Chapter 11: Return to the Family Home in Three Days
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Madam Zhou divided the money in her hands into five portions, then took twenty copper coins from her own purse and split them into two more. Everyone stared at the seven piles of coins on the table, exchanging bewildered looks. No one understood what Mother intended to do.
“Each of you take one portion and buy yourselves some snacks.”
“Mother, the family is short of money right now. We don’t need it. You should keep it.” Gu Qingsong stepped forward to gather all the coins together, but Madam Zhou slapped his hand away.
“If I’m giving it to you, then take it. The family may be struggling at present, but we haven’t reached the point of having nothing to eat.” Her tone was firm, and seeing that, the others each took a share.
Zhen Mi’er held her portion of copper coins in both hands, filled with admiration for her mother-in-law. She had witnessed how close her husband and his brothers were, and that surely had everything to do with Madam Zhou’s guidance.
Even if Madam Zhou favored Tingzhi, it was only in small, obvious matters. She never let Gu Qingsong or Gu Qingbo feel neglected.
Tingzhi was gifted in his studies and destined to accomplish great things. He was worthy of her partiality, and no one objected. Yet when it came to matters of right and wrong, Madam Zhou treated each of her children fairly, binding their hearts together as one.
Even her two daughters-in-law were exceptionally kind. Zhen Mi’er guessed that her mother-in-law had made careful inquiries before selecting the eldest and second daughters-in-law. As for herself, Madam Zhou had surely chosen her only because circumstances had left her no other option.
The thought left Zhen Mi’er feeling somewhat dejected.
After they returned to their room, Gu Tingzhi naturally handed his own share of coins to Zhen Mi’er. She accepted them instinctively and placed them together with her own.
Although they had been married for only two days, the two of them were already remarkably at ease with one another, their intimacy entirely natural.
Before dawn the following morning, while the sky was still faintly light, Zhen Mi’er awoke. Seeing Gu Tingzhi sleeping soundly, she climbed down from the bed as quietly as possible, moving from the foot of it.
Thinking of their visit to her family that day, she opened her chest and considered what to wear. If she were thinner, she might have managed by taking someone else’s discarded clothes and altering them. But with her figure, any garment she wore would have to be made new.
Cloth was expensive these days, however, and her family could not afford it. Apart from the wedding dress she had worn when she married, she had only two dresses to wear in rotation. They were already faded and covered with numerous patches, but Zhen Mi’er did not mind. She changed into one of them, a peach-red dress.
By the time Gu Tingzhi woke, the two of them had eaten breakfast. Then they set off together toward the Zhen household in Willow Village.
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The two villages lay side by side, and they reached their destination after crossing a few fields. They encountered quite a few people along the way. Gu Tingzhi could no longer remember who was who, while Zhen Mi’er, often mocked for her figure and rarely venturing outside, could not recognize many of them either. Still, out of courtesy, she smiled and greeted everyone they passed.
Quite apart from the fact that the two of them were now the subject of gossip throughout the village, the things they carried were enough to attract attention.
Gu Tingzhi carried five pounds of wild boar meat and a jug of wine, while Zhen Mi’er held fabric in one hand and pastries in the other. To the villagers, these were all precious goods.
No one had expected that the Gu family could still produce such things. They secretly regretted their earlier choices. Had they known the Gu family still had some wealth behind them, they would have married their own daughters or nieces into that household. Who cared whether the son-in-law was foolish, so long as the girl could follow him and eat meat?
Though many thought this way, no one would admit it.
Once the couple had gone farther down the road, the spectators gathered together again and resumed their sarcastic chatter.
“No matter how capable a person is, he can never overcome fate. When fate decrees that things should be this way, every advantage in the world is useless. Look at that promising young man—he’s gone and married such a fat woman. Even if the Gu family still has a little wealth, she’ll eat through it sooner or later!”
The couple paid no attention to what anyone said. They chatted and laughed along the way, and before long they arrived at the Zhen household.
Madam Zhao was chopping pigweed, with several chickens gathered around her. A rooster stretched out its neck and, while Madam Zhao was not looking, pecked at a sweet potato lying nearby. It then flapped its wings and dashed toward a corner, with the other chickens chasing after it to fight over the prize.
“Mother!”
Madam Zhao had been about to chase the chickens, but at the sound of the voice she hurriedly looked toward the courtyard gate. When she saw her daughter and son-in-law, she quickly wiped her hands on her apron and went to greet them.
Gu Tingzhi bowed respectfully. “Greetings, Mother-in-law.”
“Good, good. The two of you, come in quickly.” As Madam Zhao spoke, she reached out to take Zhen Mi’er’s hand, only then noticing the things her daughter was carrying. When she turned and saw the enormous piece of meat in Gu Tingzhi’s hand, she was startled.
“Why did you bring so many things? How much money must this have cost? What a waste to spend so much just for a visit home. And this meat—where did it come from?”
Zhen Mi’er looked at Gu Tingzhi with a bright smile. Remembering what Manman had instructed him the night before, Gu Tingzhi explained carefully, word by word, “Mother, this is wild boar meat. We hunted it in the mountains. Everything else was bought especially for you. Please try it. The wine is for Father-in-law. The weather is cold, so he can drink some to warm himself.”
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Madam Zhao watched him standing straight in the courtyard, a smile on his face and a natural expression in his eyes. His speech was clear as well. Though the clothes he wore had been washed until they were pale, they did nothing to diminish his presence. He carried himself neither humbly nor arrogantly, like a green pine standing tall.
She was even more astonished. She circled him several times before asking, “Ami, your husband—is he cured?”
Seeing her mother’s excitement, Zhen Mi’er shook her head with a smile. “Mother, he isn’t cured yet. I taught him these lines beforehand. How was he? Didn’t he learn them well?”
Madam Zhao patted her helplessly. Though she was somewhat disappointed, she did not dwell on it, and led the two of them into the main room.
Since her daughter and son-in-law had brought pork that day, Madam Zhao immediately cut off a pound to prepare for lunch. Zhen Mi’er helped her nearby, and Madam Zhao took the opportunity to speak frankly with her.
“If your husband never gets better, what do the two of you plan to do? Have you thought about it?” Her daughter was already married, and all she hoped for was that the couple would live well. Even if he could no longer pursue the licentiate examination, he still needed some way to make a living.
Zhen Mi’er had just fetched several potatoes from the cellar. As she peeled them, she replied, “Mother, we haven’t thought that far ahead yet. For now, I’ll help Father and Mother-in-law work the fields. If Tingzhi still hasn’t recovered by the time of the county examination, we’ll make other plans.”
Madam Zhao nodded. “When you were little, every fortune-teller said you would bring good fortune to your husband. Perhaps he’ll recover one day. There’s no need to rush. Just wait a little longer.”
As she spoke, she studied her daughter’s face and eyes. Then she frowned and asked, “You two still haven’t consummated the marriage?”
Zhen Mi’er’s eyes widened. How had her mother known? “There’s no need to hurry…”
Madam Zhao grew anxious. “What do you mean, there’s no need to hurry? You’re already married. How can you have children if you don’t consummate the marriage? You must have a plump baby boy as soon as possible. Even if Tingzhi never recovers, the two of you will at least have another person to rely on in the future.”
As though she had thought of something, she asked uncertainly, “Is it that your husband doesn’t know how?”
Zhen Mi’er had no idea how to answer. Madam Zhao took her silence as confirmation.
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