Chapter 21

Chapter 21

◎ Zhou Village ◎

After finishing their lunch, Tao Hua and Wei Dahu got up to bid farewell.

The courtyard was eerily quiet, as if no one was at home. Zhao Sufen accompanied her daughter and son-in-law to the entrance, reminding them to be cautious on the way and to take extra care of Zhou Mancang when they reached Zhou Village.

She felt a deep sense of guilt towards her eldest son and couldn't help but worry about him.

Tao Hua nodded. She patted Dogzi's head and whispered to him, "Listen to your mother at home, be good, and help her with the chores. Don't let her work too hard."

Dogzi clung to his mother's leg, looking rather listless but eager as he stared at Tao Hua. "I'll be good, I'll help Mother with the work. Sister, you must come home to visit me when you have time..."

Tao Hua lowered her head and nodded, not daring to meet Dogzi's eyes. How could she tell him that married daughters don't often return to their birth family unless there is a need... especially since Qian's wasn't really her family anymore.

"Take care of yourself, Mother-in-law. If anything happens at home, just send someone to Dahe Village to call for me," said Wei Dahu.

Zhao Sufen nodded and then waved them off, urging them to leave quickly before she lost control of her emotions.

This scene was a bittersweet experience known only to those who have sent their daughters away in marriage. It was not an easy moment to endure.

Tao Hua turned her head back three times before taking a step. Seeing this, Zhao Sufen steeled her heart, pulled Dogzi inside, and closed the door.

Only when Tao Hua could no longer see her mother's figure did she finally avert her gaze, feeling a profound sense of loss.

Zhou Village was farther from Apricot Flower Village than Dahe Village. The path from Dahe Village to Apricot Flower Village led across a stone bridge. Beyond that bridge, going straight would take you to Dahe Village, while turning right would lead to Zhou Village.

It was at a side road beneath that stone bridge where Zhou Mancang had intercepted Chen Dashi on the day of the wedding.

Tao Hua hadn't walked along this road for many years. While living with the Qian family, she had been busy with household chores every day. Not to mention secretly visiting Zhou Village to catch a glimpse of her younger brother, she had rarely even ventured out of the village.

Calculating back, the last time she saw Mancang was the year her mother gave birth to Dogzi. Mancang had somehow learned about the birth and stealthily run all the way from Zhou Village to Apricot Flower Village. He had hesitated outside the Qian family's gate for a long time until the Qian cook found out. The cook refused to let him in or listen to him, chasing him away with a broom.

In the end, it was their mother, still in the midst of her month-long confinement, who found out. She wept and threatened to jump into the river with Dogzi if she couldn't see Mancang. After much pleading and commotion, they were finally reunited.

From then on, perhaps aware that the Qian cook disliked him and that his presence might disrupt her mother's new life, Zhou Mancang never again visited Apricot Flower Village.

As the couple walked towards Zhou Village, Tao Hua shared old stories with Wei Dahu. There wasn't much to tell, for she had no knowledge of Mancang's life in Zhou Village over the years. Most of her reminiscences were about everyday trivia from her days living in Zhou Village.

What left the deepest impression on Tao Hua were the moments when little Mancang would eagerly feed her with bits of food, those being the most heartwarming memories from her childhood: "Mancang has always been understanding, sharing everything he had to eat with me."

Although Wei Dahu was close to his Chen family cousins, he had never experienced being fed by them. He had always hunted for his own food in the mountains since he was young; thus, he had never known the feeling of hunger. However, it didn't mean he couldn't understand the warmth of someone sharing their food with him.

Especially in rural areas, where large families relied on the able-bodied men for sustenance, women and children could only fill their stomachs with watered-down meals twice a day. If they had an elder who favored one over the others, going hungry was a common occurrence. The more resourceful ones would venture into the mountains to find food or catch fish and shrimp to roast... In matters of food, fairness was an alien concept within a household.

Given Tao Hua's status, she knew that wherever she went with her mother, she would never be the favored one.

To have someone willingly share their food with her was a memory she cherished for a lifetime.

When Tao Hua and Wei Dahu arrived at Zhou Village, it was the hottest part of the day, even the hardest-working farmers had put down their hoes to rest in their homes.

Following the direction of her memories, Tao Hua entered the village. Along the way, she only saw two boys crouched in a corner, playing with pebbles. Upon seeing Wei Dahu, the boys dropped their stones in fright, screaming as they ran away.

Tao Hua found it amusing and glanced back at him, jesting, "Should I hang your drawing on our wall during the New Year? It seems more effective than any deity."

"If you want to, I'll go to town later and find a scholar to draw one for me, provided I can pay him some silver," replied Wei Dahu.

"Can you really find a scholar? And they would agree to paint for you?" Tao Hua was surprised. Scholars were highly esteemed, and villagers held them in great awe. Most country folk were illiterate, and anything associated with "learning" seemed as unattainable as the walls of the county city.

Scholars have always looked down on farmers who till the land; how could they possibly agree to paint his portrait?

"Even scholars can be so poor that they can't afford a meal," Wei Dahu, a farmer himself, spoke of scholars as casually as a street vendor selling noodles. "With some silver in hand, anything can be accomplished."

Moreover, if he were truly to commission a portrait, he certainly wouldn't seek out those poorly skilled scholars, even if their prices were cheaper. He cared about his image and feared that those half-baked artists, who merely sipped at the ink, couldn't capture his heroic figure.

"Heavily compensate a skilled artist for the job!" He grunted after much hesitation.

Unbeknownst to him, Tao Hua found his vanity amusing. By the time they reached the familiar gate, her face was filled with a smile, and any trace of her earlier wistfulness had vanished.

She raised her hand to knock.

Zhou Mancang was weaving a basket in the courtyard when he heard the knocking. He hastily set aside his unfinished work and rose to open the door. "Coming, coming! Who's there?"

Taking a few steps, he pulled back the latch, pushed the door open, revealing two figures standing at the entrance.

A young couple, the man tall and the woman petite.

Both... were familiar faces. The man had toasted him before, while the woman lived in his memories.

Tao Hua noticed Big Hu standing dazedly behind the door, and she suppressed the stinging sensation in her eyes and the warmth rising in her throat. With a smile on her face, she softly said, "Why do you look like this? Don't you recognize your sister?"

Zhou Mancang seemed to snap out of his trance. Suddenly, he became awkward, rubbing his hands back and forth on his pants and pacing nervously on the spot. He tried several times to call them in but failed to utter a sound, visibly tense and at a loss.

It was Tao Hua who stepped forward and took his hand, shaking it affectionately. "After so many years, Mancang has grown so much, almost taller than me now."

This familiar gesture immediately calmed Zhou Mancang down. He stared intently at Tao Hua's face, seemingly unable to get enough of it. On the wedding day, Tao Hua had been covered with a red veil, so he hadn't seen his sister's face. He wondered how she looked now, if her appearance had changed, or if her personality had changed. Would she still remember him?

He was terrified of being forgotten.

Fixated on Tao Hua, he finally managed to divert his attention to Wei Dahu standing behind her. He had seen Wei Dahu before, at their wedding when they shared a table. He had listened to Wei Dahu speaking during the banquet, defending the bride when some men made inappropriate jokes. At that moment, he had felt a certain fondness for the way he protected his sister.

"Come, come in," Zhou Mancang hastily moved aside to let them enter.

Standing in the familiar yet unfamiliar courtyard, Tao Hua surveyed her surroundings.

The Zhou family home had aged significantly and was eerily quiet. Her last memory of the Zhou house was one of chaos and rejection. The hustle and bustle of that day and the current stillness were two entirely different scenes. Bamboo strips and half-finished baskets were scattered in the yard, and chicken sounds echoed from the backyard. The water jar was full, and the tables and chairs in the main room were uneven, unable to accommodate four people properly.

Tao Hua turned to Zhou Mancang. When her stepfather passed away, Mancang was only around five or six, about the same age as Dogzi. The thought of him alone, shouldering the responsibility of a whole family was unimaginable to her. She couldn't fathom the hardships he must have endured over the years.

Zhou Mancang fetched two bowls of water from the kitchen and, seeing that his hands were occupied, Tao Hua went to the main room to fetch two stools for them to rest on under the eaves, sitting down with Wei Dahu.

Zhou Mancang passed them the water. Tao Hua took it with a smile, looking at him. "After this journey, my legs are exhausted. Sit down and rest too. Let's chat."

Zhou Mancang nodded, pulling over a stool to sit opposite them. He was straightforward. "It is quite a distance." That night, after the banquet dispersed, he had taken a long time to return home alone; the journey between the two villages wasn't short.

Tao Hua sipped the water, calming the heat in her chest. Wiping the sweat from her forehead, she pointed at the wild chicken that Wei Dahu had placed under the eaves. It was clearly weak. "Your brother-in-law hunted it himself in the mountains. Mother gave us two, but this one is for you. It's so hot today; it's been basking in the sun with us for a while, so it's very weak. It doesn't seem to have much energy left. I suspect it won't survive the night. You should prepare it tonight and eat it."

Zhou Mancang hadn't expected them to come from the Qian family, and it took him a while to realize that it was his sister's third day back visit. Knowing that Chef Qian didn't like his or his mother's visits, he grew anxious. "W-Why did you come here? If he finds out, Mother will be in a difficult position again."

"Who? You mean Dogzi's father? He knows. Your brother-in-law said he would visit you when he returned to the village," Tao Hua replied, unwilling to call Chef Qian 'father' in front of him. She didn't have much affection for Chef Qian anyway.

Running her fingers over the chipped bowl in her hand, Tao Hua looked at him seriously. "Mancang, now that I'm married, it's no longer like when we were at the Qian family. We don't have to depend on others' moods to interact anymore."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Mancang thought of that incident and lowered his head, hastily wiping away tears with his sleeve.

Seeing his distress, Tao Hua's heart ached. Gently placing the bowl on the ground, she reached out to grasp his calloused hands and pretended to scold him. "What's going on with you? Even when your sister gets married, you still sneakily deliver eggs. Even if the Qian family's door is closed to you, what's wrong with coming to the Wei family and declaring yourself? And if the gift is sent from 'Zhou Village's Zhou Mancang, relationship: younger brother of the bride Tao Hua,' who would dare to turn you away? If anyone truly dares to do that, I won't marry!" Tao Hua's emotions ran high, and her tears flowed uncontrollably.

Zhou Mancang's face was already covered in tears.

"Mancang, all these years, Sister and Mother have missed you dearly. Especially Mother. Do you remember Aunt Liu from Apricot Flower Village? Her family is originally from Zhou Village. Mother has asked her several times, secretly asking her to check on you when she visits her hometown. Mother misses you, she hasn't forgotten you, Mancang. Don't blame her. She wishes she could come see you, but she's unable to..." Tao Hua's hands trembled as they held his.

Zhou Mancang's shoulders slumped, and he lifted his face, looking at his sister with the cautious gaze of a nervous young creature, his eyes filled with longing. "Mother, did she really... not forget about me?"

"Tch!" Tao Hua wiped away her tears, smiling through her sobs. She shared many things with him, and only then did Zhou Mancang learn that his mother had never forgotten him, always arranging for someone to secretly look after him. The pent-up resentment in his heart could no longer be contained.

The siblings, who hadn't seen each other in years, spoke emotionally, alternating between laughter and tears.

Wei Dahu, standing by, suddenly interjected, "Tao Hua, don't blame people unjustly. Where was he expelled? I even toasted to Mancang on his wedding day!"

Seeing that Wei Dahu still remembered this incident, Tao Hua laughed through her irritation. Turning to Zhou Mancang, she asked, "Did your brother-in-law really toast to you?"

Zhou Mancang tilted his head to wipe away his tears. When he looked up again, a smile graced his face, and he nodded softly. "He toasted to everyone, including me."

Wei Dahu raised an eyebrow at Tao Hua. "Hear that? He toasted, didn't miss anyone."

Tao Hua appreciated his efforts to lighten the mood, feeling touched, yet she shot him a playful glare. She pulled out a handkerchief to wipe away her tears and asked the question that had been weighing on her mind. "When the feast ended that night, were you safe on your way home?"

That was her greatest concern. Her cousin Chen had taken Mancang to his house for the celebration, and by the time it ended, it was already late. The villagers had gone home in pairs or small groups, lighting torches. Mancang had to walk such a long stretch alone in the dark, and every time she thought about it, her heart ached with worry.

Wei Dahu cautiously stole a glance at Tao Hua. On their wedding day, he had been too overwhelmed with joy that many things had slipped his mind; he hadn't even considered this possibility.

Zhou Mancang's hands were firmly held by Tao Hua's. It had been an eternity since he had felt so close to anyone. He savored the warmth of his sister and dared not move a muscle. "I asked someone for a torch, and the journey was safe all the way."

Seeing his cautious manner and speech, Tao Hua felt a pang of sorrow in her heart.

As a child, Mancang was mischievous, even more so than a playful dog. But after losing his parents, he had lived alone and had never experienced the feeling of being cared for.

Now, even a simple act of concern made him nervous, and he handled it with great delicacy.

"Author's Note"

TvT It's so quiet...humph.