Chapter 30

Shen Jin, accompanied by two younger brothers, was standing outside the straw house. Shen An and Shen Ning, who had been clearing land behind the house, were now guarding their home's entrance, faces full of wariness.

Although Shen Jin was a year younger than Shen An, he was taller and sturdier. However, he was standing lower and wasn't there to fight. Feeling confident, he looked up, reasoning with the siblings.

"What you're doing isn't right. We've been eating at your house for so many years, and now we just want a couple of pieces of your pork cracklings. Why can't we have them?"

Shen Jin felt extremely wronged. For the past three days, he had almost rolled into mud pits in their yard, yet his mother still hadn't agreed to buy meat and render lard for him.

Remembering the aroma from two days ago, he had been so tantalized that his craving had only intensified over these few days, having tried everything yet still unable to get a taste.

Hence, he thought of trying his luck at Shen Ning's place, wondering if she might still have some.

Unexpectedly, Shen An and Shen Ning were unwilling to share, guarding the door like protecting against a thief. Once the door was shut, the siblings stood guard.

Initially unsure if Shen Ning still had any pork cracklings left, Shen Jin now felt certain there must be some.

Shen Jin, seeing Shen An's stern silence, suddenly remembered the last time Shen An and Shen Ning had eaten pork cracklings at his house. Recollecting the time his mother had rendered lard at the beginning of the year, his eyes lit up with realization. "At the beginning of the year, remember? My mother rendered lard and gave each of you three hot pieces in a small bowl. You can't deny that, can you?"

Shen An remained cold and tight-lipped.

That time was shortly after they had received news of their elder brother's death. He and his sister had been crying every day, and their aunt and uncle, feeling guilty, had treated them especially well for a while.

But they hadn't touched those three pieces of cracklings, unable to eat due to grief. Their aunt had returned them as they were.

Yet, Shen An chose not to speak about it.

Shen Jin, assuming silence as admission, pressed on, "See, you don't have anything to say, right? Just this once, you ate six pieces from our house. Give us two pieces each, and we'll be even, right?"

Shen Ning, puffing her cheeks in frustration, finally retorted, "Who's evening out with you? Who owes you anything? Before we split the household, it was also our house. We didn't eat yours. My brother also worked the fields."

Shen Jin was taken aback.

Their eldest cousin did more than just farm; he also hunted.

Shen Jin, though young, had heard enough rumors in the village to know his elder cousin had taken his father's place in the military and died in battle.

Shen Jin's fingers trembled slightly, and he faltered.

As a child, he intuitively avoided acknowledging his fault.

"Let's not talk about before the split. Even recently, after the division, you often came to our house asking for food. What's wrong with just giving me a few pieces of cracklings in return?"

Shen Yin and Shen Tie, also longing for the cracklings for days, had almost forgotten about them due to their short attention spans. However, Shen Jin's constant reminders reignited their cravings.

Repeatedly being reminded, the two younger brothers yearned intensely for the cracklings. Following their elder brother's lead, they eagerly joined him, only to realize he couldn't obtain any.

Shen Yin, on the verge of tears from craving, sulkily added, "Sister, just a few days ago, our mother also gave you vegetable porridge."

Shen Tie, standing beside his fourth brother Shen Jin, sucked on his fingers, saliva almost dripping. Only five years old, he understood little but knew that his sister used to agree to whatever he asked. He gazed pleadingly at Shen Ning: "Sister, I want to eat some pork cracklings."

Shen Ning could retort Shen Jin, but facing her two little cousins on the verge of tears, she was at a loss.

Shen Jin, however, saw this as his younger brother Shen Yin hitting Shen Ning's weak spot and smugly added: "Exactly, you were eating the food my mother gave just a few days ago."

Shen Ning had almost calmed down, but Shen Jin's words reignited her anger.

Angrily, the young girl retorted: "Two spoonfuls. Aunt knew we had no food left, not even chaff. For two days, she only gave two spoonfuls of vegetable porridge, which was all watery. We could count the rice grains mixed into the boiled wild vegetables. Divided among three, we couldn't even find the rice."

Recalling the hardships of the recent days, Shen Ning's eyes reddened: "My sister-in-law almost starved to death."

"My brother went knocking on doors in the middle of the night begging for food, and your parents pretended not to hear!"

"We are still so young. Why did our uncle separate us without land or fields?"

The more she spoke, the more aggrieved she felt, tears rolling down her cheeks as she cried. Her words became jumbled, mentioning her uncle and Shen Jin's parents alternately.

Finally, wiping her eyes fiercely, she accused Shen Jin: "You even said my brother was a beggar. I won't give you any cracklings! Don't even think about it!"

"Shen Jin was dumbfounded, but it was either Shen Yin or Shen Tie who started crying loudly."

"Once one started crying, the other joined in as well."

"The birds in the mountains were startled by the thunderous crying of the two children, fluttering away with their wings."

"Shen Ning, still with tears on her face, was suddenly struck dumb, her tears stopping in their tracks."

"No matter how harshly she spoke, among the Shen family's children of this generation, apart from the eldest brother who could already do farm work, only she and her second brother were the oldest. Before being separated, she and her second brother had essentially raised their two younger cousins, including little Shen Tian, who was too young to leave the family."

"Shen Ning, at six years old, was already adept at chasing around her two- or three-year-old cousins Shen Yin and Shen Tie with a spoon to feed them."

"For a nine-year-old girl dealing with her tiny cousins, where could there be any resentment or annoyance?"

"Tears met tears between the older and the younger."

"The two little ones were still wailing with their eyes shut, while the older one was bewildered by the crying."

"Shen Jin was also left dumbfounded."

"Shen An watched the scene speechlessly, wondering how just a few words had turned the situation into this."

He first looked at his sister, Shen Ning, and seeing that she had stopped crying, he then turned to his two little cousins, saying, “Stop crying.”

“Waaaah…”

“Boohoo…”

Who would listen to him?

Both their third brother and elder sister were arguing fiercely.

After craving pork fat for three days, now realizing they wouldn’t get any, wasn’t crying justified?

They were utterly heartbroken.

Shen An’s forehead throbbed as he raised his voice, “Shen Yin, Shen Tie, if you want pork fat, shut up immediately. No more howling!”

A sudden silence fell in the forest.

The two youngsters opened their tear-drenched eyes. The youngest, Shen Tie, choked on his sobs, looking at his second cousin with a hiccup, then covered his mouth with his tiny, dirt-streaked hands after a delayed reaction.

Shen An: …

“You want pork fat?”

The two little ones nodded furiously, with Shen Jin, who was standing beside them, nodding even more eagerly.

Shen Ning, in a panic, tugged at her second brother's sleeve: "Second Brother, our sister-in-law has hardly eaten any herself."

Shen An reassuredly patted his sister's hand and said to Shen Yin and Shen Tie, "If you want pork fat, see that patch of land behind our house? Help me clear it. If you do a good job, I’ll give each of you a piece in the evening."

The two little brothers, their eyes still moist and faces streaked with tears, looked confused, "How do we clear land?"

One six years old, the other five - how could they understand land clearing?

Yet, Shen An genuinely intended to teach them.

He led the little ones to the back of the house, not handing them a hoe but showing them how to use bamboo sticks to scrape away the soil and pile up the stones and grass roots.

He specifically used his small hoe to show the little ones what properly cleared land looked like: “Properly cleared land should look like this, just soil, no stones or grass roots. It must be cleared this way to plant anything.”

The little brothers became excited: "Second Brother, I can do it!"

It's just like playing in the mud.

They did that every day.

The only difference was that their second brother had specified they must remove stones and roots.

With bamboo sticks in hand, the brothers eagerly started digging where Shen An had just shown them.

Shen Jin, without a bamboo stick, scrambled to find a suitable wooden stick to use. Ignoring Shen Ning's fierce glares and her insistence that Shen An hadn't asked him to help, he excitedly joined his younger brothers in their task.

This infuriated Shen Ning, who pouted and glared at her second brother.

Shen An hadn't seen such a range of expressions on his sister's face for a long time. He instinctively wanted to pinch her puffed-up cheeks, but seeing his hands were dirty, he withdrew them, leaning in to whisper: "It keeps them quiet, and three pieces of pork fat in exchange for their help in clearing the land is a good deal. It’ll mean less work for our sister-in-law, and we need to prepare the land for planting soon."

Lowering his voice even more, he added, "Think about Auntie Li's cupboard."

Auntie Li’s cupboard, where she stashed food, locked but never safe from Shen Jin's sneaky hands.

Of course, Shen Jin wouldn't dare take things from other people's homes, but growing up together, did he even consider their home as 'other people's'?

Shen An worried that a moment's lapse could lead Shen Jin directly into their house.

Their house didn’t have a lock.

With daily tofu-making, their house bore too many traces, and even a child like Shen Jin shouldn't be let in.

If Uncle and Auntie started prying, it wouldn’t be long before they figured everything out.

Shen Ning's eyes widened in realization and she turned to look at Shen Jin, but Shen An tugged at her, saying, "I'm not saying he'll definitely do that, but it’s better to keep him busy rather than always guarding against him. In a few days, they'll think the pork fat is gone and will calm down."

Shen Ning was still not happy, not about giving Shen Yin and Shen Tie their share - it was fair since they helped - but about giving anything to Shen Jin.

She resented the idea of rewarding Shen Jin.

But then she thought of her sister-in-law's secret family recipe and how tirelessly she worked, traveling far to sell tofu and then coming back to toil in the fields, so exhausted at night that she barely moved in bed, yet still waking up in the middle of the night to make tofu.

Shen Ning, no longer speaking, pursed her lips and went back to the land they were clearing. Shen Jin, having been closely watching the siblings' whispered conversation, was now squarely in Shen Ning's gaze.

Huffing, Shen Ning picked up her small hoe and started working the land. After hoeing a bit, she glanced at Shen Jin’s progress and darkly warned, “Don’t think you can just play in the mud all day and expect my brother to feed you. If you don’t clear enough, you won’t get anything.”

Shen Jin, who was indeed planning to play in the mud all day, stiffened. Finally acknowledging them, he looked up at Shen Ning, then turned to ask Shen An, “How much do I need to clear for the pork fat?”

Shen An, unceremoniously, used a stick to mark out a two-foot square area for Shen Jin.

“You need to clear this section. Shallow work won’t do; it needs to be at least a foot deep, and you must thoroughly remove all stones and roots.”

He illustrated the depth with the stick in his hand.

In the Daqian dynasty, one foot was roughly equivalent to thirty centimeters, making the area Shen An marked about half a square meter.

It might seem small, but the hard, dry mountain soil and the entangled roots and rocks beneath made clearing the land challenging. The size Shen An had marked was what he himself could only manage in a day’s hard work.

If he could do it, so could Shen Jin.

As for the two younger cousins, they didn’t ask, and Shen An chose not to address it, turning a blind eye.

Shen Jin examined the area Shen An had marked and the length of the stick, having never worked in the fields and unaware of the difficulty of clearing land. He was only focused on one thing, “I get the pork fat after I finish?”

Shen An, having made a promise, would not go back on his word, “Once I check and confirm it’s done properly, with no stones or roots and the soil loosened, I’ll give you a piece of pork fat.”

Shen Jin became excited, “Okay! You mean it, right? I’ll be right back, just wait for me!”

He then turned and ran down the hill.

Shen Yin and Shen Tie, watching their older brother run off, were perplexed. But now having a task at hand and the promise of pork fat as a reward, they eagerly continued digging with their bamboo sticks, not minding their brother’s sudden departure.

Shen Ning was indifferent to Shen Jin’s departure, feeling it was better if he left. However, she noted his parting words didn’t sound like he was giving up on the pork fat.

As expected, it wasn’t long before Shen Jin returned, carrying a small iron hoe from their house on his shoulder.

Unlike the less effective stone hoes Shen An and Shen Ning were using, Shen Jin had brought a proper, pointed iron hoe.

Shen Jin boasted confidently, “Watch and see, I’ll be the first to get that pork fat today!”

Shen An's mouth twitched slightly, moving Shen Yin and Shen Tie away from Shen Jin. He then warned Shen Jin, “Be careful not to hurt yourself with that hoe. I’m not covering any medical expenses.”

Shen Ning couldn’t help but laugh out loud at this.

Shen Jin's first hoe strike nearly missed its mark, making him glare in frustration, “Who are you underestimating?”

Indeed, all kids in the mountains could handle a hoe; it was just a matter of strength and technique.

Shen An chose not to comment further, focusing on his work. He was clearing land near the house, keeping an eye on Shen Jin and the house entrance.

Around noon, when Sang Luo and Qin Fangniang returned via the mountain path, they saw all five children, armed with hoes, stone hoes, and bamboo strips, either standing or squatting, busily clearing land around the hut.

Sang Luo was taken aback.

Qin Fangniang, who had helped carry the buckets, was also surprised.

Shen An, working near the hut, first noticed his sister-in-law returning and called out to her. He hurried over to help her with her load, reacting quickly.

Followed closely by Shen Ning, then by the three Shen brothers from the third family, who had heard the commotion and came running over.

From tallest to shortest, the three brothers peered around the corner, then simultaneously retreated.

Sang Luo, observing Shen Jin and his brothers from a distance, gestured towards them and asked Shen An, “What’s going on here?”

Shen An, looking somewhat embarrassed and anxious, whispered, "They wanted some pork fat and were crying at the door, so I decided to let them work on clearing the land in exchange for pork fat."

After saying this, he cautiously glanced at Sang Luo and added, "I didn’t promise them much, just one piece each."

To his relief, Sang Luo responded with a laugh, "That's fine. Just make sure they don't hurt themselves. It's too hot right now, and there’s no shade. Stop the work for now to avoid heatstroke."

Shen An smiled, relieved at his sister-in-law’s approval, "I understand. I’ll send them back for now and let them return when it’s cooler in the afternoon."

He helped Sang Luo and Qin Fangniang move their items under the eaves of the house, careful not to open the door and bring them inside.

This was despite the fact that the people who came with them were from the Chen family, who had been quite kind to him and his sister.

In his busy and seemingly effortless handling of things, Qin Fangniang didn't seem to suspect anything amiss.

Taking the small piece of Hubing wrapped in lotus leaf from the bucket, Qin Fangniang bid farewell to Sang Luo and hurriedly left down the mountain path, heading back to the village.

Once Qin Fangniang was gone, Shen An urged his sister-in-law to quickly wash her face and hands and softly instructed Shen Ning to keep an eye on their things and the house door, before heading over to Shen Jin and his brothers.

Shen Jin, visibly nervous, pulled on Shen An’s arm, "About the pork fat deal, you’re still going to honor it, right?"

In his view, such valuable items were always decided upon by the adults.

When Sang Luo wasn’t home, Shen Jin dared to ask Shen An and Shen Ning for things, but the moment Sang Luo returned, the authority shifted.

He belatedly realized, did the promise made by Shen An still hold any weight now that Sang Luo was back?

It’s worth noting that this wasn’t just Shen Jin's understanding; it’s a common perception among many children.

Shen An was also nervous when Sang Luo asked about it earlier. His sister-in-law had given him and his sister the authority to decide on the use of the pork fat, but that was for their own consumption, not to give away.

Then, it turned out, his sister-in-law was the best there could be.

Shen An, who was somewhat mature for his age, felt a sense of pride swell within him. He glanced at Shen Jin and said, "Of course, my word counts. My sister-in-law treats me and Ah Ning the best. She gave me the remaining pieces of pork fat and allowed me to decide on their use. But it's too hot now, and she's worried about you getting heatstroke, so no work at noon. You can come back when it's cooler in the afternoon."

Shen Jin, looking at the patch of land he had already half-cleared, was somewhat reluctant, "It's not that hot."

He was worried that Shen An might change his mind by the afternoon.

Children's words are not always set in stone; it’s common for them to change their minds, and Shen Jin was reluctant to leave without securing the pork fat.

Shen An gave him a stern look, "Are you going back or not? If you don’t, there won’t be any pork fat left for you."

Shen Jin was almost desperately fixated on that piece of pork fat, "Fine, I'll go back, but you better not go back on your word this afternoon. I’ve been hoeing for so long, my hand’s blistered from holding the hoe."

As he spoke, he extended his right hand, showing Shen An the blistered area near his thumb.

Though calling it a blister might be an exaggeration, there was indeed some redness.

Shen An pursed his lips, "Who's going to go back on their word?"

"It's agreed then, if you go back on your word, you're a puppy."

Dropping this remark, Shen Jin carried his little hoe and left with his two brothers, glancing back every three steps. Even from a distance, he didn't forget to shout, "You can't trick me!"

This made Shen Ning roll her eyes in exasperation.

When they got home, Shen Jin was immediately confronted by his mother Li Shi as soon as he entered the yard, "Where have you been taking your brothers all morning? And why did you take a hoe to play?"

“Just playing around a bit." Shen Jin propped the hoe against the courtyard wall and dashed into the main house. He grabbed a water jug, gulped down a cup of water thirstily - toiling under the sun for an hour had left him parched.

As for the matter of helping Shen An with work, Shen Jin was smart enough not to mention it. His mother wouldn’t allow it if she knew.

After all, he couldn't rely on his mother; getting that piece of pork fat today depended solely on Shen An.

Li Shi was puzzled, wondering what he meant by "just playing around a bit" and then turned to question the two younger ones.

Shen Yin was quite cunning. Without anyone specifically instructing him, he instinctively knew his mother didn't like his second brother and sister. Keeping his mouth shut, he shook his head and dashed into the main house, scrambling onto a stool to pour himself some water.

After half a morning of digging up mud, stones, and roots, he was quite exhausted – far more tiring than playing with mud.

Only Shen Tie got caught by Li Shi, "Tell me, what have you been up to all morning?"

Shen Jin and Shen Yin, who had slipped away earlier, felt a sudden jolt of panic. They stopped drinking water and ran back to the entrance of the main house, frantically gesturing to Shen Tie.

Held firmly by his mother, Shen Tie, unable to wriggle free, wailed, "Playing with mud."

Inside the house, the two older brothers almost burst into laughter.

It wasn't wrong; they were indeed playing with mud.