The earthen adobe courtyard of Grandmother’s house was exceptionally bustling today. The Song family was quite large and prosperous. In her lifetime, Grandmother had raised five children; Mother Yuan was the eldest, followed by two sons and two daughters. By the time Mother Yuan stepped through the courtyard gate holding Lixia, the yard was already packed with people. The second aunt and youngest aunt, along with their husbands, had already arrived. Combined with Mother Yuan’s own five children, the younger generation alone totaled thirteen kids. Running and playing all around, they made even the old scholar tree in the corner of the yard seem full of life. Tucked into Mother Yuan’s arms, Lixia clutched her mother’s lapel with her tiny hands. Watching her cousins frolicking all over the place, she thought of the birth rates that declined year after year in the news of her past life. She couldn’t help but feel that this courtyard full of lively domestic warmth belonged to a completely different universe compared to the desolation of decades later.
“Eldest Sister, this must be the fifth child!” The youngest aunt was the first to crowd over. She reached out, wanting to touch Lixia’s cheek, but paused for a moment as if afraid of startling the baby. Lixia opened her round, bright eyes wide, her long eyelashes fluttering like two little fans. Her pink, tender cheeks glowed with a healthy flush, and her rosy lips and white teeth made the youngest aunt gasp in admiration. “This child has grown so beautifully. She doesn’t look like she was born from you at all; she looks a bit like Xiuhong.”
“What nonsense are you talking!” Grandmother happened to be coming out with a bowl of freshly roasted sunflower seeds. Hearing her youngest daughter’s words, she immediately frowned and scolded her, “Xiuhong is still an unmarried young lady, how can you make such a comparison?”
The youngest aunt waved her hands frantically, a smile plastering her face as she explained, “Mom, I didn’t mean it that way! I just mean this child is so handsome she doesn’t look like she belongs to an ordinary family like ours. Think about it, in our Song family’s current generation, isn’t Eldest Uncle’s Xiuhong the most striking one?”
Mother Yuan carried Lixia a few steps closer to the eaves of the house and rolled her eyes at her sister, her tone carrying a hint of stubborn indignation. “What? I’m not allowed to give birth to such a good-looking baby? By the way, I heard people saying a while ago that Xiuhong found a partner. Is it true?”
“It’s true! They’re already engaged!” The youngest aunt clapped her hands, her voice rising a few notches. “It’s the youngest son of the Zhang Flatbread family on our main street. He’s serving in the military right now. I heard he gets an allowance every month; his financial situation is exceptionally good!”
“The Zhang Flatbread family?” Mother Yuan’s eyes lit up, her voice filled with envy. “Their family’s situation is indeed quite good. Soldiers eat grain provided by the state. When Xiuhong marries into their family in the future, her life will surely be comfortable.”
“Of course! Who told our Xiuhong to be so pretty!” The youngest aunt sighed, her eyes filled with yearning. “If you ask around the neighboring villages, Xiuhong has the most proper and beautiful features. Matchmakers could break down the threshold of Eldest Uncle’s house.”
“Not only does she look good, but the groom’s family also gave a bride price of thirty-six yuan and sixty cents!” Grandmother chimed in as she joined them, her tone carrying a bit of envy as well. “They even specially bought a piece of new fabric for Xiuhong to make a new set of clothes for the wedding. Our generation never got to enjoy this kind of treatment.”
The second aunt, having just coaxed her youngest son to sleep, also walked over to join the conversation. Her voice was gentle and soft. “Speaking of which, Xiuhong has a good destiny. It’s not just because she looks good and is marrying well, but mainly because Eldest Uncle and Eldest Aunt dote on her. Ever since she was a child, they never let her do any heavy labor. Eldest Aunt always rushed to do the laundry and cooking. At most, Xiuhong would just feed the chickens or sweep the yard. It’s nothing like us, who had to go work in the fields by the age of ten, getting tanned completely black. Look at Xiuhong’s skin, so fine and tender. It was all nurtured through a comfortable life.”
Nestled in Mother Yuan’s arms, Lixia listened to the room full of people chiming in one after another. She couldn’t help but mutter in her heart: Well, in just a few sentences, her mother envies the ability to earn money, the youngest aunt envies looks, Grandmother envies the bride price, and the second aunt envies being doted on. What everyone envies is completely different, which only adds to the bustling atmosphere of this family gossip.
It wasn’t until the afternoon that Lixia finally laid eyes on the “Xiuhong” everyone had been talking about. Two thick, jet-black, shiny braids hung down her chest, their ends tied with red yarn, which made her neck look exceptionally slender and white. Her skin couldn’t be considered the cool-toned white skin popular in the future, but among the neighbors who did farm work year-round and were tanned dark, she was already remarkably fair and clear. Her large eyes looked as if they were soaked in water, and her high nose bridge gave her features an exceptionally elegant and grand look. Even though she wore a faded, old cloth shirt, it couldn’t hide her pure and beautiful aura. Lixia had to admit that this was indeed the most beautiful girl she had seen since transmigrating into this era.
In the blink of an eye, it was dinner time. The two branches of the Song family went to Eldest Uncle’s house to eat together. The men all sat around the square table in the main room. The table was set with scrambled eggs, stewed potatoes, and a rare bowl of cured meat. The aromas of alcohol and food blended together, making everyone swallow their saliva. The women, as was the custom, carried their own bowls, picked up some food from the table, and gathered around the stove to eat. Mother Yuan scooped some rice and dishes, intending to feed Lixia while she ate herself. However, Lixia shook her head like a spinning rattle, her tiny mouth tightly shut, refusing to open it no matter what.
Mother Yuan had no choice but to finish her own food first. She then took the bowl back to the stove, washed it clean with hot water, scooped half a spoonful of rice again, soaked it with a bit of meat broth, and blew on it to cool it down before feeding Lixia once more. Only then was Lixia willing to open her mouth, eating bit by bit in small bites.
“Oh, Eldest Sister, your little fifth child isn’t very big, but she’s quite meticulous!” The youngest aunt happened to witness this scene and couldn’t help but tease with a laugh. “I saw it just now. This girl wouldn’t even eat food from her own mother’s bowl. She’s very picky!”
Mother Yuan smiled helplessly and reached out to pat Lixia’s head. “Isn’t that the truth! This child has been delicate since she was a baby. When breastfeeding, I have to wipe away my sweat first. If there’s even a slight smell of sweat, she’d rather go hungry than drink, complaining that it smells bad.”
“Really?” Everyone in the courtyard was stunned. They looked at each other, none of them having ever seen such a meticulous infant.
“Would I lie to you all?” Mother Yuan sighed, her tone a mix of laughter and tears. “Every time before I breastfeed her, I have to wipe my body down with warm water, otherwise she will throw a tantrum and refuse to eat. Sometimes I even wonder if this child was reborn from some wealthy family’s young lady in her past life, only to end up in my destitute household, causing her to suffer.”
Lixia secretly nodded in her heart: You actually guessed right! In my past life, although my parents divorced, neither side mistreated me. My parents felt guilty, and my grandparents from both sides compensated me, giving me money, houses, and cars. Life was incredibly comfortable. Now my only wish is for you all to treat me a bit better, and absolutely never let me wake up early to shovel manure in the future. Poor Lixia still had too little experience; within her limited understanding of rural life, this was already the most grueling chore imaginable.
As soon as Mother Yuan finished speaking, the courtyard became even more animated. Everyone gathered around Lixia, chiming in one after another. Some praised her beautiful looks, some said she was smart, and others teased her, asking for a hug. The laughter filling the courtyard joined the gathering dusk, making this ordinary farmhouse evening feel exceptionally warm.