“Don’t be angry, this matter hasn’t been finalized yet, okay?” Xu’s mother tried to soothe her sister-in-law, her mind seething with indignation at the Liu family. To demand someone else’s son simply because they couldn’t have one themselves? Such a shameless notion could only come from them. Besides, sons and daughters were equally valuable; if their own family only had Yingying, then she would simply find a son-in-law.
“Mom, what’s wrong?” Xu Ying couldn’t help but ask, her curiosity piqued.
Aunt Xu, tears streaming down her face, finally revealed the painful truth: “Your uncle wants me give my son to his elder brother’s family as their son.”
Xu Ying’s eyes widened in disbelief. “My uncle’s eldest brother already has a son, doesn’t he? Why would they want to adopt your son ?”
From the corner, Liu Jinbao her cousin , who had been playing silently in the corner , looked up. “Second sister,” he piped up, his small voice trembling, “my cousin is gone. He fell to his death on the mountain a few days ago. My grandma cried so sadly for him . My uncle also said he had no heirs, and that my aunt was too old to have children, so he asked me to be his child.”
Xu Ying felt a pang of sympathy for the little boy. “Are you willing to be your Uncle Yu’s child?” she asked gently.
Liu Jinbao shook his head vehemently. “No, I won’t go! My uncle and aunt are both bad. Cousin was bad too, otherwise he wouldn’t have fallen to his death. He deserved it!” The last words were uttered with a chilling conviction, as if he believed they all deserved their fate.
“Jinbao, don’t talk like that,” Aunt Xu scolded him , her voice sharp with distress. Liu Jinbao flinched, shrinking back and falling silent, fear clouding his young face.
Father Xu’s face was ashen, his jaw clenched. “If you don’t want him to be adopted , then don’t do it. What are you afraid of? Just stay at home these days. If Dashan doesn’t come home after the Chinese New Year to fetch you , your second brother, third brother, and I will go to the mountains to find them,” he ground out, his voice thick with controlled rage.
Xu Ying sensed that there was more to this story than a simple adoption request; her father’s fury was too intense. But since her aunt and the others remained silent on the details, Xu Ying didn’t press further.
Just then, Second Brother Xu approached the yard with , a shy, almost sheepish expression on his face that left everyone dumbfounded.
“Second brother, if you have something to say, just say it! You look so scary,” Third Brother Xu complained, feeling goosebumps rise on his arms. Even the usually stoic Big Brother Xu was speechless at his elder brother’s awkwardness.
Second Brother Xu, blushing, finally managed to stammer, “Mom, Qiuye told me to go to her house and follow her father to her grandpa’s house tomorrow.” Saying this a swell of pride filled him; he might be getting married soon, and soon he would also have a wife.
As soon as Second Brother Xu uttered those words, Xu’s mother understood Xu Renguo’s intentions. But she didn’t care. After all, her daughter was truly promising, and Yingying was her greatest asset now. They could show off all they wanted, as long as they didn’t use her daughter as a shield for misdeeds.
“Alright,” Xu’s mother declared, her tone decisive. “You go and check out Qiuye’s dad. If it seems good, I’ll arrange the marriage for you two. We’ll get married when autumn comes.” With her children married, her and her husband’s mission would be complete.
Second Brother Xu’s heart swelled with happiness, as sweet as honey. He nodded vigorously and practically floated back into the house.
Xu Ying, exhausted from the long day, also excused herself to Xu’s mother and retreated to her room. Today’s efforts had earned her a significant boost in favorability points. Her space was now eighty-five percent unlocked, just fifteen percent shy of full access. A smile touched Xu Ying’s lips as she gazed at the expanding space.
As the Lunar New Year passed, bringing the second day, a traditional time for married daughters to visit their parents’ homes. Xu’s mother, having no married daughters of her own, didn’t have to wait for anyone. But as a married daughter herself, she had to make the journey back to her natal home . So the next day bright and early, Xu’s mother packed her gifts, preparing to return to her ancestral home.
Sister-in-law Xu usually joined them, but this year, being pregnant and finding train travel difficult, she stayed behind. However, Zhao’s mother had sent a letter, announcing her intention to visit her daughter at her in-laws’ house. Her daughter had been married for so long, and she had never once visited their home . This was the perfect opportunity to see her in-laws. More importantly, their leader was shameless enough to send her husband to discuss business with Xu Ying during new years.
In truth, there was no real need for Father Zhao and his family to make the trip. Xu Ying herself had been planning to return to Xiang County. She had recently unlocked a new recipe for ham sausage and intended to begin researching its production. Of course, this would require pork. And the terms of cooperation would undoubtedly be different if someone came to them asking for a partnership, rather than the other way around. Xu Ying was secretly delighted to learn of the Zhao family’s visit, though that was a matter for later discussion.
“Yingying, let’s go to your grandma’s house!” Xu’s mother called out early in the morning. Xu Ying washed up, had a quick breakfast, and then rode her bicycle back with her mother.
Upon their arrival in Zhangjiacun, Xu’s mother transformed into a proud peacock, head held high, chest puffed out. As they entered the village, she coughed a few times, a self-satisfied smile gracing her lips as she noticed the villagers’ curious glances.
“They’re all eating!” Xu’s mother bellowed, ensuring her voice carried across the village.
The villagers, squatting with their rice bowls, immediately looked up at the sound of Xu’s mother’s voice. Their faces broke into smiles, and they greeted her as if she were a benevolent deity. “Oh, isn’t that Guihua?Are you coming back to your parents’ house, for new years? Go quickly, your mother must be waiting for you !”
“Guihua , your Yingying is truly prosperous now! Look at our Yushan Commune, it’s all thanks to your daughter this year!”
“No, we all owe it to your daughter! Otherwise, would we have been able to find such good jobs? I never dared to dream that I would one day find work and earn money on my own!”
“Isn’t that right? Guihua, you and your daughter are the saviors of our village! When have I ever been so majestic in my life? In the past, my mother-in-law always made things difficult for me, saying women should only take care of men. But now it’s better. My monthly salary is several dozen yuan, and my mother-in-law doesn’t dare to say anything to me !”
Xu’s mother listened with keen delight. She handed her belongings to her daughter, urging, “You take the things back first. I’ll catch up with my old sisters here.” The “reminiscing” was merely an excuse; the true joy lay in being praised by them. Xu’s mother stood among the villagers, head held high, her chest puffed out, like a proud rooster, utterly reveling in the attention.
“It’s not as serious as everyone says,” she demurred, though her tone belied her words. “My daughter has a quick mind, is good at studying, and understands English also . Otherwise, how would she be able to chat with those foreigners? You don’t know how outrageous those foreigners are! People in our country are so polite to them, but they still dare to look down on us. That group of people are too cowardly! My daughter directly confronted those foreigners. Those foreigners immediately stopped trying to mess with my daughter. My daughter also designed beautiful clothes. Have you seen them? Those foreigners liked them so much that they even placed a big order with her , worth several million!”
“My dear mother! Several million!” one woman gasped in astonishment. They had never seen hundreds of thousands, let alone several million. How could such a sum even exist? No wonder the Xujiacun workshop needed so many people. They had heard rumors of the commune building more factories and needing even more workers, and it seemed the rumors were true. The old Xu family’s ancestral graves must truly be smoking; a powerful figure was indeed emerging from their lineage.