Chapter 8

Chapter 8

The ox cart swayed and jolted its way to the village entrance. The group got off, with Shen Guoqiang giving Wang Guizhi a piggyback, Lin Xiaohui leading the children, and Shen Guoqing taking the ox cart back to the brigade's cattle shed.

It was cooking time, so no one was under the big camphor tree at the village entrance. They only ran into people once they entered the village.

The Shen family business had already spread throughout the village. Every villager they met along the way first inquired about Wang Guizhi's injury. After exchanging pleasantries, they would then ask with puzzled expressions about the string of kids following them. Upon hearing that the commune had asked the Shens to look after them for a while, everyone was impressed, heaping praise on Shen Guoqiang for his capability.

It was easy to imagine—commune affairs weren't something just anyone could casually get involved in.

If Shen Guoqiang weren't capable and trusted by the commune, would they have entrusted these children to the Shen family?

Any perks were beside the point; the key was the prestige it brought!

Shen Banyue held Xiao Dizi's hand with one hand and clutched Lin Xiaohui's clothes with the other, looking around curiously.

To her eyes, Yunling Commune was already quite dilapidated. But along the way, she realized that a commune was still a commune; its conditions were actually considerably better than those of the brigades under it.

Take housing, for example. Most buildings in the commune were blue-brick houses with tile roofs, with only a very few being mud-walled houses, and even those had stone and brick foundations. In the villages, however, the opposite was true; blue-brick houses with tile roofs were the minority.

Xiaodun Village was similar. Coming down the village lane, one saw a row of mud-walled houses.

Shen Banyue sighed inwardly with mixed feelings. This era was truly poor!

Walking further in, nearing the foot of the mountain, they finally saw the Shen family's courtyard.

A row of three blue-brick houses with tile roofs, with a kitchen connected to a woodshed, and a courtyard of several dozen square meters. Compared to the surrounding mud-walled houses, it could almost be called a mansion.

Logically, in these times, the poorer you were, the more glorious it was. However, Shen Banyue remembered that the original book mentioned the Shen family had been poor peasants for three generations. During the war years, they had even taken in and treated revolutionary soldiers, making them genuinely rooted in the right class and politically reliable.

The courtyard was bustling with activity. Several people were gathered near the gate, talking to a man in his thirties.

"Zhao Rui, the Shen family's matter has something to do with your family, right? Otherwise, why wouldn't your mother come to the wedding banquet since she and Guizhi are so close? I heard Guoqiang and his wife went to your place first last night, and then came back and argued with Hu Huaihua."

Zhao Rui rubbed his face and forced a dry laugh. "My mom woke up with a terrible headache this morning and is lying down at home. I really don't know what they argued about."

Another person nudged Auntie Qin with an elbow. "You live right next door, you must know what happened, right? I heard from my brat that Wang Guizhi's injury was caused by Guoxing's third child? Oh my, that girl, who would have thought!"

Someone exclaimed in surprise, "Guoxing's third child, Shen Aizhen, was the one who threw it?"

The first person said, "Their youngest, Ailin, said so himself. That's why I'm asking Sister Qin, is it really true?"

Auntie Qin said, "Hah, in the middle of the night, could I have been eavesdropping by their wall? I really don't know clearly. I just vaguely heard what sounded like a few arguments. What's the big deal? In daily life, which family doesn't have bumps, clashes, and quarrels? Later, I heard a scream. I went out and saw Guoqiang carrying Guizhi, rushing out in a hurry."

She waved her hand. "I really don't know why they argued, and I didn't see who did it. I didn't even know Guizhi had scalded her leg until I met Guoqing this morning. Tell me, they haven't returned yet, no telling how she's doing."

Someone chimed in, "No matter how bad the injury is, today is Aimin's wedding day. She should at least come back to help with the arrangements. Failing that, those two brothers and that city daughter-in-law should come back to help. Who knows where they fled from, with no sense of propriety at all."

The expressions of several people immediately turned somewhat odd. No one responded to that remark. However, someone outside the courtyard gate retorted, "Whether my mom comes or not is none of your damn business!"

Shen Guoqiang, giving Wang Guizhi a piggyback, entered the gate. He glanced at the person who had just spoken and asked coldly, "Sister-in-law Hu, since when is it good manners to come to someone's house for a feast and gossip about the hosts?"

Without waiting for a response, he ignored her and continued inside.

Shen Banyue followed Lin Xiaohui in.

Five tables were set up in the courtyard, most already full. Children without seats stood next to adults at the table corners. The food hadn't been served yet; everyone was sitting and chatting. Seeing Wang Guizhi, many stood up to ask about her injury.

Shen Guoqing scanned the courtyard, patted Shen Banyue's head, and pointed to a spot. "You all wait over there."

He then went straight into the house, carried out two long wooden tables, placed them in the open space beside the main table, and assembled them into a dining table.

After setting up the table, he went into the kitchen. Shortly after, he came out carrying a tray of dishes, placed it on the table, turned around, and brought out another tray of coarse grain steamed buns, bowls, and chopsticks.

"Not enough stools, you'll have to stand and eat." Shen Guoqing pointed to the only long bench. "Sister-in-law, you and these two little ones sit here."

He then deftly distributed the bowls and chopsticks, reached out his hand, and helped himself to a piece of meat first.

The other tables also started serving food, but they had only just received their first dish. Their table, however, not only had all the dishes served but also in particularly generous portions. Several people at the nearby main table couldn't help but twitch the corners of their mouths upon seeing this.

As soon as Shen Guoqiang entered, he was called to the main table by the brigade leader, Shen Zhenxing. There was already an empty seat at the table. Shen Guoqiang let Wang Guizhi sit first, then found a stool and sat beside her.

Shen Zhenxing pointed at the adjacent table and asked, "What's the story with these children?"

Shen Guoqiang explained, "These are children who were trafficked, just rescued. The commune asked us to look after them for a while. There are grain subsidies from above, so the brigade won't bear the burden."

Shen Zhenxing nodded. "That's a proper matter. If your family can't manage later, I'll send someone to lend a hand."

Those children probably wouldn't be too difficult to care for, so it was unlikely they'd need extra help. Still, Shen Guoqiang didn't refuse and thanked him.

A young man from the bride's family who had come to escort the bride asked curiously, "Were they caught by the county people last night? Someone was caught in our village too, and his wife and children were taken away."

Shen Guoqiang replied, "These children aren't from that. They were rescued before they could be sold."

The young man sighed with some emotion. "Then they were quite lucky."

"That's why wanting to raise a child is no easy matter."

The one who said this was Hu Huaihua's biological father, Old Hu. The old man was lean and wiry, appearing quite amiable, but his eyes held a hint of barely concealed shrewdness. He raised his cup towards Wang Guizhi, smiling genially. "Huaihua has a stubborn temper, acts without proper planning. Aizhen is impulsive too. Accidentally injuring my in-law, I want to say sorry for them."

Wang Guizhi glanced at him but didn't utter a word.

So you're saying the Hu family going to Shangfeng Brigade to cause trouble was just Hu Huaihua's stubborn temper? And Shen Aizhen scalding her with a kettle of boiling water was just an impulsive accident?

Old Hu continued smiling. "It was originally a good thing, but Huaihua is impatient and didn't handle it thoroughly. I see today is a good day, with relatives and friends all here. Let us elders discuss and settle this matter together, to avoid any future conflicts."

Wang Guizhi narrowed her eyes but still remained silent.

Unexpectedly, Old Hu didn't falter at all and continued this one-man show: "Ailin is my grandson and also your grandson. We've watched him grow up since he was little. What a fine boy. Having him adopted by your second son—could there be anything better?"

He turned his head and gave a meaningful look to Hu Huaihua not far away. Shortly after, Hu Huaihua dragged Shen Ailin over. "Ailin, kowtow to your grandma and second uncle. From now on, you'll be your second uncle's son."

The expressions of Wang Guizhi and Shen Guoqiang immediately darkened.

So this family had been waiting here for this today.

Shen Ailin pouted, unwilling. Under Old Hu's glare, he was about to kneel when Shen Guoqiang stood up and caught his arm. "Second Uncle doesn't need your kowtow, and doesn't need you to be his son."

Hu Huaihua forced a dry laugh. "Brother-in-law, I act without thinking. Don't take it to heart. You've watched Ailin grow up. Your own nephew is closer than an outsider, right? Rest assured, we're handing Ailin over to you to secure a future for the child. From now on, he'll be your son and have nothing to do with us."

These weren't words Hu Huaihua could have come up with on her own. Wang Guizhi couldn't help but turn her head to look at her.

The Hu family choosing today to make their move meant they were determined to finalize the adoption, even if it meant losing face.

Wang Guizhi couldn't help but glance at the silent Shen Dechang. Judging by that old man's wilted appearance, he was probably in on it too.

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, with the courtyard full of relatives and friends, they suddenly pulled this stunt to force Shen Guoqiang to comply.

Wang Guizhi was furious. Before Shen Guoqiang could speak, she slapped her chopsticks down on the table with a crack and said, "I don't agree to this. I'm someone who likes daughters. A house full of boys irritates me. Even if Guoqiang and Xiaohui want to adopt, they should adopt a daughter. Ailin isn't suitable."

Huaihua got upset right away. "Ma, it's Second Brother and his wife who'll be raising the kid, not you. If you want a granddaughter, just wait for Guoqing to get married and have a bunch of girls. Besides, it's not like the old days when people starved. Nowadays, it's not easy to find a kid to adopt who's completely healthy and has all their fingers and toes. If it were easy, there wouldn't be so many child traffickers."

Old Hu quickly interjected, "Huaihua, watch how you talk to your mother-in-law!"

Turning to Wang Guizhi with a smile, he continued, "Huaihua's words might be harsh, but she's got a point. Life has improved over the years. Even if you're just scraping by, as long as you don't starve, you can still raise a kid, can't you? Few folks are willing to put a child up for adoption anymore. What's the difference between a son and a daughter? As long as the child is well-behaved, aren't they all a blessing to their parents? Just look at Ailin—what a fine boy he turned out to be. Settling this today would make it a double celebration, wouldn't it?"

With a glance, he signaled to the brigade accountant, Zhao Youliang, who hesitated for a moment before chiming in, "That's true. We're all family—strengthening ties and adding joy. It really is a good thing."

Wang Guizhi could barely contain her fury.

How long have they been planning this? They even had someone ready to back them up.

She took a deep breath. A bitter laugh escaped her. Pointing to the children at the next table, she said, "You're too late. I've already made arrangements with the commune cadres. Guoqiang is taking one of these children."

Old Hu asked, "What if the parents of these trafficked children come looking for them?"

Wang Guizhi retorted, "If you're always thinking that far ahead, how can you expect a child to grow up and care for you?"

Old Hu was momentarily speechless. "That's a different matter."

Wang Guizhi ignored him and glanced at Shen Dechang. "My in-law said something quite right earlier—today is a good day, with so many relatives and friends gathered. I think we could indeed add another happy event to make it a double celebration."

Everyone was puzzled. Besides the adoption, what other happy event could there be?

After a pause, Wang Guizhi continued, "I married into the Shen family at nineteen, and over thirty years have passed in the blink of an eye. The children are all grown up, and the eldest's son is getting married today. Seeing their little families thrive makes me very happy. However, each of them has their own family now, with their own ideas. As parents, if we keep trying to control them, we might hinder their progress. Since everyone is here today, why not divide the household? Let them live happily and prosperously from now on."

She actually wanted to split up the family estate.

For a moment, everyone exchanged glances, unsure of what to say.

The faces of the bride's escorts were a picture—they never expected that just by attending a wedding, they'd witness such a drama.

Really, have the people of Xiaodun Brigade no sense of propriety? Isn't this a wedding banquet? How could they cause such a scene at a wedding?

Shen Dechang, who had remained silent until now, slammed his chopsticks down angrily. "Divide the household? I'm not dead yet!"

Wang Guizhi sneered, "Then let's get a divorce."

Shen Dechang: "..."

Everyone else: "..."