RIRW – Chapter 49

Some Chapters are password protected, please use - rirw2025c to unlock these chapters. This is to top theft of translations.

Regarding the idea of bringing the family back together, Xu Fengxia had thought it over thoroughly and felt it was very necessary. Although her husband, Zuo Hongjun, hadn’t explicitly agreed, based on her understanding of him, since he hadn’t opposed it, that essentially meant he agreed.

Moreover, the New Year was coming soon, and the house was empty. In previous years, the old lady would contribute money to buy things for the celebration, and she wouldn’t have to worry about anything. But now, she had to take charge of everything—wood, rice, oil, and salt. The key issue was that her husband didn’t care about these matters either. The eldest daughter was a blockhead, and the youngest daughter wouldn’t even bother to help if a bottle fell over.

Xu Fengxia recalled the old days and actually felt that life was better before they had separated. At least, when they lived together, her family always had the most to eat. It wasn’t like now, where there was hardly any meat in the house.

As for the fifty yuan she got when they separated, Xu Fengxia would never touch it. Her sister-in-law was able to marry into the town mainly because of her dowry. In the future, when Huan Huan moves to the town, she will also need a substantial dowry to stand strong in her husband’s family.

In order to make her life a little better, Xu Fengxia thought that the issue of the second family’s background wasn’t that big of a deal. Once they were all living together, the third family could contribute the money, and the second family could do more work. The old lady could cook and manage the house—this life would be pretty good.

Once she made up her mind, Xu Fengxia went next door to find Grandmother Zuo.

Grandmother Zuo was smoking meat. Now that Zuo Chengcai worked as a driver in the city and earned a high salary, she wasn’t as worried as before. After all, it was widely known that Zuo Chengcai had made something of himself. He earned money, bought meat, and brought it back to honor his elders—nothing wrong with that.

However, when she heard the knock on the door, Grandmother Zuo was momentarily stunned. She quickly put away the meat and went to shut the kitchen door.

“Who’s there? It’s broad daylight, and you’re not working but coming around,” Grandmother Zuo muttered unhappily.

When she opened the door and saw Xu Fengxia standing outside, Grandmother Zuo’s frown deepened.

“What are you doing here?”

Xu Fengxia noticed the old lady’s expression and felt a little discouraged. In the past, even when the old lady was upset, she didn’t dislike her this much, did she?

She smelled the aroma coming from the kitchen and swallowed. “Mom, are you busy? Do you need help?”

As she moved toward the kitchen, Grandmother Zuo blocked her, “What are you doing? If you have something to say, say it. I’m busy.” She definitely couldn’t let the eldest daughter-in-law into the kitchen.

Seeing this, Xu Fengxia could only say with disappointment, “Mom, I really care about you. These past few days, Hongjun and I have been thinking a lot, and we regret it. We shouldn’t have raised the issue of separating the family and made you angry. Mom, I really regret it.” She wiped away a tear. “Mom, do you think we can get the family back together? We can all live together as one family again, and in the future, we’ll give all the money to you. You’ll manage this family.”

Grandmother Zuo didn’t expect that Xu Fengxia was here to talk about this. She was stunned and opened her mouth in surprise. “Separate the family and then reunite?”

Grandmother Zuo was somewhat moved. After all, as she got older, who didn’t want the family to be together and live well?

But then, she thought again. She couldn’t make this decision now. Before they separated, she could make the decision to divide the family. But now that they were separated, each family was living their own life. It was hard to say whether the third or second son would want to reunite.

Especially since third son was doing well now and had a poor relationship with the eldest son. He definitely wouldn’t be willing to reunite.

As for the second family, they were living well too. Who knew if they wanted to reunite?

However, Xu Fengxia coming to admit her mistake and suggest reuniting did make Grandmother Zuo feel somewhat pleased. “I need to discuss this with the third and second families. It’s not something you can decide on your own.”

“Mom, you’re the elder. They’ll listen to you, right?” Xu Fengxia didn’t believe it. She was still convinced that Grandmother Zuo held authority in the family.

Grandmother Zuo said, “I was an elder than too. Why did you all still insist on splitting the family?”

Xu Fengxia was embarrassed.

Grandmother Zuo looked at her with displeasure. “Alright, alright, hurry up and go back. I still have work to do.”

“Mom, really, don’t let me help? I’m quick with my hands and feet,” Xu Fengxia said, eagerly glancing at the kitchen, hoping to grab some meat to take home.

Grandmother Zuo saw through her intention at once. “What’s wrong? You’re just eyeing that piece of meat? I’m not even touching it, and you’re still thinking about it. Go back, I don’t need help here. The second family will be coming over soon.”

Hearing this, Xu Fengxia didn’t believe her. With so much meat, how could Grandmother Zuo say she couldn’t have any? She was just trying to keep her away. She’d rather let the second family help than let her in. Just wait, once the family reunites, she’d see how she would deal with Li Hui and Dandan.

In the morning, after Li Hui and Zuo Dacheng finished their task of weaving baskets, they went to Grandmother Zuo’s house for a meal.

Recently, because the family was busy preparing goods, to save time, Grandmother Zuo had them bring their own grain, and the two families temporarily ate together. This way, they could save time and weave a few more baskets.

Once everyone sat at the table, Grandmother Zuo sighed.

“I wish we could all sit at the same table together again as one family.”

Zuo Chengcai took a big bite of food. “Mom, aren’t we eating together now?” He thought Grandmother Zuo was just rambling.

Grandmother Zuo gave him an eye roll. “I’m talking about your eldest brother’s family too. It’s been so long since we’ve separated, and we still haven’t eaten a meal together.”

“Well, what can we do? Our family is like this. If you want him to come, he might not even give you a good face,” Zuo Chengcai said, irritated by his eldest brother’s family. It wasn’t just his eldest sister-in-law who was difficult; his eldest brother always looked like everyone owed him something, which made everyone uncomfortable.

Grandmother Zuo, realizing she couldn’t get through to him, turned to Zuo Dacheng and his wife. “What do you two think? If your eldest brother says he wants to reunite the family, what would you do?”

Zuo Dacheng put down his chopsticks, his face filled with hesitation. To be honest, he did owe his eldest brother, but over the years, he didn’t know how to repay him. He couldn’t make Li Hui divorce him, and he couldn’t get back his eldest brother’s position as the captain either. Watching his eldest brother’s attitude all these years had been exhausting for him. It was like what Dandan said—it felt like a heavy mountain pressing down on him, making it hard to breathe. After the family separated, he finally felt a sense of relief. He really couldn’t imagine going back to living together.

Seeing that Zuo Dacheng and Li Hui didn’t say anything, Grandmother Zuo’s expression darkened.

Zuo Dan, without showing any emotion, glanced at Grandmother Zuo. She thought that recently, Grandmother Zuo hadn’t mentioned reconciling with the first family, so why did she suddenly change her mind? Based on what she knew about Grandmother Zuo’s temperament, if no one took the initiative to reconcile, she wouldn’t bring it up herself. Grandmother Zuo cared a lot about face.

So, it was probably the first family that had approached Grandmother Zuo. It wouldn’t have been Zuo Hongjun—he cared about face even more than Grandmother Zuo. It must have been Xu Fengxia.

Zuo Dan spoke, “Don’t be angry, it’s not that my parents don’t agree, it’s just that they know my uncle’s temperament. He sticks to his word, and since he suggested splitting the family back then, he definitely won’t agree to reunite now. My parents just don’t want to make things difficult for you.”

Hearing this, Grandmother Zuo’s mood improved significantly. Just as she was about to say not to worry, that the idea to reunite was brought up by the first family, Zuo Dan continued, “Besides, now isn’t a good time to reunite the family. My third uncle has just become a worker and is making good money. If we reunite now, what will people say about my uncle and aunt? They’ll say they’re only coming back together because they’re eyeing the money my third uncle is making. It’ll look like they’re after the money, not trying to care for the elderly. Otherwise, why didn’t they reunite earlier or later? Why wait until now?”

Grandmother Zuo: “…”

Zuo Chengcai continued from Zuo Dan’s words, “It’s really hard to say. My sister-in-law is the kind of person who won’t give up until she sees results. If she’s thinking about reuniting the family now, it’s really possible.” He then looked at Grandmother Zuo seriously. “Mom, be careful. Don’t let anyone deceive you.”

Zuo Dan added, “That’s right. You’re the pillar of our family. This is the time to do big things, and if someone tricks you, our business won’t be safe.”

Zuo Dacheng nodded along. “If the family reunites, my sister-in-law will definitely know about our business…”

Grandmother Zuo, being someone who valued her pride deeply, of course, denied being swayed by Xu Fengxia’s proposal. She quickly said, “I’m just testing you guys. I’m not confused.”

“You’re the confused one,” Zuo Dan thought to herself.

Zuo Dan felt that things couldn’t go on like this. After this incident, Xu Fengxia would definitely be keeping a close watch. Also, when Xu Fengxia came over, Zuo Dan wasn’t sure if Grandmother Zuo had let something slip. She still had to be cautious. The business needed to be wrapped up quickly.

In the afternoon, she discussed with Zuo Chengcai and decided they should handle the matter that night to avoid any prolonged complications.

After the discussion, Zuo Chengcai went to the county town. He needed to drive the delivery truck that evening and also call the receiving side to confirm the time.

Zuo Dan returned home to find Zuo Dacheng and Li Hui counting the bamboo baskets, but she didn’t speak. Once they were done, Zuo Dan said, “Mom, Dad, my third uncle said the other side is pressing for the goods. We need to send it tonight, as they’ve already set the time.”

Zuo Dacheng said, “It’s time to send it. The weather’s turning bad, and we can’t collect any more mountain goods. With what we have, these baskets are enough. Any more would be a waste of space.”

Li Hui, smiling, jotted down the numbers. With the money from the baskets and smoked meat, they had earned over twenty yuan. Plus, there was their share of the contribution money, which made for another income. This year, their household earnings were more than what the whole family used to make in several years. And for the first time in years, they didn’t have to send any of it away; it was all kept for themselves.

Zuo Dacheng looked at the numbers Li Hui had written and smiled. “Once we get the money, let’s go to the county town and buy some cloth for the New Year, get some new clothes, and have a good celebration.”

Zuo Dan smiled, “We’ll get the money soon. But Mom, Dad, these extra bamboo pieces won’t be used. While you’ve got the time, why don’t you make some tables and chairs? Didn’t you tell people you’d make furniture for my third uncle? You should at least make something to show them.”

Zuo Dacheng thought it was a good idea. “Alright, I’ll start now. Making tables and chairs is easy.”

After midnight, the Zuo family quickly loaded the goods onto Zuo Chengcai’s large truck. Zuo Dan went along to the provincial capital to deliver the goods. They followed the same route as before, but this time Zuo Dan was delivering oranges, as these fruits were popular during the New Year.

After the delivery, Zuo Dan finally felt at ease. With this shipment, they had the money for the house, some extra spending money, and didn’t need to rush to earn more. After the New Year, they’d have her third uncle contact the business in the county, far away from the village, so they wouldn’t have to worry about being watched.

The next day, while Zuo Dan was still sleeping in, Xu Fengxia came to Grandmother Zuo’s house. Since the day before, Xu Fengxia had been waiting for a response from Grandmother Zuo, but after a full day and night, Grandmother Zuo hadn’t given any definite answer. It was just a matter of opening her mouth, why was it so hard? Unable to hold back, she went to ask again, but the conversation didn’t go as planned, and Grandmother Zuo scolded her.

“Want to separate, go ahead. Want to reunite, do it. You’ve taken all the good stuff, why do you have such a big face?” Grandmother Zuo angrily pointed at her, feeling like Xu Fengxia was trying to fool her. It turned out that they weren’t interested in living together again; they were just eyeing third son’s money.

When third son was a failure, they wanted to split the family. Now that he had succeeded, they wanted to reunite. It wasn’t going to be that easy. Tonight, they still had to divide the money, and if they wanted to reunite, she wasn’t going to agree.

Kicked out, Xu Fengxia was so angry that she stomped her feet. “Everything was agreed upon, so why the sudden change? This old woman is really not keeping her word!” She gritted her teeth in frustration, but with no other choice, she sighed and rubbed her hands, thinking to herself that it was definitely because the second and third brothers were unwilling.

She simply went back home, grabbed something, and headed to the town. Now, the only person in the whole Zuo family who still made sense was her sister-in-law, Zuo Chunhong. She decided to go talk to her.

On the way from Zuojiatun to the town, Xu Fengxia trudged along, step by step. By the time she reached the town, her feet were so cold that her whole body was trembling. She didn’t even know why she was putting herself through this. But as long as she had to sit at home and watch the second and third brothers living a good life, she just couldn’t stand it. Now, she thought, this little hardship was nothing.

When she got to the town, she went straight to the commune’s large cafeteria, where she saw her brother-in-law, Hu Changjiang, busy. She quickly went over to him, “Brother-in-law, is Chunhong at home?”

When Hu Changjiang saw it was Xu Fengxia, his face immediately soured. “What do you want with Chunhong?”

Xu Fengxia replied, “Well, since the New Year’s coming, I just wanted to check on Chunhong.” She then slightly waved the cornmeal in her hand.

Seeing she had brought something, Hu Changjiang’s expression softened a bit. “You go find her at home.” He turned and went back to his work. He wasn’t eager to associate with his father-in-law’s family; it wasn’t good for his reputation.

Xu Fengxia didn’t mind. After all, as her brother-in-law had once said, even the county head had eaten meals cooked by him. That was impressive enough. Someone with such skills could afford to act aloof. It was completely normal.

When Xu Fengxia arrived at Zuo Chunhong’s house, she found her sitting by the stove, warming herself. Zuo Chunhong didn’t greet her in a friendly manner.

Chunhong’s Mother-in-law wife was even worse, giving an audible hum before entering the house.

Zuo Chunhong looked at Xu Fengxia and said, “What are you doing here? I told you not to just wander into the house. The Hu family doesn’t like it.”

Xu Fengxia felt awkward and said softly, “I came because of the third brother’s situation. third brother is doing well now, and as his sister, you should be enjoying the benefits, right?”

When Zuo Chengcai was mentioned, Zuo Chunhong’s expression turned sour. Since she returned from the village, she had been paying attention to Zuo Chengcai, trying to figure out how he was making money. If it wasn’t through legitimate means, she could control the situation. But before she could uncover anything, Zuo Chengcai had already become a driver. Zuo Chunhong regretted it deeply. Had she known that third brother was so capable, she would have endured a little longer. Even though she was living well in the Hu family now, it was only because of her dowry. But over time, once the money ran out, the Hu family would start to look at her unfavorably. Having a capable brother backing her up would make the Hu family treat her with more respect.

“Sister–in-law,” Xu Fengxia said with a pointed tone, “How is it that the third brother suddenly became successful without any warning? Just out of the blue, right?” She then added, “The old lady bought more meat again. I saw it when I was in the kitchen, and there’s quite a lot.”

When Zuo Chunhong heard this, her eyes brightened. “third brother is really filial to the old lady, always buying meat.”

Xu Fengxia responded, “Exactly. And you’re the old lady’s biological daughter. Surely you should be able to get a bite of that too, right?”

Zuo Chunhong immediately understood what Xu Fengxia was hinting at. She realized that Xu Fengxia wanted her to go back and stir things up with the old lady. But even if she wanted to make a fuss, she wouldn’t listen to Xu Fengxia. So she replied, “You must just want to eat it yourself. Why don’t you go ask the old lady for it? You’re her eldest daughter-in-law; surely she won’t refuse you a piece of meat.”

Xu Fengxia was immediately frustrated. “How could I not ask? Before I even opened my mouth, the old lady said she couldn’t even get a piece for herself and told me not to expect anything. What could I possibly say to that?”

Zuo Chunhong’s heart suddenly skipped a beat. “Did the old lady really say that?”

“Would I lie to you? The old lady is really muddled up by the lard,” Xu Fengxia gritted her teeth and said.

Zuo Chunhong was different from Xu Fengxia. Having spent more time in the town, with a husband who worked for the commune, she had seen more of the world. After hearing what the old lady said, she couldn’t help but think more deeply.

The old lady’s words couldn’t just be an excuse. Who says such things as an excuse? If she didn’t want to give the meat, she wouldn’t. But saying she couldn’t even get any for herself was clearly a lie. The old lady had no reason to lie. The only possibility was that she wasn’t lying—she really couldn’t get the meat.

Zuo Chunhong felt like she had uncovered an important clue.

“I remember, before the Mid-Autumn Festival, the family bought meat too,” Zuo Chunhong asked.

Xu Fengxia nodded. “Of course. third brother really knows how to spend money.”

Zuo Chunhong kept thinking about these things, and the more she thought, the more plausible it seemed. Her heart felt uneasy but also excited. No wonder third brother was making money. What could he be doing to make money? He could only be doing that kind of thing to make money.