Chapter 203
It was a good day, the sun was out, making it a warm and toasty day. If it were just two days ago, there probably wouldn't have been many people coming. It was bitterly cold just two days ago, and few would have dared to enter the water. Falling ill from the cold was a serious matter.
The lake was full of people. Women, fulang, men, and children had all have all gone down to catch fish. It made for a lively scene. Two old men sat on the shore with a scale, ready to collect payment.
It felt like a parent-child activity during the Spring Festival. The water was shallow, and there seemed to be many fish, their scales glinting as they swim. Fang Zichen took off his shoes and socks, rolled up his trousers, and jumped in.
The lake held water year-round, and the mud was a bit deep, immediately covering his calves. Just ahead, a child who had caught a fish was about to lift it triumphantly when the fish thrashed, slapping its tail against the child's face several times. Seeing his muddy face, the onlookers on the shore couldn't help but laugh.
Seeing that even eight or nine-year-old children were following adults into the water to catch fish, Yang Mingyi also wanted to go down.
In ancient times, women were not allowed to expose their feet. It was the same here in Da Xia. However, there was always 'depending on the circumstances'. Ordinarily, if one went out with arms or legs exposed, people would gossip unpleasantly. Such attire was common for those working in pleasure quarters. For respectable girls and gers to behave like that would be considered shameless and lacking in virtue. But for village folk, when transplanting rice seedlings or working in the fields, it was permissible to expose them. At such times, no one would say anything. If someone wore shoes into the field, people would instead gossip more.
Xiao Feng also wanted to come down, but he had just recovered from his illness. Although the lake water, having been warmed by the sun all morning, couldn't be considered cold, Fang Zichen still didn't let him. Yang Mingyi took off his shoes and socks. The lake was a bit deep, so Fang Zichen carried him down. The mud was soft and squishy, with some rotten lotus leaves on top, looking somewhat black. Yang Mingyi didn't seem to mind and, if anything, seemed to get more addicted the more he stepped in it.
Guaizai, perhaps having drunk a couple of sips of green tea and inherited Zhao Ger's ways, didn't say directly that he wanted to go down either. He called out to Fang Zichen, then pointed his short little finger at a child catching fish in the distance and said, "Guaizai is so jealous of him, so very jealous! If only Guaizai could also go down and catch fishy-fish!"
Fang Zichen: "......"
Really just like his daddy, all tea-like and performative.
But with his own son's short, stubby height, he was afraid that if the child jumped down, he'd be like a ginseng doll sinking into the earth—completely disappearing from sight. The wooden bucket they brought was big. Fang Zichen picked him up and placed him in the bucket, then caught a fish and threw it in for him to play with. Only then did Guaizai stop being jealous of others.
When Zhao Ger arrived, he saw Fang Zichen and Yang Mingyi enthusiastically catching fish. The bucket was full of fish. They were big, but they were not particularly tasty types. Zhao Ger told him to pour them out and, from the shore, pointed at the fish for the two of them to catch.
They played for another afternoon. Returning home, they heated water for a bath before heading to Zhou Ger's house. They were eating at his place again tonight.
The Liu family's dining table was round and large, and it had never been fully occupied before. Now, with both families together, nine people in total, it was finally almost full. While preparing the dishes, the children played in the courtyard, chasing each other and throwing bang snaps. The aroma of food wafted from the kitchen. Fang Zichen must have said something, as Zhao Ger and Zhou Ger were laughing at his jokes. Looking at the scene, Aunt Liu couldn't help but wipe away tears.
Uncle Liu said, "Why are you crying during the New Year?"
"With so many people at home today, I'm just happy," Aunt Liu said.
Uncle Liu sighed. Ever since fleeing to Xiaohe Village, their home had never been as lively as it was today.
He used to have many siblings: an elder brother, an elder sister, and two younger brothers and a younger sister. But that year, a great flood hit their home, washing away their house. With nothing to eat or drink, they followed a large group fleeing south. Passing through Xunyang Town, they entered to beg for food but were met with soldiers driving them out. The crowd scattered in panic, everyone fleeing in different directions.
Lost and disoriented in unfamiliar terrain, they ran until they had no idea where they were. When they finally thought to turn back and search for the others, they could no longer tell which direction to go. In the end, only he, his wife, and their children managed to flee all the way to this place. Whether his other siblings were now dead or alive, where their bones were buried if dead, or where they were living if alive, he had no idea. With few family members and no relatives, even during the New Year, it was always cold and quiet. It had never been like today, which gave him a feeling much like having a house bustling with children and grandchildren.
...
On New Year's Eve, they were having guests over for a meal. Early in the morning, Fang Zichen was dragged out of bed again.
The day before yesterday, they slaughtered a pig and had to get up early. Yesterday, they made glutinous rice cakes and had to get up early. What was it for today?
Zhao Ger said, "We're preparing a feast for noon. You need to wipe down the kitchen cabinets, dining table, stools, and such later."
There was a lot of dust in the village. Zhao Ger often cleaned these pieces of furniture, but it was no use. They'd be clean one day and dirty the next.
On the day of the pig slaughter, they went to someone else's house to eat. Today, it was their turn to properly host a meal in return.
The village emphasized reciprocity in courtesy. However, their household only had two adults; the children were small and couldn't really be counted. Although they invited the village chief and He Daleng's family, they certainly wouldn't bring their entire families. Usually, they would send two representatives. With the Liu family and Lin Xiaoxia's family added, it would amount to about two tables of people. The food naturally needed to be prepared early, and the house needed to be wiped and washed where necessary to avoid being discourteous.
Fang Zichen, curled up in the quilt and yawning, spoke without human decency: "We can have the two kids do this. Where are they?"
"Out playing." Zhao Ger pulled back the quilt. "Hurry up and get up! They're still young, where would they know how to do such chores?"
Yang Mingyi wouldn't know, but Xiao Feng certainly would. If he could chop wood and wash clothes, he would definitely know how to wipe a table.
Xiao Feng and Yang Mingyi knew the house would be busy today and got up early to help. But when it came down to it, they were still young. Moreover, girls and ger were not like men. They were often confined at home to learn rules and etiquette by the age of eleven or twelve. The days they could play were not many. Now, during the New Year, Zhao Ger thought to let them play to their hearts' content, as they might not have the chance later.
Fang Zichen acted spoiled: "Zhao Ger, I'm sorry. I lied to you before. Actually, I'm not even nine years old yet. I'm still young!"
Zhao Ger: "......"
This man, all for the sake of sleeping in, was even ready to throw his dignity out the window.
Fang Zichen lay down properly, hands folded over his abdomen: "Actually, I just look older than I am, I appear a bit big for my age. Children need more sleep. Be good, cover me with the quilt, I'll sleep a little longer."
Zhao Ger simply laughed. He kissed Fang Zichen: "Husband, hurry up and get up! Otherwise, I'll take a wooden stick to you later."
Fang Zichen: "......"
Today, there was a bit of wind outside and no sunshine. The water at home was piercingly cold. Zhao Ger added two ladles of hot water for him before taking a basket to Zhou Ger's vegetable plot to pick vegetables.
Fang Zichen squatted on the ground wiping the cupboard, feeling more and more aggrieved with each wipe. During the New Year, other people ate until they were full, slept as much as they wanted, then woke up and ate some more—they lived like prize hogs. Yet here he was, back home either slaughtering pigs or scrubbing floors like a professional housemaid. Did he come back for the holiday, or was he here for forced labor reform?
.
This is the Spring Festival, not Labor Day! All this wiping and cleaning is more exhausting than going to work. Over these past few days, everyone else has been putting on weight from all the eating, while I've been so worn out I can hardly stand up straight.
Zhao Ger says he loves me. Is this what love looks like—not even letting me sleep in?
Thinking back to when they first got together, Zhao Ger had been so gentle, so tender and considerate, treating him like the only authority. Now, things were fine one moment, and the next there was a fist. Where was the respect for him as a husband?
If all husbands were treated like this, then he, this husband, was probably just washed up to the doorstep by the summer floods. A husband picked up for free gets kicked aside.
You really don’t know how to treasure what you have.
Damn it, I'm not doing this anymore.
He threw down the rag and was about to stand up when Zhao Ger came in. Seeing him fuming, Zhao Ger frowned: "Husband, what's wrong?"
"Ah? No, nothing. It's just... my legs are numb from squatting too long, heh heh." Fang Zichen picked up the rag again and started wiping diligently. "Why did you come back suddenly?"
"Forgot the knife," Zhao Ger said.
Fang Zichen knew when to yield: "Oh! Then be careful, don't cut your hand."
The yard outside the He family ancestral home was quite sizable. Initially, Zhao Ger cleared one side to plant vegetables, leaving the other side empty for the children to play. After starting the roast duck business, there was no place to air the ducks and no place to put the oven, so they filled in a large part of the vegetable plot. Now, only two small plots remained, not enough to grow much. He had scattered some pea and bok choy seeds. The day before yesterday, they picked and ate the pea shoots, so today they could only go to Zhou Ger's house to pick vegetables.
Although he wasn't born in the village, having lived here for many years, Zhao Ger more or less wanted to have a piece of land. Before, he couldn't afford it, so he didn't dare think about it. Now that he had earned some silver, he wanted to buy some—not much, just two or three plots to grow vegetables. But after thinking it over, he still didn't buy any.
Fang Zichen had passed the county-level exam. They were moving the whole family to Yuanzhou. If he bought land, there would be no one to tend it.
Aunt Liu also thought of this problem and planted her family's vegetable plots full, telling him to come pick whenever he needed vegetables. With the deep friendship between the two families, Zhao Ger didn't stand on ceremony with them either.
Today, the sky was overcast again. Zhao Ger picked some greens for soup before heading back with the basket.
Aunt Liu and Zhou Ger came over to help slaughter ducks and chickens. Before they had worked long, Lin Xiaoxia and Li Damei also arrived.
Zhao Ger looked behind them: "Where's Jiaojiao?"
Li Damei took the duck from his hands: "We just ran into Guaizai at the village entrance. Seeing a big group of kids playing, chasing and roughhousing, she immediately dashed off to join them. We called her a couple of times with no response, so we came on our own."
Lin Xiaoxia looked at the dilapidated courtyard before him and couldn't help but slightly furrow his brow.
This house originally had many cracks. After winter set in, Zhao Ger mixed mud and filled them all. Afraid of leaks, he also covered the very top of the roof with a layer of thatch. At a glance, although tidy and clean, it was truly shabby.
Lin Xiaoxia had the awareness of a servant. He had long felt it somewhat improper for the master to live in the village while he and Li Damei lived in a brick-tile house in town. He had approached Zhao Ger, suggesting that he and Fang Zichen live in town while he and Li Damei lived in the village. However, Zhao Ger didn't agree. Although the house in town was nice and saved the trouble of running back and forth daily, the He family ancestral home was the place he and Fang Zichen called home—his first real home. It was here he had found warmth, and it held six months' worth of cherished memories. Unless circumstances left him no choice, he had no desire to leave.
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