Just as Wang Lizheng’s imposing figure disappeared through the courtyard gate, the temporarily subdued noise in the main hall burst forth again like floodgates opening.
It was not until the end of the You hour (around 7 p.m.) that the neighbors finally left, still reluctant to go home.
The younger children had already been fed and looked after by the older ones. Little Lin Sui’an, especially, was almost asleep, her tiny head nodding again and again. She had been tired herself that day and no longer had the energy to sneak into the hall and eavesdrop.
Seeing that Grandpa and Grandma still needed to discuss important matters in the main hall, the eldest cousin instructed the second cousin to help the younger girls wash up and take them to the back courtyard to sleep first, while Dahe was put in charge of the boys. The eldest cousin stayed behind to clean up the leftovers and later report things to the elders.
Once only the Lin family remained in the hall, Madam Liu suddenly slapped her thigh, startling Li Xue, who had been lost in thought.
“Big Sister-in-law, don’t scare people like that!” Li Xue complained, patting her chest.
“Father, Mother, am I dreaming? Fourth Brother really passed the imperial exam and became a xiucai? Heavens above, the Lin family is finally going to rise in status!” Madam Liu still asked in disbelief.
“Oh, enough already. I’m not even as excited as you are. The official announcement is here already—how could it be fake? Instead, help think about how we should arrange the celebration banquet,” Old Madam Lin replied irritably.
“Father, I thought Wang Lizheng acted strangely today,” Lin Sanyong said. “I keep feeling he was speaking sarcastically. Could it be about the taxes…”
Before he could finish, Old Master Lin interrupted him.
“Shut your mouth. Your father isn’t blind. None of the Wang family are good people. The old Wang was the same, and so is this one. They’re natives here while we’re outsiders. Now that our family is prospering, how could they possibly feel happy about it? Just stay away from them. At least openly, they wouldn’t dare do anything.”
“Father, shouldn’t we bring Eldest Brother, Second Brother, and Fourth Brother back from the county tomorrow? The family will be busy from now on. Eldest Brother and the others shouldn’t keep doing odd jobs anymore. Besides, Fourth Brother should host the banquet himself,” Li Xue said gently.
“Yes. Sanyong, after breakfast tomorrow, go to the county and bring them back. We’ll decide the banquet date after Fourth Brother returns. Right now we don’t know if he has other plans,” Old Master Lin said after some thought.
“Old man, should we also let Third Brother stop by and notify Eldest Daughter’s family?” Old Madam Lin asked timidly when she saw her husband’s expression darken.
“That’s right, Father,” Lin Sanyong added. “Let Big Sister come back too and join the celebration. Fourth Brother becoming a xiucai should make her happy too. If she comes, Fourth Brother will definitely be delighted.”
Old Master Lin’s brows knitted even tighter.
Their eldest daughter had been the first child born to him and his wife—how could he not love her? But back then, she had broken his heart deeply. After she married, when she returned for the customary post-wedding visit, he had refused to let them through the door. After that, she never came home again. Every year on the second day of the New Year, she would only send gifts through someone else. This year, not even the gifts came.
He worried whether something had happened to her, yet he could not bring himself to lower his pride. She, as a daughter, had been so resolute. How could her parents not feel hurt?
“We’ll talk about it once the date is decided,” Old Master Lin finally said. “Sanyong, tomorrow stop by and notify your younger sister instead. Once the exact day is set, we’ll send word to the others. Enough. Everyone’s tired today. See if there’s still food in the kitchen, eat something, and go rest.”
The joy on Old Master Lin’s face had faded considerably, replaced with worry.
Clearly, the mention of their eldest daughter had reopened old wounds. Beside him, Old Madam Lin quietly wiped away tears.
“That stubborn old man… Eldest Daughter inherited his temper completely. Neither of them is willing to give in even one step. They’re going to break my heart. Twenty years, and she still hasn’t come back to see us once. Such an ungrateful child,” she muttered softly.
When Tian Guihua went to the kitchen, she did not see her youngest daughter. Seeing Chunxia washing dishes, she asked, “Xiazi, where’s Suisui? Did she go back to the room?”
“Third Aunt, An’an and Suisui were taken to sleep by their older brothers and sisters tonight. They won’t be sleeping with you for now,” Chunxia replied cheerfully.
“Oh my, our Xiazi truly deserves to be called the eldest sister—so sensible and thoughtful. You arranged everything perfectly for the younger children,” Tian Guihua praised.
The adults all ate a little to fill their stomachs before returning to their rooms. Tonight, the old couple had no appetite at all.
Back in their room, Lin Sanyong learned that his daughter and youngest son had already gone to sleep with the older children.
“Husband, what exactly happened with Big Sister? I’ve been married into this family for so many years and have never once seen her,” Tian Guihua asked from bed.
Lin Sanyong fell silent for a moment, then let out a long sigh.
“About Big Sister… it’s a long story. Originally, Father had arranged a marriage for her. She was supposed to marry after turning sixteen, but three months before her birthday, the groom’s father suddenly died of illness. Because the family had to observe mourning for three years, the wedding was delayed.”
“Back then, the family was poor and all the children were still young. Father alone supported everyone by weaving bamboo strips to sell. Big Sister was even more capable and outgoing than Eldest Brother. She wasn’t afraid of dealing with people, so she suggested that she and Eldest Brother go to the county to sell the bamboo goods.”
“But somehow, something happened in the county, and Big Sister met her current husband. The two fell in love. When she came back, she told Father and Mother she didn’t want to marry her fiancé anymore and wanted to marry this man instead.”
“Father naturally refused. He and the dead father of her fiancé had fled famine together to Taohua Village years ago. That man had even saved Father’s life on the road. You know how Father is—he never forgets kindness. Besides, the engagement had been arranged since Big Sister was six years old. Suddenly canceling it? Of course Father wouldn’t agree.”
“But Big Sister had her own mind. Since Father refused, she personally went to break off the engagement. The other side didn’t make things too difficult and agreed, but the fiancé’s mother was unreasonable and caused such a huge commotion that everyone in the neighboring villages knew about it.”
“One night, Big Sister secretly ran away from home, leaving behind only a few words. Then, on the second day of the New Year, she returned with her husband, but Father refused to let them enter. Since then, she’s never come back.”
After saying this, Lin Sanyong also sank into old memories.
Only then did Tian Guihua finally understand the whole story. When she had first married into the family, she had vaguely heard there was an eldest sister, but she had never seen her, nor heard anyone mention her again. Now she was especially curious about what kind of person this eldest sister really was.
The next morning, everyone in the Lin family woke up early.
Lin Sui’an was awakened by the sound of Third Cousin Lin Chunyan climbing down from the heated brick bed. When she first opened her eyes, she was momentarily confused and thought she had transmigrated again. Only afterward did she remember that she had been too sleepy last night and Third Cousin had brought her here.
This room belonged to Eldest Cousin and Third Cousin. She realized it was much nicer sleeping with older sisters. She had slept peacefully all night.
When sleeping with Father, Mother, and Second Brother, Father’s snoring always woke her up, and Second Brother still wet the bed sometimes, making her suffer alongside him. Occasionally, the sounds of her parents “fighting” at night were so loud that they woke her up too, leaving her so embarrassed she wished she could knock herself unconscious.
Lin Sui’an decided then and there that today she would tell her parents she wanted to sleep with her sisters from now on.
She looked around the room. It was small, with only one heated brick bed and a cabinet on top of it. The bed could fit only two or three adults. She noticed that the kang had been divided by a wall, with another half on the opposite side. In reality, this had originally been one larger room separated into two entrances.
When Grandpa built the house, he had probably considered that there were many girls in the family, and cramming them all into one room would lead to conflicts. So he arranged for biological sisters to share rooms together.
It really was a good arrangement. In the future, she could sleep with Eldest Cousin and Third Cousin—three girls on each side, perfectly balanced.
After breakfast, Lin Sanyong drove the family’s old yellow ox toward the county town.
The morning sunlight cast a golden glow over Taohua Village. Cooking smoke curled lazily upward. Beneath the old locust tree at the village entrance, many elderly villagers had already gathered.
Seeing Lin Sanyong, they called out:
“Sanyong, heading to bring the new xiucai back home?”
“That’s right, uncles,” Lin Sanyong replied. “We’ll chat when I return—I’m heading to the county first.”
Then he drove the ox cart onward.