Chapter 824: Chapter 823: Birthday
The three people are not procrastinators; since they decided to return to the county town, they started packing the remaining unpacked luggage.
In the evening, Old Granny Zhang made a table full of dishes and called the mbers of the first, third, and fourth household to the back courtyard for dinner. She also had so things to say.
Halfway through the al, everyone learned that tomorrow, Old Granny Zhang, Wang Yongzhu, and Song Chongjin would be heading back to the county town.
This ti, it was uncertain when they would return.
The Wang Family Brothers felt a bit reluctant. In the past, if they were to say they were unwilling to part with their mother and sister, they wouldn’t have believed it themselves.
But now, they realized the goodness of their mother and sister only when they were no longer around.
“Mother, when will you co back after going to the county town?” Wang Yonggui asked.
“Co back for what? To see you all still being useless and get angry? I am very comfortable living in the county town, so why would I co back to get annoyed? Do you wish your mother to die young?” Old Granny Zhang snorted.
“Mother, you have your fiftieth birthday coming up in the second half of the year; you must co back for that, right?” Wang Yongfu said sullenly.
Old Granny Zhang was startled. She didn’t expect her eldest son to rember her birthday. After a while, she said, “Your father hasn’t passed his anniversary yet, what birthday celebration are we talking about? You trying to let others gossip behind Mother’s back?”
It’s true. In these tis, if soone in the family has recently passed away, you don’t hold celebrations like birthdays within the year to avoid bad ons.
Liu Xiaoqiao had been married into the family for so long without knowing when her mother-in-law’s birthday was. She was startled when she heard Wang Yongfu ntion it and quickly smiled, “Just listen to Mother. Though we might not make a big deal out of it, as your children, we should still honor Mother. How about we make Mother a couple of outfits and have a small family dinner to celebrate? Who would have anything to say against that?”
She glared at Wang Yongping intensely. How could he not ntion such an important thing to her? If forgotten, wouldn’t she be judged and criticized for the rest of her life?
Wang Yongping looked bewildered; he didn’t know either!
Old Granny Zhang hesitated. She had lived most of her life without much notice to birthdays. In peasant households, only n celebrated birthdays, while won’s birthdays went unnoticed.
Before marrying into the Wang family, she never celebrated a birthday.
After marrying into the Wang family, those years were when her relationship with Wang Laozhu was the best after she bore their first and second sons. The family’s patriarch was still alive, treating her as the heroine of the Wang family and once made her a bowl of longevity noodles with two eggs on her birthday, which was quite unusual.
Wang Laozhu even secretly used his private money to buy her so snacks or a flower for her hair, always in secret from Old Lady Lin.
After the patriarch passed away and more children were born, family affairs increased, and before her birthday, her mother-in-law always found faults and caused trouble.
She knew well that this was Old Lady Lin’s way of avoiding celebrating her birthday. Moreover, Wang Laozhu was persuaded by Old Lady Lin, believing that it was unlucky for won to celebrate birthdays, and it could drain their fortune, so it’s better to save it for a grand celebration at fifty.
She petulantly decided against celebrating her birthday.
Last year’s birthday coincided with the busiest ti for harvesting mountain goods; only her daughter Yongzhu personally made her a bowl of longevity noodles and gave her a silver note worth ten taels and a set of clothes. The others didn’t ntion it at all.
At that ti, Yongzhu promised her that when she turns fifty, she would have a grand celebration. Who would have thought that the head of the household would pass away this year?
Wang Yongzhu knew the knot in her mother’s heart. Honestly, last year she almost forgot Old Granny Zhang’s birthday until she overheard Wang Laozhu muttering about it two days before saying that Old Granny Zhang’s birthday was approaching, and next year would be her fiftieth. After saving up for so many years, they should have a grand celebration.
She casually asked and found out about the date.
She also learned about Old Lady Lin’s ridiculous talk! Honestly, anyone with a bit of sense wouldn’t believe such nonsense.
If celebrating birthdays really reduced fortune, why did everyone else in the family celebrate their birthdays regardless of size, sotis just boiling an egg to mark the occasion without fearing the loss of good luck?
She was furious and promised to make sure Old Granny Zhang’s fiftieth birthday would be grand.
No one expected Wang Laozhu’s passing.
Organizing a grand celebration might be out of the question now.
Wang Yongzhu thought for a mont, “Mother, it’s the good intention of the brothers and sisters-in-law! We can’t have a grand celebration now, but it’s unfair to you. We will return ho and celebrate properly for you here. After the mourning period, we’ll make it up to you!”
At this point, the Wang Family Brothers, finally realizing the situation, hurriedly promised to ensure a lively birthday celebration for Old Granny Zhang.
Old Granny Zhang hesitated before finally agreeing.
Heeding her warning, “Let’s keep it to a family celebration and not let it spread out to avoid gossip! Nowadays our reputation matters, these matters can’t afford any mistakes! Or else it will tarnish your sister’s and brother-in-law’s reputation, and you’ll face my wrath!”
Despite everything, she felt pleased that her birthday was rembered, especially by the eldest, which she didn’t expect.
Therefore, her tone while speaking to Wang Yongfu was unexpectedly gentle, “Tomorrow when I go to the county town, I am not worried about the household, but you and Lady Lin have severed ties; it’s a broken mirror. Although people say a broken mirror can be nded, look at it — once broken, can it give comfort even if forced together?”
Wang Yongfu didn’t expect his mother to speak so kindly one day; his eyes turned red instantly, “Mother, don’t worry! Your son understands!”
“As long as you know what’s right!” Old Granny Zhang continued speaking, “For Jindou’s marriage, let your Fourth Brother’s household help find a match, settle it first, and marry after the mourning period ends.”
Wang Yongfu nodded and agreed, then personally appealed to Liu Xiaoqiao, “All these matters will have to rely on you, sister-in-law!”
Liu Xiaoqiao was reluctant to take on this responsibility. If Lady Lin found out she was match-making for Jindou, there would be hell to pay.
But her mother-in-law’s command and Wang Yongfu’s personal request made her realize it wasn’t the ti to fuss; she promptly agreed quietly.
However, she was riddled with worry!
Wang Yongzhu reminded, “Fourth Sister-in-law, if you don’t know any local girls, ask our matchmaker Aunt Wang. She is the most helpful person in our village, she knows each girl’s character well—”
No need for further explanation, Liu Xiaoqiao quickly understood.
She thanked Wang Yongzhu for the reminder.
With nothing else to say, Old Granny Zhang glanced at Liu Xiaoqiao’s flat belly but remained silent.
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