"Ever since I can remember, our house has always been smaller than Uncle and Aunt’s house. I had to squeeze in with my brothers to sleep, while Xu Jiaojiao could sleep by herself."
"Later, Dad and my brothers, out of love for me, made me a separate little room. My brothers moved into that room, which was cold in the winter and hot in the summer."
"Of course, those things are too far in the past to talk about now," Xu Nianhua said, with a faint smile. She continued, "Let’s talk about the past few years, during the busy farming seasons, my two brothers, our parents, and I were all working in the fields, but what about Uncle’s family?"
"Which year did Uncle’s family not return to Aunt’s maternal home during this time?"
"Uncle and Aunt don’t need to rush to deny it; this is a well-known fact in the village."
Xu Nianhua wasn’t frightened by Xu Zhong’s stern face. She rattled on, giving no one a chance to interject, saying, "My eldest brother worked at the brick factory, making thirty yuan a month, five yuan of which went to food, and the remaining twenty-five was all given to Grandma and Grandpa. My Dad, as a carpenter, didn’t earn much either, but he still brought home fifteen to twenty yuan each month."
"And there’s my mom at home, washing clothes, cooking, going to the mountain to gather pigweed to feed the pigs, cleaning out the pigsty, sweeping the chicken and duck droppings from the yard. Is there a single meal that isn’t prepared by my mom?"
Taking a deep breath, Xu Nianhua thought about how hard her own mother worked for the Xu Family like an ox or a horse. What did she get in the end?
"What, are you accusing us, their grandparents, of favoritism? The money was handed over, but I was saving it for the kids’ marriages," Xu Zhong said with a face as dark as the bottom of a pot.
"Ji Ying, how can you say that? Don’t I also cook meals at home?" Zhao Juxiang couldn’t sit still and retorted.
"Yes, you cook three meals a year, and my mom has to prepare the sides. After the meals, it’s also me and my mom who wash the dishes," Xu Nianhua retorted without hesitation, her words laced with a hint of mockery.
Xu Nianhua was about to say something else, when Xu Qinghe interrupted, "Third son."
Her lips moved, but Xu Nianhua shut her mouth and said not another word. Her parents were pushovers, treated by Grandma, Grandpa, and Uncle like dough to be kneaded at will, taking on every dirty and tiring job. Any time there were treats, her family was never thought of.
Saving money for marriages?
When it was time for Xu Zhihao to get married, they had emptied their savings.
Xu Zhiyuan was in school, and that meant she and her siblings couldn’t study. When Xu Zhiyuan finished school, he’d need to get married too, and that would also cost money.
Not to mention that her eldest brother’s engagement to the Zhou Family had been dragging on without the formalities, also because they couldn’t produce the two hundred yuan needed for the bride price.
Because of this, her parents were frantic, having discussed it with Grandma and Grandpa countless times. Grandma sure spoke prettier than a song, but the money somehow never materialized.
"So, this is what you all think?" Xu Zhong stared at Xu Qinghe.
Thinking of his feverish daughter and defending Ji Ying with strong arguments, Xu Qinghe knew he couldn’t be the one to hold things back as a father. He said, "Dad, I know it sounds bad to split the family, but it’s not like there aren’t other families in the village that haven’t done the same."
After speaking these words, Xu Qinghe hung his head, not daring to meet Xu Zhong’s eyes.
Xu Zhong said the word ’good’ three times, his face full of disappointment as he spoke, "When a child grows up, they are no longer under their father’s control, they get too big for their britches and can’t be told what to do anymore."