"Thank you, Mother, I’ll make a trip there tomorrow." Qi Shi nodded.
It’s been a while since I’ve been back to my parents’ house; it’s ti to visit.
Either way, if my parents want to coax things out of , they have to cater to , so I’m not worried they’ll show a bad face.
Just thinking about my parents’ way of currying favor with the powerful, my desire to visit diminishes.
"Hmm, there’s quite a bit of food at ho these days, take it all with you."
"No need to take everything, just enough for a al or two." Qi Shi quickly said. She had no intention of feeding her greedy aunt’s family.
Hearing her daughter-in-law’s words, Old Mrs. Hua understood what she ant and, knowing what her in-laws were like, said no more.
After breakfast the next day, Qi Shi packed a basket of vegetables, a bag of pastries, and added ten eggs. Her mother-in-law also stuffed in half a pound of fatty at and ten pounds of coarse grain before Qi Shi set off for her parents’ house.
Her parent’s ho was in a small village called Xiaohe Village, ten miles away from Hua Village, with only a few dozen households.
"Mother, I want to go too," seeing her mother preparing to leave, Hua Jin hurriedly grabbed Qi Shi’s hand. Hua Jin only had vague mories of his maternal grandparents’ ho, so it was a good opportunity to have a look.
Little Si originally hadn’t planned to go, after all, every visit to the maternal grandparents was never as good as ho, but hearing his sister, he also rushed to his mother’s side.
Hmm, going out for a stroll isn’t bad. Thinking about the little cousins, Little Si felt his hands itching and revealed a mischievous smile.
"Daughter, do you really want to go?" Originally, Qi Shi didn’t intend for the children to go along, worried that her mother’s sharp tongue might corrupt her delicate daughter.
"Uh-huh, Mother, it’s too boring at ho, just let go, please?" Hua Jin quickly nodded.
Qi Shi thought for a mont and nodded. She wouldn’t indulge her parents anyway, and with the children’s father accompanying them, her family would likely pay heed.
Seeing their mother agree to take his sister, Little Si hurriedly clamored to go too. Qi Shi nodded again; it was too lonely to travel with just her daughter, so having her son along provided company for both children.
As for her nephews and nieces, Qi Shi didn’t think much of any of them and was more worried they might be a bad influence on her daughter.
Seeing Hua Yunao and his brother noticed their younger siblings were going, they worried the siblings might be mistreated at their grandmother’s house, and also expressed a desire to go, but this ti Qi Shi didn’t agree.
Mainly, the two children were no longer young, nearing the age of marriage, and thinking of how her parents and sister-in-law eyed the two with matchmaking in mind, Qi Shi shivered. Normally, she wouldn’t let them visit their maternal grandparents.
Since their mother didn’t agree, the brothers couldn’t act as stubborn as their younger siblings. With their father also going, they relented and nodded.
Originally prepared to leave, Qi Shi and her husband had to make extra preparations due to taking the children along, throwing a worn quilt into the ox cart, adding charcoal, and wrapping hemp rope around the wheels before setting off.
In the past, a ten-mile journey wouldn’t take more than an hour, but now the ground was thick with snow, and the ox cart moved barely faster than walking.
With the charcoal burner in the ox cart, it wasn’t too cold, Hua Jin and Little Si sat on the worn quilt, covered with another half of the quilt.
"Mother, tell about Grandma’s place." Hua Jin snuggled up to Qi Shi and said softly.
mories of her maternal grandparents’ ho were scarce, she only knew there seed to be a strong preference for sons over daughters, and the rest was a blur; even individual faces were indistinct.
Her daughter’s words made Qi Shi realize the children rembered little of their maternal grandparents, and it seed she should tell them more, giving them so context, and she began to speak.
"Mother has three brothers and two sisters... Your... grandfather and grandmother favored boys over girls... Your eldest uncle’s family has two sons and a daughter, your second uncle’s family has three daughters and a son, and your younger uncle’s family has two sons... As for those cousins, if you get along, fine, if not, don’t force yourself, and don’t indulge them, understood?"
"Uh-huh, don’t worry, Mother." Hua Jin was not one to force herself; she always maintained peace unless soone sought trouble, in which case she wouldn’t tolerate it.
"Mother, I’m here too. I’ll protect my sister." Little Si quickly interjected, puffing up his reasonably firm chest, feeling the slingshot tucked into his waistband.
"Hmm, I’ll leave your sister in your hands," Qi Shi smiled approvingly at her younger son. Though still small, his desire to protect his sister had to be encouraged.
"Don’t worry, Mother." Trusted by his mother, Little Si felt a small thrill, ready to show his budding manhood, had they not been confined to the ox cart.
"I naturally trust our Little Si, but don’t forget to help your sister rember who’s who," Qi Shi restrained her laughter, reminding her son of her daughter’s faded mories.
The mother and children shared laughs, making the journey pass quickly, and as the ox cart slowed, Hua Chengtian’s voice startled them into realizing they had arrived.
Opening the door, they saw a small village not far ahead; indeed, they had reached Xiaohe Village. Qi Shi’s expression was complex as she glanced at the village ahead.
In her mory, there wasn’t much to be happy about in this village.
Ever since she could recall, she was constantly working or being indoctrinated by her parents that her maternal family was her future reliance, that maintaining ties with them was crucial so her brothers could support them. Only her skepticism saved her from being brainwashed like her sisters, who, even after marrying, prioritized their maternal family, moving all good things there. Eldest sister even broke her leg from her in-law’s resentnt. Despite this, their loyalty to their family was unshaken, leading to turmoil in their lives, which Qi Shi found distasteful.
"Mother..." Hua Jin felt her mother’s emotional fluctuations and grasped Qi Shi’s hand.
The warmth in her hand brought Qi Shi back, and she smiled warmly at her attentive daughter, saying it was nothing.
The ox cart slowly trundled towards the village.
"Oh, isn’t that the son-in-law of old Qi’s family? Here to see the in-laws?" A woman coming out for firewood recognized Hua Chengtian in the ox cart, excitedly stepping closer, glancing eagerly into the cart, though unfortunately, the door was closed, and she couldn’t see anything.
When Hua Chengtian smiled and nodded in acknowledgnt, Qi Shi heard the voice and quickly opened the door, revealing half her body, smiling when she saw the speaker.
"It’s Aunt Sun! You’re as robust as ever, still able to move firewood? Aunt is right, the family has been too busy, and it’s been a while since our last visit. I wanted to bring so fresh things from ho for my family to try."
Speaking, Qi Shi grabbed a handful of vegetables from the basket inside the ox cart and handed them to Aunt Sun.
If it were anyone else, Qi Shi wouldn’t be so generous, but Aunt Sun was kind, having protected her several tis as a child and secretly given her so corncakes. Qi Shi felt a deep gratitude towards Aunt Sun.
So every visit, she would always stop by Aunt Sun’s house, sotis bringing a little sothing—nothing costly, just as a sign of her feelings.
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