“Compensate!”
“She must compensate!”
Second Aunt, brandishing a fire poker, was held back as she pointed at Xie Jinzhu, nearly mad with rage: “I’ll skin this stupid thing alive!”
“She…”
“But the pot I used isn’t the one you mentioned.”
Xie Jinzhu dodged to the side, flaring up: “Second Aunt, take a closer look. The dowry you mentioned is perfectly fine. I used my mother’s dowry!”
She had checked carefully when using the pot.
She really hadn’t touched Second Aunt’s treasure!
Second Aunt’s murderous aura froze for a moment, then, after clearly seeing what was on the stove, her anger flared even higher: “And you think it’s okay to ruin your mother’s dowry like this?”
“Do you know how much your mother suffered for you? Is this how you repay her as a filial daughter?!”
Xie Jinzhu gaped in astonishment.
Second Aunt shoved aside Second Uncle Xie, who was trying to hold her back, and charged forward with the poker: “Today, I’m going to beat this little beast to death!”
“Otherwise, you’ll really turn the world upside down!”
“It’s not that I’m saying…”
“Who are you going to beat to death?!”
Everyone in the chaotic courtyard turned their heads at the sound. Xie Jinzhu saw Old Mrs. Xie leaning against the door and froze in shock.
Old Mrs. Xie’s face still bore signs of illness as she stamped her foot in agitation: “If you beat her to death, where will you find another to compensate me for my grandson?”
“My grandson…”
Old Mrs. Xie’s words abruptly stopped, her expression turning dazed.
Xie Jinzhu thought, This is bad, and instinctively stepped back. Seeing Old Mrs. Xie’s tears start falling again, she suppressed her frustration and stepped forward: “Grandmother, I…”
“Are you feeling better now? Should I go fetch the doctor to examine you more carefully?”
Old Mrs. Xie’s eyes filled with murky tears as she opened and closed her mouth repeatedly. Finally, looking at Xie Jinzhu’s face, she couldn’t bring herself to speak, only letting out a sigh filled with heart-wrenching sorrow.
Second Aunt and the others snapped back to their senses and hurried over to support her: “Old Madam?”
“You mustn’t get worked up in your current condition. Go inside and rest quickly. The doctor said you absolutely mustn’t let your anger flare!”
Everyone chattered as they helped Old Mrs. Xie back to her room.
Xie Jinzhu rubbed her nose and followed. Before her hand could touch Old Mrs. Xie, it was slapped away with a smack: “I want a grandson!”
“You’re not my grandson. I don’t want your help!”
Xie Jinzhu withdrew her hand, so angry she felt like biting someone. Looking at Old Mrs. Xie’s gaunt face, she thought, I won’t argue with an old lady, and forced herself to smile, quickly explaining: “Grandmother, Second Aunt misunderstood. I wasn’t fooling around.”
“I was boiling glue to make ink. When…”
“I don’t care what you were doing.”
Old Mrs. Xie’s face was stern, her tone cold: “And don’t call me Grandmother.”
“I’ll just consider my Golden Grandson dead. I don’t have a granddaughter like you!”
Xie Jinzhu opened her mouth but found no words to say. Old Mrs. Xie suddenly slapped the bed hard: “Get out!”
“I don’t want to see you!”
Xie Jinzhu felt utterly stifled in the room. She obediently said, “Alright then,” and went out to continue watching the pot on the stove and the pine oil lamp in the bowl.
Second Aunt was still chattering away: “When she pretended to be a son before, she was lawless. Now that she can’t deceive anyone anymore, she still acts recklessly at home!”
“Every bowl in the courtyard was bought with money! Breaking even one costs real silver!”
“They have no idea how to cherish good things, lighting up the whole yard just for fun! And buying deer antlers! If she’s so capable, why doesn’t she go buy bear paws and tiger skins?”
“Some people only learn their lesson after a beating!”
Which of the girls in this household hasn’t had their palms slapped?
Which one hasn’t been scolded?
Why is it that only the one in the yard gets to live in peace?
If she wasn’t beaten before, it’s not too late to make up for it now!
Second Aunt was about to say more when Second Uncle Xie stopped her: “That’s enough from you.”
“The old lady’s illness has just improved a bit. Do you want to make her sick again?”
Second Aunt gave an awkward smirk, looking at Old Mrs. Xie’s sickly face as she apologized with a smile: “Old lady, that’s not what I meant, I just…”
“Don’t say anything more.”
Old Mrs. Xie turned her back to them, speaking with the despair of one whose heart has died: “My grandson is gone. I don’t want to care about anyone anymore.”
All these household items were prepared for the only precious grandson.
With the grandson now just a vanished hope, she only regrets not having followed Old Master Xie in death. From now on, she wants nothing to do with anything.
Second Aunt opened her mouth as if to speak but stopped herself, then suddenly smiled as an idea struck her.
The old lady wasn’t taking sides anymore!
If Third Master’s family couldn’t gain any advantage, that was good news for Second Master’s family!
Afraid she might cause more trouble, Second Uncle Xie pulled her aside and whispered a few words.
Second Aunt gritted her teeth with a cold smile: “Fine.”
“Didn’t she say all her fussing was to make money?”
“I’ll keep my eyes wide open and wait to see when she’ll actually earn the silver she promised!”
If the silver doesn’t come back, we’ll settle all accounts together then!
Xie Jinzhu caught sight of Second Aunt striding away with her head held high from the corner of her eye and let out a sigh of relief.
She really didn’t want to deal with this Second Aunt who was always ready to grab a stick.
You couldn’t fight back properly.
If you were scolded, you had to carefully consider whether to talk back.
You’d end up filled with anger for no reason, with no benefit to yourself at all.
But just because she didn’t resort to violence didn’t mean she’d keep quiet.
In the evening, when Third Master Xie and his wife, along with Eldest Uncle Xie and his wife, had all returned.
At the dinner table, Second Aunt held her bowl of wild vegetable porridge and said sarcastically: “Look how grand our Old Xie Family has become, with lights burning everywhere in the yard! Anyone who didn’t know better would think we’d struck gold somewhere!”
She had belatedly realized how wasteful it was to burn pine oil lamps like this and wanted Xie Jinzhu to sell the pine oil for money.
But that wretched girl actually said no and wouldn’t let her touch it!
Second Aunt’s eyes were like knives, glaring straight at Third Master Xie and his wife’s faces.
To keep the peace, Xie Jinzhu had excused herself from eating in the main room, afraid of upsetting Old Mrs. Xie.
Third Master Xie and his wife still looked ashamed, heads bowed.
Old Mrs. Xie said with a dark expression: “What are you blabbering about during mealtime?”
“If you’re full, go to sleep!”
Second Aunt muttered discontentedly that the old lady was still playing favorites, only shutting up when Eldest Aunt nudged her.
Old Mrs. Xie glanced sideways at Madam Wang and suddenly asked: “Is everyone eating?”
Afraid she might think of Xie Jinzhu and get upset, Madam Wang quickly replied: “Everyone’s eating.”
“The doctor said you need nourishing food while you’re ill. This is steamed egg custard specially made for you. Would you like to try some, old lady?”
The egg custard in the coarse pottery bowl was steamed to perfection, golden yellow with an enticing sheen, the surface dotted with the oily bubbles characteristic of rich food, sprinkled with finely chopped green scallions.
In the past, this bowl of egg custard would have been for one person only.
No one else would get even a taste.
Old Mrs. Xie looked at the bowl of steamed egg custard and suddenly set down her chopsticks. Amid everyone’s unease, her voice trembled with anger: “Are you all planning to starve her to death together?”
“Everyone knows to grab their own bowls, but not a single bite can be spared for her?”
“She’s a child we’ve raised this big—who exactly would be pleased if she starved to death?!”
At Old Mrs. Xie’s words, the crowd, who had been eating without tasting their food, were taken aback in surprise.
Second Aunt blurted out blankly: “Didn’t you say seeing her made you upset, Old Madam?”
“She…”
“Even if she upsets me, does that mean she should go hungry?”
Old Mrs. Xie was never one to be overly reasonable, and now that she had seized the opening, she lashed out: “Couldn’t you just give her a bowl and let her eat outside?”
“Even a cat or a dog we keep needs to eat!”
“She’s a living person! If she starves to death, it’ll be on your hands!”