Chapter 26: Hopes for a Daughter to Soar and a Son to Succeed

After waking from a nap and finishing lunch, Eldest Sister Sun was helping Youngest Sister Sun pack her belongings. Zhou Dabao had taken leave from his studies, but he would have to return to school the following day.

The journey from Sun Village back to her husband’s home took two hours, and they would not arrive until late in the afternoon. Youngest Sister Sun loaded the gifts from her eldest sister onto a single-wheeled handcart, weeping as she said, "Eldest Sister, I am leaving now. I will see you again next year."

Eldest Sister Sun stroked her younger sister’s hair and said tenderly, "If any trouble arises, come back to your maiden home and find your eldest brother. And make sure to get along well with Dabao’s father, show respect to your parents-in-law, and do not be temperamental."

She then turned to Second Brother-in-law Zhou and said, "Brother-in-law, I entrust my little sister to you. She can be thoughtless at times; please be patient with her."

Second Brother-in-law Zhou smiled and replied, "Eldest Sister, Chunjiao has a very good temperament."

Third Uncle Sun and Third Aunt Sun exchanged glances, looking at Second Brother-in-law Zhou with contempt. If Youngest Sister Sun had a good temperament, then no one in the world had a bad one. They suspected he was only being patient with her for the sake of the money.

Third Aunt Sun looked at the gifts on the handcart. Good heavens, she had come to her maiden home with only a duck, a chicken, and some worthless dried bamboo shoots. Yet, she was returning with two ducks, two chickens, a goose, two bolts of fabric, various candies and cookies, assorted cured meats and sausages, and a sum of cash that was out of sight. The return on investment for this trip was ridiculously high.

Third Uncle Sun felt the same way, looking at his eldest brother as if he were a fool—his silly, overly generous eldest brother. He then glanced at his second brother, who was equally foolish and generous, for Second Uncle Sun had also gifted Youngest Sister Sun a duck and a chicken. As for Third Uncle Sun, his return gift to her was a single piece of cured meat; she could take it or leave it, and he would prefer if she left it so he could keep it for himself. He would not be as generous as his older siblings; keeping things for his own family was better than giving them to the Zhou household.

Eldest Sister Sun patted Zhou Dabao and Zhou Miaomiao, saying gently, "You two must listen to your mother and not make her angry."

The two siblings nodded obediently, replying in crisp voices, "Eldest Aunt, we are very well-behaved; we won't make Mother angry."

Seeing that the day was growing late, Madame Huang urged, "Chunjiao, Erlang, you should be on your way. It gets dark quickly in winter, and the mountain roads are difficult to navigate."

Second Brother-in-law Zhou nodded hurriedly, saying, "Mother is right. Chunjiao, stop crying, let us go."

They had to cross two mountains to reach the town, and from there, it was another hour's journey to the county seat. Leaving now was just right. Fortunately, over the years, Huangyang County had continuously repaired the roads, even paving the mountain paths well enough for horse-drawn carts, making the journey much smoother.

There was some concern about wild beasts in the mountains, but generally, the official roads were safe; even predators possessed enough intelligence to know that paths frequently used by humans were dangerous territory for them. As for bandits, there was no need to worry at all. In all the years of Huangyang County's history, there had been no reports of mountain bandits. While there were petty thugs and ruffians, they usually operated only in the towns or the county seat. Huangyang County was small with a sparse population, and everyone in the surrounding villages knew one another. Robbery would lead to social ostracization and bring shame upon one's entire clan, so unless someone was truly desperate, they would not choose such a path.

Second Brother-in-law Zhou pushed the cart, which was piled high with goods, forcing Zhou Miaomiao and Zhou Dabao to walk alongside their parents. The Sun family saw them off to the edge of the village, waving until their figures disappeared before turning back home.

Madame Huang felt no sorrow; Youngest Sister Sun lived nearby, and they would see each other many times throughout the year during holidays.

Eldest Sister Sun composed herself and said with a smile, "Mother, I need to pack my things. I must set off early tomorrow morning. I’ve already agreed with the escort agency to reach the county seat by noon, so we can travel to the prefectural city together."

Madame Huang quickly replied, "It is better to arrive at the county seat early. It is always better for you to wait for the escort agency than for them to wait for you." She then hurried to tell her eldest daughter-in-law, Madame Su, "Eldest daughter-in-law, bring the things for Eldest Sister and pack them away now, so we don't forget anything in the rush."

Madame Su nodded quickly, "Mother, I am coming."

Watching the family's supply of chickens, ducks, and geese dwindle made Madame Huang feel a pang of heartache. She had wanted to give more to Eldest Sister Sun, but her daughter had refused, saying they had everything in the prefectural city and that bringing things from Sun Village would only be a burden. The Sun family could only pack up local specialties that were both unique and delicious.

Third Aunt Sun nudged Third Uncle Sun. Understanding her intent, Third Uncle Sun said to Eldest Sister Sun, "Eldest Sister, my father-in-law dried some longans—the skins are thin and the flesh is thick, and they are delicious. You can use them for soup or eat them as a snack. I’ll go get some for you." This was something his wife had "scrounged" from her own maiden home; he had originally intended to keep them as snacks for the New Year, but with Eldest Sister here, he felt he should give them to her.

Third Aunt Sun chimed in, "Eldest Sister, my maiden home has a large longan tree. My father dries the fruit every year, and I brought some back."

Eldest Sister Sun said coldly, "If your father gave them to you, you should keep them for yourself." She feared that if she accepted them, Madame Zheng would create trouble later; one could not be too kind to a person like Madame Zheng, or she would only become more demanding.

Third Uncle Sun said nonchalantly, "Better you eat them than us. You have always been so good to me, Eldest Sister, and I have always kept you in my thoughts."

His words were transparent, but they were well-received. After all, he was her younger brother, and Eldest Sister Sun was pleased that he thought of her. She smiled and said, "You have a sweet tongue, but keep them for yourself. There are dried longans for sale in the prefectural city, too."

Third Uncle Sun hurried to say, "The ones you buy can't compare to mine! Wait here, Eldest Sister, I’ll go get them now." He signaled to Third Aunt Sun, and Madame Zheng scurried off, wondering what else she could bring out besides the dried longans. Aside from the gifts Eldest Sister Sun had brought, she had received three taels of silver, which would make life much easier for her and her husband for over half a year.

Second Uncle Sun and his wife were not as eloquent as Third Uncle Sun. Second Uncle Sun spoke bluntly, "Eldest Sister, we have dried some cured duck. Take it back for Yuge's grandparents to eat. It tastes quite good." They then walked home, also racking their brains for what else they could offer. Aside from the gifts and money, the six brick-tiled rooms they had been given had significantly lightened Second Uncle Sun’s burden. If he hadn't been able to build a new house, those three rooms for each of his two sons were more than enough.

Sun Bomin was busy packing citrus fruits into sacks, as these were specifically requested by Eldest Sister Sun. The He family loved the Sun family's citrus, and it was thanks to these fruits that Eldest Sister Sun and her husband had first connected.

Yuge quickly peeled a tangerine, popped the whole thing into his mouth, then peeled another, split it into two segments, and fed them to his parents. He laughed and said, "Grandmother's tangerines are the best; I can't stop eating them." While speaking, he stuffed another one into his mouth.

He turned to Madame Huang and said, "Grandmother, Eldest Brother loves these tangerines the most. He eats one every day after he finishes his studies."

Madame Huang patted Yuge on the head and smiled, "If he likes them, take them all back. Tell your eldest brother to study hard and not be nervous during the examinations; he will surely do well."

Mr. He also peeled a tangerine, split it, gave half to his wife, and ate the rest himself. He said to Madame Huang, "Mother, Jin'ge will be taking his exams in February next year and won't be coming back; I hope you won't mind."

Madame Huang waved her hand, "The exams are the priority; it makes no difference whether he comes back or not."

Eldest Sister Sun shook her head, then nodded, saying, "Mother, it is Jin'ge taking the exams, but the family is even more nervous than he is." She rolled her eyes at Mr. He and added with a smile, "Especially his grandparents—they burn incense to the ancestors every single day. Seeing them like that, even if Jin'ge weren't nervous, he would have to be."

Yuge giggled and teased, "That's why Eldest Brother hasn't come home for half a year; he's busy studying at the academy."

At these words, everyone burst into laughter. The desire for one's children to succeed was a sentiment everyone in the He family understood.