Li Mingwei woke up groggy from her sleep. As soon as she stepped out of the room, she received a call from Wang Chunhua, asking her to go back with them to Xinghua Village.
"Me? What am I going there for?"
"You can't do much staying home. Come back with us and take a look. Everyone knows you're my cousin. Your mother came from Xinghua Village. It wouldn't look right if you don't go back there during the New Year," Wang Chunhua reasoned.
What Wang Chunhua said made sense. Li Mingwei hurriedly prepared gifts for the Wang family. It was her first time visiting them, so she couldn't show up empty-handed.
The next day at dawn, Dong Shan saw the pile of New Year gifts in the yard and fell silent. This was too much, how could he accept all this?
He looked sternly at Dong Lei, "Lei, you're grown up now. You should be able to walk back by yourself this year."
Dong Lei was thrilled. He raised his little hand, "I can!"
"Good, our Lei has really grown up and become sensible," Dong Shan pushed him towards Li Mingwei and instructed, "Auntie isn't used to walking the mountain roads. You have to protect her well, understand?"
"I understand!" Dong Lei patted his chest proudly. He was a big boy now!
Wang Chunhua didn't care that he was tricking a child. She went to Li Mingwei and whispered, "Did you bring your valuables? Once we leave, there'll be no one home. It'd be bad if thieves got in."
"Mm, I know. I brought them," Li Mingwei replied.
She had already been reminded last night, so she had packed everything early this morning. She didn't forget the silver and gold hairpins. As for everything else, even clever thieves wouldn't be able to find them.
When Dong Shan overheard their conversation, he circled around the house and picked the easiest place to climb over the wall. He jumped in and threw his hunting traps where he landed, satisfied to pack the new year gifts into his carrying basket before leading the women out.
At first, Dong Lei held Li Mingwei's hand happily as they walked. But after climbing a hill outside of town, the little boy couldn't go on. The two fell far behind the rest.
Dong Shan, who was scouting ahead, had to stop and secure the basket on his back before carrying away Dong Lei, who clung stubbornly to Li Mingwei's clothes. Li Mingwei breathed a sigh of relief. Her stamina wasn't great to begin with. Dragging Dong Lei made it even harder for her to walk.
Since there were two people slowing them down, their journey today was full of stops and delays, costing them a lot of time. The Wang family waited and waited but no one arrived, so they set out along the road to find them.
Worried that something might have happened to them on the way, it was the Wang's three strong young men who came looking―Wang Dazhuang and his two younger brothers, Wang Erzhuang and Wang Sanzhuang.
They soon spotted the few resting by the roadside up ahead. The brothers rushed forward.
"Big sister, brother-in-law!"
"Big sister, brother-in-law!"
Hearing their voices, Wang Chunhua immediately stood up and waved to them. "Big brother, second brother, third brother!"
Their saviors had arrived!
As the youngest, Wang Sanzhuang reached them first. He supported his sister and took the child from her back onto his own. "Sis, we've been waiting for you guys at home for half a day already. Why are you so late today?"
Wang Chunhua looked helplessly at her limp son and cousin. She didn't want to be late either, but these two couldn't walk any further.
Wang Dazhuang saw Li Mingwei sitting weakly on the ground, drenched in sweat and flushed. Surprised, he said, "Sister Mingwei, you, what are you doing here? This road isn't easy to travel."
Li Mingwei managed a smile at him but couldn't get a word out. She was exhausted and parched.
Although Wang Erzhuang and Wang Sanzhuang heard their brother address her so intimately, they didn't dare help her up since they were men.
In the end, it was still Wang Chunhua who supported Li Mingwei as they set off again. Wang Dazhuang carried Dong Lei on his back while Wang Erzhuang took the basket.
The Wang brothers' wives reheated the dishes again and again. Finally, little Gang came bounding back from the village entrance to announce loudly, "They're here, they're here, they're at the village entrance!"
"Good, good, good." Wang father's suspended heart finally settled. He looked to Wang mother beside him, "Set the table, time to eat. They must be starving."
Wang mother didn't need to be told. She and her three daughters-in-law and older grandchildren together brought out the dishes and waited in the yard.
Little Gang sidled up to his grandfather, "Grandpa, Auntie also brought a young auntie back."
"Huh?" Wang father was confused. He only had one daughter, what other young auntie was there?
"The young auntie is so pretty, just a little thin. I saw Auntie supporting her because she could barely walk."
Wang's eldest daughter-in-law understood. She slapped her thigh, "It must be Sister Mingwei. No wonder they're so late today."
She got up to head outside, "Father, Mother, I'll go take a look. Sister Mingwei is gentle and quiet. How could she make it over these mountains?"
Wang father and Wang mother exchanged a glance. They had heard about this from their eldest son, but why on earth was she brought back home? Did he really take in this girl?
They quickly rushed to the doorway to look outside.
Wang's eldest daughter-in-law and Wang Chunhua supported Li Mingwei from both sides as they approached. Wang Chunhua greeted her parents, "Father, Mother, why are you standing in the doorway? Come inside!"
Li Mingwei forced a smile and also greeted them, "Uncle, Auntie."
"Oh, hurry in, hurry in. Lunch is ready, we've just been waiting for you all. You must be starving," they fussed.
While Wang Chunhua spoke with her in-laws, Wang's eldest daughter-in-law helped Li Mingwei over to a stool by herself. Seeing the sweat on her head, she rubbed her cold hands and reached under her clothes to feel―they were soaked through.
"This won't do. You'll get sick if you don't change out of these wet clothes." She turned and called for her sister-in-law, "Sister-in-law, come help me bring Sister Mingwei to my room. I'll get some hot water to wipe her down. She has to change out of these damp clothes."
"Alright."
Wang's second daughter-in-law supported Li Mingwei into the room and sat her down by the dressing table. Exhausted, Li Mingwei slumped over the table, unable to even move her legs. She also felt a bit nauseous.
Seeing how poor her complexion was, Wang's second daughter-in-law patted her back and asked with concern, "Sister, are you alright?"
Li Mingwei looked at her pitifully. Wang's second daughter-in-law's heart softened and she spoke even more gently, "Rest for now. Eldest sister-in-law went to get water. Let's change your clothes."
Of the three sisters-in-law, Wang's third wife was the thinnest. Hearing her eldest sister-in-law's instructions, she brought in one of her nicest undergarments. Together, the three women removed Li Mingwei's clothes, wiped down her sweat, and changed her into clean dry ones.
Exhausted, Li Mingwei was powerless to resist and could only allow them to manipulate her limp body like a wooden puppet.
Seeing her fair skin as they changed her, Wang's second daughter-in-law touched it lightly and clicked her tongue, "So soft."
If she had skin this supple, who knew how much her husband would cherish her.