20demayo Chapter 213 My Family Home (2)
Chapter 213 My Family Home (2)
Thinking of her eldest daughter's appetite, Liu followed her to the kitchen. Seeing her sister-in-law scoop two ladles of flour into a basin, she spoke up to remind her...
"Sister-in-law, that's not enough, dig some more."
Upon hearing this, Sister-in-law Liu scooped another ladleful from the jar, thinking that this was definitely enough. Even if there were a few more, it wouldn't matter, since it wouldn't be wasted.
Liu said somewhat embarrassedly, "Sister-in-law, could you scoop out two more scoops of cornmeal?"
Hearing her words, Sister Liu looked up at her with some surprise. "I'm rolling out noodles!"
"Yes, I know. Add two more scoops of cornmeal."
"What are you talking about? Do you think I'm afraid you'll eat white flour? We've already eaten it. This is for you!" Sister-in-law Liu explained, puzzled, when her sister-in-law kept asking for more flour.
“Sister-in-law, the girl who came with us, Da Niu, has an enormous appetite; she can eat more than iron.” Liu felt it was necessary to make things clear.
Hearing her sister-in-law say that, Sister-in-law Liu couldn't help but go outside the kitchen and take a special look at Da Niu.
"Does she really eat that much?"
"Yes, she can eat eight or nine steamed buns in one meal. A bowl of vegetables and two bowls of porridge," Liu said, nodding earnestly.
"My goodness, where did you find this girl? She can eat so much! Nobody could stand eating like that!" Sister-in-law Liu exclaimed in surprise.
After saying that, she realized that what she said was not quite right, and said with a somewhat embarrassed smile, "Sister, that's not what I meant. I'm not worried about the child eating. I just think it's not easy for you to raise a child with such a big appetite."
Madam Liu naturally knew that her sister-in-law had no other intentions, so she wasn't angry. She smiled and said, "But that child is also very strong. When we came today, one of the cart wheels fell into a ditch and couldn't get out, but she lifted the cart out all by herself."
"Really? That's quite strong." Sister-in-law Liu scooped two more ladles of flour from the flour jar into the basin. Seeing that her sister-in-law didn't ask for more, she poured in water and started kneading the dough.
The two women, sister-in-law and aunt, were in the kitchen, one kneading dough and the other boiling water. Taking advantage of the fact that no one else was around, Sister-in-law Liu told her sister-in-law what had happened at home.
"After my little sister went missing that year, we all said that Wang Shi deliberately lost her. Didn't Father not believe it? You had a big fight with Father and then left. Your brother and I also discussed wanting to separate and live separately. My life under Wang Shi's control every day was unbearable." Sister-in-law Liu kneaded the dough, her thoughts slowly drifting back to a day three years ago.
"What? You want to separate from the family?" Old Man Liu looked at his only son in disbelief.
“Yes, we’re going to split up the family. I won’t say anything else, but just look at what your two grandsons are eating every day. They’re so skinny they look like monkeys. My aunt always says that the money I earn isn’t even enough to feed myself. I’m too ashamed to stay at home with my wife and kids and live off my parents. Now we’re splitting up the family, and I’ll take my wife and kids and go out to make a living on my own.”
"No, I don't agree. With our parents still alive, we shouldn't separate the family. Besides, you're my only son, how can we separate the family?" No matter what his son said, Old Man Liu firmly disagreed with separating his son's family.
Looking at his two grandsons, who were as thin as monkeys, Old Man Liu felt sorry for them. However, everyone was struggling to find enough food, and it wasn't just their family. He knew perfectly well from his daily life that his second wife was indeed a good person. She had mentioned several times to him that his two grandsons were malnourished and so thin it was heartbreaking, and she had even shed tears at times. Moreover, Wang Shi treated him very well. After working hard all day, he would come home to a caring woman who understood his needs. Having been a widower for two years, Old Man Liu cherished this wife greatly and couldn't bear to be harsh on her.
"Dad, whether you agree or not, I'm separating the family today. Let me be clear: if you ever need someone to take care of you, I'll still bring you to my side and serve you tea and water without neglecting you. But right now, I'm taking my wife and children to live separately. If you don't agree, we'll talk to the village chief. Besides, there's still no clear explanation for how my little sister got lost. We can't possibly eat with Auntie anymore." Brother Liu spoke to his father forcefully.
The father and son were arguing when a heart-wrenching cry rang out from outside: "I can't live like this anymore! Every day since I came to this family, I've worried myself sick for them, doing their laundry and cooking for you. And now the child is lost, and you blame me, saying I sold him. You'll only believe my innocence if I kill myself..."
Wang's sorrowful cries in the courtyard attracted many villagers to watch. Because Wang was usually good at dealing with people, none of the neighbors had a bad word to say about her. But seeing her crying so miserably, everyone criticized Brother Liu and Sister-in-law Liu for being unfilial.
“Although Wang is your stepmother, she is still a mother. She has been in your family for the past few years and has taken care of you with all her heart. She was so remorseful when her little sister was lost that she wanted to die. And now you are still forcing her like this…” Liu’s second aunt pointed at the couple and said this.
Later, the village chief intervened and temporarily calmed down Brother Liu's desire to divide the family property. However, Brother Liu and his wife realized that their stepmother was just pretending. From then on, whenever Brother Liu went out to do odd jobs, he no longer gave the coins he earned to his father. Instead, he put them in his own pocket or used them to buy food for his children.
After a while, Wang couldn't take it anymore. He wasn't contributing any money home, and he was eating and drinking at home all the time. How could she bear to see her own money being spent little by little to support Brother Liu's family? She still had her own son and grandson. Whenever she complained to Old Man Liu about the children not contributing money home, he would always give vague answers and never openly ask his son for money on Wang's behalf.
A year passed like this. No matter how much Wang tried to ruin the couple's reputation in the village, they stuck to one principle: they ate at home and never brought any money home. Finally, one day, Wang said she wanted to visit her son's house to see her grandson and would need to stay at home for a few days.
The first time, she went back and stayed for three days before returning home. After a few days of peace at home, her son came again in an oxcart to pick her up, saying that his grandson missed his grandmother and had been making a fuss these past two days, not eating properly. Old Man Liu naturally couldn't stop her from going back to see her grandson. He didn't know what kind of drug Wang had given him, but when she left, she even had her son take away a hundred catties of grain.
This happened several times, and Wang's trips back home became longer and longer. She would only stay for a day or two before leaving, taking her own food with her. Seeing that the family's food supply was running low, Old Man Liu had no choice but to take out his silver to buy more food.
Last year, she only returned home for a few days during the summer and autumn harvests, and each time she left, she took a lot of grain with her. After a while, Old Man Liu realized that Wang Shi was not content to live with him. Besides, what kind of wife was she if she only stayed at home for two days a year? So this year, she came back during the summer harvest, but Old Man Liu chased her away before she even entered the house.
Liu quietly tended the fire, listening to her sister-in-law recount the events that had transpired in the family over the past few years. She was somewhat annoyed by her father's muddle-headedness, but considering his advanced age and the impending loss of each passing day, she couldn't bear the thought.
"Dad didn't let her into the house during the summer harvest. She cried in the yard and left. She didn't come back during the autumn harvest either. I don't know if she'll ever come back," said Sister-in-law Liu as she put the noodles into the pot.
Mentioning her stepmother, Wang, Liu almost ground her teeth to powder. Her nine-year-old sister was clever and bright. If she hadn't been deliberately sold, how could she have gotten lost? Years of searching had yielded no results. Every time she thought of her sister, she hated herself for being blind, mistaking a wolf for a sheep.