Chapter 25
That afternoon, Zhou Ger had just returned from town. He came to Zhao Ger’s house to pick up Liuliu. Zhao Ger had been weeding in the vegetable patch for a while. Seeing that the sun wasn’t as scorching anymore, he went into the kitchen to grab a basket, then took Guaizai by the hand and headed toward the river.
There was a patch of wasteland over there where some fish mint grew. He wanted to dig some up to make a cold salad with pig’s head meat for dinner.
But halfway there, Liu Laizi happened to walk straight toward him.
He must have just returned from town—the stench of alcohol wafted off him from a distance.
Zhao Ger shuddered, remembering Fang Zichen’s words:
"Those two were sneaking around, clearly up to no good. Don’t go out at night anymore. The village entrance is remote, what if you’re walking and someone drags you into the woods to do this and that?"
Liu Laizi spotted him too. Seeing Zhao Ger alone, he was just about to mouth off when Zhao Ger glanced around, suddenly scooped up his son, and bolted toward the mountain.
Thinking that mountain was secluded and deserted, Liu Laizi immediately took off after him.
Madam Ma was chopping firewood. With one swing of her axe, she shaved off half a piece of bark. Ma Dazhuang, seeing the haphazard pile of firewood beside her, flew into a rage.
"Look at you! Look at you! Can’t even chop firewood properly. And the rice you cooked this morning was half-burnt. What kind of wife are you?" He grew angrier as he spoke. "All these years, you’ve been spoiled rotten by Zhao Ger waiting on you. Damn it, look at the state of this house! The pigpen isn’t cleaned, the chickens aren’t fed—are you just waiting for me to do everything?"
Madam Ma wasn’t some meek little wife who’d take this lying down. She slammed the axe onto the ground.
"So what if you do it? Tell me, what exactly have you done since you got up this morning? Hah! Now that Zhao Ger’s gone and there’s no one to do the chores, you can’t even lift a finger? If my cooking’s so bad, then cook for yourself!"
Ma Dazhuang: "Since when do men do these things?"
Madam Ma: "Then why do men still eat?"
Her voice rose as she shouted toward the house. Li Shi and Sun Shi were inside doing needlework. The thin walls did little to muffle the noise, so they heard everything clearly.
"It’s not like I’m the only one eating in this house. Why should I do everything? That little bitch belonged to our branch of the family. Some people have been freeloading off us for years and still aren’t satisfied. Now that he’s gone, they expect me to keep waiting on them? Pah! Keep dreaming!"
It was obvious who that remark was aimed at.
Sun Shi set down her needlework and marched to the door. "Eldest Sister-in-law, who exactly were you talking about just now?"
"No one," Ma Dazhuang stepped in to mediate. "Your sister-in-law was just spouting nonsense. Don’t take it to heart."
Old Madam Ma emerged from the house. Madam Ma had been about to retort, but seeing the old woman’s dark expression, she swallowed her words.
Sun Shi, however, wasn’t afraid. "Nonsense or the truth, she knows which it is. Talking about freeloading off your branch? Eldest Sister-in-law, have you forgotten? The money to buy Zhao Ger came from the family coffers. That means he belonged to the whole family, not just your branch. How come now he’s suddenly yours alone?"
"That little bitch was bought to be a child bride for my youngest son! Of course he’s ours. Or did you think he belonged to your branch?" Madam Ma was fuming and about to say more when Ma Dazhuang yanked her toward their room. "Enough. Shut your mouth."
"Why should I shut up?" Madam Ma grabbed onto a pillar, refusing to budge.
Going back now would make it seem like she’d lost the argument and was running away.
Ma Dazhuang was tempted to slap her. "Are you coming or not? You happy to keep fighting?"
Sun Shi fanned the flames. "Eldest Brother, why not let her speak her mind? Otherwise, we’ll keep getting these snide remarks. Since Mother’s here, let her decide—see if we’ve really been freeloading."
"Exactly!" Li Shi chimed in.
Ma Dazhuang fell silent. Ma Erzhu and Ma Laosan, hearing the commotion, came out of their rooms.
Their faces were dark, they’d clearly overheard the earlier remarks.
"Eldest Brother, just let her say what she wants!"
"Second Brother, Third Brother, she was just talking nonsense."
"What nonsense?" Madam Ma snapped. "If he was a child bride for our son, then he was ours! Or are you saying that if you two use family money to buy wives, those wives belong to the whole family too? Should we all take turns sleeping with them?"
That crossed a line. It was like lighting a firecracker.
Old Madam Ma started cursing. Sun Shi and Li Shi joined in, and soon the whole courtyard was in an uproar.
Ever since Fang Zichen’s visit, the Ma family wives had been bickering daily. Back when someone else did all the work, they’d gotten along like sisters. Now, with the chores split but the family still undivided, each wife felt she was doing more than the others. The snide remarks flew constantly.
Madam Ma, Sun Shi, and Li Shi might not have been educated, but they weren’t fools—and they were all sharp-tongued. The moment one detected veiled insults, she’d retaliate without hesitation.
The neighbors had long grown used to it.
Right now, a few were leaning over the courtyard wall, watching the show.
First came the war of words. Then, as if that wasn’t satisfying enough, Madam Ma and Sun Shi went at each other, pulling hair and clawing. The men tried to intervene. When Ma Dazhuang reached out to separate them, Madam Ma—too enraged to distinguish friend from foe—raked her nails across his face.
Old Madam Ma stared at the bloody scratches on her eldest son’s face, momentarily stunned.
"This is rebellion! Outright rebellion! Second Son, Third Son—go fetch your father!"
Ma Laosan, seeing his wife outnumbered, hesitated, wanting to help her instead.
Ma Erzhu, ever obedient, turned to leave—but Li Shi grabbed him. "Don’t go," she whispered.
"But—"
"Let them fight. What’s it to us? Besides, Eldest Sister-in-law deserved that."
Ma Erzhu was still angry over Madam Ma’s earlier words. After a moment’s thought, seeing Old Madam Ma wasn’t paying attention, he quietly slipped back inside with Li Shi.
Madam Ma and Sun Shi were still rolling on the ground, the spectacle in full swing, when someone suddenly shouted:
"Hey, is that Ma Wen?"
An auntie squinted. "It is!" She grinned, gleeful. "Now things are really going to get interesting!"
"No kidding. Everyone knows Ma Wen had a thing for Zhao Ger. Now that the Ma family sold him off behind his back, he’s bound to raise hell!"
"Not necessarily," said an old woman who lived next to the Ma family. Her tone was dripping with sarcasm. "That boy’s a filial son through and through."
From a distance, Ma Wen could see a crowd gathered outside his house. Having grown up in the village, he knew at a glance—something must have happened.
He quickened his pace and entered—
Madam Ma was still fighting like a wild beast. Ma Dazhuang hovered nearby, trying to intervene.
"Stop it!"
"Get lost!" Madam Ma shoved him away, as if his mere presence weakened her combat prowess.
"Mother—"
Ma Wen was like a director yelling "Cut!"—and just like that, the brawl froze.
The actresses immediately broke apart, standing stiffly, each delivering their closing lines.
"My son, you’re finally back! Two more seconds, and your mother would’ve been bullied to death!"
"Nephew, don’t listen to her, she’s lying!"
"My dear grandson, come here. Let Grandma look at you!"
Madam Ma had fought hard. Bruises mottled her face, blood smeared her lips, her hair was a tangled mess, and her clothes were disheveled. A few clumps of hair—who knew whose—littered the ground.
Ma Wen didn’t register a single word. His gaze swept over them before finally landing on Madam Ma.
"Mother... Did you sell Zhao Ger?"
No one spoke a word.
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