Wang Yongping waved his hand dismissively: "Isn’t it Father’s hundredth day since his passing? Besides, didn’t we say the city is hot, but it’s cooler back ho? What could possibly happen? Even if sothing does, Mother and Little Sister are here! What are you afraid of?"
Liu Xiaoqiao could understand her mother-in-law at this mont, almost wishing she could grab a broom and give her a good beating.
Was this what she ant? She thought, how nice it is in the city—the food is good, and so is the living; if it were really like her mother-in-law said, with two maids and a maidservant to serve, wouldn’t it be a life like that of a deity?
Why leave such a good life and co back to the countryside?
Liu Xiaoqiao knew that Wang Yongping wouldn’t understand. This man, she’s been married for half a year, and she figured him out. In daily conflicts with other branches, he definitely stands by her side.
But when it cos to matters involving his mother and sister, there’s no doubt he’ll stand with them.
Thinking again, if sothing did happen, knowing her sister-in-law, she wouldn’t drag down the family.
If it really ca to sothing, they could always gather the money from the family to repay the sister-in-law’s kindness.
With this thought, Liu Xiaoqiao relaxed and did not bring it up again.
Wang Yongzhu and they arrived in Qilidun two days before Wang Laozhu’s hundredth day.
According to the old customs in Qilidun, on the hundredth day, it’s not just the married daughters who co back—even the grandchildren should co. They all prepare paper money, wrap it up in paper with a cover letter, and burn it for Wang Laozhu.
Then each family also has to kill chickens, kill fish, and offer food.
Wang Yongzhu had already prepared the box; the paper money and other items were already bought.
On the hundredth day, early in the morning, the offerings were ready. After breakfast, everyone headed to the ancestral grave.
At the door, checking the ti and looking at the people, Wang Yongfu frowned.
Today is a big day; the married daughters and grandchildren should be here. How co at this ti, there’s still no sign of Wang Yongzhen and Mutou?
"Jindou, go urge your eldest aunt’s family. What ti is it, and they’re still dawdling?" Wang Yongfu turned back and instructed Jindou.
Jindou agreed and ran towards the old house.
Halfway there, he saw Wang Yongzhen and Mutou just coming out of the old house.
Mutou was carrying a box, and Wang Yongzhen had a food box in her hands.
Seeing them coming, no one said more, just urged each other to head to the grave site.
At the grave, they first stepped forward to burn the paper.
Starting with Wang Yongfu’s first house, in order, Wang Yongfu’s family burned four paper packages and burned one for Jinhoo who was away.
When it was Wang Yongzhen’s turn, she just stood still.
It was Mutou who fished out two packages of paper money from the box, went forward, and burned them. Even so, it seed like Wang Yongzhen still wanted to say sothing, but after glancing around, she quieted down.
After everyone had burned the paper, they also burned the box for Wang Laozhu.
Then they bowed and offered the food.
Every family brought a food box with a at dish, a fish, and a bowl of rice.
The generous ones killed a chicken, but the chickens at Wang Yongfu’s house were taken by Lady Lin, so they had to buy at, and the at filled an entire bowl.
Wang Yongzhen kept dawdling until everyone else had placed their offerings, and then she took two bowls out of her food box.
The faces of the Wang family turned dark. By rights, today’s offerings for Wang Laozhu should each have three items—at, fish, and rice so the elder below could eat well.
After the hundredth day, only at the annual ceremony would they offer again.
Even if tis were tight, generally for the hundredth day, one could manage to gather a bowl of rice and two at dishes.
Without big fish and at, one could catch so small fish from the river, combine it with an Egg, and it would still be decent.
But in Wang Yongzhen’s bowl, there was a wheat bun and a dish of stir-fried amaranth stems, and that was it.
Thinking back to the box in Mutou’s hands earlier, it was clearly handmade by Mutou, likely crafted in his spare ti, but couldn’t they have brought out sothing more substantial?
Wang Yongping, with his straightforward nature, directly asked, "Elder Sister, what do you an by this?"
Wang Yongzhen shrunk a bit, glancing at Old Granny Zhang and Wang Yongzhu, and said softly, "Tis are tough at ho; we haven’t had at for months. I think Father wouldn’t mind down there. When things get better, I’ll make it up to Father with a big pig’s head for him to eat his fill down there."
"Besides, you’ve all prepared so much; it should be enough for him down there. Perhaps he might prefer so vegetables to keep things light—" Wang Yongzhen’s voice trailed off.
Mutou beca anxious and pulled Wang Yongzhen aside, whispering, "Mother, didn’t I give you money yesterday to buy a fish and half a pound of at at the village head? Why did you only bring this?"
Wang Yongzhen muttered, "I went late. There was only one fish left, about three pounds, too big, and the only at left was lean at, priced like the fatty kind, so I..."
Mutou stomped his foot in frustration, "But you still should have bought sothing! Didn’t you see the expressions of the uncles, aunt, and grandmother?"
Currently, the mother and son are still living in the Wang family’s old house, thanks to Grandfather.
Though Grandfather is gone, they should rember his goodness, especially now. And really, the fish and at would only cost a few Large Coins. Life is tough, but not to this extent, right?
After the spring harvest, not only was there enough grain for the mother and son, but they also had so surplus. Now, with careful tending, after the autumn harvest, things would be a little more prosperous.
If they saved a little, couldn’t they easily gather those few Large Coins?
Why save on Grandfather’s hundredth day? If Grandfather knew below, wouldn’t he be heartbroken? Not to ntion the uncles and aunt—they would need their help in the future. This was practically offending everyone!
But Mutou also knew his mother wasn’t just stingy with Grandfather. Ever since the mourning began, they hadn’t had a bit of at on the table.
Mother also raised a flock of chickens and a pig. Ever since the chickens started laying, they hadn’t tasted eggs because Lady Lin was still living in the courtyard. Wang Yongzhen, wary of Lady Lin, would follow the chickens closely. As soon as they laid eggs, she’d scoop them up.
All these Eggs were gathered into a basket and taken to town by Mutou to sell, with the money saved.
Now, Wang Yongzhen had only one thought: saving money for Mutou’s wedding, even at the cost of barely eating or drinking.
Mutou knew this about his mother’s intentions and had advised her, but Wang Yongzhen was stubborn. Now, with only Mutou to rely on, she was determined to see him married.
Once Mutou had a family and children, she could finally breathe easy.
So, Mutou held back on saying too much, afraid of hurting Wang Yongzhen’s feelings.
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