Chapter 25: Both are country girls, so why is their fate so vastly different?
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After an afternoon of bustling activity, the Sun household was livelier than it had been during the New Year celebrations.
Sun Bomin said to Sun Shan, “Shanzi, go call the village chief and his family over for dinner.”
Sun Bomin was very pleased when he saw the evening’s dishes: poached chicken, duck stir-fried with winter melon, braised goose, steamed pork with kudzu, stir-fried greens, and a large pot of grass carp and tofu soup.
It was even more sumptuous than a New Year feast—serving such a spread would bring them plenty of face before their guests.
Sun Shan answered and was just about to run out when Brother Yu chased after him. “Shanzi, I’ll go with you. It’s too boring staying here.”
Sun Shan knew that Yu liked to keep moving and hated sitting still. He took the boy’s hand and let him lead the way to the village chief’s house.
After walking for a while, they reached the gate. The two went straight inside, and Yu called out, “Grandpa Chief, dinner is ready! My mother told you all to come over and eat.”
The village chief had been wondering what gift he ought to bring when he went to dinner. He could hardly arrive empty-handed.
When he saw Yu, he hurriedly called back, “All right, Yu. Wait a moment—we’ll be right there.”
The village chief’s wife hastily gathered some candies and pastries, then brought out a jug of wine as well. The old man would surely want to share a few cups with Master He.
With a smile, she said, “You finished cooking so quickly.”
Sun Shan called her Grandma, then greeted the village chief as Grandpa.
When he saw the village chief’s three sons, he called them Uncle and Elder Uncle.
There were so many people that Sun Shan sometimes mixed up their relationships and simply addressed them as Uncle, Elder Uncle, Older Sister, Older Brother, and the like.
The entire village chief’s family had been invited that evening, so they arrived in considerable force.
The village chief had three sons, and those three sons had in turn produced a great many grandchildren. Young and old together, there were more than twenty people.
The village chief even had great-grandchildren now. The little ones babbled and squeaked, though no one could make out what they were saying.
With the entire village chief’s household and the entire Sun household together, there were a great many mouths to feed that evening.
The village chief was gathering some wild green dates to serve as fruit after the meal.
Yu asked with a grin, “Grandpa, do you have any mountain tea? My grandfather especially likes the mountain tea from Sun Village. He says it has a flavor all its own.”
Yu was thinking that, now that he had come to Sun Village, he ought to bring some local specialties home as a gift for the elders. That way, everyone would know what a filial and well-behaved child he was.
The village chief hurriedly replied, “Of course we do! Ah, if you’d told me sooner—if he likes it, I could have gone up the mountain in spring, picked extra tea leaves, and roasted them for you.”
The village chief’s wife set down what she was holding and hurried into the house. She soon returned with a large sack of mountain tea.
Smiling, she said, “This humble stuff isn’t fit to be displayed before distinguished guests, so we never dared offer it to you.”
Chunlan had also brought some tea from the prefectural city as a gift. When the old man brewed it, the tea gave off a delicate fragrance. Compared with their own roasted mountain tea, the difference was like heaven and earth.
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Yu giggled. “My grandfather simply likes the roasted mountain tea from Sun Village. He says it has a slightly scorched flavor and a taste unlike any other.”
The village chief’s eldest son nodded in understanding. “I know what you mean. It’s like someone accustomed to delicacies suddenly craving a simple home-cooked dish. Heh. Yu, take what we have at home. Next spring, we’ll gather more and save it for you.”
When Yu saw the large sack of tea, he hurriedly waved his hands. “That’s too much. A little will be enough. You need to drink it yourselves.”
The village chief’s wife ignored him completely and said anxiously, “Take it all. We don’t really care for tea. It should go to your grandfather, who actually enjoys it.”
The village chief agreed with his wife. What tea did country folk drink, anyway? They only kept it around to serve guests. Since the He family liked it, they might as well give it all to them.
There was nothing Yu could do. He hoisted the large sack of tea onto his back and followed the village chief’s family back to the old residence.
As soon as they entered the house, they were ushered into the main hall for dinner.
There were so many people that evening that they divided them among three large tables: one for the men, one for the women, and one for the older children.
The village chief’s three daughters-in-law hurried into the kitchen to help.
Second Aunt Sun and Third Aunt Sun had brought bowls and chopsticks from home long ago, so there were more than enough dishes and tableware.
Winter nights were long and the days short. Darkness fell quickly. Su, Sun Shan’s mother, lit two oil lamps and placed a brazier in the middle of the room to keep everyone warm.
Before long, the two sisters-in-law and the village chief’s three daughters-in-law began bringing out the food.
They served everyone a bowl of fish soup first.
Eldest Aunt Sun said with a smile, “Be careful when drinking the fish soup. Don’t let the bones prick you.”
The village chief’s wife nodded. “The children shouldn’t take any fish. Just give them the broth.”
Grass carp had many bones, and young children did not know how to eat it properly. If they were pricked, it could be quite dangerous.
The village chief picked up a piece of kudzu, and everyone began to eat.
They chatted over the meal, mostly discussing Yuniang.
No one could blame the village chief for worrying. Yuniang was pregnant again, and she had not returned to Sun Village since getting married. Fortunately, Chunlan was in the He household, so the two cousins could look after each other.
The village chief asked, “Chunlan, when are you returning to the prefectural city?”
He had asked the same question long ago, but old people liked to ask things again and again.
Before his wife could answer, Mr. He, who was sitting beside her, replied, “The day after tomorrow.”
Eldest Aunt Sun followed up, “You’ve been here for quite a few days. It’s time to go back. The shop in the prefectural city still needs tending.”
The village chief’s wife hurriedly asked, “Oh dear, who’s looking after the shop?”
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Eldest Aunt Sun smiled. “The shopkeeper is watching it, so there’s no need to worry. Still, with the owners away, it isn’t easy to deal with problems when they arise.”
Madam Huang agreed. “That’s right. The two of you should return as soon as you can. It won’t do to leave your own shop without anyone in charge.”
The village chief swallowed a piece of braised pork and quickly said, “Son-in-law, you should go back early. Leaving everything to an outsider is absolutely not safe.”
At the other table, Second Brother Zhou hurriedly nodded. “The village chief is right. Eldest Sister and Brother-in-law, it would be best for you to return to the prefectural city soon. How can a shopkeeper manage the store on his own?”
Second Brother Zhou lived on the outskirts of the county town. He usually grew some fruit and vegetables and carried them into town to sell, so he knew a little about doing business. His elder sister’s family owned a shop, which required even more careful management.
Mr. He quickly reassured them. “There’s no need to worry. My parents occasionally go over to keep an eye on things. Nothing will happen.”
Everyone nodded when they heard that. Indeed, with family members present, the shopkeeper would hardly dare commit any wrongdoing.
The village chief picked up a piece of goose and asked, “Does Yuniang’s husband’s family own a shop?”
If they did, he wondered who was managing it. The He household had few people, so they would surely have to rely on relatives.
Mr. He smiled. “The Clerk He’s family doesn’t own a shop, but they have a great deal of farmland. They have no worries about food or drink. Uncle, you needn’t be concerned—Yuniang is living very well.”
Eldest Aunt Sun added, “Yuniang’s family has several hundred acres of land, as well as an estate. Clerk He and Liyang both work at the prefectural government office and receive salaries from the government. Uncle, Auntie, you truly have nothing to worry about. To tell you the truth, Yuniang’s married life is even better than ours. Her husband’s family is small and has fewer troubles, so she hardly has to worry about anything.”
The only matter that required concern was bearing children. Fortunately, her first child had been a boy, and now she was expecting a second. As long as Yuniang continued to conduct herself properly, her life could only grow better and better.
When Little Aunt Sun heard that Yuniang’s family owned several hundred acres of land, her eyes widened. What kind of family fortune was that? They were astonishingly wealthy!
She glanced at Miaomiao and wondered whether Eldest Sister could find the girl a good match. Ah, she had been born at the wrong time—now the village chief’s cherished youngest daughter had gained the advantage.
Little Aunt Sun was not the only one feeling envious. The three daughters-in-law of the Sun family, along with the village chief’s three daughters-in-law, all wished they could trade places with Yuniang. They were all country girls, so how had their fates ended up worlds apart?
When the village chief and his wife heard once again about Yuniang’s family fortune, their hearts blossomed with happiness. At first, they had worried that a country girl would not be worthy of a city man. But after Yuniang gave birth to a son, half the weight in their hearts lifted. So long as she continued bearing boys, her position would certainly become as secure as Chunlan’s.
The group ate and drank until it was well past midnight.
The winter night was bitterly cold. Carrying an oil lamp, the village chief slowly led his family home.
They had eaten so well—and so much—that they had Chunlan to thank for it.
The village chief thought that, from then on, whenever anyone in the village loudly berated a daughter, he would pay that household a visit and give them a piece of his mind. Daughters were no less valuable than sons. If they married well, they could support their maiden families just the same.