Chapter 10: The Legendary Aunt Sun

Not long after the third uncle arrived, the second uncle also showed up, bringing his wife and three children into the main hall.

Seeing her second brother, Aunt Sun asked with a smile, "Old Second, where have you all been? Why wasn't the whole family at home? Where did you all go together?"

Sun Zhongli scratched his head and replied honestly, "Today is market day. We had some eggs saved up, so we all went to the market to sell them." Had he known his eldest sister was coming home, he certainly wouldn't have left.

Just as they stepped into the village entrance, someone had informed them that the eldest sister and brother-in-law had returned. Sun the Second had rushed home in a fluster, dropped off the goods bought at the market, and hurried to his eldest brother's house.

Brother-in-law He laughed, "No wonder there were so many people in town when we arrived; it turns out it was market day."

The second aunt, Lady Jiang, pulled her three children over to greet Aunt Sun and Brother-in-law He.

Aunt Sun took some milk candies from the dining table, pressed a few into each of their hands, and said with a smile, "Eat some candy. It's milk candy; it's very fragrant." Such candy was rarely seen in Sun Village, or even in the He household; it had come all the way from the capital and had an especially rich milky aroma.

Sun Chunlan had specifically saved a few bags in preparation for her visit to her maiden home.

The second uncle took one, popped it into his mouth, and gave one to each of his three children. He then smiled and asked, "Eldest Sister, Brother-in-law, Yu-ge, are the three of you the only ones back?" Usually, both children returned, so it was a bit strange to see only one this time.

Sun Chunlan explained once more why the other children had not returned.

The second aunt nodded in agreement, "It's important for Jin-ge to study; he shouldn't waste time coming here." Rural women might not know much else, but they held scholars in high regard. For Jin-ge to be able to enter the examination hall at such a young age was truly impressive.

After chatting for a while, Lady Huang noticed the sky and saw it was nearly noon. She said to Lady Su, "Eldest daughter-in-law, go and prepare the meal quickly; Yu-ge must be hungry."

The He family was a wealthy household where three meals a day were a given. She had heard from her daughter that they even had afternoon tea, complete with delicate pastries, candies, and fruits.

Hearing his grandmother say he was hungry, Yu-ge quickly retorted, "Grandmother, I'm not hungry."

However, he was indeed a little hungry; having traveled since early morning, what he had eaten for breakfast had already been digested.

Lady Huang smiled, "Alright, you're not hungry, but your father and mother are." She stroked Yu-ge’s hair, thinking that the boy looked very much like his father.

Lady Su quickly stood up, answering timidly, "I understand, Mother." It was too late to slaughter a chicken, but they had preserved duck at home, and her husband had just bought a few pounds of pork in the village. They would make do for lunch, and after the meal, they would slaughter a chicken, a goose, and a duck to prepare a sumptuous dinner.

The second aunt, Lady Jiang, said to Lady Huang, "Mother, I ran into my father at the market today. He gave me a fish, so I brought it over for everyone to eat." Lady Jiang’s father occasionally caught fish to sell, and having bumped into her, he had given his daughter a fish.

Lady Huang nodded, "Go ahead. Yu-ge likes fish."

He Shuyu was playing with his cousins, but upon hearing the word "fish," his eyes darted around, and he generously admitted, "Grandmother, you know me best. I love fish the most."

This remark drew laughter from everyone.

Seeing Lady Jiang’s effort to win favor with the fish, the third aunt, Lady Zheng, felt a sense of urgency. Her priority was to please her sister-in-law, so she said eagerly, "Mother, Eldest Sister, I’ll go home and bring some eggs to make an egg and pepper soup. It’s great for dispelling the cold and warming the stomach."

Sun the Third quickly chimed in, "That's right! The egg and pepper soup made by De-ge's mother is especially delicious. Eldest Sister, Brother-in-law, Yu-ge, you must have a taste." He gave Lady Zheng a wink.

Lady Zheng understood immediately and hurried off to fetch the eggs.

Everyone had eggs at home, and knowing her eldest brother-in-law's personality, he would surely refuse. She couldn't give him time to decline. One is always more lenient after eating someone's food; as long as the eldest sister ate something from her home, her anger would likely fade.

Sun Bomin took the fish from Lady Jiang and went to the well to clean it. It was a grass carp, quite large, weighing at least eight pounds.

Sun the Second, Sun the Third, and Brother-in-law He stepped out into the courtyard to watch the cleaning. The third aunt, the second aunt, and her daughter Xiao Xue went to the kitchen to help.

A group of boys remained in the main hall.

Lady Huang and Aunt Sun went into the bedroom to sort out the New Year gifts for Yu-niang.

Sun Shan, relying on his small stature, followed Lady Huang into the bedroom. Seeing the pile of items on the floor, he couldn't help but sigh inwardly: Aunt Sun was truly a devoted sister who would do anything for her brothers!

Speaking of Aunt Sun, Sun Chunlan, no one in Sun Village was unaware of her, and stories about her even circulated in the neighboring villages and towns.

In the Great Qian Dynasty, a woman who wanted a good life depended on her parents at home, her husband after marriage, and her sons in old age.

Aunt Sun’s background wasn't bad; her father was the village's barefoot doctor, and because he knew how to identify and sell medicinal herbs, the family lived quite well. The nine-room blue-brick house of the Sun family had been built by Dr. Sun.

Aunt Sun was the firstborn, and Dr. Sun doted on her greatly.

Unfortunately, good times did not last. Dr. Sun lost his life at Wild Boar Slope, and the Sun family’s fortunes plummeted; the family’s livelihood depended entirely on their savings.

To make matters worse, the following year, Lady Huang’s youngest son—Sun Shan’s fourth uncle—fell ill with an unknown sickness. The family sold their land and their cow for medical treatment, but he passed away two years later.

Years of accumulated wealth were gone, leaving only the facade of the blue-brick house, an orange grove, and an acre of dry land. One can imagine how bitterly the Sun family lived.

Because Lady Huang was frail and soft-spoken, the heavy burden of supporting the family fell on Aunt Sun and Sun Bomin.

Lady Huang stayed home to look after the children, while the two siblings left early and returned late, foraging for food in the forest.

Because Dr. Sun had passed away early, the two siblings only recognized the most common herbs. They dug day and night, yet they couldn't earn a few copper coins. While others set off firecrackers on New Year’s Eve, the Sun siblings were still in the mountains looking for food.

Life became increasingly bitter, and the Sun family was often hungry, only surviving by the grace of the clan's relief.

Poverty breeds the desire for change. Aunt Sun felt that if things continued this way, the whole family would starve to death, or they might even be forced to sell their siblings to find a way to survive.

Aunt Sun was the eldest daughter acting as a mother, and since Lady Huang was soft-natured, she became strong-willed.

She tasted one of their own oranges—it was crisp, sweet, and unique in flavor. By all logic, the price should have been decent. However, Huangyang County was a poor county; people in town would say the oranges were good, but if they were priced too high, no one would buy them. They had to sell them cheaply just to trade for a small amount of rice bran for food.

Aunt Sun made the boldest decision of her life: she was going to take the oranges to the prefecture capital to sell.

This idea was first blocked by Lady Huang, and then by the clan elders. A girl of sixteen or seventeen daring to go to the prefecture capital—the very thought was terrifying. Not only in Sun Village but even in Mingyang Town, no one had ever been to the prefecture capital.

Everyone was unanimously against it.

Aunt Sun was as stubborn as an ox and could not be turned back. Lady Huang and the villagers had no choice but to let her go, because Aunt Sun had said, "Rather than starve to death, it is better to take a risk."

As the eldest son of the family, Sun Bomin felt that if his eldest sister dared to go, he must naturally follow.

So, the two siblings went to the county town to inquire about how to get to the prefecture capital and saved enough money for the journey, waiting for the orange harvest season.

They joined a merchant caravan from the county, paid their share for the journey, loaded five large baskets of oranges onto a handcart, and followed the guards in silence.