Chapter 23: Mother’s Heartache

Chapter 23: Mother's Heartache

Although it was getting late, Tang Yuan wasn't too worried since she was with familiar villagers from the same village.

Mostly because Grandma Feng had been kind to her, and Feng Chen had always behaved properly during their interactions, showing no hint of the way men usually look at women.

Of course, primarily because in the original text, Feng Chen wasn't interested in women, so she instinctively let her guard down around him.

Feng Chen stood on a rock, watching the little girl climb energetically and couldn't help but smile.

The last stretch was a rocky hill, with a smooth wall that offered no footholds, making it impossible for Tang Yuan to climb up by herself.

Feng Chen strode over, squatted at the edge of the rock, looked down, and said to Tang Yuan, "I'll pull you up. You're not scared, right?"

If she dared to scream or anything like that, he would definitely leave her behind and never deal with her again.

Tang Yuan: "Thanks, hurry up."

She stretched up on her tiptoes, trying to reach out her hand.

Feng Chen lay down, pressing his left hand against the rock wall and extending his right hand to grab her wrist.

When pulling someone up, this method was necessary; if he only held her palm, she might slip away.

Feeling her slender wrist, he paused slightly, wondering if such a delicate bone could be broken.

Tang Yuan urged him, "Hurry up!"

Wild yam!

Finally, she could change her diet and eat something good.

Feng Chen held his breath, gathered his strength, and the muscles in his right arm bulged as he lifted Tang Yuan effortlessly.

"Wow!" Tang Yuan exclaimed, admiring his strength. It felt great!

She clung to the rock wall, using both hands and feet to climb up, and thanked him.

Looking at Feng Chen's arms, her eyes sparkled with envy.

If she were born into a wealthy family, she might rely on her beauty, but in a poor rural area, strength was everything.

"Thanks," she smiled.

Feng Chen glanced at her, "Mm."

He led her to see the wild yam patch.

From the rocky hill, they walked westward to a slope with thick soil where many trees grew.

Tang Yuan saw several valuable trees, such as sandalwood and zelkova, along with a few wild peach trees, a wild pear tree, and what seemed to be wild hawthorns. Wow, there was even a soft persimmon tree.

Over there, there were more!

Wild grapes had also sprouted.

They were growing, growing!

There were also wild jujubes, wild Sichuan pepper, persimmon trees, walnuts, chestnuts, and more.

She concluded that these must have been transplanted by people who sought refuge in the mountains in the past.

Otherwise, they wouldn't grow so neatly.

Truly, the previous generation planted the trees, and the next generation reaped the fruits.

Tang Yuan recognized so many wild fruit trees due to her past interests and profession.

As a child, she often explored the mountains with her grandparents, and later, during her poverty alleviation work, she frequently stayed in mountain villages.

Over time, she learned to recognize more and more plants.

Feng Chen's gaze was deep. Seeing her happy expression, he wondered if these were useful trees or just weeds?

It seemed his judgment was quite good.

In spring, when trees were just budding with fresh leaves, except for evergreen pines and cypresses, he didn't recognize many.

Of course, once they flowered and bore fruit, he would recognize them, but without flowers or fruit, most people couldn't identify many trees.

He saw a few trees blooming, which looked like peach blossoms, but to him, peach, apricot, plum, cherry, and pear blossoms all looked the same.

No difference.

So he didn't think about eating them.

Now seeing that Tang Yuan recognized so many plants, he couldn't help but admire her.

She knew a lot, and perhaps in the future... he could ask her more questions, trading meat for knowledge.

People always admire those who excel in areas they themselves are not skilled in.

This patch of wild yams was discovered by him accidentally, as some ripe yam beans hung from the sprouting vines, most of which had rotted.

He tried digging at the roots and indeed found yams.

Unfortunately, they hadn't been dug up in time last year, so many had rotted.

Even so, there were still plenty to be harvested.

Both of them got straight to work, each using their skills to dig for yams.

Tang Yuan only had a machete and a shovel, so she was slower. She noticed that Feng Chen had brought a spade.

Boss, you must have been clearing land in the mountains.

I want to join you!

But she didn't dare ask outright, fearing that Feng Chen might suspect her motives. After all, in the original story, the boss had been farming in the mountains for seven or eight years without anyone knowing!

This also meant he didn’t want to tell others.

No worries, isn't the stingy boss sharing yams with me today?

If we get along better in the future, maybe he'll share more with me?

She wasn't greedy; clearing an acre of land to grow food would be enough for her family, and they could even raise some chickens, ducks, and pigs.

While she was planning how to clear the land, her hands didn't slow down digging for yams.

Wow, they're so big and thick!

And there were those clumps of seven or eight yams tangled together, looking like a giant foot.

Feng Chen: "Let's stop here for today and finish digging tomorrow."

Since he had already told her about this place, he wouldn't come back alone to dig; he would share it with her.

Although he felt a bit pained at first by his own generosity, thinking about how Tang Yuan knew a lot and could help him, and that she had helped the old lady, made him feel it was worth sharing.

Tang Yuan originally wanted to explore nearby to see if there were other paths, but as Feng Chen said, there was only one way up, and the north side of the mountain was a cliff in other directions.

This further confirmed her suspicion that these yams were planted intentionally.

On the way down, Feng Chen helped Tang Yuan down first, then lowered their baskets with a rope.

Tang Yuan lifted the heavy basket onto her back.

Ah, it's so heavy!

Seeing her struggling to straighten up under the weight, Feng Chen offered, "I can carry part of it for you."

Tang Yuan immediately thanked him; taking advantage of the boss's kindness was a must.

She looked up at the smooth rock wall. "We should carve out some footholds here later."

That would make climbing easier, and she could go up to pick wild fruits.

Feng Chen: "It's not that high; it's unnecessary."

Tang Yuan: "..."

You’re tall, so you think you’re great.

By the time they reached where she had left the wild vegetables, it was almost dark.

She stuffed the wild vegetables into the gaps in the basket and thought about bringing some fish back to make yam soup.

Since Feng Chen had a flashlight, it was clear they would leave the mountain after dark, so a little extra time didn't matter.

She turned to Feng Chen. "Can you carry more? Let's bring the fish out; I'll give you half."

Feng Chen indicated that he could carry more.

He didn't refuse her offer to split the fish because they were in a cooperative trading relationship, and he deserved compensation for his effort.

They picked up the fish basket and sorted it out. Today’s catch was fewer in number than yesterday but included two larger fish.

Feng Chen noticed that the fish here were much smaller than those in the deep pond near Boulder Peak.

With Tang Yuan having fish and rabbit meat these past two days, she was less interested in the small fish.

She decided to take only the large ones. "Let the small ones grow bigger."

By the time they left, the sun had set.

In summer, the sky would stay bright for another two hours after sunset, but now it would turn dark within an hour.

Without sunlight, the mountain was especially dim, and visibility was poor in the woods.

Tang Yuan tapped her stick frequently, wary of stepping on snakes.

Feng Chen took out his flashlight to help illuminate the path.

Tang Yuan walked ahead, feeling safe with the boss behind her.

The climb was a bit troublesome, with some narrow and slippery sections that required caution.

At these points, Feng Chen took good care of Tang Yuan. He gave her the flashlight to light the way and carried the baskets over in two trips before helping her cross.

Their cooperation ensured both were safe.

Tang Yuan sincerely thanked him, "Thanks to you, I would have been in danger otherwise."

Feng Chen: "Without me, you would have gone down the mountain long ago."

Someone as smart as her wouldn't stay alone in the mountains until dark.

Tang Yuan's eyes curved into a smile. "True, but without you, how could I have dug up so many yams?"

Seeing her sincere gratitude, Feng Chen felt a surge of satisfaction.

This girl had a charm that made people want to be generous with her.

Unlike some people who only made you regret being kind to them.

"Yuan, Yuan?"

Dad Tang's voice came from below.

He had come out to pick up his daughter but hadn't been able to find her. He happened to run into Grandma Feng and, after greeting her, headed to the back mountain.

Tang Yuan responded cheerfully, "Dad, don't worry. I'm with Feng Chen."

Dad Tang had heard from Grandma Feng that Feng Chen would definitely take care of Tang Yuan if he met her in the mountains, so he shouldn't worry.

How could he not worry?

Now hearing his daughter's voice and knowing she was safe, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.

He quickened his pace, took over her backpack, and felt its weight. "Don't carry such heavy things in the future. If there's too much, come home and call me; I'll come to help."

Tang Yuan didn't argue, just agreed.

In reality, unless it was during the off-season, members like Dad Tang couldn't take leave easily.

They could only take leave for serious illnesses or life-and-death matters; going into the mountains wasn't an acceptable reason.

After all, the only strong laborer in the village who could skip work was Feng Chen.

If she wasn't "crazy," she wouldn't skip work either.

Dad Tang greeted Feng Chen, noting the favor he had done by taking care of his daughter, then turned to head down the mountain.

Tang Yuan turned back and smiled at Feng Chen. "My dad thanks you for helping me."

Feng Chen replied calmly, "No need to thank me."

Dad Tang, hearing his daughter talking to Feng Chen, felt their conversation sounded overly formal. He practiced saying "thank you for helping my daughter" several times in his head but still found it embarrassing to say aloud.

Embarrassing.

After a brief rest on the way down, they headed straight back to the village.

Mainly because Tang Yuan was very tired.

Grandma Feng was holding a lantern outside her house, waiting for them. Seeing them return together, she happily greeted Dad Tang and kindly asked Tang Yuan if she was tired.

Tang Yuan thanked her.

But Grandma Feng waved her hand. "Why thank an old woman like me? We're all from the same village; it's only natural. If I knew Feng Chen didn't help you in the mountains, I'd scold him."

Feng Chen: "..."

Grandma, you're being too eager.

Tang Yuan asked him to put down the fish basket and distribute the fish.

Feng Chen also placed the yams he had carried for Tang Yuan into Dad Tang's basket.

Grandma Feng watched her grandson and Tang Yuan busily exchanging ingredients, feeling very pleased.

Look at how well-suited these two kids are.

Even after Tang Yuan and Dad Tang left, Grandma Feng kept peeking after them.

Feng Chen was speechless. "Grandma, let's go home."

I'm starving.

Grandma Feng followed him, poking his sturdy legs with her cane. "Hehe, do you like Yuan Yuan too?"

Feng Chen: "Not at all. Don't talk nonsense; it's not good."

Grandma Feng scoffed. "Not at all? Then why are you suddenly so generous?"

This grandson hadn't inherited her generosity at all; he was quite stingy. Finding a partner couldn't involve being too tight-fisted; girls wouldn't like that.

Feng Chen: "I've always been generous. Besides, those yams were dug by her; I just helped carry them."

Grandma Feng pursed her toothless mouth, clicking her tongue. Just being stubborn, huh?

Tang Yuan and her father went straight home. Mother Tang had already prepared dinner and helped feed the livestock.

For dinner, they had rabbit bone soup with coarse grain porridge, with wild vegetables added just before serving.

Tang Yuan placed the fish in a basin, surprised to see them revive and not fully dead.

Since they were alive, she decided to keep them for breakfast tomorrow.

She briefly told her parents about Feng Chen, without going into too much detail to avoid worrying her father or making him think too much.

She needed her father to feel both reassured and concerned—knowing she wouldn't hurt herself outside but also aware that she might still have episodes.

For example, she mentioned meeting Feng Chen today and seeing him flying around in the mountains, then she flew to the hillside to dig yams.

Of course, there was also the follow-up about the Fish Immortal.

"He ate the rabbit meat I brought him and said it was delicious. He wants me to bring him chicken next time."

To prevent Auntie from coveting that wild chicken.

Today was really exhausting, so after eating, Tang Yuan didn't bother to go out for a walk to digest her meal. She just lay on the bed with her upper body propped up and her legs dangling to rest for a bit.

Mother Tang checked the clothes she had changed out of, mending any that were torn, planning to wash them all together in the morning.

She brought water for Tang Yuan to wash her feet but found that her daughter had already fallen asleep.

So she brought over the bucket and placed the earthenware basin on it, then washed her daughter's feet herself.

Seeing the blisters on Tang Yuan's heels, toes, and soles, she felt both heartache and distress. She signaled Dad Tang to bring a needle, which she heated in the fire, to lance the blisters for her daughter.

"It's not easy for Yuan to dig up some wild herbs and catch fish. No other girl suffers like her."

This "other girl" naturally referred to Tang Xiang. She never compared her daughter to others'.

Previously, Mother Tang wasn't one to compare, as she had been traded by Grandma Tang when she was barely fifteen, living almost like a servant at home, never daring to express her needs, only working diligently.

After having her daughter, she still didn't dare to say much at first. But as her daughter grew older, showing a stronger personality than both her parents and even daring to resist Grandma Tang,

the first time she saw her mother-in-law hitting her daughter, her heart ached, suddenly giving her courage to shield her daughter with her own back.

Whenever she saw her mother-in-law hitting her daughter, she would protect her, not fearing death herself but unwilling to let her daughter be hurt.

Gradually, the old lady stopped hitting Yuan Yuan.

If it weren't for her daughter wanting to separate the household, she would never have thought about it or dared to do it.

Being a bought-in daughter-in-law of the Tang family, how could she dare to cause division?

When her sister-in-law bullied her, she endured it, knowing that the sister-in-law had been married into the family with money and must be treated well.

But she was unhappy when her sister-in-law always favored Xiang'er over Yuan Yuan.

In what way was her Yuan Yuan inferior to Xiang'er?

Her sister-in-law always said Xiang'er was prettier and fairer than Yuan Yuan.

Why didn't she mention that Xiang'er did less work while Yuan Yuan worked more and got sunburned?

Xiang'er was clearly smart but avoided work whenever possible, whereas Yuan Yuan managed to find ways to separate the household and bring meat home right away.

Such a good daughter, how could she be inferior to Xiang'er?

She knew men cared deeply about their mothers and uncles, wishing they could split themselves in two, not wanting to leave anyone behind.

How was that possible?

Those people wouldn't treat you as one of their own.

When she said this, Dad Tang recalled his sister-in-law's words.

The sister-in-law always wanted Yuan Yuan to exchange brides with Wu'er but refused to let Xiang'er do so, saying Xiang'er was too young or that she would marry into the city.

His Yuan Yuan wasn't much older either; being an elder sister, she was only two months older than Xiang'er.

Seeing his daughter exhausted and sound asleep, he felt heartbroken. "Don't let her go into the mountains every day."

Mother Tang felt distressed. "How could she listen? She cares about us, knowing we do heavy labor and rarely get to eat meat, so she goes out to find meat to improve our diet."

Saying this, she also harbored resentment. The resentment she had kept inside wasn't gone, just suppressed because she felt she had no right to complain.

During the New Year, she and her husband barely got a couple of bites of meat, saving most of it for their daughter.

Their daughter didn't get much either.

Their daughter said Grandma secretly gave more meat to Xiang'er and her uncles, not to her.

Their daughter said Auntie had delicious yellow rice cakes but always hid them to give to Xiang'er and the others, not to her.

Auntie, in front of Grandma, Uncle, and Dad Tang, would smile and say the cakes were from Xiang'er's maternal grandmother, and then give a little to Tang Yuan.

Later, she would come to Mother Tang with a sarcastic tone, "These are from Xiang'er's maternal grandmother. Poor Yuan Yuan has no maternal grandmother to care for her."

What could she say?

She was a daughter sold by her family, with no maternal relatives.

She could only console herself that being sold meant she could eat and wouldn't be beaten every day, telling herself to be grateful.

Every day, she told herself not to compare with her sister-in-law, feeling unworthy, and wanted her daughter not to compare with Xiang'er, but couldn't say her daughter was unworthy.

In what way was her daughter inferior to Xiang'er?

Just that she had no maternal grandmother to care for her.

But weren't her grandparents her real grandparents?

From a young age, her daughter knew she lacked maternal grandparents, making her feel disadvantaged, embarrassed, and vulnerable.

If she had maternal grandparents, even if they didn't provide much benefit, she could at least say, "I'm going to my maternal grandmother's house, where she'll buy me something nice," giving her some confidence.

Without maternal relatives, her daughter had no confidence, no support.

It was all her fault.

Seeing her shoulders shaking, Dad Tang reached out his rough hand to rub her shoulder, not knowing what comforting words to say.

Besides earning work points with the production team, what skills did he have?

He couldn't earn extra money to buy meat and fine noodles for his daughter to eat.

He felt guilty.

Mother Tang carefully lanced the blisters on her daughter's hands, then wiped them with warm water before having the man carry her daughter to bed.

Looking at her daughter's peaceful sleeping face, she lowered her head and said in a nasal voice, "I don't agree to our daughter being traded for a wife for Tang Wu."

Dad Tang was taken aback; this was the first time his wife had clearly expressed her opinion.

She never opposed her in-laws, her elder brother and sister-in-law, or even him.

He hurriedly said, "Of course not, I don't agree either."

Mother Tang: "When your elder brother talks to you, you must hold your ground and not give in."

She knew her husband's character; he couldn't resist his mother and elder brother. Many things would be agreed upon as long as they asked.

Sometimes, even if he didn't want to, he couldn't say "no" because once he showed resistance, his mother and elder brother would pressure him with filial piety and his place in the family hierarchy.

He had always been filial, giving whatever his elder brother wanted and doing whatever he was told.

If his elder brother said to trade their daughter for a wife for his son, the man might initially refuse, but if his brother persisted, or even got angry and accused him of forgetting his brother after dividing the household, or cried about the hardships of being an elder brother, he might eventually give in out of sympathy.

Her heart died when her own parents sold her, but her daughter grew from her heart.

No one could force her daughter to do something she didn't want to do.

She used to never oppose her in-laws, elder brother, or her husband, but if they tried to harm her daughter, she would fight back with all her might.

Dad Tang repeatedly assured her that he would never agree to trading their daughter for a wife.

"Our mother actually cares for Yuan Yuan. She told me to keep an eye out for a son-in-law who can marry into our family."

Mother Tang: "Really?"

Dad Tang nodded: "Our mother isn't biased. She treats both the elder brother and us well."

Mother Tang, hearing this, broke into a smile through her tears and began counting on her fingers which families had many sons and were poor, unable to afford wives, so the parents would allow their sons to marry into other families.

She said, "We're not unreasonable. We don't insist on marriage into our family; we just want our daughter to stay in our village after marriage so we can watch over and help her. In the future, if they have children, we can have one of the boys as our grandson." She paused and added, "A granddaughter is fine too; I'm not picky."

Having too many daughters means more suffering.

Dad Tang couldn't help but recall what his elder brother had said about adopting one of Wu'er's sons as his grandson in the future.

Though it wasn't explicitly stated, how could he possibly get Wu'er's son without trading Yuan Yuan for a wife? The implication was clear.

At the time, he didn't say anything because Seventh Uncle came over to assign tasks.

He smiled and said, "Your idea is good. When the time comes, we won't ask for a dowry, so the groom won't struggle to raise the money. As long as he treats our daughter well, that's enough."

Mother Tang nodded: "That's a must."

The next day, Dad Tang and Mother Tang still woke up before dawn to work in their plot of land.

Although Tang Yuan was tired, she was young and slept deeply, waking up refreshed.

Fully recharged!

She quickly got up to kill the fish and stew fish soup with yams.

It was delicious and nutritious, making one crave more.

While these Huai yams were of excellent quality and could fetch a good price if sold as medicinal herbs, Tang Yuan's immediate priority was to improve their diet and nutrition.

Basic necessities like food, clothing, and daily use items were the most important. Money would come later.

Currently, food expenses accounted for ninety-eight percent of their household expenditure.

Both the fish and yams cook quickly, so they didn't need much time.

By the time she finished stewing the soup, her parents hadn't returned yet, so she set aside a bowl for Tang Zhonghe and left some for Rich Peasant.

She wouldn't go around delivering food during the day; she'd let Tang Zhonghe come and get it herself.

After eating, she left some for her parents in the pot and set off with her basket and tools.

Today, she needed to go early; there was still a large pile of yams left to dig up.

Yams can stay in the ground for at most a year or two before they rot and become fertilizer.

She thought her father might be reluctant to eat them and would send his share to the old lady, but she didn't interfere much.

Filial piety is a special virtue of humans, and it was right for her father to be filial to the old lady.

Given that the old lady didn't make a fuss during the division of the household and didn't try to trade Tang Yuan for a wife for Tang Wu, she allowed her father to be filial to the old lady.

Although the blisters on her feet had been lanced, they still hurt a bit, but she could bear it.

After all, the original owner wasn't delicate, with calluses on her hands and feet, though the recent mountain climbing had made them worse.

She had already changed her straw shoes.

"Feng Chen, hurry up, Yuan Yuan is coming!"

Old Lady Feng peered over the western wall of her house, seeing Tang Yuan approaching with her basket, and immediately called her grandson who was eating.

Originally, Feng Chen would enter the mountains before dawn, but today he was held back by the old lady.

She first had him tend to their private plot of land, even though she had already finished tilling it herself. After all, it was only two and a half mu.

She just wanted to keep him occupied so that he could go into the mountains with Tang Yuan.

Last night, her grandson mentioned that he and Tang Yuan had dug up some yams together, leaving some for today.

Feng Chen really had no way to refuse this grandma. He tended to the private plot as she asked, and then she said her waist hurt and needed a massage, her legs ached and needed a rub, or else her head was hurting and needed some medicine.

In short, she was determined to keep him busy.

Now that she saw Tang Yuan coming over, her headache and waistache were suddenly gone.

He put on his basket, shouldered his shovel, and packed in a sickle, machete, spade, flashlight, and other items.

Grandma Tang: "When you go to the commune later, buy another shovelhead. Leave this one in the mountains."

She knew her grandson had cleared some land in the mountains but lacked tools, which is why he had to carry them back and forth.

Feng Chen wanted to say that he wouldn't be returning from the mountains for a few days and asked her to take care of herself.

But Grandma Feng interjected, "Take good care of Yuan Yuan in the mountains, and bring her back in the evening."

To her, food wasn't lacking at home, and clearing land was not as important as her grandson's marriage.

Finding a wife was the most pressing matter.

Feng Chen: "…"

He didn't dare refuse; the old lady was quite dramatic, crying and wiping tears being common, and if pushed too far, she might even cry to the ancestors or mention his parents.

With long strides, Feng Chen walked out the door and caught sight of Tang Yuan approaching out of the corner of his eye. He was hesitating whether to greet her first when he saw the little girl happily waving at him.

Tang Yuan ran up excitedly, "Feng Chen? What a coincidence, you haven't left yet."

Feng Chen: "Yeah. Let's go."

Grandma Feng peered over the wall anxiously. Can't you talk to the girl a bit more?

What's with that "yeah"!

Ask her if she's eaten, how she cooked the yams, and if they were tasty.

Then tell her how your family does it, where it falls short, and ask her how she thinks it could be better.

Wouldn't there be endless topics to discuss?

Oh, it's driving her crazy.

She wished she could pry open her grandson's mouth and teach him what to say.

On the way, Tang Yuan told Feng Chen about her plan. Today, they were mainly going to dig up yams and check the fish traps so she could return home early without wasting his time.

After all, she needed his help to pull things up and send them down.