Around three in the afternoon, Li Sangyue headed down the mountain. Grandma and Taiyang followed her back home.
There was spare window glass at the house. She located a piece and rode the family’s small electric scooter to Great-Auntie’s house. Taiyang was clingy and clamored to go along, so Grandma let her carry a small half-bag of cornmeal and follow.
When they arrived at Great-Auntie’s house, she saw a car parked at the entrance. She recognized it as Auntie Zhang Mei’s car. They had just spoken of her this morning, and she was already back in the afternoon; it was quite a coincidence. Just as she was hesitating whether to go in, someone came out.
Zhang Jiajia looked impatient. Upon exiting, she saw her second cousin riding over on the scooter. She froze for a moment before greeting her.
“Second Sister.” Then she walked to the side and lowered her head to kick stones on the road. It seemed someone had annoyed her again.
“Jiajia, you’re here,” Li Sangyue said as she parked the scooter and got off. “A windowpane at Great-Auntie’s was broken, so I brought a new one.”
This young cousin of hers had been in a rebellious phase for several years now. She found everyone unpleasant to look at and had a fiery temper. She would run away from home at the slightest provocation, and Auntie Zhang Mei could not control her.
She had come back once before the New Year, and because someone said something she did not like, she smashed a bowl in front of several families and left. It was incredibly embarrassing for Zhang Mei, and Jiajia had not returned for the Qingming or Dragon Boat Festivals since then.
Zhang Jiajia hummed in response, walked over, and tugged twice on Taiyang’s pigtails. Taiyang covered her braids and hid behind her mother.
“Taiyang, this is your Little Auntie. Say hello to Little Auntie.” Jiajia did not come back often, so Taiyang had only seen her a handful of times and likely did not remember her well.
“Little Auntie.”
Zhang Jiajia actually managed a smile for Taiyang, which was quite rare.
“I heard from Great-Auntie that you guys went traveling.”
“Yeah, it wasn’t fun. It was very boring.”
Li Sangyue smiled and asked, “Are you leaving soon, or staying in the village?”
“Not staying.”
“What is wrong? You look so gloomy.”
Zhang Jiajia looked up at her, then turned away. “Nothing, just annoyed. You are changing the window for my Grandma? I will help you.”
“No need, I can do it myself.” She did not dare let Jiajia do manual labor. If Zhang Mei saw it, it would be a disaster, and she did not want to invite trouble.
There was not much to talk about with Jiajia, so after a few words, she took her things and led Taiyang inside.
Her family had not had much contact with Auntie Zhang Mei in the past. After all, they were not blood-related, and later, because of Li Sangyue’s personal situation, the two sides lost contact almost entirely. When Zhang Mei returned to the village, she never visited Sangyue’s house. The fact they had shared a meal during the New Year was only because Great-Grand-Aunt had returned, prompting Zhang Mei to come by and pay her respects.
Li Sangyue led Taiyang into the room and immediately saw Zhang Mei standing at the inner door talking to Great-Auntie. She was thin and tall, looking very much like Great-Auntie.
Sitting on a nearby chair was Zhang Mei’s partner, Xue Hongyu, who was also a teacher at the county high school. She was a head shorter than Zhang Mei with a petite frame. Her family ran a business in the county and was quite wealthy.
“Auntie, Little Auntie,” Li Sangyue greeted politely, then taught Taiyang to greet them as well.
Upon seeing the mother and daughter, Zhang Mei immediately pulled back the money she was about to give Great-Auntie. She turned around and said coldly, “Oh, Xiaoyue is here. Is there something you need?”
Her tone made it sound as if Li Sangyue had specifically come over because she saw Zhang Mei had returned to the village today.
Li Sangyue truly regretted coming in at this moment, but since she was already there, she had to change the glass. Otherwise, she would have to make another trip later.
“The windowpane is broken, so I came to replace it for Great-Auntie. Taiyang, give the cornmeal to Great-Auntie.” The cornmeal had been ground by Grandma a few days ago. It was very fine and good for making corn porridge or steamed buns.
Zhang Chuntao hurriedly took the cornmeal, then grabbed a large handful of candy or chocolate from a bag on the table, opened it, and stuffed it into Taiyang’s pocket.
Taiyang had not had it before, and being young, she did not know how to decline. If someone gave her something, she took it. Normally, this would not be an issue, but Li Sangyue saw Zhang Mei frown, take the candy back from Great-Auntie’s hand, and push the bags on the table further away, fearing Great-Auntie would give Taiyang more.
Taiyang usually had a sweet tooth and loved snacks, but the family was never short on things, so she was not so desperate that she needed those few pieces of candy. Seeing her daughter treated this way, Li Sangyue was naturally unhappy. She immediately bent down and pulled the candy out of Taiyang’s pocket.
“We have some at home. Taiyang, give the candy back to Great-Grand-Auntie. Mommy will give you some when we get home.”
“Let her have it, it is from Great-Grand-Auntie. Take it, take it.”
“Really, it is fine, Great-Auntie. I will change the glass for you. Taiyang, go play outside for a bit; do not go too far.”
Taiyang did not insist on the candy because she remembered her own snack basket had plenty of delicious things her Grandma had bought.
“It is hot outside, so let her play in the house,” Zhang Chuntao said, stuffing the candy back into Taiyang’s pocket.
Li Sangyue really did not want Taiyang to accept it. It was not that they did not have any at home; there was no point in being looked down upon for a few pieces of candy. Though her family was not wealthy, Taiyang had not lacked anything since birth. Not to mention how much her mother adored her, the two elders in the house also treated Taiyang like a precious gem, never letting her suffer even a bit of grievance.
Auntie Zhang Mei was petty and stingy; Sangyue had known this for a long time.
As they were going back and forth, Zhang Jiajia ran in like a whirlwind. She grabbed the bag Zhang Mei had hidden, shoved it to Taiyang, and said impatiently, “It is just a bag of purple-wrapped candy. How much could it even be worth? I have never seen people as stingy as you. Eat it, just eat it! Taiyang, you take it; Little Auntie is giving it to you!”
She turned back to glare at her own mother, completely ignoring Zhang Mei’s ugly expression.
At this point, Li Sangyue felt incredibly awkward. She turned to block Taiyang and whispered, “Be a good girl, Taiyang. Go play outside for a bit; we will go home in a while.”
She gently patted her daughter’s back, took the opportunity to grab the bag of candy and put it back on the table. Without saying a word, she picked up the glass, went into the inner room, and fixed the window in a few quick moves. As for the moldy wall underneath, she would have to find another time to repair it.
“Great-Auntie, the window is fixed. I will head back now.” She did not want to stay. If she had known Zhang Mei’s family was coming back, she definitely would not have come over.
“Stay and eat before you go. I will make pancakes for you,” Zhang Chuntao said, feeling very guilty. She had already scolded Zhang Mei; how could an elder be so stingy? She was not even as sensible as a child like Jiajia.
“No thanks, Great-Auntie. My grandma is also cooking at home.” She picked up Taiyang and told Great-Auntie she would come back next time to paint the wall.
Zhang Chuntao packed a large bag of things for her to take back. This time, Zhang Mei remained silent, but Li Sangyue did not take them either, carrying Taiyang back home.
On the way, she bumped into Auntie Li Huanniu, who was heading back to the county seat this afternoon. Seeing the mother and daughter, she stopped the car, handed over a large bag of food, and invited Li Sangyue to bring Taiyang to the county to visit her when she was free.
Back at the Zhang house, Zhang Chuntao was still angry about what had happened. “How much can a childlike Taiyang eat? You are so stingy that you can’t even give her a few pieces of candy without pulling a long face. Taiyang is small and might not notice, but is Xiaoyue a child? She saw everything clearly. You are supposed to be an elder; it is embarrassing.”
She also disliked her daughter’s stingy ways.
Zhang Mei sat on a chair in the main room and curled her lip. “She got marked and had a child at such a young age. If anyone is embarrassing, it is her family. What does that have to do with our Zhang family? If you ask me, Mom, you should stop letting people like that into our house. I am even ashamed to be related to them.”
“What kind of talk is that! Xiaoyue came out of the goodness of her heart to fix my window. How did she offend you? You are so great, yet you do not even come back to see this old woman for half a year, and now that you are back, you just start trouble. I must have owed you in my past life. If you do not want to be here, then leave! Go right now! My house is too small for a great deity like you.”
Zhang Chuntao had become cold-hearted over the years. Her partner caused trouble, her daughter was unreliable, and only Xiaoyue did not look down on her, coming to check on her from time to time. Otherwise, if she fell and died one day, no one would even know until she rotted.
Seeing the old woman truly angry, Zhang Mei felt a bit of regret. She was her mother, after all; she was not so heartless as to take it that far. Besides, if she really caused the old lady to have a health crisis, she would not be able to show her face in Yangtoubu again. The gossip from the relatives back home would drown her. Her job at the school was thanks to Li Ninghuai, so while she looked down on Li Sangyue, she still needed to maintain a relationship with the main Li family branch. Li’s eldest aunt and Li Ninghuai were not people Li Sangyue could compare to.
“Mom, do not be angry. I just spoke without thinking,” she said, switching to a smile and taking Zhang Chuntao’s arm. “I am your biological daughter; of course I am thinking of you. Hongyu and I specifically picked these things for you; we brought them back today just to honor you.”
Coaxing the old lady was not hard; a few sweet words usually did the trick. She would not turn against her own daughter for an outsider.
Zhang Chuntao’s expression softened, and she said, “So many years have passed; do not keep bringing up those things. It is not good if Xiaoyue hears it. She is a junior and will not get angry with you, but you know Li Ningjun’s temper. If she hears you, she will never let it go. I live in the village, and when things happen, I cannot count on you; it is all thanks to Xiaoyue. You should be more grateful. Besides, what you did back then was truly unfair. Even if she is not blood-related, Xiaoyue calls you Auntie after all. How could you? Forget it, forget it; let us not talk about it. I will go cook for you.”
“Mom, you cannot say it like that. What happened with Xiaoyue cannot be blamed on Amei,” Xue Hongyu interrupted.
People who share a bed tend to be alike; she was even more of a snob than Zhang Mei. Usually, she was the one who ran to the Great-Auntie’s house most frequently.
Zhang Chuntao knew how sharp-tongued this daughter-in-law was, so when she spoke up, the old woman stopped talking and turned to the kitchen to get busy.
Zhang Mei’s family did not leave Yangtoubu until after six. They had brought two bags of candy, biscuits, and fruit when they arrived. When they left, Zhang Chuntao gave them two slaughtered local chickens.
The fried crispy pork and meatballs Li Sangyue had brought in the morning were also given to them. Zhang Mei knew they were from Li Sangyue but did not refuse. The portions were large, and the old lady could not finish them alone.
She also picked a lot of melons, fruits, and vegetables for them; the trunk was full. Zhang Chuntao saw them off at the intersection, looking reluctant to see them go.
Zhang Mei left 200 yuan for the old lady. Even so, Xue Hongyu was quite unhappy and sat in the car with a long face.
“Your mom clearly has money; why give her more? You give it every time, and she just turns around and gives it to those two from the Li family.”
Xue Hongyu did not dare say the word “bastard” after all, because she had muttered it once years ago and was pinned to the ground and slapped twice by Li Ningjun. If someone had not pulled Li Ningjun off, she would have received even more slaps.
Zhang Mei drove the car. “That will not happen. Mom stuffed the money to Jiajia.”
In the back seat, Zhang Jiajia stared out the window, wearing headphones and listening to music. Her expression was gloomy. It was unclear if she had heard her two mothers’ conversation, but she had thrown the red envelope the old lady gave her on the back seat without even opening it.
Xue Hongyu leaned over to grab it and opened it. Seeing there was only 200 yuan inside, her face stretched long, and she said indignantly, “Your mom should have given Jiajia money anyway; Jiajia is her only granddaughter. Now look, you gave 200, and your mom gave back 200. It turns out she did not spend a single cent. How interesting. What did I say before? Your mom has too many schemes, but you would not believe me. Now you, see? I do not know who brainwashed your mom; she does not even know who is her own flesh and blood anymore.”
Xue Hongyu had always believed the old lady had secret savings that she was simply unwilling to give to Zhang Mei.
“Enough, stop nagging. No matter how much the old lady has, will it not all be ours later? I am her only daughter; it is not like she can give it to outsiders.”
“That is not certain. Your mom and your stepmother are only living apart; they are not divorced.”
“That old woman? She might die even earlier than my mom.” Zhang Mei had never respected Li Yuan.
In the back seat, Zhang Jiajia turned the music up to the maximum. Her eardrums throbbed with pain, but it could not drown out her current irritation. She felt like she was about to explode.
Before reaching home, Zhang Jiajia demanded to be let out in front of an internet cafe in the county seat. Then, she did not return home for three or four days. Her phone was switched off, and no one in the family could find her.