Chapter 22: Aunt Sun

The news that the village chief was distributing clothes spread like wildfire, and villagers of all ages hurried toward the ancestral hall. Uncle Sun and Aunt Sun took their children along to join the commotion. De-ge ran in, greeted his eldest aunt and uncle, and hurriedly pulled Sun Shan along to see the excitement.

As for Aunt Sun, her husband, and Yu-ge, they decided to stay behind, finding the hospitality of Sun Family Village a bit overwhelming to handle.

Sun Shan followed De-ge to the ancestral hall, which was already packed with people. It seemed the entire village had turned out. Looking around, besides the children of the third branch, Dingming, Dingqing, and Xiaoxue from the second branch were also there, though Uncle Sun (the second uncle) and his wife were nowhere to be seen.

The village chief stood in the center and addressed the crowd: "Fellow villagers, these clothes were brought back from the prefectural city by Bomin’s eldest sister. She has always kept the folks of Sun Family Village in her heart, and we should be grateful and remember her kindness."

The villagers cheered, "We know, Village Chief! Chunlan is a good woman. Even after marrying into the city, she hasn't forgotten us."

Uncle Sun and Aunt Sun held their heads high with pride; their eldest sister doing good deeds was as good as them doing good deeds themselves.

The village chief continued, "Those whose names are called, come up and choose your clothes."

If a piece didn't fit, they would move to the next. Of course, the villagers wouldn't complain about a bad fit unless it was far too small; larger items could always be altered later.

With the New Year approaching, the villagers were idle, and most heads of households were present. If someone was away, their relatives would choose for them. This time, the priority for the winter clothing was the elderly and small children who hadn't received any during the last distribution. As for the adults, they would only get a chance if anything was left over.

Sun Shan had initially been on the periphery, unable to see what was happening, but De-ge was quick-witted. He wove through the crowd, leading Sun Shan to the very front where they could clearly watch the distribution.

Beside De-ge was his childhood friend, "Big-Head Dog," whose name was a literal description; his head was quite large, and when he laughed, he looked like a boiled dog's head. Big-Head Dog had a runny nose, which he kept wiping away with his sleeve—a sight that made Sun Shan’s scalp tingle, though thankfully, De-ge stood between them.

"I want new clothes too," Big-Head Dog said enviously. Although the items Aunt Sun brought back were second-hand, the fabrics and styles were far superior to anything in Sun Family Village, making them look almost new.

De-ge said proudly, "These were all brought back by my eldest aunt. She even brought new fabric for my mother to make me new clothes!"

Big-Head Dog grew even more envious, looking at De-ge with longing. "De-ge, since you have new clothes, can you give me your old ones?"

De-ge’s old clothes were still in great condition. *Sigh, he’s getting new clothes again. Why don't I have an aunt in the prefectural city?*

De-ge replied regretfully, "My mother said my old clothes have to go to my cousin. I can't give them to you." The cousin referred to the son of De-ge’s maternal uncle; his mother, Mrs. Zheng, always sent her three sons' hand-me-downs back to her own family.

Big-Head Dog felt a moment of disappointment, but it quickly passed. He pointed to his great-grandmother, who was receiving clothes, and said, "Look, it’s my great-grandmother’s turn!"

De-ge waved his hand dismissively and said grandly, "Your great-grandmother is old, she’ll definitely get some."

Sun Shan watched as the villagers happily went up to pick their clothes. Even those whose names hadn't been called were cheering from below. Sun Shan reached into his pocket, pulled out three candies, and handed them to De-ge and Big-Head Dog with a smile. "Here, eat. These are good."

They weren't milk candies, but crispy peanut brittle held together with syrup—also brought back by Aunt Sun. Big-Head Dog quickly took one, peeled off the wrapper, and popped it into his mouth. His eyes lit up. "Delicious, so delicious!"

De-ge ate his candy and added with a smug air, "My eldest aunt brought these from the city. She’s the best."

Big-Head Dog agreed. Who in Sun Family Village didn't know Aunt Sun? Her success had actually led the villagers to treat their own daughters better. With Aunt Sun as a successful example, parents in the village had higher hopes, believing their own girls might one day marry into the city.

Suddenly, someone squeezed out from beside Sun Shan and said, "Shan-zi, I want candy too." It was Dingyong, De-ge’s second brother; no one knew when he had snuck in.

Sun Shan felt his pocket, found one last piece, and handed it to him.

Yong-ge grinned. "Thanks, Shan-zi. My mother hid all the candy at our house and won't let us eat it." He glanced at his younger brother. "Right, Third Brother?"

De-ge nodded vigorously, glaring with resentment at Mrs. Zheng, who was surrounded by people not far away. "Exactly! She doesn't just withhold the candy; she even confiscated the red envelope money the aunt gave us."

Mrs. Zheng and Mrs. Su shared the same approach: they demanded red envelope money from their sons, and if they refused, they were met with a stick. Uncle Sun went along with it, and despite their resistance, the three brothers were forced to surrender their money.

At that moment, Mrs. Zheng was chatting enthusiastically with a group of women. Everyone was trying to curry favor with her, hoping to use her as a special channel to secure clothes. After all, since Aunt Sun had brought the clothes, they hoped Mrs. Zheng could pull some strings.

Mrs. Zheng was a clever one; she gave vague, non-committal answers while firmly refusing to actually help. The village women had no choice but to keep showering her with flattery; they couldn't afford to offend the Sun family.

On the other side, Uncle Sun was in a similar situation, boasting to a group of men. To him, the fact that his sister was so capable meant that he was equally impressive. The men of Sun Family Village had to swallow their annoyance and offer sycophantic praise. No matter how unreliable Uncle Sun was, he was lucky enough to have a sister in the city.

Hadn't they seen the division of the family? Which elder sister could build five or six blue-brick houses for her brothers in one go—and for two brothers at once, at that? Not just in Sun Family Village, but in the entire Huangyang County, there was no elder sister as generous as her. Who wouldn't want to be in Uncle Sun’s shoes? The villagers could only look on with envy, jealousy, and resentment.

There were many clothes brought back this time, and in the end, Big-Head Dog even received a pair of thick cotton socks. Sun Shan touched them; they were quite sturdy and would easily last the whole winter. Big-Head Dog happily said goodbye to his friends and was dragged home by his great-grandmother, who insisted he hide the new clothes away to save for the New Year.

With the distribution mostly over and no more show to watch, Sun Shan pulled De-ge and Yong-ge back toward the old family home. Since Bomin had inherited the old house, the place where Sun Shan lived was generally referred to as the "Old Mansion."

As they stepped into the courtyard, they saw the younger Aunt Sun, her husband, and their two children, Zhou Dabao and Zhou Miaomiao. The boys greeted them.

The younger Aunt Sun was less striking than her eldest sister; she had a plain, round face and the air of an ordinary village woman. Her husband, Zhou Erlang, was much the same—a typical country man with high cheekbones and narrow eyes, the kind of face one would forget the moment they turned away.

What surprised Sun Shan was Zhou Dabao. He was seven years old, but his skin was delicate and fine, unlike that of a village boy. Zhou Miaomiao, who was five, looked round and plump; it was clear they were well-fed.

Seeing her nephews return, the younger Aunt Sun smiled and asked, "Where did you go?"

De-ge, being the chatterbox, replied, "To the ancestral hall to watch the village chief distribute the clothes our eldest aunt brought back."

The younger Aunt Sun understood. Every time her eldest sister visited, she brought old clothes for the village. She had wanted some herself several times, but her sister had always refused, saying, "I've already bought you new fabric, don't be greedy."

The younger Aunt Sun had no choice; her eldest sister was the head of the family and had the final say, and even their mother listened to her.