Chapter 30

On Saturday noon, it was the liveliest time at Mei Jianzhong's house.

Feng Yiping came back from school, and the children from his uncle's and aunt's families—Rongrong and Ruirui from his first uncle's family, and Yangyang and Yunyun from his third uncle's family—were all there. Children always prefer to play with their peers; Rongrong and Yangyang were in primary school, while Ruirui and Yunyun were about the same age. The four children didn't often get together, so they were all having a great time.

Rongrong and Yangyang were doing their homework together. Yangyang, being a boy, was a bit mischievous and often snatched Rongrong's stationery. Ruirui and Yunyun, on the other hand, each clung to one of Feng Yiping's legs, competing to climb up.

Mei Jianzhong was particularly energetic, busy at the stove, his face beaming with joy as he watched his grandchildren. The pork ribs and radishes in the pot had been simmering over a low flame for half the morning. Mei Jianzhong added a bit of salt, tasted it, and felt it wasn't quite right. He called Feng Yiping over to taste the saltiness. Feng Yiping, dragging the two children like a crab, walked over, tasted it with a spatula, and said, "It's a bit bland, but it's just right for them."

The soup made from the pork of a pig raised by the family was rich and delicious, far surpassing the most expensive pork from the supermarket! The local winter radishes were famous. They could be pulled from the ground, the mud wiped off, and the outer skin peeled to be eaten directly. Unlike some radishes that had a spicy taste, these radishes were crisp, juicy, and slightly sweet.

As the old saying goes, "Eat radishes in winter and ginger in summer, and you won't need a doctor's prescription." So many adults and children ate them like fruit. Twenty years later, the radish and pork rib soup that Feng Yiping stewed for half a day was still watery, and neither the meat nor the radishes were tasty. Now, the two ingredients blended together, the meat was fresh and rich, and the radishes were sweet and delicious, making it a wonderful dish.

At this moment, Feng Yiping's legs felt lighter as Ruirui and Yunyun let go of him and ran over to hug their grandfather, looking up at him with eager eyes, almost as if they were about to stretch out little claws.

"Alright, the soup is ready. You can eat first. Rongrong, get the bowls. Yangyang, bring the table over."

The table was a special one. An old square table with the legs sawed off by the first uncle, so the children could sit on square stools and fit perfectly.

He served each of them a bowl and had Rongrong and Yangyang call the others. Feng Yiping and his grandfather prepared to fry fish.

The fish were finger-length, with their innards cleaned and marinated for an hour with seasonings. They were then coated with flour and fried golden in the oil, emitting a fresh and fragrant aroma.

The fried fish filled two plates, and the oil was left for later to fry radish balls after the meal.

The children, not eating rice, took a sip of soup and a bite of fried fish, enjoying themselves immensely. Mei Jianzhong kept telling them, "Eat slowly, it's hot."

Before the meal was finished, the third auntie came with Dongdong, "Dad, no wonder they were so eager to come here after school today. You're giving them special treatment. Dad, you can't just dote on your grandchildren and not on your son!"

Mei Jianzhong asked her, "Have you eaten?"

Feng Yiping stood up with his bowl, "Third Auntie, please sit." He then tried to escape to the backyard.

The third auntie grabbed a few fish and, while chewing, said to Feng Yiping, "Yiping, I need to talk to you about something."

Feng Yiping reluctantly stopped. Just then, the first auntie came over with a bowl, not entering the house but standing at the door, eating and saying, "Oh, what brings the boss lady here today? Did you smell something?"

This was a typical way of insulting someone without using foul language.

The third auntie, unusually, didn't respond, and instead pushed Dongdong into the first auntie's arms, "Dongdong, this is your aunt. Don't you miss her?"

She then grabbed Feng Yiping, "Yiping, I heard your parents are doing well in the provincial city, earning hundreds of dollars a day. They specifically asked your grandfather to buy fish and meat every week to cook for you. They also collected thousands of dollars worth of chestnuts, so they must have a lot of money. The oil mill business isn't good, and without you, Yangyang, and Yunyun, they can hardly eat meat once a month. Dongdong can't even afford milk. My husband and I have decided to buy a new oil press, but we don't have enough money. Can you talk to your parents and help us? A few thousand or a few hundred, anything helps. Once we make money, we'll pay it back immediately!"

Before Mei Jianzhong and Feng Yiping could respond, the first auntie spoke up, "Oh, boss lady, that's not right. Your brother and sister work hard in the provincial city, saving on food and drink, and working from dawn till dusk. They can barely earn a hundred dollars a day. You think everyone is like you! They did collect a thousand pounds of chestnuts, but most of it is still owed. Dad and Guosheng had to go door-to-door to ask for it, and the villagers agreed to let them owe the money, with the promise to pay it back by the end of the year.

Besides, when your brother and sister were building their house, they borrowed money everywhere, and you didn't help. Every time they came, you never even offered them a meal. Now you have the nerve to ask for money, thinking everyone owes you. You're already married, so why don't you take your children back to your parents' house? If Guoping doesn't bring back the new oil press, will you not come back?"

The third auntie's face turned red and white with anger. Feng Yiping secretly gave the first auntie a thumbs up in his heart. She was straightforward and stood up for what was right!

The third auntie, in fact, was just too focused on money and liked to take advantage of others. But to be fair, not many people dislike taking advantage of others, and Feng Yiping himself liked to take advantage of others.

There was one thing he remembered clearly about the third auntie. In 1996, when Feng Yiping was in his second year of vocational school, his family had to scrounge for his living expenses every month, borrowing from one neighbor to another. To make matters worse, Mei Qiuping, his mother, fell ill again after the autumn harvest. The hospital required a deposit of 2000 yuan, which the family couldn't afford. After much effort, Feng Zhenchang managed to gather 500 yuan, and the third uncle brought 1500 yuan in a hurry, allowing the deposit to be paid. She stayed in the hospital for about a month before recovering and being discharged.

The following year, 1997, many people in the village thought that Feng Yiping's vocational education was useless, and the costs were increasing. Even if he graduated, he wouldn't find a good job, and the debts would remain unpaid.

So, one time when Feng Yiping was home on a monthly break, he heard from his second uncle that the third auntie had come to the house alone to demand the 1500 yuan. His parents repeatedly said they really couldn't pay it back at the moment, and in the end, the third auntie "thumped" and knelt before them...

Of course, it was mainly about the money, just like now. If Feng Yiping had enough money, the first and third aunties wouldn't be arguing.

The third auntie, stung by the first auntie's words, couldn't let it go. She didn't immediately ask Feng Yiping for the money but first tried to regain the upper hand. The first auntie alone couldn't handle her.

Mei Jianzhong's face grew darker, and Feng Yiping quietly slipped toward the backyard. Just as he reached the door, he heard a "clatter" as a bowl fell to the ground, followed by a "thud" and then the sound of crying. He quickly ran to the back.

It turned out that Yangyang, not wanting to see his mother argue, had taken his bowl to the backyard. The cart used by his grandfather and the first uncle to collect chestnuts was still there, with the wheels removed. Yangyang, being mischievous, sat on the axle between the two wheels, eating while pushing himself along with his feet. The wheels rolled back and forth, but he accidentally pushed too hard, and the wheels rolled forward, causing him to fall off and land on his buttocks. The bowl flew backward, spilling the food and soup on his head. It wasn't too hot, but his buttocks were badly bruised, and the soup got into his eyes, causing pain.

Feng Yiping helped him up, carefully removed the food from his head and face, and wiped his face with his sleeve. Fortunately, the food and soup had cooled quickly in the winter, and there were no burns. He blew into his eyes, and they didn't turn red, indicating that it was just the salty soup that had irritated them.

The third auntie rushed over, picked up Yangyang, and comforted him. Feng Yiping said, "It's nothing serious, just a fall. It's all fine."

Mei Jianzhong was angry, "Argue, argue, you won't stop until something happens, will you?"

The third auntie retorted, "What kind of logic is that, Dad? Yangyang fell at your place, so why blame me?"

Feng Yiping, seeing the situation getting worse, quickly said, "Third Auntie, take Yangyang to the clinic to check if he's hurt."

The third auntie finally stopped, not caring about the first auntie holding Dongdong, and ran to the clinic with Yangyang.

It seemed that the afternoon wouldn't be peaceful. Feng Yiping first went to the oil mill to find the third uncle, not wanting the third auntie to cause more trouble at his grandfather's house. He then told his grandfather that he had an appointment with Wang Changning to do homework and went to Wang Changning's house. Before leaving, he said to his grandfather, "Grandpa, maybe you should go out for a while."

So, when the third uncle Guoping took Yunyun and Dongdong away, the grandfather locked the door and went up the mountain with a sickle. The first uncle's family also locked their door and left. When the third auntie returned with Yangyang, both houses were locked, and she couldn't find anyone to vent her anger on.

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