Chapter 17.2

Translated by Aviana

W hen Yang Tiezhu returned home, only He-shi and Wang-shi were in the house.

Wang-shi was cooking in the kitchen, while He-shi was standing at the kitchen door watching her cook.

“Mother, Eldest sister-in-law.” He went in and greeted both of them.

“ Second younger brother is back.” Upon hearing his voice, Wang-shi replied back from the kitchen.

Yang Tiezhu nodded his head and saw that there weren’t any men in the house. Thinking that these two days were the time for weeding the fields, he put his hunting gear in his room right away and then carried a hoe on his shoulder, intending to go to the fields.

When He-shi saw Yang Tiezhu returning empty-handed, her complexion was a little difficult to look. Then watching Yang Tiezhu carry hoe on his shoulders intending to go to the fields, she eventually couldn’t help but open her mouth.

“You had gone to the mountains these past few days but didn’t bring anything back?” He-shi frowned, half-turning her triangular-shaped eyes.

Hearing He-shi asking as such, he remembered those few hares and peasants he had brought back but had forgotten to bring them.

However, he was aware that there was animosity between He-shi and Yang shi; thus, he also didn’t say anything. He knew that if he said it out, his mother would again start making a fuss.

At this time, Wang shi also quickly wiped her hands before walking out of the kitchen and asked: “Second younger brother, what did you bring for today’s dayaji? Take it out quickly. I will clean them up. Later we can eat them.”

dǎyájì: having a large and sumptuous meal (traditionally on the 1st and 15th of each month)

Yang Tiezhu was somewhat embarrassed, “This time, there wasn’t much to hunt in the mountains. Whatever I had caught, I sold them in the town.”

Wang-shi had disappointment on all her face and couldn’t help but grumble, “Second younger brother, you also didn’t bring anything last time you went into the mountains. The entire family is still waiting to have a large and sumptuous meal.”

She was already unable to remember how long it had been since she had meat. He-shi was particularly stingy. The food in the house doesn’t have oil and can’t eat meat even once a month. Thus every time Yang Tiezhu went to the mountains, it was time for the Yang family to have a sumptuous meal. At this time, Wang-shi would also have a great time, eagerly looking forward to Yang Tiezhu to go to the mountains every day.

Yang Tiezhu was even more embarrassed and felt a bit uncomfortable in his heart. However, he also couldn’t talk back to his elder sister-in-law and mother. Thus, he could only stand there with embarrassment, without speaking anything.

He-shi’s originally gloomy face became even more unsightly at Wang-shi’s off-putting demeanor.

“Is this old lady not giving you enough to eat and drink, to go as far as to sniff meat around just like a dog looking for a bone? You must have been the reincarnation of a staved ghost in your last life, aren’t you criticizing this old lady in a roundabout way for not giving you enough meat?” He-shi jumped and crackled, cursing rather unpleasantly.

Wang-shi suddenly felt wronged and looked at her mother-in-law a little anxiously. She then looked at Yang Tiezhu, hoping for him to help her put a few words. But Yang Tiezhu, at this moment, was also very embarrassed, not knowing what to say.

“Mother, you are overthinking. I don’t have such thoughts.”

“You don’t have such thoughts, then for what are you grumbling in front of this old lady? Look how fat you are now…”

“What’s all the racket about again? As soon as I came back, I could hear you guys making a racket.”

Old Father Yang’s voice was heard from the doorway. Behind him were Yang Tiegen and Yao-shi, each carrying hoe on their shoulders. Originally Yang Tieshuan also went to weed the fields, but now don’t know where he ran off to.

Old Father Yang entered in and put down the hoe in his hands.

Seeing sweat all over her husband’s face, Yao-shi put down the hoe in her hand and hurriedly turned around to draw water for Yang Tiegen to wash his face.

When Wang-shi saw that everyone had returned, she immediately felt as she got her own backing.

While pretending to wipe the corners of her eyes, she turned towards Old father Yang and said aggrievedly, “Father, I merely said that the second brother didn’t bring back anything for a sumptuous meal, but mother at once scolded me saying that I was criticizing her in a roundabout way for not giving me enough meat.”

“You still haven’t said so? Look at your gluttonous appearance. This old lady is ashamed on behalf of you. Why did the eldest child marry such a shameless thing?” Pointing at Wang-shi’s nose, He-shi cursed as she jumped three feet high.

“…… what do you think you are, insisting on letting others bring meat back for you to eat? Have your dog eyes have gone blind, others would rather feed their dogs than you……”

Upon hearing these words, Yang Tiezhu understood that these words were originally for him.

He-shi was pointing at the mulberry tree and cursing the locust tree. Under the pretext of scolding Wang-shi, she accused him of being unfilial for not bringing anything back.

to point at the mulberry tree and curse the locust tree: to scold sb indirectly / to make oblique accusations

Yang Tiezhu’s initial embarrassment for forgetting to bring the things back vanished like smoke in thin air. He felt aggrieved in his heart, but then he couldn’t also find fault with He-shi, always jumping and cursing like the ‘other person’, right?

“It’s okay, it’s okay! Don’t want to have lunch?” Old father Yang pushed He-shi into the main room, separating the two women who were making a din.

Then he turned around to Wang-shi and said, “Eldest daughter-in-law, isn’t the meal ready yet? What time is it?”

Wang-shi dismayed and went into the kitchen to make the meal.

Fortunately, she was also thick-skinned. Thus she didn’t feel anything. If some other family’s daughter-in-law was scolded like her, she would have already cried inwardly at an earlier time.

By the time the meal was ready, all the children who ran wild out also came back.

Yang Dalang, Yang Erlang, and Yang Sanlang were all covered with mud from playing when they came back home. Yang Erlang was running in while making faces at Yang Sanlang, who was chasing behind him.

As soon as Wang-shi saw them all dirty after coming back from playing, the fire in her heart burned. She stepped forward, caught Yang Erlang, and spanked his butt twice.

Upon being hit inexplicably, Yang Erlang was initially scared and dumbstruck, followed by which he started bawling loudly.

“Every day playing around till getting this dirty before coming back, you think that this old lady is awfully idle, right? Damned child, little wastrel…”

Wang-shi hit him whilst scolding, clearly releasing her pent-up anger from being criticized by He-shi on her son. It was not the first time that these children ran back with dirt all over them; never had they seen Wang-shi hitting them before.

When Yao-shi saw Wang-shi this way, she knew that she was angry in her heart and didn’t dare to calm her down. At this time, Yang Erniu and Yang Sanniu also happened to come back, calling her from far way.

Yao-shi saw both of her daughters coming hand-in-hand with small baskets in their hands and hurriedly went up to them to take the baskets for their hands.

Erniu and Sanniu were sensible and obedient since childhood and seldom went out to play. Every day both of them would put with their small baskets and would go to dig wild herbs and pigweeds from all over the place. At a very young age, they could come back with a basket of wild herbs every day.

Yao-shi helped them wash their hands and wipe their faces. She then asked if they were hungry or tired.

The warmth and harmony of the mother and daughter at this side, and scolding, beating and crying on Wang-shi’s side, were extremely distinct contrasts.

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