Chapter 5

It was not yet six o'clock, and the village, which had been silent all night, woke up and became lively.

The chicken coop was opened, and the roosters and hens jostled each other out. The hens clucked, and the roosters held their heads high, flapping their wings. The pigs couldn't wait either, grunting and using their long snouts to push the door. On the paulownia tree behind the house, the little birds chirped. On the small path outside, the sound of "rustling" footsteps could be heard, occasionally accompanied by a few coughs. The light steps were probably from those who were empty-handed, while the heavy and steady ones were definitely from those who had just fetched water from the well. The sound of a loud-voiced woman could also be heard from a distance, calling out, "Go help your brother get dressed!"

The morning was quite hot, and Feng Yiping, who had originally wanted to stay in bed for a few more minutes, got up briskly. In fact, he was still somewhat unaccustomed to getting up so early, as he hadn't done so for many years, and certainly not every day.

In the countryside, breakfast was never a casual affair. A simple meal of porridge and steamed buns wouldn't do, as they wouldn't fill you up, and most of the work in the countryside required a lot of energy.

Therefore, a proper breakfast had to be cooked every morning, though the dishes might be a bit simpler.

After eating, Feng Yiping helped feed the pigs. He then hid the thick stack of manuscript paper under his straw hat, folding the hat in the middle and holding it to avoid his parents seeing it and having to explain again.

Mei Qiuping took out about ten eggs from a jar, put them in a net bag, and wrapped a package of dried bamboo shoots she had collected in the spring. She placed the dried bamboo shoots on top of the eggs and repeatedly instructed Feng Yiping to be careful and not to jump around. Feng Yiping joked, "Mom, are you worried about me, or the eggs?"

Mei Qiuping laughed and scolded him, shouting after him, "The sun is strong, put on your hat!"

Grandpa's house was a place Feng Yiping used to love visiting as a child. His uncles would play with him, and he didn't have to work. He could always eat well, and he could even see cars on the road, making it feel more comfortable and modern than his own home. His mother said that as a child, he had stayed at Grandpa's house a few times and didn't want to leave. However, Feng Yiping had no memory of this.

As he grew older, his uncles got married and had families of their own, leaving them with less time to play with him. He also became more mature and helped with household chores. He couldn't spend all his time playing at relatives' houses, so he visited less often.

In the countryside, there was always work to be done, whether one person or two, or even more. Children could find tasks, and so could the elderly. There was always something to do, no matter how many people there were.

The journey to Grandpa's house was about twenty miles of mountain road, involving three mountains and four villages, with the final destination being Meijia Bay, located by the provincial road.

The scenery along the way was quite beautiful. The sky was very blue, and the landscape was full of green, interspersed with colorful wildflowers. The mountains were mainly covered with pine trees, which were at their deepest green, lush and vibrant.

The last mountain had the best scenery. At the foot of the mountain was a river, not very wide but very clear, shimmering in the sunlight as it wound through the mountains. The mountain was not very high or steep, but at the top were five sturdy pine trees, which added a sense of strength, seclusion, and elegance. The most eye-catching were the rhododendrons blooming in the mountains, which formed clusters and sometimes even entire patches, blooming brilliantly and beautifully against the green background.

At this moment, if he had a DSLR camera, it would have been perfect.

He walked quickly, and it was still early, so he decided to climb to the top of the mountain with the net bag. As he climbed, the sound of car engines on the distant road became clearer. The top of the mountain was not very large, with a small flat area. He carefully placed the eggs on the ground, climbed onto a large rock, and the view of the surrounding area was all before his eyes.

Looking back, he could only see the winding path he had taken, but not the mountains behind his home. Looking forward, he could see the white road at the foot of the mountain, next to another river, where cars occasionally passed. From there, he could also see the village where his grandfather lived. Looking further, he could see the outlines of buildings at the end of the road and the bend of the river, which was the town.

The mountain breeze gently brushed his face, and Feng Yiping quietly enjoyed the familiar yet unfamiliar scenery, occasionally looking forward and sometimes turning back. Most of the time, he just sat there, lost in thought.

After about an hour, he stood up, patted his buttocks, jumped off the rock, and ran down the mountain, singing "Rhododendron" as he went.

At the foot of the mountain, an old man was leading a cow up the hill. Seeing Feng Yiping with a net bag of eggs, he looked puzzled, as it seemed he was going to visit relatives but was coming down from the mountain. He couldn't imagine that Feng Yiping was just enjoying the scenery. After all, he had lived there all his life and didn't see what was so special.

Feng Yiping smiled and nodded at him, "Taking the cow out to graze!" and ran towards his grandfather's house.

The village was small, with only about twenty households. It was fifteen miles south along the provincial road to the town, and ten miles north to the rural middle school where Feng Yiping would soon be attending.

The residents of Meijia Bay were farmers, but because the road had been built, they had more opportunities to earn money. More importantly, being by the provincial road, their mindset was much more open compared to Feng Yiping's home, which was separated by about twenty miles of mountain road.

Feng Yiping's grandmother had passed away two years ago, and his grandfather, Mei Jianzhong, was just seventy. He had four sons and one daughter (Feng Yiping's mother), making five children in total. He had been the production team leader for many years and was quite knowledgeable and open-minded.

The old saying "more children, more blessings" did not apply to the current rural situation.

Mei Qiuping was the eldest, followed by four brothers. The other three were already married and living separately, leaving only the youngest uncle living with Grandpa.

The eldest, Guosheng, farmed at home.

The second, Guoping, was doing the best. He had learned stonemasonry as a child and now lived in the county with his family, renting a house. With the increase in self-built houses, he had a steady stream of work, though it was physically demanding and tiring, but the income was good.

The third, Guoxing, had a notorious mother-in-law, known throughout the area. Before marriage, she had many demands, and in the end, Mei Jianzhong had to buy the village oil mill to help the third son get married. The oil mill was in another village, about seven miles away, and he rarely visited.

People do not fear scarcity but inequality, and this was especially true among brothers. The eldest and second son's wives were not easy to deal with. When the third son's wife was given the oil mill, they were naturally unhappy, complaining that their own families were too honest and had not made any demands at the time of marriage, which had caused a lot of trouble.

Now, the third son had two children, and every time they saw his wife, they couldn't help but say a few nasty things, so although they were in the same village, the third son's family had little interaction with the others.

Of course, as Laozi taught us over two thousand years ago, everything has two sides, and this was no exception. The eldest and second son's wives, who usually had small conflicts, put aside their past grievances and joined forces to deal with the third son's wife when she arrived.

So, who says men are the most combative?

In the future, if the youngest son marries, the eldest and second son's wives might reconcile with the third son's wife and join forces to deal with the youngest son's wife—this possibility is quite high.

The youngest son, who was still unmarried and living with Grandpa, was the most restless of the four brothers. He used to buy "Wulin" magazines and practice martial arts, and for a while, he was obsessed with qigong. Now, he was wandering in the provincial capital, rarely staying at home, so the seventy-year-old Grandpa was largely on his own.

When Feng Yiping arrived, there was no one at his eldest uncle's house, as they were probably still working in the fields.

Grandpa was sitting under a cherry tree in the backyard, and his two-year-old nephew, Rui Rui, was chasing a puppy.

"Grandpa!"

Mei Jianzhong turned around, recognizing his eldest grandson.

"Isn't it time for school? Why are you here?"

As he spoke, he went into the house to prepare some water for him.

Feng Yiping handed him the items he had brought, and Mei Jianzhong complained, "I don't lack food. Why did you bring these things?"

Feng Yiping replied, "Grandpa, you have what you have, but this is a small gesture from Mom and Dad as your children. It's different."

Grandpa was somewhat pleased. His grandson, who had just finished primary school, already spoke with some maturity.

It was still early, not yet lunchtime, so Feng Yiping moved a stool and sat next to his grandfather, chatting.

Grandpa asked about his parents' health, especially his mother's. Feng Yiping said they were all fine and inquired about his sister. Feng Yiping mentioned that she was doing well at the garment factory in the city and would be home for the New Year.

In fact, a girl from the same village had written back, saying that his sister was no longer working at the garment factory in the city. She had become sworn sisters with a girl from the city and then quit her job.

When it came to his sister, Feng Yiping still had some resentment. After finishing primary school at the age of fifteen, Feng Yuxuan had no interest in studying and went to the city with the girls from the village who worked at the textile factory. She did find a job, but unlike the other girls from the village who sent money home every month, she never sent any money or even a letter.

She had left two years ago and had not returned home until the end of the following year. When she did come back, she was dressed fashionably but had given the family less than a hundred yuan. Thinking about his daughter going out to work at such a young age, his parents were reluctant to scold her. Even if they did, she would retort, "I want to, what can you do about it?" and often said, "I'll do what I want, let others say what they will."

Feng Yuxuan continued to be unreliable. By 1998, when Feng Yiping himself had started working, she had contributed less than five hundred yuan to the family over eight years.

When Feng Yiping was in technical school, it was the most difficult time for the family. They were always worried about his monthly living expenses, borrowing from one neighbor to another, but Feng Yuxuan never helped. Later, when something happened, no one even mentioned her, as if the family had forgotten that there was someone who could have helped and contributed.

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