The sky was only beginning to brighten, streaks of dawn glowing across the horizon.
Meng Qiufeng had borrowed a decent, neatly kept cotton coat from Meng Qiushi. His hair had been slicked back with pomade, making him look especially spirited.
The reason he borrowed clothes was simple: the cotton coat he owned had been made back when he married Tian Lan. Ten years had passed, and though he had carefully maintained it, several patches still covered the fabric.
Meng Qiushi, however, was different. His in-laws were well-off, and he owned three cotton coats.
As for expecting Wang Cuilian to buy clothes for her sons—that was impossible. Any cloth or cotton she obtained was hoarded away unused, saved for making clothes for Chen Rou instead.
Meng Dazhuang frowned deeply, holding a smoking pipe in one hand and a matchstick in the other.
A wedding should have been a joyous occasion, yet he simply couldn’t feel happy.
The rest of his life seemed destined to revolve around the shadows named Chen Jun and Chen Rou. Timid and selfish, he hid inside his tiny corner of the world like a turtle retreating into its shell.
A long string of red firecrackers stretched out beyond the courtyard gate, while children gathered nearby to watch the excitement.
The children from the second and third branches looked thrilled.
Meng Wen and Meng Hong from the eldest branch wore gloomy expressions. Normally, they loved setting off firecrackers during the New Year, but today wasn’t New Year’s—it was the day their father married a stepmother.
Squatting down, Meng Dazhuang glanced at the children by the wall.
“Stand farther away. Don’t let the firecrackers hit you.”
The children pressed themselves tighter against the wall.
For this grandfather, whose presence in the household was nearly nonexistent, they felt nothing at all. If Wang Cuilian was someone they actively disliked, then Meng Dazhuang was merely an irrelevant stranger.
At that moment, Wang Cuilian helped Chen Rou out into the courtyard.
Meng Qiufeng, who had been waiting there for quite some time, instantly blushed bright red when he saw Chen Rou emerge wearing a red cotton jacket.
Although there wasn’t going to be a formal banquet, plenty of villagers still came to watch.
Wang Cuilian had fried peanuts from this year’s harvest and placed them on the table.
The onlookers casually grabbed handfuls now and then, chewing happily while watching the wedding.
A happy occasion naturally became livelier with more people around.
Meng Qiucan had come alone today. Taking leave from work too often wouldn’t reflect well on Liu Hong.
Leaning against the doorway of the third branch’s room with a large handful of peanuts in her hand, she sneered:
“Back then, Chen Rou desperately wanted to marry into the city. After all these years of twists and turns, she still ended up back in the village. If her reputation weren’t so ruined, would she really be willing to marry a fool like Meng Qiufeng?”
Xu Chunhua shook her head.
“She should’ve just gone into the city and ruined somebody else’s life instead.”
Meng Qiucan raised an eyebrow.
“Ruined somebody else’s life? These past few years, the Zhao family tormented her plenty. She only dares bully people inside her own home.”
Meng Yu glanced at Meng Che, who was happily gnawing on a rice cracker. Hearing all the lively noise outside made her itch with curiosity.
She stretched out an arm and pinched Meng Che’s chubby cheek.
She wanted to go outside and watch too.
Meng Che pouted pitifully, his watery eyes staring at her like a bullied little puppy.
“Yu’er…”
Meng Yu couldn’t help laughing.
She climbed down from the bed, her goose-yellow cotton coat making her look round and puffy like a sesame rice ball from afar.
At one and a half years old, she already walked steadily. In just a few steps, she reached Xu Chunhua’s side and wrapped her arms around her mother’s leg.
Because they secretly ate well at home, both Meng Yu and Meng Che were plump and fair, noticeably taller than children their age.
Meng Qiushi and Xu Chunhua had measured them recently:
Meng Yu was eighty centimeters tall.
Meng Che was slightly shorter at seventy-eight centimeters.
Resting her cheek against Xu Chunhua’s thigh, Meng Yu watched the scene outside.
Meng Zhu wore a newly made red cotton jacket and was cradled like a treasure in Meng Qiufeng’s arms. She smiled sweetly and kissed his cheek.
“Daddy!”
That one word instantly stirred the crowd into noisy teasing.
“Qiufeng, happy to gain a daughter?”
“Look at this little girl, so clever! She knows Qiufeng married her mother. That ‘Daddy’ sounded awfully affectionate.”
The smiles on Wang Cuilian and Meng Qiufeng’s faces never faded for a second.
Chen Rou gazed gently at Meng Zhu in Meng Qiufeng’s arms.
She swore she would make her precious daughter the happiest child in the entire village.
Meanwhile, Meng Sang and Meng Liu hid in their room eating peanuts they normally never got to touch.
Meng Liu was fiercely competitive and pushed more than half the peanuts toward herself.
“These are all mine.”
Good-tempered as always, Meng Sang didn’t argue. She popped a peanut into her mouth and chewed slowly, the fragrant flavor spreading through her mouth as her eyes curved happily.
Watching her daughters, Wang Yun felt all her hardships were worth enduring.
Then her gaze shifted toward Meng Qiushou nearby.
Seeing him staring fixedly at Chen Rou, Wang Yun’s smile vanished. She viciously twisted the flesh at his waist.
Meng Qiushou nearly cried out in pain, but Wang Yun quickly covered his mouth. His fair skin instantly flushed red, tears springing into his eyes.
Leaning close to his ear, Wang Yun hissed through gritted teeth:
“Is Chen Rou pretty? What, jealous of your older brother?”
Any lingering romantic thoughts in Meng Qiushou’s heart instantly vanished.
He and Chen Rou had grown up together, and she had always been the prettiest girl for miles around. Of course he had once been tempted.
But he knew his place.
Over time, those feelings had simply been buried deep inside him.
Still, watching his elder brother marry Chen Rou today left a bitter taste in his heart.
Why did all the good things always happen to the eldest brother?
Sure enough, being born first really came with advantages.
Meng Qiushou resentfully looked at his fierce wife.
How had he ended up marrying someone just as terrifying as his mother?
He and his father were both unlucky men.
Like a bullied little daughter-in-law, Meng Qiushou turned and walked back into the room.
Seeing his two daughters crouched over the table eating peanuts only irritated him further.
No son.
When he died in the future, who would perform the funeral rites for him?
Ever since Meng Liu’s birth, Wang Yun had never become pregnant again.
Many nights, Meng Qiushou tossed and turned sleeplessly because of it.
His eldest brother had a son.
His younger brother had two sons.
But him?
Not even one.
Under the witness of the villagers, Meng Qiufeng and Chen Rou knelt in the main hall and kowtowed to Wang Cuilian, who sat proudly in the center.
Chen Rou called out crisply:
“Mom.”
“Ah!” Wang Cuilian responded immediately, hurrying to help her up. Her eyes grew moist as she touched Chen Rou’s face.
“Xiao Rou, if Qiufeng ever dares bully you, tell me. I’ll teach him a lesson for you!”
Chen Rou lowered her head shyly before looking up at Meng Qiufeng with a gentle smile.
“Mom, don’t worry. Brother Qiufeng treats me wonderfully already. How could he ever bully me?”
The smile on Meng Qiufeng’s lips widened. Whenever he faced Chen Rou, all his sharpness disappeared, leaving only simple honesty.
When mealtime arrived, the villagers gradually returned to their own homes.
In the kitchen, Wang Yun and Xu Chunhua busied themselves preparing a table full of dishes. During the cooking, Meng Qiucan had secretly snuck in to steal quite a few bites with Xu Chunhua.
Once the food reached the table, there would be too many people and only three pounds of meat total.
Slow hands got nothing.
When the bowl of braised pork was finally served, everyone swallowed hard at the rich aroma.
Ever since Meng Zhu’s first birthday banquet half a year ago, this was the first time the family had eaten meat again.
If today weren’t Chen Rou’s wedding day, Wang Cuilian would never have been willing to buy meat.
One meat dish and three vegetable dishes.
Not many varieties, but generous portions.
Wang Cuilian tapped the table with her chopsticks.
“Listen to me first.”
“From now on, Xiao Rou is a daughter-in-law of the Meng family. She’s one of us. If any of you dare call her an outsider again, just try it and see what happens.”
Seeing everyone silent, the domineering Wang Cuilian tapped her bowl.
“Eat.”
Her words had not been a discussion or a request.
They were a warning.
The moment she finished speaking, everyone immediately started grabbing food.
Meng Qiufeng continuously piled meat into Chen Rou’s bowl until it looked like a small mountain.
Wang Cuilian nodded in satisfaction and finally lifted her own chopsticks toward the braised pork—
Only to discover even the sauce was gone.
Her mouth drooped instantly as her dark gaze swept across the others.
“Were you all reincarnated starving ghosts?!”
Meanwhile, Meng Qiucan focused entirely on eating while secretly wondering why exactly Wang Cuilian had insisted she come today.
Whatever it was, it definitely couldn’t be anything good.
After finishing her meal, Meng Qiucan wiped her mouth.
“I’ve eaten. I’m heading home.”
The excitement was over. Time to leave.
“Wait!”
A look of understanding flashed through Meng Qiucan’s eyes as she turned back.
“What is it, Mom?”
Wang Cuilian spoke as if it were perfectly natural.
“Lend me one hundred yuan.”
Chen Rou stared intently at Meng Qiucan.
Zhuzhu had said that in her dream, an immortal told her that a three-year famine would begin next year.
The most important thing now was stockpiling food.
But without money, how could they possibly prepare?
The only person Chen Rou could think of borrowing from was Meng Qiucan.
Meng Qiucan laughed in disbelief.
“Mom, listen to yourself. You open your mouth and ask for one hundred yuan? Do you think money blows in on the wind?”
Wang Cuilian’s face darkened unhappily at the refusal.
“Zhuzhu is blessed by immortals. A few days ago she dreamed that the Bodhisattva warned her a famine is coming.”
Meng Qiushi and Xu Chunhua hid the shock in their eyes and exchanged calm glances.
Meng Qiucan rolled her eyes.
“You think I’m stupid? Who would believe nonsense like that? A three-year famine? I think your brain’s flooded instead.”
Wang Cuilian slammed her palm onto the table so hard the bowls and chopsticks rattled.
“If you refuse to lend the money, then don’t expect to benefit from Zhuzhu’s blessings in the future. When famine comes, even if you starve to death in front of me, I won’t give you a single grain of rice!”
But Meng Qiucan had always been rebellious to the bone. Threats meant nothing to her.
Lending out this money would be like throwing it into water.
She had long since seen through Wang Cuilian’s shameless nature.
“No.”
Chen Rou tried to persuade her earnestly.
“Qiucan, a three-year famine isn’t a joke. People will die.
Mom is borrowing money for your own good too. Once we’ve stocked enough grain, if you ever run out later, you can always come home and take some.
We’re only telling you this because we treat you like family. Don’t mistake good intentions.”
But Meng Qiucan refused to budge, unmoved by either kindness or pressure.
“No means no. You open your mouth asking for one hundred yuan—why don’t you just rob someone instead?”
“If not one hundred, then fifty at least?” Wang Cuilian compromised reluctantly while glaring viciously at her daughter.
Meng Qiucan was her biological daughter, yet she was nowhere near as obedient or considerate as Rou’er.
“You’re not getting a single cent from me. Instead of trying to borrow money from me, you’d have an easier time robbing someone,” Meng Qiucan sneered with a dismissive curl of her lips. “Immortal blessings? A three-year famine? You people really can make things up.”
With that, she turned and walked away.
“Stop right there!” Wang Cuilian shouted loudly.
Meng Qiucan didn’t slow down and continued striding forward.
Wang Cuilian threatened angrily, “If you won’t give me money, I’ll go make trouble at your in-laws’ house!”
“Go ahead,” Meng Qiucan replied indifferently. “You’re not in the right anyway.”
“You unfilial daughter! Are you trying to force me to die in front of your in-laws’ house?” Wang Cuilian roared through gritted teeth.
“Then die if you want. I’ll make sure to burn plenty of paper money for you afterward.” Meng Qiucan waved her hand casually, climbed onto her bicycle, and disappeared into the night.
Wang Cuilian was so furious her head buzzed. She gasped heavily for air, her chest heaving violently as though she might faint at any second.
Chen Rou hurriedly supported her, gently patting her back to calm her breathing.
“Mom, don’t be angry. If you ruin your health, what will Zhuzhu and I do?”
Those words were completely sincere.
If anything happened to Wang Cuilian, the Meng family would completely fall apart.
It took Wang Cuilian a long while to recover. Then she turned her calm gaze toward Xu Chunhua.
“Third daughter-in-law, your family has money. Go borrow some.”
Xu Chunhua sighed helplessly.
“Mom, a married daughter is like water that’s been poured out. I still have three older brothers above me. No matter how rich my family is, it’s not really my business anymore.”
Meng Qiushi added, “What three-year famine? What immortal blessings? Mom, I think you’ve fallen into feudal superstition.”
Wang Cuilian narrowed her eyes.
“So are you lending the money or not?”
The couple answered in unison:
“No.”
“Good, very good!” Wang Cuilian laughed angrily. “You won’t lend it, huh? Then don’t expect to benefit from Zhuzhu’s blessings in the future! My Zhuzhu is a blessed child protected by immortals. A fortune teller already said her fate is extraordinarily noble. In the future she’ll surely become rich and powerful and bring fortune to the entire family!”
Chen Rou looked coldly at Meng Qiushi and Xu Chunhua. The couple from the third branch always opposed her.
Mom was right.
The third branch would never share in Zhuzhu’s blessings in the future.
Her Zhuzhu was no ordinary child.
Meng Qiushi’s eyes shifted slightly.
“Mom, all that is just feudal superstition. I don’t believe any of it.”
Privately, however, he thought:
Looks like splitting the family household is finally within reach.
“Get out! All of you, get out!” Wang Cuilian roared.
The second and third branches immediately left the main hall.
Xu Chunhua and Meng Qiushi leaned close together, whispering quietly.
“That Meng Zhu really has something strange going on.”
To Meng Qiushi and Xu Chunhua, Meng Yu’s ability to foresee things was a blessing.
But Meng Zhu’s foresight?
That felt downright demonic.
Meng Qiushi had never told Meng Qiucan about the coming three-year famine or the need to stockpile food.
Even if Meng Qiucan tried storing grain, how much could she really gather?
As long as he was around, he wouldn’t let his younger sister’s family go hungry.
Inside Xiao Yu’s space, they had already planted huge amounts of grain. Just wheat alone had filled over a dozen sacks.
Chen Rou spent a long time comforting Wang Cuilian. After Wang Cuilian finally calmed down, Chen Rou went to Meng Qiufeng’s room.
Meng Qiufeng sat nervously yet excitedly at the bedside. The moment he saw Chen Rou enter, he immediately stood up.
“I heated some water for you. It’s cold out—soak your feet.”
Chen Rou smiled softly, instantly leaving Meng Qiufeng completely dazzled.
“Thank you, Brother Qiufeng.”
Meng Qiufeng crouched down to help remove her shoes and socks.
“We’re husband and wife now. You don’t need to thank me.”
The red wedding candles in the eldest branch’s room were eventually blown out.
Next door, Meng Wen and Meng Hong lay huddled together under the blankets, sharing warmth.
“Brother…”
“I’m here.”
Meanwhile, in Chen Rou’s room, Wang Cuilian held Meng Zhu in her arms and gently sang a lullaby.
Meng Zhu slowly closed her eyes and drifted into sleep.
Seeing her granddaughter asleep, Wang Cuilian quickly extinguished the candle and lay down beside her.