Chapter 34.1

Translated by Aviana

After autumn harvest, the heavens seemed to have become peculiar. If today it is cloudy, then tomorrow it would be extremely sunny, completely unpredictable.

Just as Lin Qingwan opened the room door early in the morning, the sharp cold wind outside gushed onto her face. After thinking for a bit, she turned around to go in and added another layer of clothing.

Today it’s Yao-shi’s turn to do household chores. Usually, when it was the turn for either of them to do, they would help each other out. Thus today, Lin Qingwan got up and became ready to help Yao-shi in doing household chores.

Anyhow, currently there wasn’t much work to do at home. Only stuff like cooking meals for the entire family, feeding pigs, chickens and the likes, and drying few vegetables. Compared to the previous few days of the autumn harvest, these were indeed relaxing days. At the least, this was what Lin Qingwan, having not done farm work ever in her life, thinks so.

As Luoxia mountain was situated in cold regions, post autumn harvest, there weren’t any crops to grow in the fields. Thus the men were also quite idle. They would either have small wine gatherings or chop the firewood for the kang and chimney at home to prepare for the harsh winters.

After having breakfast, Yang Tiezhu and Yang Tiegen, the two brothers, went to chop the wood. They have been going every day to chop some firewood for the past few days. As for where Yang Tieshuan ran off, that is still unknown.

Upon careful observing for over some time, Lin Qingwan finally found eldest brother’s whereabouts. The work he had done in the fields was pitifully low, always either avoiding it or hiding from it. Usually, even at home, he seldomly stayed, and where he hangs out all the time is also a mystery. Only when he and Wang-shi had a row did she come to know that every single time Yang Tieshuan disappeared, it wasn’t to have drinks with pack of rogues but to gamble.

狐朋狗友 (húpénggǒuyǒu): a pack of rogues (idiom); a gang of scoundrels/ Bad friends

In the countryside, the folkways were very good, but it also didn’t lack a few good-for-nothings small local ruffians and whatnot. And, Yang Tieshuan precisely likes to mingle with this sort of people to play a few card games and the likes. Anyway, country folks didn’t have much money, so the bets played were also small.

Because of this, Wang-shi and Yang laoyezi didn’t have arguments with him any less, but every time he appeared brazen-faced. When it was time for him to go, he would still disappear like always.

老 爷子 (lǎoyézi): old father / polite appellation for an elderly male

Over time, Wang-shi’s temper also must have been worn out by him. Now, they seldom care about each other; husband and wife, both minding their own business, don’t know how they have been living together till now. Furthermore, after these many years….

Lin Qingwan, after helping Yao-shi in feeding the pigs and chicken, and sun-drying the vegetables, went back to her room, intending to make a few cotton-padded jackets for Yang Tiezhu and herself.

When she married over, she couldn’t make winter clothes because of lack of time. Yang Tiezhu had two jackets, but their fabric had become worn out from outside, and cotton on the inside had also become rough. Fortunately, before marriage, she had bought a bit of cotton and fabric materials. She can directly use these to make the jackets.

Lin Qingwan took out two fabric materials from her trunk, one navy blue fabric and the other jujube red color. First, she was planning on making a thin-lined jacket for herself as the thicker cotton-padded jacket can bit for few more days.

At this time, Yao-shi pushed the door open and walked in with an old cotton-padded jacket in her hand. Looking at the increasingly cold weather, everyone must be having more or less the same thoughts.

“Second sao, are you planning on making winter clothes?” Lin Qingwan, who was sitting on the kang, greeted her, “Yeah, I couldn’t make them at the time of marriage. Seeing that the cotton in your second brother’s jacket has become hard, I was planning of making few pieces.”

嫂 (sǎo): older brother’s wife / sister-in-law

With scissors in her hand, she began to cut the material. She was already aware of Yang Tiezhu’s measurements, not to mention her own. ]With charcoal, she drew the outline on the fabric and began to cut it out.

“Where are Liang ge niu?” While cutting, she simultaneously started chatting with Yao-shi. Liang ge niu is a ‘pet name’ she uses for Yang Erniu and Yang Sanniu.

两个妞 (liǎng gè niū): 2 girls > Here, Liang means two, and niu means girls, while gè is a measure word, which when translated in English, it means two girls.

Yao-shi replied as she lowered her head to stitch the jacket in her hands, “After eating breakfast, liang ge niu went to dig the wild herbs.”

“Today, the wind outside is strong, yet you let them go dig the wild herbs?” Lin Qingwan reproached her.

Yao-shi bitterly smiled, “The kids have become habituated to it. If any day they didn’t go out, mother-in-law will again grumble about it.”

“Those few boys of the eldest branch only know how to play every single day. Your family’s two girls are so young, yet they go every day to work for the family.” Lin Qingwan furiously said but couldn’t help but sigh, not knowing what to say. “I really don’t know what to say…”

She truly didn’t know what to say. All the members in Yang jia are already accustomed to this sort of discrimination. Boys, even if they ran out every day, no one would say anything. But girls are different; they ought to lend a hand in housework. He-shi would start scolding them if they don’t, saying that if they don’t learn house-related works now, later on, the husband’s family will disdain them and send them back.

As formidable as He-shi is, her way of speaking is distinct from others. Her granddaughters are only this big; before they had even stepped into their husband’s family, she had already started admonishing them that they would be sent back by their husband’s family, all day along instilling these kinds of ideologies and thoughts in young minds of the girls.

While the eldest branch’s Yang Daniu was not bad, when her own mother is prone to laziness, the children raised by her will also follow her and learn to be lazy. Whereas the third branch’s two girls were just like their parents, sincere and honest, they are daily driven out by their grandmother to dig a few wild herbs and likes.

(T/N: Wang-shi has 4 children: 3 sons and 1 daughter. Yang Daniu is Wang-shi’s is the only daughter.)

Lin Qingwan, after cutting a piece and of fabric, started stuffing the cotton as padding.

“When does elder sister intend to leave? From what I have seen, she seems to have plans to stay here for a long time. Doesn’t her husband care whether she is returning or not?” She once again changed the subject.

Upon mentioning this, Yao-shi gave an even more bitter laugh. “Every time elder sister comes here post autumn harvest and stays for a couple of days. When she specifically intends to return, this I am also unaware.” Yao-shi replied quite implicitly.

That is to say, this was not the first time, nor would it be the last time? A married woman is coming to her natal family to stay for several days, and even dragging her three kids over along with her; this, what is this called? Lin Qingwan was utterly dumbfounded.

But this was not the most important matter. What was the most important is that the elder sister is particularly inconsiderate.

Coming here and staying for several days is not that big matter. Not even letting her hands touch the water and helping in household matters and cooking is also okay. But to go as far as to throw all of her laundries along with her kids’ on her sisters-in-law?! And if you show even a bit of reluctance, she would at once go to He-shi and start playing a drama, making a big fuss, and crying that her saozi and dimei doesn’t like her returning to her natal house and as all of them doesn’t like her, she might as well pack and leave.

嫂子 (saozi): alternate term for saosao (嫂嫂), older brother’s wife

弟妹 (dimei): younger brother’s wife

If you want to leave, you should just leave. She clearly doesn’t have any intention of leaving, and all this drama was simply for other people to hear. Even crying at every turn as if other people are bullying her. One time, Wang-shi was done with all this fuss. She didn’t give her face and outrightly refused to wash her laundry. Elder sister Yang immediately began to make a fuss. In the end, even a person like Wang-shi had her teeth broken and was forced to swallow teeth and blood. For small minions like her and Yao-shi, it was better to calmly and silently wash the clothes. Nevertheless, sometimes it was hard to not feel anger and stuffiness.

打落牙齒和血吞 (dǎluò yáchǐ huò xiě tūn): (Idiom) Literally: knock out (the) teeth (and) mix (with) blood (, then) swallow (both teeth and blood mixed together). It means to silently endure all manner of insults and abuse.

“Just endure a bit, and soon it will be all over. It is not possible for her also to stay at her natal family’s place for a long time.” Yao-shi consoled her.

Elder sister Yang’s marriage wasn’t good. At the time when she was married, Yang jia’s financial situation was quite bad. The little bit silver they had was all spent on Yang Xuezhang for his studies. Thus, at that time, there weren’t any good families that came by.

家 (jiā): Family/Home

Actually, the bridegroom’s family was not originally poor. But elder sister Yang’s mother-in-law was afflicted with severe illness and was required to take medicine once in a while, which in the end emptied out the entire family’s assets. It wasn’t easy to save money for the families living on farming, and it was even more difficult for them to provide for the patients. Thus, eldest sister Yang once in a while drags her children to her natal family to overcome difficulties, and her husband also never stopped her.

After all, when there are fewer mouths to feed, a lot of food can also be saved. A half-grown son can eat his poor father – This saying is not wrong at all.

半大小子，吃 穷老子 (bàndàxiǎozǐ, chīqiónglǎozi ): This is an old proverb used in rural villages, which means a sharp rise in the appetite of growing sons can burden their poor father.

Lin Qingwan was just about to reply when eldest sister Yang’s voice came from outside.

“Second dimei, are you in your room?”

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