Chapter 5Second Uncle Feng was Old Man Feng's younger brother, born of the same mother. In the early years, they had supported each other through thick and thin. But later, when Old Master Feng was dismissed by the new prince after Prince Jing's death, the family's fortunes plummeted. With the birth of his youngest son, Feng He, their poverty deepened, and the two families gradually drifted apart.Now Second Uncle Feng's face was ruddy with good health. Hearing Old Man Feng ask, "When did you get back? You didn't even let us know.""Brother Qushui sent for me long ago—we stayed at his place for a night, and he arranged for someone to escort us back. He mentioned you'd moved here, so we came over." Second Uncle Feng's eyes darted left and right, clearly astonished.Yunshui Town couldn't compare to the prefectural city or Hankou in terms of prosperity, but it was still a premier gathering place for merchants. Especially now, with houses going up everywhere and the population swelling, it felt less like a town and more bustling than even the county seat.It hadn't been long since the New Year, and the snacks made for the holiday were still unfinished. In Yunshui, people always kept puffed rice on hand during the New Year. When guests arrived, they'd be served brown sugar eggs with puffed rice added to swell in the bowl. There were also fried dough leaves made from millet and malt syrup, fried dumpling turnovers, and wedding cakes wrapped in red paper, all brought out on trays for the visitors to enjoy.Second Uncle Feng asked Old Man Feng, "If both these compounds belong to you, that must have cost a pretty penny."Before Old Man Feng could speak, Old Woman Feng laughed and said, "We bought this plot at the highest price the market ever saw. Our Dalang spent a good deal of money.""Brother Dalang must have borrowed a lot to build these houses, didn't he?" asked Feng Cang, Second Uncle Feng's eldest son.Feng Li said, "Not too bad. We didn't borrow all that much."Second Uncle Feng cut in again, almost pressing the point: "Dalang, I heard from your cousin that you've also bought quite a bit of farmland. That's no small sum."Feng Li thought to himself that they'd really done their homework. He didn't bother hiding it anymore and said, "That's right—all that money for the land was borrowed. Where else would I get it? Look at my parents here—they can barely take care of themselves, let alone help me out."Land was so important to people. The Feng family's ancestors had been refugees, and even the grandfather's generation hadn't fared well.Being able to buy land now was practically a family heirloom for the Fengs.Second Uncle Feng said sourly, "Dalang, you're still young. Why would you borrow money from those usury shops? You don't realize how money breeds money and interest breeds interest—before you know it, you're neither man nor ghost. Better to stick with business. Farming yields too little."Feng Li naturally wouldn't listen to that. "I did business in the past few years too. Families like ours can only do small trade—hawking through the streets and alleys, out in wind and rain, working hard without making much. Since I needed to study anyway, I bought a few acres of land at home. As long as the days pass decently, that's enough."The conversation stopped there. Second Uncle Feng's family finished all the egg soup, and Mrs. Jiang collected the bowls, then went with her mother-in-law to the main kitchen to cook.The two women worked hard to prepare two tables of food. Though Old Woman Feng had a sharp tongue, she was warm in hosting guests. The dishes were actually quite well made—after all, Old Master Feng had started as a cook back in the day, and his skill was excellent.Even Feng Cang's wife, Mrs. Jian, remarked, "These dishes are really delicious."Mrs. Jiang smiled and said, "If you like them, eat more."Mrs. Jian was a few years older than Mrs. Jiang and had a son and a daughter. The daughter was about the same age as Yingniang and was called Meijun—said to have been named for the red plum blossoms blooming at the time of her birth.Halfway through the meal, the Hou family arrived. Old Madame Hou was Old Man Feng's younger sister, whom Yingniang called Grandaunt. Yingniang had heard Old Woman Feng mention that the two Hou sons had taken completely different paths in marriage. Hou the Elder had married into a well-off family as a live-in son-in-law; except for major occasions, he almost never came back, always prioritizing his wife's family.Hou the Younger, on the other hand, had married an orphan named Cheng Qiqiao, whose parents had died early, leaving only her grandmother.Everyone exchanged greetings and sat down to eat again. By the end, chicken bones, fish bones, and duck wings were scattered all over the floor.After the meal, Second Uncle Feng's family needed to return to the countryside to tidy up their house—it had been unoccupied for years and needed cleaning. Grandaunt Hou said, "I say, there's no point in the daughters-in-law and children going back. Why don't you men go back and clean the house, and let them stay here."Then she turned to Old Woman Feng: "Sister-in-law, do you have enough bedding? If not, I'll send some over."Old Woman Feng said, "We have plenty at home. No need for you to send any." Somehow, she felt a bit put out, but she also knew it wouldn't be right not to host relatives.Yingniang watched coldly from the side, thinking how shrewd this Grandaunt Hou was—using someone else's resources to do her own favors. It looked like she was the one arranging everything, and people would owe her gratitude for it.Mrs. Jiang cleaned out Feng He's room and let Mrs. Jian take her children in to rest. They looked exhausted from the journey. Yingniang wanted to stay awake a little longer, but her eyelids were fighting each other, and she curled up in Old Woman Feng's arms and fell asleep.After Ying-jie fell asleep, Mrs. Jiang stayed up to chat with the guests.Old Woman Feng was asking Aunt Hou and Mrs. Lai, "Cang's wife looks like she comes from a wealthy family, so refined and elegant. What's her background?"Mrs. Lai was quite satisfied with this daughter-in-law: "Her family runs a pastry business, and business is especially good. They're located in the busiest part of Hanyang Prefecture, with long lines every single day. Especially during holidays and festivals, the line stretches from one end of the street to the other—it's quite a lively scene.""No wonder I noticed her dress and adornments are truly extraordinary," said Old Woman Feng.Mrs. Jiang, who was listening nearby, felt somewhat inferior. Though she was good-looking, her family was only a minor landowner. She had three sisters and two brothers, and knew a few characters only because her grand-aunt lived in the city and, taking a liking to her, had specially taught her to read and write.Compared to Mrs. Jian, she was just a country girl.In the evening, when Feng Li returned from outside and heard what Mrs. Jiang told him, he couldn't help but laugh: "The Jian family's business is indeed doing well. When I attended their wedding back then, I made some inquiries. But that has little to do with Cang's wife—she was born to a concubine. Her two legitimate elder sisters—one married the county magistrate's son as a second wife, and the other married the eldest son of the owner of a large noodle shop—had already taken large dowries with them when they left. By the time it came to her, how much could there be left to give?""I see. But even so, she's still better off than me," Mrs. Jiang said with her head lowered.Feng Li smiled and said, "I think you're just fine. Don't sell yourself short. Though the two of us weren't born with advantages like others, we built up a considerable estate with our bare hands—doesn't that make us stronger than others? In the future, if I study at the county school, you'll have to manage the family's fields. In a few years, won't we be wealthy too?""Mm." Mrs. Jiang nodded firmly and promised, "Husband, I grew up in the countryside. I'm familiar with how to farm, and I'll study hard too."Feng Li helped her settle down to sleep.Yingniang, sleeping beside them, turned over. She thought to herself, This is what a husband and wife who support each other through thick and thin truly look like.

Yingniang