A century of poverty

Chapter 78 Reverse

After the guests left, we felt utterly desolate.

Fortunately, a few days ago, Aunt Liu and a few other women from West Street came to my house to drop by and tell us some things.

I felt like I was seeing a family member, afraid that they would leave. I always wanted them to stay a little longer, but I knew that everyone had their own things to do, which was already very precious.

Aunt Liu persisted, and every ten days or so, she would come to visit us. Her family also lived on the east side of the street, on the street behind ours, at the west end, separated from the main road by a few dozen meters of potholes. It was very close to her house if we went west along the street.

After the Little New Year, it's almost Chinese New Year. Our family has no interest in celebrating the New Year at all; we don't even know how we celebrate it.

My mother's passing felt like the sky had fallen. I decided to drop out of school. Without her, who would ask my father for tuition? Being late and leaving early every day would only drag on my grades. What good would high school do? Liu Shurong from the east end, and Li Sheng from the front, were both high school graduates, yet they were both doing labor in their production teams. They walked conspicuously in pairs on the county road, wearing patched pants. I'd heard about highway robberies, and for various reasons, I didn't have the courage to continue my studies. Quitting school suited my father and older brother perfectly.

On the twelfth day of the first lunar month, Dad discussed with his eldest and second eldest brothers: "We didn't slaughter this big black pig last year. After the first lunar month, when it gets hot, it will be difficult to raise it. Let's slaughter it on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, and maybe we can sell it."

The elder brother said, "Wang Yukui from Wangzhuangtuo is at Xiao Liu's house. He's slaughtering a pig right now. He still has all that equipment, so let him come."

Father agreed, and on the thirteenth day, Wang Yu Kui arrived early. He was about the same age as his older brother and was learning to slaughter pigs. He wasn't very skilled, but he dared to try. Fortunately, with the help of his father and other family members, he managed to slaughter the pig.

They sold some meat at Da Liu's and Xiao Liu's villages, but there was still a lot left. The next day, my eldest and second eldest brothers went to the county town to sell it again, but they still couldn't sell it all. On the fifteenth and sixteenth, my eldest brother didn't have time, so my father asked me to go with him to collect the money. My second brother pushed the meat around on the butcher's stall, and the butcher helped sell it, but they still couldn't sell it all. All that was left was oyster sauce to keep for daily expenses.

The elder brother said, "Compared to last year, this pig will fetch 40% less money."

Father: "Still hoping to sell it for a good price? These past three years have been a terrible misfortune since Mother's death! You all need to be careful when you go out from now on!"

Liu Shifu sent a letter: "Tang Shu sent a letter. He's been visiting these past few days to see if you have any objections. If it weren't for your family's troubles last year, this matter would have been settled then."

Father: "No objection, but there's one matter: I'm going back to the capital. You can handle the visiting arrangements!"

With the money from selling the pig, Dad went back to the pass. Before leaving, he said, "I'm going back to the pass to pay back the money. Make sure I get that two hundred yuan back; my dear daughter, keep an eye on things for me."

Sure enough, a few days later, the third sister and the eldest brother went to Liu Shifu's house and then went to visit the gatekeeper of Tangshu. When they returned, the third sister had a bundle containing two sets of clothes and a pair of basket-style leather shoes.

When she got back, the third sister discussed with the eldest brother: "Why don't you go buy groceries tomorrow, and also buy someone a new set of clothes?"

The older brother said, "I don't have any money on me."

Third Sister: "Here's two hundred for you."

The older brother took the younger brother to the city. They were supposed to be back by noon, but they hadn't returned by noon. They got home after dark the previous night.

The third sister asked, "Why were you gone for such a long time!"

The eldest brother said, "You should be grateful that nothing happened when you came back after a day's work. If I hadn't kept my composure in the face of danger, something bad would have happened today." As he spoke, he took out the remaining few dozen yuan and handed it to his third sister.

They then recounted how they went to the street to buy groceries, and later went to "Liqun Store" to buy clothes. In front of the men's clothing counter, a pickpocket reached into his pocket and was discovered. The older brother grabbed his hand, pulled hard, and glared at him: "If you want to spend money, go earn it yourself. Don't do this despicable thing."

The pickpocket failed to steal anything, got yelled at, and left.

A little while later, five or six accomplices arrived and moved closer to the eldest brother and the younger brother. The eldest brother sensed danger. Not wanting to mess with these "local thugs," he quickly packed his things and moved to the side. He knew he couldn't go out now. Inside the store, they might be hesitant to attack, but if he went out, he would lose all his money and valuables and get a good beating. He wasn't afraid, but his younger brother was too small for that.

The younger brother, realizing what was happening, followed closely behind his older brother, engaging the pickpocket in the store. Two or three hours passed, and the store clerks understood what was going on. Taking advantage of a moment when the pickpocket was off guard, the older brother pleaded with the store staff, and the two brothers escaped through the back door.

On the appointed day, the Zhu family from Tangshu came to visit. The third sister used the cooking methods she learned from her mother to prepare a sumptuous feast, bursting with delicious flavors and beautiful colors. The Zhu family was overjoyed and praised the dish to everyone they met.

When Dad returned from the interior, he carried back large bags of vermicelli and noodles. He personally delivered them to Secretary Liu's house, asking Secretary Liu to help him find a job for my second brother within the farm's enterprise. Secretary Liu agreed.

Two days later, I notified my second brother to go to work at the brickyard, but he refused.

Dad: "This is better than farming. You'll regret it if you don't go."

Second brother: "No regrets."

Finding a job wasn't easy, so the second son refused to go and asked the eldest son instead. The eldest son readily accepted. Not only that, but Dad was afraid that our family would be a burden on the eldest son and his wife, so he proposed dividing the family property, weighing out the grain rations, and having the three of them take their share of rice and put it in their own rooms so they could live their own good lives.

After arranging things for his son, Dad asked his third sister, "Have you visited any relatives yet?"

Third Sister: "It's mixed up."

Father: "Give me two hundred dollars."

Third Sister: "What about all that? I only have a few dozen left, you can have it all!" Third Sister took out the money she had left over from buying groceries and clothes.

Dad: "Is that all? Are you trying to fool us?"

Third Sister: "That's all we have left. Take two hundred, buy groceries and clothes, and the rest is here."

Father: "I don't care about any of that. I just want two hundred, two hundred it is."

Third sister: "I told them I had about two hundred to spend, and this is all I have left."

Dad got angry too: "Do I need to explain this in detail? You have your 99 points for visiting neighbors. I want my 200 points."

The third sister also got anxious: "They gave us two hundred, and that's all we have after spending it. You still want more? What am I supposed to pawn it with? Do you expect me to go and ask them for it back?"

Father: "You're already speaking up for others before you've even left the house! Get out! Hand me the two hundred yuan and leave immediately!"

My third sister cried in distress, and I cried along with her.

Father was relentless and would not tolerate his third sister.

Having no other choice, the third sister went to Liu Shifu's house to plead her case, then went to Tangshu to get two hundred yuan, which she returned to give to her father. By this time, the third sister had been completely transformed by the ordeal.

Father was still furious: "This is my two hundred. Your mother wanted two hundred too. Since your mother is dead, I should get it. They shouldn't be left out. Don't bring it up again."

The conflict has been resolved.

Third Sister relayed to Father: "Tang Shu said that the wedding will take place in a few days."

Father disagreed with my third sister's marriage, saying, "Your mother just passed away, you should stay home and take care of your younger siblings."

Third Sister: "It's impossible, the Zhu family won't allow it."

I was terrified, afraid that my third sister was gone. After Mom passed away, I relied on my third sister. What would I do if she were gone? Even now, we are still very scared and dare not leave the house after dark.

At that time, I had knee pain, couldn't straighten my elbows, had temporomandibular joint inflammation, and couldn't open my mouth. I could only eat by using a spoon to scoop some soup and pour it down through the gap in my mouth.

I saw everything that was happening, yet I couldn't bring myself to stop my third sister from leaving. I was so insignificant, so fragile, that I could do nothing but grieve and weep.

My third sister's days at home are numbered, and I'm by her side, unable to bear being apart from her. "Wherever you go, I'll go too," I told my third sister.

My pitiful state moved my father: "Use the money from your wedding to make her a dress and let her stay with you for a few days!"

Third Sister agreed.

On the wedding day, Zhu Zhifu rode his bicycle there and "married" his third sister away.

Three days after the wedding, my third sister and I went to her place. I spent the day with my third sister and slept with her mother-in-law at night.

The next day, her third sister's sister-in-law came to see her, and they went out together on business.

The third sister's mother-in-law brought her grandson and granddaughter over: "Wait for Grandma to make you some meat pies. Don't be afraid, little niece, your aunt will steam some eggs for you."

As a guest in a foreign land, I've come to realize that this isn't my home, and I need to return to my own home.