The Mother's Brother Who Came to the Door

Before Yang Wuni could even touch Zhang Changyao's body, she was startled by Zhang Kaiju's coughing and ran back to her bed.

"Dad, are you feeling unwell? I've never heard you cough at night before."

Zhang Changyao was also awakened by the coughing, and turned around to sit up to ask Zhang Kaiju with concern.

"It's nothing, just choked on some saliva. Go to sleep!"

After Zhang Changyao lay down, he saw Yang Wuni making a face and blinking at him.

Only then did he realize that Yang Wuni was trying to make trouble for him so that his father could hear her and he used coughing to stop her.

Zhang Changyao leaned closer, hugged Yang Wuni, and poked her forehead with his finger.

The two embraced, their faces pressed together, neither daring to make a sound.

The next morning, as usual, Zhang Changyao went to other villages to write letters and couplets for others.

After tidying up the house, Yang Wuni waited for Zhang Kaiju to return from collecting manure.

The key to the storage room in the house is held by Zhang Kai, and people have to ask for his permission before cooking or taking anything.

He agreed to provide Yang Wuni with whatever food they would eat that day, and whatever amount of grain, rice, and oil they would use.

Yang Wuni got used to this, and she would ask Zhang Kaiju for permission to have two meals a day in advance.

The money was none of Yang Wuni's business; she neither cared about it nor dared to ask, nor did she want it.

It's more troublesome when a woman has her period; she has to hide it from her father-in-law and not let him know.

Now that Zhang Changyao has money, he secretly buys toilet paper for Yang Wuni and hides it.

That silly boy didn't know the connection between a woman being pregnant and menstruation.

On the contrary, Yang Wuni was afraid that Zhang Kaiju would find out, so she would dig a hole and bury the used paper every time.

"Dad, I want to wash some millet to make steamed buns. Can you get it out for me?"

Yang Wuni arranged her own work according to the things her sister-in-law was supposed to do each year.

"Use less millet and more corn stubble, and make the filling smaller."

The more delicious something is, the less likely it is to be cooked well; it's best if you can't swallow it.

Every family is short of food now; even if we cook delicious food, the children will still steal it.

Zhang Kaiju took out half a bag of ground millet and more than half a bag of corn stubble, and threw them on the ground.

Half of the red and white rice beans in the sieve were poured into the basin, and the rest were locked back into the storage room.

"Father, also, the leaves of the purse need to be soaked in advance."

Yang Wuni followed behind Zhang Kaiju and reminded him that she didn't want to ask for it a second time.

"Take the perilla leaves when you need them, or you'll clumsily break them again."

Zhang Kaiju was still angry that Yang Wuni didn't care about Zhang Changyao and wanted to mess with him in the middle of the night.

His tone of voice was also different from usual; he sounded stubborn and dejected.

Yang Wuni knew that the old man looked down on her, so she stopped saying anything.

Bring the millet and corn stubble into the house to wash them clean, then dry them in a large bamboo basket to drain.

The rice beans have already been picked clean by Zhang Kaiju; they just need to be washed and put into the pot to cook.

After finishing all this, Yang Wuni squatted at the entrance of the stove to tend the fire.

She was also upset, but didn't know who to talk to.

Zhang Changyao bought some meat yesterday, and this morning she wanted to render it into lard.

They searched the entire house but couldn't find any trace of pork.

When Zhang Kaiju opened the warehouse just now, she peeked through the crack in the door but didn't find any pork inside.

It's possible that this old man took advantage of the time before he and Zhang Changyao got up.

They put the pork in a manure basket and gave it to Zhang Changguang and his wife.

Yang Wuni grew angrier the more she thought about it, and vented her anger by hitting the door of the stove with a fire poker.

"Wu Ni, what's wrong?" Yang Wu Ni heard the voice, looked up, and immediately her expression changed.

"Hey bro, Du Qiu, how did you find your way here?"

Yang Wuni looked at her own brother Yang Dianjun and her neighbor Du Qiuge.

Instantly, the anger in his heart disappeared, and he became happy and smiling.

"Wu Ni, I heard you knocking on the stove door. Is this family bullying you?"

Du Qiu and I had just returned when we heard that you had been given away to this family by Dad for nothing.

Du Qiu and I came to find you. If you're not doing well, come back with your brother.

Du Qiu and I built a shack at the west end of the village.

If Dad is worried that you dying at home will bring bad luck, then the rest of us will live in the shack.

Your father and sister-in-law may dislike you, but the two of us don't.

If you die, I'll build you a big grave.

Let those foul-mouthed old women look at the orphan's grave every day.

In the middle of the night, go to the house of the person who spoke ill of you to your father and scare them.

"Scare them all to death, let them die a violent death, and keep you company."

Yang Dianjun is tall, with thick eyebrows, big eyes, and full lips, and his face is covered with acne.

He squatted down in front of Yang Wuni and discussed with her about taking her home.

"Young man, I'm getting married, not being given away for free by my father."

Zhang Changyao was very kind to me. He was good-looking and had received an education.

I was just angry with Zhang Changyao's father. My father-in-law is so stingy.

"Look at that! There's so little millet and so many corn stubble. How can the steamed buns made from that bean curd taste good?"

Yang Wuni pointed with a fire poker at the millet and corn stubble drying in the basket and complained to the young man about her grievances.

"Dianjun, I have some money here. Let's buy a few pounds of millet and send it to Wuni."

Du Qiu, standing behind her, couldn't stand seeing Yang Wuni being wronged.

"Brother Du Qiu, that's not what I meant. I just feel a little uncomfortable, but I'll feel better in a while."

"You two haven't eaten yet, have you? I'll get you something to eat now."

Yang Wuni scooped the rice and beans out of the pot and set them aside.

I washed the pot clean and heated up the leftover flatbread from this morning, which I had saved for Zhang Changyao to eat that evening.

Give Yang Dianjun and Du Qiu two large flatbreads and a pickled vegetable dumpling each.

They took many detours on their search.

The intestines inside my stomach were indeed making a gurgling sound.

In addition, since dry rations are rarely available, people don't care much about it.

He quickly devoured the two large flatbreads.

"Wu Ni, are you really not coming back with us?" Du Qiu scooped up a ladle of cold water from the water vat and gulped it down.

He put down the water ladle, patted his rumbling stomach, and asked Yang Wuni.

"Brother Du Qiu, this is my home now. If I go back with you, it's like going back to my parents' home."

I can't go back to my parents' home yet. My father said that once a daughter is married, she should be discarded like water spilled from a basin.

Dad's afraid I'll die at home, and I'm afraid too. Wait for me...

Yang Wuni lowered her head and remained silent for a while, then said, "Let's talk about it later!"

She laughed and then burst into tears, the tears falling onto her legs.

"Wu Ni, if you're not coming back with me, Du Qiu and I will leave first. We're afraid of encountering wolves when it gets dark."

Yang Dianjun asked Yang Wuni again, waiting for her to make a decision.

"Hey bro, Du Qiu, you two grab some handy stuff, just in case we actually run into wolves."

Take this flatbread back to your father and tell him that I'm doing well and he shouldn't worry about me.

When that day comes, Zhang Changyao will take good care of me.

You and Father don't need to come to see me off. Even as a ghost, I can protect you from the other side.