacks with them. The cheapest of those is eighty coins.”
They all live in town and have some savings, but they can’t afford to buy such expensive pastries on ordinary days. They can only buy half a pound for the children and the elderly to enjoy during festivals.
”That young man said he bought the fruit for Grandma Chang.”
It was nothing new for Aunt Chang to verbally and physically abuse the elderly woman; the neighbors had long since treated the situation as a spectacle. While they might greet her with a smile to her face, who didn’t curse her shrewish nature behind her back?
As for buying fruit for the old person—it would be a blessing enough if they didn’t get beaten, let alone actually get to eat fruit.
Unexpectedly, from that day on, the Chang family became much quieter, and the sounds of fighting and cursing were almost inaudible.
Meng Wan and the other three traveled together without any further incidents and entered the house smoothly.
”Auntie, we’re back.”
The front door was wide open, and Meng Wan called out as he walked inside.
”Don’t tell Mother about what happened earlier, lest she be upset,” Song Tingzhou said in the kitchen, taking off his basket.
Meng Wan gave him a disgruntled look, his lips barely moving, “Do I need you to tell me?”
Song Tingzhou lowered his head, tidying up the things in his basket as if he had been wronged.
Chang Jinhua lifted the curtain and came out. “Why are you two back so late? It’s almost dark. Dalang, go and lock the door. I’ll get the bowls and chopsticks and we’ll start eating right away.”
Chang Jinhua stewed sauerkraut and frozen tofu, and also added several slices of braised pork to the stew. The weather was so cold that it was freezing to eat in the kitchen, so every household in the village used a kang table (heated brick bed) for meals, and the Song family was no exception.
A kang table was set up on the kang in the main room. Chang Jinhua ladled vegetables from a large pot onto the table. “Today, the frozen tofu at the stall sold better than the tofu. There were many buyers, and since only our stall had it, more people came to buy tofu as well. I should have made more frozen tofu a few days ago; it’s easier to handle.”
Song Tingzhou came in, and the three of them scooped up some rice and sat down to eat.
Meng Wan ate steamed buns, candied hawthorns, and layered cakes at the market. He wasn’t too hungry yet, so he ate slowly while talking to Chang Jinhua.
”Fortunately, it hasn’t snowed these past two days, and the weather isn’t as cold as it was a few days ago. Otherwise, even if we covered the tofu with a quilt, it would probably freeze, and we would only be able to sell frozen tofu.”
Chang Jinhua was in a good mood today and talked more than usual.
”Tomorrow, your Uncle Tian’s family is slaughtering a pig. I’m going to their house to buy some pork for the New Year. Are you coming?”
Without even thinking, Meng Wan said, “Go.”
The village is filled with the festive spirit of the New Year; everyone, young and old, is looking forward to a good holiday. Going out to join in the fun is so much fun!